Beer of the Moment - Bell's Hopslam

While I have been professing my love for all things Belgian recently, I still consider myself a hophead, and I love a good double IPA. Thankfully, Bells has recently released this year's version of their Hopslam, a delectable double IPA that more than satiates my love for hops. Bells has been in the North Carolina market for a little over a year now, and they have proven to be quite a popular brewery, making some excellent stouts and also their Two Hearted Ale, a great hop showcase itself. But that beer only hints at the hop bomb that the Hopslam is.

The Hopslam pours a light orangish hue, and the smell only hints at the intense hop taste that explodes in your mouth upon the first sip. The hops are citrusy with tons of fresh hop flavor, but it is not as bitter as some and there is just enough malty sweetness to create some balance with the hops. This is truly one of the best Double IPA's in the country, rivaling some of the more well known West Coast versions of the beer. The beer is a whopping 10 percent alcohol, but it lacks any alcohol burn, making it surprisingly easy to drink for such a big beer.

This beer is a limited release and will likely only be available for a couple of weeks. If you love hops, I would definitely suggest picking up a six pack of this great tasting beer.

Local Beer Cures the Winter Blues

The weather outside was frightful, but a beer festival featuring local beers, food, and music sure was a delight. The first Winter Warmer Beer Fest this past Saturday was a great success. Held at The Garage at Biltmore, the four hour fest featured Highland, Green Man, French Broad, Catawba Valley, Heinzelmannchen, Pisgah, Asheville Brewing, and a surprise visit from little known Appalachian Craft Brewing. Appalachian has been around since 2003 when it started up in Rosman, and since then they have moved their brewery to Fletcher, but it has been slow going in getting past all the legal hurdles of opening a brewery. They featured three beers at the fest, Copperhead Ale, Mad Bear Stout, and an ESB, and they hope to have some taps available locally in the coming months.

Beer highlights included Green Man's Imperial Stout on cask, which takes the already delicious beer to new heights with the creamy mouthfeel added by the naturally carbonated cask. Pisgah brought along their Red Devil, which I've wrote about before and is currently on tap at Barley's. French Broad went all out and debuted two new beers for the festival. The first was an Imperial Porter, perfect for the cold temperatures outside. The other beer was a Dunkel Witte, a combination of a Belgian wheat beer and a German dark wheat. Drew's creative thinking paid off, and the beer turned out very well. Drew hopes to bottle the Dunkel Witte in the next few weeks, and I would definitely seek it out, or just drop by the French Broad tasting room.

Mark and Trish from Asheville Brews Cruise and Chris from the Garage should be commended for putting on a great festival that showcased our local brewers. It wasn't just locals that attended though, as I met people from the Triangle, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and even Alabama. In addition to the beer, a portion of the proceeds for the festival went to the Alzheimer's Association, and its great when you get to drink beer and help out a worthwhile cause. There is talk of having another event in the Spring, so keep your ears open for that.

Asheville Meets Belgium

Mark your calendars boys and girls, because a week from today, Asheville gets its very own Belgian beer bar. The Thirsty Monk will open its doors on Wednesday, January 23rd, adding an entirely new dimension to the beer scene in Asheville. While I have seen the occasional Chimay tap around town, nothing compares to walking into a place and seeing 14 Belgian or Belgian style beers on tap, with over 100 bottles to complement the draft selection.

I was fortunate enough to attend the pre-opening last night, and it is everything that I could have hoped for. The draft selection was a good representation of different Belgian styles, and over half of them have not been seen in Asheville before. A particular highlight was the Kasteel Rouge, a Belgian ale that bursts with a sweet cheery flavor with nary a hint of the 8 percent alcohol content. This is a wonderful beer that would go great with chocolate and other desserts.

Every beer on tap was served with its own glassware, even the unusual Kwak glass that sits in its own wooden stand. Legend has it that the glass originated in the 18th century from coachmen who could not leave their coach and horses while they waited for their passengers. Mugs were not practical, so Pauwel Kwak had a special glass made for them to hang on their coaches, so they could enjoy his beer while they waited. Come to think of it, this may have been the very first cup holder. Of course in today's age, I personally would avoid using any taxi drivers that are drinking beers while waiting for a fare.

Another great thing about the Thirsty Monk is that they will also feature local Belgian style beers that will be served right alongside their imported counterparts. They currently have the Pisgah Solstice, but will include others in the future, including beers from the upcoming Wedge Gallery Brewery that should be opening soon.

