Best Beer Blog

The Beer News

Posted on February 7, 2018May 7, 2018 by Evan

Here are this Week’s news and events happing in and around the Charlotte, NC area.

Friday, February 9th River’s Edge Craft Dinner U.S. National Whitewater Center-Wooden Robot. 6:30 pm-9 pm. Ticket info USNWC.org. Join us at River’s Edge for Craft Dinner, taking place Friday evenings from December 1st through February 9th. Enjoy a five-course dinner created by Executive Chef Michael Rayfield with a 6 oz. beer pairing for each course. Each night will feature a different regional brewery including New Sarum Brewing Company, Legion Brewing, Triple C Brewing Co., Sycamore Brewing, Highland Brewing Company, Legal Remedy Brewing Co., Birdsong Brewing Company, Lenny Boy Brewing Co., Sugar Creek Brewing Company, Wooden Robot Brewery.
EVENT DETAILS:
Location: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Brewery: Wooden Robot Brewery
Price: $60 per person
Time: 6:30 -9:00 pm
Registration closes the day prior to each event at midnight
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. Please select your dietary preference after selecting a date for registration.
Suitable for ages 21 and up
UPGRADE: CHEF’S TABLE
Upgraded experience featuring a chef-prepared meal inside the kitchen
Interact directly with the Chef to learn how each dish is created, how ingredients are sustainably sourced, and receive a kitchen tour
Price: $70 per person
Time: 6:30 -9:00 pm
MENU
http://usnwc.org/relax/adventure-dining/rivers-edge-craft-dinner/
Saturday, February 10th Chocolate Covered Pretzel Stout Release. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm-10 pm. Bourbon Barrel Aged Chocolate Covered Pretzel Stout is back just in time for Valentines Day! We are bringing back the Coconut Variant and have a new Cinnamon and Cayenne Pepper variant! All three will be on draft and in bombers.
Limits – 6/3/3 per customer while they last!!
Saturday, February 10th Juice Willis Can Release. Sycamore Brewing. 12 pm-11 pm. Welcome to the party, pal! Blast off on a Nelson and Galaxy hop juice ride! Juice Willis is heading for cans!
Saturday, February 10th IPA Series Release #2 Turn To Stone IPA. Birdsong Brewing Company Remember the release of Sexy Hop IPA on our 6 year anniversary this past December? Well, that was the first beer in our brand new IPA series & we’re ready to release #2, “Turn to Stone” IPA w/ Medusa Hops! Check out the description below:
Wild, innovative, and a first for Charlotte Turn to Stone IPA utilizes an entirely new species of hop called Medusa™. With a simple malt bill, we let the hop shine so you can experience the bright aromatics of melon and guava with a light bitterness that leaves a clean and pleasant finish.
Turn to Stone will be released in the taproom on Saturday, February 10th. Draught & cans will go on sale at 12pm. Cans will be limited & first come first serve. Cheers!
Monday, February 12th Beer and Chocolate Pairing. Catawba Brewing Company Charlotte. 6:30 pm-7:30 pm. Tickets at Eventbrite.com. indulge in different chocolates paired with a flight of Catawba Beer.
Ticket includes a flight of Catawba Beer which consists of 4 different pours. It also includes 4 different chocolates, one to pair with each beer. Learn how the beer and chocolate were made and why the flavors compliment each other. Experience, Learn and Socialize.
Additional beer and chocolate will be available for purchase.
Please be advised some chocolate contains nuts.
Limited tickets available. Tickets will not be available for purchase onsite. All taxes and fees included in ticket price. Must be 21 to attend.
Tuesday, February 13th Birdsong Local Beer & Dessert Paring! Birdsong Brewing Company. 7:30 pm-8:30 pm. Sure, there are plenty of “romantic” things to do around Valentine’s Day but how about a friendly local beer & dessert pairing?
We decided to take our favs from a few local area bakeries & pair them with some of our favorite cold weather brews from the season! It was hard work coming up with the pairings, but somehow we managed & we think you’ll be delighted! Join us on February 13th at 7:30pm for this special 4-course pairing! This pairing is for EVERYONE! $30 tickets are ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE IN ADVANCE via Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birdsong-beer-dessert-pairing-tickets-42127290861
No tickets will be sold the day of or at the door. Tickets are also limited so please book in advance. The menu is posted below, cheers!
This collaboration would not have been possible without Amélie’s French Bakery & Café, Central Coffee Co., FuManChu Cup Cakes, & Golden Cow Creamery!

