Front Street Brewery

Front Street is one of the oldest continual breweries in the State and located in a building rich in Wilmington history.  When they opened their doors they were the 9th craft brewery in the State and the only one in the South Eastern part of NC.  In July of 1994, plans were announced to launch Front Street Brewery - Wilmington's ONLY Microbrew Pub and Restaurant. The business formally opened in May 1995 and they have been brewing Wilmington’s freshest local microbrews and serving their famous Pulled Chicken Nachos ever since!

Coastal Kolsch This beer style is the favored beer of Cologne, Germany. Light bodied and golden in color. Unlike most German beers, Kolsch is an ale, not a lager. This ale is lightly hopped and has some fruity aromas.  I'm usually a fan of this style but this one seemed to be over carbonated. Ask for a sample before you order a pint just to be sure the carbonation is right.

Riptide Raspberry Wheat An American Wheat Ale with a raspberry flavor is one of their top sellers. Light bodied and delicately hopped, this aleis for the lover of fruity wheat beers but not at the top of this bloggers list of beers. 

Amberjack ESB A traditional English Ale.  The English’s idea of bitter is very different than ours.  This beer does not have much upfront bitterness.  It focuses more on hop flavor and aroma.  East Kent Goldings hops give this beer a nice earthy aroma and flavor.  English Crystal malt give this ale a nice amber color and a touch of caramel flavor. It's rare that I pick three "go to" beers but Front Street has three that stand out and this is one of them.  I'd love to have this out of a cask.

Low Country Biere Degarde A Sweet, coppery, old-fashioned French farmhouse ale with unique fruity and candy-like flavors. Malt-focused and very approachable but a punch in the mouth with it's complexity.  You will have fun drinking this one.

Ahtanum Amber (Single Hop Project Ale)  The name tells you the single hop that is used.  Ahtanum is an aroma/flavoring hop variety that is similar to Cascade or Amarillo. It has a citrus and floral character much like cascade with the addition of some piney or earth notes. Grapefruit quality is more forward in than in cascade as well. Alpha acids are lower than cascade at 4 to 6.5% AAU making Ahtanum a good choice for a flavor addition when you do not want to impart quite the bitterness of cascade or amarillo.  It's hoppy but not IPA hoppy.  This is another "go to" beer for me. 

Port City IPA I can't say anything about this beer other than it's a great IPA and is the third "go to" beer from this brewery.  Nicly hopped but not for the faint of heart or malt lover.  If you're a hophead sit down and have a few of these. 

Dream Tree Scottish Ale Very deep red in color and very lightly hopped. It is rich in flavor, yet not a heavy beer drinks like a good porter with it's touch of sweetness.
 
Spring Brew A deep golden beer with a smooth mouth feel and a complex malt flavor lightly hopped.  Worth a try.

Mutha Shucka Oyster Stout A collaboration with NoDa for NC Beer month this is the best Oyster Stout I've ever had.  It's subtle flavor is perfect for this style and I hope they continue to keep it going.  It seems like the perfect beer for a coastal brewery.

Tombrocker (Scottish Wee Heavy) Brewed once a year for Easter from a recipe the Assistant Brewer, Christopher perfected in seminary.  This unique and powerful heather ale is the unofficial beer of the Resurrection: full in body, vast in complexity, but gentle and smooth, with a deep maltiness.  Layers of richness unfold from kettle caramelization, bearing notes of clove, followed by the cool, floral sweetness of heather tips, and hints of roasted barley to dry out the finish.

Nobility  I had the honor of getting the last growler of this phenomenal brew.  Very creamy, smooth and easy to drink.  This single hop ale with a mix of two yeast give this beer a complex but refreshing flavor.

Next time you are in Wilmington a trip to Front Street is well worth the time.  Their beers and atmosphere proove that if you brew a good product and have a good attitude you can be sucessful and stick around.

Cheers!!!
http://frontstreetbrewery.com/