168. Mother Earth Dark Cloud

I've mentioned before how I'm a big fan of Mother Earth Brewing.  One of these days, I just need to go to the store and pick up their entire year-round lineup (that I haven't tried yet) so I can go ahead and confirm that I've had them all.  I ended up enjoying this beer with another dinner.  The bottle was poured into a pilsner glass.  It was a mahogany colored brew with two fingers of a creamy, dark beige colored head.  Light to moderate retention, leaving foam on the top and moderate lacing on the sides of the glass.  Very attractive beer.  I detected aromas of bready malts, milk chocolate, and nuts.  

I can taste a lot of earthiness with this beer, along with sweet malts, the hint of chocolate, caramel, with a light hop finish at the end.  What a balanced beer!  Medium bodied with medium carbonation, this beer goes down smooth and easy.  There's not much to complain about with this type of beer.  Some might say that the taste is a little weak, but I think the beer is more than appropriate for the style.  They can't all be IPAs and stouts.  This is one of those beers where I can pop back a few and not feel full.  This is a beer I'd highly recommend.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $1.86 (12 oz bottle)

167. Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

"The Belgian witbier tradition dates to medieval times, when brewers used spices like orange peel & coriander instead of hops.  We balanced these signature spices & wheat character with the mellow sweetness and tartness of Marion blackberries harvested from family farms at the foot of the cascades in Oregon.  Cheers!"

Another dinner, another beer to go with my dinner.  This particular brew was poured into a stemless brandy glass.  It had a hazy, golden color to it with three fingers of off-white head.  Low retention, little to no lacing on the glass.  Blackberry is easily picked up on the nose.  I can barely detect the wheat.  I could also smell some spice, reminds me of coriander.  

The berry taste is muted in the taste, but at least it still exists.  The wheat is more forward, as expected, but it also doesn't seem to overpower the beer.  This tastes like a cross between a witbier and a fruit beer, and I'm thinking there's a heavier lean towards fruit beer than the wit.  I could also detect the coriander, and a little bit of citrus. Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.  It's a decent beer, this one just fails to wow me.  I think it would be better if it tried to be a full-on fruit beer or a full-on wheat beer.  This in-between state tends to muddle the effectiveness of the beer.  Agree or disagree?  Let me know.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

Haul for 8/30

Today was quite the day.  Spent the last couple of days on the road, then still had some deadlines at work I needed to nail down.  After some good ol' fashioned hard work, the deadlines were met, all was good in the world, and I felt that I deserved to reward myself for a job well done.  I just slid on by to Tasty Beverage after work to pick up some brews that caught my eye.  Here's the haul:

• Southern Tier Pumking - I've been eyeing this for a while, just waiting to go to a beer store that had the right beer price.  This was the one for me.  I'm going to crank this one open for Halloween or some other festive reason, I think it's deserved.  Price paid: $7.69
• Robinsons Trooper - I forgot the relation between Robinsons and Iron Maiden, but there is definitely some Iron Maiden inspiration for the Trooper.  For those of you that are not Iron Maiden fans, The Trooper was one of their hit songs.  It's personally my favorite song of the bunch.  It wouldn't surprise me if the beer is remarkably average and I just ended up the sucker for some creative marketing.  Oh well, my loss.  Price paid: $5.49
• Docs Craft Pumpkin Hard Cider - Ooo, another hard pumpkin cider, and this one from a cider maker that's not as affluent and well known as Ace.  I figured I'd pick it up, see how it stacks up to one of my favorite ciders.  Price paid: $5.49
• Founders Rubeaus - I think I've had this one before, but I definitely have not reviewed.  I figured I'd pick it up, make up for lost time.  If I haven't had it before, I do look forward to a raspberry ale.  Price paid: $3.00
• Terrapin Pumpkinfest - I'm pretty sure I've had this beer as well, I need to do a better job of remember what beers I've had before I go out buying.  I'm trying to buy beers I've never had, not beers I haven't had in a while.  Oh well, if I haven't reviewed it, then I'm okay with buying it.  Price paid: $2.25
• Big Boss Mon Cheri - This is a special beer brewed for Raleigh Beer Week 2013.  Since this has that limited release feel, I had to get in on the action.  Plus, this is my way of celebrating Raleigh Beer Week.  Cheers!  Price paid: $1.75
• Unibroue La Fin Du Monde - I've heard great things about this beer and the only beer I've had from Unibroue was Ephemere, which I didn't find all that amazing.  Here's to hoping that this one is a quality brew.  Price paid: $2.75

