Haw River Mille Fleur Rustic Saison

Haw River Mille Fleur Rustic Saison. Dry-hopped Farmhouse Style. Blonde Ale brewed with malted spelt. 

5.8 % ABV, 28 IBU. Haw River Farmhouse Ales, Saxapahaw, NC. 

Lightly clouded, bright golden color, slim white head. 

In the nose: Belgian yeast funk, fruit, spices. Bright and barnyard-y. 

In the mouth: Tart at the front, then fresh and fruity. Citrus with a splash of stone. Lean bodied and malty. Minimal hops. Slightly sweet for a spell, then turning dry on the way out. Quite tasty. Good ol' easy drinking saison, how I like them when I find them. 

Thanks to Dave for sharing. 

With a name that translates to “a thousand flowers”, our saison is brewed with both malted barley and artisan spelt, offering up a fresh bouquet of both Crystal and Sorachi Ace hops and finishing dry & crisp on the palate.

NoDa Hop Drop 'n Roll India Pale Ale

NoDa Hop Drop 'n Roll India Pale Ale.

7.2 % ABV, 80 IBU, NoDa Brewing, Charlotte, NC. 

Clear, bright golden color, large and luminous ivory head. 

In the nose: Ah! Fresh, zesty, arresting, spicy and citric. Super dank, green and grassy. Essential IPA aromatics. I'm tempted to believe we have reached perfection. 

In the mouth: Hop attack begins. Juicy, then dry. High citrus and pine quotient in this one. A little bit brittle, and every way hoppy. This is no layabout, it's not soft or remotely smooth. Bitterness coats the palate and pleases this hophead on every level. Bristling with beautiful bitterness, and grassy, citrusy flavors. Lemon, grapefruit, and lime are laying it on thick. 

Yum, I say, a dum dum. 

Our West Coast style IPA hits you with a ton of juicy hop flavor that shines out from a substantial and complex malt backbone. We use Citra, Amarillo, Centennial, Warrior, and Chinook in 10 separate additions to provide the intense hop blast found within this can!

2014 World Beer Cup® GOLD Award Winner! 

Resident Culture Second Coming India Pale Ale

 Resident Culture Second Coming India Pale Ale. 

6.5 % ABV. Resident Culture Brewing, Charlotte, NC.

Ever-so hazy, bright golden hue, large, lasting and lacey white head. 

In the nose: Citrusy, hoppy. Slightly sweet. 

In the mouth: Brace of bitterness greets the palate, grassy, juicy, slightly abrasive. Orange and grapefruit, with a twist of pineapple and guava. Smooth stuff, lightly fuzzy. Medium bodied, easy drinking. Nice little hazy IPA here, good beer and you can drink it. 

Hazy IPA hopped with Strat, Sabro and HBC 692.

Olde Hickory Daniel Boone

Olde Hickory Brewery Daniel Boone, Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels. 8.5% Alc./Vol. Brewed and bottled by Olde Hickory Brewing, Hickory, North Carolina.

Extra black, extra dark. With a slim whitish ring of foam above.

Aroma: straight-up bourbon, with flickers of cocoa, molasses and more. Vanilla. tobacco. black cherry.

Taste: It's all there again, the flavors from the nose jumping on board the palate, the full body, the richness, the bourbon flavors, cocoa, the toasty oak, the sweet, sweet liquor. Tasty stuff, but the question returns from the last bourbon barrel beer I'd had, where the original beer was not a known entity. Maybe the label will tell me?

"New Frontier Beer. Boone, traveling through Kentucky on his way to the frontier, need a place to store his beer. He placed an imperial brown in discarded bourbon barrels. Months later he had an amazing beer that would cellar well. And so a legend was born. (* Events presented here are not factual, but are based on actual events. In our dreams. After sampling the beer a few times.) Cheers!"

So, there you go. Imperial brown ale, eh? Not my favorite venue for bourbon barrel-aging. The flavors in the beer are utterly swamped and smothered by the barrel effects. Another case where you are drinking whiskey in the form of beer. Imperial brown ale will bring some flavor, some depth, and the booze, but not enough to really provide character, beyond what's brought by the barrels.

Much thanks to Matthew for bringing it over on my birthday.

