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Knee Deep Brewing Co. Lupulin River Imperial India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

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Imperial IPA can be big & strong or they can be really big & strong. Some can be upwards of 18% ABV and near 100 IBUs. This Knee Deep Brewing Co. Lupulin River Imperial India Pale ale, 8.0% ANB and 76 IBUs is probably in the middle when it comes to imperial IPA. Lupulin River Imperial India Pale ale out of Auburn Placer County California pours a light orange color with a four finger white head giving off dank fruity aromas with earthy bitter notes and has a flavor of grapefruit (peels and all) with bitter earthy pine and slight dank oranges with a mild bitter finish that grows slightly more bitter as it fades into a bitter grapefruit aftertaste with touches of an orangey note all with a lighter to somewhat medium mouthfeel. This is not so big tasting for an imperial IPA but you do taste it’s 8.0% ABV even more so as it warms. Lupulin River Imperial India Pale ale is definitely an A. Solid IPA flavors and bitterness without going to the extream keeping it more on the easier to drink side of things. Lupulin River Imperial India Pale ale is something with trying and yes it comes in six-packs. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!    

Anchor Brewing Co. Blood Orange Blonde

Posted on by Evan

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There is a lot of beer that has oranges in them but I don’t see much use of blood oranges, a deeper red-orange with a slightly deep sweetness too it. But I found this From Anchor Brewing Co. located in San Fransico California. This is Blood Orange Blonde, 4.5% ABV and is brewed with fresh blood oranges. Blood Orange Blonde pours a deep orange color with a one and a half finger of white head that quick to dissolve with loads of sediment or pulp floating in from the fresh blood oranges giving nice aromas of freshly squeezed blood oranges with just a pinch of a sour note that gives you a flavor of freshly squeezes blood oranges up front with a little sour note in the middle and a semi-bitter note on the end with a nice sweet finish and a zesty orange aftertaste with a light easy mouthfeel. Blood Orange Blonde is good and refreshing getting an A- here just missing out with a little bitterness that comes in on the end and as this beer warms but it’s otherwise a good drinking beer that everyone should try. Cheers! Please enjoy responsible!

Throwback Thursday: Foothills Brewing Torch Pilsner

Posted on by Evan

This post was originally posted July 13th, 2014.

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Sometimes it’s nice to have a simpler style of beer, something clean, crisp, refreshing and drinkable, like lagers and Pilsners. These are the most common beer styles around the world, and one of the most consumed styles in the world and a common staple here in the U.S.  Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem brews a Czech Pilsner, Torch Pilsner, 5.3%, brewed Czech Saaz Hops. Torch pours a clear, crisp golden color with a bright white somewhat tight head that sticks around for a short while and forms thin lacing that looks very nice but spread out. I found tons of light coming through with nice herds of carbonation bubbles race from the bottom. The aroma is nice a biscuit scent that helps a nice breaded character. This beer really smells like the stereotypical beer. The taste on Torch Pilsner is clean with breaded flavors up front with a nice carbonated taste in the middle of the mouth and a very light taste of Saaz hops on the back with a hint of a biscuit flavor. The mouthfeel is light and Torch has a nice clean, crisp and refreshing finish and nice faintly sweet breaded aftertaste with a very light hint of a Saaz hop. I found Torch Pilsner to be a very true pilsner. I give this an A+, this is very easy to drink and most tasty. I think this beer is great and I highly recommend trying Foothills Brewing Torch Pilsner. So go and do that! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here are this week’s news and events happening in and around the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

