A Little Northern Flair at NH's Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Company

Shane Carley

Brewery Name: Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Company
Type of Brewery: Brewpub

Location: 2415 White Mountain Highway, West Ossipee, NH 03890. This is pretty far north in New Hampshire, bordering on the gorgeous White Mountains.

Website: http://www.hobbstavern.com/
Facebook: Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Company
Twitter: @HobbsTavernBrew

Background: Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Company is a place I wasn’t quite sure I would ever get to. I live in southern New Hampshire, and there just isn’t a ton of reason for me to head a few hours north. This September, however, I was finally able to check something off my list that I had always wanted to do: attend the New Hampshire Highland Games, one of the biggest Scottish festivals in the world. After a long day of eating lamb and potatoes and watching burly men in kilts throw extremely heavy objects around, I made sure to swing by Hobbs on the way back home--and boy am I glad I did. ​

Growlers: Yup. As soon as you walk in the door, you’re greeted with a fridge full of 64 oz growlers ready to be taken home.

The Beers: Hobbs has a wide variety of beers, and while there I was able to sample a good handful of them. The tap lists at Hobbs are written on awesome little slate chalkboards, which is a pretty cool touch. I was impressed with the number of different styles that Hobbs seems to have at any given time, and even more importantly, I was blown away by the quality. This is a brewing company tucked away in the mountains of northern New Hampshire, and much to my surprise they might be churning out some of the best beer in the state!

• Total Zen - Hoppy Wheat - This was the first beer I tried, and as much as I’d love to tease this out a little longer, it was also my favorite. It has a very nice, citrusy flavor to it, thanks in large part to being dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops. Both the Citra and Mosaic come through beautifully, and the wheat is there just enough to make its presence known without being overpowering. Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I am generally not a huge fan of wheat beers, so for me to love this one as much as I do is a pretty big deal!
  
  
• River Drifter - Pilsner - On a very similar note, I’m not a big pilsner guy. Don’t get me wrong--I’ll drink a nice pilsner on a hot summer day and love it--but it seems like a somewhat limited style in terms of creativity. Well, River Drifter definitely sets out to prove me wrong. This is like no pilsner I’ve ever had, and it’s damn tasty. It has a very rich, buttery (almost butterscotch) element to it that really sits on your palate nicely.
  
  
• Darkest Before Dawn - Black IPA - Wow. Total Zen may have been my favorite beer that I tried, but this one blew me away with creativity. Hobbs really went for it with this beer, and they absolutely NAILED it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a black IPA so aggressively hopped with something as citrusy as Mosaic. If you described this beer to me, I would have said it’s a bad idea. How can roastiness and citrus work together? Thankfully, Hobbs has more faith in the combination than I do, because the result is a delicious black IPA with a nice hint of roastiness on the back end complementing a lot more fruit than I ever would have thought possible on the front.
  
  
• Orodon (Nitro) - Red Ale - Another beer with more fruit on the head than I would have expected from the style, Orodon is a nice, mild red. The nitro gives it a little more richness, which might go awry in a more strongly-flavored beer but actually works very nicely thanks to the milder taste here. 
  
  
• Pitch Fork Stout - Stout - What can you say about a good stout? It’s a really nice cold-weather beer. Pitch Fork Stout is nice and toasty, rich and creamy, and I’d be happy to settle up in front of Hobbs’ fireplace (they have a fireplace!) with a book and a gallon of this.
  
  
• Old Tram Tripel - Belgian Tripel - I don’t have much of a taste for tripels, which makes this difficult to judge. It clocks in at a hefty 8.1% alcohol, and you definitely get a nice bite from it. It stacks up very favorably against other tripels that I’ve had, but, again, Belgian beers aren’t exactly my specialty, so take this with a grain of salt. I thought it was a very good, smooth, drinkable beer with just enough of a boozy bite to keep me happy.

Vibe: Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Company has a cool, rustic, uniquely New Hampshire vibe. The building itself is very interesting, and a lot bigger than I expected. When you think “northern New Hampshire,” you think small towns, tight-knit communities, locally owned businesses, etc. I didn’t realize what an attraction Hobbs has become until we pulled into the parking lot.

Everything about this place is cozy. The all-wood motif, from the chairs and tables to the solid wood bar to the fireplace nestled in the corner, gives off the perfect vibe--almost like a ski lodge, with a little extra food and beer. There are even a few armchairs scattered around, for those who want to enjoy a beer or two in comfort. It’s a spacious interior, and the brewing area next door is equally sizable, belying a surprisingly robust brewing capacity.

Dogs: No. Hobbs is a full-service restaurant, so the pups will have to stay outside here.

Price ($ to $$$$$): $$ / $$$. Shockingly affordable for such a big operation. The beer wasn’t too pricey and even the food is entirely reasonable. There are expensive options on the menu, but if you just want to drop in for a few beers and some bar food, they’ve got you covered without breaking the bank.

Food: You bet. This isn’t just a brewery--it’s a whole restaurant operation. The food is mostly straightforward, the sort of homey comfort food that takes the food you know and crave and elevates it just a little bit. I had a delicious pineapple burger that I would be happy to order again.

Final Thoughts: As I said before, I was blown away by the beer they serve. The most impressive thing to me is the fact that Hobbs brews such an eclectic array of styles--and manages to do all of them well. Hell, they even took a couple of styles that I don’t usually love and made them not only palatable, but probably the best beers I sampled! I really wish that Hobbs was significantly closer to where I live, because I would definitely be a regular.

-- Shane

---

Don't forget to follow us on social media!

Facebook: Together We Drink
Twitter: @TogetherWeDrink
Instagram: @TogetherWeDrink
Untappd:​ Together We Drink