NoDa Brewing Company

Posted on by Evan

I have been posting a lot of Belgian beer recently and thought it was time for something non-Belgian. This is Carolina Quencher from NoDa Brewing Company locally made in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a 5.2% ABV tropical wheat ale. This wheat beer has passion fruit, orange, mango, guava, and pineapple. This beer sounds like a tropical fruit bomb. This beer pours yellow with a one-finger quick, thin, and fizzy head. The aroma is fruity as expected, with orange and passion fruit. I did get the faintest smell of pineapple, guava, and mango. They were almost not there. The flavor is juicy and fruity with passion fruit, orange, mango, pineapple, and guava. These fruit flavors do flatten a bit overall as this beer warms. This has a light mouthfeel. Then you’ll find a juicy and refreshing fruit finish. The aftertaste is fruity orange and passion fruit. The other flavors fade out in the finish. This is a good sessionable beer with good flavors that aren’t overpowering. I give Carolina Quencher an A+. Do drink this beer. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Trappist Westmalle Trappist Dubbel

Posted on by Evan

Today’s review started as an idea from Mechent DuVin sending me a few Belgian beer glasses. Two Westmalle and Trappist Rocheford. Thank you again to Mechent DuVin for sending them. This beer is Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. This Dubbel is 7% ABV, from Malle, Belgium. I have reviewed Westmalle Extra and Trippel. You can use this blog search feature to find them. This beer brewed by Trappist monks pours a deep brown color with lighter brown edges and a two-finger thick beige head. That head slowly dissipates. The aroma is malty, sweet, and strong. The taste is malty, dark, sweet, smooth, and strong. The flavor is stronger than the aroma. This has an almost full feeling in the mouth. This beer has a sweet/smooth, malty finish with a little boozy note. Then you find a malty, sweet, smooth aftertaste that lingers briefly. This is a delicious beer that is well deserving of an A. I think this is as good as Chimay Blue if not the same. I highly recommend Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. But if you want the best experience of this beer, then drink one at Westmalle restaurant. You can beat freshness. This is still as good. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Proper Glassware

Posted on by Evan

I’d like to thank Merchant DuVin for the four new Belgian beer glasses. This importer of mainly European beer is my favorite because they import some of the best European beers to the U.S., like Westmalle, Trappist Rochefort, Orval, and Lidemans just to name a few. Go to their website to find the entire beer lineup. There will be a review soon with Merchant DuVin. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Kabrew Kumiho IPA

Posted on by Evan

I purchased the other beer at the Super G Mart international grocery store. This is Kabrew Kumiho IPA. This IPA is produced near the  Cheongpyeong-myeon, Sangcheon-ri, and Sangsaek-ri, with Cheongusan Mountain to the west and Bulgi Mountain to the east. This IPA is 6.3% ABV. This beer pours a deep orange color with a light one-finger beige head. The aroma is bitter, orange, hops, and malty. This smells like a more traditional IPA. The taste is orangey, light pine, bitter, and hoppy. It has an overly bitter flavor that as this beer warms that bitterness intensifies. This has a medium feeling in the mouth. This IPA has a somewhat harsh bitter finish. The aftertaste is a bitter orange that does linger. This has a harsh flavor that is not good. Kumiho IPA is a low D-. I nearly finished this beer. By the time I was 90% through this IPA, the bitterness had become too strong, and I just couldn’t finish. I really don’t recommend Kumiho IPA. Don’t drink this! Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Awesome Brewing Co. Seongsu-Dong American Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

Yesterday I went to Alley 51 at Super G Mart in Pineville, NC a part of Charlotte. Alley 51 is a food hall/food court with mainly Asian food. Then I went through the Super G Mart and found Seongsu-Dong American Pale Ale brewed in Seoul South Korea. Seongsu is described as the Brooklyn, NYC of Seoul. This Ale is 4.5%. I haven’t seen many Pale Ales that low in ABV. This pale ale pours a deeper shade of yellow with a two-finger thin white head. The aroma is sweet with citrus fruit, and this has a decent hop aroma. The flavor is semi-sweet, citrusy, bitter/hoppy, and has a very light bread note. I found that interesting but out of place in a pale ale. This has a lighter feel to the mouth. This beer comes to a citrusy finish with a bit of hoppy flavor. The aftertaste is semi-sweet with citrus and some hops. But this does linger before fading like a song on the radio. I’ve never had South Korean beer or craft beer. This was good and sessionable. I give this an A. I almost gave it an A+ but the bread note knocked back it just a millimeter. I would recommend this beer if you can find it. It’s good. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Chimay Grande Resérve 2019 Oak