Hi-Wire Brewing Hi-Wire Lager

Posted on February 4, 2018February 5, 2018 by Evan

I had Hi-Wire Brewing Hi-Wire Lager a little while back at a friends house and I thought to myself that I should review this beer. I recently picked up Hi-Wire Lager at my local Harris Teeter grocery store. Hi-Wire Lager is brewed with light Pilsen malt & German hops that pours a bright yellow color with a bright two finger slowly fading white head with sweet aromas of Pilsen malts and a light grain note that is accompanied by a taste of a sweet malt flavor of light crispy grains that finish with a light crisp sweetness with a sweet bread like aftertaste that doesn’t stick around to long with a light mouth feel that is refreshing and smooth. When I first had this lager a while back it was great and still after having Hi-Wire Brewing Hi-Wire Lager it’s still good, getting an A. Hi-Wire Lager is a great craft lager and one that is very sessionable with ease of dinking. I highly recommend you try Hi-Wire Brewing Hi-Wire Lager and buy many it’s that good! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Destihl Brewery Abby’s Single

Posted on February 1, 2018February 5, 2018 by Evan

Destihl Brewery In Bloomington Illinois brews Abby’s Single, 5.5% BVV with 22 IBUs which is classified as a Belgian Pale Ale or a beer that was brewed by the monks for everyday consumption. Abby’s Single pours a somewhat orange color with a one and a half finger white head that fades into a little halo with a spicy phenolics noted aroma with a faint note of yeast that pulls you to a semi-sweet yet spicy phenolic and yeasted note with faint fruit flavor that has a very faint and weak bitter note on the end and finishes with a slight spicy yeast note and an aftertaste of some fruit that is a bit on the faint side with a light mouthfeel. This was not the best Abby Single I’ve had but it was not bad, it’s a B-. Not bold enough flavors on this to push it to a great A+ beer, but it was good and tasty enough. I would recommend trying Destihl BreweryAbby’s Single it’s worth a try I think. Cheers! please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Fullsteam Brewery Working Man’s Lunch

Posted on February 1, 2018February 5, 2018 by Evan

One reason for buying beer for me is the label, it can depend on how neat and/or interesting it is. Another reason for buying a beer could be the style of beer or the brewery. Well I bought a Fullsteam beer recently because of the fact that it is a Fullsteam beer, the label looked very interesting and I like the style. I bought Fullsteam Working Man’s Lunch, Everyday Chocolate Ale. 5.7% ABV. Fullsteam is a local North Carolina brewery in Durham, North Carolina. The name of this beer is a tribute to the original working man’s lunch a Moon Pie (big chocolate covered crusted cookie/pie with marshmallow inside) and a cola. Working Man’s Lunch is a chocolate brown ale, brewed with chocolate from Raleigh’s Escazu Artisan Chocolate and Weizen Yeast. Sounds interesting. Working Man’s Lunch pours a brown color with dark ruby brown edges and a two finger white head that fades nicely into some bubbly lacing. I found no amounts of light coming through with a little carbonation bubble, not to say this isn’t carbonated. The aroma is sweet with hints of chocolate and fine yeasty notes. I didn’t get much Weizen aroma from this. Working Man’s Lunch has a nice sweet taste in front of nice light cocoa/chocolate flavors. I found a little cola flavor in the middle that was the slightest bit odd but not too bad tasting. I was looking for so weizen like flavors and found none, no banana notes here. But I did get a yeasty flavor on the end that was okay But as this beer warms it becomes more and more of a brown ale. The mouthfeel is high medium and sweet, and Working Man’s Lunch finishes nice silky with a sweet aftertaste that lingers enough for you to really savor Working Man’s Lunch. Overall an interesting brown ale, so I give this a B-. I didn’t really find any traces of the Weizen flavors here at all, and that brought it down a little, but other than that it was good as a brown ale. Not really overly heavy or thick. I would recommend Fullsteam’s Working Man’s Lunch. So go out and try it! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on January 31, 2018May 10, 2018 by Evan

