MD Brewery Challenge #11
On a freakishly warm February Friday, I visited the Eastern Shore Brewing Company in Saint Michaels, MD. This is my 11th brewery in my quest to travel to all the Maryland breweries.
For me, crossing the bay bridge into Kent Island is always surreal. Everything is so flat. Water and the Chesapeake Bay can be seen in all directions. I always love the beautiful views of the Eastern Shore.
I drove to Love Point to meet my friend, George. As we headed to St. Michaels we had a Jurassic Park moment. A herd of deer was running at a breakneck pace along our right, bounding over driveways, and fences. They kept up with us for about a mile. George just looked over at me and said “Wow”.
During our drive to Saint Michaels, we discovered that the sail shop and the brewery share the same address – 605 S Talbot Street. George dropped his sail off for repair at St.Michaels Sails, then we ambled over to Eastern Shore brewing. We met some friends there.
Their tasting room is cozy. You can have a growler or crowler filled, or order a pint or a standard flight. They even offer some snacks.
All their beers are very well made and delicious. I shared a flight which included:
- St. Michaels Ale – a lightly hopped Amber with a touch of malty sweetness.
- Not so Pale Ale – To me it tastes like a pretty good IPA.
- Situation Critical IPA – Nice IPA. Lots of pine and citrus from start to finish. My personal favorite, as well as the staff’s.
- Duck Duck Goose Porter – cocoa and coffee tastes.
Eastern Shore flight - El Pepe – a Mexican style lager. Sweet and refreshing.
I also tasted their 12 Gauge Stout – with hints of chocolate and coffee. (I prefer the Duck Duck with more cocoa and less roasted taste). I finished things up with their Old Line Session IPA. At 4.8%, this is truly a session beer. It is light and refreshing with just enough hop flavor to be quite interesting. The slight citrus nose and flavor add more complexity to this enjoyable beer.
We snuck in the back to see the brewery. We were lucky to meet Zack the brewery, who answered all my nosy questions about their 15-barrel system. Zack brews on Thursdays and Fridays.
Cheers!
Warren