Category Archives: Beer

Golden Boy Blonde or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

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Salutations™!!

Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Golden Boy Blonde Ale from Triple C Brewing, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.

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©BottleMixx

We had this beer on TLD back in January of 2015. That’s over three years ago. And in January at that. Why would we have this light summery brew in January? That was what Danielle asked anyway. I have said before that I don’t allow seasons to dictate my eating or drinking habits. That being said, if it is cold outside and I’m outside, I want heartier brews. But, it was air-conditioned in the Test Pattern Studios tonight even though the outside was in the high 80s.

When we had it in 2015, that was with Brian and Eugene, at least Eugene, possibly Caitlin. We had it in cans. This was in a growler from Bull’s Tavern and Danielle explained that they had cleaned the lines, fully, before tapping this brew. When we had it, the taste of this blonde ale was so crisp, so clean, and so darned good. There was a great blonde/hay flavor that had a bit of a bite. It had a grapefruity finish but not in that weird IPA hoppy way.

When we had it the first time it was rated only 3 caps out of 5. This time, however, I rated it 4.75. It was that good! And, it’s only 4.5% ABV so you can have several without being bogged down or getting sloshed.

BeerAdvocate has it at 3.56/5 (Good). Untappd has it at 3.46 caps out of 5. Have you had this brew? What did you think? If you haven’t had it or just have a hankering for more, then you need to head over to Bull’s Tavern and grab a pint. You should also listen to this week’s podcast and hear what Danielle, Bethany and I had to say about it. You can do that by listening HERE. We also recorded our last episode in Test Pattern Studios. I’ll talk more about that on Friday.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“A golden colored ale with a toasted malt character and slight Mt Hood hop flavor and aroma. Perfect on a hot summer day.” – Triple C Brewing

Craft Happiness – Safe or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

13 Wednesday Jun 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Craft Happiness Project IPA – Safe from Foothills Brewing, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.

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©Larry G. J

We all know that I am not a fan of IPAs, right? Yeah, I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it. But, what I mean is the IPA “genre.” I am not a fan of rap music but I can listen to UTFO or Eminem. I am not a fan of reggae but I love listening to Bob Marley. So, I don’t like IPAs but I like some IPAs. I like this IPA. It has a great body and you get a nice grapefruit aftertaste. This IPA doesn’t leave me with that cottonmouth/dry mouth condition that many IPAs give me. It uses Chinook, Cascade and Apollo hops.

There is no BeerAdvocate rating but Untappd has it rated at 3.77 caps out of 5. I rated it 4.25 out of 5. The ABV is 6.3%. You should listen to the show to hear us discuss it (along with Danielle’s report on Bonnaroo). You can do that HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Safe IPA is brewed to help no-kill animal shelters in their mission to save all healthy and treatable animals. Acidulated malt and flaked oats create unique mouthfeel, with a double dry-hop of Chinook lending spicy, piney notes.” – Foothills Brewing

Bed of Nails or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

06 Wednesday Jun 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Bed of Nails Brown Ale from Hi-Wire Brewing, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week._beer

This was a really good brown. You can get caramel and toffee overtones, especially in the aftertaste. It hangs for a while which is a great thing. It sits at about 6.1%ABV so it’s not too heavy but still packs a small punch.

BeerAdvocate has it rated at 3.7/5 (Good). Untappd has it at 3.66 caps out of 5. Good stuff.

Listen to the latest episode of The Less Desirables to hear what Bethany and I say about it. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Bed of Nails is crafted as an American ode to a traditional English brown. A light hop addition balances the natural sweetness present in the specialty malt. This beer’s delicate body and dry finish allow flavors of toffee and dark fruit to shine through.” – Hi-Wire Brewing

A Reminder or: Hot! Hot! Hot!

01 Friday Jun 2018

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Salutations™!!

I think I’ve talked about this already this week but The BCPF and I are going to be attending the Texas Pete Spirits of Summer festival. This would be weekend of the Salute! NC Wine Festival but that is no more. They have basically taken Salute! and the Texas Pete Culinary Arts Festival and thrown them together. 30688635_162162754448338_8223325916009332736_n

So, this festival is not just wine or food but wine and food in addition to beer. Yes, they’re still having a demo tent but it’s not the NC Food & Wine University any longer. It’s now the Lowe’s Foods Demo Tent and I will be hosting/emceeing the demo tent from 3:30p-5:30p. In addition to the festival, Foothills will have an afterparty from 6p-9p. During the festival proper, there will also be music involved.

Some of the vineyards and wineries that will be there are: Cauble Creek Vineyard, Ginger Creek Vineyards, Hanover Park Vineyard, Old North State Winery, Raylen Vineyards & Winery, Southern Charm Winery, Weathervane Winery, WoodMill Winery, Starrlight Mead, Old Homeplace Vineyard, Round Peak Vineyards, Noni Bacca Winery, Lake James Cellars Winery, Duplin Winery, Locklear Vineyard & Winery, Waldensian Style Wines,
Rocky River Vineyards, Biltmore Winery, Rock of Ages Winery, Native Vines Winery.

