Imperial Loon Stout – Squam Brewing Co.

Since you may have read these reviews in the past, you might think that every brew is a winner in my book. On the contrary, there are a number of beers I would never think of buying again since they were ‘not memorable’… a standard I have for purchase decisions. That being set in place, there are a few New Hampshire brewers that I revere as great friends and love to support. One of them is Squam Brewing!

Squam Brewing is located in Holderness, NH. Owner John Glidden started Squam in 2010 and knows the personal satisfaction of solely producing a fine product. Being a 3 barrel nano brewery, John has full control of his recipes and is known for his superior consistency. Each of his 13 different beer styles match the season perfectly. They are sold in 22 oz “bomber” bottles with gorgeous labels painted by relative, Deb Samia. You can find out more at their website: www.squambrewing.com.

Imperial Loon Stout is almost black with no apparent transparency when poured into a tulip glass. The mocha tan head remains for a while but reduces to a cap above the deep liquid. Coming in at 8.5% ABV, it lies just into the 8-12% range for this beer variety. This robust beverage hints of chocolate and coffee mainly with a note of licorice. The taste agrees with the aroma yielding a generous but not overly full bodied mouthfeel. Its creamy textures and reminders of dark fruit, roasted nuts and more chocolate make for a really pleasant friendship. There is also a nice balance between maltiness and mild hop character in there.

You will come away from this beer knowing two things: Squam brews great beer and does it very consistently.

John self-distributes his creations, which means you will always find it at Case-n-Keg in both Meredith and Laconia as well as other fine beer stores in the greater Lakes Region of NH. Many on BeerAdvocate.com have rated this beer 3.90+ to 4.75 out of a score of 5. To fully appreciate Squam’s efforts, you should try them all. Each creation is lovingly produced with the zest of a man who knows brewing and wants to share his results with you all.

Jim MacMillan is the owner of WonByOne Design of Meredith, NH, and is an avid imbiber of craft brews and a home brewer as well. Send him your recommendations and brew news to
wickedbrews@weirs.com