Weekly Update September 16, 2026
Hello! My name is Bob, and I’m well-caffeinated at the moment. That jittery feeling qualifies me to write this week’s Amory’s Tomb Newsletter!
First, a quick heads up that Amory’s Tomb will be pouring at Saturday’s Second Annual Maynard Country MusicFest. The festival runs from 1:00pm to 4:00pm in Memorial Park. More information can be found on social media.
First it was Jazz Fest, and now Maynard has added Country Fest. What’ll be next? Emo Fest? Prog Rock Fest? Alt-Rap Fest? Drone Metal Fest? Oooh, please let it be Drone Metal Fest!
While we wait for word of the next genre to be the subject of a festival, let’s turn our attention to this week’s other news:
FEATURED EVENT
Ben’s Raclette Celebrating 3rd Anniversary in the Beer Garden on Friday, September 18th!
It sure seems like Ben’s Raclette has been around forever, but it’s actually only been 3 years since he first appeared in the Beer Garden with a wedge of cheese, a really strong heat lamp and a dream.
Look at him now! He’s everywhere! And on Friday, September 18th from 5:00pm to 8:30pm, Ben will be celebrating his 3rd Anniversary at Amory’s Tomb!
For the uninitiated, Ben’s Raclette serves melted cheese on a baguette. Only it isn’t just any old cheese you can buy at the supermarket. No, this is Raclette du Haut Livradois, a cheese from France that Ben fell in love with because it’s the perfect cheese for raclette.
Ben’s Raclette is always served on a slice of fresh baguette. Of course, melted cheese and bread is an amazing combination by itself, but Ben usually has a few options for add-ons. Personally, I tend to go for the OG raclette option, Fig Jam and Prosciutto. There’s something about the saltiness of the prosciutto combined with the sweet of the jam topped by gooey melted cheese that is just so satisfying.
I’m also hoping Ben will be offering Apple and Honey Raclette on Friday. I find this one to be just a little bit sweeter, so after my first raclette, I like to order this one to have for dessert. That’s right! I said it! I have raclette for dessert after my raclette dinner! Don’t judge me!
Whatever combination you choose, I am sure you will love it. And while melted cheese goes great with any beer (duh!) it goes particularly well with farmhouse ales. I recommend a Saison Classic or, if you have a friend with you, a bottle of Puncheon Classic to pair with your melted cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Come on down on Friday to congratulate Ben on 3 years of Raclette! And if you are concerned about those extra calories from all the cheese and bread, you can dance them off at the Metrowest’s Only Open Air Dance Party! MATTY B returns to host Amory’s Tomb’s Friday Night Dance Party in the Beer Garden!
Cheese! Beer! Good tunes! What’s not to love?
FEATURED DRAUGHT
Allen and Rick Brew Controversial Black IPA and it’s…Really Good?!
Allen and Rick Brew Controversial Black IPA and it’s…Really Good?!
Throughout its over seven-and-a-half year run, Amory’s Tomb has repeatedly taught me to appreciate beer styles I didn’t before. It started on the very first night with farmhouse ales, a style I kind of turned my nose at before AT came along. Then there’s the ESB, a style I’ve found boring elsewhere.
And now Allen and Rick have done it again with Royal Cavalcade, their Black IPA. It’s a really good beer, but boy does it come with some controversy!
Let’s start with the style name. You might know Black IPAs by its less familiar west coast term, “Cascadian Dark Ales”. The two terms are used more or less interchangeably on, say, Untappd. The Black IPA label kind of makes sense in that it’s supposed to be a beer that combines dark roasted malts like you’d find in a stout or a porter with the stronger hop taste of an IPA. I have no idea why brewers don’t just call it a “Hoppy Porter” or “Hoppy Stout” since that’s kind of what they are, but I don’t make the rules.
Editor’s Note: Cascadian Dark Ale, while descriptive, is a blatant attempt at thieving a style popularized by Vermont Pub’s own Greg Noonan, right here in the Northeast. Black IPA is as much a misnomer as Pale Stout, but the name is descriptive enough to give the reader an expectation of what they are ordering.
Here’s the thing though. Whether you call them Black IPAs, Cascadian Dark Ales or something else, whenever I’ve ordered them on the menu I’ve been disappointed. I read the description, think “I like roasty stouts. I like hoppy IPAs. I should like this one.” And then I am disappointed.
It’s like tomatoes and maple syrup. I like tomatoes. I like maple syrup. But I definitely do not want maple syrup on my tomatoes! Two great tastes do not always taste great together!
Royal Cavalcade, the Amory’s Tomb’s newest offering, is different. Coming in at 7.5% abv, Royal Cavalcade is brewed with 100% Northeast grown floor malt from Blue Ox Malthouse accompanied by Michigan Chinook, Centennial and Citra Hops.
Allen and Rick have, as usual, crafted a really interesting and tasty beer in a style that I wouldn’t normally care for. Royal Cavalcade really is a beer that incorporates the richness of a dark ale, but the hops have the affect of blunting the sweeter chocolate flavor that is often present in a stout or porter, so that this one has more of a dark chocolate taste.
On the other hand, despite the presence of the hops I would not describe Royal Cavalcade as a hoppy beer. You’ll get a bit of hop taste, but not the tongue-buckling, bitter flavor you may associate with IPAs.
Folks who typically shy away from hoppy need not fear this one! Royal Cavalcade doesn’t really taste like a classic IPA at all, despite AT’s chosen style name.
This confusion of the name of the style - Black IPA vs. Dark Cascadian - is also a source of ongoing Amory’s Tomb controversy! By offering something called a Black IPA on the menu, Allen is violating is previously sacrosanct (though highly questionable from a business perspective) edict: “Thou shalt only have one IPA on draught at at time!”
Aha! Allen’s hoisted himself by his own petard! How can he look at himself in the Taproom bathroom mirror - with Tony Iommi looking over his left shoulder, no less - and say he is being true to his own “One-IPA” principle?
Editor’s Note: We claim to never have two IPAs on draught at the same time but this is an exception, saved only by the Cascadian Dark Ale style reference. I still can’t bring myself to type Cascadian Dark Ale on the menu however. That name is blatant theft, as noted above.
If the “One-IPA” rule is out the window, what’s next? Are we going to start seeing lactose beers on the menu? (Note: It’ll snow in Maynard in July before we see a beer brewed with lactose on the AT menu.)
Style name controversies and enigmatic draught menu rules aside, Royal Cavalcade is a really great beer. I’d definitely recommend ordering one, especially if you, like me, have previously been a Black IPA sceptic.
Royal Cavalcade is on draught in the Tap Room and available for take out in cans right now.
And believe it or not, I actually have a whole lot more material about this beer to share with you next week, including the cool story of Amory’s Tomb’s history of Black IPAs and why this one is named Royal Cavalcade.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Here’s what’s coming soon at Amory’s Tomb
Sept 16 Wheat & Water Crafted Doughz
Sept 18 Ben’s Raclette 3rd Anniversary Celebration
Sept 18 Friday Night Garden Party Hosted by MATTY B
Sept 19 Maynard Country Fest
Sept 25 Sudbury Valley Trustees Beer in the Barn (Sudbury)
Oct 2 Friday Night Garden Party Hosted by MATTY B
Oct 2 Concord Music Conservatory Beer & Music Pairing (Concord)
Oct 3 Maynard Fest
See you at the Tomb! Go Birds!!!
