Throwback Thursday: Fullsteam Brewery Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted August 15th, 2015

Not too recently I’ve seen the number of Saison or farmhouse ale grow and appear on the store shelves. This tells me that this is style of beer is growing in popularity. Brewers are experimenting with different ingredients in these Saisons. Some brewers are keeping their Saisons more traditional to the style than others. Fullsteam in Durham North Carolina brews a Saison Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale, 5.0% ABV and with an IBU of 32. This is a canned Saison with fresh basil. Summer Basil pours a pale yellow that is almost white with a four finger bright white head that slowly dissipates into bight thin lacing. I could see very minimal light coming through as well as little carbonation, but its there. The aroma is faint with a funky aroma and full of a light basil scent that gets a bit stronger as this ale warms with a nice perfume scent. The taste is like what drinking a bouquet of flowers would taste like. There is a nice mellow basil flavor with small hints of faint lemon tartness and slight funk. The mouthfeel is light with a nice smother refreshing finish, Now the after taste has nice basil finish the is a bit more lemony but not too much to make it sour. It’s just the right amount. This is an interesting take on a popular and yet growing style of beer. This Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale from Fullsteam Brewery is an A. The basil works with the saison and doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors and drag this beer down into not so good or bad territory, and it’s surprisingly refreshing and drinkable. I’d say it’s even sessionable. It’s good and I recommend that you try Fullsteam Brewery Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Thursday, May 30th. Kick the Keg Event in Charlotte. Pour Taproom. 6 pm-11 pm. Help your favorite brewery kick the keg for a chance to be showcased on the ever-changing walls at Pour Taproom. Fierce competition between 19 breweries to prove which is best. See our tap list below.

    Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA
    Bold Rock Blackberry Cider
    RJ Rocker’s Son of a Peach
    Catawba White Zombie
    Kona Big Wave
    Goose Island Next Coast
    Abita Strawberry Lager
    Southern Tier Swipe Light
    Sixpoint Resin IPA
    Sycamore Mountain Candy
    White Street Kolsch
    Appalachian Mountain Brewery Boone Creek Blonde
    Sugar Creek Big Oh!
    Devil’s Backbone Gold Leaf
    Dogfish Head SuperEight
    Golden Road Mango Cart
    Elysian Space Dust
    Palmetto Idle Speed Salted Lime Lager
    Patagonia Pilsner 

 

  • Thursday, May 30th. Generously Hopped at Wooden Robot. 5 pm-8 pm. Tickets at http://www.atriumhealthfoundation.org. What’s better than a nice, cold beer on a summer evening? A beer that is not only refreshing for you but also spreads hope for pediatric patients at Levine Children’s! Grab a pint (or two) of the Generously Hopped IPA v22* at Wooden Robot and $1 of every large pour or crowler fill will benefit the Pediatric Immunodeficiency Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital. No ticket necessary! Learn more about the fund at AtriumHealthFoundation.org/Immunodeficiency.

    *Fundraiser ongoing through mid-June, while supplies last.

 

  • Friday, May 31st. Patio Punch. Triple C Brewing Company. 4 pm-10 pm. Summer came early, and this hot weather deserves a refreshingly cold beer. Triple C Brewing, Co. added tons of grapefruit to a smooth drinking blonde ale to juice up your tastebuds. The carbonation on this beer is slightly amped to give you that final fizzy fix.

 

  • Friday, May 31st. Passionfruit Gose Release. NoDa Brewing Company. 2 pm-10 pm. Our Passionfruit Gose is back! This Gose, sitting at 4% ABV, is brewed with nearly 50% wheat malt, sea salt, and refermented on passionfruit. Like all of our goses, we used a blend of Burlington Ale yeast with Lactobacillus. It’s the perfect combination of light, sweet, and tart for this warm weather ahead. ☀️ 🍻

 

  • Saturday, June 1st. Blue Blaze 3 year Anniversary. Blue Blaze Brewing. 11:30 am-10 pm. Happy National Trails Day! And, help us raise a glass to cheers to 3 years!

