Castelló Beer Factory Golden, American Blonde Ale

Posted on by Evan

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Here is a beer, Castelló Beer Factory Golden, American Blonde Ale 5.5% ABV that was gifted to me from my Spanish exchange brother via a box from Spain. Castelló Beer Factory for Catellón Spain isn’t imported into the United States, nor in the rest of North America. Golden, American Blonde Ale pours a slightly hazy golden color with a two finger head that fades into a right around the glass at a steady yet slower pace and gives off a slightly fruity aroma with a very faint yeasty note. This Golden as a slight witbier aroma to it more than a Golden. Taste is slightly fruity at first then you get some slight bold yeast flavors with a very little sourness toward the end that fades out quickly with a somewhat smooth like finish of something similar to a witbier and a similar aftertaste with a tiny bit of a sour note on the tail end that is quickly gone with a light to somewhat medium mouthfeel. I didn’t find Golden, American Blonde Ale to be bad it wasn’t what I thought it to be for an American Golden Ale, more of a slight witbier. So I give this a C+. It was good for what it was not what it was supposed to be, Golden, American Blonde Ale. But It wasn’t really worth having more than one and a half, nor was it too memorable. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!    

Throwback Thursday: Fullsteam Brewery Coffee is for Closers Iced Coffee Porter

Posted on by Evan

This post is from May 11, 2015.

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I so do enjoy coffee beers. I love the roasted and malted flavors of them. I found Fullsteam Brewery Coffee is for Closers Iced Coffee Porter, 6.0% ABV and 36 IBUs (International Bittering Units). I have never seen an iced Coffee beer before so I had to try it. Coffee is for Closers pour a black color with a big four beige head that slowly fades into little amounts of lacing in the glass. I found no light nor did I see any carbonation bubbles. The aroma is much like a sweet sugary iced coffee. You get nice roasted notes with a few fresh coffee beans.  The aroma is quite pleasing on the nose. Coffee is for Closers is semi-sweet at first and does have nice malt and roasted flavor but none too intense or strong. There is a slight burnt note to it on the end. The mouth full is medium to semi-full with a richness to it. Coffee is for Closers finishes nicely with a bit of semi-sweet roasted flavors and leaves you with a true iced coffee aftertaste that isn’t too sweet. I’d give Fullsteam Breweries Coffee is for Closers an A. It was what the label said it was. It was an iced coffee porter and it tasted like one. It never overpowers you with one flavor. It is well balanced and should be tried. So go out and try Fullsteam Brewery Coffee is for Closers Iced Coffee Porter! I recommend you do! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Nebraska Brewing Company Cardinal Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

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I received this Nebraska Brewing Company Cardinal Pale Ale, 6.0% ABV from Brewpublik recently. This beer is interesting, well the can is because it has an unconventional way of opening. You open it like a canned food, the whole top opens and it becomes a glass. Cardinal Pale Ale from Nebraska Brewing Compay in La Vista Nebraska pours a deep golden orange with a one and a half finger white head that dissipates at a steady pace with aroma of oranges with some slight malty grapefruit and other citrus aromas that guides you to a slight malty orange, grapefruit, and citrus flavor with a slight bitter-sweetness that grows a bit stronger on the back of the mouth, with a nice citrus finish and a malty citrus and a slight yet faint bitter note all with a medium mouthfeel. Cardinal Pale Ale is surprisingly good beer and one that grows on you. I could see myself having a few of these. The flavor goes a long way on this beer. I give Nebraska Brewing Company Cardinal Pale Ale an A-. This beer is good from start to finish and is one I recommend trying. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly! 

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here are the news and events happening in and around the Charlotte, NC area!