Some of the breweries that will be there: Booneshine Brewing Company, Bull City Ciderworks, Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company, Foothills Brewing, Four Saints Brewing Company, Hoots Beer Co., Joymongers Brewing Co., Pig Pounder Brewery, Small Batch Beer Co., Wise Man Brewing, Skull Camp Brewing, Brown Truck Brewery.

Some of the restaurants: 6th and Vine, Alma Mexicana, Bib’s Downtown, Jeffrey Adams on Fourth, Meridian Restaurant, Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, Providence Restaurant,
Quanto Basta Italian Eatery & Wine Bar, The Old Fourth Street Filling Station, The Tavern in Old Salem, The Porch Kitchen and Cantina, Willow’s Bistro, West End Coffee House, Irie Rhythms.

Those restaurants will be preparing food for purchase. The demo tent just requires your wristband. I know it’s kind of late now but advance tix are only $25 (which you may still be able to purchase on the website) and “day of” is $30. If you are there, stop by the demo tent and say hey to me!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Congrats!  You’ve Been Admitted to the Lowes Foods Demo Tent” – Texas Pete Spirits of Summer

Flaming Fury Peach Sour or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

30 Wednesday May 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Flaming Fury Peach Sour from Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.captain-lawrence-flaming-fury

This stuff was good. Sweet like a peach in a glass but enough sour beer to be just that, a sour beer. A really delicious sour beer. I’ve never heard of, nor had any Captain Lawrence beers but if all of their beer tasted like this, I’ll gladly have more.

This brew is a little hefty for a sour. I’m not used to them being 8%ABV, but I don’t mind when they are. It’s like a bonus.

BeerAdvocate rates it at 4.37/5 (Outstanding) and Untappd has it at 4.11 caps out of 5. That’s also a fantastic rating. I rate it 5 out of 5. To hear more about what Danielle, Bethany and I think of it, check out the latest episode, HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Created by blending our Sour Golden Ale with ripe and juicy Hudson Valley peaches. Aged in French oak foundres until the tart flavors of the beer and the sweet flavors of the peaches meld into one. Enjoy on a hot Summer day with a peach in hand.” – Captain Lawrence Brewing.” – Captain Lawrence Brewing

Bolo or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

16 Wednesday May 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Bolo Coconut Brown from Burial Beer, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.burial

As Danielle said during the show, she’s never heard of a coconut brown before. We’ve heard of coconut stouts and coconut porters. But, never a coconut brown. It’s hard to beat just about any beer that has Burial’s name on it. So, when those factors are combined, that means delicious creamy goodness.

To me, there was a little bit of flavor dilution. There wasn’t a big coconut flavor push in the beer. The flavors were all a bit muddled. On top of that, the beer had been in a growler for an hour or so and it was warmer than I’d want it. I’d love to retry it right out of the tap. All that being said on the flavor, I liked it. I would just have liked a little more clarity. The brew is 5.6% ABV.

BeerAdvocate rates it at 3.94/5 (Very Good). Untappd has it at 3.91 caps out of 5. I rated it 4.25 out of 5. Tune into the latest episode of The Less Desirables to hear what Danielle, Bethany, Cheyenne, Nathan and I had to say about it. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Dense forest demand sharp blades. Worn, torn, chipped or rusted, the Bolo shepherds the path. Later still, this tool of ancient times takes on the tiring task of harvesting the hidden fruit of the tropics. Enjoy an aroma that reminds you of tropical granola with a smooth maltiness that hints at chocolate and nuts. Baked in our kettle, cured to perfection.” –  Burial

Many a Brew or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

09 Wednesday May 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents a shload of beer.

Yep, I said it was a shload of beer. Chances are the brews we had on the show this evening you’re not going to find at Bull’s Tavern, so instead, we are just going to talk about Bull’s Tavern. 1_tld

They have 24 taps. They have an extensive liquor wall. And, they have a lot of live music. So, beer, booze, music. That’s a great combination. Add in a great atmosphere and you have a near perfect place.

The thing about the beer selection at Bull’s Tavern is that there are many that you won’t find anywhere else in WSNC. That’s because, with Bull’s partnership with Gate City Growlers, they get brews that you just won’t find anywhere else. They drive to the far reaches of the state to get the best beer this state has available. Yum!

As far as live music goes, here’s what they have going on this week:

May 10 – Something Like Seduction
May 11 – Little Stranger
May 12 – Brothers Pearl

Go support local music and have a great beer whilst you’re at it.

Tune in to this week’s show and listen to Caitlin, Bethany and me talk about the beer that Caitlin brought. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

A Wave of Relief or: Blair’s Breakfast Stout

02 Wednesday May 2018

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Salutations™!!

