Monthly Archives: March 2019

Eastern Front Brewing Company: Sort of New Kid on the Block March 23, 2019

Posted by nofowineaux in Brewery and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

https://www.facebook.com/easternfrontbrewing/

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The entrance to the tasting room on Main Road. Brewing is still done in the Westphalia Avenue building.

First, about three years ago, a family member noticed the Eastern Front Brewing Company sign on a warehouse building on Westphalia Avenue, just north of the railroad tracks in Mattituck. Then we tried the beer at a First Friday celebration two summers ago on Love Lane. Then Eastern Front opened a tasting room on Main Road, southeast of Love Lane. Then, before we could get there, they closed the tasting room due to issues with getting a permit from the town of Southold. However, with the issues finally solved, we were able to get to Eastern Front for a tasting on a blustery but sunny Saturday, after our visit to the Riverhead Farmers Market.

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One side of the tasting room.

The tasting room is an attractively renovated space in what had been a fence store and a florist. Were the large healthy plants in the tasting room a leftover from the florist, we wondered. We’ll ask next time, and there will surely be a next time, because we enjoyed both the beers and the setting. Dark blue walls make the room cozy, and a slightly elevated alcove contains a display of local art. Any local artists are encouraged to enquire, as they hope to have a constant series of gallery shows.

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The artist whose work is currently on display.

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Yes, this is the parking lot. Perhaps they will improve it in the future.

The small parking lot is still rather primitive, though serviceable, and is located to the west of the tasting room. Right across the street on Main Road is another welcome newcomer to the Mattituck food and drink scene, North Fork Donut Company. One person in the tasting room suggested they build a bridge across Main Road to connect the two. Ah yes, I could see having a maple bacon donut with a beer, for sure!

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That’s the North Fork Donut Company right across the street.

A flight consists of all five beers on tap, costs $12, and comes in a well-designed wooden tray, with holes for each generously-filled glass. We were glad we had decided to share, as one shared flight was more than enough beer. You can also purchase a growler or beer by the glass.

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We took our flight to a table, and as we sipped and listened to quiet jazz being played on the sound system, we also enjoyed eavesdropping on a generously bearded fellow, who was clearly a brew aficionado (what is it about beards and beers, anyway?), discuss the ins and outs of brewing.

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Oops. We drank half the Fat Old Sun before I remembered to take a picture of the flight.

1. Fat Old Sun 6.3 ABV (alcohol by volume)
This is described on the menu as an American lager, and it is a clean, light, very drinkable classic beer—like Budweiser, but with taste. The flavor is yeasty and grainy, with a pleasant finish. If the name is a reference to drinking this in the summer, it is a good choice, because I could definitely see sipping this on the deck with some barbequed ribs and cole slaw.

2. Anomalous Ale 6.7
Why anomalous? Perhaps because, though it is an India-style ale, it has a unique flavor. I get lots of spice, perhaps cardamom, plus a slight but pleasant bitterness. It has a bit of a chemical smell. Though this is not a beer I would choose to drink by itself, I could see having it with food, perhaps an Indian curry.

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3. Love Lane Lager 6.2
The servers were quite busy solving some problem with filling a growler, so I didn’t get to ask why this is called a “pre-Prohibition lager.” In any event, it is light brown in color and light and somewhat sweet in taste. We decided it is more of a hot dog beer than a burger beer. It would be a good drink for someone who doesn’t like the bitterness often present in beers, but we found it too sweet, with an evanescent finish.

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It’s not as heavy as you would think from the color of Sexy MF.

4. Sexy MF 5.1
I do like it when brewers get creative with the names for their beers. This “dry Irish stout” smells like chocolate and coffee, and tastes of them, too, with a touch of saltiness. Though not having as much oomph as a Guinness, it is certainly good. My husband said he felt cognitive dissonance, because he expected more gravitas in such a dark beer. However, I liked it.

5. Wee Heavy Scottish Ale 8.8
The server explained to us that, though this is a somewhat lighter beer than the Sexy MF, they put it last in the tasting because it is so high in alcohol. Once you have this, you may not be able to appreciate any beers that follow it. I appreciated it. This is a very tasty beer, with lots of spice flavor, perhaps cardamom again, or nutmeg. If I were getting a growler here, I would choose this one. Perhaps next time we’re in Riverhead we’ll stop in at a Polish grocer and get some of their kolbassi to grill, then stop by Eastern Front for a growler of Wee Heavy. Yum.