  • October 13th Friday 11 am-11 pm The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Rein Stein Keller Pils Release. Every year, OMB brews the winning recipe of the Rein Stein Homebrewing Competition. 2017’s champion is Trey Lovelace – a first-time winner since OMB has partnered with Carolina Brewmasters. We’re excited to present Keller Pils on Friday, Oct. 13 with Trey. This new, limited Brauhaus Reserve is a rare German-style brew. It is similar to Captain Jack, but it’s unfiltered — meaning there will be a yeasty haze to the brew. The sapphire hops give it a kick unlike Jack as well. This brew is only available on tap at OMB. Learn more about Carolina Brewmasters at their website: http://www.carolinabrewmasters.com/index.php
  • October 13th Friday 5 pm-10 pm Trackside Crafts Beer Release #1. oin us as we debut our very first beer, the Trackside Farmhouse Ale! Brewed in collaboration with Sugar Creek Brewing, we brewed a dry, phenolic saison then dry-hopped it with Citra hops. This 6.7% ABV farmhouse ale was a small batch beer so very limited bottles will be available, along with tapping a keg. It will ONLY be available at Sugar Creek & Trackside Crafts, so we look forward to getting your feedback on our first of many collab beers!
  • October 14th Saturday 11 am-11 pm Sugar Creek Brewing is three years old, and we’re celebrating with a 3 Year Anniversary Belgian Beer Fest on Saturday, October 14 from 11 AM to 11 PM! We’ll have a special anniversary flight of Belgian beers (more on that below); a “Kids Zone” with a giant bounce house, games, and face-painting; a special appearance by the Charlotte Hornets mascot,Topgolf, and CrossFit Mecklenburg; live music with The Accidentals and two other local bands; and the Ultimate Craft Beer Lovers’ Giveaway featuring a YETI cooler filled with all the Sugar Creek swag you could ever want! To enter to win this giveaway, you can purchase a $5 giveaway ticket in the taproom ($1 of which will be donated to Michelle’s Mighty Mission, a fundraiser for The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation) anytime between now and our anniversary celebration. We’ll announce the winner at 2:25 PM on October 14! Must be present to win. To get everyone excited for the celebration, we’ll be releasing one Belgian beer every day until the anniversary party starting on Monday, October 9 – see the beer release schedule below:
    Monday 10/9: Brett Saison
    Tuesday 10/10: Biere de Garde
    Wednesday 10/11: Galaxy Dry-Hopped Brett Saison
    Thursday 10/12: Oud Bruin
    Friday 10/13: Citra Dry-Hopped Saison
    On the day of the 3 Year Anniversary Belgian Beer Fest, we’ll be serving special Anniversary Flights featuring four specially brewed Belgian beers:
    1) Belgian Singel – Father Franklin’s Patersbier
    2) Belgian Dubbel – Sugar Creek Dubbel
    3) Belgian Tripel – Atmosphera Tripel
    4) Belgian Quad – Sugar Creek XV
  • October 14th Saturday 12 pm-11 pm Sycamore Year Anniversary. cheers to 3 YEARS! Thank you, Charlotte for your support! To show you how much we appreciate you – we want to throw one hell of a party!
    Special beer releases, giveaways, 2 stages with live music, 5 food trucks! It’s going down!!Tag a friend for a chance to win a 3-year anniversary tee + koozie + a case of beer!!!
    Live music by:
    Simplified
    Porch 40
    Falconheart
    Swim In the Wild
    Late Night Special and more.     Food by:
    Papi Queso Food Truck
    TIN Kitchen
    Gyro Twins Truck
    OooWee BBQ

New Holland Brewing Hoptronix Double India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

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I have really had much from New Holland Brewery in New Holland Michigan. I know that they have good beer from what I hear. Well this New Holland Brewing Hoptronix Double India Pale Ale. 9.0% ABV with 70n IBUs came to be from another of my recent Brewpublik deliveries. Hoptronix pours a bright hazy orange color with a one finger white head that quickly fades away with no traces of it behind giving you big hoppy earthy notes with some bitter orange and slight grapefruit. You can really smell that this is a double IPA. Taste has a big bitter hoppy note up front that really hits your tongue then you get some earthy bitter orange and grapefruit in the middle and somewhat sweet notes on the end that all finish with a bitterness and some slight bitter earthy fruit and has a little bitter hopped aftertaste that has a faint grapefruit notes they with a more full mouthfeel. You know that I am not a huge fan of double IPA’s, there are just two or maybe three that I like, but this was not bad once you get past the big bitter wallop upfront it’s not so bad, and I say New Holland Brewing Hoptronix Double India Pale Ale is a B-. But this isn’t one that I would have more than one of. I think that the second would overwhelm your taste buds. But one is good. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!   

Throwback Thursday: Against The Grain Brewiny 35k Stout

Posted on by Evan

This post is from January 15, 2017. 

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I’ve been trying to review more dark beers for The Best Beer Blog because I’ve been reviewing a lot of IPA’s, Pale Ales, and similar type beers. I’m reviewing more dark beer not because I don’t like IPA and/or Pale Ales, this isn’t an IPA beer blog. Here is Against The Grain Brewery, 35K Stout Beer, 7.0% ABV. Against The Grain, Brewing is in Louisville Kentucky. 35K Stout Beer pours a black color with a three finger creamy light beige head that sticks and leaves behind awesome lacing. The aroma is roasted with coffee notes and a slight chocolate sweetness. The aroma is quite good. Taste on 35K Stout Beer is roasted up front with a semi-sweet coffee flavor in the middle and a tingle of a faint bitterness at the very end. The mouthfeel is full and rich with a nice chocolate coffee like finish and an aftertaste of semi-sweet roasted flavors that linger there for what seems like forever. 35K Stout Beer surprised me with its flavors and I was expecting it to be more on the bittersweet side of the stout spectrum.  But that wasn’t the case. 35K Stout Beer is an A. I highly recommend 35K Stout Beer for anyone that is into dark beers. I really enjoyed it and look forward to having this Against The Grain Brewery 35K Stout Beer again. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly

Left Hand Brewing Company Study Abroad Belgian-Style Single Ale

Posted on by Evan

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Belgian beer and pretty good and predictable (the good predictable). This Left Hand Brewing Company Study Abroad Belgian-Style Single Ale, 4.5% ABV out of Longmont Colorado an American example of a Belgian-Style single ale. This is a fall seasonal release that pours an orange color with a slight haze to it and a one and a half finger fizzing white head that is gone as soon as it appears. Study Abroad gives you an aroma of spicy notes with slight mild fruits such as faint orange, that leads to somewhat mild spiced notes with the same mild fruit and a bit of yeast. Nothing to write home about here. Study Abroad finish with a little spiced not and faint yeasted fruit with a mild aftertaste of the same fruited spice that is gone in an instant all with a somewhat medium mouthfeel. I find this style of beer to be a good one, but Left Hand Brewing Company Study Abroad Belgian-Style Single Ale is just close to boring, it’s C+. I thought it had a slight IPA orange flavor it that was least bit odd but not so bad. I do like Left Hand Brewing Company’s beer, they make a fabulous Milk Stout and Nitro Milk Stout, Overall I might go Study Abroad again but not anytime soon! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly! 

Starr Hill Brewery Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale

Posted on by Evan

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Fall is here. Well, I guess that’s true but it sure feels like summer in most places. But here is a fall beer from the Starr Hill Brewery in Charlottesville Virgina, Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale, 6.1% ABV brewed with real Virgina Maple Suryp. Last Leaf pours a dark amber brown color with ruby brown edges and with a one finger thin beige head that quickly dissipates that gives off sweet maple vanilla notes with a syrupy sweetness and has a taste that is thick with vanilla, maple syrup with a slightly bitter note on toward the back of the mouth to it that sort of brings Last Leaf down a bit. Last Leaf finishes with maple vanilla notes and gives a very bitter yet sweet aftertaste that lings for just a bit before fading into a thickness with a fuller mouthfeel. I went into this beer thinking this should be good, but I was underwhelmed, this beer was not as good, I give Starr Hill Brewery Last Leaf a C-. Some of the flavors were somewhat good but not good enough. I would have like to have a creamier vanilla and maple flavor to this Last Leaf and not any bitter notes to it. That would really help make this beer something good. But it wasn’t what I like in a brown ale. Don’t go for Starr Hill Brewery Last Leaf, please. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!  

Throwback Thursday: Unibroue Raftman

Posted on by Evan

This post is from August 29th, 2014

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Some beers are harder to find than others and that could be due to where that beer brewery is located or that they just do not distribute beer out of their local area and/or state. That could be cost or other reasons. Some beers might just be a seasonal release and some seasons are shorter than others, like fall. Well, I came across a seasonal brew from The Unibroue brewery in Canada, Raftman, 5.5% ABV, a Belgian Pale ale brewed with Peat smoked Whisky malt and also brewed with spices. Unibroue Raftman is brewed in memory of those bygone masters of the forest who were always amenable to settling their differences over ale and a shot of whiskey. I always enjoy Unibroue’s labels, they are always very interesting and they look like they tell some sort of story. Raftman pours a copper brownish slightly murky color with a big three and a half rocky white head that sticks around for a good while and fades into some nice white lacing. I found minimal light coming through the glass with little carbonation due to the murky like coloring. The aroma has the slightest smoky malt scent with a little yeast. The taste on Raftman is smoky like the aroma but just enough to let you know that there are smoked whiskey malts. I also get a little bit of a pepper spice on the middle of the mouth that really goes well with the smoked whiskey malts, and really lifts it taste up. On the back of the mouth, I get some nice slightly sweet vanilla flavors. The mouthfeel is full bodied with some richness to it, but not a lot. Raftman has a nice smoky finish that lingers into a nice slightly spiced and smoked aftertaste. This is a really an interesting take on a Belgian Pale Ale, I give Unibroue Raftman A+. I really like the smoked whiskey malts on this beer. They really did it well, it isn’t overdone or strong and it’s easy to drink. I highly recommend trying Unibroue Raftman, so go out and get some of it and try it. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here are this week’s happenings in and around the Charlotte, NC area.

