Natty Greene's Raleigh

Nestled in the old Raleigh Electric Company Power House built in 1910 and on the National Register of Historic Places, Natty Greene's Raleigh is one of the neatest and eclectic breweries I've visited so far.  If you've been keeping up with my post you already know I am not a huge fan of Natty Greene's but still felt the need to visit the Raleigh brewery as it is a NC brewery and they do brew some different beers than those found in Greensboro.  I didn't have any of the beers that are also in Greensboro as I figure they will taste the same regardless of location.  I may take another trip to see if I am correct on this. 

I am not a Hefe-weizen fan but I did try the Hessian and just wasn't impressed but since I'm not a fan of the style I had a friend with me that likes the style and his opinion was it has too much clove in it.  I'll leave it at that and just let the drinker decide if it's good or not. 

They have a collaboration with Thirsty Monk in Asheville called Biere de Mars.  This one was pretty good and I'd hate to think that the reason I like it so much was due to Thirsty Monk being involved so I will give Natty's the credit on this one and say it's one of the best beers I've had from this company.  It's a Farmhouse style lager which smooths out the bite of a Farmhouse Ale.  Good balance of Hops and Malt as the style should.  Even with my love of over hopped beer I did have two of these and it's not a real hoppy brew.

Old Fort Cascadian Dark Ale (Black IPA) was hard to believe it came from Natty Greene's.  Hopped to the way I like it with the roasted malt that's just subtle enough to notice but not over powering.  My only complaint about this beer was that towards the end it seemed to get a tad fishy.  This could be due to oxidized lipids, when the oxygen reacts over time with the small amounts of oils in the grains/malts used in brewing.  I'm thinking I had an old batch and will be willing to drink this one again. 

Springfest Pilsner is a little hoppy for the style but I have no complaints about this beer.  I'm a firm believer that man can survive on a good Pilsner and it is my go to style of beer if I don't know what I want or what's available.  It is a tad nutty which isn't a bad thing in my opinion and as I was "checking in" with the beer on Untappd I read some others that had the same note.  So apparently this is a character of this beer.

Revolution American IPA was a huge let down and disappointment.  When I was visiting the Greensboro location I noticed a lot of "check ins" with Revolution and I requested it there but was told that it was only a Raleigh brew.  Needless to say I was looking forward to trying this beer that so many others were drinking.  First of all the oats in this brew are over powering and it hasn't got the kick of a true IPA much less an American IPA.  I almost didn't finish this beer as it tasted like it had been filtered through the game worn sock of a Durham Bulls player.  I'm assuming it's good for the Bud or Miller drinker as a bridge beer but they won't stay here long if they really start enjoying craft brews.

Spell Hall is their Anniversary IPA to celebrate the third anniversary of the Raleigh location.  It's not bad and actually is very palatable but could use more hops for the hop-head but probably the right amount for the masses that want something a little different.  It reminded me of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but also had a "nutty" flavor like the Springfest.  This one definitely is above the masses and I highly recommend it along with the Biere de Mars.

All in all I think I like the Raleigh location much better than the Greensboro location but then again that is just my opinion and I'll let you decide which one you like better.  Take a trip and let me know your thoughts.

Cheers!!!

New NC Breweries

 ****UPDATED**** 3/31/13

There are at least 16 Breweries coming to NC in 2013

Beer Army Combat Brewery, Trenton

Bombshell Beer Company, Holly Springs

Burial Beer Company, Asheville

Deep River Brewing Company, Clayton

Double Barley Brewing Company, Smithfield

Dukbone Brewing Company, Charlotte

Fortnight Brewing Company, Cary

Four Saints Brewing Company, Asheboro

Free Range Brewing Company, Charlotte

Hi-Wire Brewing, Asheville Will be located at the old Craggie Brewery lets hope the beers match up.

Hob Nob Brewing Company, Cornelius

Hosanna Brewing Company, Fuquay Varina

Skull Coast Brewing Company, Hickory

Twin Leaf Brewery, Asheville

Pig Pounder, Greensboro

Crank Arm Brewing, Raleigh

This list doesn't include New Belgium Brewing which is building a $175 million brewery now in Asheville.

Sierra Nevada anticipates being operational by early 2014 building near the French Broad River in the town of Mills River just south of Asheville.

I'm excited about the expansion of breweries in NC and look forward to visiting them.  If you hear of any new ones coming feel free to contact me so I can keep up.  It's a tough job following all of the breweries but I'm truly enjoying the adventure.  

Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery

The Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery in High Point is certainly the most interesting Brewery thus far.  It really is more of a restaurant and the food is quite good but this isn't a food blog it's a beer blog.  I must admit that I had some pre-conceived notion about this place due to it's location and the clientele it is more apt to attract.  Well, I was correct about the clientele as it really has a "sports bar" feel when you walk in.  However, the beer for the most part is a class above "sports bar".

Liberty is owned by TBonz Restaurant Group so I'm not sure the Brew Master has total control over the beer.  

I started out with the Miss Liberty lager and I was hoping for better beer.  It's definitely brewed for the masses and while they hail it as their most popular beer.  It's bland with very little flavor of malt or hops.  For the typical "Domestic" beer drinker it may be a favorite.  I like to think of this as a "Girly" beer. 

I then had the Rocket Red and was quite impressed with it especially after the Lager.  It has the right balance of malt and hops for a very good American Red.  I do recommend this beer as an into to craft beers.

The Nut Brown quickly became my favorite of their selection even though it's not as hoppy as my palate typically likes.  The roast of the malts completes this beer and lots of hops are not needed to give this beer a great flavor.  It really is a true American style Nut Brown and should be on the top of your list to try should you visit this brewery.


As a "hop head" I was looking forward to the IPA and while I enjoyed it there are much better IPA's to be found in NC.  If you are a typical IPA drinker you may be disappointed but it will suffice your appetite while there.

The Stout is a true Stout and is what one would expect from any decent small brewery.  Nicely roasted malts and balanced hops give this beer something for any stout lover to enjoy.

They had two seasonal that I sampled.  The first one was a Kellerbier which is a style I typically don't enjoy but this one was quite enjoyable even for me.  I only had a 2oz sample and I'm not sure I would be able to drink a full pint but if this is your style it would be worth the pint.  Overall I was impressed with it.  The second was a India Black Ale and it was truly a beer for the beer drinker that likes strong malt and hops.  I was torn between this one and the Nut Brown as to which one was my favorite.  Since the Black is a seasonal I had to choose the Nut Brown as my favorite but if the Black was a constant I would call it my "go to" beer for this brewery.  

All things considered this should be a place to visit if you are in the area and craving something more than a domestic beer.  However, don't expect anything super fantastic as they are brewing for the "sports bar" crowd.

Cheers!
http://www.libertysteakhouseandbrewery.com/

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Skull Camp Brewing

When I got the idea to travel the state and visit all the breweries I knew that I would come across some good and really great beers and people but I never expected to come across what I did at the Skull Camp Brewing.  The day we visited they were having an event and it was very crowded but they were handling it very well.  Ken Gulaian the owner was more than willing to sit with me and share a beer while we talked about his vision.  Skull Camp is a relatively new brewery but they have been making wine under the name of Round Peak Vineyards for years.  Ken is definitely a beer guy and his passion in beer shows.  As of this writing they are brewing on a 1/2 Barrel System so it's very small scale and they only have their beers available on location.  However they are planning an expansion to a 10 Barrel system and will start statewide distribution soon.  I also was able to meet with two of their brewers spending more time with Kent than Jeff but these two guys show their love of the craft and they know how to put out some good brews.

I was able to sample 4 of their current flavors on a flight that came on a paddle made from an old wine barrel.  The Not So Pale Ale which is right in line with some of the best IPA's in the state.  I then had the Flame Thrower Red which is a really good brew in it's own right.  The Black Belt Stout is a true stout.  Most breweries and even the larger and more experienced ones will brew a Stout but they are usually a Porter at best.  The Black Belt Stout is a stout if I've ever had one.  The Bonfire Old Ale is a very close English Pub style bitter.  This would be my "go to" beer for this brewery and I would love to have a Cask version of this one.  I actually mentioned this to Ken and Kent and while they agreed they also reminded me of their small scale.  Maybe by the time you make your trip this dream will become a reality.

This brewery has the right vision and attitude to be a successful NC Brewery.  These guys have a passion and love for the craft and it shows with the quality of brews and excitement you see by talking to them.  Take a visit and have a brew on the scenic patio and tell them NC Beers sent you.