    Blue Blaze Brewing is celebrating 3 years of providing Charlotte and surrounding communities with fresh, local craft beer.

    Come out with friends (or meet new ones) Saturday, June 1st from 12pm to 10pm. Beer Releases, Food Trucks, Bands, and other Fun throughout the day.

    Look for more announcements coming soon!
    ____
    **EVENT SCHEDULE**
    ____

    **Beer Releases**
    We’ve got a bunch of goodies planned for you! There are five aged beers, two barrel-aged beers, four brand new beers, and several recently released. Almost all of these are in very small quantities so you’ll want to be sure to get a pour while you can.

    Brewery Beer Tent – Available at Open (Short Pours only Please)
    ***B. MacKaye’s Hell Raisin’ Scotch Ale (Aged since 2017)
    ***B. MacKaye’s Hell Raisin’ Scotch Ale (Aged since 2018)
    ***B. MacKaye’s Hell Raisin’ Scotch Ale Aged on Oak (Aged since 2018)

    Brewery Beer Tent – Tapped at 1:30PM (Short Pours only Please)
    ***Lean Too Doppelbock (Aged since 2017)
    ***Lean Too Doppelbock (Aged since 2018)
    ***Lean Too Doppelbock (2019, Aged for 6 months) Treat yourself to a pre-release sneak peek! You won’t see it again till the holidays.
    ***RUA Whiskey BA Lean Too Doppelbock from a firkin (Aged since 2018)
    ***RUA Whiskey BA Black Blaze Milk Stout (2019, brand new)

    Band Area Beer Tent – Available at Open
    ***YoYo Imperial Hazy IPA (9%) Brand new and one of our three beer hazy series. A higher gravity takes on our New England style hazy IPA made with Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Equanot. Then we double dry hopped it! There’re no adjuncts, no juices, no syrups … all the juicy flavors come from only the hops! (Short Pours only Please)
    ***NoBo Milkshake IPA – Only on Nitro! Another of our three beer hazy series. Made heavy on the Galaxy hops and a touch of lactose. If you’ve never had this style before, this one tastes like OJ mixed with a little bit of grapefruit juice.
    ***SoBo Orangerine Hazy IPA – We recently released this and is the first of our three beer hazy series.
    ***Pinki’s Revenge Milkshake Hefeweizen (5%) Only on Nitro! A super fun, brand new take on our popular Pink Blazer Hefeweizen. We took our Pink Blazer recipe and introduced a touch of lactose, the only adjunct addition. Then we charged it on nitro for a subtle sweet banana & pineapple creamy milkshake-like goodness.
    ***Radler w/ Yellow Blazer Kolsch – When the YoYo kicks, we’ll tap our brand new Radler made with Yellow Blazer Kolsch and our house-made raspberry-lemonade soda. So refreshing!
    ____

    **Activities **
    – Bike ride on the Greenway with Carolina Thread Trail @ 11:30am. Registration Required Please.
    – Yoga in the Park @ 11:30am (Free – Sign-in at Ticket Tent)
    ____

    **Live Music**
    – Māya Beth Atkins @ 12:30pm
    – Jeremy Davis & Friends @ 2pm
    – Kat Hall Band @ 5pm
    – That Guy Smitty @ 8pm
    ____

    **Food Trucks**
    – The Herban Legend
    – Queen City Pretzel Factory
    – King of Pops Charlotte
    – The Sweetest Thing Bake Shop
    ____

    **Friendors**
    – Carolina Thread Trail
    – Yappy Hour Bakery
    – Artist Roni Langley
    – 5 Points Realty
    ____

    Walk or Ride your bike … up the Stewart Creek Greenway for those near Uptown. Additional bike racks provided for cyclists! For those on four wheels, parking will be available in nearby lots.

    Event is free. Beer tickets must be purchased to receive pints. Get an awesome Anniversary Party glasses free with the purchase of three beer tickets. Three beer tickets will get you three beers OR you can choose a pitcher of your favorite Blue Blaze beer to share with friends. Beer tickets will be available on-site the day of the event.