Olde Hickory Irish Walker Barley-wine Ale

It seems to be bourbon-barrel barley-wine season around here. Allow me to explain.
Let's see. It was barrel-aged week at Town Hall two weeks ago, and I have a growler of Twisted Trace, the Twisted Reality barley-wine aged in Buffalo Trace barrels, waiting in the fridge. I bought a 4-pack of 12 ounce bottles of the Central Waters Bourbon-barrel BW, which I tackled in the last entry. And guess what? A fine friend who I don't believe that I've ever met, who goes by "LiquorBarrel" on BeerAdvocate, responded to a thread last fall where I was looking for a trade for North Carolina beers, well, he had one for me. It was one that my traders already provided for me, but his was a year older. Score! And, better, and more generously, he also added Pelican's Mother of all Storms. Whoa! Watch for that one, soon. And these gifts finally arrived at my doorstep. Boy, do I owe him.

So, it occurs to me, man, would that make a great tasting vertical or something. Except that I can't write about beers and host a tasting. I have to have them in my lonesome, hogging them by myself for the whole sensory experience. Tastings are great, but anathema to reviews. At least for me.

So, the other OH IW BW will be saved for some future tasting. And the 2011 given to me by Mr. Liquor Barrel, that was cracked open today. And here. Come. The. Notes.

Olde Hickory Irish Walker Barley-wine Style Ale. Brewed and bottled by Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, North Carolina. 10.14% ABV. Vintage 2011.

There's a story about my particular procurement of this bottle of beer…and I already told it. If there's more to the story, I'll get to it later. But, about that beer:

Burgundy-coloring, plummy, a beautiful crimson-brown. Thin, cocoa-tinged head, with a lonely island of froth in the middle. Although, on further pours, I get a rich, full tapioca-like topping. Pour right, men and ladies.

Aroma screams out of the glass from the start, blowing out bourbon-y beauty. Caramel, chocolate, vanilla. Deep oaky attributes. Cherry, plum, and raisin. Bright and bountiful. There's a rich, vast barley-wine under this blanket of bourbon barrel.

Taste: The palate is dominated from the start by a dazzling affront, a charge of fantastic flavors. Incredible malt flavors, a mix of dark fruit, and generous bourbon trappings. The vanilla and cherry, the wood and the whiskey. It's a beneficial blend, an unmoored mixing of absolute deliciousness. Major mouthfeel, fullness of body, immensity of taste. Continually sweet, but never too, always on, excellent integration.

I'll read the label now: "Irish Walker is brewed with six different malts and a blend of four classic hops. A long slow fermentation {???} and cold aging makes Irish Walker a well rounded, complex Barley Wine Ale. Irish Walker exhibits malty sweetness, fruity esters, and hoppy balance. This ale will age well for years to come, or just enjoy now in good company. Cheers!"

So, this one was aged one year plus, no thanks to me, and not enjoyed in company, thanks to me, just so I  could write these words.

What more can I say?They are correct, it is a model of balance. Not too sweet, nor too hoppy, not too anything at all. Chocolate is rising into the flavor profile, to match the dark fruits, the wood, the barrel-agement, all of that. Was it the time on the bottle that tempered it? Maybe so, and if so, the 2012 bottle in my possession is going to get stashed away.

Much thanks. Mucho Gracias. More of this, and plenty more, thanks.

Mother Earth Silent Night Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Mother Earth Silent Night Russian Imperial Stout, 9 % ABV, Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, North Carolina. Brewed in November, 2011.
Ale aged in oak bourbon barrels.

Black as night, with a slim, dark, roasty tan head.

Aroma: vanilla, bourbon, molasses, anise, caramel, char. No question what barrel this has been sitting in. Deep and wicked. Mmm.

Taste: Sweet caramel and toffee hits the tongue first, as well as the bourbon flavors. Maple, molasses, anise and cocoa all mixed up in the flavor. Rich, thick, slick and tasty. Not a trace of bitterness, plenty of sweet, alcohol held just in check. Some raisin, some fig, other dark fruit popping up. Heavy malt taste hangs in for the long haul, sits in assuredly.

I'm trying to figure out the illustration, though. A rocking chair in front of a fireplace in the forest…?
Let's look at the other side of the label. "Invite friends, stoke the fire, and uncork a bottle of indulgence. Silent night offers a coffee aroma and the taste of an exceptionally rich malty flavor. Robust yet smooth and black as coal, each sip is a delightful gift. Old man winter gave you just what you were hoping for."

