Trophy Brewing 90° Underneath The Palm Trees Pineapple Hopshake DIPA

Posted on by Evan

Trophy Brewing Co. 90° Underneath Palm Trees Pineapple Hopshake DIPA, 8% ABV from Raleigh, North Carolina and purchased from Pop The Top Craft Beer is riding the wave of milkshake IPAs and this is brewed pineapple, Lactose Sugar, and Vanilla. 90° Underneath Palm Trees Pineapple pours a hazy pineapple juice yellow color with three and a half finger of pillowy white foam that slowly dissipates into some nice lacing, with tropical juicy aromas of sweet pineapple and citrus fruits with hints of a faint hoppy note. 90° Underneath Palm Trees Pineapple has an easy drinking taste with juicy tropical pineapple, orange citrus, with a nice sweetness and a low hoppy note on the end, that finishes tropical juicy and has an aftertaste of nice ripe sweet fruits that beckons you for another sip. 90° Underneath Palm Trees Pineapple is a really good beer that is easy drinking and refreshing. I give Trophy Brewing Co. 90° Underneath Palm Trees Pineapple Hopshake DIPA an A+. It doesn’t drink like it’s an 8% Double IPA which I highly recommend trying as this might become my new favorite! Cheers! please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Goose Island Beer Company Sofie 2014 Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted January 10th, 2015.

Belgian style beers are widely popular with concerning beer lovers/drinkers. They are some of the best beers in the world. I am a huge Belgian beer fan. One thing about Belgian beer is that is not just only one style, Belgium has many beer styles, such as Abby, triple, wits, browns, sours (both dark and light), Lambic, IPA, pale ale, lagers, quadruples, saisons stouts, blondes. But this beer isn’t all the way from Belgium; no it’s from Chicago Illinois from Goose Island. This is Goose Island Sofia Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale, 6.5% ABV. This Farmhouse ale is 80% Belgian style ale blended with 20% Belgian style ale aged in wine barrels with orange peel. Aging beer in barrels isn’t anything new; brewers have been doing this for a very long time. Some use bourbon barrels, some use rum barrels, and some use barrels made of different types of wood, like oak, or cedar wood. Sofie is sold in twelve ounces four packs or 750ml bottles. Sofie pours a yellow light straw gold color with a two finger bright white bubbly head. I found tons of light streaming through the glass among the many carbonation bubbles. The aroma on Sofie is a bit like old green grapes, you know when they are bit older and taste a bit tart. There isn’t much of the orange peel there but there is a bit of a faint citrus aroma though. The taste on Sofie is a little similar to the aroma with a tart green grape leaning toward a faint sour flavor, and you do get the orange peel but I didn’t find a spicy white pepper that is advertised on the label. This beer is mostly tart. The mouthfeel is light to somewhat medium and has a nice tart refreshing finish, with a nice softer aftertaste of very faint vanilla that comes from the wine barrels. Sofie is on great beer so I am giving this an A-. I found this beer complex but in a good way. Bells Oarsman is similar in taste (Oarsmen is a Berliner Weissbier) to this but not as complex and easy drinking. Sofie is still an easy drinker just not as easy. I found it refreshing as well and good to have with nice creamy cheese and meats. I highly recommend trying Goose Island Sofie! It’s a good one from a great brewery. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here is this week’s happening in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

  • Thursday, March 21st, Wise Man Brewing Tap Takeover. Carolina Beer Temple Charlotte. 12 pm-11:30pm. Free tickets at eventbrite.com. Wise up to one of the hottest breweries in North Carolina right now as we welcome Wise Man Brewing into the Temple! Whatever the style, few breweries bring the level of balance and skill to the craft as they do, and we want to show them off for the Queen City. After all, when the great philosophers pondered the secrets of the universe, we like to think they did it over a pint or two of beer fit for the Wise.

    TAP LIST:
    -Body Electric Hazy DIPA
    -BBA Merry World Breakfast Stout (One of the only kegs in great Charlotte!)
    -Not a Role Model Dunkelweizen
    -Spring Veil Maibock

 

  • Friday, March 22nd. Taproom Release: SoBo Orange Hazy IPA. Blue Blaze Brewing. 4 pm-9 pm. Join us Friday for a super small, taproom-only re-release of SoBo Orangerine Hazy IPA. Heading Southbound, this 6.4% New England style hazy, juicy IPA was brewed with (in addition to water, malt, yeast, and hops) only oranges yielding a citrusy, refreshing beer.

    (No purees, extracts, or additives)

    Swing by the taproom from 4:00 – 9:00 for a pint!

