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Gneiss Brewing Company
Gneiss Brewing Company(pronounced "nice") is a brewery located on the outskirts of the White Mountains in Limerick, Maine. "Gneiss", which is a type of rock, stems from head brewer and co-owner Dustin Johnson's college days, where he studied geology. A columnist for the Portland Press Herald described the Gneiss Brewing Co. as an, "off-the-beaten-path... beer retreat"("Gneiss Brewing"). The brewery is also located on a farm, so one can enjoy a nice cold brew surrounded by nature and the grunts and squeals of the pigs, or take a stroll through the garden where they grow hops. The setting and scenery creates a certain ambiance that allows you to unwind and take in the world around oneself.

History
Gneiss was established in 2013 by Tim Bissell and Dustin Johnson. The two men met at a young age and went on to attend the University of Maine together. They took the appreciation of their heritage and interest in science, and constructed beers that balanced their German roots with the refined peculiarity of contemporary brewing. Bissell and Johnson created Gneiss in hopes that it would give people an extraordinary place to come and experience one-of-a-kind beers, which all have names related to geology as well. In hopes to stray from what other breweries were doing, Gneiss Brewing Co. set out to create solely wheat beers. They have succeeded, with only one beer having less than 50 percent grain. Tom Atwell, columnist with Portland Press Herald, describes the brewery with having, "3.5-barrel brew system, two 7-barrel fermenters and a 14-barrel bright tank." Bissell, co-owner of Gneiss Brewing Co., stated that, "when going full-bore, they brew two batches each day for two days. Then everything is combined into the bright tank."

Brands
Today, Gneiss Brewing Co. has four year round beers, with multiple seasonal and limited brews, depending on what the brew team creates and deems worthy of being on the menu.

Year Round Brews
Gneiss Weiss- Weissbier

Tectonic Tomohawk- White IPA

Tweiss- Weizenbock

Obsius- Weizenstout

Seasonal and Limited Brews
Intrusive- India Pale Alt(seasonal)

Tryeation- Roggenbier(seasonal)

Cenozoic- Imperial Ginger Porter(seasonal)

Delta- Dunkelweizen(seasonal)

Impact Crater- Weizen Doppelbock(seasonal)

Basalt- Session Porter(seasonal)

Archean- Altbier(seasonal)

Sonnenschein- Kölsch(seasonal)

Wald- Pilsner(seasonal)

Schwarzwald- Schwarzbier(seasonal)

Pentavalent- Dry-Hopped Golden Sour Ale(limited)

Atmosbier-Grodziskie-Style Ale(limited)

Hadean- Barrel Aged Sticke Alt(limited)

Flowstone- Blended Lager w/ Brettanomyces(limited)

Pi- Red Wine Barrel Aged Kirschweizen(limited)

Alluvial- Barrel Aged Dunkelweizen(limited)

Barrel Aged Tweiss- Barrel Aged Weizenbock(limited)

FunkObsius- Barrel Aged Weizenstout(limited)

Himbeere- Barrel Aged Raspberry Berliner Weisse(limited)

Mesozoic- Barrel Aged Imperial Ginger Porter(limited)

Paleozoic- Barrel Aged Imperial Ginger Porter w/ Brettanomyces(limited)

Popular Products
Gneiss Weiss is "a hefeweizen, a German-style wheat beer, 4.8 percent alcohol by volume"(Atwell). Johnson explains that, "Weiss has a cloudy orange color and light carbonation. It has a fairly sweet and floral finish... that is because it is fermented and aged at low temperatures"("Gneiss Brewing in Limerick"). Another columnist for the Portland Press Herald describes the cloudy orange color as the "golden appearance indicative of a wheat beer... You can really taste the Hefeweizen yeast flexing its muscles in this beer with spicy clove flavors. At 4.8 percent alcohol by volume, this beer is drinkable without being bland"("Gneiss Brewing"). Don Littlefield, assistant principal for Maine Brew Bus, says it has, "the essence of citrus and banana and spice, plus the backbone of a wheat beer"(Pierce). To summarize, the co-mingling of the spices, fruitiness, and yeast allow for this beer to go down smooth, but still pack a punch. Gneiss Weiss is also the most popular with customers.

Stryeation is a rye beer and, conveniently, has rye right in the name. Atwell wrote, "it smells as fruity as a cider... has an astringent, spicy flavor... it has a viscous mouthfeel and is 5.3 percent ABV"("Gneiss Brewery in Limerick"). The mellow scents of the fruit and the fiery flavors together, added with a syrupy texture and 5.3 percent alcohol by volume, creates a delightful experience.

Tectonic Tomahawk is described by Atwell as, "herbal and spicy... but still does not taste bitter, because the wheat and yeast strain offset it"("Gneiss Brewery in Limerick"). Bissell expresses that, "it tests out at 75 International Bittering Units, but tastes more like 50"(Gneiss Brewing in Limerick). IBU's measure a beers bitterness. Although the beers IBU is high, it is offset by a smooth body, allowing for a more enjoyable beverage.