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Highland Brewing Lower Falls IPA

Posted on by Evan

This beer from Asheville, North Carolina’s Highland Brewing is a lower-calorie beer. Lower Falls IPA is 3.9% ABV and brewed with Centennial, Amarillo, and Citra hops. This beer also has 2-Row, unmalted wheat, malted wheat, and flaked oats. This IPA pours a light cloudy yellow color with a think bright white one-finger head. The head is steadily fading, then it quickly dissolves. The aroma is big and bright, with citrus orange and some grapefruit. The flavor is citrusy with lemony, light grapefruit, and orange. It is lightly hoppy and bitter. The mouthfeel is refreshing. Then it has a nice bitter fruit finish. The aftertaste has citrusy hop notes. This beer is a great sessional beer that is crushable. You can have several of these without the flavor or the bitterness overpowering your tastebuds. I highly recommend Highland Brewing Lower Falls IPA. It will not blow you away with the flavor, nor will it underwhelm you. It is a solid session IPA. Please be kind, be safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Obolon Brewery Magnat Lager

Posted on by Evan

This Lager is another beer from Kyiv, Ukraine, from Obolon Brewery. This beer is Magnat Lager, 5.2% ABV. I purchased it from Total Wine, hoping that some of the profits from the sale would go back to help Ukraine. This beer is a typical Euro pale lager. It is golden with a thin one-finger head. The aroma is ready, crisp, lightly sweet, and malted. The taste is clean and crisp with light malt flavors and light sweet notes. Not a lot going on flavor-wise here. The mouthfeel is light. Its finishes with a crispness with awful bread. The aftertaste is not there. It has that metallic note. This beer is not good, but it is barely better than some domestic macro beer here. It’s not as good as Obolon Lager. I give Magnet Lager a D. It was boring and lacked flavor. If you are curious about it, then go ahead and try it. But I wouldn’t have this again. Please be kind, stay safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Lost Worlds Brewing Adventure Series Stinnes Helles Lager

Posted on by Evan

This beer, Stinnes Helles Lager 5.1% ABV, from Lost Worlds Brewing in. Cornelius, North Carolina, is a 2020 North Carolina Brewers Cup gold medal winner. This Helles Lager beer is named after Clara Stinnes, a German race car driver. In May 1929 she jumped behind the wheel of her Adler Standard 6 automobile with her companion, she drove across Europe, over Asia, through the Pacific, across South America, and across the United States, where is briefly met, President Hoover. In June 1929, she arrived in Berlin after a 29,000-mile trek. She was the first person to circumnavigate the world by car. This beer pours a golden color with a barley two-finger thing white head. The aroma is breaded, citrusy, light pice, biscuity, and light malt The flavor is similar to its aroma. There is bread, biscuit, and some light sweet notes. The mouthfeel is light. Then it finishes with a light spice and ready notes that carry over to the aftertaste with a bit of bitterness. This is a good Helles beer. It’s an A. It has a great refreshing flavor. I would have this again and again, and so should you. Please be kind, be safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Obolon Brewery Lager

Posted on by Evan

Hailing from the Obolon Brewery in Kyiv, Ukraine, this is their Lager beer, 5.2% ABV. I purchased this Ukrainian Lager from my local Total Wine in hopes that buying it would somehow help the efforts in Ukraine. It’s not often that I see beer from Ukraine. This lager pours a typical gold lager color with a one-finger steady thin white head. The aroma is of bread grains, a light artificial sweetness. The taste is the same artificial sweetness with bread grains and a slightly metallic flavor. The mouthfeel is light. Then this lager finishes with an artificial sweet grain flavor that lingers for a second or two in the aftertaste. Obolon Brewery Lager is a typical lager with a Euro pale lager flavor. I give this lager a C. It’s average but better than the American lagers. It has a few good points overall. It’s the worst beer I’ve had. I would have this again. Please be kind, be safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Powder Day IPA

Posted on by Evan

I saw this Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. beer yesterday at the grocery store, and the white a green packaging stood out. This beer is Powder Day IPA, 7.7%, a double-dry hopped seasonal (winter seasonal). It has Munich, Two-row pale, and Wheat malts. This beer also has Amarillo, Chinook, Comet, Citra, Herkules, Idaho 7, Mosaic, and Polaris hops. Lastly, they use Lupulin powder. It is the yellow gland of a hop plant in which the acids and the essential oil can be found. This IPA pours a yellow/golden color with a bright white two-finger semi-steady fading head. The aroma is piney, slightly citrusy, and bitter. The flavor is piney, hoppy/bitter with light citrus. This beer does taste like a winter IPA. The mouthfeel is light. Then this IPA comes to a bitter piney finish. The aftertaste is a bit citrusy, with a little bitter pine. This beer is a good IPA, and it doesn’t taste or drink like it is 7.7% ABV. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Powder Day IPA is an A. But I think that after the third, the flavor is too much. So I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I would go back to this beer again and again, and I think you should too. Please be kind, stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. Royal Treatment Oatmeal Stout

Posted on by Evan

The last beer I had from Royal Bliss Brewing Co. was a complete was and a total drain poor. It had gone rank. This beer is Royal Treatment Oatmeal Stout, 5.8% ABV brewed in Dallas, North Carolina. It pours a deep dark black color with a thick beige head that sticks and fades slowly. The aroma is roasted chocolatey, and there is coffee and sweetness. The flavor does follow the nose. You taste a chocolate-covered coffee bean. Then it has a semi-sweet coffee and chocolate finish. The aftertaste is a bitter-sweet coffee cocoa flavor. This stout has a full body mouthfeel. Royal Bliss Brewing Co Royal Treatment is a good beer and makes up for the last beer from this brewery I had. I give it an A+. It is smooth and flavorful. I recommend it! Please be kind, stay safe and enjoy responsibly!

