Hermit Thrush Brewery

These guys have a great taproom and a really nice variety of beers. Try the Cuvée! The SIPA too. Can and growlers. Easy to get to and park. The only downside I see is that they don’t have a bathroom. You can use the public ones down the street which is fine. Definitely stop in. You’ll be glad you did.

I didn’t even know I was a fan of sour beers until coming here. I did the «2^nd flight» and was skeptical, because I typically prefer IPAs (snobby, I know). I liked them all. I don’t know if I could drink more than the 5oz sample size of each, but I’m definitely looking forward to coming back every time I’m in the area! Also, the atmosphere is awesome.

Belgian — inspired beers: expect varying levels of sour and funky. They have accessible offerings like Brattlebeer which is brewed with cider, and some on the really funky side like Old Will. They have a variety of price points (really affordable for this style of beer) and their ABV ranges from 2.9% to 14%, so there’s something for everyone. Just don’t come in expecting American beer styles, and you’ll be a happy camper. They have occasional events where they sell pints and food, which are a fun time.

I loved visiting this brewery. We drove past Hermit Thrush last year before it opened and looked forward to our next Vermont trip to try it out. I had no idea what to expect beforehand and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Hermit Thrush specializes in sour beers and offers a wide variety of sour and non-​sour beers alike. We tried every beer available, and while some were a little strongly flavored/​funky for my taste, they were all interesting, and I appreciated the variety. On the day we went, the brewery was out of their flagship Brattlebeer (sour ale with cider) but I found some later on at a package store, and it was my favorite of their beers. From the brewery, I took home a 4-​pack of Silly Friar (Belgian/​trappist-​inspired) and a 4-​pack of the Farmhouse Tripel (Belgian tripel). The brewery provided a great atmosphere to hang out and enjoy our beers, and the guy working at the time was extremely friendly and accommodating (he even gave my dog some treats!).

Great and fun beer tasting at great prices! $ 5 or $ 7 for a 4-​beer flight. The sour beers are really great. The «Deep Woods» tastes like drinking a Christmas Tree and is very aptly named.

It looked promising. A brewery with a good assortment of tastings. The server was perfectly nice and explained the tasting options. We wanted to like it.
Maybe it’s me (and my companion). I see many 4 and 5 star ratings. I’ve tasted enough and have even brewed my own. Belgian, German, Czech, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Irish, Canadian, English, and a long list of American crafts.
The flavor descriptions on the board used words like «sour» and «sauer». Maybe sour is a new trendy flavor that’s become really popular. We did not order any beer that was described as sour (or sauer). Maybe we just happened to walk in on «sour night». Everything we tried was SOUR.
We tried four different beers and did not like a single one. One, in fact, was worth one sip only.

A couple friends recommended a visit based on their tastings at the Vermont Brewer’s Festival. Stopped here on the way home from a Vermont wedding and boy are we glad we did. This place is a sour beer haven. We were lucky enough to be served by Chris the brewmaster who wears his passion for brewing on his sleeve. Really enjoyed every beer put in front of us, which totaled 11 by the end of it. Clearly there were some standouts that we brought 4-​packs of home with us. My favorite was the sour barleywine (Jolly Abbot), which had actually been aging in several different barrels since before the Hermit Thrush location opened. That was pretty cool to get a first taste on that. It was even worth the price tag to bring some home with us. The lady’s favorite was the sour IPA (Green Street). Also, the art space in the back is really cool too. No complaints here. Will plan our route to/​from northern Vermont with Hermit Thrush in mind. Cheers to Chris for starting what I can imagine will be a big sour destination spot once the word gets out.

I didn’t think I like Belgian Beer at all until I tried Hermit Thrush. Happily they sell sample sizes (big enough to share) so you can find one you like. (Or worst case if you strike out there’s 2 more brewpubs within walking distance.
I love their beer so much that I trudge through the snow to get my growler filled in the winter.

Great little brewery focusing on Belgians and sours. You can only get samples or a growler to go, but the samples are reasonably priced and the taproom is a pleasant place to hang out. Lots of wood and exposed brick in the bottom of an old warehouse.

Had some of the best beers in the town. The guy in the tasting room was very nice and friendly. No bathrooms, so you have to walk down the street.

Visted 2.14.15 Tasted 9 beers and was impressed with all of them. Really unique with a lot of great experimentation. Left with a growler of Dark 4:30. Can’t wait to visit again. Great addition to town.

Wonderful beer made by wonderful people. I wish I lived closer so I could be a part of their CSB and get my growlers filled weekly instead of just on occasional visits.
I’ve been very impressed with the beer that they have brewed so far. Every new release has gotten better, so I can’t wait to see what’s coming down the line!
I especially like their maltier offerings: Brooks Brown, the Holiday Rye, and Dark at 4:30.
Definitely worth it to stop for taste or fill a growler (or several). I’ll be back as soon as I can make it up to Vermont again.

Very disappointing.
I visit my girlfriend in Brattleboro frequently and was excited to hear a new microbrew was opening. We went on opening night and were impressed with what had been done to the place– it was cozy, warm, and inviting. We elected to share the sampler– there was not one drink that we wanted to finish. Truly some of the most foul beer I’ve ever tasted. When one opens a microbrew it should be because they have perfected a beer or two. They had six beers on tap on opening day– that’s too ambitious, and sadly not one was worth coming back to. I had to ask my partner multiple times if what we were drinking was even beer, it tasted like weak hard cider steeped with hops. The three times I’ve homebrewed, which have all been disastrous, my results were still far tastier than any of hermit thrush’s offerings. I truly hope this was an opening day goof and their beers improve, but I won’t be returning for quite some time.

Great place for tasting! Great selection. Nice atmosphere! Just getting up and running, so stop by and check it out. Brewer is super nice and great to talk to. Will come back!

Really nice little place with very interesting and good micro brewed beers. Worth a stop!

This place is really comparable to some of the beautiful, intimate breweries I’ve visited in Portland and Asheville and has a great selection.
The atmosphere is very softly lit and cozy. The raw wood bars and displays are illuminated by vintage-​looking lanterns on the ceiling. There are a few chairs and also ample room to stand up and sip. As far as customer service, we’ve met three of the people who own/​run the brewery and they were very nice and helpful on our visits.
As far as the selection of beers, they had seven on tap the last time I went. These include Brattlebeer, Brooks Brown Ale, High Street VT IPA, Tardy Harvest Ale, Holiday Rye, Supa Phunk, and Hoppy Smalls. My favorite is the Supa Phunk right now. You can taste any single beer for $ 2 or try a flight of four for $ 6.
Also, you can take beer to go in either 32 or 64 ounce growlers ($ 10-​$ 12). They are starting a CSB (like a CSA but with Beer!) and it seems like a good deal.
I will definitely return and am already recommending the place to friends.