Haul from 8/22

I'm going back in time..!  Actually, I totally forgot about this haul as I was drinking one of the beers I picked up during the haul.  I knew I needed to get it in here.  Anyway, I told my friends and guests that I would bring some beer to the fantasy football draft at my house.  I warned them that I was a beer snob and that I wouldn't be bringing any domestics.  I also told them what I figured I would bring.  Needless to say, I got none of the beers that I had on the list.  The wife wanted to go World Market to look at some things and I got to looking at their beer selection and noticed that they were offering 25% off on all their six packs.  That got my attention, and I went hunting for beers I thought I would like first, then I thought of what my friends could tolerate next.  Here's what I got (price is per bottle, multiply by six to get the six pack price):

• Anchor Brewing Bigleaf Maple Autumn Red - This one sounds familiar, right..?  I just happened to pick it up as a single in one of my hauls a couple of weeks ago.  Couldn't help myself, I decided to grab more, thinking the flavor profile would be of interest to my buddies.  Price paid: $1.50
• Lonerider Sweet Josie Brown - This is a great go-to for brown ales.  Very smooth, nutty, well balanced.  If some of the other beers were too adventurous, this would mellow them out.  Price paid: $1.25
• Brooklyn Brewery Pennant Ale 55 - It's a fantasy draft and while this particular brew pays homage to a baseball team, I figured it was close enough.  At least they're still playing baseball and it's not the off season.  Price paid: $1.25
• Ace Pumpkin Cider - My wife likes it, I know my friends will tolerate some ciders and I figured I'd let them try something a little different, something they may not have had before.  If all else fails, if they don't drink it, me and the wife will load up!  Price paid: $1.50

166. Flying Dog Underdog Atlantic Lager

This beer set a lot of "firsts" for me.  This is my first beer from Flying Dog (http://www.flyingdogales.com), which happens to be based out of Maryland.  That said, this also qualifies as my first Maryland beer.  Lastly, it's listed as an American Pale Lager, and that's the first of the type that I've posted.  Nailed the trifecta!  I ended up enjoying this beer while I was watching my family haul furniture down the stairs.  I had the task of taking the boxes and furniture to the door.  They got to haul it down the stairs for being 45 minutes late.

All the glasses were packed, so I didn't get a chance to pour into a bottle.  Drank it straight out of the bottle.  I knew that would affect my ability to detect the aroma as well, but I figured I'd give it the ol' college try to see what I could pick up.  Not much to pick up, some grains and some hops.  Hopefully that screams balance, but we'll see.

This beer has more malt punch than I expected especially for a pale lager.  There's a hint of citrus to go with the grassy notes from the hops.  Light bodied and moderate to high carbonation.  Maybe a little too high.  Another good sessionable beer, better tasting than the domestic stuff too.  Not bad, not bad at all.  I'll keep this one in my mind if I need to mow the lawn.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

165. Kona Brewing Wailua Ale

Another mundane excuse to have a beer, dinnertime!  Since I moved to the new house, I've found that the fridge doesn't have the nice ledge where I was able to keep more capacity ready to go.  Instead of hoarding 8 beers at any one time, I'm hoarding 4.  The ones in there happen to be the beers that I purchased cold, because I needed them to stay cold.  This one turned out to be the winner for the day.

The beer was vigorously poured into a pilsner glass.  It has a straw like color, very hazy.  I'm assuming the haze comes from the wheat.  Got a good two finger head with moderate retention, a little bit of lace sticking to the glass.  Wailua ale is described to be made with passion fruit.  I couldn't tell you what passion fruit smells like, but there are some fruity aromas that are reminiscent of mango and papaya.  I could also pick up some of the wheat.

The fruit from the aromas don't seem to penetrate the beer as it comes off tasting like there's something off about the beer.  You can taste the wheat, but then the hop kick comes in, and there's this fruity aftertaste that tastes more medicinal than anything.  It could use some balancing.  This brew is light bodied but highly carbonated, providing a very spicy finish.  I don't know if I like a whole bunch of spicy with a wheat brew.  This one just didn't sit right with me.  I may give it another shot, although its unlikely.  My buddy had one a couple weeks prior when he was helping me move and he didn't find it to be all that impressive either, so I suppose I'm not alone in my assessment.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

164. Great Lakes The Wright Pils

Still playing catch up.  I feel like I'll never catch up.  Nevertheless, when all feels hopeless, I just have to keep pushing on.  I will persevere!  I will review as much as I can without trying to consume less beer!  There's nothing special about how I ended up drinking this one.  Had one after work, with some dinner.

