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Newcastle Brown Ale

Posted on by Evan

Newcastle Brown Ale has been back for a while. It was produced in Chicago, Illinois, by Lagunitas until the brewery shut down. Now it is being made for the US market in Tadcaste, England by John Smiths and is the UK recipe. This beer is owned by Heineken. It is 4.7% ABV. This beer was one of the beers that led me towards Blue Moon and eventually into craft beer. This beer pours light brown with a very light beige, two-finger head. The aroma is malty, with light nutty notes and bread. The flavor is malty, sweet, and very lightly smoky. This beer is different from the Newcastle I had so many years ago. No hop notes in this. This ale has a light mouthfeel. This beer has a light malt finish and a sweet malt aftertaste. This beer is better than I remember. My palate has changed since. This beer is not as good as some brown ales I’ve had. I think Newcastle Brown Ale is a C-. It isn’t terrible, but it’s better than I remember, and I seek out better brown ales. Please stay safe, be kind to one another, and remember to enjoy responsibly!

Westbrook Brewing Co. Lemon Meringue Shake India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

Lemon Meringue Shake India Pale Ale from Westbrook Brewing Co. (westbrookbrewing.com) in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, boasts a 7% ABV. This IPA has Cascade and CTZ hops. It is dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic. They use Conan Yeast with malts such as Citra Pils, Oats, Pale, and Wheat. It also has Lactose (milk sugar), Lemon, and Madagascar Vanilla. This beer was purchased from Southern Spirits in South Carolina (www.southernspirits.com). This IPA pours a cloudy/hazy yellow, with a two-finger white head. The aroma is citrusy, Lemony, and vanilla. The flavor is citrusy, lemony, with notes of vanilla, sweet/bitter, and creamy. This beer has a light body and a medium mouthfeel. This beer finishes with bittersweet vanilla and lemon. The aftertaste is bitter, lemon/vanilla milkshake. This beer is delicious, and I would not expect anything less from Westbrook Brewing. This Lemon Meringue Shake IPA is an A+. You should be drinking this. It is just as the can says. It tastes like Lemon Meringue Shake. This beer is part of the brewery’s Shake. You should drink this and all of Westbrook’s beers. Please stay safe, be kind to one another, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Burial Beer X Halfway Crooks Beer Sturdy Belgian-Style Pilsner

Posted on by Evan

This Belgian-Style Pilsner, Sturdy, is a collaboration between Burial Beer (Charlotte, NC) and Halfway Crooks Beer (Atlanta, GA) for Burial’s 12th anniversary. This beer is 5.5% ABV, brewed with Belgian Pilsner malt from Dingemans in Belgium. This Pilsner is hopped with Brewers Gold. I went down to South Carolina and purchased this from Southern Spirits (www.southernspirits.com). They have a good selection of beer/craft beer. I recommend shopping there. This Pilsner pours a golden color with a two-finger, slow-rising white head. The aroma is dry, crisp, herbal, and biscuity. The taste is crisp, dry, herbal, and biscuity. It has a very light bitterness. The herbal flavor comes from the Belgian Pilsen malt and the hops. That is a good flavor. This beer has a light mouthfeel. This beer has a light herbal dry finish with a delightful dry note. The aftertaste is crisp yet dry and biscuity. This beer is interesting, and I give an A. A different take on a Pilsner. It is one that you should have. So get Sturdy Belgian-Style Pilsner. Please stay safe, be kind to one another, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Sugar Creek Brewing Company Dubbel

Posted on by Evan

This beer is a Belgian-style Dubbel Ale from Sugar Creek Brewing Company. This beer won Silver at the 2025 US Open Beer Championship. This beer is 7.6% ABV. Available in 750ml bottles. It’s sold at Sugar Creek’s brewery (https://sugarcreekbrewing.com). This Dubbel pours brown with a one-finger beige head. That head fades slowly. The aroma is of dark fruits, malty notes, and sweetness. The flavor is of cherry, plum, raisins, and light chocolate. It is sweet and malty, with banana, clove, and brown sugar. This beer has a medium mouthfeel. It has a dark fruit finish with some malts. The aftertaste is of sweet dark fruits. This beer is not as heavy as some Belgian Dubbels, but close, and it does not feel overly alcoholic. This Sugar Creek Dubbel is delicious, I give it an A. I see why it won that silver medal. It has a good balance of tasty flavors. I highly recommend this beer. Sugar Crewing Brewing is one of my top favorite breweries. Please stay safe, be kind to one another, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Pilot Brewing X Frank’s Beer Shop Blonde Ale

Posted on by Evan

This Blonde Ale is a collaboration between Pilot Brewing (www.pilotbrewing.us) and Franks Beer Shop( www.franksbeershop.com). This is simply called blonde Ale, and it is 4.8%. This beer is available only on tap and in cans at Frank’s Beer Shop, located at 3348 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC. It’s not a huge place, but it is great to have a beer and buy canned beer to go. I highly recommend going to Frank’s. This blonde ale pours yellow with a one-finger white head that is semi-quick to fade. The aroma is sweet and slightly cereal-like. The flavor is light with hints of sweetness, but a small sweetness. It is crisp, clean, and refreshingly delicious. You can have a few of these with the AVB, or the flavor becomes overpowering. This has a light mouthfeel. Then it has a clean, bittersweet finish that quickly fades. That then allows for a nice, clean, refreshing aftertaste that has a slight lingering sweetness. This is a good beer. I’ve had this on tap, and that is slightly better. I give this blonde ale and Frank’s Beer Shop an A+. I highly recommend that you go and drink their blonde ale. Please stay safe, be kind to one another, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Burial Beer There is Only Perception Where Fate Once Laid West Coast Style IPA