Wait, did Old Man Winter take over from Santa Claus? Does OMW brew for Mother Earth? I'm just not getting this. Is it some mix of paganism and modern Christmas customs? A little confusing.

Mother Earth Dark Cloud Dunkel Lager

Mother Earth Dark Cloud Munich-style Dunkel Lager, Handcrafted in Eastern, N.C.

Cloudy, reddish brown/burgundy hue, smallish dark head.

Aroma: sweet malty notes, touch of fruit. Earthy, herbal, intriguing.

Taste: Lean-bodied, malty, flavors dark and grainy. Mild bitterness. Easy-drinking, good balance. A little bit roast on the malt, increasingly tasty. Not bad, not bad at all…..

Olde Hickory Imperial Stout

Olde Hickory Imperial Stout, Ale Brewed With Honey. Brewed and Bottled by Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, North Carolina. 10.6% ABV.

Black as night, this one, with a richly roasted, deep, dark tan head, settles into a slim ring. Looks incredible.

Aromatics: all the usual suspects are in attendance. Rich cocoa, espresso, some maple. Lightly hoppy. Rich, roasty malt is king.

Taste: Hops are bigger, brighter, brasher, bolder on first sip, nice little fandango on the palate, good and tasty. Full-bodied, but far from thick, not quite viscous. Just enough sweetness, just enough bitter, loads of roasty-toasty dark malt.

Now to quote the label copy and hope I didn't unwittingly repeat anything they wrote: "Blacker than night, stouter than stout is our Imperial Stout! Brewed with a lot of malt and a touch of local honey, Imperial Stout is rich and robust with deep, deep notes of dark chocolate & espresso. A few sips and you will think you are the Czar of all Russia!"

Well, call me Nicholas! And if I get any further into this bottle by my lonesome, I'm gonna feel like Vladimir Putin.

French Broad Anvil Porter

French Broad Anvil Porter, Ashville, North Carolina.

"French Broad"? Still not sure what kind of a name that is for a brewery. Trying to figure that one out.

Thoroughly black appearance, slim tan head.

Aroma: roasty, a little toasty, nicely hoppy. Some cocoa, some nuts. Classic American porter nose.

Now let's taste 'er, already…it lands on the palate evenly balanced, very medium, very right there in the middle. Not too sweet, not too dry, not too …anything, really. Doesn't really stand out too much. Nice, rich malty character, a trifle hoppy, a bit dry in the end. Hoppy, malty, clean, that's the order of business.

It's a bit metallic in the end, …flinty… touch funky, and a whisper sour, ….and it doesn't quite satisfy. Needs a little something more in the flavor department. Hmmm. I can drink it, but I wouldn't return to it. Alas.

Mother Earth Sisters of the Moon I.P.A.

Mother Earth Sisters of the Moon India Pale Ale, Mother Earth Brewing, Kingston, NC, "Handcrafted in Eastern N.C."

Highly hazed, but bright yellow appearance, slim white head, leaves a little lace.

Aroma: Mostly muted, but some citric fruit hop character peeks through.

Taste: Smooth and almost creamy, with a persistent hop snap. Not an attack, nor even a bit, just a snap, a nip, a nibble. It grows and grows, though, the bright hoppy flavor shines mores and beams throughout the palate. Orange, tangerine, lemon, maybe some pineapple.

This feels unfiltered, I can definitely taste the yeast in here. That's bringing it home and making the case. The bitterness finds a home in the back of the tongue and camps out a while. I'm liking this more and more.

What do they say about it? "Made with hops grown in the good ol' U.S.A. …you'll proudly support American farmers when you drink this beer! Light copper in color, it has an intense hop aroma and strong hop bitterness. Our hopsack process uses fresh hop cones to take this IPA to unexpected places. Prepare for a mouthful of flavor."

The Duck Rabbit Duck-Rabbator Doppelbock

The Duck Rabbit (The Dark Beer Specialist) Duck Rabbator Lager Doppelbock. 8.5 % Alcohol by Volume. Farmville,  North Carolina.

The duck-rabbit has grown goat horns on this one, and the -ator suffix is in play, as is traditional for a German-style doppelbock.

This one looks the part right away, a dark brown body, slimmed head, starts copious and drifts down.

