Blog

Deep River Brewing Co. Lemoncello

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted April 8th, 2017.

Creativity is key to brewing and producing craft beer. Brewers get creative with ingredients. Even with the can or bottle type. With the name and artwork on the label. One example is Deep River Brewing Co. Limoncello Tart Ale Brewed with Lemons, 5.4% and is produced in Clayton, Johnston County, North Carolina. Limoncello is a sour blonde ale brewed with Sarachi Ace hops, a boatload of lemon. I am not sure how to measure a boatload and fermented with a proprietary yeast strain developed with technology at NC State University. Limoncello pours a darker yellow color has a bit of a brown, murky hue to it with almost no head. The aroma is quite pleasing. Fresh with tart lemons and lemon peels with the slightest hint of a sour note. The flavor is at first slightly tart with lemon but is refreshing at the same time. Toward the middle of the mouth, Limoncello becomes a bit more tart, and the lemon comes through more, and on the back, the sourness shines a bit brighter without overpowering the tart lemony flavors there. The mouthfeel is light with a bit of thickness as you swallow. Limoncello finish tart, slightly sour with a refreshing quality. After taste lingers with lemon/lemon peels but does not stick around. Lemoncello does not pucker up your taste buds in the after taste. Lemoncello is good, and it deserves an A. I found that none of the flavors clashed or overpowered one another. They all got along well and formed a wonderfully refreshing beer. I not the biggest fan of fruit beer, I like them enough, and some fruits are not what I would say are great to brew beer. But lemon in beer, now that is a great choice. I think lemon can enhance a beer or add another layer of flavor without making it into something not enjoyable. So you there should go and try Deep River Brewing Co. Limoncello Tart Ale Brewed with Lemons. I recommend you too. Cheers! Please Enjoy Responsibly!

Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Deep Ellum IPA

Posted on by Evan

I was in Dallas, Texas, over the Christmas holiday and stopped by a local liquor store and purchased Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Deep Ellum IPA, 7% ABV. Unfortunately, North Carolina doesn’t have liquor stores like Texas. We have the state-run government ABC stores that only sell liquor. Deep Ellum Brewing Co., located in the heart of Dallas in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas. Which right near downtown. It’s a hip, vibrant hipster area of Dallas. Deep Ellum IPA pours an orange color with a two-finger off-white rocky head. The aroma of this IPA is tropical, fruity, citrusy, with some bittersweet notes, pine. Taste is pretty similar to the way it smells, much like an IPA should. It’s tropical with a bit of pineapple and some citrus orange and grapefruit with bitterness, piney, and slightly sweet notes. It then finishes bitter with fruit and pine notes and has a good bitter aftertaste. The mouthfeel is medium more on the lighter. This IPA is decent. Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Deep Ellum IPA is a B-. Nothing is terrible with this IPA, just above average. That’s not a bad thing in my book. Could it use a little more citrus flavor? Sure. I would have this again. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Duvel Moortgat Duvel Belgian Golden

Posted on by Evan

I purchased Duvel Moortgat Duvel Belgian Golden, 8.5% ABV from my local Harris Teeter grocery store to celebrate the new year. Duvel is the benchmark Belgian Gold. It pours a vibrant yellow with a bight, foamy, rocky, pillowy head. Head retention is good. Duvel has a bittersweet fruity aroma that has a little bread note. Taste is fruity with bitter and sweet notes that are smooth. Mouthfeel is medium with a polished feel and comes to a bittersweet finish that more fruit sweet. The aftertaste is nice smooth with fruity bitterness. Duvel is a must-try beer. It is fabulous. I give Duvel Moortgat Duvel Belgian Golden an A+. It is perfect, taste, with great flavor. No wonder it’s the best in its style category. I highly recommend having it! Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Fonta Flora Brewery Brackish Oyster Stout

