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Throwback Thursday: 21st Amendment Brewing Marooned on Hog Island

Posted on by Evan

Stouts come in many sub-styles with their flavor and taste, like imperial stouts, Belgian stouts, English, American, dry, oyster, and fruit stouts. They are all dark beer and have some similar qualities. 21st Amendment Brewing in San Francisco brews Marooned on Hog Island, 7.9% ABV and brewed with Hog Island Oyster shells. Oyster Stouts are a drier type of stout but aren’t the dry type of beer. Marooned on Hog Island pours a black/deep brown color with a three-finger beige head that leaves behind nice decent lacing. The aroma roasted with cocoa, bits of chocolate, and the faintest/tiniest saline note. Taste is similar to the aroma with a semi sweetness that comes in and then goes in an instant. There not many saline flavors to it. But it does shine through at the end as this beer warms. I also found the roasted note to be a bit fainter than you on the aroma. The mouthfeel of this beer is full. Marooned on Hog Island does finish with a saline-like note that fades and then the after taste of roasted cocoa/chocolate that does not stay. Marooned on Hog Island is a good beer, but I would like to have more from the added oyster shells. I give this Stout a B-. Not too bad, but not really what I was hoping it to be. It is off by just a little. 21st Amendment is a great brewery. They make a great summer beer, Hell or High Watermelon, and they’re no longer in production Beer Bitter American was fabulous, so I know they can brew great beer Marooned on Hog Island was close, but not close enough. 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

  • Wednesday, November 18th. Highland Cold Mountian Release. Mac’s Speed Shop. 5 pm. You’ve waited a long year…even with 2020, we still got Cold Mountain!! Come on out while we still have some. It will be tapped and once we run out, we run out!
  • Thursday, November 19th. Pre-Thanksgving Can Release. Divine Barrel Brewing. 12 pm-10 pm.

Don’t go to Thanksgiving empty-handed! We’ve got 4 brews dropping this Thursday that will pair perfectly for the holiday! Come by and pick up 4-packs with NO limits starting at noon! Here’s what we’re releasing:Carolina Cobbler – Peach: Pastry Berliner, 6.0% ABV – This Berliner will have you thinking about Grandma’s cobbler fresh from the oven and cooling on her window sill. Brewed with massive amounts of peaches, Madagascan vanilla, graham crackers, cinnamon & an extra dose of lactose, giving this dessert-style Berliner the extra pillowy mouthfeel it deserves. A blast of tangy, juicy, peach gives way to a heaping scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a cinnamon pie crust.Defensive Pancake: Breakfast Porter, 6.8% ABV – A Robust Porter fermented with Madagascar vanilla and pure Vermont maple syrup. A classic porter base that is enhanced by a rich maple character and a subtle yet creamy vanilla finish. Drink with breakfast!Defensive French Toast: Breakfast Porter, 6.8% ABV – A Robust Porter fermented with Madagascar vanilla, Vermont maple syrup, Saigon cinnamon and coffee. We took our Defensive Pancake base and turned into French Toast in a glass.Lunchbox Confidential: PB&J Sour, 6.0% ABV –
This fun pastry berliner will bring you back to lunch time as a kid! Lunchbox Confidential is dosed to the gills with peanut butter, jammy strawberry purée, graham cracker & lactose. You won’t want to trade this one with your friend!

  • Friday, November 20th. “Bret Note” Chai Latte Brown & “Sonic Fruits” Sour IPA Dual Can release. Town Brewing. 2 pm. Bent Note” Chai Latte Brown Ale: A 5.6% classic American brown ale enhanced by the addition of local, organically sourced chai tea. The spice character is perfectly balanced by the malt flavor and lactose sugar, making for a smooth, easy drinking ale perfect for welcoming cooler weather. $13.99-16oz/4 pack cans. “Sonic Fruits” Sour IPA: Double dry hopped with Mosaic and Citra, and fruited with Pineapple, Peach, Tangerine, and Blueberry, this IPA was fermented with a unique yeast strain that produces pleasant sourness and notes of citrus and stone fruit. $15.99-16oz/4 pack cans. More details to follow as the release approaches!
  • Saturday, November 21st. Wool Socks & No Filtah Double can Release. Red Clay Cider Works. 12 pm-10 pm.

