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The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Thursday, October 15th. Hazy Sexy Cool New England IPA Release! Birdsongs Brewing Co. 3 pm-10 pm. 

Thank you for waiting patiently! It’s been a crazy year but we are pleased to announce that we will be releasing Hazy Sexy Cool New England IPA on Thursday, 10/15! Draft and cans of this limited release will go on sale at 3p! Hazy, sexy, and cool. We’ve been making hazy, unfiltered beer for years, long before the haze craze and love for the New England style IPA. But why not haze it up? Brewed with Citra, Mosaic & El Dorado hops, this IPA is sure to deliver all that citrusy juiciness we’ve come to know and love. 6.8% ABV

50 IBU

  • Friday, October 16th. Watch it Fall – Juicy IPA Release. Triple C Brewing Company. 4 pm-10 pm. 

A nod to a topical song from one of our favorite musicians, Watch It Fall is a NEIPA packed with Citra, Amarillo, and Azacca hops for aromas of mango and papaya. Soft bitterness with flavors of orange pulp and dried apricot, and a touch of pine. 

6.9% ABV

  • Saturday, October 17th. Carolina Blue Sky Fruited Sour Can Release. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm-10 pm. 

This deep purple rendition of our sherbet series contains Blueberry, Blackberry, Boysenberry, and Vanilla. Smells and tastes like a berry smoothie straight out of the mixer. 7.0% ABV 16 oz 4pack / $15

  • Tuesday, October 20th. RBG Southeastern IPA Release. Pilot Brewing. 2 pm. Tickets at pilotbrewing.square.sit. 

Women Belong In All Places Where Decisions Are Being Made Southeastern IPA • 6.5% Southeastern IPA is a clear American IPA brewed with flaked maize and a tropical hop blend of Lotus, Citra, and Amarillo. Finishes dry and refreshing, leaving the palate wanting more.$2 from every 4-pack will be donated to the Dottie Rose Foundation, which aims to connect the dots within the technology and computer science sphere to educate, support, and inspire the next generation of young women. Other RBG swags will be available including button pins, stickers, and koozies. 100% of profits made from the merchandise will be donated to Dottie Rose.VE-GO Food Truck will be on-site for our Vegan Taco Tuesday from 5-8 pm

The olde Mecklenburg Brewery Hornets Nest Hefeweizen

Posted on by Evan

Brewed locally here in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Hornets Nest Hefeweizen, 5.3% ABV is a Great American Beer Festival bronze award win. This beer named after England’s General Cornwallis’ name for the area when Charlotte met more resistance than anticipated during the Revolutionary War. It’s an ode to the Charlotte Basketball team, The Hornets. Hornets Nest pours a golden color with a there and half creamy bright white head that slowly dissipates into great lacing. The aroma is what you’d expected from a Hefeweizen with banana and clove sweetness. Then you get a slight spiced noted that pops up briefly in the middle of your mouth. A tiny hop note in the back of your mouth with a nice almost creamy medium mouthfeel that finishes with a nice light sweet wheat flavor, and has a lingering aftertaste of banana wheat with hints of slight sweetness. This beer is a perfect example of a good Hefeweizen. A little on the lighter side and, I have had some pretty heavy/fuller examples of this particular style. But The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Hornets Nest Hefeweizen did not disappoint, and I give it an A+. I highly recommended The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Hornets Nest Hefeweizen. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Bell’s Brewery Best Brown American Brown Ale