Cheers!

www.facebook.com/SkullCampBrewing

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Old North State Winery and Brewery

The Old North State Winery and Brewery in Mount Airy is a quaint location.  It's obvious they are a winery but they still deserve to be recognized in the NC Beer tour.  They don't name their beers and the beers they have are brewed on a small scale by none other than Foothills in Winston-Salem.  The only beer they had available for my trip with the IPA.  It was an obvious hand crafted brew and coming from Foothills I would not expect less.  I'm sure the other beers are just as good.  When they started with beer they brewed in the alley behind the winery but after some unfavorable weather they decided to contract their beers.  Probably a smart move on their part being that you really don't want wine yeast and beer yeast to mix and they are a winery first and foremost.  The staff seems very friendly and the atmosphere is very welcoming.  They have a decent selection of other Craft and Import brews so it's not a wasted trip on the beer front.  I think with a little more promotion and possible catchy names they could tap into a market that they are otherwise losing by just being a winery.  They have the staff there that understands beer to the point that they can put out a tasty product.

Cheers!

http://www.oldnorthstatewinery.com/home.html

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Red Oak

A long standing classic in NC that I've been drinking for many years.  In the 90's when I lived outside of NC every time I came in to visit my family I would always grab a Red Oak during my visit.  At the time I didn't know half about beer as I know now but I knew I was having a good beer.  After I moved back to NC I would visit the old brew pub located near Guilford College on occasion.  I began to notice in the mid 2000's that the original flavor I had once enjoyed wasn't the same and I eventually quit drinking the brand for a few years.  In 2007 they had moved to the location they currently brew in and I decided to give them another shot.  The quality was back and the beer was once good again.  It wasn't exactly how I remembered the beer from the 90's but that is to be expected when a brewery makes major changes.

The tour of the brewery has got to be one of the best tours in the country.  It cost $10 and if your like me the initial thought was why would anyone pay to tour a brewery?  Well, I'll tell you it's well worth the $10.  The tour is very informative plus you get to see all the inner workings of the brewery.  You are first taken in to where the brewing actually starts and you see the Lauter Tun and the brew kettles.  The Brew-master gives an informative talk on how the process works.  You are then walked into the Fermentation room and since they brew nothing but Lagers it's a little chilly in there.  They use double lined tanks and are able to keep the fermentation at the perfect temperature.  After the fermentation cellar you get to see the bottling and kegging operation. The end of the tour is the best part....  BEER!!!!!   Yes, you get to drink the beer that is made right there in the brewery while standing in the brewery.  It's not a bar it's a sink with 4 tap handles coming out of the walls and you literately stand around with your group and drink the beer while still looking at the tanks as such.  It's not the typical brew pub atmosphere.  You also receive a very nice Red Oak glass that would cost you $10 just to buy it alone.  So the way I look at it you buy a $10 glass and get a tour and beer for free.  Tours are only offered at 3pm on Friday and I recommend getting there early as the tours do fill up quickly.

Red Oak is one of the few breweries that stands true to the Bavarian Beer Purity Law from 1516.  I'll be writing more about the Purity Law later on and how it has been amended and how it applys today.

If you're a "hop head" then Red Oak will not be your "go to" beer but if you like a nice well rounded crisp malt lager then Red Oak very well could become your favorite North Carolina beer.  They keep it simple and only brew three beers and a Seasonal.  Their standard original Red Oak is an Amber Lager also known as Munich Urtyp (Old Style) Lager.  Then they have the Hummin' Bird which is a Golden Style or Helles Lager as found in parts of Bavaria.  The Battlefield Bock is a Bavarian Style Bock and stays true to the style.

Prost!!!

http://redoakbrewery.com/

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Natty Greene's Greensboro

Natty Greene's Greensboro is located right downtown Greensboro.  I've been here a few times but mostly have had their beers at the Baseball stadium and a few that I've bought at the local grocery store.  I've never been 100% impressed with Natty Greene's and I commonly refer to it as "Redneck Craft Brew".  They do have their niche and I am glad they are here.  They do take brewing to a level that allows domestic beer drinkers to drink something other than the humdrum of a standard domestic.  They give the locals something to brag about and a place for out of towners to go to have something other than a standard domestic.  I think Natty's has the potential to brew much better beers than it does as I've had some of the stuff they only serve in the pub and it's not too bad.

They have 3 staples and 4 seasonal beers that are found in restaurants, bars, pubs and stores in NC.  Guilford Golden, Buckshot Amber and Southern Pale Ale. With the Seasonal beers being Freedom America IPA, Red Nose Winter, Wildflower Witbier and Old Town Brown Ale.  I've had all of these at various times and all three are drinkable and while not domestics they do favor a domestic style. These beers are not brewed on site in the Greensboro or Raleigh Pubs but in a separate location located in Greensboro.  They do allow the brewers to create pub specific brews that are only found in the pubs they are brewed in.   

