Trophy Brewing Company A Composition in Hops: Fuguebier

Posted on by Evan

In the past few months I have grown a liking to Trophy Brewing Company, and this new beer A Composition in Hops: Fuguebier, 6.2% a New England style IPA brewed in celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach and is brewed with five hop varieties; Amarillo, Citra, Centennial, Galaxy and Callista hops and seven days of dry hopping. Fuguebier pours a yellow slightly hazy color with a three finger bright white head with bright citrus aromas with bitter hop notes. The taste is smooth with citrus (orange and some grapefruit) with some light bitterness, sweetness, and lemon that is easy drinking with a light mouthfeel that finishes bittersweet with a citrus note and an aftertaste of lemon, hops, grapefruit, and orange. Trophy Brewing A Composition in Hops: Fuguebier is a good beer but light giving it a B+. It has some light New England IPA qualities to it that are good. I would recommend this because I will be going back to this good beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Birdsong Brewing Co. IPA Series Gravity Rides Double IPA

Posted on by Evan

Saw this at the local Total Wine, Birdsong Brewing Company IPA Series Gravity Rides Double IPA, 8.7% ABV, which is brewed with Mosaic, Chinook, and Idaho 7 hops. Gravity Rides pours an orange color with a two finger tight white head with aromatic fruit aromas like orange citrus and pineapple with piney hop notes. Taste is good with nice solid hop-forward orange, slight pineapple with grass pine notes come in the back with a smooth hoppiness that finishes bitter, fruity, pine, and hoppy with a nice fruity hop and pine aftertaste, with a full mouthfeel. Gravity Rides doesn’t quite drink like a double IPA but has the flavor of one. I found Birdsong Brewing Company IPA Series Gravity Rides Double IPA to be good but more of a C+, above average. The fruity flavor does fade as the hoppy pine notes come in and I rather have those flavors mingle with each other. Now that would make this good beer great. But this Birdsong Brewing Company IPA Series Gravity Rides Double IPA is a be that I would go back to for sure and one that I do recommend trying. It just needs a little fine tuning it gets it into greatness. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Thursday, May 2nd. Southern Range Tap Takeover. Carolina Beer Temple. 12 pm-11 pm. Free Tickets at eventbrite.com. Monroe, North Carolina isn’t known far and wide for too many things, but it’s one and only brewery has already put it on the map as one of the best beer destinations around. South Range Brewing have long been favorites of ours here at the Temple, and we are excited to have the opportunity to share their world-class brews with a whole new audience as they take over the taps with some of the best and most exciting options anywhere in the Old North State!

    TAP LIST:

    -Hopsequences Hazy IPA
    -Cookie D’oh Cookie Dough Stout
    -Energizer Blondie Coffee Blonde Ale
    -Strawberry Shandy

 

  • Friday, May 3rd. Untappd Festival Pre-Game. Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts. 1 pm-11 pm. To celebrate the first ever Untappd Festival at Bank of America stadium, we will be throwing down at our Barrel Arts spot the day before from 1-11P.

    We will have a few guest taps on the night of 5/3, starting at 6P. Here is the lineup, as we have the ability to showcase some of the breweries throughout our Carolinas:
    Amor Artis Brewing – YORK COUNTY, Rye BA Imperial Stout
    New Anthem Beer Project – NEON GOD (DDH Citra/Mosaic), Hazy IPA
    White Elephant Beer Co – IMPERIAL ALMOND TROOPER, Imperial Stout w/ Cacao Nibs, Toasted Almond, and Cinnamon
    King Canary Brewing Company – PARTY FOWL, Fruited Sour IPA
    High Branch Brewing Co.
    HopFly Brewing Company

    And when those six breweries have their beers kick, we called some more of our friends, and are going to put on some extras:
    Flying Machine Brewing Company – FLUTTERING FOLLY, Hazy Double IPA
    Incendiary Brewing Company – BANANA PANCAKE BANE, Imperial Stout w/ Maple, Banana, and Vanilla

    Oh, and we’ve decided to release a small batch beer during this as well! Super stoked about it!

 

  • Friday-Sunday, May 3rd-5th. Belgian Cellar Raid. Sugar Creek Brewing. Fri 1 pm-4 pm, Sat 1 pm-4 pm, Sun 12 pm-9 pm. ALL WEEKEND long we are raiding the Brew Masters cellar to unleash a few locally brewed interpretations of some Belgian Classics! We’ll start with the release of a white wine Barrel Aged Tripel bugged with lacto and Brett and a white wine barrel aged GOSE on Friday. If that’s not enough we’re also unveiling our new Bottle Conditioned menu FEATURING multiple years of Dubbel, Biere De Garde, Tripels, Barley Wine and Dark Strongs. Don’t miss the opportunity to try some serious labor of love in a glass all weekend long!

