Parkway Brewing Company Get Bent Mountian IPA

Posted on by Evan

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This beer, Parkway Brewing Co., Get Bent Mountian IPA, 7.2% ABV and 67 IBUs from Saleem Virgina which I received from a Brewpublik delivery. This beer uses lots of citrusy hops according to its label.  Get Bent Mountian IPA pours an orange color with an almost two finger white head that fades rather quickly with nothing left behind it, and gives off a grapefruit and orange aroma with plenty of earthy earth, and hoppy notes. Taste is big on the bitter grapefruit with a big bitter hop note with some earthiness and piney notes and has a bitter finish with touches of bitter orange and a lingering of a bitterness with some pine and earthy notes and a somewhat of a full mouthfeel. This beer was more on the bitter side and that was a bit much for me so I give Parkway Brewing Co., Get Bent Mountian IPA a D+. It was a beer that I could finish but not one that I like nor would go back to it again. Too much bitterness and not enough citrus flavors. I think Parkway Brewing Co. needs to turn down the bitterness on this beer for it to be somewhat good. But I don’t think you should try this IPA. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly! 

Wicked Weed Brewing Old Fashioned Barrel-Age Ale

Posted on by Evan

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This Old Fashioned Barrel-Aged Ale 10.0% ABV from Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville North Carolina is their take on the classic cocktail The Old Fashioned. This beer is brewed with oranges and cherries and is aged in bourbon barrels with Montmorency and black cherries and finished off with orange zest. What is Montmorency, well that is a type of cherry from Canada, France, and United States.  Old Fashioned Barrel-Aged Ale pours a thick black color with a one finger beige head that gives off slight cherry, lots of alcoholic notes with faint orange. There are a few vanilla notes on the nose but it slightly is hidden behind the big alcoholic boozy aroma, it all smells strong which leads into the taste with big boozy flavors up front with a bit of cherry and slight orange in the middle with more alcohol on the end and touches of toffee. Old Fashioned Barrel-Aged Ale tastes more like a strong Quad than an Old Fashioned cocktail, and not a good one at that. The finish is too strong with alcohol and not enough of the cherry and/or orange and has a boozy aftertaste with some alcohol burn that lingers just for a bit with a full mouthfeel. Wicked Weed Brewing Old Fashioned Barrel-Aged Ale is not for me and I give it a D-. Too strong and too harsh and it wasn’t like the cocktail it is named after. I don’t recommend this at all and I will not drink this again, Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!   

Saranac F.X. Matt Haus Lager

Posted on by Evan

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Saranac F.X. Matt’s Haus Lager, 4.9% ABV I acquired form Brewpublik recently. This is the beer that the founder of the Saranac/Matt brewery brewed for the employees to enjoy after work. This Haus Lager was first brewed in 1878. Haus lager pours a golden yellow color with a two and a half finger white fluffy head with great retention that leaves behind great white lacing throughout the pint glass. There is a fine aroma of cracker, sweetness with some watery grain notes that all come together in a flavor or cracker sweetness with touches of some grains and has a smooth sweet finish with a semi-cracker aftertaste all with a fuller mouthfeel. This is a great take on a lager beer, I say it is an A- and comes close to my favorite lager Samuel Smiths Organic Lager. Lager beers a look upon has bad and something craft beer drinkers/geeks should not try. Well no I don’t believe that at all. I actually enjoy a nice well-brewed lager and if a brewer/brewery can brew a great lager then that shows me that they are a great brewery/brewer, nothing to hide mistakes behind in a lager. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!      

Foothills Brewing Craft Happiness IPA Project Bookworm IPA

Posted on by Evan

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Another Foothills Brewing Craft Happiness Project IPA is upon us and this is Bookworm IPA, 6.3% ABV and 70 IBU (International Bittering Units). This Winston-Salem North Carolina IPA is helping out with literacy get people to read more. Bookworm pours a deep golden color with a three finger head and has a somewhat dry fruity aroma of pineapple, mango, grapefruit and slight blueberry with a slight dryness and an herbal note from the use of Eureka hops. Then the aroma leads into the taste of pineapple (from the Denali dry hopping) and some nice  grapefruit notes and very faint blueberry and a dryness on the back of the tongue. Bookworm finish slight dry and fruity with a nice dry grapefruit and pineapple aftertaste all with a medium mouthfeel. This Foothills Brewing Craft Happiness Project IPA taste slightly similar to a few of the others in this series but with a faint blueberry note, and with that being said, this Bookworm IPA is a an A-. A good beer something that I would have a again and one that I recommend to anyone that likes IPAs. Foothills Brewing does an amazing job with this series of IPAs and is a series of beer that is well with a try. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Hi-Wire Brewing Co. Flanders Red