Posted on by Evan

Fonta Flora Brewery Brackish Oyster Stout, 6.4% ABV, is from Neboo, North Carolina. I purchased this oyster stout from my local Total Wine. Brackish is a seasonal beer that pours a deep dark black. It has a two-finger beige/brown head with good retention. The aroma is dark, slightly dry with salty characteristics, and some roasted malts. The flavor is not a bold as I was expecting, but it was flavorful. I found this to be slightly dry quality, some roasted salty malts. The mouthfeel is full, and the finish is semi-dry with hints of salt with nice roasted malts. Brackish has a dark aftertaste. It is a little bitter malty and with faint salt flavors. Fonta Flora Brewery Brackish Oyster Stout was good. I give it an A-. I found that this beer is easy to drink then some stouts. It wasn’t a heavy beer or anything like that. It was not oyster stout tasting enough. I enjoy it none less yes, I do recommend this. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Throwback Thursday: The Duck-Rabbit Porter

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted on October 9th 2012

Well, the last two days have been looking like dark beer days, cold cloudy, and not well. Here is something to make a bad weather day better. Duck-Rabbit Porter 5.70% ABV, from Farmville, North Carolina, not far from the Outer Banks. The Duck-Rabbit brewery claims itself to be a dark beer specialist. The term Porter comes from old England, in a time when the river cargo unloaders, delivery people. of various buildings enjoyed a heavier beer, so they named the beer Porter. This Porter pours a dark black muddy color with a Khaki almost brown one finger head that dissipated quickly, and what was left formed around the sides, and had very faint lacing. This Porter has a strong roasted coffee aroma with a little tiny raisin scent. I didn’t find any sweetness in the smell or any real dark fruitiness. It’s just a roasted coffee scent that seems to be the theme of its smell. The taste of this beer is fuller-bodied. It also a big roasted coffee taste with a little booziness that coats your tongue and kind of stays a while. The coffee flavor is not bitter at all. The aftertaste is still coffee-like, with a little alcoholic warming feeling going down, but not over or too intense. But after the first taste, it’s somewhat okay, but after a few more, it begins to grow on you. I found it to become a bit better. The taste of this is a bit stronger. So I would say this is a beer you sip and enjoy after dinner or on a dark, cloudy, or rainy day by the fire. It made me feel a bit cozy and happy. I would rate this a B-. Not the best coffee-like flavors on this but still good none the less. Then became a little overly boozy towards the end of the glass. I don’t think I could drink more than seventy-five percent of a twelve-ounce bottle, much less a whole bottle. Good solid beer here, but I think it does have room for some improvement. I would have this again, and I do have one bottle left. This one did surprise me a little. I thought it was going to be at least a D to a D+. But no A good B-. So please go out and try this one and let me know how you like it. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Armor Artis Brewing Cruising Down The Street In My ’64 India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday. I purchased Armor Artis Brewing Cruising Down The Street In My ’64 India pale Ale, 6.4% ABV the week before Christmas. The name of this IPA comes from an Easy-E rap song. This IPA, made with Centennial, Citra, Pacific Gem, and Ella Hops in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Cruising Down The Street In My ’64 pours an orange color with a white two finger steady fading head. It gives you a citrusy orange aroma with some tropical notes and some grassy like scents. The taste on this IPA is a tropical fruit, with some orange and grassy bitterness. It has a medium mouthfeel. This beer finishes with a fruity bitterness and a tropical bitter orange aftertaste. I like the name of this beer. The beer’s name does match the 6.4% ABV, which is cool. Cruising Down The Street In My ’64 is a solid IPA that is not overly hoppy or bitter. It has just the right amount go fruity bitter flavor to satisfy your tastebuds. I give Armor Artis Brewing Cruising Down The Street In My ’64 B+. It has good flavors, but the down really wow you that are good but could be better, just a bit. I would recommend trying this. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Throwback Thursday: Windy Hill Orchard & Cidery Gala Peach

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted on October October 27th, 2014.

