The Tap

When I was a young beer enthusiast, I had to install a "I've fallen and I can't get up" machine into a veterans home one fine saturday afternoon in Haverhill, MA. I was excited cause I had heard there was an excellent bar up there that had shoe fitters for tap handles and they made there own beer. I also had no idea where this place was so I wondered around Haverhill for 30 minutes before finding it, sitting myself at the bar and having some fresh beer. I honestly have no idea what I ordered, I usually ask for the bartenders favorite when I'm in a new place, alone and self conscience, and this was also some 8 years ago.
Present day, Haverhill Brewery has changed it's name and logo to The Tap Brewing Company, and I can say it's about 5 years too late. The welcomed change from tacky pin-up girl-esk labels like these to a much simpler, darker, and overall better looking label is in hopes of recreating a stale brand. And I must say, from first look I'm 100% on board. The labels look great and actually make me want to buy these beers, unlike before.
So the first one I got to try was Sassy Rabbit, a simple rye ale clocking in at 5.7% alcohol. This is a beer that really tastes like a beer. Nothing crazy going on here, spicy rye mixed in with 2 row malts and some sublet hop bitterness in the finish. Every once in a while you just want a beer that elevates a simple formula into a delicious and easy drinking beer that you're gonna want more of.
The rebranding of Leather Lips IPA is an absolute success to me. I haven't had Leather Lips since a fishing trip a long time ago and this bottle of beer is delicious. The smell of piney hops is deep in the smell and the taste is very thin on the malts, but the Nugget and Chinook hops carry this beer with wonderful deep bitterness. Sometimes a thin malts lets the hops truly shine through, and this is a great case of that.
As for their other 2 new brews, They were out of the Maple Porter and the bottle of Imperial Stout says it'll be better in a year, so I am thinking about sitting on it. Either way I am pumped that The Tap has decided to change there image and packaging. I still see those crappy looking 6 packs around and can't wait till they're dead and gone and replaced by the new and improved labels and beer.