Throwback Thursday: Samuel Smith Brewery Taddy Porter

Posted on by Evan

Originally posted on August 5th, 2013

Nothing is more of an English beer than a porter. The style originated in England. This particular porter is Samuel Smith Taddy Porter, 5.0% ABV (Taddy meaning Tadcaster). I love the fact that this porter is such a lower ABV. Most American porters are much higher in ABV. Taddy Porter pours a very dark color, black, with huge three finger rocky creamy beige head that stays and stays till the pint is nearly gone.  The head does leave behind nice sticky lacing. When held to the light the edges of this porter are a murky brown. I found very small amounts of light coming through under the head, and could see any carbonation bubbles. Taddy Porters aroma is of big roasted notes with a little chocolate there as well. The aroma reminds me of fresh coffee beans a little. The taste on Taddy Porter is roasted and rich with a nice tangy sweetness that is a little like chocolate and semi coffee like. This beer also has dryness to it. The mouth feel is full yet rich, with a dry and yet roasted like finish that leads into a wonderful semi sweet roasted aftertaste. I can’t say enough about how great Samuel Smith beers are, this one is so great. Taddy Porter is getting A+ from me. Just a well crafted English Porter, and it 5.0% ABV, that really had to the greatness of this porter. Samuel Smith is my favorite brewery right now, and I just think that this Taddy Porter is excellent. I have had almost all their beers except for three, and I everyone I’ve had is excellent. I highly recommend that you seek out Taddy Porter and all Samuel Smith beers. You can’t go wrong! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Here are this week’s new’s and events happening in the Charlotte, North Carolina Area.

  • Thursday, January 10th. Honey Pie Double IPA Release! Birdsong Brewing Co. 3 pm-10 pm. It’s no secret that our Honey Pie Double IPA is often referred to as “Heaven in a glass.” In this limited release brew, a solid malt foundation is complemented by a generous amount of locally harvested honey from Cloister Honey, and you guessed it… HOPS! Our unique blend of hops will deliver you aromas of honeydew and grapefruit, and will have you pouring the second beer before you’ve finished the first!

    Join us for the release of Honey Pie Double IPA on 1/10/19! CANS and draft will go on sale at 3pm!

    ***Limit will be one case per customer, this is subject to change based on availability.

 

  • Thursday, January 10th. Cheese Pairing with Orrman’s Cheese Shop. Carolina Beer Temple. 5 pm-11 pm. Tickets at eventbrite.com. What’s the only thing better than beer? Beer and cheese! With this in mind, we are working with Charlotte’s own Orrman’s Cheese Shop to bring you a spread of some of the finest cheeses the world over, paired with some of the choicest beers from across the globe. Tickets are only $20 for some of the finest cheeses and beers the world over. Rest assured that your taste buds will not want to miss this!

    PAIRINGS:
    -Aarewasser Trappist-Style Cheese w/ Orval
    -Etxegerai Sheep’s Milk Cheese w/ OMB Bauern Bock
    -Stompetoren Aged Gouda w/ Sugar Creek Bier de Garde
    -Stilton w/ Scratch Basil IPA

 

  • Friday, January 11th. Beer Release: Muddy WatersBrown Ale. Blue Blaze Brewing.  4 pm-9 pm. Blue Blaze Brewing is re-releasing a taproom favorite, Muddy Waters American Brown Ale (5.0% ABV) in draught! This is an American brown ale that is a copper & medium body with medium roasted malt caramel-like aromas and flavors and zippy hop bitterness.

    Food Truck – The Plated Palette

    Swing by the taproom from 4:00 – 9:00 for a pint or growler to go!

 

  • Friday, January 11th. River’s Edge Craft Beer Dinner featuring NoDa brewing. The U.S. National Whitewater Center. 6:30 pm-9 pm. Tickets at usnwc.org. Whitewater presents Craft Dinner, a winter dining series at River’s Edge. Featuring four courses that are uniquely off-menu, Craft Dinner tailors each course to the taste profile of four different beer samples from a local or NC-based brewery. A representative from the featured brewery will share palate notes for the culinary pairings.