I love beer, and I find ciders to be just as good. I like its fruity sometimes-dry sweetness. I love that you can put most fruits in them. Each can have a unique flavor. Well, I just had a local Cider from right over the North Carolina border in York, South Carolina. This beverage comes From Windy Hill orchard & Cider, and this is their Gala Peach, 6.0% ABV. Gala Peach made with Windy Hills Stayman Winesap apples and locally grown peaches. This cider pours a very bubbly rich golden color. I could see through, and not any head because most ciders do not produce much head on it. This Gala Peace is sweet peach with hits of fresh juicy apple. I got an apple skin smell too, but it is a bit faint. The taste is sweet with peached flavor with touches of apple. You mostly get the peach. The body is light, and so is the mouthfeel. Gala peach is easy and refreshing to drink. I would give Windy Hill’s Gala Peach a B. This cider did not blow me away, but I like it enough. I mean cider can only go so far and be so good, and it is a simple beverage. You can be too creative. I like peaches a lot, and I recommend trying Windy Hill orchard & Cidery Gala Peach for yourselves. It’s good. So go out and pic this wonderful Windy Hill orchard & Cidery Gala Peach sweet hard cider. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Strongbow Hard Cider Gold Apple

Posted on by Evan

I am not usually a cider drinker, but I don’t mind them. Strongbow Hard Cider Gold Apple, 5% ABV. This cider from Hereford, England. Strongbow is owned by H.P. Bumlers. This particular sider pours a clean and crisp golden color with a one finger white head with good retention. The aroma is of nice fruit crisp apple and a bit of semi-dry white wine. Taste is similar to the aroma with apple sweetness and a little bit of white wine flavor and hints of a semi-dry note with a light mouthfeel that finishes with a white wine apple note that carries into the sweet aftertaste. There aren’t many complexities to this, and that brings me to give Strongbow Hard Cider Gold Apple a C-. This cider is not terrible. It’s just unassuming and underwhelming. I wouldn’t rush to have this again. 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, December 18th. Protagonist First Can Release! Protagonist. 5 pm-10 pm. Tickets at commerce.arryved.com/location/BPcIQXO3.

We will be releasing our first ever cans on Friday, December 18th starting at 5pm! In celebration, we will be airing the classic “Queen: Live from Wembley Stadium” concert throughout the venue. This is in honor one of one of the releases “Mercury” named after Queen’s lead singer, Freddy Mercury.All the beers being released in cans will also be available on draft the same day. We will be pairing each one with a new pizza.All 4packs can be pre-ordered starting today on our website under “shop” or you can click on link attached to this event titled “tickets”.The lineup:MERCURY – Hazy IPA (7.0% ABV) – Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity, we’ve double dry hopped this sucker with copious amounts of Motueka, Cashmere, Vic Secret, and Strata hops. Tonight, you’re gonna have yourself a real good time. (16oz 4-pack – $14.99)CUBE – West Coast-Style IPA (7.2% ABV) – Double dry hopped with some of our favorite hops Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy. (16oz 4-pack – $14.99)WILDER HIRSCH – German Style Lager (4.7% ABV) –
Brewed in collaboration with Town Brewing(Charlotte, NC) and Little Brother Brewing(Greensboro, NC). Inspired by the head brewer’s of each brewery and their favorite pub along the banks of the river Würm in Munich, Germany.

  • Saturday, December 19th. Double Cranberry Can Release. Red Clay Ciderworks. 12 pm.

We’re doubling down on all the cranberry goodness by releasing Cranberry Crumble, the next installment of our insanely popular Crumble pastry cider series. Not to be outdone, our yearly release of Cran Eye For The Orange Guy makes its return with a fresh new can design!Cranberry Crumble 6.5% ABV – Imagine Grandma’s cranberry crumble…now imagine that recipe baked in a can. This semi-sweet pastry cider is loaded with apple and vanilla, notes of cranberry, and finishes with a touch of cinnamon.Cran Eye For The Orange Guy 6.25% ABV – A tasty semi-dry cranberry and orange cider with a touch of coriander and fennel. A perfect pairing for your holiday feasts.Cans will be available to purchase in person or online for a fast easy pick-up beginning Saturday, December 19th at 12pm.Online pre-order sales will open up Saturday, December 19th at 8am.

  • Tuesday, December 22nd. Wicked Weed Pint Night. The Casual Pint (Rivergate). 6 pm-8 pm. Just in time for the holidays we are hosting a Wicked Weed Pint Night! Andrew from WW will be in house with glasses, swag and samples featuring their Bourbon Barrel Aged Milk & Cookies and Bourbon Barrel Ages French Toast!