SPORTS AND BEER (Chelsea Brewing Company)

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

SADLY, CHELSEA BREWING COMPANY IS NOW CLOSED.

I’ve never been any good at sports (aside from a lucky streak at ping pong once), but I can only imagine how much worse I’d be if I had a few pints in me. Or maybe it would actually make me a star athlete. Beer makes strange things happen.

I’d say most of the clientele at Chelsea Brewing Company, which up until recently was Manhattan’s only brewery/brewpub (hello, 508 and Birerria!), are people who have just come back from some recreational sports activities. That’s because this brewery is located in Chelsea Piers, the sports complex on the far west side of the island. In order to get to the brewery, I walked past the batting cages, gymnasium, golf course, and bowling alley. And I didn’t feel the least bit guilty that I was at this fitness center to drink.

The restaurant reminded me of a bowling alley or arcade for some reason. There were a few video games crica 1988 and a hazy air space. I felt like everybody should have be smoking cigarettes. The bar itself is a bit ratty and old with huge vats of beer for consumption. The menu looks rather unappetizing (the online reviews for the food are pretty terrible) and aside from a scenic view of New Jersey (ha!), there’s something just a little run down about the place. But I wasn’t here for the food, view, or ambiance.

I was here to check out the brewery and taste their beer. They give free guided tours of the brewery on Saturdays starting at 2pm. I waited a little bit and was taken with a surprisingly large group outside to where the beer is made. We were brought into a small room just inside from the parking garage and Nicholas (one of the brewers) walked us through the steps of brewing and showed us all the machines and equipment. He pleaded the case for craft beer and went on to bad mouth some of the bigger beer makers, specifically Anheiser Busch. I’m on his side, but he was a bit aggressive about his feelings toward them. If I was a novice to craft beer, I may have been a little turned off.

A pitcher of beer was brought along on the tour and everybody’s glass consistently stayed full. Hearing Nicholas talk about beer-making was interesting and he actually broke down the process in a simpler manner than any other brewery tour I’ve been on before. And while the discussion made me crave a beer (it’s a good thing I had one in my hand), I wasn’t necessarily dying to try this beer. Not much time was spent talking about the story of Chelsea Brewing Company. It seemed like I could have been at any brewery and any beer would do (except Budweiser, of course).

After the brief 20 minute tour concluded (there really wasn’t a whole lot to see), he gave us bottle caps that entitled us to $2 off a beer at the bar. The only problem with this was that I planned on ordering a sampler so I could try all their beers on tap and I assumed they wouldn’t take the $2 off. And the cranky bartender confirmed that. I made a quick decision (a first for me) and decided to ditch the coupon and go with the $12 sampler. I would probably only be at this brewery once.

The sampler came with six beers instead of seven (they were out of the Sunset Red Ale) and still no discount was offered. I sucked it up and started sampling the beers.

With the sampler, I got another taste of the Checker Cab Blonde Ale. This is their flagship beer and the same one Nicholas brought on the tour, referring to it as a gateway beer. It’s used to hook drinkers of light, commercially produced lagers. It did have a crisp, lightness to it with muted hoppiness and a bit of citrus. Overall,  I found it very mild and not terribly complex. It’s a Kolsch, so it’s an ale brewed like a lager and therefore it has those light, crisp notes. But I’ve still had lagers that I found more flavorful than this.

Next was the Hop Angel, which I’ve reviewed before here. I actually didn’t like it as much on this taste. The hops were a little more subtle than I remember and for a beer with hops in the name, I want some more bitterness.

The seasonal Pumpkin Pie was served next, but I think this was a mistake. It should have been much further down the line because it was so full of flavor that I think it impinged on the rest of the tastings for me. But I really loved this wheat ale. It had a cloudy orange color with sweet pumpkin pie spices (and perhaps some lemon) on the nose. I thought this drank beautifully. It was creamy and sweet, but balanced, bringing out the flavors of not just pumpkin (it’s brewed with butternut squash), but specifically pumpkin pie.

The St. Chelsea Belgo is an Abbey-style ale which had a very tight head and looked unfiltered with a hazy, creamy orange color. I couldn’t get any aromas from the nose – I fear the pumpkin beer still lingered in my palette. I thought this tasted bland with just a light citrus note. It was frustrating because I felt there must have been other flavors here. After giving it some time, I got some more citrus and earthy yeastiness. Either the pumpkin pie overshadowed this or this beer is a little too balanced and cancels itself out so it tasted like not much of anything.

I had sampled the Frosty’s Wheat Wine before at Pony Bar. This was pretty consistent with the first tasting. Finally, I ended with the Tsar’s Russian Imperial Stout. This had a light black opaqueness  and a beige head. On the nose were what I expected: coffee, chocolate, and brown sugar.  But the taste wasn’t as pleasant as I hoped. It was big, but the flavors of burnt, muddy coffee lingered. It was creamy and strong, but had a slightly dirty flavor that turned me off.

Overall, I didn’t find Chelsea’s beers very varied or complex. But it’s a mixed bag because I loved their Pumpkin Pie and have had a wonderful Triple X Stout from them in the past. And while they’re doing some decent craft beer, the brewery itself feels a little stuck in time – even their logo and beer labels feel like a relic. And if they want to compete in this market, they should take a nod from their sports neighbors and step up their game. But then again, what am I talking about? I know nothing about sports.

Is Chelsea Brewing Company the best brewery in NY? The free tour is worthwhile if you are a novice to brewing, but the restaurant and pub itself are very out of date. And the beer is up and down. 7 out of 10.

Is Chelsea Brewing Company’s Checker Cab Blonde Ale the best beer in NY? It’s light and crisp, but I think it’s lacking so complexity so it gets a 7 out of 10.

Is Chelsea Brewing Company’s Pumpkin Pie the best beer in NY? It might be the best pumpkin beer I’ve ever tasted. It gets a 9 out of 10 for being creamy, vegetal, with just the right amount of sweetness.

Is Chelsea Brewing Company’s St. Chelsea Belgo the best beer in NY? I couldn’t taste much here – it’s either way too balanced that it tastes like nothing or is overshadowed by the more full-flavored brews. 7 out of 10.

Is Chelsea Brewing Company’s Tsar’s Russian Imperial Stout the best beer in NY? I had high hopes, but the muddy, burnt flavors keep this at a 5 out of 10 and left me turned off.