Berkshire Brewing Company Franklin Land Trust Preservation Ale

I enjoyed this beer while at my wife's college, Mt. Holyoke, in the Pioneer Valley of a Western Massachussetts, a fine craft beer destination.  I stopped at Table & Vine in West Springfield, looking to pick up some local beers to share with my uncle, visiting from Detroit, but also wanted to enjoy a beer that night.  For $4.50, it is certainly a fair price for a bomber of beer, and it was advertised as a "classic IPA" which would taste like the IPAs of yore.  I am a sucker for hoppy beers, and a big fan of Berkshire Brewing, so I decided to take the plunge, even with only one Beeradvocate review.

The beer has a spicey aftertaste, and is pretty grassy.  It is not a standard American hopped IPA, and is more closely related to our English brethren's rendition of the IPA.  Like all BBC beers, it is incredibly drinkable, and tasty. I am a big fan of the artwork on BBC bottles too, check out a close up below.

Part of the money will go to conserving the Franklin Land Trust, which keeps Western Mass's Franklin County bucolic and beautiful.  I apologize for the messy background and Lubriderm lotion bottle!

http://aterrificlife.blogspot.com/2011/09/berkshire-brewing-franklin-land-trust.html

Portland, ME Craft Beer Scene

Craft beer may be less than 10% of the American beer market, but it's certainly much higher in Portland, ME. This coastal New England city boasts over 10 production breweries as well as a thriving brewpub scene, homebrew culture, and a number of high quality bars. Located a short 2 hour drive north of Boston (be sure to take a pitstop in Portsmouth, NH) there's no excuse not to make a visit! Check out http://www.portlandcraftbeer.blogspot.com/ for more information and details.