    4pm Food Truck- Baltimore Crab Cake Company

    SoBo is a slang term for southbound AT thru-hikers.

 

  • Friday, March 22nd. Par 4 Release. NoDa Brewing Company. 3 pm-10 pm. Mark your calendars for the arrival of Par 4, which will be available on tap and in cans. Join us in the taproom as early as 3pm to celebrate this wonderful time of year!

 

  • Saturday, March 23rd. Street Food Fest. Sycamore Brewing. 12 pm-10 pm. Join us for Street Food Fest at Sycamore!

    A Taste of Cuba with No Forks Given
    A Taste of Venezuela with Queen City Chamo
    A Taste of Latin Flavors with Chef Rays!

    Live Music from Miguel & Urban Roots and Below the Belt!

    Fresh Sycamore Beer, Wild Blossom Cider, Wine, Prosecco Pops, Frosé and more!

 

  • Saturday-Sunday, March 23rd-24th. OMB 10 Year Anniversary. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Sat 11 am-11 pm & Sun 11 pm-10 pm. OMB’s 10th Anniversary celebration includes live music, fun surprises, and lots of fresh, pure beer!

    The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery has been enriching the quality of life in the CLT region for ten years this March: from premium, award-winning beer to a unique, award-winning Brauhaus & Biergarten experience to partnerships with local charities, foundations, vendors, craftsmen, etc. to our team of passionate, service-minded Charlotteans.

    SATURDAY, March 23rd

    Hours: 11a-11p

    Beers on Tap: Year-round offerings Copper Altbier, Captain Jack Pilsner, and Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen will be on tap, along with our usual Anniversary release, Anniversary Alt. “Anni Alt” is like a bigger version of OMB’s flagship Copper: rich in flavor, but with more malty sweetness and a higher ABV. Spring seasonal, Früh Bock, will also be available. Früh combines a slight malty sweetness with a refreshing touch of citrus aroma from its noble Bavarian hops.
    Southside Weiss will make an exciting appearance for those who have missed this citrus wheat brew! OMB temporarily discontinued Southside Weiss due to tank capacity restrictions, but we’re brewing a special batch for our fans to release this Anniversary weekend.
    Keep an eye out for a barrel aged release as well.

    Music:
    1-4pm Thirsty Horses (the 60s to Today Rock Covers) https://www.brettmilstead.com
    5-7pm Brother Oliver (Psychic Folk Rock) http://www.brotheroliver.com/
    8-10pm Mermaid Motor Lounge (Space Cowboy Alt Rock) https://www.mermaidmotorlounge.com/

    Commemorative Glassware: Gold-leaf logo’d Das Boot (1L) available for purchase with the first fill of fresh beer included for $19.99. Limited Quantity. First come, first served.

    Fun Surprises:
    • Discovery Place Noon-4pm
    • OMB’s Inaugural STEIN HOISTING COMPETITION 2:30-4pm
    • Face Painting & Balloon Animals 3pm-5pm
    • Glow Balloons 5pm-7pm
    • Custom Caricatures available for purchase Noon-4pm

    SUNDAY, March 24th

    Hours: 11a-10p

    Beers on tap: Same as above!

    Music:
    2-5pm DECARLO (DECARLO is the band featuring Tommy DeCarlo, best known for having performed with Boston since 2007. Get ready to rock!) https://www.decarlorocks.com/

    Commemorative Glassware: Gold-leaf logo’d Das Boot (1L) available for purchase with the first fill of fresh beer included for $19.99. Limited Quantity. First come, first served.

    Fun Surprises:
    • 24 Foundation 1pm-4pm
    • Face Painting & Balloon Animals 3pm-5pm
    • Custom Caricatures available for purchase Noon-4pm

    Under 21 are welcome at OMB. Pets are welcome outside in our Biergarten.  

 

  • Sunday, March 24th. Keg & Eggs: Brunch at the Bot! 10:30 am-3 pm. Wooden Robot Brewery. Introducing Kegs & Eggs Brunch at the Bot happening every Sunday from 10:30am to 3pm. Get $5 Mimosas or hook up one of our beers with a shot of juice for a Beer-mosa! If your a bloody mary fan try a Michelada, our house lager with a shot of tomato juice.
    Expect brunch menu items from Twisted Eats by Kre8 like:
    Beer Cheese & Biscuits
    From scratch buttermilk biscuits, country ham, farm fresh egg over easy, Chef Rob’s OG beer cheese
    Shrimp & Grits
    Blue cheese & cheddar grits, blackened shrimp, Tasso ham gravy, crispy onions
    Avocado Egg Toast
    Farm fresh egg sunny side up, sliced tomato, avocado mash, wild mushrooms, micro cilantro
    Stuffed French Toast
    Hazelnut mousse, sliced banana, maple syrup, chantilly cream

    $1 off all Medium Beers ALL DAY LONG!

