Odds and Suds

Just a quick roundup of beer tidbits.

Pisgah Brewing had three beers featured in the Beer Review section of Beer Advocate magazine this month. I was disappointed to see that the Baptista scored a C+, even though the review itself had very little negative to say about the beer. It is one of my favorite beers brewed in North Carolina and stands up to many of the best from across the country. Pisgah also received a B+ for their Cosmos and an A- for their Vortex II. A sample from the Vortex II review reads, "The rolling smoothness from its deep crisp carbonation is unlike any beer we've ever tried". I do hope that Pisgah considers brewing this again. Pisgah was also featured in the most recent edition of Southern Brew News with an article written by our own Tony Kiss. You can check these magazines out at Bruisin' Ales, Barleys, and a few other locations in town.

In an update of a previous blog entry, to no one's surprise, the half million dollar bid on an 1852 bottle of Allsopp's Arctic ale fizzled. The bottle is now sitting in a safety deposit box and it has yet to go back on sale. While the seller claims that the bidder retracted his bid and he may 'donate the bottle to charity', I suspect that he was in on the shenanigans to begin with. Another buyer helped to drive up the cost, and if it was worth so much he would have surely sold it the next highest bidder. Anything for a little bit of publicity I guess.

If you didn't get a chance to pick up some Highland Imperial Kashmir IPA at the brewery a couple of weeks ago, you now have a second chance. Bruisin' Ales should be have some available today. I have already had 2 of my allotment, and while it is a fantastic beer, I think it will be even better in about 3-6 months of being in the bottle. Again, this beer is limited, so don't wait too long to buy some.

I failed to mention in my post about fresh hop ales that Barleys in SOUTH CAROLINA is having a Hop Harvest celebration on the 24th, featuring the Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Rogue Hop Heaven, and Victory Hop Whallop (this one is not a true harvest ale). I'm happy for the folks in Greenville, but why in the heck is this not happening here in Asheville? Do I have to issue another challenge to our local beer bars?

Rumor has it that the Thirsty Monk, Asheville's first Belgian beer bar will be opening in the next few weeks. Anybody with any additional information on this, please shoot me an email. I would love to be there for opening day.

And last but not least, tomorrow I am heading for Durham to attend the World Beer Festival. This is heralded as the premier Beer Festival in the Southeast, and it will be the first time I have attended. I am especially looking forward to the Cask and Barrel tent, which I am proud to say will feature two Asheville brews on cask, the Highland Gaelic Ale and the French Broad Wee Heavier (kudos to Green Man's John Stuart for loaning the cask equipment to French Broad, you gotta love the cooperative spirit of our local brewers).