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Middle James Brewing Company No Fuchs Given American Golden Ale

Posted on by Evan

Middle James Brewing Company (Pineville, North Carolina) No Fuchs Given is a 4.5% American Golden Ale. This ale benefits the Foxes Sports Foundation, founded by former Charlotte FC player Christian Fuchs. This  ale pours a sunset gold with a one-finger white head. The aroma is slightly bitter and hoppy. The flavor is bitter, hoppy, and light on the malts, with a hint of fruit.  This beer has a light mouthfeel. It finishes with a light, bitter note. The aftertaste is lightly malted, which does linger for some time. This beer does do good for kids’ sports, but it’s not a great beer. Fuchs Given is a C-. Overall, the flavor is mild at best, and it all blends into a bitterness that is almost like a light black pepper flavor. That pepper does fade as this beer warms. This ale is not a beer that I would/would not recommend.  As I drank this,  it went from not good to okay and back again. I might give this another try sometime. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Hoptimum 2026 Apperance

Posted on by Evan

Hoptimum from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is an 11% Triple IPA. This big IPA is seasonally brewed (for the 2026 vintage) with Two-Row, Pale, and White Wheat malts. It is also brewed with ale yeast and hops, including Chinook, Citra, CTZ, Ekuanot, Idaho 7, and Magnum. This IPA pours a deep golden with a one-finger, white, steady head. The aroma  is bitter, slightly fruity, hoppy, and dank. The flavor is big/strong, bitter, dank, and lightly oniony. Somehow, I found this beer to have a crispness.  This has a medium mouthfeel. The finish is bitter, dank, and fading citrus. The aftertaste is bitterness and hops. They linger for a while and slowly fade. This beer doesn’t feel as strong as advertised, but you know that it is. It is balanced just right. I think Sierra Nevada brews great IPAs, and this one is great too. I give Hoptimum Triple IPA an A. It has all the big flavor you want in a triple IPA without being too strong. If triple IPAs are your thing, then I recommend Hoptimum. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Epic Brewing Company Big Bad Baptist Samurai

Posted on by Evan

I always see Epic Brewing Company’s Big Bad Baptist beers at Total Wine, but I have never purchased any of them. That is, until now. I purchased Big Bad Baptist Samurai, a 13% ABV barrel-aged stout. This beer has been aged in traditional Sake barrels. This is one of many in the Baptist series.  This beer pours a rich, oily, inky black with a one-finger brown head. That head quickly fades into itself. The aroma is chocolaty, coffee, and Umami.  The flavor is chocolate and coffee upfront, Umami flavor in the middle, and light sake on the back end. The flavor is smooth overall and has a fuller mouthfeel. This beer finishes with a sake and Umami flavor. The aftertaste is almost like a light soy sauce, and the umami flavor that does linger for a few seconds.  This is a big beer that is on the boozy side, and it’s a high B+. If you are into barrel-aged stouts, then I would recommend Big Bad Baptist Samurai. This beer is not too harsh. But they aren’t for everyone. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Hi-Wire Brewing & NoDa Brewing Company Odyssey Hazy IPA

Posted on by Evan

I like a beer that is for a good cause. This beer, a collaboration between Asheville’s Hi-Wire Brewing and Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing Company, is Odyssey Hazy IPA. This beer is 6.5% ABV and was brewed in Asheville, North Carolina. Proceeds from the beer go towards helping western North Carolina, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene. This beer pours a light, hazy yellow with a big three-finger white head. The aroma is tropical, citrusy. bitter, and hoppy. The flavor is a blend of lemon, orange, and tropical fruits. This beer is also bitter and hoppy with a bit of sweetness. The mouthfeel is medium. Then this beer finishes with a tropical hop bitterness. The aftertaste is bittersweet and hoppy, but that fades as the tropical fruit lingers. This was a most pleasant hazy IPA and one that I would recommend. I give Odyssey Hazy IPA a B+. The bitterness is stronger closer to the end of the pint, but it was good otherwise. The fruity flavors are well-balanced and delicious. This is a good beer! Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Brewery Ommegang Grande Tripel

Posted on by Evan

I like Brewery Ommegang. I also like coffee vanilla beers. So I saw Grande Tripel, which is made with Hallertau, Magnum, and Saaz hops. It is fermented with 2-Row Munich, Flaked Oats, and White Wheat. This beer also has Madagascar vanilla bean caviar and utilizes Utica Coffee. It comes in a 9% ABV, as do most Tripels. This is an OMG series beer that is around for a limited time. This Tripel pours a deep gold/orange color with a one-finger white head. The aroma is coffee and vanilla. The flavor is sweet from the vanilla; it has some coffee notes, but the base beer, a Tripel, is masked by the coffee and vanilla. I found this to have a slight bitterness. This beer has a medium mouthfeel. This beer finishes with a vanilla-sweetness and light roast coffee. The aftertaste is slightly bittersweet, and no Tripel flavor is coming through. So the vanilla and coffee flavors are not bad, but they overshadow the Tripel beer. I give Grande Tripel a C-. This beer’s overall flavor does not come together. I did not like it much and wouldn’t recommend it. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Ballad Brewing Just Pressed Lime Giinger Sour