The beer was poured into a pilsner glass (how appropriate).  Had a very light gold color, which is a color I don't see very often.  I've been favoring a lot of darker beers, so seeing a light colored brew was a refreshing change of pace.  I always pour aggressively, ended up getting over two fingers of white head.  Had some decent retention to it, with some light bits of lace on the glass.  Considering the style, I wasn't expecting much for aroma but was able to pick out some grassy and citrus notes to go with the familiar aroma of grainy malt.

The taste is subtle, but it's there.  This is no adjunct lager.  There's a minor note of sweetness that comes through with the malts, but then the hops come forward and helps keep the finish dry.  It also will hit your nose, making it more noticeable than your watery beers.  I think it's a little hoppier than I'm used to for the style, but I don't have any complaints.  Light bodied and highly carbonated.  Drink this cold, it doesn't do as well when it warms.  Still, a very sessionable beer that would work great in the summer.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $1.90 (12 oz bottle)

Haul from 8/28

I ended up going to Charlotte for work and stopped by The String Bean to check out their wares and grab something to go with dinner.  I had thought about going by Salud Beer Shop near NoDa, but opted to go to the place that was closer to my hotel.  It was a long day, I was ready to get to bed.  Here's the haul:

• Great Divide Denver Pale Ale - I've been meaning to get more Great Divide beers, it was interesting enough for me to try it.  Price paid: $1.99
• Lost Coast Downtown Brown - I haven't had a Lost Coast beer yet, figured I'd give it a shot.  Can't remember if I can find this brewery in the Raleigh area or not.  Price paid: $1.99
• Ass Kisser Tight Ass Hefeweisen - I haven't had a beer from this brewery either.  I really hope the beer is worth the price.  Price paid: $3.50
• Ass Kisser Porter Pounder Smoked Porter - Interesting enough that I had the desire to try two different styles from the same brewery.  Again, hope the beer is worth the price.  Price paid: $3.99
• Stone 17th Anniversary - I'm not big on Stone like some folks, I don't even know what prompted me to grab this.  Just kind of felt like it.  Usually their IPAs are fine, so I don't expect to be disappointed.  Price paid: $8.99

163. Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale

Chalk this up as another beer that needed to be consumed as I was transitioning to the new home.  I tend to like Blue Moon offerings, so I figured that this one wouldn't be too bad.  

The beer was poured into a pilsner glass.  It had a yellow-orange color to it and was able to get about two fingers of head with a vigorous pour.  Low retention, and not a lot of lacing on the glass.  From an aroma standpoint, I didn't really detect much except for some light hops and the familiar aroma of wheat, along with some spice.

Oh man, this beer is bad.  Awful.  Let me preface what I said in the first paragraph, I tend to like Blue Moon offerings.  I don't know what this is.  It doesn't taste like Blue Moon.  It just doesn't taste good at all.  Tastes artificial, the aftertaste is awful, just a bad beer all around.  I mean, I'd rather have a Bud Light than this.  Chalk this one up as a drain pour.  As far as body goes, it was light bodied, with moderate carbonation.  Nothing else to say about this except that it gets the grand prize of being my first ever F.  Do not buy.  Maybe I got a bad batch, I don't know, but I don't care to try another to find out.

Grade: F

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

162. Shock Top Apple Wheat

Just a few minutes ago, I took a look at what's currently sitting in "draft" status and I can see that I'm about fifteen beers behind.  Hopefully I'll be able to make a dent in the backlog.  I'm still going through the beers that I needed to drink before moving, and that was almost two months ago.  Just goes to show that I haven't consumed a lot of beers since then..well, that's not true.  I haven't consumed a lot of new beers since then.  MillerCoors has Blue Moon, Anheuser Busch has Shock Top.  This is the first one from Shock Top that I've ever tried, I'm crossing my fingers for good things.

The beer pours as expected, an apple juice colored beer that has little to no head, with no real retention or lacing as it settled in my pilsner glass.  The aromas are predominantly red apple with a little bit of sugary malt and wheat.  Exactly what you would expect with this beer.

