Barley Head Brewery

When I Went: July 16th, 2021

Where: 12 Water Street, #1A, Mystic, CT 06355

Barley Head brewery in Mystic opened in 2017 in what used to be a jewelry store. Its location is set in the basement of an old brick building not far from the Mystic drawbridge. My brother and I went here for the first time in July and were struck by how unique the taproom was. It is definitely the smallest taproom I have ever been in, seating only around 10 people. The indoor seating is a tight but comfortable space that is decorated with local art. They also have plenty of outdoor seating so don’t worry about not finding a table.

Barley Head is located at the edge of downtown Mystic and does not have any parking. Be prepared to spend lots of time finding street parking, or you can pay to park at the art museum lot. There is plenty to do within walking distance though, including restaurants, local attractions, and another brewery, Bank & Bridge. My brother and I used this opportunity to try the famous Mystic Pizza only a block away (we weren’t impressed). When it comes to the beer available, Barley Head had 8 available when we went which is pretty impressive for how small their space is. Of those 8, there was a decent variety in styles with plenty of sours. I was not blown away with any of their beers, but I did like all 4 beers I tried. Definitely swing by this spot when you come to downtown Mystic.

Other Cool Things:

  • Flights
  • Art events
  • Book club events
  • Open to outdoor food
  • Ice Cream beer floats!

What I Drank:

Chris: Obscurus Nitro (Stout) 7.7% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Sunfish Kettle (Sour) 4% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris: Water Street Razz (Fruit) 5.8% – 4 out of 5

Chris: Water Street Blood Orange (Fruit) – 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Coles Road Brewing

When Chris Went: July 2nd, 2021

Where: 817 Farmington Ave, Berlin, CT 06037

Coles Road Brewing opened in 2020 during the middle of the pandemic, which is why it took me so long to finally come to the their taproom. I couldn’t find out a lot about the breweries history online, but it is the first brewery for the town of Berlin, located right next to the train station. So if you feel like getting a drink before you hit the rails, its just a short walk away. If you are coming just for the beer, they have a nice large parking lot and their taproom can fit a pretty large crowd. They have a mix of high tops, tables, bar seating, and some outdoor seating. Both the tables and the decor is a strange mismatch of items and furniture. I am not going to be mad at a place for finding good furniture for good prices and not caring as much about the aesthetic, but I confused by what they were trying to do with their decorations. On the walls are guitars and road signs, and I do not see the connection between the two. The logo is also a little strange as it appears to be a tree, and I don’t see what that has to do with Coles Road, but I might be missing some history of the town or neighborhood.

All of those things are me just being nitpicky though; the most important part of any brewery experience is the beer. Coles Road has a huge selection with 20 beers on tap with every popular style highly represented. This is a place to take your picky craft beer friend who only drinks wheat beers or double IPAs. Don’t expect large pours though as the largest size is 12oz instead of 16oz. I don’t think you will care that much about the smaller drinks though because they have some pretty great beer. With such a large selection, I of course had to do a flight with some sours, stouts, and even a fruit beer. My favorite of the bunch was the Key Performance Indicator Sour with Raspberry and Vanilla. I had never had a sour with vanilla before, but it worked perfectly with the raspberry. Overall, while the aesthetic is forgettable, Coles Road makes up for it with a huge selection and quality beer.

Other Cool Things:

  • Crowlers to go
  • Live music
  • Trivia
  • Food trucks

What I Drank:

Chris- Searchlight Casting Mexican Pancake (Stout) 11.4% – 4 out of 5

Chris– Low Hanging Fruit (Fruit Beer) 4.5% – 4 out of 5

Chris- Loose from the Axis (Stout) 6% – 4 out of 5

Chris- Key Performance Indicator (Sour) 4.2% – 4.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Concentric Brewing

When Chris Went: June 13th, 2021

Where: 91 Main Street, Portland, CT 06480

Concentric Brewing company opened in Portland in February becoming Portland’s first brewery. Coming from Middletown, the taproom is located just over the Arrigoni bridge making it conveniently located close to the highway and to my house. The name “Concentric” comes from the “common center” that the three founders have in brewing. The space has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and lots of parking available. The taproom is a good size with a rustic feel and looks pretty different from all the breweries in old industrial buildings. Two of the unique parts of their taproom are the circular bar in the middle of the room instead of the usual rectangular bar, and the glass wall on the right side so you can see their 10 barrel brewing system.

When I went to Concentric for the first time two things surprised me. The first was that even as a new brewery, they still had a dozen beers on tap with a range of styles. I cannot tell you how many breweries I have been to that when they first open only have 3 or 4 beers on tap. I am not saying that is a bad thing, but usually it takes a brewery a year or so to build to such a large tap list. Another thing that struck me was that they had partnered with Hot Dogs in the Hallway, a gourmet hot dog company to provide a permanent hot dog stand inside the taproom. While their hot dogs were not comparable to Riley’s in New Britain, it was nice to have that option. When it came to their beer, I got a flight including a porter, stout, sour, and fruit beer. The Pineapple Sunset is for any pineapple lover as it is basically just alcoholic pineapple juice. My favorite was the Raspberry Ripple which had the right combination of sour and fruity flavor. I would definitely recommend Concentric Brewing and plan to return on a regular basis.

Other Cool Things:

  • Mug club
  • Corn hole outside
  • Second parking lot in back
  • Lawn available for extra seating
  • Weekly events like Trivia, Beer Bingo, and live music

What I Drank:

Chris- Breakfast in the Caribbean (Porter) 8.5% – 3.5 out of 5

Chris– Udderly Whimsical (Milk Stout) 6.5% – 4 out of 5

Chris- Pineapple Sunset (Fruit Beer) 5.9% – 4 out of 5

Chris- Raspberry Ripple (Sour) 4.2% – 5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?