Posted on by Evan

This West Coast-style IPA, with an incredibly long name, is from Burial Beer (burialbeer.com). There is Only Perception Where Fate Once Laid is 7.3% ABV. This IPA uses a triple saturation process with oats. It is whirlpooled with Incognito and cryo. It is double dry-hopped with hand-selected Citra, Idaho 7, and Vic Secret hops. This IPA is finished with Citra Cryo hops. I bought this beer from a nearby Fresh Market. This IPA pours a bright yellow with a three-finger, bright white head. The aroma is piney, dank, and bitter, with a cereal note. The flavor is clean, piney, bitter, and dank. There is a Slight creamy texture, and I tasted cereal grains. This has a medium feel in the mouth. The beer then comes to a clean, bitter finish, that ends with a hoppy pine aftertaste. This beer has a lot going on, like most Burial Beers, but all the different ingredients work together to make this IPA an A+. You should be drinking Burial Beer, especially this one. Everything comes together perfectly to make a great beer. Please stay, be kind to one another, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Divine Barrel Brewing Czech Pils Czech-Style Pils

Posted on by Evan

Brewed in Charlotte, North Carolina, by Divine Barrel Brewing, Czech Pils is a Czech-style pils or Bohemian Pilsner that comes in at 5.2% ABV, available in a summer release (divinebarrel.com). I found this pilsner locally at Total Wine (totalwine.com). This Pilsner pours a yellow color with a two-finger, sticky white head that leaves behind beautiful, thick, foamy lacing. The aroma has a bitterness to the nose and is malty, biscuity, and crisp. The flavor is light on bitterness, sweet, biscuity, clean, and with mild carbonation. This has a light feel in the mouth. Then it finishes with a light, bitter yet sweet flavor. The aftertaste is light sweetness, biscuity, and clean. This is a good beer. I am not a fan of the light bitter note. I give this Czech Pils a C+. You can go and get this one, but I would not rush out for it. I will say it’s good for a hot day, it’s refreshing. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibility! Cheers!

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. Tilted Crown Session IPA

Posted on by Evan

A session is the time spent drinking beer. It can vary depending on many different factors, such as the amount of beer consumed and the time spent drinking. A session beer is a lower ABV beer under 5% ABV. This beer from Royal Bliss Brewing (www.royalblissbrewing.com) is a Session IPA called Tilted Crown. This IPA is a 4.8% ABV IPA. This beer is made in Denver, North Carolina, and was purchased locally at Total Wine (www.totalwine.com). This IPA pours yellow with a one-and-a-half finger white head. The aroma is tropical, fruity, crisp, and bitter. This doesn’t smell as heavy as most IPAs. The flavor of this beer is tropical fruit, crisp, bitter, and piney. This beer has a light flavor overall, and it drinks kind of easily. This beer has a nice bitter pine finish with a little bit of tropical fruit. Then it comes to a nice and light bitter fruit aftertaste that fades slowly. This is good, but I just get a basic tropical flavor, and I can’t find any specific tropical fruits. I just get tropical flavors. That gives Tilted Crown Session IPA from Royal Bliss Brewing Co. a B-. It was good, but I would like to have better tropical flavors. Yes, this is a beer I would drink again, and so should you! Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Brewery Ommegang OMG Series Oak-Aged Watermelon Kolsch

Posted on by Evan

This Oak-Aged Watermelon Kolsch from Brewery Ommegang (https://www.ommegang.com) in Copperstown, New York is an intresting beer that comes in at 6% ABV. This OMG Series beer is aged on golden agave chips and had touch of lime and real watermelon. I purchased this singular beer from my local Total Wine (totalwine.coml). This beer is fermented with Pilsner, White Wheat, and Cara malts. This Kolsch pours a red hue with a one-finger fizzy white head. The aroma is of watermelon, lime, and it’s haas light tartness. The flavor is slightly dry,with notes of oak, lime, watermelon, sweetness, and light margarita. This beer has a watermelon finsih with a slight oaky flavor that fades quickly. The aftertaste is tart with light sweet notes that do not linger long. This was an amazing tasting Watermelon Kolsch beer. It is well derserving of an A+. Naturally this a beer that you should be drinking. The watermelon does not taste fake, and the lime add a deliciously added layer to this great beer. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager Beer

Posted on by Evan

Samuel Smith (https://samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk) Pure Brewed Organic Lager Beer is brewed in Tadcaster, England, and importedbyy Merchant Du Vin (https://merchantduvin.com). This lager beer with a 5% ABV was purchased from my local Harris Teeter grocery store. Now I have had this Samuel Smith pint glass for a while and it has the brewery local etched on the bottom to promote carbonation, and was bought while on a pub tour in London. I think it was like two pounds from a Samuel Smith pub. This lager pours gold with a one finger fluffy white head. The aroma is light, sweet, clean, and crisp. The flavor is also light and sweet, crisp, smooth and malty. This beer has a clean, semi-sweet finish that is crisp. The aftertaste has a light malt flavor and is smooth/crisp. This is a great lager beer. I give this lager an A+, and highly recommend drinking it. It has just the right amount of delicious flavors. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!