 

 

Highland Brewing Company Pilsner

Posted on by Evan

Located in Asheville, North Carolina Highland Brewing Company, Pilsner 5.5% which I got through a family member at the local grocery store. Highland Brewing Company, Pilsner pours a clear golden color with a three finger pillowy white head with sweet biscuity clean aromas with a slight hoppy note. The taste is similar to the nose with nice sweet yet lightly hoppy biscuit notes with a clean refreshing taste and a crisp refreshing finish with a faint hop note with an aftertaste that is slightly hoppier than the finish bit just slightly that lingers till the next sip all with a light mouthfeel. Highland Brewing Company, Pilsner is just an average but good craft Pilsner and I give it a B-. It drinks easy and you are done with a can rather quickly and on to another one. You should try Highland Brewing Company, Pilsner it’s worth try over and over! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Deep River Brewing Co. The Ruck E.S.B

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted November 15th, 2015.

Now I don’t know how the E.S.B. style of beer became beer of rugby players, it just always has been, other than water of course. E.S.B. stands for Extra Special Bitter, and they are essentially more aggressive and more balanced bitters, both in alcohol and in hop character, but nothing overpowering. This is more common in England where I believe the style originated. There are some versions of E.S.B. here in the United States. Deep River Brewing Co. The Ruck E.S.B., 6.5% ABV is one example. Deep River Brewing Co in Clayton N.C. sells The Ruck and uses the sales from it to help the Local Clayton Rugby team The Bootleggers. The Ruck pours a nice litter copper color with a two finger light beige head that leaves behind minimal lacing. The aroma is faintly malty with a slight breaded note. The taste is smooth with a malty breaded flavor with the lights yet faintest sweet note that comes in a goes out in the blink of an eye. The Ruck is quite drinkable and smooth. The mouthfeel is light to medium with a nice smooth malt bread finish. But the after taste isn’t there, but what is there is a nice flat hop note with a very faint crisp malt note. Overall this beer is a B. I think there are better E.S.B.’s out there but this isn’t a bad one. Yes you should try Deep River Brewing Co. The Ruck E.S.B.! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Wednesday, March 13th. Blankets and Brews. Sycamore Brewing. 6:30 pm- 9:30 pm. Tickets at arworkshop.com. Let’s get cozy at one of our favorite local spots! Enjoy craft brews while crafting up your very own Chunky Knit Blanket at Sycamore Brewery.

 

  • Wednesday, March 13th.  1775 Pale Ale. NoDa Brewing Company. 4 pm-9 pm. This week’s brew has been made in collaboration with Charlotte Independence, for its second annual return. This Pale Ale is coming in at 5.5% ABV, filled with El Dorado and Simcoe hops, giving you a piney and citrusy taste. A great sipper for the Spring weather! Not to mention, just in time for Charlotte Independence’s first home game of the season on Friday, March 15th!

 

  • Thursday, March 14th. Pink Robots Release: Raspberry & Blackberry Kettle Sour. Birdsong Brewing Co. 3 pm-11 pm. Coming back by VERY popular demand, we have a release date for Pink Robots Blackberry/Raspberry Kettle Sour! Hope you can join us for the release on Thursday, March 14th, 2019!

    Brewed with raspberry and blackberry, our kettle-soured ale is bright, tangy and deliciously fruity. Upfront berry aromatics and a lingering tartness come together for an easy-drinking experience. It won’t take long to see why it’s a fan and staff favorite. Even Yoshimi would agree—Pink Robots can’t be beaten!

    We will be releasing this beer on draft & in CANS at 3pm! Cheers!

 

  • Thursday, March 14th. Irish Coffee (Beer) Celebration. Carolina Beer Temple Charlotte. 12 pm-11:30 pm. Free tickets at eventbrite.com. The only right way to get ready for St. Paddy’s Day is with Irish Coffee. No, not that one, with the whiskey. The other one! We mean coffee beers from across the Carolinas! So come on out and try local favorites like Wooden Robot’s Good Morning Vietnam or special treats like Blue Blaze Brewing’s Bantu Gluten-Free Coffee Brown. What better way to feel Irish for a day, and get ready for the biggest day in beer?