Posted on by Evan

Bell’s Brewery Best Brown American Brown Ale, 5.8% purchased from The Butcher’s Market and is brewed in Comstock, Michigan, and brewed with American hops. Best Brown bridges the gap between lighter-bodied beer and malty stouts and is a good gateway into porters and stouts. Best Brown pours a brown caramel color with a big creamy, fluffy beige three finger head that very slowly dissipates, leaving some pretty lacing behind. The aroma is sweet with some caramel nutty notes with some decent coca & roasted maltiness. The flavor is similar to the nose, with caramel nutty flavor at first, then cocoa and roasted malts with a little hoppy note on the end, with an almost full mouthfeel that finishes with a sweet hoppy note and a nice semi-sweet roasted cocoa aftertaste that lingers a bit. This brown ale is easy to drink. I give Bell’s Brewery Best Brown American Brown Ale an A- just the little hop note at the end held it back an inch. Best Brown was otherwise a wonderful brown ale that you should try it is a good fall beer and not too heavy or high in alcohol. I would have Bell’s Brewery Best Brown American Brown Ale again soon. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Throwback Thursday: Blowing Rock Summer Ale

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted July 4th, 2014.

In the summertime, brewing companies use the term summertime ale or summer ale on their summer seasonal beers. Those two, summertime ale and summer ale are broad when being used in a descriptive use. There are so many different kinds of summer type beers out there. There is wheat, wheat with a fruit, Klösch, white (wit), fruit beers, shandies, radlers, lagers, pilsners, and IPA. These summer type beers tend to have a lower abv than other seasonal beers. I look forward to all the summery beers.  So here is one Summer Ale from the Blowing Rock Brewing Company in Hickory North Carolina, this is there Summer Ale (Belgian Witbier), 5.0% ABV. Their Summer Ale is brewed with sweet orange peel, Curacao bitter orange peel, and coriander. Blowing Rock Summer Ale pours a medium orange goldish color with a three-finger fluffy white head that sticks around for a nice amount of time before fading into somewhat thin lacing on the glass. I found some light coming through a bit, not a whole lot and there is a decent amount of carbonation bubbles to it. The aroma is a bit spicy on my nose from the coriander. There is also a sweet and bitter orange peel scent clashing together. The taste on this Summer Ale is a tiny bit sweet at first for a second or two then becomes slightly bitter and the spice coriander hits. I found the taste to be more of the coriander then anything else. It wasn’t so bad but just a bit too much in my opinion. There is some citrus flavor the quickly fades in and out on the back. The mouthfeel is medium and has a spiced coriander finish that leads into a slightly bitter orange and big spiced coriander aftertaste. With every sip of Summer Ale,  I really tasted a big-spiced coriander wave with a tinge of orange peel. This beer wasn’t what I was expecting it to be, but not really a letdown. I mean I didn’t think it was so bad, it’s somewhat good, just not great. So I would give this a B-. I mean I’ve had some world glass Belgian style Witbiers before and this is that, but it sill somewhat good, but needs to have less of a big spiced flavor. I would have this again soon. So if you have not had Blowing Rock Brewing Companies Summer Ale, then go out and try it for yourself. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!         

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Friday, October 9th. Imperial Red Rye Al Release. Pilot Brewing. 12 pm-9 pm. Tickets at pilot brewing.square.site.

Single Barrel Smoked Rye Imperial Red Ale • 10.5%Brewtender, Amanda really out did herself with this single barrel creation!This Bluebird Distillery barrel produced their Four Grain Bourbon, made from Corn, Rye, Red Winter Wheat & Barley. The same grains were used to brew this Imperial Smoked Rye Red Ale. Notes of sweet spice, oak and vanilla. $1 of every bottle is donated to Project Halo, a no-kill animal shelter and sanctuary. $4 4oz pours will be available for on-site consumption. Bottles will be available online starting at noon and in the taproom at 2 PM.

  • Friday, October 9th. Sticky When Wet Release. NoDa Brewing Company 3 pm-10 pm.

Sticky When Wet is as fresh and sticky as it can possibly get! 🙌🏻This wet-hopped beer has an assertive bitterness balanced with bright aroma and flavors of peach and grapefruit derived from heavy additions of Citra and Mosaic hops.Sitting at 6.31% ABV, this brew is one you don’t want to miss. Dry-hopped with three pounds per barrel of Citra and Mosaic. 🍻Fun fact: these hops are shipped overnight to us from the west coast as soon as they are picked and we use them within an hour or two of receiving. Talk about fresh.