    January 11 features NoDa Brewing Company. View the evening’s menu and register at usnwc.org/relax/adventure-dining/rivers-edge-craft-dinner/

 

  • Saturday, January 12th. Beer Release Blowout. Legion Brewing Commonwealth Ave. 12 pm-11 pm. We are kicking off the new year by tapping FIVE beers this Saturday, January 12th at Noon! Enjoy pints, or get a flight of all five for $10.

    Farmers First Coffee Company will be on site from Noon-2PM with samples of coffee, and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company will be here from 2-5PM with samples of some of their most popular juices and some fun swag!

    Beer Lineup:

    Against the Current (Winter Saison) 7.1% ABV / 20 IBU
    Medium-amber malt, Lithuanian farmhouse yeast, and a hefty 7.1% ABV lend a warm spice note to this Winter Saison, balanced by a subtly tart finish from 125 pounds of black currants.

    Natalie’s Tangerine IPA (Tangerine IPA) 6.9% ABV / 75 IBU
    Citrus-forward West Coast style IPA with pronounced bitterness balanced by a roundness from Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company and a dry, refreshing finish leaving you wanting another drink

    The Orange Chick (Hoppy Saison) 5.5% ABV / 20 IBU
    This hoppy farmhouse ale was carefully hopped with Citra and has notes of orange peel, vanilla, and a Witbier-like citrusy aroma

    Emiliano’s Andean Bock (Coffee Bock) 5.8% ABV / 20IBU
    Brewed for the cold bite of winter and brewed in collaboration with our friends at Farmers First Coffee Company, this dark, malty beer has notes of toffee, and hints of chocolate and hazelnut

    Brown Paper Bag (American Light Lager) 4.4% ABV / 15 IBU
    Classic American Light Lager served as cold as the Appalachians. Brewed exclusively with North Carolina grown malt and non-GMO grits from our friends at Old School Mill. 

 

  • Saturday, January 12th, Charlotte Brew’d Tapping: Coffee Blonde and Porter.  Brewers at 4001 Yancey 12 pm-2 pm. Join us for the tapping of our Charlotte Brew’d Victory Coffee Blonde and Southern Tier Porter!

    Enderly Coffee will be here to sample and talk about the roast used in the Coffee Blonde and we’ll have some fun giveaways.

 

  • Sunday, January 13th. Red Clay Raw Bar “Pop-Up”. Red Clay Ciderworks. 3 pm-5 pm. Join The Waterman at Red Clay Ciderworks for a FREE Raw Bar “Pop-Up” on Sunday, January 13th from 3-5PM.

    Enjoy FREE Oysters on the half shell (till they run out) from The Waterman, delicious cider from Red Clay (including a Small batch release of “Pirate’s Bae”: a semi-dry cider infused with lemongrass, ginger, wasabi, and lemon zest), and giveaways!

    Tag a friend, mark your calendar, and prepare for a great time!

 

Anheuser-Busch Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager

Posted on by Evan

I received Anheuser-Busch Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager, 6.2% ABV for a Christmas gift. Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager is aged with Jim Beam oak staves, and Budweiser uses them in the brew kettle rather than transferring the beer to a Jim Beam Barrel, and uses Two-row barely before the addition of the oak. Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager pours a deep copper almost red color with a little one finger bubbly beige head, giving off big sweet sticky vanilla aromas with a very faint smokey note that leads in to a very sweet sticky taste of some vanilla with light caramel and very faint smoke flavors with a very faint light smokey sweet sticky finish and a sweet aftertaste with a lighter mouthfeel. I see what Budweiser’s going for with Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager, the other bourbon barrel aging of a beer is popular and they are trying to cash in on that wave of popularity but I think that the base beer gets a little bit lost and the outcome is an overly sweet beer that after two pints the flavor of Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager would become too much on your taste buds. I give this a D+. The flavors it did have were okay at best but overall it really didn’t taste like a bourbon barrel aged beer, more like an amber lager with a sweetness to it. I mean if you are an average beer drinker that wants to try a bourbon barrel beer but are a little intimidated by the bourbon barrel aged craft beers out there then Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager might be a good beer for you to start out with. I don’t see myself having this soon but I might have this in the future. 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, January 3rd. Founders Tap Takeover. Carolina Beer Temple. 12 pm-11:30 pm. Tickets at eventbrite.com Founders has become one of the most recognized craft breweries in the US, and it is easy to see why. Nearly every beer, regardless of style, that they brew is among the best on the market. As such, we are excited to host them for an evening, to give our customers a chance to sample some of the fantastic beer that they are turning out. What better way to give up your New Year’s resolution than to do it with great beer, and even better company, right here at the Temple