Having a Belgian beer bar in Asheville is a great testament to the beer culture that has been fostered here over the past decade or so. To my knowledge, the only other Belgian beer bar in the south is the Brick Store Pub in Atlanta, which has a metro population that is 25 times that of Buncombe County. I truely hope that our beer community can support such a great establishment.

Beer of the Moment - Fantôme Saison

You may recall a post of mine back in October, where I talked about the Fantôme de Noel and lamented because I couldn't get beers from this brewery in Asheville. I'm proud to say that there is a new ghost in town.

I've had several Fantôme beers before, but I was never able to find their signature brew, the Saison. I certainly never expected it to be on the shelf at Bruisin' Ales on my return to North Carolina. But lo and behold, there it was, and after pinching myself several times, I quickly grabbed a couple of bottles.

First, a little bit about Saisons. Often called farmhouse ales, saisons were originally brewed for farm workers to be drank in the summertime, but thankfully for us, they are now available year round. One of the most unusual characteristics of Saisons is the high fermentation temperature that yields an often spicy, peppery finish. Up until just a few days ago, my favorite beer of this style was the Avec Les Bons Voeux, brewed by Brasserie Dupont. But I think I have a new favorite.

Fantôme's interpretation of the style is just about perfect. A melange of fruit, earth, spice, and sour combine to form a wonderfully complex taste without any one element overpowering the other. This is a fantastic beer, and my long wait to try it was not disappointing in the least. I suggest you pick up a bottle of it while it is available, because when the ghost disappears it might be a long while before you see it again.

Happy New Beer, I mean Year!!

Yes, we are already eight days into the new year, so I am a little late. I also have been very busy during the holiday season, including a long trek to Florida for Christmas. There is nothing like being able to wear shorts on Christmas Day. Of course upon my return to the mountains, I was greeted with snow and temperatures in the teens. I guess it all balances out. While in Florida I sought out the beers from a new brewery in Tarpon Springs called Saint Somewhere. They are currently brewing just two beers, both belgian styles which is indeed a rarity in the land of light lagers. If you ever head down that way, check them out, particularly the Saison.

During my month long hiatus, there have been several beer happenings of note, and my friends at Bruisin' Ales had an excellent round up of everything. First and foremost, the new Green Man Imperial Stout is a hit, and tastes really good on a cold winters evening (if it does indeed get cold again). And of course you can have your choice of local beers at Asheville's Winter Warmer Beer Fest on the 19th. I hope this becomes an annual tradition, and it truly is a local showcase of good beer, good music, and good barbecue.

It seems Asheville is adding new places to drink left and right lately. The latest place is something I never expected to see in Asheville, an honest to goodness Tiki bar. While the emphasis is on mixed drinks, the Yacht Club has about 8 or so taps of local and national craft beer for those who prefer not to have an umbrella in their drink (I went for the Celebration Ale before giving their Mai Tai a whirl). This is an interesting place that promises to be one of the most original bars in all of Asheville, and they also plan on providing food that is a step above your average pub fare. This is a trend I wholeheartedly endorse, and it is good to see the Yacht Club and the Admiral both looking beyond your typical battered and fried plates.

I'll try to be better about posting now that I have settled back down into my normal routine.

West Asheville is happening

As promised, I made a trip out to Tolliver's for a beer. The beer list is what you would expect from an Irish pub, with Guinness leading the way, along with Beamish, Smithwicks, and several other brews from Ireland and the British Isles. I had a Twisted Thistle IPA from Bellhaven, a Scottish brewery. It was good, but don't expect it to be an American version of an IPA, as the hops were more muted in this one. They also featured Highland on tap and had several micros in bottles. The menu was also what you expect from an Irish pub, but I did not get a chance to sample the food. Other features of the bar include two or three flat screen TV's, darts, and a foosball table that is presently out of order. Smoking is allowed inside during the later hours of operation (I think after 9).

Not only did Tolliver's open up last week, another bar in West Asheville has also opened up. The Admiral is located across the street from Harvest Records, and it is definitely a unique place. I would describe the interior as 'dive bar chic', with old school stools lining the bar on one side, a small sitting lounge in the corner, and booths and tables for eating. This isn't a beer geek destination, but they do have some micro bottles to choose from. The menu is fantastic though, and we sampled the Gaelic Ale pimento cheese spread and the steamed mussels, both being very good. As far as drinking, I actually gravitated to the Admiral's Grog, a tasty concoction featuring rum and cheerwine. Overall, I really liked the place, even if they don't have the greatest beer selection.