  • Friday, October 9th. “Momo” – Oak Aged Peach Farmhouse Ale Bottle Release. Town Brewing Company. 2 pm.

Momo
Oak Aged Farmhouse Ale with Peaches
6.1%After fermentation with Norwegian kviek yeast and Lactobacillus bacteria, this golden ale was transferred into red wine barrels for aging, undergoing refermentation with Brettanomyces clausenii for added funk and complexity. The resulting farmhouse ale was rested on locally grown peaches, producing a beautiful bouquet of aromas and soft acidity balanced by pleasant oak tannins. Momo was an exercise in patient artisanship, crafted for thoughtful enjoyment. Momo will be released at our taproom on Friday October 9th in 375ml bottles beginning at 2pm.-$8.99 per bottle- 

Haw River Farmhouse Ale Cultural Divide Farmstand Pickle Kettled-Sour Saison

Posted on by Evan

A purchase from the Butcher’s Market, Haw River Farmhouse Ales Cultural Divide Farmstand Pickle Kettled-Sour Saison, 6.2% ABV is part of a series of beers called Cultural Divide and is brewed with Carolina Culture yogurt fresh from cow’s milk infused with fresh North Carolina cucumbers, fresh dill & pickling spices. Farmstand Pickle pours a orange-y yellow color with a big three finger quick white head with sour pickle brine/juicy aromas and light cucumber. Taste is much like the name of this beer, tart yet semi sour dill pickle with some pickle juice that mixes with light cucumber with nice amount of effervescent to give Farmstand Pickle a medium mouthfeel with a nice tart and sour pickle finish and a similar aftertaste with little of of saison notes following the pickled flavor that lingers for a bit. Haw River Farmhouse Ales Cultural Divide Farmstand Pickle Kettled-Sour Saison is a beer that slowly grows on you and gets a B-. The Saison base does help with the dill pickle flavors otherwise this beer wouldn’t be very good, I mean most people don’t usually drink straight pickle juice. I would say to try this just as a curiosity, it is an interesting beer that isn’t that bad. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly!

Southern Range Brewing Company Let’s Dance Let’s Stout French Toast.

Posted on by Evan

Southern Range Brewing Co. Let’s Dance Let’s Stout French Toast, 7.0% ABV brewed in Monroe, North Carolina purchased from The Butcher’s Market. Let’s Dance Let’s Stout French Toast pours a deep thick black color with a creamy three finger beige khaki head, with a roasted cinnamon sweet coffee aroma wafting off into you nose. Taste is similar to the aroma with nice maple syrup, some cinnamon, with roasted coffee notes in the middle of the mouth with a full thick mouthfeel that has a roasted bitter finish with a bit of faint sweetness that then give a nice roasted maple coffee aftertaste. This beer has a similar flavor profile to French Toast but the bitter notes on its finish give Southern Range Brewing Co. Let’s Dance Let’s Stout French Toast a C+, everything else is good but I didn’t like that bitterness on the end. I don’t mind a bitterness but this bitterness was not pleasant and did really belong with the rest of this beer flavors. But it was not so bad that it would keep me from having Southern Range Brewing Co. Let’s Dance Let’s Stout French Toast again. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Throwback Thursday: Westbrook Brewing Co. White Thai

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted October 27th, 2016.