    The fun kicks off at 12:00p! We can’t wait to see you there!
    #CraftYourPath

 

  • Saturday, June 1st. Pop The Top 2-year Anniversary Party. Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop. 12 pm. Join us on Saturday, June 1st as we celebrate our 2 Year Anniversary!! We will be giving away a special 2 Year Anniversary glass to the first 50 customers, will have free appetizers from New Wrap Order (while they last), special beer releases ALL day.. live music and more! Doors open at 12pm. CHEERS, FRIENDS and THANK YOU!!

    Tap List with more to come:
    – 2017 Southern Pines Brewing Company Southern Pines Brewing BBA German Chocolate Cake Imperial Stout
    – 2018 Funky Buddha Brewery BBA Morning Wood Imperial Porter
    – 2018 Prairie Artisan Ales Birthday Bomb! Imperial Stout
    – New Anthem Beer Project Steez NEIPA
    – New Anthem Beer Project Sugar Kisses Stout
    – Fonta Flora Brewery Blubade Pink Lemonade Sour
    – Fonta Flora Brewery Big Shrug American Wild Ale
    – Burial Beer Co. The Garden of Earthly Delights V Sour
    – Burial Beer Co. Ascent of the Blessed Golden Sour Ale w/ Pinot Gris & Viognier grapes
    – Hill Farmstead Brewery Anna Farmhouse Ale
    – Wooden Robot Brewery Farmhouse Blanc
    – Brewery Bhavana Elymus Ancient Grain Farmhouse Ale
    – Brewery Bhavana Pithy NEIPA hopped w/ Vic Secret
    – High Branch Brewing Diamond Ring Hazy Double IPA
    – High Branch Brewing Black Current Poke Sour

 

  • Monday, June 3rd. Mecklenburg Helles Lager Release. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. 11 am-10 pm. OMB’s official beer of summer is back! Join us for the release of Mecklenburger Helles Lager on June 3rd.

    This Bavarian style lager is a liquid homage to our home in Mecklenburg County. With its crystal clear, golden blonde color, Mecklenburger is fresh, smooth and easy to love. A Helles, its slight malty character is perfectly balanced by very subtle, lingering hop notes and a crisp, refreshing finish to help take the steam out of a hot Carolina day.

    Like all OMB beers, Mecklenburger is all-natural — brewed in strict accordance with the famous German beer purity law of 1516: the “Reinheitsgebot.” In line with Reinheitsgebot, it was brewed using natural carbonation from the pure CO2 produced by the yeast during fermentation. We pull our brews from our lager tanks weekly, so you know it’s fresh. And, it was kept cold from production to delivery to you, because all beer should be kept cold to maximize freshness. We hope you enjoy this pure, fresh, cold beer.

    Prost!

    This is a free event. Under 21 are welcome at OMB. Pets are welcome outside in our Biergarten.

 

Arrogant Consortia Enter Night Pilsner

Posted on by Evan

Arrogant Consortia (Stone Brewing) Enter Night Pilsner, 5.7 ABV is a collaboration between Arrogant Consortia and the heavy metal rock bands Metallica. That is not the usual type of beer collaboration you normal find but I think that it’s interesting and it may boost beer sale. Enter Night Pilsner pours a darker golden color with a two and a half finger white head with good retention and nice lacing is left behind with a little hoppy clean-ish bitter aroma on the nose. Taste is like a nice German Pilsner up front but strong and with a quick crisp note in on the middle of the tongue and a slight bitter hoppy note on the back that grows into the finish of a hoppy cracker and a slight linger of a bitter note in the aftertaste with a lighter mouthfeel. This is what you’d expect Arrogant Consortia (Stone Brewing) to do with a Pilsner beer it has their signature hoppy notes in there but they do it without ruining the fact that it’s a Pilsner beer. I give Arrogant Consortia (Stone Brewing) Enter Night Pilsner a B- it starts out nice and slowly goes down from there but not too far, and yes this interesting beer is worth checking out and trying. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Ponysauras Don’t Be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison

Posted on by Evan

I first had Ponysauras Brewing Don’t Be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison, 6.0% during my Beer & Chips Pairing a while back well now I am reviewing it. Don’t Be Mean To People pours an amber orange color with an off white two finger head that fizzles down to a half inch giving an aroma similar to a Hefeweizen with sweet banana notes with a traditional Saison yeasted note. Taste is similar to the nose with banana sweetness and a slightly bitter yeast note. Don’t Be Mean To People taste more like a Hefeweizen than Saison. It’s has a sweet clove like finish and a fading sweet yeasty banana aftertaste with a medium mouthfeel. Ponysauras Brewing Don’t Be Mean To People is not a bad beer, it just doesn’t taste much like a Saison and it’s getting a C, and it better the beginning of the can but towards the end, it falls off a bit. I don’t think that you could have more than two or two and a half before the flavor starts to become too much on your taste buds. Not a bad beer just a little false flavor. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

New Sarum Brewing Company The People’s Elbow Hazy IPA

Posted on by Evan

Saw this at Total Wine here in Charlotte, North Carolina and purchased it. This is New Sarum The People’s Elbow Hazy IPA, 7.0% ABV brewed with coconut and Lactose. The People’s Elbow Hazy IPA pours a yellow slightly hazy color with a two finger white head with sweet coconut aromas with pineapple. It has a tropic bubble gum like smell to it. Taste is nice with a sweetness up front with a coconut and some pineapple in the middle of the mouth with some light bitter/hoppy notes on the back of the mouth that are subtle with a nice bittersweet hoppy finish that is tropical with a nice tropical sweet aftertaste that lingers a little. New Surnum Brewing The People’s Elbow Hazy IPA is on the easy drinking side of things and is refreshing but not so much cause it is 7% ABV not bad and doesn’t really drink that much like a beer of that ABV level. I give New Sarum Brewing Company The People’s Elbow Hazy IPA an A+. The coconut and lactose go well together and make a great tasty beer. I really recommend New Sarum Brewing Company The People’s Elbow Hazy IPA and have already finished off all four that I bought! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Westbrook Brewing Co. Three Claw Imperial India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

Westbrook Brewing Co. Three Claw Imperial India Pale Ale, 8.0% ABV purchased from the local Total Wine is in line with the rest of Westbrooks crab themed beers One Claw, a pale ale, Two Claw, a New England IPA, and Santa Claw, another New England IPA. Three Claw is brewed with Cascade, and CTZ hops, dry-hopped with over 5lbs per barrel of Azacca, Citra, and El Dorado hops, with Conan Yeast and a malt bill of oats, pale, rye and wheat malts. Three Claw pours a hazy yellow color with a three and a half finger white head that gives off juicy aromas of citrus fruits live orange and grapefruit with a tropical hoppy note on the nose. The taste follows the aroma with a nice juicy orange and grapefruit up front with a slight bitterness in the middle that fades into a hoppy tropical citrus flavor on the back of the tongue with a little bitter/hoppy finish and a bitter citrus fruit aftertaste with a medium mouthfeel. Westbrook Brewing Co. Three Claw Imperial India Pale Ale is not overly sweet, fruity or hoppy/bitter, it hits the sweet spot and it balanced just right receiving an A. It does not drink to much like an 8.0% ABV beer but you still taste that its a refreshing imperial IPA. Westbrook Brewing Co. Three Claw Imperial India Pale Ale is smooth with a nice juicy fruit flavor that is well brewed and refreshing and one I’d recommend going for. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Mikkeller Brewing San Diego Passion Pool