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

Thursday, February 1st Birdsong Brewing Co. Buffalo Trace Turtles on Pterodactyls. 3 pm-10 pm It’s not every day that we release a 4-pack of barrel aged yumminess! Join us on 2/1 for the release of Buffalo Trace Turtles of Pterodactyls! In case you aren’t familiar, Turtles on Pterodactyls is our beloved Mexicali Stout aged in bourbon barrels! This year Mexicali was aged in Buffalo Trace Distillery bourbon barrels and will be offered in cans instead of bottles! We’ll be releasing it on draught & in 16oz can 4-packs at 3pm on 2/1!
Friday, February 2nd U.S. National Whitewater Center. Rivers Edge Craft Dinner with Sugar Creek Brewing Co. 6:30 pm-9 pm Tickets at USNWC.org. Join us at River’s Edge for Craft Dinner, taking place Friday evenings from December 1st through February 9th. Enjoy a five-course dinner created by Executive Chef Michael Rayfield with a 6 oz. beer pairing for each course. Each night will feature a different regional brewery including New Sarum Brewing Company, Legion Brewing, Triple C Brewing Co., Sycamore Brewing, Highland Brewing Company, Legal Remedy Brewing Co., Birdsong Brewing Company, Lenny Boy Brewing Co., Sugar Creek Brewing Company, Wooden Robot Brewery.
EVENT DETAILS:
Location: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Brewery: Sugar Creek Brewing
Price: $60 per person
Time: 6:30 -9:00 pm
Registration closes the day prior to each event at midnight
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. Please select your dietary preference after selecting a date for registration.
Suitable for ages 21 and up
UPGRADE: CHEF’S TABLE
Upgraded experience featuring a chef-prepared meal inside the kitchen
Interact directly with the Chef to learn how each dish is created, how ingredients are sustainably sourced, and receive a kitchen tour
Price: $70 per person
Time: 6:30 -9:00 pm
MENU http://usnwc.org/relax/adventure-dining/rivers-edge-craft-dinner/
Friday, February 2nd Catawba Brewing Co. Charlotte. King Coconut Release 12 pm-11 pm Western North Carolina’s original coconut beer returns for the 14th year! It was 2004 when Catawba brewers had the stroke of genius to age a rich chocolatey porter on oven-toasted coconut. And this silky smooth “candy bar in a can” has continued to be a crowd favorite every year since, with many a luau held in its honor. King Coconut Porter has traditionally seen a limited summer release to celebrate its tropical side. But in 2018 we’re moving it up to late winter, as an appetizer course before our PB&J release. Because it’s always a good time for liquid dessert!
Saturday, February 3rd Trackside Crafts Nugget Nectar Firkin. 12 pm-10 pm. We are fortunate to have a firkin of Troegs’ excellent Nugget Nectar this year! We’ll tap it, along with a keg of the 2015 Mad Elf. It ages wonderfully, and we’ll have more from Troegs to be featured as well. Don’t miss out on this special cask! Like our page, and follow us on Instagram & Twitter, too!
Sunday, February 4th. Legion Brewing Release Why So Cereal 10 am-8 pm You’ve been waiting patiently… now join us for the release of “Why So Cereal”, our Cinnamon Toast Crunch Blonde Ale in collaboration withCharlotteFive and Queen City Brewers Festival!
We will be serving up some fun Cinnamon Toast Crunch brunch items to enjoy with your pint full of Saturday morning goodness!
Thanks to Dave McClure for this awesome name- “Why So Cereal” will be available on tap and in crowlers to-go!
Tuesday, February 6th The Casual Pint Troegs Nugget Nectar First Squeeze Event. 6 pm- 8pm. Once a year, as the new hop harvest arrives at Tröegs, we blend super-fresh Nugget, Palisade and Simcoe hops into this Imperial Amber Ale. Excessively dry-hopped, Nugget Nectar is an explosion of pine, resin and mango. Also on tap, some of Troegs R&D Room SCRATCH brews!!

Deschutes Brewery Pacific Wonderland Lager

Posted on January 29, 2018February 5, 2018 by Evan

I pick up Deschutes Brewery Pacific Wonderland Lager, 5.5% ABV and 40 IBUs at my local grocery store in a make your own six-pack. Pacific Wonderland Lager is a dry-hopped lager with Mandarina Bavaria Hops and pours a hazy bright yellow with a tow bring bright white head that slowly falls into itself giving off bitter lemon aromas with a hoppy note the is faint at best, and you get a hoppy/bitter lemon flavor that is faintly dry with some almost none existent sweetness with a dry bitter lemon finish and a similar lemon aftertaste that linger a little with a lighter mouthfeel. This was slightly better than average, so a C+ from me. I like it a little at some points while drinking this Pacific Wonderland Lager and I also didn’t like it at the other points as well. I found the hoppy notes trying to take over the lemon flavor which made for a weird flavor in your mouth but it fades rapidly and a lager flavor came int to play on the back of the mouth which helped. I don’t recommend this Deschutes Brewery Pacific Wonderland Pacific Wonderland lager and I probably won’t come back to this beer soon. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Allagash Brewing Comapny Hive 56 Ale Brewed with Honey and Brettanomyces

