Best Beer Blog

Resident Culture Brewing There is No Light without the Dark

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Evan

Please support your local and small businesses during this time. I purchased this Resident Culture Brewing There is No Light without the Dark, 5.0% Crowler from Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop here in Charlotte. Resident Culture Brewing located here in Charlotte, North Carolina where this Schwarzbier is brewed. There is No Light without the Dark pours a dark, black color with a two-finger slow beige head giving off roasted, bitter, dry dark chocolate notes with hints of coffee coming into your nose. Taste slightly follows the nose with bitter dry dark chocolate notes with some light coffee roasted notes washing into the middle of your mouth with a bit of crispness that comes to a roasted cocoa coffee finish and fades into a bitter chocolate coffee aftertaste with a more full mouthfeel that is not too full. Resident Culture Brewing There is No Light without the Dark is a good Schwarzbier but I’ve There is No Light without the Dark to be a B-. It has little bitter notes that hold it back and they keep this from being a real crisp beer, but other than it was a good beer, but like I said there is better ones out there, Rahr and Sons Ugly Pug is a great example. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Crooked Stave Artisanal Ales L’Brett D’or

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Evan

Support your local small businesses like I did when I bought a crowler of Crooked Stave Artisanal Ales L’Brett D’or, 5.0% ABV from Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop. L’Brett D’or is an American wild ale that is spontaneously in oak barrels with natural wild yeast residing their coolship which is an open-top brewing vessel that is flat allowing wild cultures to accumulate within said vessel. L’Brett D’or pours a slightly amber color with a two-finger steady fading white head with aromas of a dry white/green grape with bits of sour notes flowing along and a bit of dryness. Taste is a bit sour on the front of the tongue with a white/green dry grape with a sour note hitting the middle becoming tart as it passed onto the back of the tongue with bits of light green apple then comes to a dry finish and a dry almost white wine aftertaste with a light mouthfeel that is a bit crisp.Crooked Stave Artisanal Ales L’Brett D’or is a good easy drinking beer that I give an A- too, the minus is just because the dryness is something that becomes just a little bit too much on the taste buds after about two pints, but otherwise a good beer no less. Crooked Stave Artisanal Ales L’Brett D’or is worth trying. Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Dssolver Sandwich Station American Pale Ale

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Evan

Recently purchased from Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop, Dssolver Sandwich Station American Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV brewed with Cascade and Crystal hops. I highly recommend that you support your local breweries, bottle shops and other small businesses doing this time, they need your support. Dssolver Sandwich Station, brewed in Asheville, North Carolina pours a dark yellow color with a three-finger white head that quickly fades to two-fingers and slowly fades leaving behind some nice lacing. This American Pale Ale gives aromas of very faint floral notes with breaded bitterness with a piney hoppy note as well. Taste is of a nice bitterness with some hoppy breaded notes with some floralness sneaking in and I guess the taste does follow the nose, then it comes to a nice light bitter finish with the faintest dry note and Sandwich Station has nice bitter piney aftertaste. This beer is an easy drinker, it’s has a nice balance of flavor with just the right amount of it and a nice Alcohol By Volume level, and with that said I give Dssolver Sandwich Station am A+. You should try it! Please stay safe and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

The Beer News

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Evan

For the foreseeable future, Best Beer Blog will not be posted The Beer News. Most bars, breweries, and restaurants are closed but if they have curbside service plus take full advantage and support local businesses. But most of all stay at home when and only go when absolutely necessary, please wash your hands thoroughly and practice social distancing. However, I will be posting regular beer reviews so check those out and enjoy them. Please stay safe and drink responsibly! Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Wild Little Thing Slightly Sour Ale

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Evan

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Wild Little Thing Slightly Sour Ale, 5.5% with Tow-Row, Pale, Oat, and Wheat malts, Cascade Hops, Ale yeast, Guava, Hibiscus, and Strawyberry, one of two Little Thing Beer, the other being Hazy Little Thing, a hazy IPA. Wild Little Thing pours a bright red color with a faint pink/white fuffy head with aromas of sweet fruits, strawberry, and guava with a hint of a faint floral note. Taste is somewhat similar to its aroma, on the front of the mouth you get a nice bit of sweet strawberry with guava behind it with a nice sour/tart note on the middle of the tongue that stretches its legs and grows as it hits the rear of your mouth and finishes with a tart yet sweet fruit flavor with a nice tart strawberry aftertaste with a light mouthfeel. Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing is a nice refreshing summer beer with a nice balance of flavor and just enough tart/sour notes, receiving a B-. I would not drink a six-pack of this, by the fourth Wild Little Thing the flavor would become too much. But it’s not a bad sessionable beer and one worth the try. Please drink responsibly! Cheers!