Westbrook Brewing Co. Gates of S’Mordor Imperial Stout

Posted on by Evan

Made with marshmallow, graham cracker, cocoa nibs, and cinnamon, is Gates of S’Mordor Imperial Stout, 11% ABV from Westbrook Brewing Co. This big stout; was made down in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. It only comes in a bomber bottle (1 pint .6 fluid ounces). Now I generally like Westbrook beers. This particular Westbrook beer; pours a thick oil black color with a barley two-finger beige head that is slightly quick fading. The aroma of this stout is chocolatey, and there is cinnamon and vanilla marshmallow. It smells strong. The flavor on this beer is again chocolatey, thick-bodied, cinnamon, vanilla, and marshmallow. The mouthfeel is full and thick. It just sticks to your mouth and tongue. Then it finishes with some roasted chocolate, marshmallow, and a bitter note. Then the aftertaste of lite chocolate and some alcoholic notes. This stout is a big beer. It does get stronger as it warms but does not change much on the flavor profile. Gates of S”Mordor Imperial Stout taste like a nice s’more. I give it a B+. The strength holds it down a little, but I still recommend this imperial stout. Please be kind, stay safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Armored Cow Brewing Things We Don’t Say Hazy IPA

Posted on by Evan

From right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, Armored Cow Brewing has made a beer that benefits and brings awareness to mental health. This beer is Things We Don’t Say Hazy IPA, 5.8% ABV. This beer pours a hazy yellow color with a four-finger white thick and fluffy head that is slow to fade away. The aroma on this IPA is juicy, fruity (citrus orange), hoppy and bitter. The flavor of this beer is juicy with orange citrus fruit, crisp, smooth bitter, and piney. It has a light mouthfeel. Then this IPA finishes with a piney fruity note. Then gives an aftertaste of bitter citrus fruit. This beer is great hazy IPA. I think Armored Cow Brewing Things We Don’t Say an A. It has a solid drinkable flavor, and it makes you want another when finished. I highly recommend it. It was wonderfully fruity and juicy. Please be kind, stay safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Southern Pines Brewing Company Open Toe Casket Imperial Black IPA

Posted on by Evan

This dark pint is from Southern Pines Brewing Company in Southern Pines, North Carolina. This beer is Open Toe Casket Imperial Black IPA, 9.3% ABV, and it has an IBU (International Bittering Unit) of 73. This dark IPA has Citra, Galaxy, and Zythos hops. Now you might be familiar with Citra and Galaxy hops if you are following Best Beer Blog here. Now Zythos, created by Hopunion LLC, is a proprietary hop blend created specifically with IPA’s in mind. It has citrus notes, pineapple, and pine. It is a Bittering and aroma type hop. This dark IPA pours a deep oil black with a tow finger steady beige head. The nose on this IPA is tropical with pine, bitterness, and lite roasted notes. It reminds me of a coffee grown in a more tropical climate. The taste is citrusy and fruity with a lite pine note. There is a nice amount of roasted flavors and bitter notes. The mouthfeel is s full. This IPA finishes with a bitter-roasted note. It also has a bit of citrus to it. Then this dark IPA gives you an aftertaste that is bitter and roasted with a citrus pine flavor. I found that as the beer rises in temperature, the bitter flavor becomes stronger, as does the alcohol. This IPA started good but went downhill halfway through the pint. This IPA barely gets a B- here. Halfway it becomes bold and bitter. But it’s okay. Please be kind, stay safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Armored Cow Brewing Bitchin’ Betty Brown Ale

Posted on by Evan

I found a new brewery the other day while at Total Wine. This Bitchin’ Betty Brown Ale, 5.4% ABV, is from Armored Cow Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina. This brown ale has chocolate and honey malts in it. This ale pours a dark brown with a tow and a half finger beige, khaki head that slowly dissipates. The aroma is a little sweet and has an aroma of malty flavors. It has a creaminess. The taste is chocolaty and creamy with a malted backbone. There is a bit of a roasted note as well. It has a light to medium mouthfeel for a brown ale. Then this ale finishes with a creamy roasted cocoa flavor. The aftertaste is short with a chocolate malt flavor. I have had better brown ales, and I think Armored Cow Brewing Bitchin’ Betty Brown Ale is a C+. The overall flavor just slowly tickles your taste buds with a minimal flavor. It is average for a brown ale, and I might have this again, but I wouldn’t try this, but it will not be a terrible experience if you do. Please be kind, stay safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!