First, I want to say that the world of High Sierra is at least looking a little better. I was watching a YouTube video about Protools and High Sierra and after a few “autoplay” videos pass, there is one that is only a day or so old, from some Swedish guy that was talking about “the latest version of Protools (2018.x)” was just out and he was really excited about that.

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©Wilmington Brewing Co.

 

I got to thinking about something. I needed to check my Avid Application Helper and see if it was showing that I could download this 2018 version. Well, my Application Helper was locking up and it seems, out of date, as well. I had to uninstall it and download the latest version when I did, it showed that the 2018 edition was indeed available.

Protools worked perfectly. Everything was how it needed to be and smoothly running. In addition to that, all of the Mac was working smoother. Nothing was getting hung and nothing was malfunctioning. Now, do I believe this was the end-all-be-all of problems with High Sierra? No. Do I still think High Sierra is the Windows Vista of Mac-dom? Yes. But, for now, I’m glad all is working. I was able to record a podcast with minimal worry. So, yay! Speaking of podcasts…

Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Blair’s Breakfast Stout from Wilmington Brewing Company, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.

It was a delicious breakfast stout (generally this means its coffee notes are prevalent) and one that all of us enjoyed on the show tonight. It was creamy and chocolatey with good coffee notes. The difference between this and many other “breakfast stouts” is that it had a clean finish. It didn’t taste synthetic like some of those other brews have.

BeerAdvocate rates it at 4.28/5 (Outstanding). Untappd has it at 4.09 Caps out of 5. I rated it 4.5 out of 5. Have you had it? What did you think? If you’ve not had it or just have a hankering for more, head over to Bull’s Tavern and get your pint and listen to some great music while you’re at it.

Tune into this week’s episode of the podcast to see what Danielle, Bethany, Tim (not me), Amy and I thought it. You can hear that episode HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Homegrown from a small homebrew shop to a [sic] 11,800 sqft facility, Wilmington Brewing Company is excited to serve you fresh local beer straight from the tank to your glass. Located right in the middle of Wilmington, WBC includes a 3bbl and 25bbl brewery, tasting room, and a homebrew supply store. We look forward to seeing you soon!” – Wilmington Brewing Company

I’ve Been Drinking About You or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

25 Wednesday Apr 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents I’ve Been Drinking About You Double IPA from Casita Cervecería, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.beer

Danielle brought us a good beer this week (well, every week). She brought this lovely gem from a nomadic brewery here in NC, Casita Cervecería. What does that mean? Well, think of it as if it’s a “pop-up” dinner at a restaurant. At a pop-up, a concept restaurant comes in and uses another restaurant’s facility, equipment, and space. This is what Casita is doing. They are creating “temporary” breweries inside other breweries.

This brew, as best we can tell, was made/brewed at Duck-Rabbit.

It was delicious. You got a waft of hoppiness in the beginning but that went away and what was left was a fruit-forward, honey-laiden, sweetish flavor. This is a good beer. It leaves a great lace, too. It’s a bit heavy on the ABV (7.5%) and I’m okay with that. It doesn’t taste boozy, though.

BeerAdvocate has it rated at 4.15/5 (Exceptional) and Untappd has it at 3.99 caps out of 5. I rated it 4.25 out of 5.

Have you had this brew? If so, what did you think? If not, or you just have a hankering for more, you can head to Bull’s Tavern and grab a pint or, if you have a growler, you can go fill it up with this delicious brew.

Tune in to hear the show and find out what Danielle, Bethany, Abigail and I think. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“We like the idea of using our creativity to make a product that will make people happy.  It’s our greatest hope these beers will become part of your joyful memories.” – Casita Cerveceria

Hulihe’e or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

11 Wednesday Apr 2018

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Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Hulihe’e Rye IPA from Fonta Flora Brewery, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.1beer

This is the beginning of a trend, I think. Danielle brought us some fantastic beer that you can’t get from anywhere else in Downtown WSNC. Bull’s Tavern, through a partnership with Gate City Growlers, gets access to a lot of brews that other places may not get to. That’s a bonus to having Danielle on the show.

Fonta Flora is in Morganton, NC (that’s in the mountains). They make great beers and this is one of them. We know that I’m not a big fan of IPAs but this is a rye IPA and it was different. I got some citrus notes (Citra Hops are prevalent), loved the cloudy golden color, loved the texture and body, and really the flavor was smooth, but bitter, but had a nice finish. The brew sits at 6.1% ABV.

BeerAdvocate has it at 4.24/5 (Exceptional) while Untappd has it at 4.11 caps out of 5. That’s really high for both of those.  Have you had it? What did you think? If you’ve not had it or just have a hankering for more, you need to head to Bull’s Tavern and grab your pint. Tune into this evening episode to hear what Danielle, Bethany, Shonna and I thought of the beer (I rated it 4.5, I think). You can listen right HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“That is a fine beverage.” – Matt H.