  • September 28th Thursday 4 pm- 8:30 pm NoDa Brewing Company. Pink Pint Night kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness month Thursday, Sept. 28 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at NoDa Brewing Company in North End (2921 N. Tryon St.). This collaboration between NoDa Brewing Company and Charlotte Radiology is free, open to the public and reservations are not required. The kickoff event will feature live music, food trucks, and a special pink brew.
    100% of the proceeds will benefit Carolinas Breast Cancer Fund, a Levine Cancer Institute initiative that increases access to life-saving mammography screenings and follow-up care for uninsured women.
    Raise $150 and become a VIP! VIPs get reserved seating, a food voucher, Pink Pint Night glass, 2 free beer tickets and VIP bar access!
    Click here to become a VIP: http://bit.ly/PinkPintNightVIP Ticket information http://www.charlotteradiology.com
  • September 28th Thursday 3 pm-10 pm Birdsong Brewing Co. Bottle Release Weasels On Woodpeckers! It’s not every day that we release a bottle of barrel-aged yumminess from what we like to call our “Take Flight Series!” Join us on 9/28 for the release of Weasels on Woodpeckers, as this might be our best one yet! Back in 2015 when a photo of a weasel on a woodpecker went viral, we received tweets and emails galore suggesting that we use that to name a beer in our Take Flight Series! It kind of fits the theme… Turtles on Pterodactyls, Squirrels on Geese and Mongeese on Monkeys… you get the idea. We’ve been working on this beer idea for quite some time and we’re finally ready to unveil! Weasels on Woodpeckers is our Belgian Saison aged in white wine barrels with fresh peaches added. The Belgian yeast is complimented with upfront aromas of Chardonnay oakiness and finishes with a slightly tart, slightly sweet peach finish! Kind of tastes like a peach bellini. Who doesn’t like those? We packaged a limited amount of bottles and draft and will release at 3 pm on Thursday, 9/28! 22 oz bottles will be first come, first serve and $10 each. Hope you can join!
  • September 29th Friday 12 pm-10 pm Noda Brewing Company. Bottle Release Sticky When Wet IPA. The beer that so many of you have been asking for since it’s 2016 debut is finally back! Join us for the release of our wet hopped brew: Sticky When Wet. We brewed this beer just ONE day after the hops were harvested… it’s as fresh and sticky as it can possibly get! This wet-hopped beer has an assertive bitterness balanced with bright aromas and flavors of Peach and Grapefruit derive from heavy additions of Citra and Mosaic hops. Sitting at 6.31%, this brew is one you don’t want to miss. TIN Kitchen will join us to serve up delicious grub starting at 5 pm!
  • September 30th Saturday 11 am- 1 pm Wooden Robot Brewery Bottle Release Réserve Series. The exclusive bottle release of our Barrel-Aged Réserve Series: Réserve Dorée & Réserve de Cerises
    Saturday, 9.30.17 @ 11 am Réserve Dorée: Sour Golden Ale Aged In Chardonnay Barrels One of the first beers we ever brewed at Wooden Robot. This sour golden ale was lovingly aged in a French Oak Chardonnay barrel for over 20 months. We selected our favorite barrel and bottled it unblended for a pure expression of fruity yeast, soft oak, and bright wine notes.
    Alc/Vol: 5.8% Réserve de Cerises: Sour Red Ale with Cherries Aged in Red Wine Barrels This sour red ale was aged in red wine barrels for nearly two years, then refermented on over a pound per gallon of tart cherries. Balanced notes of raisin, cherry and red wine fade to a dry, funky finish. Drink fresh to highlight the bright fruit character or age to allow the wild yeast to come to the forefront. Alc/Vol: 6.0% Sales will commence at 11 am on the east side of the brewhouse. $20 (+tax) per 500mL bottle Limit 4 bottles of Réserve de Cerises per person Limit 2 bottles of Réserve Dorée per person In addition to bottle sales, we will be pouring a few special releases. The infamous Strawberry Vanilla Sour and Godless Killing Machine Imperial Stout! H    ang out in our taproom after and grab one of these exclusive releases! 
  • October 5th Thursday 5 pm-7 pm BirdSong Brewing. Solar Event. Red Group is hosting an event at Birdsong Brewery on Thursday, October 5th from 5 pm – 7:30 pm. Come learn how solar can benefit your home or business. Team REDgroup will be on hand for personal discussions as well as a brief presentation regarding solar in NC. Our goals are to provide you with useful information that will help you make an educated decision regarding solar and to enjoy a tasty Birdsong Beer. Please RSVP so we can give Birdsong an idea of how many delicious brews to have ready for us. Contact us with any questions solar@redgroupnc.com OR 877-520-SOLAR. More info: http://bit.ly/2xamvvc