From The Brewery
Learn More About Craft Beer From Our Expert Brewing Team
Batson River beers are brewed on site in our Wells, Maine facility. We’re excited to share with you a thoughtful curation of beers, explained here from the minds of our brewers.
January 11th, 2023
Local Lager | 5.4% ABV
This beer is a macro-inspired American Pale lLger brewed with freshly harvested local sweet corn from Spiller Farm in Wells, ME. This pale yellow lager distinguishes itself from anything with “cold-activated technology” or state fair “blue ribbons”. Crystal clear, super low in hop bitterness, and dry but with an earthy sweetness from the corn. A simple and unassuming lager that captures some local Wells “terroir”. Fun fact: Spiller Farm is also the recipient of the spent grain from our brewing process!
December 15th, 2022
Four new beers make their debut this week…
Kellerbier | 5.3% ABV
This golden lager is intentionally left with a slight haze. In German, “keller” means cellar. Referring to the collection of tanks, or “cellar” in-which we cold-condition our beers. We brewed this beer to share what a brewer tastes when they sample a beer straight from the tank, rustic and unfiltered At its core, this lager is a Northern German-style Pilsner brewed with imported German Pilsner malt and hopped with German and Czech hops. Light in body, light straw in color, dry and unfiltered. A slight haze remains in this pilsner as a result of the comparatively short aging period and lack of filtration or other clarifying processes that produce the brilliant clarity of most pilsner styles.
Base Layer | Double IPA | 8.3% ABV
This double IPA was designed to combine a contemporary East Coast IPA and a traditional West Coast IPA. A layered combination of base malts blends seamlessly with a variety of oats to produce a body that exquisitely balances the moderate bitterness. Columbus, Amarillo, Citra, and Experimental Hop #13459 come together to push a citrus-forward aroma that also includes some stone fruit and conifer resin.
Citrana | New England Style IPA | 6.7% ABV
Citrana features a dynamic grain bill, presenting a soft malt base that supports the juicy aromatics and balanced bitterness of this hazy IPA. Generously hopped with Cascade, Citra, Sultana, and Galaxy hops for a bold and expressive bouquet of pineapple, stone fruit, and loads of citrus.
Barber Chair Bitter | ESB | 5% ABV
This English style ale pours a deep copper to light mahogany, characteristic to the Extra Special Bitter (ESB) Style. We used a traditional English pub yeast to bring in some fruity esters that make for a cozy compliment to the richly layered crystal malts. Brewed with all UK malts in addition to a blend of British hops (Fuggle and East Kent Goldings) give this beer a full bodied yet balanced drinkability. When talking about this beer, we agreed that it felt like a “lumberjack beer”, and gave it a name that anyone familiar with amateur tree-felling might recognize. The term “Barber Chair” refers to a dangerous occurrence that can happen when a tree is chopped down without taking the proper precautions, causing the tree to suddenly split vertically and fall prematurely. An undeniably classic and timeless beer!
January 9th, 2023
Dunkeländs | 5.8% ABV
This dark amber-brown lager is inspired by the beers made by small regional brewers in the Franconia region of Germany. Franconians have a beer that they refer to as “landbier”, meaning “beer of the land”, or more simply, “local beer”. This beer was inspired by those beers brewed in small batches, using local ingredients, and shared amongst neighbors. This dunkel lager is somewhat more robust and rustic than a Munich Dunkel, however it shares plenty of similar qualities. Drinkable yet rich with a complexly layered grain bill. We used all German barley and yeast, and noble German and Czech hops to help balance the malt. This is a great cool weather crusher to cozy up with and listen to the post-punk album that inspired the name for this beer (Darklands by The Jesus and Mary Chain). Pröst!
Nov 12, 2022
We’ve got a new one for ya. This beer is a big hazy hop bomb, and it is slotted to go on after Elan.
TIPA – Hazy Triple IPA (9.3% abv.)
This opaque orange-yellow liquid is absolutely packed with hops. We threw more hops into this than any other beer we’ve ever put out. With nearly 10 pounds of hops per barrel of beer, hop heads will be rejoicing. The combination of Citra, Galaxy, Saaz, and an experimental hop variety give this beer a bright and pithy punch of citrus, stone fruit, and tropical aromas. Thiolized yeast and a multi-step hopping process means we’re getting all we can from these lupulin-filled flowers. There is plenty of malt backbone to this beer as well. We threw in a heap of oats and wheat to make sure we kept this thing soft and pillowy to balance the borderline absurd hoppiness.