Aroma: rich, sweet malty nose, toffee aplenty, caramel, molasses, nougat. Yeah, it's a liquid candy-bar, big, beefy, complex and full of character. That's just the nose, now, let's take it to the tasting.

Taste: Deep and rich, plump with dark, malty flavor. All that from the nose returns on the palate. It's a melted down tootsy roll rolling around in the mouth. Medium-bodied, with a long, sweet finish, inching towards dry. Fully-flavored, and rightfully delicious.

Big Boss Big Operator

Big Boss The Big Operator Ale with Raspberries and Cacao, Belgian Style Ale. Big Boss Brewing Company. Handle Your Business. (???) Brewed and bottled by Big Boss Brewing Company, Raleigh, North Carolina. 8 % Alc. by Vol.

"A Belgian-influenced Black Ale aged with locally roasted cacao from
elemental Chocolate Company of Raleigh and real raspberries shipped to us overnight from the Pacific Northwest. Big O is a deceptively delicious beer."

Deep brown, nearly black, under a beautiful roasty brown head of foam, long lasting, if thin.

Aroma: Rich, thick chocolate notes, with raspberries far behind. Wait a minute, wait a minute…there they are! Very nice.

Taste: Mmm. Nice, tingle of hops up front, then the thickness of the malt, mellowed a bit, assuredly washing down the throat. Scrumptious. Big, fat, and tasty, but more like a Russian Imperial Stout, than any Belgian anything I'd ever had. Doesn't taste even slightly like a Belgian, at least not yet.

The raspberries are still hiding behind the cocoa (or cacao), they're still sly and subtle. A touch toasty, big and roasty, sweetness emerging, but kept at bay by bitterness.

My first from this brewery. I'm ready for more.

Foothills Oktoberfest

Foothills Oktoberfest Lager, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 6.3% ABV., 29 IBU. SRM 13.3

Deep amber/copper color, nice, creamy head, long lasting.

 Earthy/ herbal aromatics, good and malty. Good balance, low hops, not too sweet. Now, lets' put it to the lips…

Taste: more of that, on the palate. The earth, the herb, tasty malt, rich and warming. Stays long on the tongue, hangs hard in the back. Rolls out smooth and easy. Little bit of fruit peeks out in the flavor, a touch of ripe berries. 

Mmm. I like this one. Good stuff. 

Here's what they say on the label: "A German-style amber lager. Dark amber to light brown in color. Sweet caramel and toffee sweetness up front with notes of toasted bread and hints of roasted cashews and almonds."

Cashews? That's a new one for me. But I didn't feel the toffee, either.

Olde Hickory Oktoberfest Lager

Olde Hickory Oktoberfest Lager. Brewed and bottled by Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, North Carolina.

Clear, copper/amber coloring, small white head.

Deep, warm, herbal aromatics. Much malt in the nose, just enough sweetness, ending dryly. Nice.

Taste: A rich, malty affair in this bottle. A little bit of hop bitterness counteracts the big malt flavor and ensuing sweetness. Great balance in this one. Unknown alcohol, but it feels moderate. Clean, beautiful flavor, tasty little tango between bitter and sweet. MMM, yummy. I'm going to enjoy this all the way down the bottle.

What do they say about their beer? "This is a traditional German-style Marzen. A rich malty lager beer delicately balanced and brewed with imported noble hops. Crafted for enjoyment during the fall season! Cheers!"

Cheers back at you, OH!

Foothills Torch Pilsner

Foothills Torch Pilsner, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Clouded, golden-hued, slim white head.

Classic lager aroma, cereal grains, straw, noble hops, very clean, lightly malty. Classic and clean are the watch words.

Tasting it: hops up top, starts bright, then fades back. Goes down smooth, clean, and guess what? Classic. Some fruit filters up, met with bitterness from Saaz hops and all else. Big top hop bitterness, lays long and large on the tongue. Clean, lean, light, a tiny touch fruity, and plenty hoppy. Extra consumable. Sleek and smooth and easy to down.

What does Mr. Label say: "A balanced beer made with Czech Saaz hops. Torch presents a well-structured, highly drinkable Pilsner experience." 5.5% ABV, 35 IBU.

That sounds about right. Though, I do wish there was more to tell the story. Why "Torch"? Why the Viking on the label? Why ask why? Just because. I have to know.