Here is the first of The Best of the Mixed Six-Pack, Westbrook White Thai, 5.0% ABV. This brewery is out of Mt. Pleasant South Carolina down very near to Charleston SC. I have previously reviewed other Westbrook beers and have had their White Thai before though, I really should review this beer, and here it is. White Thai is inspired by flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine and is a twist on the classic witbier style. Westbrook has added fresh lemongrass, ginger root, and a dash of Sorachi Ace (a Japanese hop with flavors of citrus and dill, used mainly in IPAs and Saisons) hops instead of the traditional coriander and orange peel.  White Thai pours a hazy yellow color with a cloud white two finger head that dissipates into nice lacing. The aroma is reminiscent of some Asian dishes. There is nice lemongrass, a bit of citrus, hints of faint dill, and nice ginger on the nose.  Taste is on the bolder side with a lemon candy and some nice citrus fruit with touches of semi faint ginger, and the ginger flavor strengthens as it washes over the back of the tongue. The mouthfeel is medium to heavy with a nice sweet wheat finish and an aftertaste of lemon candy coated in some ginger, but as that aftertaste fades you get a touch more citrus fruit. Overall this was pretty good, and I say it is a B. Slightly bolder on the flavor for a beer you want to have a few of, like three or four of. I can have just about two, but that has nothing to do with the way the flavor taste. It’s more of the heaviness of the beer. I found it to be a bit heavier than other witbiers, but still something that everyone would enjoy, just not a lot, a few maybe. But Westbrook Brewing Co. White Thai is a solid tasting beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Allagash Brewing Co. Moselle Farmhouse-Style Lager

Posted on by Evan

I purchased Allagash Brewing Co. Moselle Farmhouse-Style Lager 6.0% ABV from The Butcher’s Market not far from me here in South Charlotte, NC. Moselle is brewed in Portland, Maine by Allagash Brewing Co. circa 1999 with Northern Brewer, Hallertau hops, Pilsner malt, Vienna Malt, Munich Malt, local oats, Lager and Saison yeast. Moselle pours golden with a two finger stead fading white head that leaves behind bare minimum of lacing behind. The aroma is complex for a lager with a slightly funky tropical aroma with a nice tropical taste with faint yeasty breaded notes some sweetness with a bit of Saison flavor to the beer with a nice medium mouthfeel that finish with a funky tropical sweetness and carries the tropical nature into the aftertaste. Allagash Brewing Co. Moselle Farmhouse-Style Lager is an excellent beer that is refreshing and crisp that gets an A+. I’m not surprised that Allagash Brewing Co. brewed such a great beer and one that I highly recommend. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Friday, October 2nd, Special Release Vanilla Grodgeous Cask! NoDa Brewing Company. 3 pm-10 pm.

Pumpkin spice and everything nice… AKA Tahitian vanilla! 🍂We brewed a cask of our seasonal pumpkin beer, Gordgeous, infused with Tahitian vanilla beans. Fun fact: Casks allow beer to naturally carbonate, a process referred to as “real ale” in the UK because it is the original process of packaging beers.This brew is a taproom exclusive sitting at 6.20% ABV. It will be available in a cask at our NorthEnd taproom only. We expect the cask to run out very quickly, so come on Friday, Oct. 2nd to try it while you can!

  • Friday, October 2nd. Raising Hope IPA Can Release. Sycamore Brewing. 4 pm-9 pm.

We’re proud to announce a partnership with Brewing Funds The Cure! We’re brewing our own version of Rising Hope IPA and donating 100% of proceeds to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. We will release Rising Hope IPA on October 2nd in the Sycamore taproom, and for local delivery and pick-up at SycamoreBrew.com.This IPA is brewed with raspberry, blood orange, and Bulgarian rose. Don’t miss it!Read more about this amazing project here: https://www.brewbound.com/…/sycamore-brewing-partners…/

  • Saturday, October 3rd. Pumking Fest 2020. Brewers at 4001 Yancey. 11 am-11 pm.

Pumking Fest is back on Saturday, October 3. While things may look a little different this year, we still have a lot to celebrate. 🎃We will have the entire Pumking Family available, new and vintage, PLUS Pumking Whiskey!We will also have:🎃Live Music 3pm to 6pm and 7pm to 10pm
🎃 Specialty Cocktails
🎃 Pumking Milkshakes
🎃 Pumking Menu Features 
🎃 SLUSHIES!
🎃 Plus an EXCLUSIVE Pumking draft 

  • Saturday, October 3rd. Festbier Draft Release. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm-10 pm. Festbier – A traditional German Festbier brewed to celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany. Golden in color, with aromas of biscuit, toast, and honey. Medium bitterness from German Saphir and Perle hops with a solid malt backbone. Crisp and dry for a perfect fall beer. 6.0% ABV
  • Saturday, October 3rd. Can Release: S’mores Blonde Ale. Blue Blaze Brewing. 12 pm-8 pm.