    TAP LIST IN PROGRESS:

    -Amor Artis Sospeso Coffee Blonde

    -Blue Blaze Bantu Gluten-Free Coffee Brown

    -Catawba Evening Joe Coffee Blonde

    -Wooden Robot Beast Foot Espresso Stout

 

  • Friday, March 15th. Triple C Chocolate Covered Pretzel Flight Night. Flying Saucer Charlotte. 6 pm-2 am. Serving variations of Triple C Chocolate Covered Stouts including
    Original
    Cayenne/Cinnamon
    Coconut
    Paired with Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

 

  • Friday, March 15th Pilot Brewing & Cabot Cheese Paring Fundraiser. Pilot Brewing. 5 pm-9 pm. Beer and cheese are a match made in gastronomic heaven.

    Join us for a beer and cheese pairing with Cabot, a co-operative of farm families, benefitting the Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love, our March Charity of the Month. Come on out to learn more about their amazing organization and get to meet some of their Great Danes!

    We will be hosting a Raffle benefiting Ruff Love. Raffle Prizes include Beer Gift Baskets from Cabot Cheese and Pilot Brewing swag and beer. There are a number of ways to earn raffle tickets!
    1. Order an item from the food truck!
    2. Purchase them! 2 for $5 or 5 for $10
    3. Donate an item from Ruff Love’s Wish List:
    https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3FE1PNCGQ1FNY?
    4. Participate in the Cheese Tasting for $10
    * All proceeds from ticket sales are donated to Ruff Love

    Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love is Pilot Brewing’s Charity of the Month for March. All month long, $1 of every Crowler to-go beer sale will be donated to the non-profit.

    Bad Mother Smokers food truck will also be on-site slinging their delicious BBQ from 5PM – close.

    About Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love –
    Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love was born in 2009 to meet a major need in the world of rescue: the emphasis of quality of rescues instead of just quantity. We believe that our handling of each case should be top quality, even at the expense of time or money, so that in the long run we are able to make a larger dent in the number of dogs we successfully save. This translates into happier dogs and adopters. We have rescued over 720 dogs! We are an extension of Ruff Love Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Thomasville, NC.

 

  • Saturday, March 16th. Beer Release *Fashionably Late* Hazy IPA. The Unknown Brewing Company. 12 pm-3 pm. Come Join us this Saturday at noon as we release Fashionably late. this Hazy IPA was brewed with tons of citrus hops and a has a smooth creamy mouthfeel. only 25 cases made (No Distro). Yes, its a long time coming for us to join the haze craze but we’ve never been good about paying attention to current trends. If you’re going to live without boundaries, Might as well be Fashionably Late!

 

  • Saturday & Sunday, March 16th-17th. St. Patrick’s Day in LoSo 2019. The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. 11 am-11 pm. Charlotte’s most diverse selection of locally produced beverages is the destination for a good time on St. Paddy… Lower Southend & OMB are ready for green attire, festive music and lots of delicious food and drink on March 16th & 17th!

    If you’d like to join a LoSo Bar Crawl on Saturday, visit CrossFit Mecklenburg’s Facebook page. OMB is a stop on the crawl and will be celebrating the holiday all weekend long! We especially invite y’all to join us on Sunday for a laid-back St. Pat’s after your Saturday shenanigans.

    At OMB, relax under the trees in our Biergarten with our spring seasonal: Früh Bock. Früh Bock captures the promise of warmer days ahead, combining a slight malty sweetness with a refreshing touch of citrus aroma from its noble Bavarian hops. Your year-round favorites will also be on tap including Copper Altbier, Captain Jack Pilsner, Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen & Fat Boy Baltic Porter. Don’t forget – our 1 Liter steins will be available!

    Festive food specials:
    -McDublin-
    (6oz Angus Beef & Brisket Patty, All-Natural Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, Many Islands Dressing, Irish Mustard, Pretzel Bun), Choice of Side Item

    -Our Bangers & Mash-
    Sliced Bratwursts, Colcannon – (Mashed Potatoes, Cabbage, Onion, Bacon), Charred Brussel Sprouts, OMB Copper Gravy

    We’ll also have live music on Saturday & Sunday.

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

 

  • Sunday, March 17th. Black & Blue X Hangover Party. Wooden Robot Brewery. 10:30 am-9 pm. This Sunday, March 17th, celebrate your Annual Brawley’s Beverage Black & Blue Hangover and St. Paddy’s Day at the Bot. In honor of the 10th year of the festival, we will be pouring local #NCbeer from our friends at Fonta Flora Brewery High Branch Brewing Co. Eurisko Beer Company & Zillicoah Beer Company as well as some of our specialty beers from the cellar. Official beer line-up will be announced soon, stay tuned!
    Twisted Eats by Kre8 will have an exclusive Hangover Brunch menu all day long!
    Treat your 10th Annual Black & Blue Hangover with respect and come have a drink with us!
    *All are welcome; not exclusive to festival-goers

 

  • Tuesday, March 19th. NoDable Release: Danksta IPA. NoDa Brewing Company. 4 pm-9 pm. Each month, we release several brand new brews as part of our “NoDable” Series on Fridays. This week’s brew is our Danksta IPA sitting at 4.9% ABV. This Danky IPA is brewed with Ariana hops and dry hopped with Ariana and Citra hop oil, providing us with the perfect combination of citrusy and fruity flavors.


