388. Heinzelmännchen IGA

We were passing through Sylva, NC, so we swung by the Heinzelmännchen Brewery to check out the scene and to see if Dieter had anything new, which he did. After our sampling, we grabbed a growler to go and hit the road. We’ve previously tried Heinzelmännchen’s Hoppy Gnome. Oh, and Dieter mentioned that the grain from this beer was grown near his hometown in Germany, which I thought was a nice touch.

IGA (Imperial Gnome Ale) pours a ruddy and slightly hazy amber with a minimal white head (well, it is in a growler, and we grabbed it a couple of days ago). The nose is dry and biscuit with small amounts of fruit esters. Flavors start with biscuit and caramel and a touch of toffee; the middle has low levels of bitterness; the finish is rather clean, with a bit more of the biscuit that returns for the finish. Soft mouthfeel, with a bit of chewiness, and the carbonation is light and pretty minimal in the overall presence on the palate. Good, but not as IPA-y as we expected—it tasted more Belgian-like overall with fruit esters and some malt complexity—it was lacking a bit on the hoppiness across the profile. Still, an enjoyable beer, and it is always nice to see how Dieter is playing with the German brewing paradigms.

(7/23/2010)

387. The Duck Rabbit Duck-Rabbator Dopplebock

The Duck-Rabbit is back in the house.
If you drink enough, you’ll get soused
by that 8.5% ABV—look, you’ll see.

It’s made in the state of North Caroline-e.
We’ve tried Wee Heavy, Brown Ale, and Milk Stout:
drinking Duck-Rabbit is what it’s all about.

The nose is malty, fruity, toasty and rich.
Pouring an orange-ish brown, it’s clear which
direction this review is headed:
it is to my rhymes I am indebted.
The front is malty sweet with melanoidin.
The middle is chewy like an oatmeal raisin
cookie, along with some of that fruit.
My rhymes are weak, my observations cute.
The end is smooth with a dry clean finish,
we’ve got good attenuation that can’t diminish
the slight alcohol warming on the throat.
This Duck-Rabbit label has the horns of a goat.
This beer is good, and should get better;
the last two bottles I’m saving for winter.
So keep Duck-Rabbator Dopplebock in stock;
to my experience this one you’ll chalk.
Drinking it down you’ll be the toast of the town—
ignore my words and you’ll be seen as a clown.

(7/22/2010)

384. Nantahala Pale Ale

Nantahala Brewing Company is located in Bryson City, NC. They only started selling beer on May 24, 2010, although they attempted to get going a bit sooner—their site runs through all their fun hijinx getting labels approved and accepted by all the appropriate local, state, and federal agencies. Good times! We found this on tap at Nick & Nate’s in Sylva, NC. So close to Asheville, and yet so far...

I know this is from the IPA, but I couldn’t find anything else to steal...

Nantahala Pale Ale was served in a pint glass; it is a lightly hazy deep copper brown with a persistent, creamy eggshell head that laces the glass well. Flavors start sweet with caramel and biscuit malt in the front before moving into a large amount of bitterness and dryness in the middle—we’re guessing the dryness is a result of the bigger hop presence—with hop pine and resin flavors (Simcoe?). The finish continues dry with more hop flavor—citrus and possibly smaller amounts of grapefruit—as well as a fair amount of lingering bitterness. Nantahala Pale Ale has a medium body and carbonation with a slightly chewy mouthfeel. The carbonation has a bit of a bite in the turn to the final third, creating a lightly bright feel on the palate. As well, there is some dryness in the mouth via the bitterness, along with a slightly tacky sensation. We picked up on a couple of lighter sensations in the beer: there is something of a light brown malt taste and a slight rye graininess in the body, but it was hard to specifically place or quantify either—both were more of a presence invoked in the drinking. Overall, Nantahala Pale Ale is a very nice beer. While it is a bit dark for a pale ale, there is a good balance between malt and hops and a nice complexity in the body. Well done.

From the Nantahala website: “An American Pale Ale made with a variety of malts and hops to create a well-balanced, reddish colored ale that is citrusy and sweet.”

Couldn’t find anything on the ABV or other pertinent brewing details...

