Epic Brewing Brainless on Cherries (Batch 12)

At Appalachian Vinter in Asheville, NC, I picked up a bottle of Epic Brewing Brainless on Cherries (Batch 12). The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a bubbly white colored head that fizzles away rapidly. The aroma consists of cherries, sugar, oak, and a light tartness. The taste is lightly tart with a strong cherry flavor. and a Belgian yeast flavor. Some oak dryness settles in and leaves behind some grassy flavors and a light spice accent. The alcohol content is 10.7% ABV. Having had Brainless on Peaches, this one didn’t quite stand up to it. I liked the cherry flavor, but thought it fell a little bit flat.

French Broad IPA

While in Asheville, I picked up a bottle of French Broad IPA after sampling a friend’s glass of it. The beer pours a dark amber color with a lofty and frothy cream colored head that leaves a solid lacing the glass as it recedes. The aroma consists of tangerine, orange, grapefruit, lemon, caramel, and spruce. The taste is lightly bitter with a strong citrus punch. Tangerine, orange, grapefruit, passion fruit, and lemon all are present before a spruce and pine finish that leaves behind a peppery after taste. All of this is build upon a solid caramel base that balances really well. The alcohol content is 5.9% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the citrus punch packed into this beer with a solid base for balancing effect.

Lexington Avenue Brewery Kolsch

Another beer I ordered while out to dinner at Lexington Avenue Brewery (The LAB) was the Kolsch. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, wheat, grass, and caramel. The taste is butterscotch, caramel, lemon, and grass. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would assume it to be about 5.0% ABV. This was an alright Kolsch, but not as clean and crisp as I like. The butterscotch flavor got in the way of it being too enjoyable, and I wouldn’t return to this beer.

Lexington Avenue Brewery Out of Bounds IPA

I went to dinner at Lexington Avenue Brewery (The LAB) while in Asheville for my bachelor party and I ordered the Out of Bounds IPA. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of tangerine, orange, lemon, and grapefruit. The taste is dry and citrusy with some tangerine, orange, and lemon flavors. There is a caramel backbone and pepper and pine arrive on the finish with hint of passion fruit. The alcohol content is 5.75% ABV. I’d put this IPA in the “pedestrian” category as it wasn’t overly memorable. Not to say that it was bad, but it just wasn’t great either.

Asheville Brewing Shiva IPA

While in Asheville for my bachelor party, I stopped in to Asheville Brewing and tried the Shiva IPA. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, and passion fruit. The taste is passion fruit, pineapple, orange, tangerine that concluded with a pine finish that has pepper accents. The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. While I wouldn’t say this was overly memorable or the best IPA I’ve had, I’d say it was a decent IPA. Furthermore, I love the name of it if for no other reason than I am a huge “The League” fan.

Craggie Brewing Company Antebellum Ale

While in Asheville for my bachelor party, I stopped in to Craggie Brewing Company to try a beer before they closed for good. I ordered the Antebellum Ale, which is an 1840s American Ale. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of ginger, spruce, and molasses. The taste is dry and spicy with ginger, lots of spruce, and a hint of caramel. It finally sweetens with molasses before a dry finish that is very floral arrives. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I wanted to like this beer, but it seemed to be a bit out of balance and too floral.

Wedge Brewing Company Iron Rail IPA

Another beer I tried at Wedge Brewing Company in Asheville during my bachelor party was the Iron Rail IPA. The beer pours an amber color with a thin filmy white colored head. The aroma consists of hop resin, apricot, and caramel. The taste is full of hop resin, dried apricot, orange, and lemon. Pine, spruce and drying oils come out on the finish. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. This beer was more bitter than their Imperial IPA 3rd Rail, but definitely not as citrusy. It still was a great IPA and I would visit this brewery again without hesitation.

