Twin Leaf Brewery

The tap wall.

If you're ever in Asheville doing the brewery thing you must visit Twin Leaf Brewery at 144 Coxe Ave. on the corner of Coxe and Banks in the South Slope of downtown Asheville! (Entrance on Banks Avenue).  Tim Weber is the co-owner / Head Brewer.  You'll have to ask him who his partner is....  Once I arrived I was immediately taken in by the professional look of this brewery on the left is a beautiful 10bbl system with a very inviting bar directly in front of you.  There were a few folks in there taking in the pleasures this brewery has to offer.  In my normal fashion I ordered a flight and the bartender gave me a choice of their 5 flagships or a mix and match of some of their other one offs and special releases. With 16 taps it was really hard to decide.  After long consideration I settled on the flagships and now I have a reason to return to try the other 11. 

The 10bbl Brew house

I started with the Uproot ESB and found a standard ESB with an American twist that was a dark amber color. A complex malt profile reminiscent of bread, toast and biscuits, with hints of caramel, chocolate and fruity esters. Perfectly balanced bitterness from the earthy, floral hops. This would be my go-to beer.

Next was the White Noise a delicate, crisp and refreshing wit that most of the masses will enjoy.  While I am not a fan of the style typically this one was nice with a distinct bready aroma, pale straw in color with a fluffy white head, lightly sweet with a touch of fruity esters and just a hint of orange and coriander with a dry and slightly tart finish.

The Dark Matter has a deep dark brown color that hints at the flavors within.  An aroma reminiscent of chocolate and fresh baked cookies it is smooth, creamy, full-bodied, roasty and slightly nutty. It is a very balanced and exquisite stout.

I then had the Luminosity a very nice Belgian Tripel and at 9%ABV one needs to be careful as this one hides it's alcohol well. Deep gold in color and a nice complexity. Slightly sweet and fruity, with notes of orange, banana, and spice.  A surprisingly easy drinking that is light bodied and will sneak up on you if you're not careful.

The last one in my flight was the 144 (code name: Juicy Fruit) don't let the name fool you this is one hell of an IPA. It's light golden color with bright and brilliant hop flavor and aroma. Grapefruit, orange, a touch of lime, floral, juicy fruity awesomeness. It has the right amount of hoppy bitterness while the slightest hint of candy-like sweetness rounds it all out.

Tim then told me about the "Toasted Drifter" they brewed in collaboration with Oscar Blues and while the very last keg wasn't carbonated he still let me have a taste.  In short it is one hell of an oatmeal stout aged in bourbon barrels.  A deep dark stout with a thin mocha head. In aroma, nice bitter chocolate with coffee grind, vanilla bean, smooth alcohol, light bourbon barrel, very nice.

My flight 3 beers in.

For a brewery that has been open less than a year and has produced 500bbls on a 10bbl system means they are in it for the long haul and by the taste of their brews and professionalism they will go far.

AHA Rally & Asheville brew scene

This post is a preliminary post for any brewery mentioned here. Mainly about the AHA Rally held at Wicked Weed Funkatorium (where they brew sours and other beers not released at their main pub and elsewhere.)

Entrance to the Rally

The AHA signed up 47 new members at the event and we had an excellent turnout of current members. If you ever have a chance to attend a rally you would be crazy not to go. If you're not a member you'd be crazy not to join.  A few tips to help you. One, get there early. Two, have your membership card handy to expedite the check-in process. Three, have fun and take advantage of the free stuff. Talk to other home-brewers and brewery staff.

I arrived way early and decided to visit Twin Leaf just across the street and was able to meet Tim Weber the Co-Owner/Head Brewer.  Look for an excellent review on this brewery soon.

Twin Leaf

By the time I finished my flight and discussion with Tim at Twin Leaf the rally had been in full swing for about 20 minutes.  I meandered across the street to stand in line to get in and immediately found myself conversing with other home-brewers. I wasn't sure if I was at a Beer or Beard Rally though. Apparently home-brewers have the same affection for facial hair as the pros do.  The volunteers for the first shift moved the line quickly and we were signed in in no time at all.  Wicked Weed was generous enough to give one free beer to all the attendees. Hops and Vines and Asheville Brewers Supply both were represented and both had swag to give out. There was a raffle at the end with some pretty badass prizes.  Your blogger has zero luck and came home with nothing but I was a 2nd shift volunteer and was able to have a ball helping out with the raffle. 

