Burial Beer Co. & Alvarado Street Brewery Endless Surfer Dry-Hopped Pils

Posted on by Evan

Burial Beer Co. & Alvarado Street Brewery Endless Surfer Dry-Hopped Pils, 4.8% is a collaboration between the two and brewed at Burial in Asheville, North Carolina with malt from Admiral Malting and double dry-hopped with Alvarado Street Brewery’s (Monterey, California) hand-selected Motueka and Aramis hops. Endless Surfer which I purchased from my favorite local bottle shop Pop The Top, pours a light hazy lemon-yellow color with a dark hue to it and a big four finger bright white head that fades slowly into thick whips of lacing throughout the glass giving you a light/faint lemon aroma with a nice bit of biscuity malt that’s aromatic with a very faint vegetal notes that beckons you into a light lemon biscuit flavor with soft but subtle malt notes hitting your tongue with a nice little hop note jumping in the end/back of the tongue/mouth with a nice refreshing finish that has a little hoppy note and a nice lemon breaded biscuit aftertaste with the slightest touch of a hoppy notes with a light mouthfeel. Burial Beer Co. & Alvarado Street Brewery Endless Surfer Dry-Hopped Pils is an interesting take on a Pilsner that has a good balance of soft hoppy flavors that are light as not to overpower your tastebuds, and yes this is a sessionable beer that I give an A too and highly recommend you try it. I have yet to have a bad Burial Beer Co. beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Founders Brewing Co. All Day IPA Session Ale

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted on October 31st 2016. This was part of the Best of A Mixed Six-Pack. This beer placed in second out of six beers!

I have here the fifth beer of The Best of a Mixed Six-Pack. This fifth beer is Founders Brewing Co., All Day IPA Session Ale, 4.7% ABV and 42 IBUs. Founders Brewing Co is up there in Grand Rapids Michigan. The idea behind All Day IPA is that with the lower IBU and ABV IPA is something that you can drink all day long. Not that I think you should, but I think they mean you can have many and share with friends and such. All Day IPA pours a copper orange color with a one and a half finger of brilliant white that fades a semi-quick pace and leave some lacing behind but nothing really to right home about. Aroma is quite pleasant with nice wooded aroma with earth and pine with some grapefruit notes and faint hints of some bitter orange. All Day IPA has a clean taste of earthy light grapefruit flavor with a touch of pine and bitter hops and balanced out with some grain like notes. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side with an easier quality about it. The finish is smooth and clean for an IPA with enough stratifying bitterness. Aftertaste is much like a sessionable IPA should finish with nice fruited bitter notes with bites of earthy pine. This is one easy drinking IPA, and I think it deserves an A+. I would say this is an IPA you give to someone that has yet to try an IPA. All Day IPA is a gateway to the IPA style if you will. It’s well balanced with nice flavors. I highly recommend Founders Brewing Co., All Day IPA Session Ale. But is this beer the Best of a Mixed Six-Pack? Keep it here to find out soon! 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, July 17th. Pilot Batch Release: Island Columbus Hopper. Pilot Brewing. 2 pm-9 pm. Taste a little bit of island life with the release of our next Island Hopper, this time showcasing the Columbus hop. New Pilot Batch beer means $3 Goblets on release day!

    The Columbus hop is a dual purpose hop with intense earthy and faint citrus character. Typical alpha: 14.0-16.0%. Very pungent aroma, clean bittering properties.

 

  •  Thursday, July 18th. Hazy Sunday Can Release! Triple C Brewing Company. 4 pm-10 pm. Just in time for the 3rd Annual Jimbo-Palooza, Hazy Like A Sunday Morning IPA returns in cans and on draft! A portion of sales from this collaboration with Jimmy CORE Foundation will go back to the charity! Join us Thursday for the beer release and Saturday for Jimbo-Palooza and don’t miss this all Citra Hazy IPA!

 

  • Friday, July 19th. Beer Release: Purple Blaze Common Lager. Blue Blaze Brewing. 2 pm-10 pm. Join us for a re-release of Purple Blaze Common Lager (5.5%) on draught only. Crisp and refreshing all-American steam/common style lager that’s balanced & smooth with a medium body and sassy fruity, hoppy notes. It’s uncommonly good!

    We made a bit larger batch this time around. Swing by the taproom from 2:00 – 10:00 for a pint!

