Brewery and Bottleshop Events in Wilmington NC Hey!Beer just got a crowler machine, so your options for beer-to-go in Midtown Wilmington just got even better. Expect it to be up and running soon! Some of the Hype Whale (10.0% American Imperial Stout, Red Brick Brewing) that hit town last week is still around; so are... Continue Reading →
The Case for Extracts
Capsaicin extracts get a bad rap. You say the words "half a million Scoville units" and people's eyes cross. With good reason, maybe; that's pretty damn hot. So hot that a normal person (read: non-chilehead) would just barely detect the heat if one gram was diluted in 500,000 grams of water (that's about 132 gallons).... Continue Reading →
DirtWolf – Victory Brewing Co. – Downingtown, PA
American Imperial IPA, 8.7% ABV appearance: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4 | overall: 4.5 This beer looks more like a light lager than a Double IPA: pale gold in color, crystal clear and very effervescent. It pours to a lasting giant pillowy ivory-colored head that would look right at home... Continue Reading →
Beer Buzz – Week of 22 Jan 2018
Brewery and Bottleshop Events in Wilmington NC Bell's Hopslam Imperial IPA (10.0% ABV) is hitting town Monday, so plan an early trip to your favorite bottleshop. This annual favorite is Bell's most complexly-hopped beer (six varietals during brewing plus "massive" dry-hopping with Simcoe), and it won't last, so don't miss out! Red Brick Brewing's Hype... Continue Reading →
Georgia – 11 Jan 2018
The kidding season got off to an early start this year when Polly had a female kid named Georgia on 11 January. This is Polly's second breeding season; last season she had a boy named George that was born at the end of February, which is a bit earlier than normal. Georgia looks just like... Continue Reading →
Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room – Roanoke, VA
Brewery/Taproom I visited Deschutes' tasting room in downtown Roanoke VA on a Saturday at opening (1 PM). The taproom had a clean, modern design that was nicely counterpointed by the use of old, reclaimed wood to frame out the backbar, and was scrupulously clean. The interior had a cohesive feel due to a lack of... Continue Reading →
Gate City Growlers – Greensboro, NC
Bottle Shop, Bar 1724 Battleground Ave, Suite 103 Greensboro, North Carolina Gate City Growlers is everything that I look for in a bottle shop: a great selection of beer, well-curated by people who are passionate about good beer and are willing to personally travel NC to bring the best of it to their customers, even... Continue Reading →
Citra Session – Green Flash Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA
American IPA, 4.5% ABV appearance: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | mouthfeel: 4 | overall: 4 This single-hopped IPA is deep gold in color and very sparkling; it sports a moderate chill haze and a short-lived thin pillowy white head. Lacing is fair and manifests as bands and spots. The nose is medium-strong... Continue Reading →
AC/DC – Karlsberg Brauerei – Homburg, Germany
Euro Pale Lager, 5.0% ABV appearance: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | mouthfeel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5 This is a nice-looking lager: a crystal-clear, sparkling pale-gold body and a giant (pour carefully!) creamy white head that doesn't last long enough. Lacing is fair and consists of rafts and blotches. The nose is light... Continue Reading →
Top 10 Metal Albums of 2017
2017 was another good year for new metal releases... this is what it looked like from where I sit: 1. Midnight - Sweet Death and Ecstasy. Midnight plays blackened speed metal that's a coked-up cross between Venom and Motörhead, with an extra side of Satan and a manic, gleefully blasphemous feel that's all their own.... Continue Reading →