Funkatorium Brewhoouse

Funkatorium Brewhouse

The word across the Rally was you had to go to Burial Beer Co. just down the hill and one block over.  I think 90% of the attendees went there afterward.  I will hold my comments about Burial once I get another opportunity to visit and do a proper review.  After Burial I had to head up to Green Man as I have had many of their brews in the past and have always been impressed.  I'll also go back and do another proper review on these guys as well.  By that time I was hungry and figured Asheville Brewing Company would serve as another brewery hit and good food.  This one will also get a separate review.  After a Jalapeno brew and some nachos I was getting a tad tipsy but just absolutely had to go to Hi Wire around the corner.  I've had a secret love affair with Hi Wire since they took over the location of the former Craggie Brewing Company and I was a fan of some of their brews.  It also takes real balls to open a brewery in a location where one failed.  I did make a bold statement on untappd (I'm Don_Quixote on untappd) by calling their Bed of Nails Brown the best beer in Asheville and after bringing some home I still stand by that claim.  Hi Wire will also get another review in the future.  The one unique thing I noticed was all 6 breweries had garage doors in their taprooms.  I know that a brewery must have an overhead door but I don't think I've seen so many right in the public areas. All in all I would highly recommend a trip to Asheville and a AHA Rally if you've never experienced one.  

Burial Beer

Greenman

Asheville Brewing Overhead Door

Hi-Wire

Lynnwood Grill & Brewing Concern

The Lynnwood Grill & Brewing flies low on the radar as far as NC Breweries go but their beer flys high. The five I tried were for the most part exceptional sans one disappointment. The service was good and the waitress (Jessica) seemed to be knowledgeable. The food was good as well. In my normal fashion I first ordered a flight. The Lynnwood Light is a beer to move BMC drinkers to craft beer and its light, crisp and refreshing to drink and should convert all who try it. The Czech Yourself Pilsner was a total let down for me as there was very little aroma and the finish was harsh. I'm a Pilsner fan but this one rates low on my scale. The Bad Leroy Brown would impress any Britt to the point of feeling at home. My favorite (a GABF Silver Medal winner) was the Once You Go Black IPA. Full aroma not hop forward but a nice medium body with a strong but pleasant hop finish that doesn't linger to long. I decided to order a pint of this one and was disappointed to see the glass wasn't filled to the proper level. At $4.75 a pint one would expect a full pint. (See picture at the bottom of this post.) The Kick My Irish Stout is served on Nitrogen and one can understand why this one was voted one of the top 10 US brewed stouts after winning a Silver medal at the U.S. Beer Open Chamoionship. Overall I recommend a visit as this brewery fits what NC Beer is all about.  http://www.lynnwoodgrill.com 

Small Batch Beer Co. Winston-Salem

Most breweries are kid friendly this one has been in the past but on our most recent visit...  Not so much. But hey they aren't in business to sell to kids so I'm not going to fault them. 

They brew on a 1 BBL system but have a very extensive craft and import bottle selection so they have something for everyone. They also have a nice wine selection a few specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages as well.

Today I'm having their Limonhead Cutrus IPA and I'm not getting the smokey flavor and aroma that I got the first few times. This is a light bodied flavorful American IPA with a nice citrus aroma with low malt aroma. Flavor is very forward with a nice clean hop finish. A very dry citrus IPA but not bad. At 6.5% ABV this is one you need to be careful with as it could sneak up on you. 

My second one was the Downtown Abbey Ale. A smooth light bodied low hop malty beer that even a hop head like myself can enjoy. Still creamy as the style would suggest. Aromas are low and don't come out high but that's ok. Flavor is low on hop bitterness and hop flavor but the malt shines with a caramel undertone. Smooth mouth feel. 

They have a number of Saison styles available but my pallet is in no condition to tackle them on this visit. 

Small Batch is a place that invites you in with all it's southern charm for a totally different drinking experience. 

Bad beer. Who is responsible?

My closest friends, Facebook and Twitter followers know I love and use the popular beer app called Untappd. It's a great app as it allows breweries to see what people are saying about their beer.  It also allows establishments to track who is drinking what in their location provided the consumer is syncing their post to Facebook, Twitter and/or Foursquare.  I use the app to keep up with what I've had and where as well as to make notes on the beer I've had. 

Recently I was in an establishment and Anchor Steam was on the tap rotation.  I've been a fan of Anchor Steam for years but never had one on draft.  I ordered one and was not happy with the flavor.  It tasted very yeasty and bread like and I asked the bar tender if the keg had just been put in.  At times when a keg is changed out it gets jostled around and any sediment can mix with the beer.  I was told that it had been up for a day or two.  Needless to say I just wasn't impressed with this beer and was slightly disappointed because I have enjoyed it for years in bottles.  I posted on Untappd with the comment "Either a bad keg or I prefer it in a bottle."  I finished the beer and ordered a different one next.  I spent a little more time in the establishment chatting with other patrons and had forgot all about my post.  As I was leaving one of the owners of the establishment approached me and said if I ever posted about bad beer in their establishment then I would be banned from coming back in.  This shocked me for a few reasons.  One, I am pretty regular in visiting this place and the owners know me as a beer snob. Two, I would never publicly insinuate that any establishment was selling bad beer on purpose.  Three, it happened in front of other customers that may or may not have heard the exchange. 

I have had bad beer in the past at various locations and I would usually mention to the bar tender, manager or owner that they may have an issue with a keg.  Usually the problem is researched and if proven to be a bad keg it is removed from the line.  I've never said a beer was bad based on the fact I didn't like the taste.  If that were the case then every bar or restaurant I ever entered would be getting complaints on the Budweiser and Miller/Coors products.  I know the difference between a beer I don't like and a beer that has some quality control issues. 