Posted on by Evan

I bought this Chimay Grande Resérve from the Chimay taproom and restaurant while on a Belgian Trappist Beer tour with BBM! (Belgian Beer Me!). This Chimay is from 2019, February of 2019 to be exact. This Chimay is 10.5% ABV. This beer is aged 40% French and 60% American oak barrels. This beer undergoes three fermentation processes: cave, barrel, and bottle. Chimay does this type of beer, every year with a different barrel or liquor. This 2019 Chimay pours a deep brown with a two-finger steady beige head or cream. The aroma is boozy licorice, oak, and some dark fruits. The flavor is okay, boozy, caramel, licorice, and vanilla. This big beer is light-bodied and smooth. It has a fuller feeling in the mouth. Then this beer finishes with a sweet vanilla and caramel. The aftertaste is semi-sweet yet lightly boozy with hints of vanilla. This be is fantastic and delicious. I give Chimay Grande Resérve 2019 Oak and A+. This is a beer you don’t want to miss, I highly recommend this. It is just perfect and well-made. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Trappist Westvleteren Blond

Posted on by Evan

Trappist Westvleteren Blond is a beer (and the other two) found only at the brewery/gift shop. This is 5.8% ABV and is from Vleteren, Belgium. It is brewed by the monks of the Saint-Sixtus Abby. I brought this and their other beer home from a visit to their restaurant and gift shop. This Blond is the beer that the monks drink. This beer pours yellow with a three-finger creamy white head. That head seems to stick forever. The aroma is sweet, lemon, light bitterness, and slight yeast. The flavor is fruity lemon, smooth, dry, light on hops, and light-bodied. This has a lighter mouthfeel. Then it has a dry fruity finish with some sweetness. The aftertaste is dry-ish, fruity, and refreshing. This Westvleteren Blond is very delicious and is an A. It has such good flavors that all come through/together and make one tasty beer. If you ever get to Vleteren, Belgium I suggest you have a meal with all their beers including this Blond and their ice cream made with their beer. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Brasserie Dupont Saison Depont

Posted on by Evan

Saison Dupont from Brasserie Dupont in Tourpes, Belgium is a Saison or Farmhouse style Ale/beer. This Saison is 6.5% ABV. This beer is bottle-conditioned, meaning it still has yeast in the bottle allowing it to keep fermenting. This beer pours yellow with a two-finger head that seems to stay forever. The aroma is sweet, dry, and fruity with some banana, and light lemon. The flavor is dry, sweet, tart, lemon, and light banana fruits. This beer is yeasty with a dry, and light body. This Saison has a light mouth feel. This has a sweet/tart fruity, and dry finish. The aftertaste is dry but less dry. It has a nice amount of sweetness. This beer is very refreshing and delicious. I give Saison Dupont an A+. It goes down easy and refreshing. I highly recommend Saison Dupont. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Trappist Westmalle Trappist Extra

Posted on by Evan

Trappist Westmalle in Malle, Belgium brews Trappist Extra, which is the beer the monks drink, ‘monks beer’. This beer is 4.8% ABV and is brewed by Trappist Monks. They also make cheese which I had with their flight. The flight also has really pungent and delicious mustard. I brought home two jars of it. Unfortunately, I could not get this Trappist Extra at the Westmalle shop, but it is sold at my local Total Wine. This beer pours a cloudy golden yellow with a creamy three-and-a-half finger white head. The aroma is semi-sweet, and fruity, with light bitterness/hops, and a bit of yeast. The taste is fruity with a light sweetness/bitterness, it is clean and light-bodied with some hop notes. This has a light mouthfeel. Then it finishes with a light fruit sweet yeast note. The aftertaste is semi-sweet with a clean and refreshing light bitterness. This is a beer that goes excellent with foods like cheese, fried foods, and some meats. I give this Westmalle Trappist Extra and A+. It is delicious and one that I highly recommend. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Brouwerij De Halve Maan Brugse Zot Blond

Posted on by Evan

This beer from Bruge, Belgium is Brugse Zot Blond from Brouwerij De Halve Maan. This beer is 6% ABV. I did not bring this back from the brewery, I bought it just over the South Carolina border at Stateline Elite. I returned with a 750ml of Straffe Hendrik Wild, a wild yeast variety of De Halve Manns Tripel. That will be reviewed soon. This Blond pours a blond-orange color with a two-finger steady white head. The aroma is fruity with oranges. It has a light bitterness too. The flavor is fruity with orange, light-bodied, and light bitterness. This Brugse Zot Blond has a light to almost medium feel in the mouth. Then this beer has a tiny bitter, and fruity finish. The aftertaste is void of bitterness but has a light orange taste. This beer is good. It was a little better at the brewery. Maybe that is a fresher beer. But this example was an A. I really recommend Brugse Zot Blond. This beer is delicious and refreshing. It is different from all the beer in the US. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!