 

  • Saturday, May 4th. 2019 Untappd Beer Festival – Early Access. 3 pm. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com ($65.00) Beer enthusiasts and brewers from around the world will assemble on the field at the stadium to celebrate beer and breweries from across the United States. Over 100 brewers will pour samples of between two and four beers at booths stationed on the field at Bank of America Stadium. The event will highlight dozens of Charlotte-area and North Carolina and South Carolina breweries as well as a strong contingent of brewers from around the country. VIP ACCESS allows for 3:00PM entry into the festival. Must be 21 years and older to attend the Untapped Beer Festival. The Festival is a rain or shine event.

    Sale Dates and Times:

    Public Onsale : Fri, 1 Mar 2019 at 09:00 AM

    Presale Offers : Tue, 26 Feb 2019 at 01:00 PM

 

  • Tuesday, May 7th. Mother Earth 10 year Birthday Parth with Hoppin’.  Hoppin’. 5 pm-10 pm. Join the entire Hoppin’ brewery crew as we tap 10 great beers to celebrate 10 years! Featuring specialty swag, vintage kegs, and birthday cake.

 

 

Gizmo BrewWorks Coffee Stiletto Stout

Posted on by Evan

I picked up Gizmo BrewWorks Coffee Stiletto Stout, 6.1% ABV and 31 IBU from the local Total Wine here. This is a coffee version of Gizmo BrewWorks Black Stiletto Stout but with a double shot of Ethiopian coffee from Benelux. The beans are slowly roasted and added directly to the beer. Coffee Stiletto Stout pours a semi-thick black color with a two finger beige head that fades into a one finger head with aromas of roasted coffee with nice notes of strong espresso. Coffee Stiletto Stout has a roasted coffee flavor with a malted espresso note towards the middle of the tongue that picks of faint smokey notes as it hits your throat with a nice espresso coffee finish and a roasted raw coffee bean aftertaste with a nice full mouthfeel. Now Gizmo BrewWorks Coffee Stiletto Stout isn’t what I would call the best, I’ve had better versions of Coffee Stouts, some that are creamier with a fuller coffee flavor, this had more of a milder coffee flavor which gets it a C+. I don’t find this bad, I would say Gizmo BrewWorks Coffee Stiletto Stout is more of a drinkable Coffee Stout but not what you really look for in this type of beer style. I would go back to this but not soon and not one I would one hundred percent recommend Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Beer & Chips Pairing: Ponysauras Brewing Don’t Be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison & Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar

Posted on by Evan

My favorite potato chips are Salt & Vinegar. This is Beer & Chips Pairing: Ponysauras Brewing Don’t Be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison, 6.0% ABV & Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips, and a paring of A review of Ponysauras Brewing Don’t be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison, will be coming soon. These Cape Cod chips are light yellow with slight burn crisp edges and have an oily salted vinegar aroma with a nice full vinegar flavor that is complemented by the sea salt. Ponysauras Brewing Don’t be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison does wash out some of the vinegar but compliments the sea salt but the strong mouthfeel of this Ponysauras beer doesn’t help the flavor of these sea salt & vinegar chips. They do pair well with this Saison but I think that a more traditional Saison would have been a better choice, whereas this Ponysauras Saison is not so traditional to the Saison style. I give this is Beer & Chips Pairing: Ponysauras Brewing Don’t Be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison, 6.0% ABV & Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips a C+. It’s just slightly above average. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Westbrook Brewing Company Fruit/Wood/Time Passionfruit Rum Barrel Finish