Getting a bad beer isn't necessarily the fault of the establishment.  I think it's the responsibility of the establishment to remove a bad beer from the line though.  I have been in an establishment that knew it had a bad keg and had the keg replaced by the distributor but they still left the bad keg on their line. 

Also this week I was in a grocery store mulling over the beer selection and picked up a 6 pack that was a full month out of date.  In this case it is the fault of the establishment and the distributor. 

As consumers we should be obligated to alert the establishment regarding a potential problem with a product.  Any good establishment will have a Cicerone, BJCP Judge or a few trust worthy customers that can all verify if there is a problem with a specific beer.  Simply ignoring the problem won't make it go away and could lead customers to believe that the establishment does not care about the quality of their product. 

I'd be interested to hear comments on this subject.

Cheers!

Big Boss

 

Big Boss is well known here in NC and I was looking forward to a visit.  Due to my scheduling I wasn't able to visit on a tour day.  They only give tours on the 2nd Saturday of the month and I'm sure it's well worth it.  My visit only included the tap room but I must say I was taken back and impressed all at the same time.  Big Boss isn't the only brewery located in an industrial location so that didn't suprise me as much as the pure size of the brewery.  This place seems huge.  

The vintage military vehicle outside grabbed the attention of this writer and his ride along and we had to pose for a photo op.  

  

Once inside you are greeted by a narrow and steep set of stairs to get to the tap room                                                                            

Once in the tap room there are a few rooms with various games, seating and ambiance that reminds you that you're in an uncommon place.  With my aviation background I was especially impressed with the "nose art" that depicts the various brews that Big Boss has either had in the past or continue to brew now.

The bar itself is typical for many breweries we've been into over the years you are able to purchase a flight or a pint of your favorite brew.  You can also buy sixpacks and growlers to take home.

I had Angry Angel, Sacktime, Night Knight Bourbon Barrel Aged and High Roller.  The Night Knight Bourbon Barrel Aged is not available anywhere but in the Taproom and is well worth a trip to Raleigh and a trek up the stairs to drink this impeccable black IPA.

All in all I was not disappointed in my trip to Big Boss and I hope one day to take another trip to tour the brewery. 

Cheers!!!!
http://bigbossbrewing.com/

White Street Brewing Co.

Located in Wake Forest home of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary the White Street Brewing Company is Wake County's best kept secret.  Nestled in a 100 year old building, investor and visionary Dino Radosta has created one of the most unique breweries this writer has ever been in.  The tour actually starts out with the history of the building and how Dino came to start White Street and his vision in creating an eclectic atmosphere for folks to enjoy good beer.  Another interesting aspect is that Dino was not a home-brewer.  Most breweries are started by guy's and gals that have brewed in their kitchens for a few years and then decide to share their craft.  Dino actually learned how to brew on the 10BBL system that he bought for the brewery.  He realized quickly that while he could brew good beer he needed consistency and hired Chris Bivens as brew-master.  You will see Chris at brew-fest pouring White Street beer and Chris has the personality and know how to be a huge asset to WSBC.  Dino recently brought GABF Gold Medal winner Ian VanGundy on board as Director of Brewing Operations.  WSBC is planning an expansion to a 50BBL system in a production facility soon but will keep the current and original location open as a tap room and brewers play ground.  Ian will have his hands full but with his experience, passion and knowledge he is very capable of the task at hand.

The beer is excellent and the personality of Dino and Chris come out with each style.  One very interesting fact is they actually change the water profile of each beer they brew by adjusting PH and minerals.  I live in Rockingham County and we have Miller/Coors here.  I've had the opportunity to go through Miller/Coors and speak with their brewers and other employees and this is a task that Miller/Coors does not do.  You are guaranteed a good beer from White Street based on the attention to detail they put in their water, grains, hops and yeast.

Distribution is handled through Jeffries Distributing and WSBC is expanding the market so it won't be long before everyone in NC will be able to enjoy these beers.

White Street Kolsch-style Ale pours an old-gold with a fine, white head. A subtle fruitiness aroma extends to the palate with hints of pear and melon. Crisp and refreshing.

White Street Imperial Pale Ale: A blend of West Coast hops and crystal malts give this beer a unique citrus undertone on the palate while a generous dry hop delivers a huge aroma. Bold and refreshing.

White Street Scottish Ale Pours deep mahogany, produceing a tight tan head that gives way to a complex maltiness. Herbal and spicy notes play nicely in a caramel essence to produce a beautifully sessionable beer.

White Street Black IPA is ruby black with a frothy mocha lingering head offering the full punch of spicy, citrusy hops. A wonderment of toffee, deep plums and peppercorn, it finishes with a dance of roastiness and hop bitters. This is my "go to" beer.

White Street Belgian Singel: Floral with hints of apricot, pear and crisp green apple, this light gold beer finishes with a balance of hops and Belgian yeast. Complex and intriguing.

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