The taste on the other hand is not what I would expect.  I personally found it to be bad.  Very bad.  I enjoy a lot of hard ciders, so I came prepped with some sort of preconceived expectation for what I was going to taste.  The biggest problem I have with the beer is that I think the apple flavor pairs horribly with a wheat beer.  The wheat gives the apple a bad aftertaste and the crispness goes by the wayside.  Maybe if it was blended with a light ale, things would have been better.  With the wheat..?  No.  It felt more like conflict than cooperation.  The body was light with moderate high carbonation.  This was almost a drain pour, but I toughed it out and consumed the whole thing.  That said, I don't plan to ever drink another.  Pass on this one folks!

Grade: D-

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

161. 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

I actually had this beer before I went to the Apex Dispensary for their grand reopening.  It was my way of getting primed for what came later.  That said, I ended up leaving the dispensary with a very light buzz.  Because I was moving, I needed to get rid of all the beers that I had in the refrigerator.  This was one of about a half dozen beers in there.  I'm sure some of you have been wondering if I'm able to remember all the details about beer from my memory.  Nope, not at all.  In most cases, I'm jotting down notes about the beer, and I can refer to them later.  What usually happens is that I have a post drafted up in here with some notes, and then I come around later to refine what I'm wanting to say before I actually publish the post.  

I ended up pouring the beer into a snifter glass and got about three fingers of foamy white head.  This thing had some life to it.  Light retention as it it didn't take long for it to die down.  Not much lacing.  The beer was a hazy golden color.  As expected, there are aromas of watermelon, but they are muted.  I'm starting to get a little uneasy about whether I want anything melon flavored in my beer.  I could also detect some biscuit and wheat aromas.  

This is a wheat beer first, with some watermelon juice thrown in at the end.  The watermelon will dominate the palate, sometimes being a little sweeter than expected, but the grains and the familiar taste of wheat will slide in on the back end to balance it out.  The watermelon flavor isn't sweet, it reminds me of a watermelon that's not ripe and seems kind of flavorless.  I guess the flavor needs to be subtle - after all, it's a beer - but it just wasn't working for me.  I think I may be biased against melon in general.  As far as the body goes, it was light bodied, moderate carbonation.  If you absolutely love watermelon, you may enjoy this.  For me, this was a fruit beer that didn't work.  Quite frankly, I feel like watermelon needs to stay out of beer unless they mix it with something else.  It just doesn't work on its own.  Agree or disagree, let me know.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz can)

Haul from 8/15

Yessir, I decided to drop a quick post about the goods I picked up today from Bottle Revolution.  It had been so long since I stepped into a store and bought beer, that it was time to to it.  In my defense, I was in Total Wine yesterday, but just couldn't pull the trigger on buying anything.  Figured I could buy some of the things I wanted there from Bottle Revolution for cheaper.  I was correct.  So here's the haul:

• Great Lakes Oktoberfest - I'm still bent on picking up beer from Great Lakes and this is the next seasonal.  Can you believe that Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers are already available?  It feels too soon!  Price paid: $1.59
• Ace Pumpkin Cider - I believe I have a post dedicated to this already, but since my wife really enjoys this cider, I picked it up for her.  Price paid: $1.79
• Anchor Bigleaf Maple Autumn Red - I was drawn by the fact that it was made with maple syrup.  Sounds like it'll be a very pleasant fall beer.  Price paid: $1.79
• Woodchuck Private Reserve Pink - I've had all their other private reserve offerings, this was one of the few that I haven't had.  I'll get around to drinking this sometime in the spring most likely.  Price paid: $1.99
• Weyerbacher Eighteen - The next anniversary beer from Weyerbacher has arrived, and I was sure to pick it up.  I'm crossing my fingers, hoping for good things..!  Price paid: $3.99
• Big Boss Sack Time - The next release from Big Boss.  I've ended up with more hits than misses, here's to hoping that this one is a hit.  Price paid: $1.69
• Southern Tier Creme Brulee - It was the last bottle in the store and I would have grabbed it if I could find it in Total Wine.  Still need to pick up Pumking.. Price paid: $8.99
• Ballast Point Homework Series #1 Hoppy Red Ale - This beer was cheaper than the majority of beers that have Ballast Point's name on it.  There's a decent chance that this means that this beer sucks, but I'm being optimistic and hoping I get a solid beer.  Price paid: $4.99
• Lonerider Hangman Barleywine Ale - The next beer coming from Lonerider, this one is pricier than the last ones I've picked up.  It better be worth it.  I think the last beer I haven't picked up from them was Pistols at Dawn, and that's because I didn't want to pay that much for a beer.  Funny how things change.  Price paid: $14.99

