Squam Brewing’s “The Camp”

by Jim MacMillan
Weirs Times Contributing Writer

Because uniqueness helps make New Hampshire such a great place to live, we will look at the entrepreneurial aspects as it applies to brewing beer. There are more than 40 breweries of all different capacities and varieties of taste sensations around our wonderful state. But a unique set of individuals goes it alone in their brewing adventures to take their pride and joy to the people, one bottle at a time. I’m speaking of the owner/brewer/self-distributor of craft beer and there are a couple around the state that do a terrific job. So, starting with this issue, we will look at a few of these brave and diligent workers that truly believe in themselves… for the love of the beer!
Squam Brewing Company 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 concoctions and is known for his superior consistency. Each of his 12 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.
“The Camp” is one of the best barleywine ales I’ve sampled and often use it as a gauge to measuring ALL other barleywine styles. It is available year-round (not seasonal).
First off, you will find this beer quite heady. Coming in at 10% ABV, it lies between the 8-13% normal range for this variety of beer. That being said, it is not over-powering and invites you back again and again. In the proper tulip glass for a robust beverages, the head retention is off-white and rich. Nose senses are sweet and fruity as they should be, but balanced by headiness by its strength. Burnt copper rouge, this treat does not let you down. With a malty mouth-feel, it is rich in flavor, lasting long after swallowing. You will come away from this beer knowing two things: Squam brews great beer, very consistently and that you will want more of this and all of their other offerings.
John self-distributes his creations, which means you will always find it at Case-n-Keg, 5 Mill St, Meredith. Many on BeerAdvocate.com have rated this beer 3.25+ to 4.05 out of a score of 5. Officially, they rate this at 82 out of 100, far below what I would give this…
Keep ‘em coming Squam Brewing; you are well loved!

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.”