Combustion Brewing, Pickerington OH

29 March 2025

I chose this Combustion location because I felt like getting out of Columbus and away from the crowds. This place wasn’t crowded but it certainly can accommodate a large number of people; the photos don’t show all of the space by any means and there’s a lot more outdoors than you can see here. There’s a large deck right in front of the building plus picnic tables to the right of and behind the parking lot.

Neither Combustion location has a kitchen but this one has food trucks that come in. They focus on their beer, and to excellent effect! Here is my flight, left to right:

Wanderlust – Blonde Ale, 5% – Such a crisp and clean ale would be good any day of the year! It’s one of the nicest I’ve had and I took a 4-pack of it with me to enjoy at home after this trip.

Lady Peiskos – New England IPA, 6.3% – This is a collaboration beer brewed for International Women’s Day. It’s smooth and very drinkable with strong notes of pineapple.

Pink Boots with the Fur – New England IPA, 5.5% – Citrus / pineapple / berry sweetness wrapped up in a classic NEIPA — what more could you want? This wasn’t available in cans so I took a crowler with me to enjoy more of it in the hotel.

Combustion IPA – American IPA, 6.5% – Combustion’s description — “highly drinkable” — is certainly accurate! The first thought that entered my mind when I tasted this one was “warm” — it was like a warm hug of a mildly fruity IPA and I would be happy drinking it all day.

(In case you haven’t picked up on my hints, every single one of these was fabulous!)

There were two more from their tap list that I really wanted to try (not to mention a half dozen more that I would have wanted if there were unlimited time and capacity) and I did an 8oz pour of each:

Mayflower Macchiato – Milk Stout, 7.3% – Combustion brews this with espresso beans for a strong coffee kick, but that balances perfectly with the sweetness from the lactose that makes a stout a milk stout. Throw in a hint of chocolate, and you end up with a real winner. I’d happily drink this any day of the year, not just in the winter.

Now We’re Talkin’ – Imperial IPA, 8.7% – I really like this one as well but if I absolutely had to pick one of the six I had today to “vote off the island,” this would be it by a hair. The smell (floral) and taste (piney, fruity) are wonderful, but for me, it was a tiny bit too bitter on the finish considering the alcohol content. I’d have expected it to be a bit sweeter, but we’re talking hair-splitting here. (As I’m writing this, I find myself regretting that I didn’t also try their 11.1% Triple IPA named “Naughty.” I’ll bet that one is amazing.)

I have just one day left in Columbus on this trip but I might just have to visit the Clintonville location of Combustion to pick up a 4-pack of Naughty to take home and if I do, I’ll add a review of it to this post. This place is definitely on my “return to” list as it’s one of my favorites here that I’ve visited. Combustion is absolutely on fire when it comes to brewing!