Apponaug
Today we decided to stop at our favorite brewery in RI, Apponaug Brewing, located along the Pawtuxet River in Warwick. The beers are great, the food is out of this world, the staff is awesome, and the views/aesthetic are second to none.
Apponaug is part of an old mill building, The Pontiac Mills, that sit right on the water. As you walk inside you are greeted by a member of staff who then seats you either inside or out on the back deck, your choice. Inside has a long bar set up with plenty of seating. Behind the bar there are 4 giant windows that give you a view of the huge fermenters in the back. Opposite the bar, the indoor seating is all industrial themed, which plays very nicely into the mill aesthetic. Whenever we visit, we try to get outside, as it's just too good to pass up.
On the back deck, they are set up with tables, benches, and Adirondack chairs that over look the river that serenely flows right behind the brewery. For those of you who like to be active while drinking beer, there are 2 corn hole set ups that you can play while you indulge in Apponaug’s great selection. We haven’t been up on the new beer garden as of yet, but it’s a wonderful event space that you can rent for office parties, private events, or whatever else your heart desires. While you’re admiring the vibe of this brewery, make sure to get a bite to eat. We are partial to the nachos since we tend to share, but anything you choose is guaranteed to be a winner. The BBQ pulled pork flatbread and southwest tacos are to die for. Now that we’ve painted a picture of the space, its on to the beers.
The Line Up
Keasbey
Celerity
Far Be It! #3
Lite Life
Kilter
Domino
Uncommon Pursuit
Occasional Disruption
Cohesive
Inertia
Lake Runner
Riverside Wit
1. KEASBEY - KOLSCH 5.2% ABV
"A delicate and distinct drinking experience with light notes of berry & rose petals–served traditionally from our brite tank at a temperature and carbonation one would experience in Cologne, Germany"
Courtney: I’m not usually a big fan of Kolsch’s but, that is good! I can taste the rose petals. It light and crisp. I smell more berry than the floral aromas.
Josh: I am getting floral notes. I don’t smell anything flowery but I’m not exactly a blood hound and my allergies are going wild. Really light pale yellow color.
Courtney: Like a beer became a soda
2. CELERITY - WEST COAST IPA 6.7% ABV
"Piney and resinous, dried mango, honeydew melon and dragonfruit"
Courtney: I don’t really smell anything.
Josh: Really? I am getting that citrus grapefruit smell from the hops
Courtney: Full bodies taste. Low Carbonation It’s not a hazy IPA. I really like this.
Josh: Really hoppy. Brings it straight to the front. It’s still light, doesn’t sit heavy so that’s a plus. Not one that I would necessarily get a full glass of. Bites the tongue when you first sip it.
3. FAR BE IT! #3 - AMERICAN IPA 6.5% ABV
"Soft and saturated juicy IPA tastes like fruit salad and Cuties oranges"
Courtney: It's definitely Hazy. That has quite a hop taste. A full body flavor. Low carbonation.
Josh: You can smell the citrus fruits. I really like this one. You can get a lot of the hops at the end. It is crisp, I like that. It's a great all around balanced IPA with a lot of citrus tones.
4. LITE LIFE - LITE LAGER 4.3% ABV
"Brewed with rice. Light notes of hibiscus & a touch of lemon zest compliment a delicate honeydew & water cracker sweetness. Crisp & refreshing with an airy mouthfeel (collab with 603 Brewery)"
Courtney: It’s your typical lager. Very light. This is the beer you give someone who is just starting out because its very easy and simple.
Josh: It has almost no smell what so ever. That is a light style American lager. It's a craft beer Budweiser. Definitely refreshing but I’m not getting a lot of the honey dew or hibiscus. It leaves something to be desired, but that could be because I generally don't like beers brewed with rice as their base instead of wheat.
Courtney: You also like things with a lot of flavor so when things lack flavor-
Josh: It’s not for me. Great jumping off point though. We just like things with more body and robustness. Things with more hop flavor that you get from other craft beers.
5. KILTER - OATMEAL STOUT 5.8% ABV
"Sweet yet still subtlety robust from the abundance of malt added. Velvet-like mouthfeel. - NITRO"
Courtney: Ok. I’m not a fan of oatmeal or stouts that much
Josh: I like oatmeal stouts, and the fact its nitro is probably going to drive it home for me. Has notes of coffee when you smell it.
Courtney: It’s a breakfast beer. It smells really good. Its a lighter stout that doesn’t sit heavy in your mouth or stomach. Of stouts we’ve had in the past its really light. I actually like this which I am surprised since I don't like stouts, I don't like oatmeal.
Josh: A lot of the stouts out there have a heavy malty taste and this one doesn’t. Thats probably why you like it so much. The nitro most likely helps to cut the malt flavors.
Courtney: It's probably also giving it that velvet mouth feel.
Josh: Yeah I like it.
6. DOMINO - PALE ALE W/ WHEAT & SPELT 5.1% ABV
"Tangerine and black tea on the nose and palate, peach mochi being the most prominent flavor, airy whipped cream mouthfeel."
Courtney: Nice cloudiness to it.
Josh: Big contrast to the lite life that was super lite.
Courtney: I am smelling hoppinesss but besides that I'm struggling because I’m smelling stuff in the water. Not my favorite pale ale. Not bad, but not my favorite. It has a creaminess to it.