    TAP LIST

    -Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS)

    -Backwoods Bastard Scotch Ale

    -Trigo Hoppy Wheat Lager

    -All Day IPA

 

  • Saturday, January 5th. Lenny Boy Q and Brew. Lenny Boy Brewing Co. 11 am-11 pm. Q & Brew is a monthly event at the Lenny Boy Taproom. The first Saturday of every month we have Live Music, New beer and kombucha releases, and fun vendors on-site. And of course, local BBQ smoked on-site 🍻

    Saturday, Jan 5th

    Free live music from 3 – 6pm with The Lazy Birds 🎸

    The Hunter’s Wife will be smoking up some amazing BBQ all-day.

    Menu:
    Pulled Pork Sandwich
    Mac and Cheese
    Southern Braised Collard Greens
    Cornbread

 

  • Saturday, January 5th, BIGGEST BADDEST BAPTIST. Carolina Beer Temple. 12 pm-11:30 pm. Tickets at eventbrite.com. Our customers loved Epic’s Big Bad Baptist. They really loved Epic’s Big Bad Baptista. They went absolutely nuts for Epic’s Quad Barrel Baptist. We might have to lock the doors if they find out that we will be tapping all three in the same night.

    That’s right, for one night only we will be tapping all three of this year’s Baptist variants at the same time! What better way to kick off the new year than with one of the most acclaimed and sought-after beer series of 2018.

    It will truly be… wait for it… Epic

 

  • Monday, January 7th. BeerSavvy Boot Camp. 12 pm-4 pm. Sugar Creek Brewing. Tickets at ciceron.org. Boost your beer IQ and prepare for the Certified Beer Server exam with this fun, and interactive class put on by the Cicerone® Certification Program—the leaders in beer service certification and training.

    BeerSavvy BootcampDuring this class you will:
    • Learn the difference between taste and flavor
    • Taste different types of malt
    • Smell hops from the US and Europe
    • Taste and study six foundational beer styles
    • Experience the spectrum of flavors found in beer
    • Understand the common variations that occur in beer styles
    • See how other styles relate to the core six
    • Learn how to talk about the flavor of beer with customers
    • Participate in creating flavor descriptions for six classic beers
    • Review proper beer service for bottles and draft
    • Learn how to spot a dirty beer glass from across the room

    Participants also receive a short book of readings and resources to help them prepare for the Certified Beer Server exam. Combined with the class, this book will prepare individuals to take the exam and join the ranks of more than 100,000 beer professionals who have achieved this certification. (Note: the cost of the class does not include the exam.) 

 

  • Monday, January 7th. Beer Education – Off Flavor Class. Pilot Brewing. 4:45 pm-7:45 pm. Taste the flaws in beer when proper care is not taken, learn how they form and how to control them in your fermentation. Join our Advanced Cicerone®, Jen Blair, as she guides you through a set of four off-flavors commonly found in beer.

    $20/TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT IN ADVANCED BY CONTACTING RACHAEL AT RACHAEL@PILOTBREWING.US.

    LIMITED SEATING IS AVAILABLE – Ticket will be sold day of the event, for the same price, if any room is available. 

 

  • Tuesday, January 8th. Stout Week. Bold Missy Brewery. 10 pm. We don’t know about you, but here at the Bold Missy Brewery, we LOVE stouts – especially during the colder months! We’ve selected eight awesome NC breweries to showcase during our first ever Stout Week!