Back by popular demand .. We are re-releasing S’mores Blonde Ale in cans and on draft in an exclusively small batch! (Limit 2 case per person)Made with real cocoa nibs & vanilla beans, this Smores Blonde Ale packs rich notes of chocolate & vanilla, while maintaining a medium body. The biscuit malt gives way to hints of lightly toasted graham cracker. With just one sip you’ll be taken back to memories of roasting marshmallows around a crackling campfire.Live Music – Scott Smith 
Food Truck – TBD 
Plus: Yappy Hour Dog TreatsFAQs: 
Can I order online and pickup curbside? 
Yes, you can! Online ordering for S’mores will be available at bit.ly/BBbeer on the day of release. In the meantime, please enjoy all of our other great beers that are currently available. Can someone else pickup my growler or cans? 
Sure! Just note the person’s name in the Notes section when cashing out. They, of course, need to be 21.Can I use my own growler to be filled? 
NC ABC requires “original manufacturer’s packaging” so in order for us to be legally compliant, we must use ‘Blue Blaze’ growlers. However, the $7 for the growler is similar to a deposit; when you are done-done with the growler, we will refund the $7 when you bring in the growler in good condition for taproom credit on anything else in the taproom.Can I order online and have it delivered to my home? 
Yes, you can! Online ordering for S’mores will be available at bit.ly/BBbeer on the day of release. We provide home delivery on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday inside & just outside of I-485 for $5. You, of course, need to be 21 and available to present your valid ID upon delivery. In the meantime, please enjoy all of our other great beers that are currently available. Are the pints also to-go? 
The pint option is for on-site ordering & consumption across all of our styles. We implemented them recently as a way to help minimize contact points during this challenging time. Anytime you visit to have a pint with us on-site, you may order directly from your phone and we’ll bring it out to you on our patio. You don’t even need to come into the taproom, or touch any of our point-of-sale systems! There is a notation highlighting “Taproom Only” for all of these on-site options. 

  • Saturday, October 3rd & Sunday October 4th. 2020 Orval Day. Carolina Beer Temple Charlotte. 12 pm(3rd)-11 pm(4th).

So what is Orval? Orval is a brett beer, in fact the first brett beer to hit the shores of the US. This classic Belgian Pale Ale took the US by storm with its slight acidity and crisp dryness, making for a very refreshing beer drinking experience. We will be doing bottle pours of several vintages of this classic beer, as well as giving away many Orval specific glasses to the lucky few who make it here first!Orval day is a day of celebration of this world renowned beer as well as a day of charity. The brewery that produces Orval donates a portion of their proceeds from its Orval day sales to a charity, with over 600 bar and restaurants participating every year that is a big chunk of change!The charity partner this year is Safe Water Network, which helps to bring safe and clean drinking water to Ghana and India. So come out to Carolina Beer Temple to learn about and enjoy this classic Belgian beer while helping those in need!

  • Monday, October 5th. Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Swag Pack Giveaway, Duckworth’s Taphouse & Grill Ballantyne. 6 pm-9 pm.

Come and Celebrate Oktoberfest at Duckworth’s with Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada Beer Steins will be given away while supplies last. We will be raffling off a Swag Pack which includes:2 pairs of Suspenders
2 Alpine Hats
2 Glass Mugs
Bottler Opener
Pennant Flag
Selfie Props
Pin the Tap on the Keg GameRaffle tickets are provided during your visit, no purchase necessary.We will announce the winner at a late date after the drawing. If you win, we will be in touch!