     

 

New Sarum Salisbury Brewing CO. Griffin Series Princess PeaHazy IPA

Posted on by Evan

I went out to Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop for a few beers and brought back New Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. Princess Peach Hazy IPA, 7.0% ABV & 20 IBU (International Bittering Unit)from Salisbury, North Carolina which is brewed with Blood Peaches and Lactose into what is called a Milkshake IPA. Princess Peach pours a hazy medium yellow color with a two finger white head with a sweet aroma of vanilla fruit, peaches, a nice bubble gum acidic notes hitting your nose with a vanilla bubble gum flavor upfront then slightly hoppy in the middle with a fruit peach acidic flavor come on the back as the hoppy flavor slowly grows, and finishes with a little hoppy fruity sweetness. Aftertaste is sweet and peachy with a light acidic note and faint bubble gum with a medium mouthfeel. Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. Princess Peach Hazy IPA really surprised me with its uniquely delicious flavor, which none were out of place. Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. Princess Peach Hazy IPA is well deserving of an A+. A really well brewed be with awesome milkshake fruitiness that is very tasty. I highly recommend trying this beer. I will come right back to this again! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Beer & Chips Paring: LateJuly Organic Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips and Founders Brewing Co. All Day IPA

Posted on by Evan

This may seem like a Beer & Chips Pairing similar to the last one I posted, but this is LateJuly Organic Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips & Founders Brewing All Day IPA, 4.7% ABV. LateJuly Organic Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips are much like a cool ranch Dorito but with more of a slight green hue to them with a little sprinkling of spices and smell spicy with hints of lime zested on them. These tortilla chips have a mild spicy note to them up front with a nice light lemon flavor following it. Founders Brewing All Day IPA does wash way a bit of the Jalapeño spice but then in the middle of mouth the spice mixes with the hoppy flavor making a slightly more than mild spicy note that really fills your mouth then slowly fades as you sip on ALL Day IPA. This beer adds another level of spice to the Jalapeño and helping bring out the lime flavor and makes for a good pairing which receives a B. The Jalapeño flavor is mild as is the Lime flavor, but they aren’t. That holds it slightly lower but the beer adds to these LateJuly Organic Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips which helps bring out the intended flavors. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

New Belgium Dayblazer Easygoing Ale

Posted on by Evan

New Belgium Dayblazer Easygoing Ale, 4.8% purchased at my local Harris Teeter grocery is a session ale, that pours a golden yellow color with one finger white head and gives your nose clean, crisp sudsy aromas with some grain notes as well, with a taste that is somewhat similar to the aroma with crisp sweet clean flavors with a very faint hoppy note on the back of the mouth with a refreshing quality and a crisp somewhat sweet finish with a nice clean grains aftertaste with a light mouthfeel. This is just an average tasting beer that you probably will not remember but is good, give New Belgium Dayblazer Easygoing Ale a C+. There is nothing offensive about this beer nor is there anything really worthwhile here. It is a much better version of a BMC (Budweiser, Miller, Coors) offering. I recommend New Belgium Dayblazer Easygoing Ale, go try it, it goes down very easy! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Wicked Weed Brewing Pernicious India Pale Ale

Posted on by Evan

Picked up Wicked Weed Brewing Pernicious India Pale Ale, 7.3% ABV from the local Harris Teeter, this local brew is brewed in Asheville, North Carolina. Pernicious pours a yellow Pilsner like color with a slight hazy and a one and a half finger white head with a bitter lemon floral aroma with some grass pine faintly wafting in with a bitter taste of a slightly fruity lemony piney flavor with slime bitter hoppy notes in the middle and toward the back of the mouth with a clean finish that slowly smooth out bitter in the aftertaste that has a very light lemon flavor with a lighter mouthfeel. For a beer that 7.3% ABV Wicked Weed Brewing Pernicious India Pale Ale is easy to drink and is good getting a B+ here. I think that Pernicious could use more hops to give it the hoppy notes more of impact on you taste buds but other than that is good and you should try it! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!