    Each day during the week, we will put two of these very special beers on tap. If by chance they don’t kick on their assigned day, any remaining beers will be available on Saturday the 12th. So, what we’re basically saying is that if you see something you want, you better come to try it when you can!

    LINE-UP:
    Tuesday:
    -Dead and Berried Imperial Stout from Foothills Brewing
    -Export Stout from Ponysaurus Brewing

    Wednesday:
    -Midnight Summit Vanilla Milk Stout from Highland Brewing Company
    -Three Paw Chocolate Hazelnut Porter from Granite Falls Brewing Company

    Thursday:
    -Jelly Donut Imperial Stout from Hi-Wire Brewing
    -Joymongers Breakfast Stout from Joymongers Brewing Co.

    Friday:
    -Impending Grace Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout from Four Saints Brewing Company
    -Attack Position Imperial Stout from Crank Arm Brewing Company

Hi-Wire Brewing gimme the brut Double IPA

Posted on by Evan

Hi-Wire Brewing gimme the brut Double IPA, 8% ABV, is a new originating in California style for the past year where brewers use combination of Pilsner malt, wheat, corn and/or rice in the mash and they add Amylase enzymes that reduce the beers final gravity. These brut IPA are generally low in bitterness with gimme the brut Double IPA have only 20 IBUs. Gimme the brut Double IPA pours a yellow color with a tight but rocky white heads giving off a slightly fruity hoppy aroma with a dry juicy like note that leads to a slightly fruit hoppy orange flavor that is a little bit like orange juice on the middle of the tongue and dry on the back or the tongue that continues into the the finish of this beer with a little dry fruit aftertaste and low bitterness. Gimme the brut Double IPA is not overly bitter throughout but has a nice low/faint hoppy not that comes in. I give Hi-Wire Brewing gimme the brut Double IPA an A-. It’s a good beer but not as sparkling or effervescent as you’d like for being a brut IPA. But good and yes it was a bit refreshing, and one that I recommend tying. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Throwback Thursday: Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace

Posted on by Evan

In in the past of I have written that I don’t really like the Brooklyn Brewery, but yet here I am writing another post about one of they’re beers. But this here, a classic Saison ale (Farmhouse Ale) is quite good, not the best but good. Sorachi Ace is not something that is a full production brew, it is sort of limited, and only comes in a 1 pint 9.4 fluid ounce bottle. Sorachi Ace is brewed with their special Belgian ale strain, and Sorachi Ace hops. They also bottle re-ferment this with Champagne. This brew is 7.6% ABV but doesn’t taste nearly that strong, but close. Now this one is not as easy to find as other Brooklyn beers, but I would not say that it’s hard to find. Sorachi pours a cloudy gold color with a nice thick white head. It looks good. Now there are nice scents of hops and a small amount of grain and zesty lemon. notes to it. But this here doesn’t have really have strong hop scents like an IPA. Just more than some. There really isn’t much scent or smells to write about. But that’s not a bad thing. The taste is hoppy, but not overly hopped. There is a nice hint of Champagne like taste there, that is nice. But to much Champagne taste and it’s starting to become not as good. A beer should be a beer, not something else. There is a nice lemon zest to this that makes it a fine hint of sourness but in a good way that is tasty. Sorachi Ace has nice white wine finish that is has a tiny sweetness to it. This brew here goes very nicely with cheese and crackers, very good. Now, this is not heavy it is light somewhat drinkable, but not entirely due to it’s higher abv percent. Too much of this and you’ll be drunk faster than some other beers would. Remember that! This is good but it more of a special thing, something you have for a certain time or a special time, like a celebration or something or that nature. This wouldn’t be your everyday beer. But this is good really good for what it is, Saison, and not a lot of people know what that is, so there isn’t a lot of them being brewed but more than you’d think. This is good for a special day and makes it better. Cheers! Please Drink Responsibly!

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

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

  • Wednesday, December 26th. Twas the Day After Christmas. Blue Blaze Brewing. 2 pm -9 pm. Twas’ the Day after Christmas & Santa’s Elves needed beer … they pulled on their stockings & headed out with cheer!

