Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to visit Spellbound Brewing in Mount Holly. The photo above shows our takeaways from that visit. I find it amazing that the small town of Mount Holly is home to two New Jersey winery tasting rooms, a distillery, and two breweries (with a third scheduled to open on St. Patrick’s Day). In today’s post, I will share my experience at Spellbound Brewery. I must say, I immediately think of Alfred Hitchcock and one of my favorite movies, when I hear Spellbound. Fortunately, the beer, the brewery ambience, and friendly, knowledgable staff kept that positive vibe going. My wife and I shared two samplers, starting with the lighter brews, followed by the darker, maltier, and sweeter Porters and Stouts (with higher alcohol, as well).
In addition to the attractive bar and tables in the tasting room area, Spellbound has a cute little outdoor space, as you walk up to the entrance. Im afraid, as usual, my photos don’t do the space justice. It was a bit cold for the outdoors on our visit, but I’d love to come back and have a brew or two, while enjoying the great outdoors. Once inside, we were warmly greeted by our host and Ester, the brewery cat (also very friendly).
Sampler #1
- American IPA-A very nice IPA, without over-the-top hopping.
- Pale Ale-A very good Pale Ale that is an easy drinking brew. It would go great with pizza, a burger, wings, and a host of other meals and munchies. ABV=5.5%
- Phase 2 IPA-Hazy, citrusy, version with 8.0% ABV.
- Cherry Belgian Tripel-A touch of cherry sweetness in this surprisingly smooth Tripel (ABV=8.5%).
Sampler #2
- Vices Coffee Porter-Wonderful coffee aroma and rich notes of coffee and chocolate. ABV=6.9%
- Mayan Imperial Stout-A terrific Imperial Stout with an interesting and tasty mix of chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and just a little ancho chili peppers. I almost didn’t try it after I read about the chills peppers, but it is a great Imperial Stout. ABV=11.5%
- Dream Bourbon Barrel Stout-Delicious Imperial Stout, aged on coffee, vanilla beans, and maple. ABV=11.5%
- Porter Palo Santo-Porter aged on Palo Santo wood. ABV=6.9%
This was a great introduction to another awesome New Jersey Brewery! I shall return (and look for their beers in stores)!
My New Jersey Wine of the Week
My pick this week is another great New Jersey Rose. This one is from William Heritage Winery from the 2021 vintage. These New Jersey wineries are starting to make a Rose wine lover at of me. This one is full of strawberry and raspberry notes, with a soft mouthfeel and good acidity.
Interesting wine factoid
The average bottle of wine requires about 2.5 pounds of grapes to make it. A bottle of Amarone (a great Italian wine requires about 23 pounds of grapes! The process involves partially drying the grapes, resulting in smaller, but more intense, raisinous grapes and a bolder, full-bodied red wine. The grapes are mostly Corvina (45-95%), though other approved red grape varieties can be substituted. While no New Jersey wineries produce this wine, it is well worth checking out. Amazons tend to be a bit more expensive, but remember there are roughly 23 pounds of grapes in each bottle!
Coming Attractions
- Trainwreck Distillery
- Another NJ Wine of the Week
Tried a New Jersey wine lately? Visited a NJ winery recently? Please share your experience here. Like what you read and see on these pages? It couldn’t be easier to scroll down, hit the “Subscribe” button and get your weekly pour of NJ wine right in your inbox. No spills. No mess.