And lastly, I did walk by the Thirsty Monk downtown, and it does appear that progress is being made, so I am optimistic that we will see it open sometime in the near future.

He's Alive!

Yes, I am still here. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Between traveling for the holidays, and my normal life schedule I haven't gotten around to posting. Bad blogger. I even missed out on the bottled Highland Cold Mountain, which came and went in a flash. I've had several pints of it at Barleys however, so all is not lost. Now, on to some local beer happenings.

I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this year's Pisgah Baptista, and it is finally here. Bruisin' Ales got some in today, and I hurriedly rushed out to get it after work. This beer sold out quickly last year, and I expect it to do the same again. They did brew more this time around, about 100 cases or so, and I suspect that it will only be available for a couple of weeks. I am sipping on this year's batch as I type this, and it is as fantastic as I remember it. This is one of the better American brewed belgian style ales in the country. Yes, I said the entire country. Be sure to pick some up, and you can have a chance to taste some at Bruisin' Ales on the 13th for their beer tasting.

Speaking of Bruisin' Ale's beer tastings, be sure to check out the vertical tasting of the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout and Monster Barleywine tomorrow night. It is indeed a rare treat to be able to taste side by side different vintages of beers, and to see how the aging process effects the taste. This tasting costs five dollars and the proceeds will go to Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Another local brewery that has been delivering some extra special goodies has been French Broad Brewing Company. Hot on the heels of the Wee-Heavyest, they are hoping to have another as yet unnamed special bottled release by Christmas. I hope they can keep this up, although I know that they are spending a lot of time hand bottling these beers. Show your support by picking some up on the next release. French Broad has also resurrected their Flander's Abbey Ale, which is available at the tasting room and soon in other locations in Asheville. It is nice to have a sessionable belgian style ale to drink while out on the town.

Hops and Vines, West Asheville's newest beer store has a website now. They have beer tastings on Friday evenings from 3-6, and they are holding a homebrewing 101 class on Sunday, December 30th. This is an excellent opportunity to see what goes into making beer, and the best part is you get to take home some of the finished product.

And speaking of West Asheville, Tolliver's Crossing is finally open. I've been peeking in the window for the last couple of months, and when I drove by tonight I saw it packed with people. If my dog wasn't in the car with me, I would have hopped in for a pint. A full report will be issued as soon as I get a chance to drop in. In other bar news, I have heard nothing about the Thirsty Monk downtown. They were supposed to be open in October, but I understand that these things take time. Hopefully things are still on track there and they will be opening soon.

That's all for now folks.

Two lumps, no cream

Coffee. Its a staple of my morning diet, and now it can be added to my evening diet as well. The fine folks at Pisgah Brewing Company have created another interesting concoction. In celebration of their 300th batch, they have released a Coffee Stout. If you are a fan of strong coffee and good beer, be sure to head on over to Barley's to try their latest release. And you can drink with a clear conscious knowing that it is free trade coffee that went into the recipe. The wonderful bitterness of a good cup of coffee dominates the taste, and this is another in a long line of their special releases which displays their willingness to push their beers to the edge.

And with that, I bid you all a good Thanksgiving. I'm headed back to the great state of Alabama, and I look forward to a few more special releases as the holidays come upon us.

Beer of the Moment - French Broad Wee Heavy-est

Yes, this is Bruisin Ale's Beer of the Month. And yes, I have already mentioned it before in a previous post. But I wanted to spotlight a local brew in this installment of Beer of the Moment, and what better way to do that then to highlight French Broad's first ever bottled brew.

First, I have some history with the Wee Heavy. This beer originated long ago at Jack of the Wood, when Jonas Rembert was the head brewer. When I moved here in 1997, JOTW was in its infancy, less than 6 months old. My wife and I were visiting to make plans for a possible move, and a long Saturday night at Jack of the Wood drinking Wee Heavys helped to seal the deal. This was a time when a handful of people would be at Jack on a Saturday night, a far cry from the much busier nights nowadays.