Josh: (sniffs) It could be the black tea but this is reminding me a lot of the Chinese place next to Mattress Firm. Oh wait. That could be the algae. Yeah its algae I'm smelling from the river. That wasn’t bad. You have a hoppy taste but it isn’t in your face. Very smooth and balanced. Not a ton of earthy tones that come with a high hop.
Courtney: It’s a good intro to IPAs
7. UNCOMMON PURSUIT - IPA 6.0% ABV
"Juicy ripe melon and mango flavors compliment the rounded malt backbone"
Courtney: I’m not sure about the melon.
Josh: Ok, I’m dreading this half of the flights. 5/6 are IPAs.
Courtney: That’s interesting. Yeah. I dont like melon but it doesn’t have an overly “dewy” taste that a lot of melon has. It does have that light mango flavor. Kind of like when we use the mango nectars with mimosas at mom and dads instead of orange juice. It’s very good, different. It's quite hoppy.
Josh: Tastes like fruits. Its not citrus but you can smell the sugars and sweetness.
Courtney: But it isn’t a sweet beer at all. It’s very balanced in that sense.
Josh: Yeah this is a mellow taste. I see what you mean about the mango. You get a hint of the melon but I dont dislike melon. The hops get you at the tail end and hit the back of your throat, but it’s not like some of the others where I felt like we were robbing a bank and licking ALL of the pennies. This was a good one I liked it.
Courtney: Yeah as it says, it is really well rounded.
8. OCCASIONAL DISRUPTION - IPA 6.5% ABV
"Notes of lychee, gooseberry and papaya paired with nuanced malt sweetness."
Courtney: I’m not sure what lychee is.
Josh: It’s almost like a nut. On the tree its like a spike nut.
Courtney: Interesting because as you say that I am smelling like a nuttiness.
Josh: But lychee is super sweet
Courtney: (almost wheezing) OK, I think I just found the first beer I’m not a fan of.
Josh: That doesn’t bode well for me
Courtney: It’s like a brown ale with nuttiness and the body of an IPA
Josh: Not getting a lot of the papaya but the lychee I can smell. I like the nuttiness. It’s malty, not earthy. Not getting a lot of the papaya taste. It’s sweeter malt.
9. COHESIVE - AMERICAN IPA 6.6%ABV
"A burst of tangerine and clementine citrus followed by a honeydew melon finish."
Josh: You might not like the honey dew finish
Courtney: I’m very confused.
Josh: I don't smell any of the tangerine and clementine. I smell the honey dew. Starts off very citrusy with the tangerine and clementine. I can taste the honey dew finish but it isn’t crazy. I really like it. It has a great mouth feel. Its not super heavy where its eating everything, makes a lot of sense since its an American IPA, but it isn’t super light either, it’s right in the middle. So far there isn’t one that I absolutely hate, which is rare.
10. INERTIA - IMPERIAL IPA 7.9% ABV
"Juicy and a little dank with an incredible mouthfeel."
Courtney: I need to learn what dank means. All I think of is bad cheap weed.
(Sip) yeah that is what I picture when you say dank.
Josh: I don’t know what I'm getting from the smell but I don't love it.
Courtney: Yeah Im not a fan of the taste. I want to look up what “dank” means because I feel like that’s what it means, like rotten or spoiled.
Josh: Ok so no juicy. All dank. (Coughing). It tastes like an old basement.
Courtney: YES! Like old mildewy musty.
Josh: Like a flooded basement that’s actively drying.
11. LAKE RUNNER - WEST COAST STYLE PALE ALE 5.2% ABV
"Mango pulp, citrus zest, and fresh slices of clementine."
Courtney: Sweet Citrus scent. Very light. I taste the clementine specifically. Light colored and see through.
Josh: It's definitely a citrus smell. Still light. Can taste the orange. Filtered. Would enjoy on a hot day in summer. I really like it. Not getting a lot of mango, but the clementine and citrus zest is coming through.
12. RIVERSIDE WIT - WITBIER W/ ORANGE PEEL AND CHAMOMILE 5.7% ABV
"Light and full of flavor from the Egyptian chamomile and mandarin orange peel (collab with Beer on Earth)."
Courtney: Has a tea aroma about it
Josh: Something about that smell I don't love. Could be the camomile (pronounced cuh-mome-uh-lee because I’m weird).
Courtney: You can equally taste the camomile like its a tea but also the mandarine orange
Josh: It leaves a lot to be desired with me. I think the chamomile mellowed it out more than I wanted it to. I was hoping for more of that mandarin taste.
Courtney: It's still not bad. Light colored bad. Just a little haze but little to no carbonation
Josh: Nothing super exciting about this beer but its a solid choice for a night cap.
Courtney: Think the camomile would help you sleep?
Josh: It might. Wouldn't do much for my snoring though.
We always love our ventures to Apponaug. Not only because it's so close, because we just can't get enough of their brews or the chill vibe. With a potential of a huge move half way across the country coming up, we've already started missing this place, and we haven't even left!
We genuinely cannot recommend this brewery enough to you. Even if you aren't a fan of beer, you can still have a fun time just relaxing with friends, eating good food, and taking in the beautiful surroundings. Go check them out!
