Gearblock Brewing Company

Walked into Gearblock Brewing Company Brewery | Gearblock Brewering Co. | Waldwick (gearblockbrewing.com) on a sunny Sunday evening. Gearblock Brewing Company sits in a nondescript little plaza on Franklin Turnpike. If you didn’t know better you might pass right by, and that, without a doubt would be your loss.

We walked in past the cute little patio area, entered the taproom, and were greeted by Madison at the bar. It wasn’t a large crowd, but it was about an hour till closing on a Sunday. It’s a smaller size taproom but the space is utilized well. 

I got right down to business and ordered myself a flight consisting of Numb Hands DIPA, Crunchy Whip Stout,  Shakedown Street Guavaberry Sour, and Lammed a Schwarzbier. Madison was pleasant and knowledgeable about the beers being offered, always a plus in my book!

Gearblock Brewing Company’s flight presentation is one of the best I’ve ever seen. A wooden gear that’s carved with the brewery’s name and a small circle for each of the four glasses. Each spot will have the number corresponding to each selection written underneath the glasses.

First up was Numb Hands which comes in at 8% ABV. A hazy little number with a tropical nose. It drinks smooth and juicy with mild pineapple notes and a medium hoppiness which is unexpected for a DIPA, for me, that equals very enjoyable.

?Guavaberry?

Next up was Shakedown Street (you know you just sang Shakedown, Breakdown, Takedown) coming in at 5.4% ABV. I haven’t ever had a beer with guavaberry before so I was excited to give it a whirl. For those like myself who aren’t familiar with guavaberry it is a tiny round fruit that comes in various colors and has the tanginess of guava. It’s traditionally used to make Guavaberry Rum. Check out this link for more information on guavaberry rum, guavaberry.com/products/rums-liqueurs it sounds intriguing. Unfortunately in this instance, it was a bit of a letdown. Not much in the way of a nose, and upon tasting not much either. It was tart and light but fell flat as far as flavor. But spoiler alert, this was the only miss of the day.

Lucky number 3 was Lammed which sits at 5.5% ABV. A rich dark black with a sweet malty nose. Lammed has a great soft mouth feel and is medium-bodied with notes of chocolate, coffee, and a mild smokiness, delicious. I picked up a crowler of this one to take home.

When I placed the crowler order Madison admitted it was her favorite along with the Cream Ale (I’ll have to try that one next time). It’s always nice to have the bartender support your choice!

The last taster of the day was Crunchy Whip which is 6.2% ABV. This is GearBlock Brewing Company’s version of cookies and cream made with white chocolate. 
A nice chocolatey nose with a hint of vanilla and a deep brown on the pour. The taste starts sweet and stays sweet but not overwhelmingly so, they hit this one on the nose. A little thin but with that Oreo cookie yumminess we all know and love. A delicious end to my flight.

  Gearblock Brewing Company offers a nice relaxed atmosphere, people from all (legal) age groups were there enjoying a beer and a break from life in the taproom. When a brewery has a mix of ages present I always take that as a good sign, “as an everyone is welcome here atmosphere”.  Gearblock Brewing Company is a family affair, owned by Tony Romano and his Uncle Ronnie Cavaliere. The vibe reflects that family feeling. If you’re in the area don’t miss Trivia nights on Thursdays @ 6:30. Stop in, enjoy a beer, and kick some trivia butt!

Now that the weather seems to be sticking to the spring season you can grab a seat outside on the patio where the music adds to the atmosphere.

If you happen to be nearby the weekend of April 26th and 27th come by for Gearblock Brewing Company’s 2nd Anniversary bash!!

Gearblock Brewing Company taproom is also available for private parties. You can submit your request from their webpage under private events. Follow their Instagram page here Gearblock Brewing Company (@gearblockbrewing) • Instagram photos and videos for up-to-date food trucks and live music schedules. 

A Little Bit Extra

Gearblock Brewing Company gets its name from a car gearbox. Old car pictures decorate the walls of the brewery, in homage if you will to the Prohibition drivers who started NASCAR. Yep, that’s right, some of the original top NASCAR drivers got their start running moonshine! The Bootleggers were either good mechanics themselves or looked for great mechanics who could get their cars moving faster and handle better. The moonshine runners were looking to outrun the police on winding mountain roads with dangerous turns throughout Appalachia. One of the most well-known is Junior Johnson who won 50 races in the NASCAR Cup Series. To learn more about Moonshine and NASCAR visit How Prohibition Gave Birth to NASCAR | HISTORY