Posted on by Evan

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Here I have Hi-Wire Brewing Co. Flanders Red, 5.8% ABV. I picked up at Good Bottle Co. (125 Remount Rd) which is a blend of old and new beer. This beer is fermented in freshly dumped white wine barrels than in the bottle, three weeks with Saccharomyces, four months with Brettanomyces, ten months with mixed culture and two and a half months of bottle conditioning. This Flanders Red pours a reddish brown color with a two finger beige head that fades into a thin but fluffy cover giving off nice aroma of cherry notes with touches of vanilla oak and some sourness that leads you to a taste of sour cherry with some hints of vanilla and acidic-ness with faint oaked notes in the rear with a nice tart finish of slight cherry and a tart cherry bandy like aftertaste all with a medium mouthfeel. This is an exceptional beer, it definitely gets an A+. Hi-Wire Brewing is doing amazing sour beers and they are something you should try if you into Sours, especially this Flander Red. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!         

Coronado Brewing Co. Islnader IPA

Posted on by Evan

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This Coronado Brewing Co. Islander IPA, 7.0% I got through Brewpublik out of Coronado California, that is basically San Deigo. Islander IPA is brewed with a blend of Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus. Islander IPA pours a golden hue with two-finger white head giving off tropical fruit aromas with mango, pineapple a little apricot, that then gives you the taste of tropical mango, pineapple with some bits of apricot and grapefruit. You also will find a nice wash of pine hoppiness. Over this beer is pleasant and refreshing, it’s a B+ and something worth trying. I found it to be a tropical refresher with a nice balance of hoppy flavors without overpowering your taste buds. I would have Coronado Brewing Co. Islander IPA again. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!  

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here are this week’s news and happening in and around the Charlotte, NC area!  

  • September 16th Saturday 21 pm-8 pm Blue Blaze Brewing is having Oktoberfest. The brewery will have traditional German-Style beers and JJ’s Red Hots will be crafting a limited edition brat using Alpine Weisse Oktoberfest Ale. This brat will then be sold at their restaurants between September 16th through October 3rd. More information On Blue Blaze Brewing’s Facebook page.
  • September 16th Saturday 12 pm-10 PM NoDa Brewing Company Oktoberfest. Celebrating Germany’s Oktoberfest with the release of our very own fall brew! Our Oktoberfest is brewed with Epiphany Malting’s Oktoberfest and Munich Malts, making a clean, crisp, and (you guessed it) malty brew that you’ll love! Not only will you be able to sip on this draft brew in the tap room, but you’ll also be able to purchase a custom stein to take home, worthy of all your Oktoberfest celebrations! Plus, TIN Kitchen will be serving up a special Bratwurst (and all of their regular tasty dishes). This is one celebration you don’t want to miss.
  • September 22nd-24rd Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Mecktoberfest Mecktoberfest, OMB’s fall “Über-seasonal” brew, releases Monday, August 28th at OMB. More info about that event is here:https://www.facebook.com/events/119537582012904
    This event is for our Mecktoberfest celebration…It’s beer-drinking season at OMB! Seasonal favorite Mecktoberfest will be on tap along with your year-round essentials: Copper, Capt Jack, Southside & Hornet’s Nest. Mecktoberfest is one of our largest events of the year and full of the sounds of Bavaria! The German bands are high-energy with audience dancing and sing-along participation encouraged. Friday:
    3-6pm – Mountain Top Polka (German band)
    7-10pm – Holzhackern Tyrolean Band (German band)
    Saturday:
    11a-6p – Local acts
    7-10pm – Holzhackern Tyrolean Band (German band)
    Sunday:
    11a-2p – Mountain Top Polka (German band)
    3-6pm – Holzhackern Tyrolean Band (German band)
    More food menu details are on the way. Expect classics like Schnitzel, Spätzle, & Knockwurst.
    You don’t want to miss this authentic Oktoberfest experience. Prost!
    This is a free event. Under 21 welcome. Dogs welcome outside.
  • September 23rd Saturday Sugar Creek Brewing Company 11 am Fall Fest 2017. Fall is finally here, and we’re celebrating with an all-day party at Sugar Creek Brewing’s Fall Fest 2017! This event itself is FREE and will offer fun for the whole family (dogs included). The event kicks off with “Fall Into Desserts,” a dessert festival hosted by Love Desserts CLT in our Sugar Creek warehouse from 12-6 PM. Experience 20 local bakeries and dessert shops under one roof! Admission to the desert festival is $10 which includes entry into the event, complimentary non-alcoholic drink (Apple Pie Punch or Cranberry Harvest Punch), and candy. Tickets can be purchased here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/love-desserts-fall-into-dessert-tickets-37427224837 While that’s going on, we’ll also have live music, a pig roast, games for kids, and plenty of local vendors to shop from, including:
    Glory Days Apparel
    Johnny Fly
    Southern Fragrances Candle Co
    WildlyUrban
    Charlotte Mobile Makery
    CLT Find
    Purple Girl Designs by Amber
    Pet Wants Charlotte: The Urban Feed Store
    Tabletop Campfires
    Pink Daisy Co.
    Thank You Mother Earth
    Bajari
    And more!

