Relic Brewing Beers

Relic Brewing Beers
Plainville

Bottled Beers:

relicAntiquity Old Ale, B
Blackheart Schwarzbier, A
Clockwork Pale Ale, B+
Darkness Falls
Duality
The Falconess
Fieldhand Saison
Fortnight IPA
Halcyon Winter Ale
Hiver, F
The Hound’s Tooth English Ale
The Huntsman Oatmeal Stout
Nano-a-Nano Belgian IPA, B
One Foot In The Grave
Prologue
Queen Anne’s Revenge Porter
Rococo, A+
Ryepocolyse
Shipwright Imperial IPA
Whiting Street Lager
Transatlantic Belgian IPA
Witching Hour Dunkelweizen

One-offs and Experimentals


The thing about many of Relic’s “experimentals” is that several grew up to be differently named bottled efforts. I will do my best to eliminate them.

Blind Justic American IPA
Cranberry American Wheat
Fool’s Gold Alt Altbier
Black Bretty
Farmhouse Rye
Le Petit Abeille
Mouteka Pale Ale
Stella IPA

rell

Full disclosure: I’ve become friends with Relic’s brewmaster, owner and downright crazy genius Mark Sigman. I visited Relic on its grand opening weekend and have made a stop in every few weeks over the intervening years. I’ve been invited to private bottle shares there and trade personal emails with Mark. I am very fortunate to have this relationship, but as I sit here staring at the massive list of Relic beers to review, I’m a bit trepidatious about getting going.

But those of you who know me or have at least read some of the stuff on this website, I’m confident my reviews won’t be biased at all. Relic is a very unique brewery – not only in Connecticut, but anywhere. Mark has a very clear business plan: Brew and release a ton of beers, don’t be afraid to experiment, have consistently great labeling, and retain the signature Belgian farmhouse flavors in almost every beer, no matter the style.

reliciMark is a bit manic and his production schedule reflects that. “Impressive” doesn’t begin to describe what he’s been able to do; pretty much all on his own and with what is truly a “nano” operation. He has forged strong bonds with the local craft beer community as well as with local businesses.

Putting together this list is daunting to say the least. Disregarding the constant and endless varieties of experimentals and one-offs that spring from Mark’s imagination, even the bottled brews can’t be assured of a subsequent return. Fun? Yes. Good for my complete-list OCD? Not at all. There is simply no way for me to enjoy every Relic effort. I try, but come on.

So yeah, I love Mark and everything he stands for and does. But does that mean I love every beer that pours from his taps? No. Within a couple months in 2013, for example, Relic produced one of the best beers I’ve ever had and one of the – let’s just say… not one of the best. Read on…

Oh, major caveat: In Relic-world, one batch of a beer may be a bit different from the next. Even the bottled stuff. For example, the very first Prologue Mark bottled was very different from a later round. Like, more than you’d ever think. We’ll get into that stuff in the reviews and whether I think that’s a good or a challenging thing, but I felt it prudent to note up front. Bottom line, Mark likes to toy around a bit.

NOW you can read on…

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Relic Brewing
CTMQ Drinks every CT Beer
CTMQ’s page on CT Breweries and Brewpubs

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