 

  •  Friday, July 19th. Caprese Release. NoDa Brewing Company. 3 pm-10 pm. Join us July 19th for a balanced blonde ale, sitting at 5% ABV. This beer is designed to be the beer version of a Caprese salad. Fermented on blanched tomatoes and brewed with sea salt to mimic the brine of mozzarella cheese and basil, this beer is surprisingly refreshing and unique! ‎🍻It’s a half-barrel batch, so make sure you try this brew as quick as you can!

 

  • Saturday, July 20th. Legiondary Feild Day. Legion Brewing (Commonwealth Ave) 3 pm-7 pm. The Friends of Summer Event Series continues on July 20th with a Legiondary Field Day! Bring your game-face with you for Legiondary Field-Style Games and get ready for our newest beer release Hot Fuzz, a mouth-watering, effervescent kettle sour brewed with 100% Riverbend Malt, jalapenos, and locally sourced peaches! This event is free and family-friendly, and pups are allowed too (outside only)!

 

  •  Saturday, July 20th. 20th Anniversary Party. Catawba Brewing Company Charlotte. 12 pm-11 pm. That’s right – We’re turning 20 on July 20th! Time flies when you’re brewing (and drinking) beer. We would love nothing more than to celebrate this milestone with YOU!

    – Sip on the four BRAND NEW anniversary beers
    – Shop at the Starving Artist Market CLT: local & handmade
    – Mark the day with a limited edition anniversary T-shirt, printed onsite
    – Test your recording skills at our mobile podcast station
    – Enjoy live music throughout the day
    – Nosh on bites from the Fresh Med Mediterranean Fusion Food Truck or Holy City Waffles food trucks
    – Have the chance to win a $200 gift card as part of the Find Green, Get Green promotion:
    On each day (July 15-19) leading up to the anniversary bash, the tasting room will have a one-pint glass with a band around it, an emerald green color in honor of the 20th anniversary. The glass will be randomly hidden in the day’s serving glassware; the lucky person to be served the emerald glass “gets green”—a special emerald-colored $20 gift card. The guest who is served the emerald glass during our July 20 anniversary party will receive a $200 gift card.

    Mark your calendars!

 

  • Sunday, July 21st. Suns out Tongues out Pool Pawty. Lucky Dog Bark and Brew. 1 pm. Our first pool pawty was such a hit, we’ve decided to have one EVERY SUNDAY! Beat the heat with $5 Bloody Marys, Mimosas and more! This weekend Bad Mother Smokers LLC Food Truck!

    ***We are a 21+ facility. Fur-kids only! All guests must have a valid ID and all dogs must be spayed/neutered & up to date on vaccines. Please remember, you are responsible for your dog.***

Wicked Weed Brewing Napoleon Complex Hoppy Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

I first had Wicked Weed Brewing Napoleon Complex Hoppy Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV at JJ’s Red Hots, and I thought I should pick some up and give this a review. So I purchased a six-pack of Napoleon Complex from the Harris Teeter. Napoleon Complex pours a darker yellow color with a three and a quarter finger white head that slowly recedes into itself giving off big hoppy pine aromas with grassy notes. Napoleon Complex smells more like a bigger beer and/or an IPA. Taste is big with a hoppy pine flavor that is clean, semi-smooth with a dry end and has a dry hoppy pine finish and a grassy hop aftertaste with a medium mouthfeel. After finishing Wicked Weed Brewing Napoleon Complex Hoppy Pale Ale I realized why Wicked Weed named it Napoleon Complex. This is a Pale Ale which is a milder less hoppy beer than an IPA but has the presence of an IPA and drinks like one. I enjoyed this Wicked Weed Brewing Napoleon Complex Hoppy Pale Ale and I think is an A-. You can really have more than two pints of this, your tastebuds would be wrecked due to the hoppy nature of the beer becoming overwhelming. It has a good hoppy flavor without being too bitter. But I recommend trying Napoleon Complex for yourself. It’s a hoppy good beer! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Big Boss Brewing Company Big Boss Lager Beer

