At each turn in the road on my NC Beer tour I am being amazed endlessly. The fine folks at Railhouse are no exception. Located in a city of 6428 people this small town brewery has a huge heart. Started by two co-workers in corporate America they decided to get their hands dirty and give the world good beer with a great theme. Mike Ratkowski and Brian Evitts have shown the world that you don't have to be in a big city or an area with other breweries to make a good product. Their number one spokes person is Lisa Lange and if I owned a brewery she'd be the first marketing person I would hire. It becomes apparent very quickly that Lisa loves Railhouse and its products. Brian is also just as passionate about his beer as any brewer should be but unfortunately many are not and could learn from talking to him for a short time. These guys are not arrogant and even serve other beers and have a huge shelving unit with other bottles, cans and growlers.
The brewery sits in a warehouse right on the Rail Road tracks and the old Aberdeen Rail House is in full view from the brewery steps.
They are very military friendly and have a huge selection of flags from the armed forces. These are not flags bought in an Army/Navy Store or a Flea Market these flags all have been donated by service men and women. They have the American Flag that flew over Saddam Hussein's mansion after he was captured. I was planning on getting a picture of it but didn't remember till after we had left. They are also a very charitable company so you know that part of your beer dollars are going to be used in a philanthropic manner that is very admirable.
The beers brewed all use traditional ingredients but we've all learned that every brewery has it's own flair. The one thing that really stuck out to me and got me excited was when I found out they actually use open air fermentation. Every home-brewer in the country is originally taught that you must use an "airlock" and keep your beer from the air and elements that may be floating around. I've studied open air and I know in Europe it's quite normal for breweries to use open air. It still astounded me that a brewery right here in NC uses such method. There are pictures at the end of this review of the tanks with and without fermenting beer in them.
The Railhouse Pale is a very light well balanced with a slight haziness. Golden amber color with a mildly sweet finish. If you typically drink the mass produced beers then this is the one you want.
KA-BAR Brown named after the knives of the same name and endorsed by the knife maker. This could reasonably be called a nut brown but who want's to call something nutty with a name like KA-BAR? At only 29 IBU's it's hoppy enough to balance out the malt and give you a well rounded beer with no hop finish. Don't turn your nose away from this one due to it's dark chocolaty color as it's as smooth as any "lighter" beers you may drink.
Mastiff Oatmeal Stout is named after a good customer's dog which is a Mastiff. This is their flagship beer and often called a "Summer Stout". (Hey why not?) They will mix a nice lemon aid with it and while I was intrigued to try it I can only drink so much and still remember what to write. I got a few of these in bottles and will be trying the lemon aid mix with it. The beer itself is a very smooth and refreshing stout and unlike most stouts it didn't fill me up. (Insert Less Filling, Taste Great line here) At 33 IBU's and 6.5% ABV they brewed this beer to match the name. It's a big beer but also very gentle.
Vanilla Porter with just a hint of Vanilla you can't compare this to other porters of the same style. It's not overly sweet and the malt is perfect to style. True to the brewing style of Brian this beer is just as smooth as one would expect from this brewery. While it wasn't my personal favorite it still deserves a try when you take a visit there. At 32 IBU's it was hoppy enough for me to enjoy.
Beergasm Barleywine is just that... A beergasm that will sneak up on you. You don't taste the 10.5 ABV and the 46IBU's are hidden well. Very malty and mildly sweet two of these and you're off your feet. This beer is worth drinking but needs to be enjoyed with caution if you are driving.
FCA IPA should be no secret as a hop head this will be my "go to" beer. After my flight I ordered a pint and a growler came home with me. It's not a West Coast IPA and it's not an East Coast IPA is what I was told. You are probably thinking WTH is it then? Drum roll please..... It's a North Carolina IPA. Unlike many IPA’s, the FCA IPA is well balanced between the malt and hops. Starts with a light aroma of hops and a strong sweet hoppy taste in the beginning, but finishes smooth with only a slight lasting bitterness at the end. At 7.5% and 73 IBU's I call this one a home-run.
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| Wall of other breweries stuff. |
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| Tap Wall |
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| Brewery |
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| Open Air Fermentation |
Cheers!!!
http://www.railhousebrewery.com/
Eric, I agree wholeheartedly with your reviews of Mastiff Oatmeal Stout and FCA IPA. Both are excellent examples of their beer styles.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to getting down to the brewery and trying even more of their fine Craft Beers.