HOLBROOK, NEW YORK
Established in 2012, SAINT JAMES BREWERY makes fine artisanal Belgian-styled ales out of mostly locally sourced farmhouse ingredients.
Visited during a Saturday downpour in May ’18, the pristine Industrial warehouse-bound brewery (with windowed bird emblem) is located right near Long Island’s MacArthur Airport in the town of Holbrook.
Its interior resembles a straightforward, no nonsense Belgian pub with its hardwood chandelier at the foyer, wood-barreled stool seating, nuevo metallic furnishings and high ceilings. The red-floored space also includes a large-screen TV and large backroom brewtanks.
I tasted large samplers of six fruitful delights on my initial journey.
Effervescent Rachelle Blanche brought lemon-soured orange peel tanginess to bruised banana tartness and setback clove-bubblegum-vanilla illusions above sugar wafer-like wheat malting.
‘Smooth alcohol warmth’ serenaded Biere des Chevaliers, an easygoing dubbel with beet-sugared molasses sweetness and dry plum wining covered in musty earthen dew.
Delightful medium body, Tripel, supplied candi-sugared fruit spicing with peaty barley malts and herbal restraint.
Mildly sour Pomme loaded cider-like red apple tartness and mild pomegranate juicing atop subtle barley hops.
Dry cherry-soured Cerise contrasted pomegranate-cranberry dryness with mild molasses sugaring.
Best of all: fantastic holiday ale, Biere de Noel Quad, let lightly creamed chocolate malts settle alongside dark cherry, burgundy and Syrah exuberance, tobacco roasted crisping and blackcurrant snips.