The Beer Circle » American Barleywine, Barleywine, Breweries, Community Beer Works » Community Beer Works – Buffalo, NY
Community Beer Works – Buffalo, NY
November 27th, 2012 | Add a Comment | Written by Bob Pack
While up in Buffalo, New York, over Thanksgiving, I wanted to visit a local brewery or two (time and liver permitting). Three people recommended that I visit Community Beer Works so I made sure to check that one out.
CBW opened their doors about six months ago in an old malting mill located just off of the Niagara River. The mill had shut down in the early 1900’s but at one time it was the largest mill east of Chicago. It is the perfect setting for new brewery. Greg, one of the six owners, was our sample pourer and tour guide. Buffalo has had experience in the past with grain mill explosions and was hesitant at first about allowing the brewery to open in their current location because there are apartments above. As Greg “joked,” CBW had to install a fire-proof and bomb-proof milling room. The brewing space is in a great U-shape. Ingredients and empty kegs come in one door, next is the brewing & sink area, next are the fermentation tanks, followed by the keg refrigerator. The refrigerator is right next to the exit door.
CBW has a 50 barrel/month capacity. They have five beers available right now. Their full-time beers are Frank (an American Pale Ale), The Whale (a nutty Brown Ale), De Mass (Belgian Amber), and The IPA. Another beer is currently on-tap but isn’t a full-time brew: Funkrays, a barleywine brewed with Brettanomyces, which is reviewed below. I was very impressed with all of their releases. Greg said that the beers have scaled very well from the original homebrew recipes that they are based upon. In fact, he calls the operation “hombrewing on steroids.”
The brewing system is a 1.5 barrel system and they generally brew a double batch every brew day. Unfortunately, they only have six 1.5 stainless steel and two 3 barrel plastic fermenters. The only “filtering” that CBW does is to crash-cool the beer to drop the yeast out of suspension so that most of it can be removed prior to kegging. No other clarification agents are used.
Last updated by Bob Pack at .

Written by Bob Pack
Simply put, Bob is a beer lover. He goes out of his way to try new beers whenever he can find them. The love of trying new beers had resulted in a beer label collection of over 1400. When it comes down to it, Bob is a hop head. He loves IPAs (including double and black). Stouts are a close second. His tweet reviews on @nova_beer are simple and approachable. Let him know what you think. Find Bob Pack on Google Plus
Filed under: American Barleywine, Barleywine, Breweries, Community Beer Works · Tags: Barleywine, Brewery, Community Beer Works, Review
Follow Us
Categories
- Beer at the Ballpark (2)
- Beer Facts (9)
- Beer Festival (6)
- Beer Pairing (8)
- Better From The Barrel? (9)
- Brew It Yourself (28)
- —Breweries (379)
- +Belgium (9)
- Brouwerij Van Steenberge (1)
- Cantillon (5)
- De Struise Brouwers (1)
- Trappist Rochefort (1)
- +Canada (1)
- Dieu du Ciel (1)
- +Caribbean (2)
- +Denmark (5)
- Mikkeller (4)
- Nørrebro Bryghus (1)
- +Europe (6)
- Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg (1)
- Brouwerij De Molen (1)
- Domaine Familial Louis Dupont (1)
- Grolsch (1)
- Peroni Nastro Azzurro (1)
- Pilsner Urquell (1)
- +Germany (1)
- Weihenstephan (1)
- +Italy (2)
- Birra del Borgo (1)
- +Latin America (1)
- +Mexico (2)
- Cucapa (1)
- Netherlands (1)
- +Scandinavia (1)
- HaandBryggeriet (1)
- +South America (7)
- +Colombia (5)
- 3 Cordilleras (1)
- Apostol (1)
- Bogota Beer Company (1)