Just in time for the holidays! Our holiday fan favorite, Wool Socks, is making its first appearance in cans! It’ll be accompanied by No Filtah Cidah, a classic unfiltered bone dry cider that’ll pair great with any holiday meal.Wool Socks 6.5% ABV – Inspired by the Swedish recipe Glögg, this slightly sweet cider has a wonderful spiced bouquet and well balanced finish. Black currant, orange peel, cinnamon, cardamom, and other spices bring everything together for a potpourri of deliciousness.No Filtah Cidah 6.9% ABV – An ode to our Massachusates born and raised teammate Paul. This cider has some attitude. Dry unfiltered and hazy, this full bodied cider is clean and crisp. Just like Paul’s unfiltered stories and opinions. We think you’ll find No Filtah very refreshing. Enjoy!Cans will be available to purchase in person, or online for a fast easy pick-up beginning Saturday, November 21st at 12pm.Online pre-orders & sales will open up Saturday, November 21st at 8am.

  • Saturday, November 21st. CLT Epiphany Bottle Release at Sugar Creek Brewing. Sugar Creek Brewing. 12 pm-11 pm. Join us on November 21st for the release of our bottle conditioned CLT Epiphany. Just one of the many things happening for our 6th Anniversary! This collaboration with Epiphany Craft Malt is boasting with flavors of bready malts and dark fruits. We’re also serving up a full food menu and specialty craft cocktails so there’s something for everyone in your group to enjoy!
  • Saturday, November 21st. Sugar Creek 6th Anniversary Celebration. Sugar Creek Brewing. 12 pm (21st)- 11 pm (22nd).

Come and Safely Celebrate Sugar Creek’s 6th Anniversary the weekend of 11/20-11/22. We’ve decided to space the celebration out over the weekend to maintain safe occupancy levels. We’ll have LIVE music, bottle releases, draft releases along with great specials all weekend long! See flier for details!Here is how we are going to keep you safe:•Our celebration has been delayed and spaced out over the course of the weekend (20th 21st & 22nd) to keep occupancy levels within the Governors guidelines
•Occupancy will be monitored at the entrance along with a quick Temperature check to be sure everyone is safe before entering.
•Bar stools will be removed and limited seating will be available inside, social distance spacing will be in effect.
•All Guests and Staff must wear a mask when entering or transiting the building.
•We have tons of space in the Taproom, Eventroom and 2 Patio Spaces, so a safe space will not be hard to find.
•All Tables will be sanitized before and after a guest arrives.
•If you have forgotten a mask it’s no problem. Just ask your server or bartender and we’ll grab you one.Thanks so much to everyone in advance and we look forward to seeing you all real soon!

  • Saturday, November 21st. Up All Night Breakfast Porter Release. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm-10 pm. The best thing about New Years is the Christmas lights! Our 10% Breakfast Porter is back and tap and in 16oz cans. Brewed with flaked oats, honey, lactose, coffee and chocolate malts.

Hi-Wire Brewing lo-pitch juicy IPA

Posted on by Evan

Hi-Wire Brewing lo-pitch juicy IPA, 4.9% ABV and 35 IBUs brewed in Asheville, North Carolina. Lo-pitch uses Loral, Simco, and Ekuanot hops. This IPA pours a light yellow color with a three-finger bright slow fading with a fluffy head. Lo-pitch has a citrus Lemon aroma with grassy light hop notes. The taste of lo-pitch is citrusy with lemon, a bit of grass, and pine notes with a nice hoppy light floral note. The mouthfeel is light and low-pitch finish soft with bits of citrus flavor and a little lingering lemongrass note on for an aftertaste. Hi-Wire Brewing lo-pitch juicy IPA is good, getting a B+. It needs little more hoppy notes and a slightly high IBU. But I found it tasty otherwise. I would have Hi-Wire Brewing lo-pitch juicy IPA again and would recommend it too. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Dankful IPA

Posted on by Evan

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Dankful IPA, 7.4% ABV, is a generously hopped IPA. Dankfull IPA brewed with Two-row Pale, Caramelize, rye malts, Columbus, Chinook, Mosaic, Ekuanot, Nelson Sauvin, Zappa, Idaho 7 hops, and ale yeast. This IPA brewed to help non-profits as a thank you to all the work that they do to help the communities worldwide. Dankful IPA pours a light orange copper color with a steady three finger white head. The aroma is hoppy, piney, grassy with a little faint citrus sweetness. The flavor of Dankful IPA is piney with grassy hop notes. Then comes light citrus and some malt notes as well. The mouthfeel is on the medium side. It comes to an east coast style IPA finish with nice hoppy earthy notes and carries those piney earthy notes into the aftertaste. To sum up Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Dankful IPA, it’s like an English or east coast IPA with a nice hop punch, one that gets an A. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Throwback Thursday: Brouwerji Lindeman Framboise Lambic

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted September 13th, 2012.