  • Wednesday, February 28th Welcome Ponysaurus Brewing Company! Temple Mojo. 12 pm-10 pm. Come out to Temple Mojo Growler Shop as we spotlight and introduce Ponysaurus Brewing from Durham, NC for the very first time! There will be four taps (TBD) dedicated to their delicious beer along with a brewery representative to answer questions about their brewery and their beers!
  • Wednesday, February 28th Sugar Creek Beer Dinner. Kid Cashew. 7 pm-9 pm. Sugar Creek Beer Dinner – Wednesday, February 28th 7p $50 per person $90 per couple. Check out Sugar Creek Brewing’s Facebook page for more information. 
  • Thursday, March 1st. Fresh Thursday: Sour Edition! Lenny Boy Brewing Co. 4 pm-9 pm. On Thursday, March 1st, we will be releasing not one, but TWO sour ales!
    Plumonary Groove
    5.25% abv
    This is a Golden American sour aged in reused Rose` barrels rested on NC Plums (Damsons) from Moretz’s Mtn Orchard for 8 months. We then blended it with a wild culture and our house ale yeast.
    The end result is a crisp refreshing funky sour that finishes with some oak notes and hints of tart plums that make your lips pucker up.
    Phantom Noir
    6.1% abv
    This is a Golden American sour aged in Pinot wine barrels on North Carolina Scuppernongs for 6 months. We then blended it with a wild culture and our house ale yeast.
    This sour ale has a big funk note with a mild sourness, but still tart and finishing with an oaky note!
    These sour ales have been deemed some of the best we have ever created! Come give these a try yourself and let us know what you think! #lennylenny
    The Hunter’s Wife will be providing us with their delicious food all night!  
  • Thursday, March 1st Happy Hour and Private Brewery Tour. Catawba Brewing Co. Charlotte. 6 pm-8 pm. Tickets at http://www.alumni.JMU.edu. Interested in seeing one of the hottest new breweries in Charlotte? Come join fellow Dukes for a behind-the-scenes tour at Catawba’s new location to enjoy some quality happy hour beverages accompanied by an onsite food truck! Catawba staff have generously agreed to provide our alumni friends with a tour of the brewery beginning at 6:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!
  • Friday, March 2nd. Peanut Butter Jelly Time Release. Catawba Brewing Co. 12 pm-11 pm. You know what time it is.
  • Friday, March 2nd. Mother Earth Brewing Girl Scout Cookie Pairing! Trackside Crafts. 5 pm-10 pm. Just wait until you have these cookies paired with unique beers from Mother Earth Brewing Co.! Kit from Trackside & Melissa from Mother Earth are setting up the pairings, and you won’t be disappointed. We will also have a real girl scout on hand to guilt you into buying more cookies, too. She’s adorable…I dare you to attempt escape without buying more cookies. 😉
  • Saturday, March 3rd. Hop Cakes Vs. Honey Pie: Battle of the DIPAs. Carolina Beer Temple Ayrsley. 12 pm-11:59 pm. Come one, come all to the battle of the century! Two of Charlotte’s heavy hitters face off this Saturday, March 3rd, here at the Carolina Beer Temple at Ayrsley.
    In the Golden corner, we have Birdsong’s Honey Pie DIPA, AKA ” Heaven in a Glass”. This DIPA is brewed with locally sourced honey. Weighing in at 8.9% abv Honey Pie floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee!
    And in the Amber corner, we have Noda’s Hop Cakes! Weighing in at 10.2% and brewed with Vermont maple syrup. This smooth DIPA has been known to knock it’s opponents out cold.
    Vote for your favorite contender and be entered into a raffle for prizes from each brewery!
  • Saturday, March 3rd. Lenny Boy Q and Brew: Texas Style BBQ (& Tropicalus can release.) Lenny Boy Brewing Co. 12 pm- 9pm. 
  • Monday, March 5th. Früh Bock Release. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. 11 am-10 pm. Früh is “bock” on March 5th! Join us for the release of our spring seasonal.
    “Früh” (pron. “froo”) means “early” in German, and is also short for “Frühling,” meaning “spring.” Our seasonal “Spring Bock” captures the promise of warmer days ahead, combining a slight malty sweetness with a refreshing touch of citrus aroma from its noble Bavarian hops. The result is an amazingly fresh, crisp beer that masks a higher alcohol content in its smooth character. Big bodied and warm enough for chilly evenings, but bright and aroma-hop forward enough to compliment beers on the patio. Like all OMB beers, it is all-natural — brewed in strict accordance with the famous German beer purity law of 1516: the “Reinheitsgebot.”
    Früh Bock: Full-bodied, yet smooth and refreshing. Perfect for spring!
    Under 21 are welcome at OMB. Pets are welcome outside in our Biergarten.