Well Jonas left Jack of the Wood in 2000, and he reintroduced the Wee Heavy after founding the French Broad Brewing Company. The beer has since seen a slight reformulation since North Carolina popped the 6 percent cap and it was renamed the Wee Heavy-er. And now, Drew Barton has put his own spin on the recipe with the latest incarnation of the beer, the Wee Heavy-est. This beer has even more malty goodness packed into it, and it appropriately weighs in at a hefty 9 percent. But that doesn't mean that this beer isn't drinkable. It retains its roots in taste to the original, but what really sets this beer in a different direction is the addition of belgian yeast, which adds a whole new level of complexity to the beer. I think it goes quite well with the rich caramel malts, and the yeast adds some fruitiness as well as some spice. This is a limited release, so be sure to get some as it won't last long. Drew also might surprise us with another bottled beer by the end of the year.

More Thoughts on Hops, and a Humorous Aside

I've been doing a lot of reading on the impending hop shortage, and it looks like it could be a rough ride for small brewers. There was a lively discussion on hops over at Lew Bryson's blog, and it looks like the next couple of years are going to be interesting. My worry is that small brewers here in Asheville who may not have contracts with hop brokers could find themselves without the necessary hops to make certain styles. Cascade hops are one of the most important hops in IPA's and Pale Ales, and even our own Asheville Brewing Company is feeling the sting of the shortage. This could also spell trouble for our two new breweries that are on the horizon, as both the Wedge Gallery Brewery and the brewery at the old T.S. Morrisons are going to be entering into a barren hop market. Hopefully they can make do, and perhaps concentrate on less hoppy beers to tide them over until this is all straightened out, which may not be until 2010. We're just going to have to keep our fingers crossed.

In lighter news, the Asheville Disclaimer recently poked fun at beer geeks in their latest edition in the Mountain Express. An excerpt from their 'beer review':

"It has just a wispy rumor of blueberry, as if an angel made of blueberries descended from blueberry heaven, alighted upon the rim of my pint glass and cut a big blueberry fart. It reminds me especially of other beers you’ve never heard of."

Who wouldn't enjoy an angelic blueberry fart?

Craft Beer Crisis?

In Weyerbacher's latest newsletter, owner Dan Weirback writes about the impending rise in costs of both barley and hops, and asks us craft beer drinkers to help weather the storm. Barley prices are on the rise because it is now more profitable for farmers to plant corn for ethanol production than it is to plant barley. Hops have increased in demand, and hop growers are having trouble keeping up. Brewers that do not have long term contracts may find themselves unable to purchase specific types of hops. This could be the biggest hurdle for the craft beer industry since it first began to blossom over three decades ago. There was an initial craft boom in the early nineties, but unfortunately the market become flooded with people who were more interested in the bottom line than they were in good beer, and the craft beer scene slowed considerably until its recent rise again over the past ten years or so. How will the craft beer industry cope with this latest crisis?

Well the answer is pretty simple. Keep buying craft beer. In relation to wine, craft beer is still a heck of a deal. A good bottle of wine can cost 20 dollars and up for a 750 ml bottle (roughly 25 ounces). A six pack of your favorite craft beer is still going to be well worth the possible 2 dollar or so price hike. If the upward trend in craft beer is to continue, consumers are going to have to be willing to pay a higher price point. I would argue that it is worth it. Craft brewers are artists, chefs, and scientists. They take pride in the recipes they create, and it is an historic tradition that dates back several millennia. As craft brewers face escalating costs it is even more important that you show your support, especially with local brewers who are your neighbors, your friends, and tax paying businesses. They need your support now more than ever. Can you imagine going back to a beer scene that is solely dominated by 3 multinational brewers? I shudder at the thought. So, if you walk into your favorite beer store and notice a price increase, I implore you to say to yourself, 'it is worth it'. Because it is.

Home Sweet Home

It's good to be home. Thankfully my mother-in-law is doing well, and I am back in the land of good beer. All was not lost in Alabama though. I was able to have a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with lunch, and a Samuel Adams at the bar my brother-in-law works at. I did encounter a beer crisis however, as I wanted to pick up a six pack in the evening, and I made the fateful mistake of pulling into a convenience store. I scanned the beer coolers, and there was not a craft brew in sight. We have it lucky here, as most convenience stores stock Highland, Sierra Nevada, and even Ommegang if you happen into the BP on Patton at the intersection of Haywood Road. But in Bynum, Alabama, I did not have that luxury. Instead I did something that I haven't done in years. I bought an Anheuser Busch product. At one time, Michelob was considered a premium beer, but those days are long gone. Or are they? Anheuser Busch has converted the Michelob recipe back to using all malts without any adjuncts, and this presented a unique opportunity for me to try it. While I certainly won't be reaching for it again in the foreseeable future, the beer was actually not that bad, a definite step up in flavor from its rice and corn laden cousins. Still, the flavors were muted compared to the more full bodied craft lagers that I am used to.