Olde Hickory Death By Hops IPA

Old Hickory Brewery Death By Hops India Pale Ale, Brewed and Bottled by Olde Hickory Brewing, Hickory, North Carolina. 7% ABV.

Light haze. Golden hue, large white, lasting head.

Bracing bitterness hits the nose, waves of pine and citrus wash over, hit after hit of hoppy goodness. Nice.

Tastin' it: Bittersweet and resiny. Juicy, hoppy, and yum. Hopped up and ready to go. Medium body and mouthfeel, leaves plenty of room for hops to do their dance. Plenty of lemon, lime, spots of pepper. Stays just short of astringent. Well, it gets a little in their, in the back of the throat.

Easy drinker, for the hopheads among us (raises hand). Top notch IPA all the way. Hey, what does the label say?

"Death by Hops double IPA is the winner of Olde Hickory's first Pro-Am event. This beer was designed by Alex Buerekholtz, award winning homebrewer & proprietor of Hops and Vines, Asheville, NC. DbH is brewed with 3 row barley, hopped with 5 different West Coast ops, then twice dry hopped. The net results an amazing aroma of ripe juicy fruit mixed with a bouquet of spring flowers. Death by Hops makes an impact you won't forget! Cheers!"

That sounds about right. But I wouldn't have picked it as a double IPA. Most go above 7%, and with a name like this, you'd expect a bit of punishment. This one is mighty hoppy, but doesn't push it too far, doesn't take it over the edge. Nothing wrong with that.

Foothills People's Porter

Foothills People's Porter. Apt name, for porter was once named for the working group that drank it up in London pubs. Why not reclaim it as a beer style for the common class? Ain't no reason, that's why not.
Foothils Brewing, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 6.25 % ABV , 42 IBU.


This is the first of many North Carolina beers, from a recent beer trade, the first trade I've done in years. I noticed that there are many states unrepresented on this blog, that we can't get here in Minnesota, so trading time, it is.(Correction: It appears that I've listed one N.C. beer on here, from Duck Rabbit, but it's clear that I haven't had enough.) I intend to keep up with trading for various states and get back in the game, cover some ground, try more breweries I haven't had the pleasure to taste yet. Exactly the reason I went into it nearly 10 years ago.

But, let's get with the beer, alright?

Dark brown, with ruby highlights, lightly toasted tan head of foam above. Leaves some lace, looking great.

Aroma: Roasted, earthy dark malts, notes of cocoa, and a small hit of espresso.

Taste: Full-bodied, meaty mouthfeel, plenty of roast and toast. Moderate bitterness makes for excellent balance. Everything is exactly in order and in the right spot. Plenty of play on the palate, make for easy drinking, and rich rewards. Alternates between spots of mild sweetness and judicious bitter hoppy feel. End dryly on the palate, urging an elongation of this particular porter session. Good thing this one's in a bomber. I can go for this in the long haul, before becoming tired of it. In fact, I'm way down for it, this is tasty, tasty stuff.

What's the gobbledygook on this? "People's Porter is a robust, English-style brew, with a dark, ruby hue. Complex chocolate, coffee, and toffee notes give way to an herbal bitterness, finishing with a pleasant hint of espresso."

Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter

Had this one for the first time in January, 2008. Dave brought me a bottle from North Carolina in April. I took a picture, but no new notes. Here's what I wrote then...

Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter, 9% abv, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC

Blackness incarnate....nice brown head, drifts down...

Intriquing aroma, slightly smoky, meaty, smoked sausage...intense, heady...many things in the mix...some licorice, some whiskey, lotsa stuff.

Drinkin' it....sweet, slick, delicious, big, beefy...thick, substantial...there's a metallic sheen in there as well.

Hangs well in the mouth, floods you ...medicinal...not what I was looking for, not quite what I expect for a Baltic Porter.
I wanted to like this, I looked forward to it, but in the end...eh....sorry...

..............
This gets an A-/Excellent on BeerAdvocate. I gave it a 3.95/B+, not that far below the average, but I guess my expectations were higher than it delivered. This second bottle, enjoyed in Dave's company at the bar at the Blue Nile, was better, although I was not moved to change my notes. Perhaps I'll trade someone for another bottle, and re-review, but for now, these first impressions stand.