BREWERY REVIEW: Other Half Brewing Company

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

Of the dozen or so breweries that have opened in NYC in the last few years, the one that has probably become the biggest hit is Other Half. It’s the only one that has fully gained notice beyond the food and beer scene. The excitement feels much the same way Sixpoint did when it first debuted back in 2004. And it took another 9 years for another brewery (Other Half) to debut in Brooklyn.

Much of the excitement over Other Half has to do with their hop-centric beers. Brewmaster Sam Richardson is a wiz with the hops, having learned the art of fermentation in his hometown of Portland, Oregon and then working in New York at Greenpoint Beer Works for many years. This is his own project (with trained chef Matt Monahan) and he proves just what a beer genius he is.

Behind a non-descript door on the outskirts of Carroll Gardens, sits their brewery and their tasting room. The tasting room has grown in popularity and is now open Thursday and Friday nights and most of the day on Saturday and Sunday. You can sneak views of the brewhouse, but it’s mostly a bar with great prices on the freshest, hoppiest beer this side of the East River.

Other Half has been on Urban Oyster’s brewery tours since they opened and I have had lots of their beers around the city at craft beer bars. But this was the first time I came to the tasting room off the clock to see what I could taste.

They offer a flight at the unbeatable price of $5. The only problem is you only get the beer samples one at a time and you have to pick 4 from their list of eight. And a few higher alcohol beers aren’t available on the flight. Of course, I wanted to try the ones I had yet to taste so it became slightly easier for me.

I started with First Gold which had an interesting floral note on both the nose and tongue. It was an orange-hued pale ale with English malts, a big juicy kick and a mellow hint of green vegetables at the end. Mild, but flavorful.

All I See is Green was up next, which is a double IPA (they have a triple IPA too, which has been getting a lot of attention but is not currently available). This had a redder color with hints of wet earth but nothing too strong on the nose. The flavor, however, opened up quite hoppy then was nicely balanced with a slight malt character and a finale of grassy earthiness. This was very drinkable and an excellent use of everybody’s favorite beer ingredient: hops.

I went darker for number three, but you still can’t escape the hops here at Other Half. Doug is a Black IPA, which is always one of my favorite styles. Here again, balance is key and they nail it. The dark cola color held up a big beige creamy head. The beer had a slightly sweet nuttiness with a subtle hop quality at the end. Surprisingly, it leans on the malty side while a citrusy hop finish subtly builds. This is a beer that gets better with each sip.

For the final tasting on my flight, I went with a beer that they only brewed for the season (I was at the brewery just before Christmas). It’s called Kerstperiode (translates to Christmas in Dutch) and I sure hope they bring it back next year. The style is bière de garde, a French brew similar to Belgian farmhouse beers. This one has a lot going on and definitely represented the holiday season with a smoky almost dry sausage smell emerging from the dark amber beer. After a bit of funk, a round bitterness and some herbal notes, the high ABV (10%) beer opens up to a chocolatey, caramel finish. Truly crazy, but very exciting.

Other Half deserves all its acclaim. For now, they don’t offer tours, but there are private parties available in the brewhouse and anybody can hang out for as long as they want in the tasting room with a lively crowd and some of the best beers in Brooklyn.

Is Other Half Brewing Company the best brewery in NY? In a short amount of time, they prove they make amazing, hop-forward beers that are crowd pleasers. The visit to the brewery is still a work-in-progress but the tasting room is fun (albeit small) and provides a fresh passageway to their beers. 8 out of 10.

Is Other Half Brewing Company’s First Gold Pale Ale the best beer in NY? It earns a 7 out of 10 for being a very drinkable, mild pale ale with juicy fruit notes.

Is Other Half Brewing Company’s All I See Is Green the best beer in NY? The New Zealand hops stand out with their tropical fruit flavors, but never overwhelms the 8 out of 10 beer.

Is Other Half Brewing Company’s Doug the best beer in NY? 8 out of 10 for a smooth, muted Black IPA that floats right in the middle of sweet and bitter.

Is Other Half Brewing Company’s Kerstperiode the best beer in NY? It was my favorite of the day with all its complex, bizarre flavor eruptions. I wish they brewed it all year long, but it was an exciting discovery that earns a 9 out of 10.