Kelsen Brewing’s Paradigm Brown Ale
by Jim MacMillan
Weirs Times Contributing Writer
Nestled in a conspicuous row of stores of a small mall in Derry, NH, hides Kelsen Brewing, a nano brewery who is getting noticed. In business only a few years, friends Paul and Erik had made some homebrew together and enjoyed the process so much that they decided to start doing it professionally. Since then, business is booming and they are happily brewing almost daily to keep up with demand.
Both Paul and Erik are of Nordic decent and their brews reflect that tradition. Each of their artful labels resemble axe-wielding figures or old. Their recipes are their own and have been perfected in each edition as they gain more notoriety. Paradigm is joined by their other offerings, Battle Ax IPA, Draken Robust Porter, Double Battle Ax, and Vendel Imperial Stout. Other seasonals and special editions are expected as well. You can learn more about them at http://kelsenbrewing.com.
“Paradigm” stands for outstandingly clear and this beer is a wonderful example of what a brown ale should be. It commands your attention without a second to loose. Its deep, deep ruby color and malty goodness are immediate notes along with some hop scents to the nose. But one of the more important qualities of this great ale is its balance. With a thick tan head, malty mouthfeel, this beer delivers everything it promises. Although medium bodied, this brew has a great balance of bitterness and a sweet finish and is as smooth as silk in every swallow. There are also some chocolate, caramel and roasted notes that accompany the aroma.
At 7.0% ABV, Paradigm is surprisingly luscious and worth every bit of time you spend with it. Moreover, it keeps your interest until the end of the experience. Lacing of foam lasts to the bottom of the glass. It is a wonderful creation which Kelsen has shared with us! This American brown ale style is true to form and will be a beer that other brewers will use as a benchmark. It has won numerous medals in brewing competitions across the country.
Distributed in 22 oz bottles, Kelsen’s great beers can always be found it at Case-n-Keg, 5 Mill St, Meredith. BeerAdvocate.com has rated this beer officially as 95 out of 100 which exclaims their ‘World Class’ mark of excellence. Others have given their accolades with 3.75+ to 5.0 out of a score of 5.
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.
The Wicked Brew Review is sponsored by Case-n-Keg of Meredith, NH, where they stock over 3000 different flavors of seasonal and year round beers and have a huge walk-in beer cave! They also sell a variety of hard ciders, meads and your favorite wines. They stock a large supply of premium cigars, homebrewing supplies, grains, beer and wine kits as well as everything you will need to create your own beer or wine. Visit them at 5 Mill Street in Meredith, www.Case-n-Keg.com or their Facebook page.