Posted on by Evan

This Westbrook Brewing Company Fruit/Wood/Time Passionfruit Rum Barrel Finish, 6.6% ABV is part of the breweries Fruit/Wood/Time series, this particular beer is a blend of mix fermentation sour beer from two oak foudres. The blend is racked into six 400 liter Barbados rum puncheons and refermented with passionfruit for six months before bottling according to Westbrook. Passionfruit pours a bright yellow with a quickly fleeing thin one finger white head. The aroma is tropical fruity, tart/sour bright with some light alcoholic notes with a sour/tart tropical fruity flavor with some rum notes on the back of the mouth and finishes with a big mouth puckering sour note and a tropical fruit and rum aftertaste. Now I don’t think you need to have more than just one, a lot of sour flavor going on in this beer. I don’t dislike this beer but I wouldn’t say I love it, it’s interesting and different. With that said Westbrook Brewing Company Fruit/Wood/Time Passionfruit Rum Barrel Finish is a C. Towards the end of the bottle it slowly becomes too much flavor but okay. I think It needs more sweetness to balance it out. If you think this sounds interesting like I did then by all means go and try Westbrook Brewing Company Fruit/Wood/Time Passionfruit Rum Barrel Finish. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Unibroue Brewery Raftman

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted August 29th, 2014

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 the Charlotte, North Carolina area!

  • Wednesday. April 24th. Sycamore Beer Dinner @ The King’s Kitchen. The King’s Kitchen. 6:30 pm. Tickets at eventbrite.com. Join The King’s Kitchen for a beer dinner in collaboration with Sycamore Brewing! Chef Phil Barnes will be serving a five-course meal inspired by five of the best beers in Charlotte. We will be pouring a beer pairing with each course so you can see why Chef Phil was inspired. A representative of Sycamore will be talking about each beer and we will tell you about the food and why it was paired with the beer. Tickets are all inclusive! No need to worry about tax or gratuity, we will take care of that for you. Tickets are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.

 

  • Wednesday – Sunday. April 24th – 28. NC Beer Month Celebration. The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte. 11 am-11 pm.  Tickets at ballantynehotel.comEnjoy 50% of all North Carolina beer in April at The Royal and Gallery Restaurant.

 

  • Thursday, April 25th. IPA Series Release: In Bloom IPA. Birdsong Brewing Co. 3 pm-10 pm. The IPA Series continues throughout 2019 and we’re excited to bring you the next brew in the series: In Bloom IPA join us for this limited release brew on Thursday, 4/25/19 at 3 pm! With fragrant floral notes and hints of tropical citrus, In Bloom IPA will have you feeling like you’re walking through a field of sunshine and flowers. Bright and refreshing with a slight haze, we’re highlighting the abundant Loral, Azacca, and Centennial hops used so you get a bouquet of aromas and flavors with each sip.
    6.5% ABV Draft and cans will go on sale in our taproom on 4/25 at 3 pm. You can expect to see a very limited amount of In Bloom hitting fine retail establishments the week of 4/29/19.

 

  • Friday, April 26th. Sal’s Paradise Saison Release. Triple C BrewingCompany. 4 pm-10 pm. This year’s release of Sal’s Paradise Saison.
    Belgian Saison yeast gives this ale a dry fruity character. We brewed it with Carolina Malt this year and a touch of Sorachi Ace hops.

 