Foothills Brewing Co. Frostbite Black IPA

Posted on by Evan

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I picked up Foothills Brewing Co. Frostbite Black IPA at Good Bottle Co. a couple of weeks ago. I think that Foothills brews wonderfully tasty beers. Frostbite pours black with brown edges with a three finger beige head that slowly dissipates to the edges of the glass with aromas of roasted pine and slight chocolate sweetness with a very faint hoppy note that gives you flavors of nice roasted pine and chocolate with a faint hoppy note out back with a slightly roasted pine bitter finish and an aftertaste of bitter dark chocolate that has a fuller mouthfeel. When this beer warms it becomes more of IPA than a stout. This is very good, an A. Foothills Brewing Co. has made yet another taste beer with Frostbite Black IPA, a beer that I recommend you try but go quickly it’s a winter seasonal. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!    

Gizmo BrewWorks Beekeeper Honey Wheat Ale

Posted on by Evan

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Gizmo BrewWorks Beekeeper Honey Wheat Ale, 5.5% with 11 IBUs from Raleigh, North Carolina is a nod to the beekeeping profession according to Gizmo BrewWorks. Beekeeper Honey Wheat Ale pours a deep yellow with a five finger pillowy white head with an aroma of sweet wheat, banana, and clove that leads you to a taste of some sweetness with nice honey wheat and clove with a floral banana that is easy to drink but not memorable and finishes clean with some sweetness, banana with clove and a semi-sweet wheat aftertaste that lingers a little with a medium mouthfeel. Gizmo BrewWorks Beekeeper Honey Wheat Ale is not bad but there are plenty of better wheat beer out there, and I give it a C. It’s average taste and I wouldn’t mind having it again. But it doesn’t really stand out/ Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!    

Catawba Brewing Co. LD’s Belgian Tripel Ale

Posted on by Evan

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In Belgium, strong golden ales are traditionally named after forces of evil, so this Catawba Brewing Company LD’s Belgian Triple Ale, 10.0% ABV shares its initials with the brewery says is the meanest little guy in the Catawba family, LD a.k.a. Long Dog, a.k.a. Little Devil, this is a dog of course. LD’s Belgian Triple Ale pours a sunset orange with a little yellow on the edge with a one and a half finger of white fizzy head that quickly to disappear giving aromas of a slight fruity banana with a bit of a sour yeasted note that flows to a similar taste of banana, slight sourness with some yeasted notes and a strong boozy note towards the rear of the mouth with a nice strong bubbly finish and an aftertaste of slight semi-sweet banana with clove bits and a medium mouthfeel. Catawba Brewing Co. LD’s Belgian Triple Ale isn’t the best Belgian Triple but it’s a B+. I enjoyed this ale and found it to not feel like a 10.0% beer, but close. It was a bit refreshing here and there and yes I would recommend trying it and would have it again. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!  

Throwback Thursday: Allagash Brewing Company White

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted April 8th, 2014.

