Obercreek Brewing Company - brimming with candor, quaintness, and flavorful liquids. On arrival, I was greeted by a graceful blend between an old farm and a taproom. The air was bitter but it also seemed to hold a quiet value. The grumbly driveway placed me somewhere between a rural landscape on the cape and a Vermont road.
The taproom was small and warming - a small part of the grange that made up the property. As I opened the door - all I could see were friendly smiles. The space itself was no bigger than your grandmother's kitchen. Outside, during the winter, they have a small tent, full of heaters, so one can enjoy their beautiful hoppy offerings during a New York wintry mix.
You know you are in the right place - when the bartender is also one of the brewers. After some talk about what was recently tapped - I went with a fresh IPA. I stood at the bar and enjoyed my beer while asking about the history of the brewery and its location.
The beer struck me as clean, fresh, and with an elegant display of the selected hops. The mouthfeel was not thin - it was balanced - not overly chalky or thick. The balance of their IPAs - reminded me of Hill Farmstead’s IPAs. Their hoppy offerings were delicate and purposeful.
When we entered “the back of the house” to see where the brewing was done - the staff joked about the brew room's size. The brewery portion of the building couldn’t have been bigger than the taproom. The space was filled with fermentors and brewing equipment. With little room to move - I was in awe of how authentic the space was. The room wasn’t filled with big new brewing systems or fancy electronics - this was labor-intensive, old-school brewing. The room oozed of hard work and true craftsmanship.
I spoke to the staff about the future of the brewery - and found out that their farm allowed a lot of expansion. After leaving - I pondered on the future of Obercreek. I expect them to continue pumping out vibrant IPAs and Saisons. Beyond that - they have the ability to expand into a big taproom and operation - but, I still would love it if they kept the tight taproom and brewery that produced honesty within their beer.