Heist Brewpub is a fairly large, seemingly well-established place. Located in Charlotte's NoDa neighborhood, Heist has become well-known for the quality of their beer; Heist is also known for their massive whiskey selection and their kitchen, which turns out a nice selection of shared plate offerings, woodfired flatbreads, sandwiches and Charcuterie boards (note that the brunch, lunch and dinner menus are different). When I visited about 2 PM on a holiday weekend Saturday, it was predictably busy but not over-crowded.
Enchanter – Hi-Wire Brewing – Asheville, NC
A thin, brief-lived pebbly tan head sits atop a dark brown body with ruby highlights; lacing is fair, consisting of slabs and caverns. The nose is light in intensity, but attention-getting: a seamless, punchy blend of bitter coffee, oak and booze backed by hints of smoke and black-strap molasses. The palate shows a sweeter and much richer dark malt character than the nose would predict; it's a smooth, seamless melange that includes milk chocolate, cocoa, toffee and molasses, and ends up just slightly on the sweet side of the balance. Like the aroma, there is just a hint of smoke. The finish is toffee/caramel, with a bit of carbonation bite, and ends dryish; the linger is a subtle coffee/oak bitterness that sticks around for a minute or two. Mouthfeel is on point for the full body, and the texture is stoutish: viscous, sticky, creamy, and just faintly peppery from the restrained carbonation.
Wooden Robot Brewery – Charlotte, NC
I visited Wooden Robot at mid-afternoon on a Saturday. The brickwork exterior and the pseudo-industrial lettering above the entrance are echoed inside, which is brickwork with sparse use of heavy wood. Suspended ventilation ductwork and exposed beams and girders provide the semi-industrial feel often found in craft brewery taprooms; the fact that all of this superstructure is neatly painted black keeps the look tight and clean (which is not always the case). Tables are numerous and match the aesthetics of the rest of the taproom, being thick, glossy wood mounted on minimalist black metal hardware. Barstools and chairs are also a match, being of similar minimalist design and black metal construction. The overall result feels clean, uncluttered and stylish while retaining the semi-industrial ambience. There was plenty of seating inside, and plenty more outside, some accessed through a roll-up door that added to the atmosphere.
Beer Buzz – Week of 29 Jan 2018
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 →
DirtWolf – Victory Brewing Co. – Downingtown, PA
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 on a lager as well; lacing consists of very nice rafts and ladders. The nose puts any doubts about what it is to rest: the aroma shows as a fairly intense, smooth, seamless, soapy melange of citrus, pine and florals, joined by pineapple and alcohol overtones. Up front, the palate is bitter resinous pine and citrus, with a nice balancing view of the light bready malt foundation emerging mid-palate, joined on the back end by significant floral and alcohol notes. The finish is a bit astringent, a bit malty and a bit floral/pine, all joined in seconds by a style-moderate clinging hoppy bitterness; the pine/floral notes and the bitterness linger for a few minutes. Mouthfeel is biggish for the light body, and peppery from the very fizzy carbonation. This is a very drinkable, very well-balanced Double IPA that hides its alcohol pretty well.
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 →
Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room – Roanoke, VA
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 distracting wall decor and the use of consistent, unbroken wall color throughout. The color was a fairly cool grey, but the copious sunlight coming in through the full-length windows kept the feel light and airy. The mid-sized bar seated about 30, and there was ample seating inside for plenty more. There was a single table outside; this may have been so limited because it was market day.
Gate City Growlers – Greensboro, NC
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 beer that gets minimal (or no) distribution. With 20 taps, there is plenty of kegged beer to be had; when I visited, the tap selection was diverse and impressive, and featured beer from top-shelf brewers like Prairie Artisan Ales, Mikkeller, Grimm, Burial, and Wooden Robot. And unlike some places, they are happy to fill outside growlers. The packaged beer selection is great as well, with an appropriate focus on NC beer but no skimping on great beer from outside NC (and outside the US). A couple of coolers provide cold beer. Like any proper bottle shop, mix-a-six is the method to the madness.
Citra Session – Green Flash Brewing Co. – San Diego, CA
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 in intensity and very bright: a nice blend of grapefruit and green pine with lesser floral notes and faint alcohol overtones. The palate is also style-appropriate in intensity, lead by bitter grapefruit and pineapple with hints of soapy pine/floral notes and a decent view of the light bready malt foundation. This beer is pretty bitter for a low-ABV IPA; not surprisingly, the finish is hoppy: piney florals, then a flash of malt, then a strongish hoppy bitterness builds in and lingers for a few minutes. Mouthfeel is commensurate with the light body, and the texture is slightly creamy and slightly prickly the carbonation, which is quite restrained given how effervescent the beer is.
AC/DC – Karlsberg Brauerei – Homburg, Germany
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 in intensity, even for the style, otherwise it is pretty typical of a European pale lager: lagery grains, sweetish light fruit (apple in this case), slight boozy undertones and hints of Noble hop spiciness. The palate is more assertive than the nose: moderately-expressed spicy Noble hops and a style-moderate bitterness that is nicely balanced by a slightly-sweetish light malt presence. There are hints of light fruit, more subdued than on the nose. The finish is a well-balanced blend of spicy hops and sweetish malt, with a nice carbonation bite, followed by a mild hop bitterness that lingers for a few minutes. Mouthfeel is biggish for the light body, and the texture is nicely prickly from the strongly-expressed fizzy carbonation. This lager is quite drinkable, and is a respectable example of the style.
Old Man Metal's Musings 