Posted on January 27, 2018January 31, 2019 by Evan

I picked this Allagash Brewing Company Hive 56 Ale Brewed with Honey and Brettanomyces, 9.2% ABV up from a clearance cart in my local grocery store beer and wine department just the other day. Hive 56 is a dark sour ale aged with honey in an oak foudre for eighteen months and blended with dark Munich malt, chocolate wheat, midnight wheat, roasted barley, and hopped with Cascade and Northern Brewer. Hive 56 undergoes initial fermentation with Allagash’s house yeast; then they transfer the beer to a foudre with Brettanoyces Bruxellensis (a type of wild/living yeast) and fresh honey from their own beehives. Hive 56 pours a dark brown color with a two finger slow beige head giving off dark fruit aromas with some sweetness and a slight honey note, that takes you into a sweet dark fruit/ tropical fruit taste with nice slight touches of honey that finish with a strong note from the 9.2% ABV and some slight sweetness and a nice fruited aftertaste with a fuller mouthfeel that kind of sticks to your tongue for a short bit. Hive 56 is an interesting beer that has a lot going on, I give Allagash Brewing Company Hive 56 Ale Brewed with Honey and Brettanomyces a B. I could taste a big tropical fruit flavor on this beer, it was faint at best but you get more dark fruits which are good. I don’t think this beer is for everyone, and I think you have to really enjoy most styles of beer to really want to try this or to like this beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Hop Bullet Double IPA

Posted on January 25, 2018February 5, 2018 by Evan

This is a new springtime beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Hop Bullet Double IPA, 8.0% ABV and 60 IBUs, this double IPA is brewed with loads of Magnum Hops a Lupulin Dust. Hop Bullet pours a golden yellow color with a two finger head with some good retention giving off bitter orange and big pineapple and west coast IPA aromas that pull you more pineapple taste with nice big bitterness, a bit of orange and some slight grapefruit, melon with a nice west coast hoppiness on the back that has a nice strong bitter fruited finish and a big bitter earthy aftertaste with a medium mouthfeel. This is good but they can do a little better than this, Torpedo is a little better than this, but this has a touch more fruit flavor to this. Overall not a bad double IPA, it gets a B-. As Hop Bullet warms the bitterness becomes evermore present and strong and the fruity flavors are toned down a bit. I do recommend Hop Bullet Double IPA, it good. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: The Pike Brewery Seattle’s Famous Space Needle Golden IPA

Posted on January 25, 2018May 11, 2018 by Evan

This is a post from April 4th, 2016.

It is always great to have a beer at the source. Recently I visited Seattle and the Pike Brewery. I really enjoyed their beers. They are great. When I got back I thought to try some more of their beers and review them. So my father picked up this, The Pike Seattle’s Famous Space Needle Golden IPA, 6.5% ABV with IBU of 58. Space Needle doesn’t pour a golden color it pours more like a traditional IPA, a little murky orange color with a huge tower of bright fluffy white head that never seems to fade away. The aroma is with malts and earthy notes with hints of slight grassy features. The taste is slightly bitter up front with a more malted present in the middle and becomes a little more bitter on the end. This some similar in flavor to an English IPA with it malt profile. The mouthfeel is light to a slight medium and has a nice malted but bitter finish. The aftertaste is nice juicy touches of nice malted flavors and hints of an earthy note. Overall this was good but not what I was expecting, by still a good beer. So I say that The Pike Seattle’s Famous Space Needle Golden IPA is a B. I was going into this beer thinking it was going to be more lager or pilsner tasting that malty bitter IPA. Still, I thought it was good and yes I would have this again, and you should try it too. The fact that it read Golden IPA on the label and it did not taste like a golden beer was not good in my book but the flavor that I did taste was great. I really think that The Pike does a great job with their beer; I mean they have been doing since 1989. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on January 24, 2018May 10, 2018 by Evan

Are this week news and event happening in and around the Charlotte, NC area!

