Mark’s Score 8.8
When I started this project nearly two years ago it soon became apparent that you cannot write a travel blog about Delmarva without focusing some attention on our craft brewers, vintners, and distillers. This area is a hot bed for craft brewers, and even though I have to-date ignored them, Burley Oak Brewing Company is one of the best of these establishments in the area. So, in this post I correct my omission.
Burley Oak was founded by Salisbury University alumnus and chemistry major, Bryan Brushmaster. Fortunately for us, Bryan lost his construction job in 2009 and then spent the next two years working with Berlin to create and launch Burley Oaks in 2011. Given his academic background, it is not surprising that Bryan set a vision for Burley Oaks focused on science, constant experimentation, combined with a commitment to local sourcing. As a result of their philosophy of experimentation, Burley has produced hundreds of different beers and has moved into distillation, now producing a line of vodka. The team headed by Adam Davis works on fine-tuning balance, structure and flavor where brewing is considered both a craft and a technical process, always using locally sourced products and locally adapted barley strains.
After spending a couple of hours touring the Taylor House Museum, I was ready for a beer. Touring museums is thirsty business. Burley Oaks is just down the road a bit, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to stop for a beer. Their tasting room is located in a refurbished shed on the north side of town. The refurbishment is minimalist with lots of exposed beams, and exposed wood. It still looks like a shed, but it never-the-less has a slightly hip neighborhood bar.
They have no signature beers at Burley Oak, so each visit is a new experience. You never know what is going to be on the menu. I always order a flight when I go to Burley because there are always so many new beers to try. This time I ordered a three-glass flight which included The Slice Shop (an Italian style pilsner), the Brackish (an oyster infused stout), and the Carrot Cake (a fruited sour).
Italian style pilsners are one of my favorite beers, and they pair well with pizza. Burley’s pilsner was crisp, slightly herbal, and slightly sweet, in short, an excellent example of an Italian pilsner. Over the last couple of years, I have become a fan of stouts. Their Brackish is unique in that oysters are included in the brewing process, giving the beer a pleasant flavor combination of salt and chocolate. The Carrot Cake was a mouth bomb of sweet, tart and flavors of baking spices. I liked it but it isn’t for the faint of heart.
Burley Oak has a well-earned reputation for being one of the best brewers in the area, and after visiting multiple brewers over the past year, I have to say I agree. If you enjoy beer, Burley Oak is a must visit.
What else is there to do in Berlin?
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