- Cerveceria Bavaria (1)
- +Colombia (5)
- +UK / Ireland (10)
- Guinness (4)
- Harp (1)
- J.W. Lees & Co. (2)
- Newcastle (1)
- Robinsons Brewery (1)
- Samuel Smith Brewery (1)
- +US Great Lakes (43)
- Bell’s Brewery (6)
- Church Brew Works, The (2)
- Dark Horse Brewing Co. (1)
- Founders Brewing Co. (6)
- Goose Island Brewing Co. (4)
- Great Lakes Brewing Co. (2)
- Half Acre Beer Co. (1)
- Hoppin’ Frog Brewery (2)
- Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. (2)
- Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. (3)
- MillerCoors (3)
- New Glarus Brewing Co. (3)
- Pipeworks Brewing Co. (1)
- Revolution Brewing Co. (1)
- Sprague Farm & Brew Works (1)
- Sprecher Brewing Co. (2)
- Timber Creek Tap and Table (1)
- Two Brothers Brewing Co. (1)
- Voodoo Brewery (1)
- +US Mid-Atlantic (150)
- 16 Mile Brewing Co. (1)
- Adroit Theory Brewing Company (3)
- Appalachian Brewing Co. (1)
- Atlas Brew Works (2)
- Aviator Brewing Co. (1)
- Blue Canoe Brewing (1)
- Blue Mountain Brewery (1)
- Bluejacket (6)
- Bullfrog Brewery (3)
- Capitol City Brewing Co. (1)
- Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. (1)
- Chocolate City (2)
- Church Brew Works (1)
- Cricket Hill (1)
- DC Brau Brewing Co. (5)
- Dogfish Head (15)
- Draai Laag Brewing Co. (1)
- DuClaw Brewing Co. (4)
- Elk Creek Aleworks (1)
- Fat Head’s Saloon (1)
- Fegley’s Brew Works (1)
- Flying Dog Brewery (3)
- Flying Fish Brewing Co. (1)
- Fordham Brewing Co. (1)
- Happy Valley Brewing Co. (1)
- Hardywood Park (3)
- Heavy Seas Beer (2)
- Iron Hill Brewing (1)
- Ithaca Beer Co (1)
- Lancaster Brewing Co. (2)
- Lost Rhino (1)
- Lost Rhino Brewing Co. (1)
- Mad Fox Brewing Co. (4)
- Mud Hound Brewing Co. (2)
- Old Dominion Brewing (2)
- Otium Brewery (1)
- Otto’s Brewery (1)
- Pittsburgh Brewing Co. (1)
- Pizza Boy Brewing Co. (7)
- Revolution Brewery (1)
- Right Proper Brewing Co. (1)
- Selin’s Grove Brewing Co. (4)
- ShawneeCraft Brewing Co. (1)
- Sixpoint Brewery (3)
- Southern Tier Brewing Company (1)
- Spring House Brewing Co. (1)
- Stillwater Artisanal Ales (2)
- Stoudt’s Brewing Co. (4)
- The Brewery at Hershey (1)
- Three Stars Brewing Co. (2)
- Tröegs Brewing Co. (21)
- Victory Brewing Co. (5)
- Voodoo Brewery (9)
- Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (3)
- Williamsburg AleWerks (1)
- Yuengling Brewing Co. (2)
- +US Midwest (19)
- Anheuser-Busch (6)
- Boulevard Brewing Co. (1)
- Crispin Cider Co. (1)
- Goose Island Brewing Co. (1)
- Metropolitan Brewing (1)
- Perennial Artisan Ale (2)
- Prairie Artisan Ales (1)
- Surly Brewing Co. (1)
- Three Floyds Brewing (3)
- Upland Brewing Co. (2)
- +US Mountain (15)
- Avery Brewing Co. (1)
- Blue Moon (3)
- Epic Brewing Co. (1)
- Four Peaks Brewing Co. (1)
- Grand Teton Brewing Co. (1)
- Left Hand Brewing Co. (1)
- New Belgium Brewing Co. (5)
- Oskar Blues Brewing (1)
- Phoenix Ale Brewing Co. (1)
- —US New England (20)
- Allagash Brewing Co. (2)
- Beer’d Brewing Co. (1)
- Boston Beer Co. (4)
- Brewery Ommegang (1)
- Cisco Brewers (1)
- Community Beer Works (1)
- Hill Farmstead Brewery (2)
- Long Trail Brewing Co. (1)
- Maine Beer Co. (1)
- Portsmouth Brewery (1)
- Saranac (1)
- Shipyard Brewing (1)
- Shmaltz Brewing Company (1)
- Sixpoint Brewery (1)
- The Alchemist (1)
- +US South (13)
- Abita Beer (1)
- Cigar City Brewing Co. (5)
- Jester King Craft Brewery (3)
- Karbach Brewing Co. (1)
- Pensacola Bay Brewery (1)
- Prairie Artisan Ales (1)
- Terrapin Beer Co. (1)
- +US West (72)
- AleSmith Brewing Company (1)
- Alpine Beer Company (1)
- Anderson Valley Brewing Company (1)
- Bear Republic (1)
- Cascade Brewing (2)
- Coronado Brewing Company (1)
