Black Hog Brewing Company

By EastCoastBrewReviewer -

The Stats 

Location: Oxford, CT

History: Two brothers and a family friend are the brewers behind Black Hog. The unique name comes from the family tradition of roasting a pig for almost any occasion, preferably a Berkshire hog (which is black - I googled). The brewery opened in August 2014. 

Food Service: No, but they do host food trucks on Saturdays. 

Website: blackhogbrewing.com

The Scenario

After missing the signage and making a quick u-turn, we found the industrial lot that Black Hog calls home. But, the search wasn't over yet. Once in the lot, we still struggled with directions. We drove through each section of the lot until we saw kegs and found the brewery at the very far end. That being said, what we found was pretty great. It's definitely in the category of "no frills" brewery and Black Hog rocks it. Right outside of the doors were two cornhole set-ups which we can appreciate. When we walked in it was definitely a warehouse status with Home Depot-type shelves stocked with malts, hops, and other beer necessities. The music was fantastic (a mix of 80s rock and 90s pop) and we were served quickly. Each table had an iPad which was set on the Black Hog homepage and also featured a "suggestion" type app. You can answer a series of questions on the type of beer you like and the app would suggest a beer they had for you. Obviously we knew what we liked, but we can appreciate this for novice beer drinkers. Jenga was set up at one table and it seemed to be relatively crowded for the time of day we visited. We got a spot at a table near the open loading dock where we could enjoy the warm breeze and people watch.

The Ratings

Italian Plum Gose
D: 4.5/5 - Nice flavor and not too sour. I enjoyed my pint very much. 
K: 3.5/5 - I vaguely experienced the plum flavor. A decent beer.

Disco Pig 7: Pineapple Express
D: 2/5 - I was debating between this one and the plum gose for my pint and I'm happy with the choice I made. 
K: 4/5 - I loved this one. Tasted like a strong pineapple mixed drink. Definitely something I would order again.

Autumn Nugget
D: 1.5/5 - This one had an after taste that took a while to get out of my mouth.
K: 2/5 - It was hyped up by the bartender that told me I'd love it and would want to bring some home. Not the case... Was definitely more Pale Ale than Autumn Nugget. No autumn spices for me.


Final Thoughts

D: 4/5 - Cool spot. I liked the feel of the taproom/brewery combined area. The individual mini-ipads for each table with a customized app and Jenga are a nice touch. The beer was good and the gift shop section had some unique items like candles with crackling wood wicks in their branded beer cans. I'm slightly regretting not purchasing one. They do sell them on their website but I just can't remember which smell I liked the most. I guess we have to go back...

K: 3.5/5 - A good spot overall. Nothing too fancy and definitely bare bones, BH offers a pure brewery experience. You are legit seated next to the ingredients they use. They had a variety of beers on tap and the bartenders were very nice and the music was incredible. For me, the beer was decent and the spot hard to find. Would I come back? Sure, but only if I was in the area.



Mini-Ipads on every table



What's on tap 10/16/16

Check them out on social media!


facebook.com/BlackHogBrewing

@blackhogbeer


@blackhogbeer
Location: Oxford, CT, USA

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