In the Greensboro brewery recently I had the Gunsmith's Dark Munich Lager which carries the style well but also with the Natty Greene's penchant for "dumbing down" beer.  The Revolution American IPA is a decent IPA but not much different than the Southern IPA that I was able to tell.  It's not in my opinion an American IPA but just another variation of a standard IPA that they already brew.  The General Stout is a fine example of what this brewery is capable of brewing and they should start moving in that direction with their other beers.  The Swamp Fox Belgian Blonde should be renamed to just Swamp Water, if it wasn't for the Belgian yeast this beer would offer nothing of value at all I do not recommend this beer at all and as rare as it is for me I didn't even finish it.  The Appalachia Irish Honey Red is an outstanding beer and I had two of them and even contemplated purchasing a growler but since my tab was already reaching the $30 range I declined.

All in all Natty Greene's should be on your list of breweries to visit but don't come in with huge expectations of something grand and magnificently different.  Keep in mind the clientele they cater to and you can still have an enjoyable experience depending on your choices.

Cheers!

http://www.nattygreenes.com/

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Miller Coors

I've debated as to whether I should add this one to my list of NC beers or not.  Theoretically it should be added since it is a brewery located in NC.  On the other hand it's really not a North Carolina brand.  Since I live less than 15 miles from the brewery in the same county I felt it should be added due to the economic impact the company has provided for Rockingham County since 1978 and it was the first brewery to produce Miller Genuine Draft in 1986.  So also theoretically Miller Genuine Draft is a North Carolina beer. This location does not provide tours and getting through the gates is quite tough.  I've had the pleasure of being able to go through the plant and it is a very impressive operation.  It looks nothing like the small craft breweries that I talk about mostly here.  MillerCoors spills more beer in a day than most of the breweries in NC combined produce in a day.  This location puts out 9 Million barrels a year.  In comparison most craft breweries put out between 3000 and 20,000.

I'm not a fan of the MillerCoors domestic product but there are times that I will suck down a Miller Lite or Coors Light if I'm in a location that only carries domestic style beers.  In my opinion the mega-beers are not really beer at all but a fermented rice beverage at best.  The water the brewery uses comes right out of the Dan River.  While the Dan is one of natures beauties gracing Rockingham County it isn't "as cold as the Rockies"...

Miller also at one time brewed the now defunct Pete's Wicked Ale under contract for Pete Slosberg.  MillerCoors also has a line of "Craft" beers with Blue Moon probably being their most popular.  They brew Leinenkugel's, and Henry Weinhard's as well.  They also brew other really good craft beers under contract in this location.

Being "local" I know some folks that work in the brewery and my local watering hole is also a "hot spot" for the MillerCoors "brass" when they come to town.  I've met their head yeast guy from Milwaukee and had a few beers with him.  I'm waiting on Tom Long to show up one day as I'd love to have a conversation with him.

One thing I recently learned is that MillerCoors now has a team of employees actually Home Brewing on premises at the plant.  I say Home Brewing lightly since they are not brewing at home and they are using state of the art equipment that would give a chub to even the beginner in the hobby.  They also don't brew outside or in a kitchen with a dog and a six year old running around.  They don't ferment beside the refrigerator or bottle/keg from the kitchen table while 3 of their 1/2 drunk buddies are all trying to hold the racking cane and picking up all the yeast cake off the bottom.  I did have to give them a lesson in Kegging and force carbonation.  The looks on their faces was priceless when I told them to just kick the keg around while the CO2 was on it and to be careful not to spill the beer they are to be drinking while kegging.

So this is my review of MillerCoors and while I didn't give my opinion of their individual beers I didn't see the need since I would not be favorable to them and I'd hate to hurt Tom's feelings and cause him not to come see me some day.

Cheers!

http://www.millercoors.com/

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Foothills Brewing

Foothills has become one of my favorite breweries.  I'm not sure if it's because I was born in Winston-Salem and I'm slightly biased or if it's due to their really good beers.  I've been here a number of times and never had a bad beer.  They have their annual seasonal called Sexual Chocolate Stout that is released with tons of fanfare and pomp and circumstance.  I had the pleasure of attending one of these un-vailings.  If you are lucky enough to get a Sexual Chocolate Stout one year you won't regret it.