In local news, be sure to be on the lookout for French Broad Brewing Company's first bottled beer, the Wee-Heaviest. This special beer uses belgian yeast which should go well with a beer that is already rich in malt flavors, and should lend a bit of fruitiness to the taste. You can try it yourself at Bruisin Ale's tomorrow night (Thursday, Novemeber 15).

A little birdie (my wife) also informed me that Highland's Cold Mountain Ale has been tapped at Barley's and should be there for a month or so. Get some while you can.

A banjo on my knee

We got the unfortunate news that my mother-in-law has broken her hip, so we are traveling to Alabama tomorrow for a visit, so the beer posts will have to wait a bit. To make this post beer related, Alabama is one of the last remaining states that has a low limit on the percentage of alcohol in beer, in addition to having container size restrictions that keep other good beers out. Free the Hops is an organization that is fighting to remove those archaic laws, and I encourage you to check out their site and support them any way you can. Needless to say I won't be breaking the bank on beer purchases while I am down there.

I was able to find out a bit more information on the Cedric's Pale Ale that will be available at the Biltmore Estate. It is indeed the beer that was talked about in this post on beerinator that I linked in the previous post. The beer will be on draft only and will be exclusive to the Biltmore Estate. Looks like I will need to make a visit there to check it out.

Around Town

There was quite a crowd at Bruisin' Ale's for last nights special Avery tasting. They showcased a good selection of Avery's high gravity offerings, and Adam Avery himself was on hand for a meet and greet. It was nice being able to meet him, as well as Nate Merchant from Hart Distributing. Tony Kiss was there early to do a podcast interview with Adam, so be on the lookout for the article and podcast on Citizen-Times.com.

In other news, work continues on the the Wedge Gallery brewery. I spoke with Carl last night, and he is hoping to have the brewery open sometime in January, but that date is just a floating target right now. We'll just have to be patient for the return of Carl's Belgian inspired ales. When he does open, he plans on putting some of his beers in 750 ml corked bottles, which will make him the third Asheville brewery to bottle their beer, joining Highland and Pisgah, which bottles special releases intermittently.

Speaking of Pisgah, Jason Caughman was on hand at the tasting as well. Forgive me for my bad memory, but they should be releasing a special stout soon, and I am wanting to think it was a coffee stout (I need to carry around a note pad). Plans are also in the works for the second release of the Red Devil, which should be in the tanks soon. They literally ordered a ton of fruit for this one, and this should be around longer than the first time. On the horizon is the December release of the Baptista. They brewed twice as much this go around, but I still suspect that it will sell out rather quickly, so keep your ears open for the release date. That will be followed up by the Vortex III, an oak aged Belgian Strong Pale (which may pick up some darker hues from the barrels). This is already brewed, and Jason says it could be served right now, but it is destined to sit on wood for the next 3 months or so. This will should come out some around the first of the year.

Next week, the Biltmore Estate is sponsoring a Highland beer dinner on November 7th. Its great that we are seeing more beer dinners throughout town, and I will do my best to add them to the calendar. The real interesting part of this beer dinner is the debut of Cedric's Pale Ale, a special beer brewed by Highland for the Biltmore Estate. I unfortunatley do not know much information beyond the name, but I will pass along anything that I find out about it. Unbeknownst to me, the Biltmore House has already had a special beer brewed in the past for them by Highland, but I have never seen it, nor could I find any other information on that beer. Also, be on the lookout for this years Cold Mountain release, which could be released as early as next week.

French Broad has released their Altbier as a fall/winter seasonal. Altbiers are one of the few German style ales that are produced, but they still maintain some of the characteristics of their lager counterparts. Look for it at the Mellow Mushroom, Bier Garden, Stone Ridge Tavern, and Carraba's, in addition to other locations. One of my favorite French Broad brews, the Flander's Abbey Ale is being brought back to life. It is currently in the tanks and should be released some time after Thanksgiving.

Well I think that about covers it. It's a good time to be a beer drinker in Asheville.

