Rock Valley Brewing Co. — Restaurant in City of Little Falls

My first trip to this brewery was both a surprise and a joy...the space is open and airy...a small bar...a couple of high top tables and some regular tables give you a place to sit along with a small bar...covid protocols are followed...masks required except when sitting down... On to the brews...I sampled five: Ironrock Brown Ale - soft nose light...velvety mouth feel...malty with a soft spice back end... Apricot Mango Wheat - light nose...nice velvety mouth...not a lot of fruit flavor that I picked up on...yet very easy drinking... Gulf Curve Irish Brown - light crafty nose with hints of chocolate and sweet malt...nice head...spicy but not hoppy back end...nice mouth feel... Sweet Milk Stout...subtle nose...soft sweet mouth...well constructed... soft spicy back end... Gasp Razzle Dazzle Sour...very subtle nose...quiet mouth...the lightest of all five...the raspberry forward was nailed...all raspberry without the sweetness that some have...it puts other razz and sours I have tasted to shame...impressive how it was constructed...perfection in a glass... I will return to sample more of Mike's brews as they are released...

An update/addendum :

Back at Ironrock to sample brews that I had not previously tried...Mike has put together a great staff...our server was attentive...made sure we had all we needed...was very friendly and made us feel appreciated...on to the brews...

New brew Strawberry Rhubarb - subtle earthy nose with notes of rhubarb light berry…a wonderfully sweet strawberry mouth…tasty fruit back…lilting rhubarb and strawberry finish…

Apricot Wheat - subtle nose…light hint of fruit…nice carbonated mouth dancing across the palette…a spicy finish…well constructed not overly sweet…satisfying…

Blonde - imperceptible nose but satisfied with the lightness…soft wheat with a nice carbonated mouth and a soft spice finish…

IRB IPA - almost unnoticeable aroma...none until the hops reveal themselves…a soft piney note brings a smile to the face…beautifully constructed mouth followed by a citrus band that dances across the tingling tongue with some spicy players strutting their stuff…a clean finish and it is a perfect introduction to those who are not IPA fans…

Try the Terrell’s Syracuse style flavored chips for a nice take on sat&vinegar…bbq…cheddar ridged potato chips all in...

Found myself in the area with a couple hours to kill, and I always enjoy visiting breweries I haven't been to before, especially when not near home, so Rock Valley was a perfect stop and ended up being a hidden gem.

Enjoyed a flight to start to be able to try multiple beers/styles, and enjoyed every single one, especially the Hawaiian Milkshake IPA, which paired perfectly with the surprising near-60 degree weather we had in mid-February. Fruit forward with just a hint of hoppiness, it was just straight up delicious; an IPA for anyone who doesn't consider themselves an IPA fan for sure. My other favorite was the Sunflower Stout, which had a great depth of flavor highlighted by the coffee roastiness that I love in a stout. The live blues musician on the Saturday night I visited was an added bonus. Have to add too that Dana behind the bar was super friendly and helpful and made me feel right at home despite being by myself during my visit.

But the highlight of the visit came when Mike, the owner & brewer, was making his rounds and invited me to tag along for a little brewery tour with some friends of his. Getting to see some of the behind-the-scenes for where the brewing happens and more of the large music venue space in the brewery was a real treat, let alone to be able to chat and talk beer with the brewer himself. Already looking forward to making a visit when the weather turns toward spring/summer to experience the live bands that they have lined up. Incredibly friendly and welcoming, I'll happily come back when we're driving through the area again to support Mike and...

Sorry. Just bad beer except for the Pumpkin Ale. As you can see from my collection of sampling glasses I've been to a couple breweries in my day. This wasn't one of them.

𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: This isn't a matter of personal taste. I know what an IPA is supposed to taste like. I know Brown Ale's, I know Wheat Ales. I have 80+ 5 oz samplers (paid for every one) and since most breweries don't sell them I've been to probably 250 -300 breweries to collect those.

The 2 IPA's were not drinkable and the "Dark Red" I could consume but just barely. While the aroma and initial taste of the IPA's was not off putting the final palate was an odd array of fusel alcohol and an alkaline base which I suspect is the result of you not RO'ing your water and just using what comes out of the tap. Beer is almost 90% water you know.

I do wonder how many of the "tens of thousands" of customers are repeat customers as you are in somewhat of a tourist enclave there in Little Falls with absolutely no competition.

Good for you if you make a go of it ! I hold no animosity toward you or your brewery. We were in the area after a day of leaf gazing up north and hit 3 other breweries on our way back to Syracuse. Hit up my other reviews here and see that I take the time to offer positive...