  • Saturday & Sunday, April 27th-28th. Louisiana Spring Fest. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. 10 am-11 pm. Pinch Some Tails at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Louisiana Spring Fest!OMB’s 9th Annual Spring Fest: Cajun food, music & culture + fresh beer Let the good times roll at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Ninth Annual Louisiana Spring Fest on April 27 & 28. OMB has three premier events each year: Weihnachtsmarkt, Mecktoberfest & Louisiana Spring Fest. But, something about Spring Fest really captures Charlotteans’ attention…“There’s something special about drinking beer, eating mudbugs and listening to banjos under the warm spring sun or in the shade of our massive Biergarten trees,” says OMB’s founder, John Marrino. “New Orleans is a special place where crawfish and beer are a spring tradition. Louisiana Spring Fest is the best way to celebrate that tradition and the spirit of NoLa’s ‘bons temps’ culture right here in Charlotte.” Like previous years, the festival will focus on authentic Louisiana cooking. Guest chef and Louisiana native Brett Harris returns — boiling fresh crawdads flown in overnight direct from the bayou. Other staples include mouthwatering jambalaya, boiled shrimp, red skin potatoes and corn on the cob. The Biergarten will be strewn with ready-to-wear Mardi Gras beads, while Cajun, Bluegrass and Jazz music fills the air all day. This year’s band lineup:  SATURDAY Jazz Revolution: 11a-2p CLT’s six-piece jazz and soul band – Carolina Gator Gumbo: 3p-6p A locally famous Cajun/Zydeco band – Book Club: 7p-10p Indie Folk Americana SUNDAY
    Jazz Revolution: 11a-2p
    CLT’s six-piece jazz and soul band
    –
    Carolina Gator Gumbo: 3p-6p
    A locally famous Cajun/Zydeco band
    –
    The Local Boys: 7p-10p
    Features Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Dobro and Mandolin Fresh crawfish should be accompanied by fresh beer, we’ll have plenty. Year-round offerings Copper Altbier, Captain Jack Pilsner, and Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen will be on tap. Plus, OMB’s spring seasonal Munzler’s. This Vienna Lager can be described as a wonderful combination of Copper & Mecktoberfest, slightly sweet with hints of graham cracker. Southside Weiss will make another exciting appearance for those who have missed this citrus wheat brew! Due to the overwhelming response at our Anniversary Party, we decided to brew another special batch for our fans to release on April 26th. Don’t miss out on our newest tradition: The Stein Hoisting Competition. We will hold the competition on Saturday afternoon. OMB’s Director of Brewing Operations, Dave Martin: “All OMB beers are brewed using only four ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast in strict accordance with the world-famous German beer purity law of 1516, the Reinheitsgebot. Our creativity is not restrained by Reinheitsgebot but refined by it. The number of combinations from just these four ingredients is endless. We hope you’ll join us for pure beer in several delicious varieties at this year’s Louisiana Spring Fest.”
    The event will be up on Facebook very soon. Prost! MORE ABOUT THE OLDE MECKLENBURG BREWERY
    Founded in 2009 in Charlotte, NC, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery believes in delivering fresh, local beer and adhering to Germany’s oldest beer purity guideline, known as the “Reinheitsgebot”. Four beers are available year-round and at least 9 others make seasonal and holiday appearances — always delivered in refrigerated trucks to preserve freshness and meet the demands of ultra-premium beer consumers. OMB is one of only nine craft breweries included on the Inc. 5000 list, and the only one in North Carolina. The Brewery has received numerous regional and international medals in North America and Europe. OMB was also named Best Brewery Tour in the country by the readers of USA Today and receives many accolades for its multi-acre Munich-inspired Biergarten, which seats over 1,000. For more information, visit oldemeckbrew.com or @oldemeckbrew on social media.

 

Stillwater Artisanal Action’s Bronson’s 7000 Dry-Hopped Sour Ale with Muscat Grapes

Posted on by Evan

From Oslo Norway Stillwater Artisanal Action Bronson’s 7000, 5.0% ABV is a collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal and rapper, celebrity Action Bronson and is a dry-hopped sour ale brewed with Muscat Grapes, yeast, wheat, and barley. 7000 pours a light orange color with a thin one and a half finger white head that quickly fizzy away giving off slight musty grape aroma with sour notes following it. The flavor is light with a dry musty grape sour note with some citrus notes fading in with a nice tart sour citrus grape finish with a tart citrus aftertaste that kings till the next sip, with a light mouthfeel. Stillwater Artisanal Action Bronson’s 7000 is very easy drinking, crushable with just enough flavor to get the dry-hopped sour beer point across your taste buds. I found that this is like a fruit wine and that’s not a bad thing, I give Stillwater Artisanal Action Bronson’s 7000 an A. This is one of those beers for when you want something, a beer, that isn’t beer and 7000 is going to really fill you up as some beer do. It’s light on filling. I would recommend Stillwater Artisanal Action Bronson’s 7000 and will be having this many more times. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Burial Beer Co. & CRAK Brewery The End is Never Near Session IPA Collaboration

Posted on by Evan

I first had Burial Beer Co. & CRAK Brewery The End is Never Near Session IPA, 4.2% ABV on tap Pop The Top Bottle Shop, so a few days later I picked up a four pack. This is a collaborative between Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, North Carolina and CRAK Brewery in Campodarsego, Veneto Italy. The End is Never Near Session IPA is brewed with barley and oates, double dry-hopped with a bounty for Citra and Vic’s Secret. The End is Never Near Session IPA pours a hazed yellow color with a thick three finger white head that fades in icebergs and a thin halo, giving you nose sweet juicy citrus fruits, orange and grapefruit which the taste follow with citrus fruits, juicy orange and juicy grapefruit with a nice oat sweetness that has a little hoppy bitterness and finishes a little bit bitter with a nice citrus note and a bitter juicy fruit aftertaste that has a little tiny sour note on the end with a light mouthfeel. Burial Beer Co. & CRAK Brewery The End is Never Near Session IPA is easy drinking and very refreshing with great fruity flavors and just enough sweetness with the right amount of hoppy bitterness that is an A. This beer is like fresh citrus juice that I recommend you try. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!