Got Beer? Flight to Apponaug: RI’s newest brewpub feels like a brewery in all the right ways

It took me far too long to visit one of the RI’s newest and coolest breweries. Apponaug Brewing is a brewpub in a renovated mill building within spitting distance of the Nylo in Warwick.

Unlike most brewpubs that look like a restaurant and serve beer brewed on the premises, Apponaug looks like a brewery, smells like a brewery and serves surprisingly amazing food that could make fine dining establishments take notice.

Normally I pick a single beer or maybe two to highlight. But I have to be honest, I loved every single beer I tried in my flight. Yes, even the saison.

Senectitude Saison: First smell and taste was sweet, very unlike a typical saison, which tends to be dry. But this saison was anything but, with subdued pepper notes and a rounded mouthfeel. I could enjoy this saison in any weather, and this is a style that usually turns me completely off. Well done!

Lonely at the Top Kolsh: A delicious, light, slightly citrusy kolsh. It’s slightly sweet, providing a good malt balance to a prominent hop presence. Kolshes aren’t usually hoppy, and this one isn’t really, but the hops are noticeable and blend perfectly.

Flood Plain Pale Ale: I’m going to plagiarize from the menu, because I honestly don’t think I can write it any better. “Notes of lemon and orange peel slowly descend into hints of passion fruit and pineapple with a subtle fresh cut grass note leading to an almost champagne-like finish.” Good god, I’m going to be out of a job. But in my own words, this is like a beer mimosa in all the best ways.

Weathering Steel IPA: A massively complex brew with a dizzying hop bouquet. It’s hazy and sweet with almost no actual bitterness, just a well-rounded and refreshing tropical fruit flavor.

Interchangeable Parts: Fruity aroma, juicy flavor, like tropical fruit punch, still sweet, the beer hitting different parts of the palate all at the same time. This may be my new favorite IPA of all time. It has such a complete mouthfeel and flavor profile that I would drink this every day, and my hop fatigue is well documented.

Cabin Essence: This porter is a translucent black, sweet and malty, with notes of black licorice. It’s surprisingly light, very complex and tingly on the palate in a way that porters usually aren’t. To say it’s unique would be inaccurate, because…

Log Cabin Essence: A sweeter, heavier, porter where the maple comes through and joins hands with the other flavors in perfect harmony. It’s a fantastic upgrade from the Cabin Essence, and a wonderful end to a great flight.

I’m looking forward to more visits to this place. The staff was fantastic, and it has some RI beer pedigree behind it, like Justin Tisdale and Jamie Walsh. And I promise that next time, my kid won’t make such a mess.