Moats Mountain won me over with a simple blueberry ale, by which I mean a complex, tart blueberry wheat. The brewery and smokehouse came on my radar as the perfect stopping point between a morning in the White Mountains and an afternoon on the Kancamagus Highway.
After passing the Mount Washington lookout, Moats Mountain fit snugly among the roadside restaurants targeting tourists lured by summer and snow. The brewing operation did not overshadow the restaurant with its massive comfort food menu. No matter the beer, I couldn't skip bison quesadillas.
Nor could I skip Violet B's Blueberry, Moats Mountain's summer wheat. Ales brewed with fresh blueberries and huckleberries are a longtime guilty pleasure, and a staple of summer, even in early May. It was helped by my ability to see both the brewery's grain sacks and Mount Washington from my seat.
Violet B's has a wheat malt profile that flashes signs of lemon and clover before cloak of blueberry descends. A few fingers of lemon reappear throughout the blueberry veneer just before the dry finish. The flavors complement each other thoroughly. Every New England brewer seems to drop a blueberry beer in summer. Moats Mountain has the White Mountain region covered before the snow finishes melting.
Moats Moutain's Czech Pilsner finally returned me to the elusive, fresh pilsner I craved ever since I visited Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Forget all the awful skunkiness that ruins Pilsner Urquell, Czechvar, and everything else imported in green glass bottles. Also forget about the American brewers who feel that every pilsner must be (ahem) improved with a fragrant, citrus hop or should be brewed to 9 percent ABV. This is just everyday pilsner, but fresh, bubbly pilsner like few poured domestically. It features a crisp display of the essential hops (Saaz and Hallertau, most likely). This is the rare beer that could please beer nerds and fans of everyday American lagers.
They just began canning their Iron Mike Pale Ale in pounder cans, a refreshing break in the trend. I hoped for the blueberry wheat in a can, but that was still in the planning stages.
Like Long Trail, Moats Mountain also has an ethos - its water is heated via solar power.
Having no idea what this brewery looks like at ski time or at summer's peak, I imagine it's a popular stop for beer lovers. From what I tasted, they do it right, and by canning, they will bring their excellent brews to a larger audience.
Moats Mountain epilogue
The brewer began canning their Iron Mike Pale Ale, and in a Manchester hotel room, it holds up well. The first New Hampshire craft brewer to can their wares, Moats Mountain sells them for $4 at the brewery and local stores.
This is nice effervescent American Pale Ale, with a payload of strong hops. Iron Mike almost drinks like an IPA, but holds back on any intense grapefruit character – it’s muted slightly. It’s hoppy, sure, but the volume makes it better than Dale’s Pale.
More craft brewers should go with 24 oz. cans; it might be the best way to push the Steel Reserve and Dog Bites of the world off the shelves.
This might qualify as the best canned beer not made by Big Sky, Oskar Blues or Caldera. Moats Mountain made an excellent first stab into the canned beer market. Bone Shaker Brown Ale is on deck for canning. Let’s hope that blueberry beer earns a canned debut soon.
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