Posted on by Evan

Pick up Mikkeller Brewing San Diego Passion Pool, 5.0% ABV from Winestore here in Charlotte a few days ago. Passion Pool is a Gose style ale brewed with Passionfruit and Sea Salt from Mikkeller in San Diego California. I find that the Gose Style is a great summer weather beer. Passion Pool pours a dirty yellow color with a two finger white head with nice retention giving tart tropical fruity, sour salted aromas on your nose. Taste pretty much follows the nose with nice tart tropical fruits up front with nice salted sour notes on the middle of the tongue and nice funky notes on the back with a nice tart, salted sour finish that is a bit fruity and has a nice salty tart tropical aftertaste with a light mouthfeel. This is definitely a summer beer that can be easily drank anywhere and probably would go great with a good taco or two. Mikkeller Brewing San Diego Passion Pool is very refreshing and well deserving of an A. I just cannot find a thing wrong with Mikkeller Brewing San Diego Passion Pool, and I think you won’t either. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Watermelon Gose

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted Monday, September 19th, 2016.

Gose (Goes-uh) is a traditional German-style beer brewed with sea salt and coriander. Gose is a making a come back especially with craft beer breweries and brewers. It is more of a summer type of beer, but I think it is good any time of the year. One of my favorite breweries Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens Georgia brews Watermelon Gose, 4.5% ABV.  Watermelon Gose pours a clear darker golden color with a fast fading two finger head of brilliant white. The aroma is tart and there is a nice watermelon fragrance with a faint hint of coriander. Taste is somewhat sweet with watermelon up front with a bit of salted tart flavor, but then as it passed over your tongue it the beer become a more tart. Nothing that is overly tart though. The mouthfeel is light and refreshing and Watermelon Gose has a tart watermelon finish with a tart but salty watermelon after taste that is more tart than anything else. Terrapin has done a good job her adding watermelon to an already tropical beer, but the finish and aftertaste are a little too tart. So with that in mind, I give Watermelon Gose a B-. I do think you should try this one, and I am not saying that the finish and aftertaste kill the beer and make it undrinkable, no that is not it at all; it’s just a little more than I would have liked it to be that’s all. I would have this again but it’s not a go-to beer. I liked Terrapin Beer Co. Watermelon Gose. 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, March 15th. New Beer Release: Island Mosaic Hopper. Pilot Brewing. 4 pm- 9 pm. Join us for the release of our next batch of Island Hopper IPA, our single-hopped IPA series, this time featuring Mosaic hops. $3 goblets all night!

    Mosaic hops feature complex but clean flavor characteristics and are known for their triple-use profile encompassing bittering, flavor, and aroma. They have high alpha acids but low cohumulone which makes them pleasantly hoppy, carrying flavors of mango, pine, citrus and herbs and aromas of tropical and stone fruit.  

 

  • Thursday, May 16th Dreamchasers and Southern Range Dual Anniversary Party. Brawley’s Beverage. 5 pm-9 pm. It turns out that two of our breweries opened around the same time and have anniversary’s on the same weekend this year. So we thought we would celebrate twice! So on May 16th at Brawley’s Beverage stop by to wish these two breweries a happy birthday! We’ll have 4 beers on from each brewery. Rest assured we’ll have some special kegs from each brewery that you won’t be able to get anywhere else.

    Southern Range Brewing:
    Now That’s What I Call Juice – Guava Hazy IPA
    Strawberry Shandy
    Pinky Ring Bling Hazy IPA
    Peanut Butter Cookie Doh (the second keg ever first was at Brawley’s Black and Blue)

    Dreamchasers Brewing:
    Yardbreather East Coast IPA
    Cool Amber Lager
    Hop Files #2 Hazy IPA
    Coconut Yardbreather (tap room only batch) 

 

  • Thursday, May 16th. Haw River Tap Takeover. Carolina Beer Temple. 12 pm-11 pm. Craft breweries should be about community, sustainability, giving back…. and oh yeah, great beer! Very few breweries live up to this standard to nearly the extent that our friends at Haw River Farmhouse Ales do, and we are proud to have the opportunity to showcase a few of the fantastic traditional(ish) brews that they’ve been serving up for years now! Don’t miss your chance to try some beers from one of the truly elite American farmhouse breweries that you may not have the opportunity to sample again anywhere else!

