Bissell Brothers, ya'll!

On the first day of our Vermont trip, we decided to hit up Portland Maine and then drive over to Vermont from there. After leaving Treehouse Brewing Co with our first beer stash, we made our way to Portland. The next day, with only a few hours to check out breweries and eat some lobster, we decided to go to Bissell Brothers. We've heard lots of good things about them in our Beer Geek facebook group. So let's see what we thought!

Josh Reviews Bissell Brothers:

Steff and I had woken up early on the second day of vacation to get the camp site packed up and get on the road. We stopped by two light houses and did a small nature walk. We definitely worked up an appetite for some good beer! I personally hadn't heard much of Bissell Brothers, but the few things I had were all good. So, naturally we decided to check 'em out. They are located in a weird industrial style strip mall that had a distillery, winery, and of course the brewery. When we pulled in we knew we were at the right spot, based on the small crowd of people and the food truck parked right out front.

Let me tell you, I liked this place before we even made it all the way to the bar. The huge windows up front let in an abundance of natural light, and the bright neon colors on the walls reflected the light. A wall of cans screamed at me to come dive through them like a child in a playpen at a fast food joint. The loud speaker overhead was blasting Rage Against The Machine's classic jam Gorilla Radio and the bartenders working the taps were all jamming out, pouring beers, and singing along. Great vibes! We made our way to the bar. The female bartender came right over and in a very upbeat manner asked if we had been there before and if we knew what beers we would like to taste. Naturally we behaved like tourists and showed that we had no clue what we wanted. She took the time to explain how their tastings/flights worked and got us started with some solid beers.

We got to try 6 different beers and let me tell you something......all of them were amazing! The few that stood out the most however were: The Substance (IPA), Diavoletto (SIPA), LUX (rye IPA), and a creeper of an awesome beer called Dangol' (lager). I don't normally like lagers all that much, but this one was infused with lime already, so it was sooooo freshening, slightly tart, crisp and just downright God Damn delicious! It tasted like someone took all the best moments you've ever had in the summer time, put it in a juicer, added some fruit and alcohol, stuck it in a keg, chilled it and then poured me a glass! Throughout the whole time we were there every single person working at some point came by, chatted with us, talked beers, food, travel and truly made us feel like they were happy we came to visit. Sadly, they were all sold out on cans to-go, but we did purchase some merch, and made some amazing memories! Bissell Brothers for the win!

Steff reviews Bissell Brothers:

I always love breweries that are located in industrial parks because first it's a hunt to actually find it and second they can completely change the inside and make it their own. Which is what Bissell Brothers has done. The floor to ceiling windows are amazing (I love natural light!). And the funky colors on the wall make the place seem extremely laid back and chill. Since Josh already reviewed a lot about the atmosphere, I'm going to stick to talking about the beers.

We love doing flights because you get to taste everything the brewery has to offer. Which is exactly what we did. Their flagship IPA, The Substance, is hop forward and citrusy. At 6.6% ABV with Centennial, Apollo, Chinook, Summit, and Falconer's Flight hops, this refreshing and tasty IPA is dank and great for everyday drinking.

The next beer we tried was Lux, a rye IPA that uses Mosaic and Centennial hops. We've come to learn that we like beers with Mosaic hops. First of all, they add great aroma to a beer. And as I've said before, I LOVE AROMA! Second, they can add a wide range of fruit flavor to your beer. Think pineapple, lime, grapefruit, and tropical fruits like mango. It's also a hop that is great to use in a single-hop beer, because it's an impact hop that's very powerful (unlike some other hops that need to be blended because their profile and impact is too soft). Normally a rye IPA is not my go-to style at all. Most that I have tried have tasted too "grainy". However, because Lux is a rye IPA with Mosaic hops, it softens that grain taste and adds a slight tropical flavor. This is probably the first rye IPA that I can see myself drinking again and again!

On to the Baby Genius Ale. Get this....it's a hoppy BLONDE ALE....say whattttttt!? Again, definitely not a go-to style of mine. And we weren't even going to order it because Josh isn't normally a fan of this style either. I feel like blonde ales (and similar styles) were what I drank at 21 when I thought I was cool drinking "craft beer". But I was intrigued by that one word.....hoppy. I'm sure other breweries have done this style before. But this was my first time trying a hoppy blonde. It goes against the normal style of a blonde ale and that's why I like it! It's different and refreshing and so sessionable at only 4% ABV. Using Citra, Ella, and Topaz hops, it's a beer that you can chill on your back patio and enjoy all day long.

Bucolia. Weird name right? Like what does that even mean. When I googled "what does bucolia mean" it only came up with the word "bucolic" which means "rustic". I'm not sure if that's where they got the name from or not. But it's an amber ale that uses Simcoe, Centennial, and Chinook hops at 5.6% ABV. It's slightly hop forward with a light finish. I don't think it would be the beer that I choose out of the lineup, but it's definitely worth tasting. It's great for the style that it is. At this point, Bissell Brothers has hit the nail on the head with everything so far!

Diavoletto is a SUPER SUPER Session ale. It's only 2.6%! Some people aren't a fan of the sessions. Understandably so if you are looking to get fucked up, this shouldn't be your first choice. But you shouldn't overlook it either. I'm sure you've tried those session beers that fall flat on the finish. Like I might as well be drinking a Bud Light. They normally pack a hoppy punch on the start and then go down like water on the finish. I've only had a few sessions that haven't been like that....Jibe IPA by Green Flash, of course Founders All Day IPA, and now Diavoletto by Bissell Brothers. It has great flavor throughout, using Lemondrop, Equinox, and Citra hops, and doesn't fall flat on the finish. It's a great choice if you are pretty drunk but you just want ONE MORE BEER.

Finally we get to Dangol, a lager that is SUPER hazy with lots of lime flavor. It kinda reminds me of a corona or landshark....only better of course. On the nose, you get aromas of tart lime and floral hops. The lime comes out in the flavor as well. Slightly tart but very crisp and clean. I'm not sure I would drink this beer year-round. It has its time and place and that is summer! And with the 100 degree weather we've been having here in Virginia, a few of these would quench my thirst.

I know I probably sound like some bratty hophead. "This isn't my go-to style" is a line I use...A LOT. However, Bissell Brothers has changed everything for me. Not only can I go into their taproom and enjoy an IPA, I can also enjoy their lagers, amber ales, and even a hoppy blonde! My only complaint is that we don't live in Portland. So make my life easier and complete and distribute down to Virginia, Bissell Brothers! We need you in our lives!!

Until next time....

J+S