Wednesday, January 24th Charlotte Resturant Week NoDa Brewing Company hosted bt Tin Kitchen. 5 pm-9 pm. Ticket info http://www.nodabrewing.com.
Thursday, January 25th Carolina Beer Temple. Firestone Walker Tap Takeover 6 pm-9 pm. Please join us Thursday, January 25th at the Carolina Beer Temple when we will be featuring the fabulous and wonderful beers of Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA) in a tap takeover extravaganza!!!
We will be featuring discounted drafts and flights all day from Firestone Walker. The tap list includes:
Union Jack IPA
Luponic Distortion IPA
Pivo Pilsner
Merlin Stout *Nitro*
We’ll see you Thursday! 25th.
Thursday, January 25th Trackside Crafts Green Man Pint Night. 7 pm-10 pm. Green Man Brewing from Asheville will be in the shop, along with their sales rep, Andrew. He literally looks like the Green Man logo, so make sure you get a picture of him and post it on Instagram. 😉 We’ll be tapping their ESB, Lager, and the excellent Trickster IPA! See you then!
Friday, January 26th Triple C Brewing Co. Carolina Rum Barrel Cake Release. 4 pm-10 pm. Our newest barrel aged creation. This 9% Golden Stout was brewed with Coffee, Cacao Nibs, and Cinnamon and aged in Muddy River Distillery Rum Barrels! This beer will be on tap and for sale in 22oz bombers in the taproom only. $14 each with a limit of 6 bottles per customer.
Thursday, January 25th Duckworths Grille and Taphouse Ballantyne. Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet Double IPA Tapping. 6 pm-8 pm. Join us for this special tapping! Sierra Nevada reps will be attending to give away samples and swag.
ABOUT THE BEER:
Brewed with a double-barreled blast of Magnum hops and lupulin dust. Hops are the name of the game with a Double IPA, but we knew we had to take it one step further. With Hop Bullet, we’re using a new technique, hitting the beer with a double-barreled blast of Magnum hops and lupulin dust—pure, concentrated hop flavor—directly into the tank to emphasize the intense pine and citrus flavors of classic West Coast hops.
Friday, January 26th U.S. National Whitewater Center. River’s Edge Craft Beer Dinner with Lenny Boy Brewing Co. Ticket info USNWC.org. Join us at River’s Edge for Craft Dinner, taking place Friday evenings from December 1st through February 9th. Enjoy a five-course dinner created by Executive Chef Michael Rayfield with a 6 oz. beer pairing for each course. Each night will feature a different regional brewery including New Sarum Brewing Company, Legion Brewing, Triple C Brewing Co., Sycamore Brewing, Highland Brewing Company, Legal Remedy Brewing Co., Birdsong Brewing Company, Lenny Boy Brewing Co., Sugar Creek Brewing Company, Wooden Robot Brewery.
EVENT DETAILS:
Location: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Brewery: Lenny Boy Brewing Co.
Price: $60 per person
Time: 6:30 -9:00 pm
Registration closes the day prior to each event at midnight
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. Please select your dietary preference after selecting a date for registration.
Suitable for ages 21 and up
UPGRADE: CHEF’S TABLE
Upgraded experience featuring a chef-prepared meal inside the kitchen
Interact directly with the Chef to learn how each dish is created, how ingredients are sustainably sourced, and receive a kitchen tour
Price: $70 per person
Time: 6:30 -9:00 pm
MENU
http://usnwc.org/relax/adventure-dining/rivers-edge-craft-dinner/
Saturday, January 26th Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. BA Fat Boy Breakfast, 9 am-11 am. Tickets at http://www.the-olde-mecklenburg-brewery.myshopify.com. Happy New Year! Let’s start 2018 with one of OMB’s best events…
The BA Fat Boy Breakfast is the ONLY OMB event that requires a ticket for admission, making it our most cozy and intimate event. With our taproom expansion completed in September, there will be more room to spread out, sit down and enjoy a morning full of amazing food and a special drink.
This event has quickly grown in popularity over the past two years. With Fat Boy’s 2017 European Beer Star GOLD win, we expect this year’s batch of Barrel Aged Fat Boy to be especially desired.
This year’s batch of BA Fat Boy was aged for 10 weeks in Great Wagon Road Distilling’s Quinn’s barrels. Quinn’s was awarded the Bronze Medal (2017) at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Buy tickets today! All details about the tickets can be found on the ticket page linked at the top of the event post.
Important notes:
• The event1/27/18 from 9am-11am.
• You must buy tickets in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. A ticket is required for admission.
• We are NOT hosting the bottle share before the breakfast this year. If you have any questions, please reply to this email.
• This is an adult-oriented event. We highly recommend 21+.
• This event is mostly indoors. We highly recommend not bringing your pet.
Thanks & Prost!
Sunday, January 27th Charlotte Resturant Week NoDa Brewing Company hosted bt Tin Kitchen. 5 pm-9 pm. Ticket info http://www.nodabrewing.com.
Tuesday, January 30th Duckworth Grille, and Taphouse Park Road. Foothills Tapping Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate. 6 pm-11:59 pm. We’re tapping some of Foothills’ finest: Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate, Dead & Berried, Torch Pilsner and MORE!