    TAP LIST IN PROGRESS:

    -Demitasse Espresso Belgian Singel
    -JavaQue Coffee Cream Stout
    -The Tasseography Project: RED Tea and Peppercorn Saison
    -St. Benedict’s Breakfast Coffee and Oatmeal Dubbel

 

  • Friday, May 17th. Sunshine Over Phuket Beer Release. The Unknown Brewing Company. 3 pm- 11pm. We’re bringing back a wonderful phuking collaboration beer with our friends at Revelry Brewing!

    Picture yourself on the shores of a south pacific beach. No work, no problems, no phukets given. We brewed a Radler dry hopped with citrus forward hops and tons of ruby red grapefruits. This beer is easy drinking and relaxing at 4.0% ABV.

    When life gives you lemons, go find a beach, add some grapefruit and phuket!

 

  • Friday, May 17th. NoDajito Release. NoDa Brewing Company 2 pm-10 pm. It’s finally here, the day you’ve been waiting for… Join us on Friday, May 17th at 2 pm for the return of Charlotte’s 2019 Summer Beer. 👏🏻🍻

    NoDajito is back! This Mojito inspired witbier not only holds the 2019 Summer Beer title by Charlotte Magazine but is also a Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner. It’s brewed with whole mint leaves and conditioned on lime juice — the quintessential ingredients for the perfect spring and summer brew!

 

  • Saturday, May 18th. Mai Tai Day. Sycamore Brewing 12 pm-11 pm. Mai Tai IPA Can Release Party. Polynesian Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Killer Q Food Truck, Live Music by Below the Belt, Lil O’s Donuts, Sunshine and Good Times!

    Dive in, and swim up to the bar! Inspired by the classic tiki cocktail, this IPA is READY TO PARTY!!

 

  • Saturday, May 18th. A Berry Good Hefe. Triple C Brewing Company. 12 pm-10 pm. We juiced up our traditional German hefeweizen with blackberries and raspberries for a twist of tartness.

 

  • Monday, May 20th. 2nd Annual Captain James Jack Colonial Beer Dinner. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. 6 pm-9 pm. Tickets at shop.oldemeckbrew.comHosted by May 20th Society (Mec Dec)

    Monday, May 20th 6-9pm

    Buy tickets today at https://shop.oldemeckbrew.com/collections/frontpage/products/2nd-annual-captain-james-jack-dinner-ticket

    The May 20th Society and The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery invite you to the 2ND ANNUAL CAPTAIN JAMES JACK COLONIAL DINNER, featuring special guest speaker historical artist Dan Nance.

    Join us for this four-course colonial themed dinner with each course being paired with a different beer from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, including their Captain Jack Pilsner and Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen.

    1st Course:
    Heirloom Tomatoes w/ shepherd’s cheese, honeydew, honeycomb vinaigrette

    Paired w/ Captain Jack Pilsner

    2nd Course:
    Pickled Short Rib
    w/ purple potatoes, rotkhol, pea tendril

    Paired w/ Copper Altbier

    3rd Course
    Chicken Bog
    smoked sausage, smoked chicken, brown rice & quinoa, heirloom carrots

    Paired w/ Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen

    4th Course:
    Peaches & Cream
    grilled peaches, beet buttercream, cornbread

    Paired w/ Fat Boy Baltic Porter

 

 

 

Brewery Ommegang Brute IPA

Posted on by Evan

Brewery Ommegang Brut IPA, 6.3% from Cooperstown, New York is a new substyle of IPA, Brut IPA which tend to have a dry sparkling quality to them. Ommegang Brut IPA purchased from the local total wine pours a bright gold color with a bright white three finger head with a dry light bitter aroma with a touch of light lemon. The taste does follow the nose with light dry lemon up front with bitterness that is nicely hoppy with a dry effervescent finish and a dry hoppy light lemon aftertaste with a light mouthfeel. The bitterness is low on this Ommegang Brut IPA but the overall flavor of the beer is not that memorable so I think it’s a B-. It’s good but not something that is going to stick with me and yes that is good cause you could drink a few of these before the beer becomes too much on your tastebuds. I do recommend trying Brewery Ommegang Brut IPA. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!