Tuckerman Brewing Company - Headwall Alt

Named for headwall of the Tuckerman Ravine in New Hampshire—a place many believe witnessed the birth of extreme skiing—this beer likewise is a redefinition of the standard. Traditional Altbiers are Germany's equivalent to the ales of England. While Germany specializes in lager beers, they too brewed ales early in their brewing history. These beers tend to be cold-conditioned, similar to lagers, in order to produce an exceptionally smooth, clean-tasting beer. Kristen & Nik's interpretation evokes impressions of traditional altbier as well as American-style brown ale. Expect big caramel and milk chocolate notes to greet the nose first, followed by bitter notes detected amidst grapefruity & citrusy hop resins, with the slightest note of white pepper. On the palate, look for a mild sweetness with a grainy profile and breaddy malt tones, balanced by moderate bitterness and piney, citrus-edged hops. Note how the hop flavors gracefully balance the chocolaty, slightly porter-ish flavor in the finish. For an unusually tasty treat, pair this with a burger, topped with baked brie.

Ahh, the sweet joy of discovery. It's a much beloved consequence of what we do here at the club. Searching the country for small-batch brewed microbrewed beer may sound like the ultimate job, but guess what—ok, it is… We're not even going to try to cover up the fact that we love our jobs here. That being said, it can be quite a task to find craft-brewed brewers who create beers worthy of being featured in the club while also making enough to supply our members. We recently discovered the Tuckerman Brewing Company of Conway, New Hampshire and found their production scale and high quality beers the perfect match (though it should be said, we just about maxed out their available supply!). Small batch brewing at its best—that's how we sum up this tiny operation. Literally a five-person microbrewery, they brew each batch by hand with that special brand of brewers' TLC we so admire. They've got a lot to be proud of—their beers are not only extraordinarily palatable, they're very unique in flavor. After tasting these malty nectars, we think you'll agree that there's something very distinctive about the Tuckerman beers. Their creativity has led to development of traditional style beers with their own stylistic stamping. Reflecting their pride, each bottle bears the text "Brewed & Bottled by Kristen & Nik," the resident brewers at Tuckerman B.C. Founded in January of 1998, they spent six years brewing in a modest, 4,000 square foot, modified garage. Recently, they moved to a facility two and a half times that size to meet current (and projected) demand for their distinctive brews. In December of 2004 they began distributing out of state for the first time, to their southern neighbors in Massachusetts, and in May of 2005 distribution expanded to Vermont. At present, their beers are not found outside of this tri-state region—unless, that is, you're a member of the Beer of the Month Club! These folks brew great beer—each batch brewed with care and skill. We're happy to say we've managed to procure enough Tuckerman Headwall Alt, currently a limited edition seasonal available ONLY in New Hampshire, as well as their Pale Ale, to supply our thirsty Beer of the Month Club Members! For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (603) 447-5400 or check out their web site at http://www.tuckermanbrewing.com/.