Nov 1, 2022
We’ve also had a few new beers roll out! Lemme tell ya about ’em!
P.O.G. Sour IPA – 5.9% abv. (16oz. pour)
This kettle-soured hazy ale was judiciously hopped in both the whirlpool and in the fermenter. We also added the trifecta of fruits that make up “POG juice” (a popular refreshment in Hawaii): passionfruit, orange, and guava. This tart beer is loaded with tropical fruit notes from hops, yeast esters, and FRUIT.
Homegrown – Hazy Pale Ale – 5.4% abv. (16oz. pour)
We brewed this beer with a special goal: use 100% Maine-grown ingredients. We utilized barley, wheat, and oats from Maine Malt House in Mapleton, ME to make up the grist bill, and Nugget and Cascade hops from The Hop Yard in Gorham, ME. This hazy brew is citrusy, pleasantly earthy, and slightly piney.
Schwarzbier – German Dark Lager – 5.2% abv. (16oz. pour)
This dark lager is roasty and rich while remaining crisp and crushable. Layers of German malts create complexity and depth while clean fermenting lager yeast produces a crisp, clean, and dry finish. Super subtle noble hop character just barely comes through to create balance.
Canadian Pilsner – 6.1% abv. (16oz. pour)
The goal for this beer was to create the ultimate “hockey beer”. Drawing on inspiration from some beers brewed north of the border (think Labatt, Molson, Kokanee), this slightly stronger pilsner-style lager pours a golden yellow hue and welcomes the drinker with subtle aromas of bread and noble hops. We used a blend of Canadian pilsner malts to create the base, in addition to some German specialty malts.
Kolsch – 5.5% (16oz. pour)Kolsch is an interesting beer style, one that bridges the gap between ales and lagers. This traditional German light ale is brewed with a special ale yeast that ferments at cooler temperatures than most other ale yeasts. This beer also gets an extended cold-conditioning time before being packaged, similar to how we might cellar a lager. This creates a light golden beer that’s as crisp and refreshing as a pilsner but has some of the ester complexity of a blonde ale. We hit this with Kazbek hops to find a delicate balance between the yeast’s subtle esters that can come across as earthy, citrus, pear, or grape-like.
Hazy Session IPA – 5.7% abv. (16oz. pour)
This hazy IPA was brewed to be lighter in body and booze, with all the hops that would go into a heavier beer. Juicy tropical and citrus notes come through in this crushable brew. We used an ester forward ale yeast that compliments the bevy of hops that went into this beer. Amarillo, Sultana, El Dorado, and Galaxy hops come together for a depth of lupulin-driven complexity that’ll have hop heads excited for another pint.
Oct 12, 2022
We’ve got a new beer heading out to taprooms this week!
P.O.G. SOUR IPA – 5.9% abv.
This IPA was kettle soured with lactobacillus to give it a pleasantly tart liveliness. We also added passionfruit, blood orange, and guava purees to this beer (otherwise known as “POG” in Hawaii). We gave this beer enough hops to still call it an IPA, but slightly less than we may with our other IPAs in order to strike a balance between the tartness, fruitiness, and hops. With big tropical aromas, we decided this beer reminds us of tropicana, or tropical lemonade during sensory analysis. This beer is a weird one, but we think you’ll like i. It’s decidedly new-wave, breaking all the “rules” of beer, but it somehow all works out in the end, trust us… We were playing around with “IPA Sunrises” where we dropped a splash of grenadine down in the bottom of the pint glass before carefully filling with this beer. Not only did we get a cool visual effect, but the flavor was too delicious to deny, even as the stuck-up beer nerds that we are.
Grains used: 2-row, Wheat, Oats
Hops Used: Azzaca, El Dorado, Belma, Citra
Oct 04, 2022
This week we’ve got fresh Drake’s Island heading to the taprooms. We brewed this initially for the opening of the Wells taproom, and it went over well so we’ve got another batch of it.
DRAKES ISLAND – 5.4% abv.