Now here is a fascinating style of beer, Framboise. The Framboise style comes from Belgium and is from barley, unmalted wheat, and wild yeast. After spontaneous fermentation, then fruit added after that. Then secondary fermentation occurs. This Lambic beer has raspberries add to it. This brewery has been doing this since 1811. In my own opinion, they brew some of the best Lambics. This Lambic here has a low alcohol level of 2.7% ABV. It could be deadly due to the great fruitiness and just how tasty it is. It also has a large amount of carbonation. This beer is one of the only beers I have seen with both a pry-off cap and a cork. Well, I must say this one has been in my refrigerator for almost a year> I am not sure, but it seems close, and I have one left. I like to give a shoutout to an Instagram friend Champagnesupernovax, and she said she wants to try this and is looking forward to reading this. Enjoy! Please follow her if you’re on Instagram. This Framboise Lambic pours a dark red, almost blood-red color, very dark with no light seen through this, and there was a light red rose or radish one and a half finger head that was a bit slow on the fade. This beer has a good raspberry scent, and there is a yeasty smell there with a big sweet fruit candy-like scent too. It’s all nice on your nose. When you taste this, you get a raspberry syrup taste that is tart, both sweet and bit sour. It’s a good sour, nothing overpowering. I found this to have a much different wheat taste that I am used to with wheat or wheat-like beer. It wasn’t malt-forward wheat to it like some. You do get a yeast flavor, but it’s more of a less uniform yeast or average yeast flavor that you would get in other yeasty beers. Please, when you get to the middle of the glass and give it a nice swirl to mix the yeast, wheat, and raspberries. But as this Framboise Lambic hits the back of you get a little good tart raspberry. This finish is a bit more tart than the start, but it finishes nice and is very pleasing on you’re taste buds. The overall tart raspberry flavor here. I would give this beer an A+. You can have this fresh or cellar it a while, but when you do have it, serve this at 38 – 41 F. I have always liked this style, just so different from other beer styles and just easy to drink and is refreshing with fruit flavors here. Brouwerij Lindemans Framboise is a great place to start. You should pick one up. I highly recommend you do. 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!

  • Saturday, November 14th. Caramel Apple Crumble Can Release. Red Clay Cider Works. 12 pm.

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy some Caramel Apple Crumble!Join us Saturday, November 14th for the next installment in our small batch “Crumble” series!Imagine grandma’s caramel apple crumble…now imagine that recipe baked in a can. This semisweet pastry cider is loaded with caramel and vanilla and finishes with a touch of cinnamon.Cans will be available to purchase in person, or online for a fast easy pick-up beginning Saturday, November 14th at 12pm.Online pre-orders & sales will open up Saturday, November 14th at 8amhttps://commerce.arryved.com/location/BITMdg6P

  • Saturday, November 14th. Enzo Gorlami – Italian Pils. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm -10 pm.

Enzo Gorlami – Italian Pils – This lightly DDH Italian Pilsner satisfies both the lager and hop lovers. Aromas of floral and spicy noble hops with a hint of citrus melds with the light bready malt undertones. Crisp and dry mouthfeel with moderate bitterness to make this a beer’s beer! 5.4% ABV Draft and Crowlers.

  • Saturday, November 14th. Is It Noon Yet? – Coffee IPA. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm-10 pm.

This IPA has all the qualities of a citrus forward west coast IPA with a blend of fresh roasted coffee. With help from our friends at Sugar Creek coffee roasters, we selected a very citrus forward coffee blend with a hint of berry, orange zest and stone fruit aromas to pair with Centennial, Chinook, and Citra hops. Now you don’t have to decide if it is too late for coffee or too early for a beer. 6.1% ABV 
Draft and Crowlers.

Women Belong In All Places Where Decisions Are Being Made Southeastern IPA • 6.5%You guys showed up for our first release, so we decided to do it again!$2/4 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.Online sales start at noon and the taproom opens at 2 PM.Other RBG swag available – 
Candles: $22 
Koozies: $4
Stickers: 2 for $1Ve-Go will be here for Taco Tuesday and Dottie Rose will be on site to spread awareness

NoDa Brewing Company Gose Pink Or Go Home!