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When you think of the state of Maine not much really comes to mind except for lobsters. But there is a great craft beer brewery there in Portland Maine, Allagash. Allagash brews mainly traditional Belgian style beers. Most of them are widely popular among concerning craft beer drinkers. Here is one of they’re offerings, Allagash White, 5.1%, a beer brewed with spices. A white beer is usually brewed with wheat and spices such as coriander and can be bottle conditioned (last fermentation is done in the bottle, which means there is a bit of yeast at the bottom of the bottle) such as this Allagash. This Allagash beer comes in a 12-ounce four-pack or a 750 ML corked bottle. Allagash White pours a hazy yellow color with a big fluffy three finger bright white head that sticks around for a while, leaving behind thick whips of lacing. There is a very small amount of light coming through the glass, but its just barely visible, and there is a decent amount of carbonation bubbles. The aroma on Allagash White is slightly spiced with yeasty wheat scents and a faint lemon like note. The taste of Allagash White is a nice spiced wheat and lemon note that is quite refreshing. The spices in this beer aren’t as predominant as some white beers have, but it’s still noticeable. The wheat components are present than the spices. The spices are more noticeable in the back of your mouth. The mouthfeel is medium with a nice somewhat spices crisp finish. The aftertaste is most refreshing with a nice spiced wheat flavor that lingers on the back of your taste buds. Overall Allagash White is most refreshing and crisp making it a great beer, so this gets an A+. I really enjoyed Allagash White a lot, and I highly recommend this. It is spot on what a Belgian style White beer should be. So go out and try Allagash White and see what you think of it. You will not be disappointed. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here is this week’s news and happenings in and around the Charlotte, NC area.

