Since I’ve started to get into craft beer, I’ve wanted to find a local brewery to support. Unfortunately, I’ve only completed half that equation; I’ve found a local brewery. I was excited to discover Cricket Hill Brewery in Fairfield, NJ, but after drinking their beer I was a bit disappointed. I tried both the Hopnotic IPA and the East Coast Lager. At first I planned to write separate reviews, but the similarities between both beers made me condense the two reviews into one.
If I were to be concise and write the review for the two beers with one word, I would choose “boring.” The brews are only a couple notches above budmillercoors. Not much flavor stands out. I expect that in a lager so naturally I was more disappointed with the IPA, my favorite beer style. As an English IPA, I am confused that the beer is named “Hopnotic” because the hops are not apparent. Without the hop presence, the IPA is dominated by a fruity sweetness.
The East Coast lager tastes like a lager, which is probably my least favorite beer style. Like the IPA, there is sweetness to it, but unlike the IPA I get a lot more hops with each sip. The best attribute I could give to the lager is its decent level of carbonation. If I had to choose an alternate word for “boring” to describe the lager I would choose “forgettable.”
Although I would never become a regular drinker of Cricket Hill Brewery, I would advocate Cricket Hill as a good entry level craft brewery for those looking to start drinking better beer or for those looking for a better lighter beer that would certainly be refreshing after a long day in the hot summer sun.
My Rating: B (for both beers)
I give the rating B-, but the brewery gets a bonus for being located in NJ. Also, the cricket logo is pretty darn cool.
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