- Craft Brew Alliance (1)
- Deschutes Brewery (3)
- Elysian Brewing Co. (2)
- FiftyFifty Brewing Co. (1)
- Firestone Walker (6)
- Gigantic Brewing (3)
- Hair of the Dog (2)
- Hopworks Urban Brewery (1)
- Howe Sound Brewing (1)
- Kona Brewing Co. (1)
- Laurelwood Public House (1)
- Logsdon Farmhouse Ales (1)
- Lost Abbey (2)
- Lost Coast (1)
- Midnight Sun Brewing (2)
- North Coast Brewing Co. (1)
- Port Brewing Co. (2)
- Redhook Brewing (1)
- Reuben’s Brews (1)
- Rogue Ales (2)
- Russian River Brewing Co. (3)
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (9)
- Sound Brewery (2)
- Stone Brewing Co. (10)
- The Bruery (5)
- Widmer Brothers Brewing (1)
- +Belgium (9)
- Budget (8)
- Cellaring (1)
- Cooking (5)
- +Distillery (2)
- Labels (7)
- +Online Stores (19)
- Archer Liquors (1)
- Beverages 4 Less (2)
- Bine and Vine (2)
- Bottle Trek (1)
- Bruisin Ales (2)
- CraftShack (1)
- Kahn’s Fine Wines (2)
- Lets Pour (1)
- Marina Market (1)
- Specs Online (1)
- West Lakeview Liquors (1)
- Opinion (5)
- +Restaurants (17)
- Al’s of Hampden (3)
- Capone’s Restaurant (2)
- Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats (1)
- J. Gilberts (2)
- Mekong (1)
- Monk’s Cafe (5)
- —Reviews (237)
- Bars (10)
- Beer (121)
- Beer Accessories (1)
- Beer Float (3)
- Beer Release (13)
- Beer Week (7)
- Books (1)
- Breweries (34)
- Cellar (10)
- Reserve Society (1)
- Stores (4)
- Tastings (11)
- Vertical (2)
- Shenanigans (14)
- —Styles (291)
- American Adjunct Lager (1)
- American Amber Ale (2)
- American Black Ale (1)
- American Brown Ale (3)
- American IPA (3)
- American Pale Ale (4)
- American Strong Ale (6)
- American Wild Ale (10)
- Baltic Porter (3)
- —Barleywine (12)
- +Barrel Aged (87)
- +Bourbon (29)
- Blend (9)
- Buffalo Trace (1)
- Elijah Craig (1)
- Four Roses (4)
- Heaven Hill (4)
- Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (1)
- Pappy Van Winkle (3)
- +Brandy (6)
- Catoctin Creek Peach (1)
- Catoctin Creek Pear (1)
- Laird’s Apple (1)
- Gin (1)
- Oak (4)
- +Rum (3)
- Cruzan Dark (1)
- Gosling’s (1)
- Newport Distilling Company (1)
- +Rye (3)
- Finger Lakes Distilling (1)
- Rittenhouse (1)
- +Scotch (2)
- Lagavulin (1)
- Tequila (1)
- +Whiskey (4)
- +Wine (8)
- +Bourbon (29)
- +Belgian (40)
- Belgian Pale Ale (4)
- Belgian Stout (1)
- Flanders Red (1)
- Gueuze (2)
- IPA (2)
- Kriek (1)
- Lambic (4)
- Oude (1)
- Pent (1)
- Quad (2)
- Saison (4)
- Strong Dark Ale (7)
- Strong Pale Ale (2)
- Tripel (4)
- Witbier (2)
- Berliner Weissbier (1)
- Biere de Mars (1)
- Black and Tan (1)
- Black IPA (1)
- Cider (2)
- Dopplebock (1)
- English Barleywine (1)
- English Pale Ale (1)
- Fruit (7)
- Fruit / Vegetable Beer (4)
- Herbed/Spice Beer (1)
- Imperial Amber Ale (1)
- Imperial IPA (15)
- Imperial Porter (2)
- Imperial Stout (21)
- +IPA (22)
- Fresh Hop (1)
- Irish Dry Stout (1)
- Lager (1)
- Milk Stout (1)
- NA (1)
- Oatmeal Stout (5)
- Old Ale (4)
- Porter (8)
- Pumpkin Ale (1)
- Robust Porter (3)
- Russian Imperial Stout (7)
- Rye (1)
- Saison (3)
- Scotch Ale (1)
- Smoked Porter (1)
- Stout (10)
- Tripel (2)
- Triple Bock (2)
- Winter Warmer (1)
- The Beer Circle (19)
Authors
- Russ Beck (83)
- Bob Pack (64)
- Garrett Miller (46)
- Jeff Kupko (38)
- Paige Deckert (35)
- Greg Bruce (29)
- Kenton Martin (20)
Archive
Most commented
- Ultra-Budget: Anheuser-Busch "Natty Daddy"
- The Beer Circle Eastern PA Brewery Tour Recap
- My Brew Day at Pizza Boy Brewing
- Cooking: Dark Chocolate Founders Breakfast Stout Cupcakes with Bourbon Frosting
- Recap: Barrel Room Collection Release at Voodoo Brewery
- Guest Post: Homebrew Contest Winning Mango Triple IPA
Recent Comments