Triangle Brewing Company

 I had been told that one of the best brewery tours in the state was at Triangle Brewing Company in Durham.  I've been to a lot of breweries and been through more than my fair share of tours and some of them are pretty good while others are less than desirable.  So I went with high hopes on this visit and I was not let down.  Triangle Brewing opens it's doors most every Saturday at 1:00pm and for the meager price of $3 you get in the door.  The razor-wire fence surrounding the brewery does not lend itself to a welcoming environment but hey even a brewery needs to protect it's assets.  With the quality of beer this brewery produces they should be protected like Fort Knox.

The tap room isn't air-conditioned but who cares when for $3 you get all the beer you want in an hour and a half to two hours.  Get there early as there will be a line and be prepared to show your ID.  It's illegal in North Carolina to drink beer without one and instead of belly aching to the very large door man just pull out the ID card and say "yes sir".  It's well worth it.

 

Triangle Brewing Company Tap Wall

 So you've arrived and tasted a pint or two then the tour starts.  On the say of this writers visit Eric the Assistant Brewer was giving the tour.  If you've been to any brew fest in NC with Triangle present you've seen Eric working the Triangle booth.  His personality is typical of the sarcastic yet witty brewer you typically find in a well run brew house.  His knowledge is spot on and he knows his stuff.  If Triangle isn't careful they could lose Eric to another brewery and while that would be good for the other brewery Triangle would lose a gem.  I don't see them parting ways anytime soon so tell him Hello from me when you arrive.

Eric atop the system.

They brew on an 8bbl system which is par for many micro breweries.  They are planning an expansion soon and will be moving about 100 yards from their current location just across the Rail Road tracks.  I hope they don't upset Rufus when they move or maybe Rufus will move with them.  More on Rufus in a bit.

I was able to chat with  Rick Tufts but Andy Miller wasn't around.  Rick is a neat guy and he summed up Triangle in a short sentence.  "We want to brew beer that doesn't suck."  Simple enough for me.  You won't find fancy names on their beers as they are what they are.  There is no pomp and circumstance in the name or the labeling.  Their pomp and circumstance comes the moment you put their product to your lips.  



 They produce flagship beers as well as seasonal and their beer is canned.  Their cans are produced not far from this writers home base here in Reidsville at the Ball Can Plant.  The Ball plant here in Reidsville was originally owned by Miller Brewing to produce cans for the Miller plant in Eden.  It was sold to Ball and Ball produces cans for many breweries and other beverage manufactures across the South East.

Their Flagship beers are:

Belgian Style Strong Golden Ale
This strong golden ale measures in at 8% & showcases a variety of the ingredients and brewing methods that help differentiate Triangle beers. The Strong Golden is fermented at a higher temperature than our other beers adding an undercurrent of fruitiness (although there is no fruit in the beer). Very lightly filtered, the Golden exhibits complex mouth-feel, strong malt flavors, a spicy hop presence and soothing alcohol warmth, followed by a clean, dry finish.


India Pale Ale
At request of hop heads, (like this writer) Triangle produced this IPA with a deep golden color, plenty of hop bitterness balanced out by an underlying malt backbone.  Because of the extensive dry hopping, there is a floral and citrus hop finish.  This beer has been specially dry hopped with 3 different hop varieties for a wonderful drinking experience.  (This IPA is also know as Revolution IPA, brewed by TBC for their restaurant.)

Belgian Style White Ale
A traditional Belgian wheat beer, Triangle White Ale is unique and truly refreshing. The style gets its name from the white, slightly cloudy appearance of this unfiltered wheat ale. Brewed with a generous amount of white and red wheat that is grown locally in Scotland Neck, NC, and our own special blend of organic spices, makes Triangle White Ale complex in flavor without being overpowering or cloying. Overall, it is a beer that is light, fruity and very drinkable during a hot summer day.

Then you have the Rufus Reserve beers as the seasonal selection. 
Rufus is the patron saint of Triangle Brewing Company. He was discovered tucked away in the clay part of our brewery’s basement during renovations. Due to his overall level of decomposition, his ethnicity was undetermined, and his death remains to this day unsolved by the Durham Police Department, so his story was theirs to create. After a few beers, with creativity and psychic abilities at its apex, we decided his name was Rufus.


They do not know how long Rufus had made his home at the Triangle Brewery Company, but it’s been at least since the invention of trash bags, as he was stored neatly in one (no chance of accidentally crawling in and tying it closed from the inside!). Rufus continues to haunt TBC to this day. He frequently moves things, is heard as faint whispers, and knocks darts out of the board. When the aforementioned happens, they recognize his displeasure and pour a little ale into the drain as a peace offering.

Rufus in Latin, means “Red”, so in honor of their first Rufus Reserve offering, they released an Imperial Amber, a full bodied Double Red with enough hop kick to wake the dead. Rufus continues to travel to festivals with them in spirit only, you may have seen and drank beer poured from his casket.

Rufus's casket on top of the grain room.

 The next time you visit a pub or establishment with good beer be sure to have a Triangle if you've never had one.  If you're ever in Durham on a Saturday the tour is well worth the $3 and very well may be the best tour in the State.

Prost!!!
http://trianglebrewery.com/