Thimble Island Beers
Thimble Island Brewing Company Beers
Branford
Flagship Beers:
American Ale, A-
Coffee Stout, A
IPA, B+
“Unchartered” Series:
Dark Pumpkin Porter, B+
Ghost Island DIPA, B+
Kolsch
MAD Russian Imperial Stout, A
Sandbar Brown Ale
Sunken Stout, B+
Windjammer Wheat Ale
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My 2013 visit to the brewery here.
Branford’s Thimble Island are very small. Thimble Island Brewery is (as of March 2013) also very small. They only make two beers – and that was after 8 months or so of only brewing one. (This has obviously changed if you look 10 lines up – November, 2013.)
If it sounds like I’m picking on them, I’m not. I rather like their business plan and appreciate their attention to detail and quality over bursting out of the gate with a bunch of half-assed efforts.
I also appreciate that they are a real Connecticut brewery in Branford. As you may or may not know, there is another geographically themed label headquartered in Branford – Stony Creek Brewing Company (Stony Creek is a section of Branford) – but they are contract brewed up in Bloomfield at Hooker.
Thimble Island (named after the islands out in the Sound, but not plural for some weird reason) proves that you actually can have a real brewery in Branford. They also proved that you also can make top notch high quality beer there too. AND be really cool guys on top of that.
They hope to get licensing for bottling by mid-Spring 2013 and get their excellent American Ale “out there” first. Their branding and logos are beautiful and while I don’t think there are any plans beyond being a niche player, we should all be very happy with that.
What we can all be unhappy with, however, is a 2013 “scandal” with their Beer Advocate reviews/rankings. I contacted TI and they promised to get it cleaned up – and they did! I’ve also heard some crazy rumors that the Thimbles plan on a majorly major expansion in 2014, putting them right up there with the Hookers and the (newly expanded) New Englands of the world.
Thimble Island Brewing Company
My visit to the brewery here.
CTMQ Drinks Every CT Beer
Do you fill growlers in Branford? If yes When?
Comment #1 on 03.24.13 at 4:46 pmDo you read words before you comment? If yes When?
Comment #2 on 03.24.13 at 5:16 pmYes. They fill growlers of their American Ale and Coffee Stout. $10 a growler and only $8 for refills. They’re open Thursdays and Fridays 3-8 and Saturdays are brew days and they’re open from 10-6
Comment #3 on 04.03.13 at 11:56 pmGood beer, great people. Can’t wait for their new summer offering! Thanks for the photo credit.
Comment #4 on 04.05.13 at 6:34 amNow open Wednesdays 3pm-8pm for tastings, tours and growler fills!!!
Comment #5 on 05.15.13 at 6:39 pm