A simple grain bill with pale ale malt and flaked oats presents a clean and crisp base to show off how a “thiolized” yeast strain plays with tropical hops. This beer is super crushable, nice and dry with a medium-light body. Tropical and fruity aromas abound.
Grains: 2-row, Maris Otter, Flaked Oats, Carafoam
Hops: Cascade, El Dorado, Cashmere
Sept 13, 2022
We’ve got some fun stuff coming up at Batson! We will be celebrating Oktoberfest in Portland and in Wells. What this means is that we will have some fun fest-themed decor, I’m told some special tasty food items, and also beers! We’re starting things up on September 20 with these tasty limited- time german lager beers brewed specifically with Oktoberfest in mind!
Festbier – 5.8% abv.
This cold beer pours a warm golden hue. Bready, dry, medium-light bodied with minimal restrained hop character. This lager is based off of the beers that are traditionally served via the liter in Munich for Oktoberfest, we used 100% German heritage barley varieties and a yeast strain believed to originate from a famous Bavarian monastery brewery. Prost!
Grains: Barke Munich, Barke Vienna
Hops: Saaz
Dunkles Bock – 6.7% abv.
A rich dark reddish brown lager. Smooth, rich, malty. Maillard components of burnt sugar and toffee from layers of malt. This malt-forward lager is rich and strong without being cloying or heavy. Not a traditional Oktoberfest style, but an awesome German style nonetheless. This beer also features the monastery lager yeast that was used in Festbier.
Grains: Barke Munich, Barke Vienna, Melanoiden, Carafa II, Caramunich 3
Hops: Saphir
Vienna Lager – 5.7% abv.
Crackery, snappy, light bodied, noble hop character from a smattering of Hallertau Mittlefrueh hops. We released this one a little early (last week) in Wells to get things started… Light amber and crisp, the perfect fall lager.
Grains: Pilsner, Vienna, Munich II, Caramunich 2, CaraRed
Hops: Hallertau Mittlefrueh
Cadillac Mountain – Munich Helles, 5% abv.
This is a returning brew, our Munich Helles is based on the most popular beer style in Germany. Designed for maximum crushability, this nuanced light lager aim to strike a perfect balance between subtle noble hop character and an ever so slight malt sweetness.
Grains: Bohemian Pilsner, Munich II
Hops: Hallertau Mittlefrueh
We’re super stoked to share these awesome beers with you and see what the taprooms end up looking like. Hope everyone has a great week!
August 30, 2022
Coming at you with another week of exciting brewing projects! this week, we’re happy to share that our canning line is up and running in our new Wells, Maine brewery space! Meaning, not only is everything brewed in-house, it’s also packaged in-house! Fresh cans of Guava IPA are hitting the taprooms tomorrow.
What’s new from the tanks? Check out below coming to all of our Southern Maine Breweries including Portland, Kennebunk & Wells Maine.
CZECH AMBER LAGER
This lager has a rich mahogany hue that pours with a thick off-white to tan head. Crisp and clean with some restrained noble hop character, this beer strikes a balance between dryness and maltiness. Rich bread and light caramel character provide a backdrop for some mellow spicy noble hop character. This beer is totally quaffable and should have beer nerds like us, and beer newbies equally excited. In taprooms where Lukr faucets are installed, it’s recommended that this beer is served on side pour.
Grains used: Pilsner, Caramel Malt, Chocolate Rye, Red Malt
Hops used: Saphir, Czech Saaz
ABV: 5.8% (recommend full pour: 16 oz. dimple stein if ya got it!)
August 23, 2022
A big week here in the brewery check out what’s coming
INDIA PALE LAGER
This beer was brewed in parallel with our recently released Cold IPA. There’s some debate amongst brewers as to how different a Cold IPA is from an IPL, so we decided to produce the same recipe that was used for the Cold IPA, but fermented it with a lager yeast. That said, we’re delighted to have both of these beers on tap simultaneously, to engage our customers in a unique tasting experience. We double dry hopped this beer with Mosaic, Belma, and El Dorado for juicy tropical and citrus aromas. We also hit this beer pretty hard with whirlpool hops, ensuring an alluring bouquet of hoppy goodness in every sip.