Asheville's Beer Goddess

Asheville's own Edgy Mama is featuring a Beer of the Week. Edgy is a writer, blogger, photographer, parent, and beer lover who had a great write-up on local breweries in the Mountain Express leading up to Brewgrass, in addition to her weekly parenthood column. I surely hope that she continues her Beer of the Week video. Unfortunately (or fortunately) you will not seeing my mug on a YouTube video any time soon. As for her featured beer, I too enjoy the Roland's ESB. My favorite Asheville Brewing Company beer is the Shiva, wonderfully hopped with a restrained bitterness and very drinkable.

Odds and Suds

Some news of interest.

A once beloved beer from the now defunct Heavyweight Brewing Company is making a return. Perkuno's Hammer is a highly regarded Baltic Porter, which is sort of a hybrid between an Imperial Stout and a Dopplebock. Naturally, this style emerged in the Baltic region of Europe in the 18th century, and traditionally uses a lager yeast instead of an ale yeast, which is what gives it the dopplebock-like characteristics. The Hammer is being reborn as the Victory Baltic Thunder, and was brewed back in May. I got word from Victory that we may see this beer here in North Carolina in the early part of next year. If you don't want to wait this long, you can try the Okocim Porter, which is a geographically true Baltic since it is brewed in Poland. I have seen these at the European Market on Patton Avenue.

Bruisin' Ales announced today a special beer tasting this Tuesday evening. Adam Avery, brewer and President of Avery Brewing Company, will be on hand to sample a wide variety of his bigger beers. Adam is highly regarded in the craft brew world, and it is a testament to the beer culture in Asheville that he is paying us a visit. The tasting is free, and you will get a chance to meet one of the preeminent brewers in the country. You don't want to miss it. They also are the only North Carolina beer store that is carrying the Sweetwater Donkey Punch Barleywine (cringe), so you might want to pick up a bottle while you are there.

As already covered in the Mountain Express and Citizen Times, Hops and Vines has recently opened in West Asheville on Haywood Road across from Digable Pizza. They carry a variety of craft beers as well as Pabst Blue Ribbon for your non-craft drinking friends. In addition, they also stock a nice variety of wines, and have hired a part time wine consultant who will assist in stocking the store, wine tastings, and is available for creating your own wine event (hmm.... beer consultant has a nice ring to it.) Owner Alex Buerckholtz's true love is homebrewing, and he has everything you need to get you started. He plans on having beer brewing classes, where for a fee you can learn to brew beer with a small group and then get to take home the finished product. Hops and Vines is having their official Grand Opening on November 3rd from 2-8. Their will be beer tastings from Highland and Pisgah, wine tastings, and a homebrewing demonstration.

And finally, for you science geeks, I was sent a link to a podcast by my good friend. The Naked Scientists explore several different aspects of brewing (sorry, they aren't really naked). The podcast itself covers several subjects, but there are direct links to the interviews on the lower right hand side of the page. I thought the Natural History of Beer was quite interesting.

Ghost Hunting

I couldn't wait any longer. I'm currently sipping on a Fantôme de Noël, from one of the most elusive breweries in the world. Fantôme is a Belgian brewery that crafts unique farmhouse ales, most notably the Fantôme Saison. Dany Prignon started the brewery in 1988, and in the past few years they have developed a cult following for those who love funky Belgian ales brewed with a plethora of local herbs and spices. Not unlike Jolly Pumpkin that I featured in a post a few months ago, Fantôme brews their beers with an open fermentation and oak aging that allows wild yeast and bacteria to 'infect' their beers with a funky aroma and a tart flavor. The Noël showcases this type of brewing beautifully. It pours a nice deep mahogany color, and has notes of candy sugar, chocolate, spice, and that ever present dark fruit tartness. Every sip bursts with flavor.

Now onto the bad news. Why isn't this beer featured as a 'Beer of the Moment'? Because you can't get it in Asheville. I picked up my bottle at Sam's Blue Light in Durham when I was there for the World Beer Festival. The only time I have seen a Fantôme in Asheville was at Greenlife, and it was tucked away in a corner, limited in number. Alanis Morrisette wouldn't argue with the irony that this brewery is the french name for ghost. These beers are hard to get anywhere, but I hope that a local distributor can step up and procure some bottles so we can enjoy this beer here at home.

Beer of the Moment - Unibroue La Terrible

Its funny how things work. I had bought another beer with the intention of doing a 'Beer of the Moment', but then I opened up this bottle of Unibroue's La Terrible that I picked up on my trip to Durham. After one sip, I knew this was going to be the beer I was going to write about.