Hi-Wire Brewing White Grape Grisette

Posted on by Evan

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I picked up another Hi-Wire Brewing beer, this is White Grape Grisette with Sauvignon Blanc Grapes, 5.5% ABV which is added late in the fermentation, and this Grisette is dry-hopped with Citra, El Dorado, and Equinox. This beer brewed with Saison yeast and Brettanomyces.  I purchased this from the Good Bottle Co, 125 Remount Rd here in Charlotte. White Grape Grisette pours a bright yellow color with a two finger bright white slightly foamy head with good retention that leaves behind a little amount of lacing with an aroma of funky green grapes and a faint yeasty Sauvignon Blanc note. Taste is much like a Saison but with a little more fruity flavor with the usually funky Saison yeast note, you get on a Saison. A Grisette is a form of Saison. White Grape Grisette finishes nicely, fruity with a little funky yeast note and has a slightly bitter fruity aftertaste that lingers for a little bit with a medium mouth feel. This Hi-Wire Brewing White Grape Grisette is good and gets a B+. The white grapes or Sauvignon Blanc grapes add another layer to a good beer. I recommend trying this one for yourself. I found it refreshing and easy to drink and I would have this again. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Bhranari Brewing Company Molly’s Lips Black Gose with Orange Blossom

Posted on by Evan

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Now this beer from Bhranari Brewing Company, Molly’s Lips Balck Gose 4.0% ABV. This Gose-style beer is brewed with black malts, smoked English sea salt, coriander, and a hint of orange blossom. The Bhranari Brewing Company in Asheville North Carolina is named after the Hindu goddess of the Bees. Molly’s Lips pours a deep black color with brown edges and a two and a half finger beige head with decent retention, giving off a tart aroma with faint orange and some roasted dark malt notes and a with flavor of Sweet yet tartness up front then sea salt and roasted notes in the middle with a very faint coffee like note on the back of the mouth. The finish is on the lighter side for a dark beer with a slight tart roasted note with a salt roasted aftertaste and a lighter mouthfeel for a dark beer. This is a different and interesting take on a Gose-style beer and It’s not that bad, it gets a B-. Just not used to a dark or black Gose beer and it found there to be a slight conflict of flavors going on between the roasted black part and the Gose base, but it was not so bad. It just could have bee better, and Bhranari Brewing Company, Molly’s Lips Balck Gose isn’t a beer that I will be rushing back too soon. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly! 

Legal Remedy Brewing Co. World Court Mocha Blonde Stout

Posted on by Evan

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This past Saturday I had a sample of Legal Remedy Brewing Co. in Rock Hill South Carolina World Court Mocha Blonde Stout, 6.6% ABV at my local Harris Teeter. I decided to take some home and give it a review. This stout is brewed coffee and white chocolate. World Court pours a hazed bright yellow like color with a one and a half finger white head the somewhat nice retention. The aroma is strong with white chocolate and some coffee notes, that then gives you not quite the same on the flavor. It’s less of the white chocolate sweetness and more coffee with a slight coffee roasted note with slight mocha qualities to it. World Court has chocolaty sweet finish with a hint of coffee and a sweet slight chocolate aftertaste that lingers on the tongue. The mouth feel is medium and over I thought this World Court Mocha Blonde Stout was interesting sound more than it tasted. It wasn’t bad. I give this beer a C+, Interesting thought. I think that after two or more you’d be over the flavor on this beer. I might have this again but not soon. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!