Wedge Brewing Company 3rd Rail IPA

I went to Wedge Brewing Company during my bachelor party in Asheville and I ordered a glass of the 3rd Rail IPA. The beer pours was a vibrant amber color with a lofty foamy white colored head that lingered for a while. The aroma consists of piney hops that pack a citrus punch including grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, orange, and a hint of passion fruit. The taste is similar to the aroma with tangerine, grapefruit, orange, and lemon on the front end. A hop oil lingers on the tongue and the beer finish with pine and pepper. An alcohol bite arrives at the after taste and leaves the tongue almost paralyzed from the bitterness. The alcohol content is 8.8% ABV. If you are looking for a citrus bomb, this Imperial IPA is for you! It delivers plenty of fruity flavors, but also destroys the tongue with hop oils and alcohol, and was one of the better beers I had in Asheville.

Pisgah Brewing Nitro Chocolate Stout

Another beer I ordered at Pisgah Brewing in Asheville during my bachelor party was the Nitro Chocolate Stout. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, and vanilla. The taste is bold with chocolate,  a solid toasted malt backbone, caramel, and hints of vanilla, all leading up to a dry finish. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.5% ABV. This was a well done chocolate stout with rich lacing and a nice balance of dry toasted malts, making it easy to drink and very enjoyable.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Carolina Dreamin'

While at Pisgah Brewing in Asheville for my bachelor party, I had the opportunity to try the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer that was brewed with the local breweries called Carolina Dreamin’. The beer pours a brown color with a frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of cherry, caramel, and raisin. The taste is smooth with cherry, chocolate, and raisin. A light alcohol bite arrives on the finish and leaves a dry after taste. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I enjoyed this red wheatwine, as it provided a sweet beer that was delicately balanced with alcohol and dry hops.

Cisco Brewers The Woods Lady of the Woods

While at the Thirsty Monk in Asheville for my bachelor party, I ordered a bottle of Cisco Brewers The Woods Lady of the Woods. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of vinegar, grapes, oak, tartness, and cherry. The taste is nice and tart with a slight pucker on the front end. Grapes, vinegar, and peaches all mix to create a complex taste with an oak finish that has a hint of sugar. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. The Lady of the Woods is a wonderful sour and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes the style. It gave enough of a pucker, but sweetened on the finish in a most forgiving fashion.

Pisgah Bacon Stout

While at the Thirsty Monk in Asheville, I ordered a glass of Pisgah Bacon Stout (I’ve also seen it spelled Benton’s Bacon Snout). The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy tan colored head. The aroma consists of smoke, bacon, chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is very smoky and has a good helping of bacon, charcoal, and smoked malts. A chocolate base with hint of caramel provides the backbone, and the finish leaves smoke behind. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.5% ABV. This was a well-done, charcoal and smoke-infused, bacon bearing beast of a beer. It takes an acquired taste to like the mix of these flavors, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Green Man IPA

While at the Green Man in Asheville for my bachelor party, I ordered a glass of their India Pale Ale. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, orange, pepper, and lemon. The taste is bitter with citrus, tangerine, orange, and grapefruit. There is a passion fruit hint, and the finish is dry with spruce and pepper. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. This was a solid IPA with great citrus presence, plenty of bitterness, and lots of west-coast feel to it. I would absolutely order this beer again if I was in Asheville.

Green Man ESB

Another growler my friends picked up from Bruisin’ Ale for my bachelor party was Green Man ESB. The beer pours a dark amber color with a bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of smoked malts, caramel, and coffee. The taste is lightly bitter that is delicately balanced with sweet caramel. Dry grassy hops really shine in this beer and do well to pronounce themselves over the sweet base.The alcohol content is 5.3% ABV. This ESB was  a tasty and well-hopped ESB that I found to be not only enjoyable but easy to drink.

Catwba Valley La Saison Noir

My friends picked up a growler of Catawba Valley La Saison Noir from Bruisin’ Ales for us to drink at the hotel during my bachelor party. The beer pours a black color with a frothy cream colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, lemon, and pepper. The taste is smooth with chocolate and lemon and hints of pepper. An earthy finish combined with toasted malts yielded a smooth and delicious. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would assume it to be about 6.0% ABV. This was an interesting beer to say the least, as the roasted and chocolate flavors did combine well with the spicy and earthy notes. However, I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would have, and there was something missing that I can’t put my finger on.