Posted on by Evan

I have not had a Big Boss Brewing Company in a while until I purchased Big Boss Lager Beer, 5% ABV from Total Wine recently. This is a Munich style Helles Lager which is a pale lager beer produced mainly in southern Germany. Helles means “bright”, “light”, or “pale”. Big Boss Lager Beer pours a golden color with a thick four finger white head. The aroma smells like a traditional Helles with malty biscuity bread notes wafting into your nose. Taste follows the aroma with biscuit malt flavors with a light yet faint sweetness that is refreshing with a little crispness that finish smooth with a little biscuit malt flavor and a nice smooth aftertaste that is faintly sweet with a lighter mouthfeel. Big Boss Brewing Company Big Boss lager Beer really is a Munich Style Helles Lager and is well deserving of an A+, I highly recommend this beer and I will be going back for more of Big Boss Lager Beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Samual Smith Old Brewery Pure Brewed Organic Lager Beer

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted on July 7th, 2013

When it comes to craft beer the word Lager is looked on as a bad or dirty word. That can be so do to BMC (Bud Miller Coors) for brewing such bad or weak tasting beers. But I don’t think that lager is such a fowl word. I have had some great lagers and this Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager, 5.0% ABV, is what a BMC/lager beer should taste like. Samuel Smith an English brewery has some of the best beers in the world. This lager is no different. Samuel Smith Lager pours a bright golden color with a pure white foamy head that says for a nice while and makes very nice lacing. There is tons of light streaming through the glass with tons of little carbonation bubbles. This is a beautiful look lager beer. The aroma on this English lager is bready from the malted barely used. I also found a cracker like scent among the bready aroma. The taste is not far off from the nice aroma; I found it bready up front and a little teeny sweetness toward the end. The flavors on this lager are crisp, sharp, light, and refreshing. The mouth feel is light and refreshing, and has a clean crisp bready like finish. The after taste is a tad bit sweeter then the start but fades out rather quick. I think this is Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager is how a BMC should taste. Forget adding SO much water to the darn lager. This Samuel Smith beer is getting A+ from me. This is an excellently brewed lager and a great example of how lager is supposed to be. I have yet to have a bad Samuel Smith beer! All of the beers that they brew are just as excellent as the last. This Organic Lager is something I would have over and over again, and it’s good that is 5.0% ABV. I highly recommend trying this lager, so go and see how great this beer is! 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!

  • Thursday, July 11th. Limited Release: Summer Nights Apricot Peach Ale! Birdsong Brewing Co. 3 pm- 10 pm. There’s nothing quite like biting into a fresh, juicy peach. From the initial earthiness to the sharp tangy sweetness of the fruit itself, it is quintessentially the essence of summer. Our tart fruit ale with peaches and apricots gives you the full-flavored depth of the orchard without having to leave your backyard.

    Join us for the release of Summer Nights Apricot Peach Ale on 7/11/19! Draft and cans of this limited release will go on sale at 3pm and Caribbean Buzz Food Truck will be on site for dinner!

 

 

  • Friday, July 12th. Double Stout Small Batch Release. Triple C Brewing Company. 4 pm-10 pm. Two Stouts Enter the Triple C Ring on Friday! Both clocking in at 7.75% and just over 5 gallons each.

    Truffle Stout: Righteous stout infused with North Carolina truffles and salt
    Chili Vanilli Stout: Big chocolately stout infused with red chilies and vanilla

    Who do you have in the stout throwdown in Crowntown?  

 

  • Saturday, July 13th. Psychedelic Flow Can Release. Sycamore Brewing Company. 12 pm-11 pm. Join us on Saturday, July 13th in the Sycamore Beer Garden for our Psychedelic Flow Can Release Party! Take a hoppy trip. Its time to fly. Double Dry-Hopped with the Good Stuff. This Psychedelic Flow. Relax, Unwind.

 

  • Saturday, July 13th. 3rd Annual Island Luau. Sugar Creek Brewing. 11 am-11 pm 🌺If you missed last years Luau Party on the patio your not going to want to miss this year. We’ve got Sun, Sand 9 yea real beach sand), Tiki Torches, Live Music, Adult Slushies and Craft Beer – join us for the Sugar Creek Island Luau Saturday, July 13th 11 AM to 11 PM! TIKI ATTIRE strongly encouraged!🏖

 

  • Monday, July 15th. Very Berry Blonde Release. NoDa Brewing Company. 4 pm-9 pm. Join us July 15th for an easy drinking Blonde ale that was fermented on a mix of blueberries, cherries, and blackberries, giving it a bright and fruity flavor on top of the light easy drinking ale. This flavorful brew, sitting at 4.5% ABV, will surely quench your thirst this summer! 🍻🍒

 

  • Tuesday, July 16th. Beer & Glassware. Protagonist. 5 pm-8 pm. Our uniquely shaped glasses are called Teku glasses. The Teku was thoughtfully designed by Italian brewery Birra Baladin and German glassmaker Rastal in order to provide the best beer drinking experience possible.

