When Oxbow’s owners started making beer, their goal was to make beers that didn’t exist anywhere else. The new brewery sold its first kegs about two months ago, and owners Tim Adams and Geoff Masland couldn’t be more excited.
The brewery is run out of a converted barn at Masland’s home on Rt. 215 in Newcastle. Oxbow’s beer, their name, their logo – an owl carrying a keg – and their motto – loud beer from a quiet place – are all inspired by the rural location.
“We’re very passionate about Maine and living here,” Masland said. “We were drawn to this area, and now we’re trying to capture the sense of place with the beer.”
They describe their beer as an American-style Belgian farmhouse beer. Farmhouse beer means it’s made with a particular kind of yeast, and the American-style comes from their adventurous approach.
They use “the most traditional brewing techniques there are,” because time has proven them to be the best ways to make beer, said Adams, Oxbow’s head brewer. “What’s left to explore is the flavor.”
Adams got his start brewing in college because he wanted to make beer he couldn’t find at stores. Adams, Masland, and his wife Dash Masland, all went to Colorado College together.
Adams continued brewing on his own for years, until he reconnected with Masland, who was working as a beer salesman and hoping to start a business. The pair decided to “go-pro,” as Adams puts it, and they began converting Masland’s barn.
They made their first batches in converted beer kegs and honed their flavors and techniques. A few years later, they now produce several beers on tap at bars from Portland to Camden, with more in the works.
Their flagship beer is Farmhouse Pale Ale and they sell a seasonal beer called Oxtoberfest. They also have a Freestyle series; Freestyle #1 is made with freshly harvested hops, and Freestyle #2 is a smoked chocolate stout they hope to have on tap this November.
All their beers are aged for about a month, which is longer than many other breweries. Beer can be aged for as little as two weeks, but will have a buttery, caramel-y flavor. To avoid that taste, Oxbow’s owners said they give their yeast time to fully develop.
“It’s a like a bowl of chili,” Adams said. “It’s better a few days later, after all those flavors have time to marry and come together.”
The owners are clearly passionate about their beers, and said the response they’ve gotten so far has been fantastic, but what really excites Adams is the barrel-aged Belgian-style sour beer he’s been working on. Simply put, sour beers are very sour. They’re aged for a long time in whiskey barrels or wine barrels, which imparts the tart, acidic flavors.
For those who have never tasted one, sour beers are like nothing else.
“In the world of beer geeks, sour beers are it right now,” Adams said, “but they’re really hard to get, and usually really expensive.”
Locally, Oxbow is available at the Newcastle Publick House. On Friday afternoons, 64-ounce jugs known as growlers may be purchased directly from the brewery on Rt. 215 in Newcastle.
For more information, follow Oxbow Brewing Company on Facebook, go online to www.oxbowbeer.com, or call 315-5962.