(7/19/2010)

277. Highlands 15th Anniversary Auld Asheville Vintage Ale

Another beer from Highland Brewing Company, which is our third—the last two were Cattail Peak Oraganic Wheat Beer and Kashmir IPA. Auld Asheville emerges from the bottle a hazy toffee-colored brown with a light eggshell head. The nosy carries plenty of rich malt and smaller amounts of dark fruit—mostly of the raisin variety. There is also something slightly spritsy in the nose, but we can’t quite identify it. Auld Asheville has a big sweet malt front, moving into darker fruit flavors of raisin, currant, and cherry, and finishing with a bit of a spicy hop bitterness. The malt also reasserts itself in the final third, leaving the fruit flavors behind to set up the finish. The mouthfeel is chewy and rich; there is a medium to low carbonation level, and a medium to heavy body that is a little bit sticky. Auld Asheville is good, but not outstanding; it might benefit from a bit more aging to allow flavors to develop and marry together, and allow some of the stickiness to subside and mellow with age.

From the bottle: “Highland’s 15th Anniversary Auld Asheville Ale has been brewed to celebrate our tradition of brewing fine quality ales and lagers. This version of an English Old Ale has a bold profile from fine British Malts, woodsy and estery aromas from traditional British ale yeast, and bittering from Styrian Bobek hops. The addition of Sterling hops provides a hint of spiciness in the nose. These flavors combined with a bright cheery redolence create a savory “Auld Ale” that will warm the dreariest of winter nights.”

From the Highland Brewing blog: “According to John Lyda, Highland’s Head Brewer, Auld Asheville Vintage Ale is a high gravity ale in the style of ‘Old Ales’ or ‘English Strong’ ales which are traditionally released just prior to the holidays. Contributing to the beer’s complexity is the use of three different yeast strains, two of which were imported from England. Because of the hopping levels, alcohol content, and the completeness of its attenuation with time in the tanks, ‘the product should cellar incredibly well and increase in complexity for at least the next year.’ Its taste is described as ‘having a bold profile from fine British Malts, woodsy and estery aromas from traditional British Ale yeast, and bittering from Styrian Bobek hops. The addition of Sterling hops provides a hint of spiciness in the nose.’”

ABV: 9.5%

(4/3/2010)

205. French Broad Wee-Heavy-er Scotch Ale

Our third from French Broad—another stinkin’ beer from Asheville. We’ve previously run through 13 Rebels ESB and Ryehopper.

Wee-Heavy-er has a sweet, biscuity, and slightly smoked malt nose—it smells smoky like the barbeque place down the street, which always smells delicious. It has a nut brown color—it is more or less the exact same color as the bottle—with copper and red highlights, and a tan lacy head. Wee-Heavy-er has a big malty front with dry roasted flavors. The smokiness comes out in the middle, and while the beer does dry out a bit more in the middle, the sweetness comes back at the end with some low levels of bitterness, and there is a bit of lingering smokiness or peatiness. Wee-Heavy-er has a creamy mouthfeel with a medium body that is also dry and flat across the palate, although there are a range of malt flavors. Wee-Heavy-er has a good balance of maltiness and smokiness—the malt complexity is dry enough to let the smokiness marry with the malt nicely across the palate. Elli then reminded me that this entire experiment had only confirmed her desire to drink IPAs.

From the French Broad website: “Our Wee Heavy-er Scotch Ale is based on our Wee Heavy Scotch Ale recipe, but with a little more-er alcohol. This traditional Scotch Lowland ale is one of our most popular brews. Some of you may remember the original Wee-Heavy from the days when North Carolina brewers could not brew beers containing more than 6% ABV. We would like to take a moment and thank the people of Pop-the-Cap for all their hard work. Thanks, Sean!!! ”

ABV: 7%
IBU: 24
OG: 17° P
SRM: 14.5

(1/21/2010)

186. Heinzelmännchen Hoppy Gnome

Heinzelmännchen Brewery is in Sylva, NC; described as “Your Gnometown brewery,” Heinzelmännchen has been in business since 2004. We’ve been checking this place out for a couple of years now on our trips down to Franklin; Brewmaster Dieter Kuhn is friendly, approachable, and very enthusiastic—during our last visit he remembered us from our previous trip through the brewery, and insisted on making sure we tried all of the new beers, including a couple he had back in the cooler. They added growlers last year, which meant that we got to take some of this with us when we rolled out of town. Color me awesome.