Grains used: 2-row, Vienna, Munich, Carafoam
Hops used: Belma, Mosaic, El Dorado
ABV: 5.6% (recommended full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
SWEET CHERRY & KEY LIME BERLINERWEISSE (Sour Ale)
This tart ale is a modern take on a traditional German style. The beer was first inoculated with lactobacillus, which lowered the pH to a pleasantly tart starting point before we fermented the beer with a German Ale yeast. An appreciable addition of Sweet Cherry and Key Lime juice during fermentation adds to the complexity of this low ABV, effervescent, and refreshing beer.
Grains Used: Pilsner, Kolsch, Malted White Wheat, Acidulated
Hops Used: Chinook
ABV: 3.9% (recommended full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
ELAN NEW ENGLAND DIPA
Our newest Double IPA offering is a smooth and citrus forward beer, with strong notes of orange, lemon, vanilla, and grapefruit. The moderately sweet finish paired with the prominent citrus aromatics yield a complex sensory experience reminiscent of hard candy and orange creamsicle. This beer was designed around the Lotus hop, which, in conjunction with the others you see listed is responsible for that note of orange creamsicle. We named the beer Elan after the sporty coupe made by the Lotus car company. The word “elan” (pronounced ay-LAHN) is a noun that means “vigorous spirit or enthusiasm”.
Grains Used: Barley, Oats, Wheat
Hops: Citra, Lotus, Lemon Drop, Amarillo
ABV: 8.6% (recommended full-pour 12 oz. globe)
August 8, 2022
A crispy clean and hoppy refresher comes directly from our new Wells, Maine brewery space with our latest cool release, Cold IPA. This is a beer style that’s been gaining some attention lately, it focuses on crisp and clean fermentation alongside distinctive dryness. Similar to that of a kolsch. It’s a modern IPA, however, so it gets bombed out with big doses of juicy and tropical hops at multiple stages in the process.
COLD IPA
Fermented at the cooler end of the range for ales temperature-wise, this beer focuses on crispness and a lighter body than other modern IPAs. Super dry and crisp, we double dry hopped this beer with Mosaic, Belma, and El Dorado for juicy tropical and citrus aromas. We also hit this beer pretty hard with whirlpool hops, ensuring an alluring bouquet of hoppy goodness in every sip.
Grains used: 2-row, Vienna, Munich, Carafoam
Hops used: Belma, Mosaic, El Dorado
ABV: 6.6% (recommended full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
July 27, 2022
We’ve got a new beer coming out this week, another one from our new facility in Wells!
Coffee Porter
Layers of dark and crystal malts give this brew a deep color and complex malt profile. The addition of in-house roasted “Conquistador” coffee beans from Costa Rica amplifies the rich coffee, chocolate and roast characters that the grist bill presents. Slight fruit notes add complexity, we took the coffee beans and made a cold brew with them. This means a low-acidity and complex coffee addition. Although this brew is a rich and dark one, we kept the body light and the abv manageable, so even in the heat of summer this beer is crushable.
Grains used: 2-row, Maris Otter, Malted Oats, English Crystal Malts, Roasted Barley
Hops used: Chinook, Crystal
ABV: 5.1% (recommended full pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
Cheers, hope everyone has a great week!
July 18, 2022
Bear Island – Honey DIPA
Barbe Rouge, Mandarina Bavaria, Belma, and Motueka hops give this brew a unique aroma profile. Paired with honey malted oats and a small amount of actual honey, these hops are floated to create an interesting citrusy, berry-sweet aroma. Clean ale yeast keeps this beer under wraps and surprisingly dry considering the perceived honey-sweetness. Plenty of oats means this brew has a solid degree of body and a velvety mouthfeel.
Grains used: 2-Row, Honey Malted Oats, Flaked Oats
Hops used: Mandarina Bavaria, Belma, Barbe Rouge, Motueka
ABV: 8.2% (recommended full-pour: 12 oz. globe)
Sea Trial – IPA
This beer was our “maiden voyage” on our new brewhouse at the new Wells facility. We went for something we all felt comfortable and confident with: a straightforward, hop-forward IPA. We shot for a crisp, clean, balanced brew. Azacca, Citra, El Dorado, Amarillo, and Lemondrop hops made their way into the beer. There are plenty of citrus aromas and some underlying tropical notes. Sure to be a crushable summer ale, this beer is approachable, with medium to moderate clean bitterness and a medium body with a smooth mouthfeel.