Posted on by Evan

Ballad Brewing in Danville, Virginia, brews Just Pressed Lime Ginger Sour. This is Gose, which is 5.5% ABV. It is a blended wheat and sour beer. Ballad Brewing closed after experiencing extensive flooding, but it was acquired by Three Roads Brewing Company in early 2026. Now Ballad Brewing has evolved into Press Club at Ballad Brewing. That is a full restaurant and bar. This sour beer pours golden with a one-finger white head. The aroma is tart, with notes of ginger, lime, and a slightly sour finish. The flavor is notes of ginger and lime. It’s tart and lightly sour. The over all flavor is light, as is the mouthfeel. This beer finishes with a tart lime and ginger flavor that fades into a sour note. The aftertaste is fading lime flavor and ginger. This beer isn’t overly sour, like some gose, and the overall flavor is not bad. I say Ballad Brewing Just Press is a B. This beer isn’t nearly as good as Westbrook Brewing Gose. That is my number one Gose, and I would recommend Just Pressed. The flavors are good on their own, but together they do not seem as good. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Sugar Creek Brewing Company. Flaco Especial Lite Lager

Posted on by Evan

Sugar Creek Brewing Company originally started brewing Belgian-style beers. Slowly, they started brewing other styles of beer. Flaco Especial Lite Lager is a more recent non-Belgian beer. This is a made Key Lime and is 4% ABV. Sugar Creek is one of my top local breweries in Charlotte. This beer pours a crisp golden color with a one-finger  white head of lace. The aroma is crisp with a citrusy lime. The flavor is crisp and limey. It’s not too sweet or too sour. This lager has a light mouthfeel. This beer finishes with a limey flavor that grows. The aftertaste is more limey, but it is crisp. This is not a bad beer, but the lime flavor does take over. The lime flavor is not overly dominant in the beer. That flavor is slightly more of a main character. I would recommend Flaco Especial, but if you like or love this sub-style of lager, then I would really recommend Stone Brewing Co. Buenaveza Salt and Lime Lager. As for Sugar Creek Brewing Flaco Especial Lite Lager, I give it a high C+. It is refreshing, crisp, light, and citrusy. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Birdsong Brewing Co. Golden Hour

Posted on by Evan

Birdong Brew Co. is one of my favorite local breweries, and this is Golden Hour, a golden or blonde ale. This beer is 5% ABV and is made with 2-Row, Pilsner, Vienna, and Chit malts. Golden Hour is also made with Cascade, Hallertau, and Mittelfruh hops. This blonde is a seasonal beer available from March through April. This beer pours a golden color with a one-finger, quickly fading dull white head. The aroma is floral, sweet (almost honey-like), and hoppy. The flavor is sweet, floral, herbal, and hoppy. This beer has a light bread flavor. This has a light mouthfeel. The flavor is not great. They are clashing and make this beer not taste good. This beer finishes with a semi-sweetness and some floral herbs. The aftertaste lingers for a second with a bad, sweet, herbal taste. I didn’t like Birdsong Golden Hour too much. I give it a D, and I would not recommend it. I did, however, finish it, but I didn’t want another one. Near the end of this pint, I was contemplating pouring this last bit away. I usually find Birdsong beers to be good, but this one was not. The floral, hoppy, and sweet flavors didn’t meld into something good. Each flavor was not so good. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly!



Russian River Brewing Blind Pig IPA

Posted on by Evan

Russian River Brewing’s Blind Pig IPA is a sought-after holy grail beer. A Blind Pig is a slang name for a cheap or low-class illegal drinking establishment or speakeasy during prohibition. This IPA is 6.25% ABV, and it uses  Amarillo, Citra, Cascade, Tangier, Nectaron, and CTZ hops. This year-round flagship IPA pours a golden hue with a beautiful, two-finger clean and pillowy white head. The aroma is bitter, woody, and piney. The flavor is citrusy, bitter, piney, and a bit woody. This is more like a traditional IPA with a bit of citrusy fruit flavors. This IPA finishes with a bitter pine and citrus flavor. The aftertaste is a lingering piney bitterness and a fading citrus flavor. That citrusy flavor is almost nonexistent. This IPA has a medium to barely full mouthfeel. This is a good drinking beer. You could drink two or three pints of this IPA. I recommend Russian River Brewing Blind Pig IPA. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Russian River Brewing Pliney the Elder

Posted on by Evan

Russian River Brewing Pliny the Elder is one of the holy grails of craft beer. I am in Los Angeles, California, and I found it at a local Whole Foods. This 8% double IPA is named after Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, historian, and author. In his writings, he refers to “Lupus Salictarius,” meaning Wolf among willows. He died in 79 AD while saving people from the erupting Mount Vesuvius. This IPA pours golden yellow with a big two-finger white head. The head leaves wonderful lacing behind. The aroma is grassy, bitter, and hoppy. This really smells like a classic IPA. The flavor is hoppy, piney, smooth, clean, and somewhat sweet. This IPA has a medium mouthfeel. This beer has a smooth, bitter, and hoppy finish with a hint of pine. The aftertaste is piney and bitter. That does linger for a moment or two. This beer was deliciously perfect. I give Pliny the Elder an A+. This is really well brewed and worth all the hype. Now I see it is a holy grail beer. I highly recommend it! Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!