    They knew where to go – for they were Blue Blaze bound … with $10.00 pitchers they could each buy a round!

    The Elves enjoyed s’mores by the fire & live music inside …. sampling some of the best beers they’ve ever tried!

    At the end of the night, the Elves parted ways … with ‘hoppy holidays to all, & to all a great day’!
    .
    .
    .
    From 2:30 – 5:30, enjoy live music by the talented violinist, Sandy Herrault. Enjoy authentic European style dishes from Strudelteig Food Truck. Wine, local craft cider, and non-alcoholic options are available.

    Your favorite Blue Blaze New England style hazy, SoBo Orangerine Hazy IPA, is back and in only a couple of sixtels! All naturally made from only water, yeast, malt, hops, and oranges. If our employee Christmas party is any judge, it won’t last long 😋
    We’ll also be offering beermosas in flutes or tulips made with this beer, only on the 22nd and 26th during our events those days.

    Our second annual, “Don’t Hate It, Donate It” drive starts today! If you’ve found yourself with unwanted gifts or items you’d like to donate, bring them to Blue Blaze! We are collecting everything from new to gently used apparel, outdoor gear, recreational items, toys, kitchen appliances, and more! All donated items will go to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. The drive will run from December 26th – January 13th.

    If you have large items you’d like to donate but are unable to transport, schedule a pickup by visiting: https://satruck.org/Donate/choose.

 

  • Thursday, December 27th. Hop Wallop Release Party. Brewers at 4001 Yancey. 6 pm-8 pm. The legendary Hop Wallop is BACK!

    Join us for the release party, with a tapping at 6 p.m. and we have a great event planned with music, samplings, giveaways and more!

 

  • Saturday, December 29th. Apple Pie Barleywine Release. Catawba Brewing Company. 12 pm-11 am. On December 29th we will unveil the biggest beer yet to emerge from our Barrel Program – BA #4 Apple Pie Barleywine. This delicious beer is an Apple Pie lovers dream come true! Aged for 32 months in bourbon barrels, it features additions of Carolina apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar and weighs a hefty 12% ABV.

    AVAILABLE IN TASTING ROOMS ONLY.

 

  • Sunday, December 30th. Brunch and Brews. Legion Brewing. 12 pm-2 pm. Join us every Sunday morning for a Farmers First Coffee Company cold brew or a Carolina Sparkle Party Beermosa during Brunch and Brews!

    Southwest Breakfast Burrito
    Chorizo, egg, cheddar, homemade salsa, jalapeno, and avocado. Enjoy it in a spinach wrap OR on a bed of smoked cheddar grits!

    Lox and Loaded*
    Smoked salmon, cucumber, onion, fresh dill and cream cheese on a Nova*s bagel.

    Breakfast Sliders (3)
    Bacon, egg, cheddar, tomato and black pepper aioli on soft slider buns.

    Mixed Berry Parfait
    Greek yogurt, mixed berries, homemade honey almond granola.

    Seasonal Belgian Waffle
    Flavors change with our seasonal beer line up- check our social media for updates!

    Side Of Smoked Cheese Grits

 

  • Monday, December 31st. Sycamore Brewing. 4 pm-12:15 pm. Join us for a Super-Casual New Year’s Eve at Sycamore! Ring in 2019 with Special Beer Releases, Live Music and absolutely no dress code!

 

  • Monday, December 31st. Lenny Boy New Years Eve Party. 3 pm-2 am. Let’s ring in another New Year with a kickass party at Lenny Boy Brewing Co. 💃 🍻 🎸

    We will be open from 3pm – 2am with New Beer and New Kombucha releases to enjoy all day 🍻

    – Live music with Crystal Fountains from 5 – 8pm
    – Live music with Aarodynamics from 10pm – 2am [get ready to DANCE]
    – Champagne Bar 9pm – 2am
    – Huge balloon drop at Midnight 🎈
    – Photo booth 📸
    – Beer Pitcher and Champagne specials
    – The Hunter’s Wife from 5 – 10pm
    – Wild Dog Hot Dogs from 10pm – 2am

    NO COVER and NO DRESS CODE – grab your friends and come ring in the New Year… Lenny Boy style 🎉

 

  • Tuesday, January 1st. New Year’s Day Brunch! Sycamore Brewing. 11 am-2 pm. Come hang out with us on New Year’s Day. We open at 11am with brunch by Bun Appetit and some hair of the dog (just in case that’s what you need). Besides, don’t New Year’s Resolutions usually start on the 2nd anyway?!