Haul from 7/17

I wanted to go ahead and get this list of hauls out of the way so I'd be caught up with my beer purchases.  Yes, you're reading right, I haven't been to the beer store to buy anything since this particular visit.  Ended up going to Tasty Beverage since it is now the closest beer store to my new house.  I'll still find time to visit Apex Dispensary and Bottle Revolution, but they just won't be as often.  Here's the haul:

• Big Boss Monkey Bizzness - Next Big Boss release for the month.  I'm pretty sure I'm still caught up and I have all the ones released so far.  This one is more pricey than the others, I really hope it's worth it.  Price paid: $4.25
• Big Boss Night Knight Black IPA - I thought I hadn't bought this one yet, then came home to realize that I did.  Oh well, I have an extra to try and enjoy.  Price paid: $2.29
• Ommegang Rare VOS - The Big Boss beers were 12 oz and I wanted to fill out a four-pack.  Trying the Rare VOS was one way to get 3/4 of the way there.  Price paid: $2.50
• Mother Earth Dark Cloud Dunkel - Just filling out the rest of the four pack with a beer that's not so expensive, but also a beer that I haven't had yet.  Price paid: $1.86
• Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout - My buddy that provided the Beard Beer to me highly recommended this one, and I decided to pick it up when I was fortunate to find out that the beer was still around.  I'm going to age this one for a while.  Price paid: $9.99
• Dogfish Head Noble Rot - A coworker of mine talked about Noble Rot and how different and good it was.  I was keeping my eyes out for it and found it.  Hopefully he didn't steer me wrong.  Price paid: $12.99
• Rogue Chatoe Seasonal Honey Kolsch - The yellow bottle stood out to me, and I hadn't had a Rogue in a while (at least one that I bought).  I'm also partial to honey so I thought I'd give it a try.  Price paid: $9.99
• Terrapin Dos Cocoas - Could you believe that the whole reason I came to the store was to pick this one up?  Pick this up, walk out with another $40+ of goods.  Gotta work on that self-control!  Price paid: $7.99

Haul from 7/2

At this point in time, I was getting ready to move out of my apartment and move into the new house.  I had hired some help (brothers, friends) and was ready to pay them with food and beer.  Ended up picking up some beers from Lowes Foods, packing it in with beer varieties that I figured they would like.  Long story short, they didn't drink a lot of it and I had a ton of beer to drink on my own.  Still, I ended up picking up 2 beers of each type, and here's what I ended up with:

• Red Oak - My love for Red Oak..I can't quite explain it.  Me and my best friend will continue to exclaim how crisp and refreshing it is, and how it is our go-to beer.  Price paid: $1.66
• Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier - My brother is partial to fruit type beers and this was one of the few that were available in the build-your-own six pack.  Price paid: $1.66
• Lonerider Sweet Josie Brown Ale - My best friend, when he's not going with Red Oak, is opting for Newcastle and other brown ales.  Newcastle wasn't available, but I figured this would be the next best thing.  Price paid: $1.66
• Kona Brewing Wailua Ale - Again with the fruit beer, this one said that it had passion fruit in it or something, figured it might interest my brother.  Price paid: $1.66
• Bell's Oberon Ale - I had this just a few weeks prior and really enjoyed it, thought that my fellow movers might enjoy too if they were willing to try it out.  Price paid: $1.66
• Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale - Wheat beers tend to be a good beer for the summer, figured it would be refreshing after a few strenuous hours of lifting.  Price paid: $1.66

160. Epic Big Bad Baptist

If the dispensary was going to have a grand reopening, you just know that there had to be a beer they were offering on tap that you wouldn't just find everyday.  Seems that the owner was hoarding a keg of Epic's Big Bad Baptist and although I currently own a bottle of this magical elixir, I was itching at the chance to try it without taking advantage of my own stash.  My buddy that let me sample his beard beer highly recommended the beer and I knew that I was going to enjoy it.

The beer was poured into a small 12 oz highball glass and came with half a finger of mocha head.  The beer had the color of used motor oil.  It looked thick, smelled wonderful, with aromas of oak, coffee, cocoa.

Yes folks, it tastes as good as it looks.  Heavy espresso and mocha notes a lingering sweetness that makes this beer qualify as a dessert beer.  Little to no detection of booze.  You can hurt yourself with this beer.  Heavy bodied with solid carbonation, the balance is strong with this one.  I'm probably a little biased, especially since I'm big into coffee and chocolate stouts, but this is definitely one of the better beers that I've ever had.  Highly recommend.  Agree or disagree?  Let me know what you think!