  • Wednesday, February 21st New South Kitchen & Bar. Legion Brewing Beer Dinner. 7 pm-9 pm. Join us February 21st for a beer dinner featuring local brewery Legion Brewing! The four-course tasting menu will be paired with beers from Charlotte’s very own Legion Brewing.
    All-inclusive tickets and full menu available online
    http://www.newsouthkitchen.com/product/legion-brewing-dinner
  • Wednesday, February 21st Triple C. Pilot Batch Release – Ekuanot IPA. 4 pm-9 pm. An All Ekuanot hopped 5.2% IPA! Bleu Barn Bistro has dinner covered!!
  • Thursday, February 22nd legion Brewing Tap Takeover. Carolina Beer Temple. 6 pm-10 pm. Join us Thursday (Feb. 22) for the Legion BrewingTap Takeover! We will be featuring several tasty beers from them and discounted pints and flights will be available all day long! The tap list is still being determined so please stay tuned! See you at the Temple!
  • Thursday, February 22nd D & V Belgian Beer Night. Trackside Crafts. 6 pm-10 pm. D&V Imports is coming to town, and we’ll be tapping a few of their specialty Belgian ales to wow your senses! More details to come…
  • Friday, February 23th CHP Tap takeover: Hi-Wire Brewing. Custom Home Pubs. 6 pm-9 pm. We’re excited to announce our first tap takeover of the year featuring Hi-Wire Brewing out of Asheville. $15 covers unlimited samples of 12 different drafts and a pint glass to keep!
    CHP Tap Takeover: Hi-Wire Brewing
    Friday, Feb. 23 6-9pm
    Custom Home Pubs
    1640 Sardis Rd. N#120
    Charlotte, NC 28270
    Draft Line-Up:
    1. Hi-Wire Lager – 4.6% This true American lager is as approachable as it is delicious, a perfect balance of light Pilsen malt and German hops. Extensively lagered until the beer reaches peak maturity, this lager is your handcrafted option when only a refreshing, light beer will do.
    2. Bed of Nails Brown Ale – 6.1% Bed of Nails is crafted as an American ode to a traditional English brown. A light hop addition balances the natural sweetness present in the specialty malt. This beer’s delicate body and dry finish allow flavors of toffee and dark fruit to shine through.
    3. Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA -6.75% A balanced Western North Carolina IPA with bright citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Expect big grapefruit, tangerine and subtle melon flavors from the chorus of Mosaic & Centennial hops to balance out the malt in this dank & drinkable ale.
    4. Lo-Pitch Juicy IPA – 4.9% This thirst quenching, easy drinking IPA packs a bright citrus hop punch. Juicy American hops and a light malt bill make Lo-Pitch™ the perfect pairing for sandy shores, mountain tops, or your bestie’s birthday party.
    5. Hi-Wire Gose – 4.2% Brewed with Pink Himalayan Salt, this Gose is tart, supremely drinkable and balanced with a complex fruit character. Crisp citrus and lemon-lime from coriander marry with our house Lactobacillus strain, creating subtle notes of stone fruit and apricot in this hazy, sessionable sour wheat beer.
    6. Death Defying IPA – 6% Our Seasonal India Pale Ale is easy drinking, hoppy, and smooth. Malted oats soften the satisfying bite of dank, piney, and tropical Eureka and El Dorado creating the perfect beer to assist in your quest from winter to spring.
    7. Strongman Coffee Milk Stout – 5.3% Inspired by our head brewer’s cafe con leche-fueled travels in Key West. Local coffee from Dynamite Roasting Co. is cold-extracted and added post fermentation to this sweet, creamy beer.
    8. Twice as Nice Doppelbock – 10% Inspired by a traditional German doppelbock, Twice as Nice is a robust dark lager. Despite its full flavor and high alcohol, this beer was lagered for more than 8 weeks to make it light on the palate and incredibly smooth. Expect Vienna and Munich malt to contribute subtle flavors of fig, plum, and chocolate to this big yet easy-drinking beer.
    9. Cherry Flanders Red – 6.2% Rested on 18lbs per barrel of cherries for 18 months in red and white wine barrels this ruby red sour ale displays huge notes of cherry, dark fruit, vanilla, and oak before finishing dry.
    10. Brett IPA – 7.2% Transport to a tropical barnyard as huge notes of candied lemon and juicy green grass from Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc, and Citra hops expands your senses. A phenolic bitterness from Brettanomyces that’s been stressed to its limit makes the bed (hammock) in which your taste buds lay in this 100% Brett fermented IPA.
    11. 10W-40 – 8% 10W-40 is an imperial stout brewed with coffee from Dynamite Roasting Co., chocolate from French Broad Chocolates and vanilla.
    12. Pulcinella Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout – 9% Our Russian Imperial Stout was aged for 10 months on a variety of hand-selected Napa Valley Zinfandel, Kentucky bourbon, and Crucian dark rum barrels before being blended to build complexity in this illustrious stout. This perfect blend of barrels imparts big roast and molasses character paired with notes of chocolate and vanilla to create a creamy beer with huge flavors.
    We’re also starting a CHP Dart League this spring (Monday evenings, 2-person teams $40/team) which starts on Monday, Feb. 19th (50% off all drafts all Monday also starts on the 19th). If you are interested in signing up a team visit:     https://www.customhomepubs.com/events/chp-dart-league/
    We appreciate your business!
