Clear Thinkers

Location of Origin: 4 Main Street, Williamsburg, Massachusetts 01096-9428, USA
Date Established: 2012
Category: Independent, Craft, Microbrewery With Locally Focused Distribution.

Today, breweries seem to be heading toward the trend of "bigger is better" and no, that doesn't mean growing in revenue and production (though that seems to be happening quite a bit). No. What we're saying is that a lot of emphasis these days is placed on crafting "big beers" which come in bombers, contain a high amount of alcohol content, and have words like "double," "imperial," or some unique brand denoting strong beers, like Harpoon's Leviathan series. And yes, a leviathan is a big sea monster. And while these big beers often come fully equipped with bold, pronounced flavors, aromatic experiences, and a complex profile, they often finish in a vertiginous load of regret, embarrassing photos, and a long, painful morning after. And just because a beer is strong, fully bodied, and sold in intimidating bottles, served in fancy glasses, and expensive to acquire, doesn't make it a good beer. The quality of a beer is not at all connected with its ABV. That said, there are many good beers - craft beers - that actively strive to be appreciated to the fullest, without getting you drunk. And by actively striving, we mean the brewers deliberately create beers with low ABVs so that you can actually have many pints of them and still be fit for that all important interview in the morning. Don't drink before interviews. More importantly, don't show up to interviews drunk or hung over. Well, one of those breweries is the Banner Beer Company, based in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. Banner specializes in "session" beers (the two beers they currently make), both of which are low in ABV. The term session beer has a vague etymology, but essentially, session beers are well balanced higher quality beers with full flavors and low alcohol content (<5.00%ABV) levels. This means that you can enjoy these quality beers in higher quantities, so you don't end up crawling home. Though the origin of the term session is disputed, the most commonly told history tells us that the word session comes from the two "allowable drinking periods" that British WWI arms factory workers were given to drink during lunch and after work/before sleep. The idea was that the ales (usually served in casks) had to be good enough to satisfy the workers, but weak enough to keep them from missing their shifts. A "session" ale would be served to the workers in larger quantities. So there you go. Session Ales. Big taste, small buzz. And though Banner is a new brewery, its staff comes with decades of experience working for other breweries, including Boston's Leviathan, Harpoon. With session ales, Banner's trying to bring something new to a part of the world where strong beer is heavily appreciated. And if you ask us, they're already off to a great start.

Reviewed Beer from Banner Beer Company


None Yet.

All rated Beer from Banner Beer Company

5-31-14 - Banner American Summer - 2.85, American Blonde Ale, 3.70%

5-31-14 - Banner American Ale - 3.10, American Amber/Red Ale, 3.40%

6-01-13 - American Rye - 3.96, American Rye Ale, 4.50%
With an IBU of 20, this beer is pretty sweet with a complex malty somewhat roasted caramel like flavor, mixed with trademark rye taste and some trailing North American hops delivering a spicy piney secondary note. This is a well balanced beer with a moderately low level of viscosity, average carbonation, and a medium light body. This beer has a bitter aftertaste and a lighter brown color.