Grains used: 2-Row, Maris Otter, Flaked Wheat, Flaked Barley
Hops Used: Azacca, Citra, Amarillo, Lemondrop, El Dorado
ABV: 6% (full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
Blueberry Farmhouse
A blended farmhouse ale, we used a mix of different yeast strains including a couple of brettanomyces strains. “Brett” is a type of wild yeast species that is typically seen as a spoilage organism in beer, however it is used in a number of classic styles of brewing, whether intentionally or as a consequence of antiquated brewery practices. These wild yeasts tend to attenuate the beer to a completely dry point, meaning beers made with them are incredibly low in sugar. Brett can also impart some funky flavors that aren’t found in “clean” beers. You might find aromas that can be described as horsey, barnyard, leather. In addition to these “farmhouse” compounds, wild yeasts also tend to throw off some cool fruit aromas that can come across as pineapple, pear, fruit candies. This all makes for some of the most intriguing beers. This one in particular was made with ME wild blueberries and citrus peels (grapefruit and lemon) to accentuate those funky flavors.
Grains used: Barley, Wheat, Oats
Hops: Saaz, Simcoe, Amarillo
ABV: 6% (full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
July 11, 2022
Hope y’all had a great weekend. We’ve got a busy week of brewing ahead of us over in the production facility. Now that we’re up and running we will soon have beer in the taprooms that was created in Wells which is totally cool! Keep an eye out for “Sea Trial” it’s the first beer we made on the new set-up and is a classic American IPA. Although we haven’t carbed and packaged the beer yet, it’s smelling great in the fermenter and will hopefully be hitting the taps in the very near future.
July 5, 2022
Something old & something new! This week an old favorite and a new flame make their way to the draft list;
Otter Point – English Summer Ale
This British summer ale is brewed with ingredients from the UK: Maris Otter malt, East Kent Goldings hops, and English ale yeast. This flavorful, food-friendly pint marries a biscuity maltiness with herbal, earthy hop notes. Low grav, totally sessionable, pleasant little brew.
- Grains: Maris Otter
- Hops: East Kent Goldings
- ABV: 4.5% (recommended full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
Dark Mild – English Dark Ale
This sessionable brew uses ingredients from the UK to present layers of flavor in this malt-forward beer. Very little hop character, this beer cares about fruity English yeast character intermingling with layers of malt character. Notes of chocolate, honey, caramel, plums, raisins, and biscuits can be found in this surprisingly crushable pint.
- Grains: Maris Otter, Biscuit Malt, Golden Naked Oats, C-15, DRC, Chocolate
- Malt, Midnight Wheat
- Hops: Chinook
- ABV: 4% (recommended full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)
June 27, 2022
It’s all about the hazies on this weeks’ draft list!
Foggy Harbor – Hazy DIPA
This is a hazy and full-bodied double IPA brewed with Sultana, Idaho-7 Cryo, Cascade, Citra, and Azacca. Big notes of pineapple, mango, nectarine, resinous ganja, and a touch of clean pine. This beer is oated-out with a layered malt bill that provides a rich landing pad for this all-star hop line-up. It finishes smooth and ever so slightly bittersweet. Hop heads will really dig this one.
- Grains: 2-Row, Maris Otter, Pale Ale Malt, Flaked Oats, Flaked Wheat, Malted Wheat, Malted Oats
- Hops: Sultana, Idaho-7, Azzaca, Citra, Cascade
- ABV: 8.2% (recommend full pour: 12 oz. snifter)
Egret Lane – NEIPA
This hazy has a lighter body than Foggy Harbor. Juicy notes of passion fruit, clementine, and peach are the main tasting notes we came up with. On the drier side for the style, this hazy is one that won’t leave you feeling like you just ate a 3-course meal. A classic NEIPA hop bill is given a somewhat modern update by the use of a “thiolizing” yeast strain, familiar hops become something more complex in this beer.
- Grains: Pilsner, Flaked Wheat, Flaked Oats, Malted Oats, C-15
- Hops: Mosaic, Citra, El Dorado, Cascade
- ABV: 6% (recommend full-pour: 16 oz. pint glass)