Crafted Cocktail: White Lady

Posted on March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 by Evan

A White Lady is a Gin cocktail (1 1/2 oz Gin) with 3/4 oz Triple Sec Liqueur, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, 1/3 oz Simple syrup and 1/2 oz pasteurized egg white which is optional. I used Aviation Gin and DeKuyper Triple Sec. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker DRY shake (without ICE) and the fine strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. The White Lady Cocktail has been around since 1919 when it was created in London’s Ciro’s Club by Scotlands Harry MacElhone. The White Lady pours a cloudy white with a foamy clean white head giving you silky lemon aromas with a silky lemon and medium citrus orange notes that finish with a nice gin lemon and a much similar aftertaste with a bit of a gin alcoholic note all with a light to medium yet thick mouthfeel. The White Lady Cocktail seems fancier to me than most cocktails I’ve had but nothing overly or too fancy for me and the flavor is more on the refreshing side with a little more alcoholic strength to it, but just enjoy. I rather enjoy this cocktail, I’d say it’s a B. The somewhat thick mouthfeel hold it back just a little bit but not really hurting it an overall nice flavor and such. It one that I would say you should try! Please enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Shiner Beer S’more

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Evan

Shiner Beer S’more, 5.0% ABV categorized as a Brown Ale is brewed with real Texas Chocolate and marshmallow to celebrate one-hundred eleven years of beer brewing out of the Spoetzl Brewery down in yes Shiner Texas. S’more pours a deep brown color with a light beige three-finger rocky head that sticks with no movement, that gives you creamy sweet chocolate aromas with faint marshmallow notes. Taste on this brown beer is not too far off from what it advertising on its can, you get a creamy sweetness in the front with a light marshmallow note in the middle and a nice light note of a cream flavor on the end that comes to a nice chocolate sweet finish that carries into a nice light creamy chocolate aftertaste with a light mouthfeel, for a dark beer such as this brown ale. Shiner Beer S’more is exactly what it is, a chocolate marshmallow ale, but I thought it would be more sweet stout or porter like. Yes, this beer is easy to drink for a brown ale. I give this Shiner Beer S’more a C+. It is good but just above average, and the flavor all coincided well with one another but it’s on the lighter side for a beer that makes you think it would not be a brown ale and easier to drink helps. Please enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Throwback Thursday: Shiner Beer Bohemian Black Lager

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Evan

Originally posted December 16th, 2011.

Yes, it yet another beer from Texas, another Shiner. Shiner, the Spoetzl Brewery in you guessed it, Shiner, Texas. This a style much the same as Ugly Pug I wrote not to long ago. The first Bohemian Black Lager was brewed to commemorate their 97th anniversary, that’s why there is a 97 on the top of the neck. Shiner brews this beer to keep it to the old-world heritage of the German and Czech immigrants who settled in Shiner. That area of Texas, not far from San Antonio is the german hill country of Texas. So this Shiner pours a dark rich black color with a thin white foamy head. Shiner Bohemian has faint scents of baked bread and grassy hops, but you really have to smells closely to notice them. It has a semi-sweet taste with a light sourish twist in middle. It’s in between okay and good. On the after taste, it has a sour hoppy bite that is kind of good. I think this Shiner is one is good, but I do think Ugly Pug is better. This isn’t as smooth as Ugly Pug, but still smooth though. I still think that this shiner is good, but it could be a tiny bit better. I would lower the sourness to this one and make it even smoother. I would get this again. Shiner brews great beers and is growing in popularity these days as with most craft beers. Maybe you will like this one better than Ugly Pug. But you need to try it to find out, have a few with a friend and spread cheer with Shiner beer! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Evan

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

Wednesday, March 11th. Beer & Cupcakes Pairing! Sycamore Brewing. 4 pm-10 pm. Because who doesn’t LOVE a FREE cupcake from Smallcakes Steele Creek with a purchase of a flight/pint? There is a special Sycamore Beer Cupcake is in the making… Can you guess which beer we will be using?! See you soon! Cheers!(Vegan/Gluten-Free options will be available!)

Wednesday, March 11th. D9 Brewing Co. Tasting! Carolina Beer Temple. 6 pm-8 pm. Join us from 6-8pm on Wednesday, March 11th for a beer tasting with D9 Brewing Co! Beers TBD!

Thursday, March 12th. Irish Stout Release. Catawba Brewing Company Charlotte. 3 pm-10 pm. Celebrate Paddy’s Day early with a pint of Irish Stout!

Thursday, March 12th. Cookie-Inspired Beer Preview Night & Cookie Pairing. NoDa Brewing Company. 4 pm-9 pm. Join us for a Cookie-Inspired Beer preview night at our North End location where we will be serving up one of our most popular seasonals by the pint or flight! We will also be pairing up each flight with the 4 cookies that inspire these delicious brews! And if you’d rather enjoy a whole pint, you’ll be able to order them without cookies as well. 👌
– Coconut & Chocolate Ale (Blonde Ale brewed with coconut and cocoa nibs)
– Mint Porter (Porter brewed with mint)
– Lemon Shortbread Kolsch (Kolsch Ale brewed with lemons)
– Peanut Butter & Chocolate Brown Ale (Brown Ale brewed with cocoa nibs and peanut butter)

Pricing –
Pint: $6
Flight: $8
Cookie Flight: $10

No four-packs will be available for purchase until 3/13 on the official release day.