    Geoffrey Goss
    Owner/GM
    Custom Home Pubs
    1640 Sardis Rd. N#120
    Charlotte NC 28270
    704-315-5223
    www.customhomepubs.com  
  • Friday, February 23th Pint Night #2 with Foothills Brewing. Mac’s Speed Shop Matthews, NC. 7 pm-9 pm. Did you miss our first Pint Night with Foothills Brewing? Don’t worry! They are back again!!
  • Saturday, February 24th Winter Warmer Festival. Lenny Boy Brewing Co. 10 am-11 pm. We all know Charlotte is a confusing place to be for Winter. One day it is 8 degrees and the next its 60 degrees. One thing we do know: drinking makes things better no matter what the temperature is.
    That’s why we are hosting our Winter Warmer Festival. Let’s celebrate this season with some of our favorite Winter beverages.
    Here’s what we have in store:
    1. A WHOLE bunch of beer. We are tapping:
    – The last reserved keg of our Doppelbock, our Gold Medal Winner of the 2017 NC Brewers Cup and Gold Medal Winner of Beer Army 2017 & 2018, at 3 PM
    – Vanilla Ground Up Coffee Stout, at 6 PM
    – A reserved Keg of Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Covered Raisins
    – The LAST keg of Burn Down For What
    -Russian Imperial Stout aged in Doc Porter’s Distillery Barrels
    -7.0. Quad aged in Heaven Hill Barrels
    – Plus, some of our Winter favorites will be on tap: Breakfast in Heaven, Elliot Smoked Stout, Burn Down Brown, and Ground Up Coffee Stout
    2. Free S’mores by our fire pit (while supplies last)
    3. Live music from     Thom Crumpton from 3 – 6 PM
    4.     Appalachia Cookie Company will have their delicious cookies available from 12 – 3 PM
    5.     The Hunter’s Wife will be on-site to satisfy your hunger
    This event will be going ALL DAY, so grab your friends and let’s have a good time.
  • Saturday, February 24th Rare & Hard to Find Beer Event. Temple Mojo. 9 am-11 pm. Join us at Temple Mojo Growler Shop for our Rare & Hard-to-Find Craft Beer Event! Our tap list manager, Zak, has been hard at work seeking out rare & hard-to-find brews to put on tap for this special event! We will be featuring beers from breweries rarely seen in the Charlotte area, as well as hard-to-find brews from some of your local favorite breweries. Growler fills and flights will be available all day for all of these brews!
    And we will be offering FREE FOOD (while supplies last) starting at 5PM from our good friends at     Moe’s Original BBQ – Matthews, NC!
    Stay tuned to Facebook, Instagram or TapHunter as we announce our tap list in the days leading up to the event!
    You don’t want to miss this opportunity to try some great, hard-to-find craft brews! We’ll see you Saturday, Feb 24th!
  •  Saturday, February 24th Cigar City Brewing & Oskar Blues Tapping Event. Duckworth’s Grill & Taphouse Uptown. 3 pm-6 pm. Go for The Gold this Olympic weekend… Mama Lil Yella Pils Gold! We’re joining forces with Oskar Blues & Cigar City to tap some delicious beers and give away some crazy good swag! Oskar Blues snowboard or Cigar City backpack, anyone?!
    Beers subject to change:
    Cigar City:
    White Oak Jai Alai
    Jai Alai
    Cafe Con Leche
    Maduro
    Tampa-Style Lager
    Oskar Blues:
    Mama’s Lil Yella Pils
    IPA
    G’Knight
    Don’t miss this special event!      
  • Monday, February 26th Rainbow Dust IPA Release. Sycamore Brewing. 4 pm-10 pm. Bursting with six rare hop varietals from around the world. Bright, tropical, pure magic in a can.
  • Tuesday, February 27th Founders Solid Gold Lager Tapping. Duckworth’s Grill & Taphouse Uptown. 6 pm-8pm. Join us as we tap the new Founders beer Solid Gold Lager! Be one of the first to sample this new Solid Gold Lager BEFORE it hits the market.
    We’ll also be giving away TWO Founders coolers!
  • Tuesday, February 27th NoDable Release: Passion Fruit Gose. NoDa Brewing Company. 4 pm-9 pm. Every single week, we release a brand new “NoDable” beer on Tuesday! This week’s new brew is a passion fruit Gose. Hit “INTERESTED” or “GOING” on this event to get more details on the hop as they come! While you’re here, be sure to try a few of our 25+ brews and some TIN Kitchen for dinner. And, don’t forget you can take this week’s NoDable and many of our other beers to-go in a crowler!

Champion Brewing Company Fruitless Double India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

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I have noticed that Champion Brewing Company Fruitless Double India Pale Ale, 8.0% ABV with 70 IBUs is quite popular so while I was in the Good Bottle Co. and decided to pick one up. This beer is brewed exclusively with Mosaic hops. Fruitless Double India Pale Ale pours a slightly hazed orange color with a one and a half finger of white head that quickly falls into itself leaving very little behind but aromas of malted grapefruit with piney bitterness that makes for a taste of slightly grapefruity upfront with nice malt touches with a earthy garlic note in the middle then a bitter pine note on the end that finishes with a malted bitter finish with earthy bitter aftertaste with a light to almost medium mouthfeel. Champion Brewing Company Fruitless Double India Pale Ale is okay, I give it a C. It has a little fruit flavor and that not enough of the flavor and it has a real bitter finish. It’s not the worst but not one I’d go back too. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!