Nine Giant Brewpub & Fermentorium
Way back when Nine Giant first opened Mrs. Bacchanalian and I went to check them out, however when we got there they had already run out of their beer and were serving beer from other local breweries as an emergency back-up. So this visit is actually our first and we are so glad we got to actually sample Nine Giants own beer this time around. NG (as they like to abbreviate themselves) is a very non-descript place. There is no signage, except for what is on the door so it is easy to miss them unless you know what you are looking for. The facility itself is very small with seating for probably (just a guess) fifty people or so. The décor is spartan. A few TV’s, a bar and the seating.
Regardless of the size or lack of fancy décor, the main event is the beer and in that category…they are doing just fine. We went with half pours and sampled five of their selection. My first choice was the Pass the Mic: Enigma Hazy Pale Ale (ABV 5.3%). The beer poured a lovely dark orange/amber color. Bright citrus aromas with some definite orange showing. Flavors of orange with notes of pine. I really enjoyed this beer. My next selection was the Gazillium Ear NEIPA (ABV 7.1%). This poured a wonderfully thick, cloudy orangish/yellow with aromas that seemed very tropical. The flavors were decidedly not tropical however. Dank with tangerine peel flavors, this NEIPA was quite good. Mrs. Bacchanalian chose three pours. Her first was the Escape Engine Mexican Lager (ABV 4.6%). Clear and dark brown with aromas of caramel and malt. I thought this was a very nice beer. Reminiscent of Negra Modelo, but in my opinion, much better. Not overly sweet. Malt is up front, but with notes of the caramel and some grape-nuts cereal like quality. Very enjoyable. The next selection was the Pop Scene Belgium Pale Ale (ABV 5.7%). I am usually not a fan of Belgium beers as I find them was to sweet for my taste, however this version was all flavor with minimal sweetness. Amber to dark orange in the glass, this beer had very strong orange aromas. The beer was crisp and fruity with clove and orange up front. Surprisingly (for me) enjoyable. The last beer we sampled was the Deadcrush Grisette Saison (ABV 5%). Clear and golden in color with light lemon notes on the nose. The beer was crisp and refreshing with flavors of lemon, herb and bread with a slight tang on the finish. A lovely Saison. All in all I thought that all of the brews that we sampled were excellent. All of them spoke of high quality and care in their making.
We only sampled one item from their menu, the Pesto Chicken Mac & Cheese, but it was scrumptious. Very creamy and flavorful with sundried tomatoes to accent the pesto. I enjoyed the dish very much. The rest of their menu seems loaded with tasty choices. We will need to come back so that we can sample even more from their menu.
Bottom line: I will definitely be coming back. Typically I may experience as many good beers as I do mediocre beers when I visit a brewery, but the beers I sampled here were all equally satisfying for me. The quality shines through with the beer and the food. I highly recommend Nine Giant.
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