    Join us for a side-by-side comparison of glass shapes across various styles of beer and discover how significant these small differences can be.

    The class includes:
    – Samples of 4 different beers
    – A guided tasting and instruction of tasting techniques by our Advanced Cicerone, Chris Westgard
    – 1 Protagonist Teku glass

    Come by anytime between 5-8pm on Tuesday, 7/16. The class is $15 per attendee.

 

 

New Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. Pink Cheeks Rosé Gose

Posted on by Evan

New Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. Pink Cheeks Rosé Gose, 5.0% ABV local brewed in Salisbury North Carolina is brewed with Rosebuds, Hibiscus, Coriander, Hawaiian Red Sea Salt, melon purée and Barba Rouge Hops. It has a lot going on. Pink Cheeks pours a light orange somewhat copper color with a one finger thin white head that has briny salted aromas with a light fruity sweetness that has a tart aromatic quality to it. You get a salted briny sweetness that is light and fruity with a tartness around the middle and the back of the mouth with a faint floral note that all finishes with a tart fruity floral note and a salty fruity aftertaste with a nice bit of tartness and a light mouthfeel. I think the rose buds on this on not something I like, I’ve had beers with that ingredient in them before and I’ve had similar feeling toward them, but everything else about New Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. Pink Cheeks Rosé Gose is okay, getting a C. Pink Cheeks is average, and the rose flavors held it to a C. It is something I would have again but not soon and if your curious then maybe you should try it! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

left Hand Brewing Company Push Pop Party Nitro

Posted on by Evan

left Hand Brewing Company Push Pop Party Nitro, 5.4% ABV from Longmont Colorado is brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, mandarin oranges, limes, lactose, hops, and yeast with nitrogen in the can which gives this beer a draft quality from the can. Left Hand Brewing Company has many beers with nitro, but this is the first I have seen with nitro that isn’t a stout. The Brewery says to pour this beer like a pro I did not pour this delicately. Push Pop Party Nitro pours a deep yellow to orange color with a cascading thick creamy tight white snowy two finger head with sweet fruity citrus aromas of lime and orange. Taste is light, silky, creamy like with nice citrus limes and mandarin oranges that goes down easy with a smooth citrus fruit finish and a silky aftertaste of limey orange cream with a light mouthfeel. left Hand Brewing Company Push Pop Party Nitro is much like a refreshing fruity push pop and gets an A-. Push Pop Party Nitro does have that draft felling to it but the nitro does have a different fruit flavor to the beer if it didn’t have nitrogen. It has a faint Sorbet quality to it that isn’t bad. This is a beer that is worth trying and good on a hot day. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Shiner Ruby Redbird

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted June 6th, 2012

Shiner has made another great beer! Yes, I love a good Shiner. This is a nice summer seasonal brewed with Texas Ruby Red grapefruit juice and lovely ginger, at 4.01% abv. These two pair well together. Ruby pours nice golden orange color with a nice head of white that laces nicely as you enjoy this Redbird. The aroma is of nice citrus fruit that has a tangy sweet scent. It reminds me of a fresh grapefruit. The scent of this is very inviting, nice and pleasant. Ruby has a nice sweet and tangy flavor that is of citrus fruit and then there is a nice pleasant kick of tangy ginger that finishes nice and tart. The is beer is sweet at first but finishes nice and tart, and isn’t bitter like a grapefruit. This is a bit sweet than an average grapefruit, but not much though, just a tad, a bit, just smidge. This is a very well balanced beer that is crisp refreshing and very drinkable. I have always liked this and always look forward to having one when it arrives at the stores. Neither of the two ginger or grapefruit overpowers one another, the work well perfectly and make for one great big taste when combined here. Ruby is very very refreshing, even on the hottest of days when you see heat waves off the road. Yes, you can see that just drive on a Texas highway in July. I get all happy when I have this, I feel relaxed and I welcome the warm summertime to come. This is on my favorites list, and it should be on yours! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!