The Second of The Firsts in 3 Days

The second first came on Thursday. It was the First Pour of house made beers at Blairstown's Buck Hill Brewery and Restaurant.

If patience is a virtue, the surely one of Bud Usinowicz's and Nick Vininsky's future beers should bear one of those names. Buck Hill was supposed to open its brewhouse back in September or October of 2016, but even Jay Mena's legendary energy could not slog quickly through the morass of red tape that was thrown in his way.

But no matter. Today was the historic day that everyone had been waiting for, and Bud and Nick did not disappoint. The PubScout was handed the honorary first pint by "Cat," who was a star of another PubScout story when she worked at Bea McNally's in Hackettstown.

While it was the first full pint drawn at the Blairstown Pub, honesty compels me to relate that it was beer fancier Chip Potter, who drove all the way from Trenton in Thursday's deluge to sample the first actual flight. "I've been to six hundred breweries, but this is the first time I've ever had a "first beer," Chip said.

Actually, the bar was empty except for Chip when I arrived at 11:10. Eventually, though, two other regulars came in. Tim from Stillwater and Mark from Branchville, and they each had a sampler in front of them. Tim, normally an IPA guy, was highly impressed with the Buck Hill/Czigmeister collaboration Stickebier.

By noon, the place was filling up fast, and my first official pint was called Bud's Suds, a pre-Prohibition lager that was simply outstanding. Crisp. clean, flavorful and totally sessionable at 4.6%, this beer, made with flaked corn and the oldest cultivated hop in the U.S. (Cluster) was just a winner all the way around. In fact, if this beer can't ween BudMillerCoors drinkers off their standard, no beer can.

I also enjoyed a massive--and massively tasty--turkey club sandwich called a Buck Club, which required that I order a flight of my own, just to see which beers went best with it. They all did.

But I sampled two IPA's--Hitchin' Post IPA, 7.2% citrusy, and Booty Chaser, 9.2% and distinctly West Coast hoppy. I thought Booty Chaser was good, though the prudes that try to quash what they deem to be "inappropriate" beer names might not approve. (See "New Microbe Infecting Beer?")

Then, at Jay Mena's suggestion, I had the Drop Tine Tripel, a Belgian style which hit the target very nicely. I also learned what a "drop tine" was, and it's got nothing to do with your fork. Ask Jay. But at 8.6%, it will be Drop TIME for you if you're not careful.

Then it was on to the 5.8% Saddle Sore Stout, a chocolatey, smooth, toasty stout, with a thinner mouthfeel than I expected, judging from the nose and color, but still satisfying.

In fact, every beer I had from Buck Hill's first pours was pretty darned good, and one--the first--was positively excellent. You can get them to go in brand new growlers or grunts ($21/$14) and less for just refills.

It may have taken a while for those suds to start flowing, but it was clearly worth the wait.

The PubScout predicts a long honeymoon for Buck Hill, and once word gets out, a strong marriage between business and customer.

Cheers!

The PubScout

PS: Don't forget! The PubScout's new book is out for just $1.99. Go here to order yours, and I'll give half the proceeds to NEPHCURE--an organization that helps people cope with kidney disease.