Hoppy Gnome had a citrus and grapefruit hop nose with a small amount of hop resin aroma as well. The beer pours a hazy tan with gold highlights and a soft white head. Hoppy Gnome has a dry malt front, moving quickly into hop flavors in the middle: a zesty lemon citrus and some spicy resin flavors. It ends dry and pretty clean; some of the citrus hoppiness does hang around on the palate, creating an enjoyable lingering flavor. Light to medium bodied, Hoppy Gnome has medium carbonation and is very drinkable. The bitterness levels are very low, but it has solid hop flavor and aroma. Smooth, clean, and very drinkable. As well, since we picked it up at the brewery, it had that incredible fresh beer taste—it was smooth and tight across the palate, well-balanced, and refreshing. And as you might well guess, with a name like Heinzelmännchen, and with the Brewmaster being named Dieter Kuhn, this brewery was very German, so it was nice to see them produce a beer that pushed the German envelope and attempted to accommodate American standards—the balance between German beer brewing and American hop flavor and aroma created an enjoyable and interesting beer. We do look forward to trying it again. Go Dieter!

From the Heinzelmännchen website: “Hoppy Gnome Pilsner Style Ale – This creamy ale has a mild bitterness and hoppy bouquet finish that is subtle yet noticeable and light.”

What’s a Heinzelmännchen?: “Heinzelmännchen are gnome-like creatures found in the Black Forest of Germany. They are rarely seen, however always helpful to creatures and people alike. According to German folklore, the Heinzelmännchen visit proprietors during the night to assist with chores, so when the proprietor awakes he has more time to give back to his community. They have been celebrated in poem and song for their cheerful and helpful attitude. At the Brewery, they keep a watchful eye on the beer at night and take care of any unfinished jobs so Dieter and Sheryl can concentrate on brewing the best beer, keeping their customers happy, and helping their neighbors.”

We also had the Terrapin Wake ’N’ Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout on tap at Soul Infusion Cafe, which is also in Sylva, NC. Damn, that was a tasty beer.

ABV: 8.6%
IBU: 50
O.G.: 20.8° P
Malt: 2-row Pale Malt, Flaked Oats, Flaked Barley, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt, & Roasted Barley
Hops: Chinook, Northern Brewer

(1/2/2010)

100. French Broad 13 Rebels ESB Ale

Our second beer from French Broad; our last one was the one that started us off, their Ryehopper.

13 Rebels is a cloudy orange with a minimal ivory head and small, tight bubbles. The nose is a bready malt with light fruity notes. It starts sweet with some fruitiness from the yeast and some low levels of graininess as well, and moves into a toasted malt middle, ending with bitterness that lingers and lightly curls the tongue. 13 Rebels has a light thin body; the mouthfeel is watery and soft with very little carbonation bite, although there is some bite and dryness in the mouth from the hops at the end. Definitely a smooth, easy-drinking beer—we would love to try this on tap, as it would probably be even better. And the label is straight up awesome—easily a Top 10 Best Label contestant.

From the bottle: “13 Rebels ESB is an America interpretation of Britain’s Extra Special Bitter.”

From the French Broad website: “French Broad Brewery's interpretation of the classic UK Extra Special Bitter. A bright copper color with a complex malt palate is complemented by traditional British hops, notably East Kent Golding. French Broad has made this classic public house session beer a cult classic with its skull and crossbones artwork.”

ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 42
OG: 13° P

(10/8/2009)

96. The Duck-Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale

Our third beer from Duck-Rabbit; our first two were their Brown Ale and their Milk Stout. Wee Heavy has a sweet caramelized malt nose with an orange-ish brown color that is pretty opaque and a light tan colored head. The front is sweet and lightly peaty; the peatiness drops out in the middle to leave it just sweet, and the end is slightly sour. Mouthfeel was a little syrupy and thick, and lightly cloying—Wee heavy needs a dryer end or some hop presence to round out and finish up the beer more cleanly. The sweetness in the malt profile was a bit too candy-like; there was not enough richness or roastiness to carry the beer as a whole, and it needed more of a peaty/smoked presence to help make it more Scottish. Overall, not as exciting as the ghosts of Duck-Rabbits past.