Posted on by Evan

Brewed locally in Charlotte, North Carolina, NoDa Brewing Company Gose Pink or Go Home!, 3.8, a Raspberry and Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Gose. This Gose style beer that benefits Project Pink that helps support and fight breast Cancer alongside Charlotte Radiology with mobile screenings. Gose Pink or Go Home pours red-like color with a two-finger white steady head. The aroma is tropical, raspberry salted with some sweetness. The taste is similar to its aroma with guava, raspberry sweetness, a bit of tartness with a slated flavor. Gose Pink or Go Home finishes tart, fruity with light salty, and a tart aftertaste. It has a nice light mouthfeel. Overall I found NoDa Brewing Company Gose Pink or Go Home! to be a little above average. I give it a C+ grade. This Gose is not bad, have had better examples of a Gose beer. The salted notes with a little lackluster, the raspberry was a bit overpowering but not terrible. If I had this to drink, I wouldn’t say no. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly!

Triple C Brewing Co. Neon Signs American Lager

Posted on by Evan

Locally brewed here in Charlotte, North Carolina Triple C Brewing Co. Neon Signs American Lager, 5.7% ABV purchased from JJ’s Red Hots (a great hotdog/sausage restaurant). Neon Signs pours a nice golden yellow color with a two and a half slow fading white pillowy head. The aroma coming off this American Lager is semi-sweet with nice malted biscuit and light citrus notes. Neon signs have that great lager aroma that did make me thirsty for a sip. I took that sip, and I got some semi-sweet notes of citrus, malts, and bread/biscuits with a very faint bitter note that is almost like it’s not there. The mouthfeel is light, and Neon Signs finish with a refreshing light sweetness and carries that light sweetness into the aftertaste along with a bit of maltiness. Triple C Brewing Co. Neon Signs American Lager is a tasty Lager, an A. If you ever come across this Lager beer, you will not be disappointed. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Burial Beer The Beginning Is After The End Coffee Porter

Posted on by Evan

Burial Beer The Beginning Is After The End Coffee Porter, 6.5% ABV from Asheville, North Carolina. This coffee porter brewed with Counter Culture Coffee, which uses beans from Onyx Coffee Labs in Arkansas. The Beginning Is After The End pours black with brown edges and a yow finger quickly fading beige head. The aroma on this porter has nice roasted coffee notes, a little caramel, and malty aromas with a very faint dark dried plum. The Beginning Is After The End has a nice full roasted coffee flavor at first. There is a nice malt caramel that has a nice roasted, faint bitter dark fruit finish with a lingering caramel coffee aftertaste. The mouthfeel thick but not too full mouthfeel. Burial Beer The Beginning Is After The End is a good Coffee Porter, an A from me, and something that should be worth a try. It has all the right coffee flavors without overdoing it. I love Burial Beer, and so should you! Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers! 

Throwback Thursday: Fullsteam Brewery Fearrington Winter Coffee Pecan Porter

Posted on by Evan

Originally postes April 19th, 2015

One of my favorite styles of beer is coffee beer, whether is a Stout or Porter. They are quite popular among craft beer drinkers. This here is Fullsteam Brewery Fearrington Coffee Pecan Porter, 6.0% ABV. Fullsteam is here in Durham, NC. Fearrington Coffee Pecan Porter using Southern pecans and Fearrington Village Coffee beans. Fearrington Coffee Pecan Porter pours a deep dark black color with a two-finger brown/beige head that slowly fades into a ring round the glass leaving nice thick lacing behind. I found no light through the glass with a little amount of carbonation bubbles. The aroma is fresh with roasted coffee beans and hints of chocolate. The taste is like a nice cup of good coffee and you don’t get much of the pecans. The coffee flavor hinds those pecans. There is a nice light chocolate flavor there that turns a little spicy as this porter warms a bit. But it isn’t an overwhelming spice. The bitterness is low and it allows for the sweetness of the beer to come through a bit. But this porter isn’t overly sweet. It has a nice balance of sweetness with the coffee roasted flavors. The mouthfeel is medium. I thought this was a little thin tasting for a coffee porter. Fearrington Coffee Pecan Porter has a nice chocolaty coffee finish that fades into a semi-sweet nutty and roasted aftertaste. I think that Fearrington Coffee Pecan Porter is a good beer. So I give it a B+. The pecan flavor is not really present until the finish. But Fullsteam Fearrington Coffee Pecan Porter is still good. I enjoyed this and I might have this again, and I recommend that you go out and try it too. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!