Thursday, March 12th. Wild and Sour Beer Education. The Hop Shop 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. Join us for an exclusive guided beer tasting led by our friend Adam with Allagash Brewing Company!
Learn how the brewers at Allagash craft their wild and sour ales, and taste the nuances of flavor as Adam guides you through a series of carefully curated, limited production beers. Keep your Allagash tasting glass.

Q&A session after the tasting. Limited bottles are available for purchase.

Farm to Face
I Believe in Love
Nancy
Coolship Peche

Limited seats. Presale tickets are available now at the bar. $25.

Thursday, March 12th. Dry Irish Stout Release. Triple C. Brewing Company. 4 pm-10 pm. Always After Me Lucky Charms Dry Irish Stout!
This sessionable stout pours an almost opaque black with an off-white head. Aromas of dark roasted coffee and perfectly toasted bread. Smooth roast flavors with a touch of cold brew coffee on the tongue and a dry finish.

4.7% ABV

Thursday, March 12th. Olde Hickory Event. Duckworth’s Grill & Taphouse Ballantyne. 6 pm-8 pm. Olde Hickory will be here with swag giveaways and free beer samples!
On tap:
Death By Hops
Hefeweizen
Tropi-Can-Of
Piedmont Pilsner

Friday, March 13th. Cookie Beers Release. NoDa Brewing Company. 2 pm-10 pm. ** Available at both taprooms. **
Join us for one of our favorite (and tastiest) events of the year. 👌 🍪

We’re thrilled to be bringing back our highly anticipated cookie-inspired beers:

– Coconut & Chocolate Ale
– Mint Porter
– Lemon Shortbread Kolsch
– Peanut Butter & Chocolate Brown Ale

Just like last year, we expect the MIXED FOUR-PACK cans to sell out quickly, so be sure to get here early if you want to claim a couple for yourself!

Friday, March 13th. Varsity Barleywine & Shadow Puppet Release. Town Brewing Company. 2 pm-11 pm. Intensely malty and complex, this rich barleywine boasts notes of caramel, toffee, orange marmalade, and dried dates. Chinook hops provide a pleasant balance to the malt sweetness. A rich, velvety body and smooth warmth from the alcohol combine to make this great sipper that will age gracefully for as long as you can resist popping the cap. Barleywine is life! Don’t let your eyes deceive you! While dark in hue, Shadow Puppets is a far cry from the boozy, sweet pastry stouts that have come to dominate the dark beer landscape in recent years. This sessionable, Czech-inspired dark lager balances rich malt character and light roast with the pleasantly mild flavor and bitterness of Saaz hops. The result is a smooth, easy-drinking dark beer with the refreshingly crisp finish that lovers of lagers crave.

Friday, March 13th. Wicked Weed Pint Night. Mac’s Speed Shop Southend. 7 pm Free Tickets at eventbrite.com Wicked Weed Pint Night @ 7 pm!
Wicked Weed will be here with specials and swag for a Pint Night!
Watch the ACC Semi-Finals!
Brewery of The Month Friday!
$4 Wicked Weed Beers
$6 Carolina Mules
$5 Fireball

Saturday, March 14th. St. Patrick’s Day Bash. Sugar Creek Brewing. 11 am-11 pm. Don’t miss our St Patty’s Day celebration next Saturday the 14th with Live music 3-6pm. We’ll be tapping our Irish Red Ale the Snake Chaser and serving up Irish Car Bombs made with Sugar Creeks Belgian Pastry Stout!
Thursday, March 14th. St. Pat’s Day Return of the Emerald Curtain! Red Clay Ciderworks. 12 pm-11 pm. Our St. Patrick’s Day small-batch, The Emerald Curtain, is making its return for year 3!
This all-natural, green-inspired, semi-dry cider starts with sweet & tart kiwi, moves to cool cucumber in the middle, and culminates in a citrusy lime finish.

Happy St Pat’s Day!

Saturday, March 14th. Paloma Gose Can Release! Sycamore Brewing. 12 pm-11 pm. Ruby Red Grapefruit, Bright Lime, Agave Syrup and Just a Pinch of Salt, All Layered Over a Tart Gose Base. Welcome to the Fiesta! Just in time for St. Patricks Day Par-tay!!

Foothills Brewing Craft Happiness UBU IPA

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Evan

I purchased Foothills Brewing Craft Happiness UBU IPA, 6.0% ABV from my local Whole Foods. UBU IPA is part of the Craft Happiness IPA series and is the first one of the year. UBU is brewed to embrace individuality and acceptance and has an experimental hop, HBC 692, and the proceeds benefit the United Way of Forsyth County. UBU IPA pours a deep yellow/orange color with a strong two and a half finger white head with sediment floating about. The aroma is of juicy citrus grapefruit some resin notes with a light tropical bitter fruit note that leads you to citrus grapefruit, stone fruit taste that has a nice resin bitterness to it with a dab of sweet and faint breaded notes that come to a bitter fruited finish and a resins aftertaste with a medium mouthfeel. Foothills Brewing Craft Happiness UBU IPA is yet another solid IPA, getting an A+, and it is nothing out of the ordinary from a Foothills Brewing IPA. It checks all the boxes for a good IPA that I think you need to drink. Please enjoy responsibly! Cheers!