There was nothing on the Duck-Rabbit website; since this is their seasonal beer, and Duck-Rabbit's website is pretty lo-tech, I am guessing that updates on seasonals are not at the top of their list. The hat on the Duck-Rabbit logo is a nice touch, though.

ABV: 8%

(10/4/2009)

82. Highland Cattail Peak Organic Wheat Beer

Our second beer from Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, NC. Asheville is home to Biltmore Estate, the gi-normous estate build by George Washington Vanderbilt in the 1890s. Sporting 175,000 square feet and 250 rooms, Vanderbilt was apparently planning on putting up a few people back in the day. Ah, the lovely excesses of Gilded Age America. Asheville is also home to an unfair share of breweries. Besides Highland and French Broad, there is also Green Man Brewing (also known as Jack of the Wood), Pisgah Brewing, Wedge Brewing, OysterHouse Brewing, and the Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company. I'm sure two or three more have popped in the short time that I've spent typing this. In other words, a vibrant craft brewing scene.

Cattail Peak has a pale yellow color and a creamy white head. The nose reveals light wheat aromas along with some subtle spicy hints. Beginning with a smooth creamy soft wheat flavor, Cattail Peak builds into a rounded middle with some bite and low levels of spiciness before ending with a slight musty sourness. We’re not quite sure how to locate the mustiness—it doesn’t taste like the soapy hop taste of a lager, but there is not enough of the flavor to really say more—while it is not the flavor of a lager ending, that’s the best description we could come up with. The tastes does linger a bit, but then disappears, ending clean and crisp. As well, we’re not sure we can identify the hibiscus, unless that is what we are getting as the light spiciness in the middle or the musty ending. Light-bodied, Cattail Peak has a soft, smooth mouthfeel with a pleasant and crisp carbonation bite. Smooth, subtle, and well-balanced, it is most interesting for what it doesn’t do in regards to American wheat beers: it is not bland, it does not have a grassy profile, and there is a real nuance of flavor in the profile. While it does come across in part like a lager, it is nonetheless good quality drinking

From the label: “An invigorating wheat beer with 100% organic grains, a hint of rye and the tang and hue of organic hibiscus, this refreshing brew is as cool as the breeze that blows down from Mount Mitchell to Cattail Peak. Enjoy this delicious creation when the hottest summer day demands the best of the Blue Ridge.”

ABV: 4.7%

IBU: 17

Hops: Palisade, German Hersbrucker

(9/20/2009)

58. Highland Kashmir IPA

“The IPA for dudes in kilts”

Kashmir IPA is from the Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, NC. We’ve had it before, but mainly when in North Carolina.

Kashmir IPA is a clear dark gold with a hint of red and a thin white head. Mixed with a buttery malty nose that has a slight hop aroma, Kashmir looks and smells ready to head into our bellies. The light malt front has a bit of biscuit and graininess to it; there is a big hop presence and piney flavors in the middle that carry on into the finish with resin hints and a solid lingering bitterness. Kashmir IPA has a soft light mouthfeel; it could use a better balance between the malt and hops—the two are not well integrated, and don’t always work in tandem. It feels like Highlands is trying too much to make this both an English IPA (biscuit malt and buttery flavor) and an American IPA (big hop punch), but the two don’t work together very well—they remain too separate within the context of the flavor profile. One possible solution would be to provide more hop aroma in the nose to help set malt into middle of beer, or to better marry the front and back in the transition from malt to hops so that it is not all one then all the other.

From the bottle: “A brilliant pale ale with an aggressive hop character balanced with a smooth finish. A bold beer best consumed with a stiff upper lip.”

ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 60
Hops: Stryian Goldings, Mt. Hood, Fuggles, Magnum, Willamette

(8/27/2009)

51. The Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

Our second beer from Duck-Rabbit; in our first post, we forgot to add the “The” to their name. Rather than retroactively fixing it, I’ll just point it out here and note that while I generally think that any gesture to include “The” in an institution’s or product’s name is nothing short of egregious hubris deserving only of mockery (i.e. see “The” Ohio State, which can shut “the” hell up), there’s always the exception that proves the rule. And I’m granting Duck-Rabbit the exception. So if any of you other beers out there start using “The,” be prepared for a verbal tongue lashing from yours truly. Punks jump up to get beat down.

Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout has a burnt chocolaty nose with a rich dark coffee color and an off-white head. It begins with a creamy sweet chocolate taste before moving into roasty bitterness with malty cereal notes, and closes with burnt roasted barley notes and lingering sweetness. The medium bodied-mouthfeel is soft, creamy, and a little syrupy or slick on the palate; the lower level of carbonation in the beer does allow these characteristics to feature themselves more prominently. However, Milk Stout is still a delicious and enjoyable beer; the sweetness provided by the lactose blends well in this beer. While the sweetness is a bit more prominent that in others we’ve had, the beer is still very drinkable, and light enough to enjoy all evening long.

From the Duck-Rabbit website: “The Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout is a traditional full-bodied stout brewed with lactose (milk sugar). The subtle sweetness imparted by the lactose balances the sharpness of the highly roasted grains which give this delicious beer its black color.”

(8/20/2009)

12. The Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale

The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, which self-identifies as “the Dark Beer Specialists,” is located in Farmville, NC. I’ll be honest: I’m kind of partial to the Duck-Rabbit. It may be the label and the back story surrounding it (come on, who doesn’t love the rags-to-riches/pull-yourselves-up-by-the-bootstraps story of the academic turned brewmaster?) or it may be that I normally drink Duck-Rabbit when I’m hanging out in a cabin in the woods in North Carolina. Either way, it seems like a recipe for success. What makes Wittgenstein easier? Easy—beer and chillin'.

Duck-Rabbit Brown has a toasted malt nose with light notes of sweetness in it and a clear brown color with red highlights. The mouthfeel is smooth and mellow with slight rise from carbonation towards the finish. It starts with a toasted warm malt flavor and moves into a well balanced middle that combines a complex malt body with an abundant bitterness and a dry hop finish. Overall, an impressive and interesting take on a brown ale, even when judged by by the broader definitions allowed the American version; there are no heavy roasted overtones, no toffee or butterscotch notes, just clean clear flavor. There is a bit of creaminess in the front that develops as the beer warms and some dark raisin notes buried back inside the malt/hop middle flavor, but these mainly accentuate the overall profile in positive ways. As well, the hops become more evident in the flavor than in the bitterness as the beer concludes. Duck-Rabbbit Brown might almost be too clean tasting for a brown ale—it has a crisp hoppiness and a malt body that opts for a complex balance of flavors rather than just sweetness, even while maintaining the malt characteristics implied in brown ale category. For a brown ale, this is something that we’d actually want to drink on a regular basis, and that’s saying something, so well done. I’d call it a delicious and exemplary example of an American Brown Ale.

From the Duck-Rabbit website: “The Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale is an American brown ale brewed with loads of hops from start to finish (it’s hoppy and beautifully bitter). Amarillo hops in the boil provide a spicy citrusy bitterness. Saaz dry hops in the fermentor provide a refined flowery aroma. These hops are supported by a grain bill of seven varieties of malt. Oh yeah!”

(7/12/2009)

1. French Broad Rye Hopper Ale

From the lovely French Broad Brewing Company in Franklin, NC

Delightful selection to start things off. Rye Hopper has a biscuity and bready nose, with a chewy full mouthfeel, a dark amber color, and a nice clean lacy head. In terms of taste profile, the beer has a strong smoky flavor with a nice balance betweeen the spiciness of rye and hop bitterness. Beer became spicier as the bottle warmed, but malty body carried the flavors well.

Very good overall--I wish we could find this locally because we'd drink it regularly.

From the bottle: "Rye Hopper is an Asheville interpretation of an American Rye Ale. The rye malt character is accompanied by a distinctly heady American hop profile and a smoothly, bittersweet finish."

ABV: 5.9%
SRM: 10.5
IBU: 59
OG: 15° P

(7/1/2009)