 

  • Tuesday, January 1st. New Year’s Day Party & Glowed Up Brut IPA Release! 10 am-8 pm. Join us for our 4th annual New Year’s DAY Party!! The party starts at 10am and lasts until your hangover is officially cured! We’re also excited to release our brand new Brut IPA, Glowed Up!

    We’ll stock the bagel bar with fresh bagels and an assortment of cream cheeses from Owen’s Bagel and Deli and we’ll be providing locally roasted coffee from Central Coffee Co.! The coffee and bagels will be on us (for as long as they last) and we’ll be accepting donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina if you feel so inclined! We will also be donating a portion of bar sales to this awesome, local community organization!

    We’re spicing it up w/ Jalapeño Pale Ale Bloody Beers, Fun Beer-Mosas, and of course, our new Brut IPA called Glowed Up! Draft and 4 packs of cans of Glowed Up will go on sale at 10a! Hope you can join! 

 

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday: Samuel Smith Brewery Organic Oatmeal Stout

Posted on by Evan

One of my top favorite breweries is, here again, it’s Samuel Smith and this is their celebrated Oatmeal Stout, 5.0% ABV. I’ve loved every beer I’ve had from Samuel Smith. This style of beer doesn’t really use actual oatmeal in the brewing process, but oats are used in the mash.  They give smoothness and a touch of sweetness to the beer. This Samuel Smith pours an opaque black color with a big three finger tan rocky head. The head stays for a while that leads into very wonderful lacing. This beer looks so great just sitting there. I did find a little amount of light coming through the pint glass with a small pack of carbonation bubbles. The aroma on Oatmeal Stout is sweet with the scent of oats and bittersweet chocolate. There is a nice roasted aroma too. The aroma reminds me of fresh and sweet homemade oatmeal. The taste is nice and you first get the lightly sweet oats hitting your tongue, followed by light chocolate that has a bit of a roasted noted around it. The taste on this makes every sip you want another. The mouthfeel is medium and a bit on the rich side. Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout finishes nicely with oats and a hint of sweetness that makes for a nice semi-dry and sweet aftertaste. I have to find a Samuel Smiths beer is bad, their beer is never lower than a C+, and there is only one, their cider. But this, their Oatmeal Stout is getting A+ from me. I would have this over and over again. This is a very tasty beer, and does not go overboard with the oats or other ingredients; it’s all balanced well into a great beer. I highly recommend this beer! Please go out and try this and see just how great Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout really is, you might just love it! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly! 

The Beer News

Posted on by Evan

Happy Holidays, The Beer News will return after the Holidays with lots of news and events for you to enjoy. Thank you and once again have a responsible and happy holidays. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Moody Tongue Brewing Applewood Gold

Posted on by Evan

This Moody Tongue Brewing Applewood Gold, 5.0% ABV is only the second beer I’ve had from Moody Tongue, this is a lager brewed with applewood in Chicago Illinois. Applewood Gold pours a golden color with a quickly fading two finger white head giving off a faint smokey biscuit aroma that leads into a biscuit flavors on the front of the tongue with a little faint fruit note on n the middle and a bit of smoke on the back that really builds in the finish with a big lingering aftertaste of smokey bacon with a light mouthfeel. This Applewood Gold is like drinking an Applewood bacon sandwich on a biscuit, but the flavors don’t seem to go together well, but individually they are good but this Moody Tongue Brewing Applewood Gold is a D+. On paper a lager brewed with applewood sound good but doesn’t hit the mark as a beer, it’s a lager then a smoke beer but it’s not both. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!