I have professed my love for Belgian style beers here before, and this beer hits all the right notes. There is the fruity, slightly funky aroma that is often associated with Belgian beer styles. The aroma gives just a few hints to what you are in store when you taste it. Before I go on, let me talk a little bit about Unibroue. First of all, they are not located in Belgium, but instead in the very French influenced city of Montreal. This brewery has been making Belgian style beers for nearly two decades, and they are most famous for their exceptional Belgian strong pale ale, La Fin Du Monde (and I'm feeling fine). They offer a wide variety of Belgian inspired beers, and for anyone who wants to dip their toes into Belgian beers, they are an excellent starting point.

Back to the beer. The taste is sublime. It pours a dark, nearly black color, with an effervescent head that tests your patience as it settles. As it hits your tongue, you can taste a little anise, a bit of caramel, and some fig like notes, which all come together in a very pleasant aftertaste that leaves you begging for another sip. This is one of those beers where I immediately wished that I had another one in the fridge. Run, do not walk, to your nearest specialty beer store to see if they have it in stock. I know for sure that it is at Bruisin' Ales, and this is a beer that should not be missed, and goes well with the cool nights that we are finally experiencing.

World Beer Festival Roundup

Two beer festivals in two weeks. I've been spoiled. This was my first trip to the World Beer Festival in Durham, and I must say I was quite impressed. It was another hot day, but the clouds, the tents, and the beer made for a wonderful afternoon. The WBF is a bit different than our hometown Brewgrass Festival, with a more national and international flair. Breweries from Oregon to Sri Lanka were represented, but there was also a large contingent of North Carolina brews as well. Another difference from Brewgrass is that the WBF is seperated into two four hour sessions. I do like the extra time allotted at Brewgrass, but four hours was still plenty of time to soak in most of the beer offerings. I'm not sure, but I think there was music there as well.

As for the highlights, first and foremost was the Cask and Barrel Tent run by Pop The Cap. There was an additional one dollar charge per sample, but the money raised will go further to help raise the beer culture in North Carolina. It was great getting to try the Wee Heavier on cask, but what had me most excited was getting to have some 2004 Ommegang Three Philosphers. The age really deepened the flavors on an already tasty beer. The other great thing about the Cask Tent was that it was air conditioned, which provided a nice respite from the summer like weather outside. At the end of the evening, our very own Drew Barton of French Broad was pouring samples of the Wee Heavier for the masses (picture by Sean Wilson of Pop the Cap, and you can see the rest of his photos here, where you can find yours truly in one of the pictures).

Two breweries from Michigan really stood out at the festival. Kuhnhenn Brewing Company, located in a suburb of Detroit, really went out of there way to bring some rare treats down south. Their Creme Brulee Java Stout was divine. You could really taste the carmelized sugar and that paired well with the chocolate and coffee flavors and it all added up to a unique and wonderful stout. Another unusual beer that was being served on the down low was the Tenacious Cassis, a black currant dessert beer that was sweet and fruity, with an unbelievable aroma. At fifteen percent it was a sipper, but I could see myself enjoying a good amount of it with its excellent drinkability. They also featured the Simcoe Silly, a belgian ale hopped with American Simcoe, and a Double Rice IPA, with the rice lending an interesting crispness, putting a twist on the Double IPA style. I would return to next year's festival based on this brewery alone. Alas, they only distribute locally, and it will be years before we might see them make their way to North Carolina.

The other brewery from Michigan that I really liked was Founders Brewing Company. They offer a solid lineup of beers, ranging from their Centennial IPA, a nicely balanced beer with plenty of citrusy hops, to their Red's Rye Ale, a moderately hopped amber with a spciy finish complements of the rye. The beer that I salivated for was the Kentucky Breakfast Stout, a hearty Imperial Stout that has been aged in Bourbon barrels. The bourbon finish really takes this beer to another level. The good news is that Founders is looking to expand to North Carolina sometime early next year. The bad news is that it will be awhile longer before we see any special releases like the Kentucky Breakfast. So do your part and drink some of their beers when they come out, and hopefully we will get a chance to see some of their more interesting seasonals.

I hesitate to post this because I don't want to let the secret out, but the best place to stay if you want to go to the WBF in Durham next year is the Duke Tower and Condominiums. Each room is a suite, with a kitchen, living room, and a seperate bedroom (bring extra pans if you plan on cooking though). They also have a nice pool to relax at, and it is a ten minute walk to the festival. I definitely plan on staying there again next year (see picture on the right).

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).