Grade: A

Price Paid: $7.00 (10 oz draught)

159. Rogue Beard Beer

Did you think I was going to only have one beer while visiting the dispensary?  Of course not.  I went over to the little bar area and struck up some chit chat with some other folks nearby.  One of my neighbors had a son in Oregon who sent him Beard Beer.  I can see how some people would make faces based on the description.  He offered a sample for me, I'm the daring type so I agreed to try it, and proceeded to get a nice 4-6 oz pour of the goods.  

The beer was poured into the same cup I used to drink the Black IPA, albeit I did my best to rinse and get the lingering stuff out.  The beer was a light amber color, with about a finger of off-white head.  I let it settle and took some whiffs to see what I could come up with.  I could pick up banana, malts, citrus.  My first impression screamed hefeweizen.  

I'd finally "man up" and take a drink of the thing and found the tastes to be consistent with the aromas.  That said, there was definitely some "funk" in the beer.  Smelled like a hefeweizen, tasted like a saison.  Maybe the funk came from the beard, but it didn't gross me out or anything.  I ended up drinking the whole thing.  The brew was medium bodied, with average carbonation.  For what it was, it's definitely more of a gimmick thing than anything.  The beer was decent, but didn't wow me, but I can say to others that I drank the thing.  I guess it is worth trying once, just don't expect to be wowed by the beer.

Grade: C

Price Paid: Free! (4-6 oz sample pour)

158. Holly Springs Nanobrewing Black IPA

The Beer Dispensary in Apex was having a grand reopening after moving the store half a block up from its original location.  In the new location, they're right on the main drag in downtown Apex and they're in a much better location to be seen by locals and visitors alike.  They had some breweries come by and showcase their wares during this special day, and I waited around until the later part of the afternoon to see Holly Springs Nano-Brewing, mainly because I had never heard of them before.

For those of you wondering, Holly Springs Nano-Brewing is going to be located in Holly Springs, NC, but they're still in the process of getting everything constructed and moved in.  For now, they're doing their part to get their wares out there, keep the good general public informed that they in fact exist, and that their beer is pretty good.  They were touting a couple of beers when I came by and I opted to try their Black IPA.  

The beer was poured into a small plastic cup, didn't have a lot of retention or head.  I wasn't going to try to do too much judging based on how samples are dispersed like this, I did get a lightly floral nose to go with the roasted malts.  The beer tasted pretty good, no complaints here.  The roasted malts added some character to the brew while the hops kicked in on the back end, giving you a reminder that this is a Black IPA.  To me, the bitterness was kind of mild, maybe offset by the malts.  Reminds me of a schwarzbier more than an IPA.  Still, it wasn't bad to drink at all and I definitely look forward to seeing them get situated and become just another brewery in the land of NC.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: Free (8 oz cup)

Haul from 6/29

I know, I know, it's been a month since I last made a post.  My bad.  Life in general has been really busy, and I haven't been around the computer all that often.  I have a lot of posts to catch up on, but I will be sure to catch up on them..!  Just be patient with me, and I'll eventually catch up to present day.

I have been buying beer lately, and I'm starting off with some selections that I picked up a while back.  For the vast majority of them, I haven't had a chance to drink, but there are a few that I have consumed recently.  What did I pick up at the end of June?  Here's the list:

• Dogfish Head Festina Peche - A seasonal from Dogfish Head, and I'm really starting to try and keep tabs on this particular brewing company.  I really enjoy their stuff.  Price paid: $3.00
• Ommegang Fleur de Houblon - Like Dogfish Head, I tend to keep tabs on offerings from Ommegang.  Sometimes the beers can get a little pricy, but usually the 12 oz bottles are within reason.  Price paid: $3.00
• Highland Razor Wit - A North Carolina brewery with a seasonal offering I haven't yet consumed.  It's practically a must buy for me.  Price paid: $1.90
• Great Lakes The Wright Pils - The Wright brothers are famous for being the first to fly, testing their plane at Kitty Hawk, NC.  So they have a history in Ohio (Dayton), and Ohio also lays claim to them.  Still, NC has the greater claim.  Nevertheless, because it's the Wright brothers, I had to pick it up to honor my NC heritage.  Price paid: $1.90