The beers listed are in no particular order as I am doing this specific review by memory.  I've had these beers enough that I am confident in my short descriptions.  I do recommend all of them.

My "Go To" beer is the Torch Pilsner.  It's got the right amount of flavor and is very refreshing.  I recommend this beer as one that even a non beer drinker will drink.

The Pilot Mountain Pale is a very good pale with the right balance of hops and malt for a crisp finish.

The Hoppium IPA is right up my ally being a hop head.  Not for the faint of heart.

Salem Gold is the beer they brew for the masses.  It falls in line with most light golden ales I'm glad they use ale yeast as I'm not sure I would like this beer as a Lager.

Peoples Porter I don't know what I can say about this one other than it is my favorite porter and anytime I can get it on tap I do.  Don't be scared off by it's dark color you won't be disapointed in this beer.

The Seeing Double IPA is an exceptional version of an American Double IPA.  At 9.5% one must be careful as to how many you have and it goes down just as easy as regular IPA.

Carolina Blonde is probably my least favorite beer at Foothills but still a drinkable beer.  If you are into Cream Ale's then this one is for you.

Cottonwood Endo is a great IPA I've only had this one in bottles and never had one at the brewery.  It is available in bottles at many grocery stores and bottle shops across North Carolina.

The waitstaff in the restaurant don't seem to have enough knowledge of the beers that are brewed there but if you are there during normal business hours one of the brew masters will be happy to come out and talk to you.  I kinda got the feeling from the waitstaff that I was being annoying and they really didn't care too much about answering my questions on the beers.  They always referred me to the menu for answers.  I had already read the menu and had questions that were not there but that any waitstaff should know.  It's not like I was asking them the sparge temperatures...  This was the same treatment I received on two separate trips to the brewery.  Don't let the staff take away from the great beers this brewery makes.

Cheers!

http://www.foothillsbrewing.com/index.html

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Raleigh Brewing

Visited Raleigh Brewing on March 9th which just so happened to be their Grand Opening.  Kelly (My wife) and I arrived around 4:15 since the Grand Opening celebration started at 5:00 and I wanted a decent parking spot plus they also house Atlantic Brew Supply which has everything a home brewer would ever want and I needed some supplies.

We purchased our tickets to get beer and I got 5 tickets to try their 5 core beers that were available for the Grand Opening.  I started out with the Uncommon Curiosity which is a standard American Style Lager.  I wasn't overly impressed with this one but then again I am a High Gravity Hop Head so the lighter styles don't fancy me.  Over all though this is a good beer to have on a hot summer day after mowing the yard or on the golf course.  It's much better than any domestic beer you will find.  My second beer was the City of Blokes Bitter, now we are talking my style of beer and I've got more on this on at the end.  The City of Blokes is a traditional pub style ale with the right amount of balance.  This will probably be my "Go To" beer with RBC.  My third one was the Pot of Gold Stout.  This one was not listed on their line up of beers so I looked at it as a bonus.  It drinks like a porter with the creaminess of a stout.  A very good year round beer which I usually don't recommend stouts in the warmer months.  My 4th beer was the House of Clay IPA.  As I said I'm a hop head and while I think this beer could be hopped more it is probably hopped enough for the average IPA drinker.  I'd like to see this one done as a Double IPA in the future.  My 5th beer was the Hell Yes Ma'am which is an absolutely fabulous Belgian Style Golden.  I had ordered this beer with the House of Clay and had Kelly hold it in her hand to warm it up a bit as I like my Belgian's a tad warmer than my other styles.  If it wasn't for the 8.5% ABV I would make this my "Go To" beer.  This Belgian pairs with the best of the best in that style.  At this time in the evening it was getting late and my wife while being the trooper she is was getting antsy on wanting to leave.  I checked the time and it was 6:50.  I had heard at 7:00 they were going to start serving a Cask of the City of Blokes.  I flashed my "baby blues" and she went and purchased a ticket and stood in line to get me my first ever true cask ale.  Now I've had pub ales with the little nitrogen ball in them but nothing will ever compare to the flavor and feel of this beer.  It was Dry-hopped with Kent Goldings and that turned a great beer into one of the best beers I've ever had in all my years of researching beers.  I can only hope this is a staple at the brewery as I am sure it will be a huge hit. 

I highly recommend this brewery.  The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and even professional during probably the most stressful day of their careers.  I hope they keep the charm as they grow and they will be guaranteed success.

Cheers!

http://raleighbrewingcompany.com/

My lovely wife and I at the brewery.

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