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Reasons to visit: convenient location on Main Road, right near the food mecca that Love Lane has become (Village Cheese, Lombardi’s, North Fork Donut Company, Love Lane Kitchen, etc.); attractive tasting room with a little art gallery; the Fat Old Sun, Sexy MF, and Wee Heavy Scottish Ale; good place for both those who love beer and those who prefer sweeter drinks, as the beers tend toward the sweeter side.

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Interesting contest. I think I’d have trouble choosing!

Paumanok: Almost the Ides March 14, 2019

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

https://www.paumanok.com/

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Though the entry door was open, it was a bit too chilly to sit outside.

Maybe people were bewaring the Ides of March (about to arrive), or it could have just been a typical winter weekday on the North Fork, but we had the tasting room of Paumanok all to ourselves.  The last time we were there it was a warm, sunny fall day, and we sat outside on the weathered wood deck with family members and their dog, sharing a cheese tray.  That pleasant experience might have influenced how we felt about the wines, which we liked better that time.

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The deck is a pleasant place to sit–in warmer weather!

The tasting menu offers four options:  Winemaker Picks, four for $20; Whites, four for $18, Reds, four for $20, or Festival, four for $15.  We decided to share the Winemaker Picks, since that would give us two reds and two whites. Our enthusiastic and well-informed server set the tastings up on a labeled tray, so we could have carried them to a table, but we opted to stand at the bar so we could discuss the wines.

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As we sipped and chatted, she poured us two glasses of water so we could clear our palates.

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There’s also a fairly extensive snack menu, and they do not allow outside food or drink.  However, as we learned last time, they do allow leashed dogs on the outside patio.  By the way, all the wines except the very high-end ones use screw caps, a boon to waitpersons.

  1. 2014 Blanc de Blancs    $55

The aroma reminded me of the inside of a bakery—very yeasty.  This sparkling wine (made by the traditional méthode champenoise) is dry and light, with nice bubbles.  Made from 100% chardonnay, it is easy to drink, lemony and yeasty, if somewhat monochromatic.  It would go nicely with charcuterie, but I don’t think I’d like it on its own, as a toast.  That said, I’d be more likely to get a Cava or Prosecco, for the price.

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  1. 2018 Chenin Blanc $39

Although the server asserted that they are the only ones to make a 100% chenin blanc wine in New York State, I happen to know that One Woman recently made one as well.  However, her 50 cases would be easy to overlook, so I wouldn’t bother to correct Paumanok.  The aroma is somewhat cellar-like, and the taste has a touch of wet rock, but also lemon and tangerine.  This is a light, dry white that would go well with Coquilles St. Jacques, made with Peconic Bay scallops.  We like it.

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  1. 2014 Merlot $39

This is aged 12-14 months in neutral oak, so it is a fairly light red.  It has some of that dirt aroma merlots tend to have out here, with a touch of cherry.  We’re not fond of the taste, which I liken to licking a metal pole (not that I was ever dumb enough to lick a metal pole in freezing weather).  Though it might be okay with food, we share with the server that we find it lacking in fruit and so tannic that it is mouth-puckering.  So she offers us an additional wine.

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Our extra taste is in the middle.

  1. 2013 Grand Vintage Merlot $50

This is an extra, so our server can show us how they can make a better merlot.  Yes, indeed.  This has depth, nice fruit with cherry flavors that are nonetheless dry.  Very nice.

  1. 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $39

Nice aroma, we say, combining dark fruit and cedar closet.  It is described on the menu as medium bodied, and I would agree.  It is a pleasant wine, with no depth but good dark fruit tastes and some tannins.  It could go with lamb chops, we decide.

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I love that they quote Whitman on their label!

  1. 2016 Petit Verdot $40

I tend to like petit verdots, so I ask our server to add this additional taste to our flight.  I like this one, too.  It has a red candy aroma, and tastes of prunes (not stewed) and other dark fruits.  Dry, with some nice tannins, it has what my husband describes as “more oomph” than the other reds.

Reasons to visit:  nice outdoor deck where you can bring your dog; good menu of snacks; the Chenin Blanc and the Petit Verdot; screw tops; we’ve always had nice servers here.