The Best Little Beerhouse in South Carolina

Many great changes have come to South Carolina since their 6% cap was popped in May 2007. And a big part of the exciting beer culture is tucked away between Bay Street and Charleston Harbor in downtown Charleston- Charleston Beer Exchange. I met co-owner Scott Shor a few years ago @ Ted's Butcherblock where he served as the Beer Manager. It was during that visit that I met Jaime from COAST Brewing Co, who was pouring their HopArt IPA & 32/50 Kolsch. She also graciously poured me a hefty sample of their widely acclaimed Blackbeerd Imperial Stout from an super-secret hidden bottle.

I finally popped in to see CBX on a recent visit. Scott and co-owner Rich Carley were slammed on this busy Saturday, but not busy enough to serve my little group of 5. Manager Brandon Plyler was holding down the growler station, rotating the brown glass jugs among their 9 taps of delicious beer. They call him BigSilky for his cat-like precision. I got a 64oz fill of HopArt IPA, which is the #1 seller @ CBX. Back home a few days later, I shared this delicious growler with Willy T Nasty and decided that there could not be a more perfect name for this wonderful IPA.

In addition to the popular growler filling station, CBX sells lots of Founders Centennial IPA, Allagash White, and cans of Dale's Pale Ale. I saw beer from around 20 different countries, including all of the Trappist beers available in the US. Rich says they sell a good bit Chimay, Delirium, La Chouffe, Saison DuPont, St. Bernardus, and Black Albert

A visit to Charleston would not be complete without a stop at Charleston Beer Exchange. For more on my visit to CBX, check out my review on BeerAdvocate

Donkey Sighting Today @ Sweetwater

Very glad to see these 22oz bottles rolling! Had a 6oz pour today, and gave it a solid A on BeerAdvocate:

On tap @ the brewery today, 2009 edition. Bright copper appearance with some orange highlights. Head is super creamy & frothy, near white in color. Quite the tangy citrus aroma- tangerine, navel orange. First sip was surprisingly malty, sourdough bread followed by a big citric hop flavor. But not overwhelming at all...very big and very balanced. Good 10.2 vapor to remind you where you are. Noticeable punch of floral, bitterness in the back of the throat. Finishes very nice...some bitterness, some citrus yet not too dry.
All in all, I enjoyed this more than last year's version. Very big, bad, and worthy of the barleywine tag.

Brick Store Pub- Over The Top

Lincoln Hawk would be proud. Starting tomorrow to celebrate their 12 anniversary, Brick Store Pub will be tapping 14 special/unique/XXX kegs at 12pm over 11 days. Saturday June 27th is the Finale- 13 kegs tapped throughout the day starting at Noon.

Looking at this list, I am particularly interested in the Sweetwater oaked IPAs and the Cigar City Brewing's Guava IPA firkin. Folks are raving about this newcomer from Tampa on BeerAdvocate. On the 27th, I am looking forward to the wild ales from Allagash, the Stranahan Whisky beers from Oskar Blues, the Pappy Van Winkle Red Brick Winter and the offering from Ballast Point. BP hails from the craft brewing mecca of San Diego, and simply does not make an average beer.

6/16- 2006 Wooden Pin J.W.Lees Lagavulin cask
6/17- Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale
6/18- 2006 Terrapin Big Sloppy Monster (Jack Daniels barrel for 9 months)
6/19- Victory V-12 (Downstairs) Victory Wild Devil (Upstairs)
6/20- 2007 t'Smisje Kerst Wooden Cask(down) Pisgah Solstice Tripel (up)
6/21- Duck Rabbit Dopplebock
6/22- Ola Dubh 30 yr.
6/23- SweetWater Double IPA (Bordeaux barrel 1st run)
6/24- Avery Maharaja (Firkin)
6/25- Lagunitas Barrel Aged Brown Shugga
6/26- Cigar City Guava IPA (Firkin) (down) Hansens Kriek Lambic (Firkin) (up)

6/27- The Finale
noon- Duck Rabbit "Paul's Day Off"
1:00- SweetWater Oak Aged Creeper Belgian IPA (Bordeaux barrel 2nd run)
2:00- Highland Cattail Wheat (dosed with Trappist yeast)
3:00- Allagash Interlude
4:00- 2008 Red Brick Winter (Pappy Van Winkle barrel 1st run)
5:00- Allagash Confluence
6:00- Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter
7:00- Allagash Victor
8:00- Oskar Blues Stranahan Whisky Barrel Aged Gordon
9:00- Allagash Victoria
Also at 9:00- Terrapin Substance Abuse! (Wake & Bake Coffee Imperial Stout aged in a Jack Daniels whisky barrel)
10:00- O.B. Stranahan Barrel Aged Ten FIDY
11:00- Allagash Hugh Malone
12:00- O.B. Stranahan Barrel Aged Dale's Pale Ale

The Coolest Brother Outlaw Evah!

Well I only have one, but that doesn't matter. Just got a box in the mail from my favorite brother in-law, Darren. Two North Coast Old Rasputin XI and a Twentieth Anniversary Ale, which I haven't even heard of yet. While Old Rasputin is easily available in Decatur, the special edition XI is aged in "12 year-old oak bourbon barrels for nine months. Released only at the brewery's retail store in Fort Bragg." Cannot wait to try this one!

The label on 20 says, "67% Ale Aged in Oak Barrels, 33% Ale Brewed with Agave Nectar." I know that the XI was only available at the brewery in Ft. Bragg, Ca and can only imagine that the 20th was the same deal. While I was in the Bay Area for SF Beer Week this past February, I gave serious thought to making the 360 mile round trip to Ft. Bragg to grab some of the Old Raspy 11. The farthest north I have been in California is Boonville, home to Anderson Valley Brewing Company. But Ft. Bragg is 50 miles north of Boonville, on pretty windy 2-lane roads, from what I have heard.

Anyway, thanks for the ultra rare beers Darren and just remember...payback is a bitch! Cheers Brother

Hopslam Monday!

I've never seen more anticipation for a cask tapping at the Brick Store. The bar was packed, all eyes glued on that little silver can. Pictures snapping, smiles gleaming. Bell's Brewing has landed in Decatur, and the energy in the pub was very festive.

Oberon and Special Double Cream Stout were on tap, but the real star was the rare cask of Hopslam. The bottled version is one of my most loved double IPAs, and I was very curious to taste the cask version.

The firkin was tapped at 4 on the dot and kicked around 6:30. I found the cask version of Hopslam just delightful. Of course it didn't have the carbonation bite, but the flavor was packed full of pine and grapefruit hop flavor rounded out with chewy bitterness. As the glass warmed, the honey flavor poked her head out unlike the bottled version where the honey flavor was on the front end. Cannot wait for a keg of FRESH Hopslam to come out next January/February.

Look for Bell's this week at The Grange Public House, Thinking Man Tavern, and of course the ole BSP.

Twain's Springfest & The Return of XL DIPA

From Twain's facebook page:

Springfest- A Benefit for the Atlanta Community Food Bank
Saturday May 16th- 1pm-11pm
All proceeds from this show will be donated to the Atlanta Food Bank. There will be 2 stages, 1 indoor and one outdoor, so there will always be a band playing. There will be food and drink specials and the event is taking place at a brew pub with Pool tables, shuffleboard tables, and darts.Tickets are $10 and all proceeds got to The Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Our line-up of awesome music goes like this:
outside:
1:30pm-2:15pm: The Trailer Park Swingers
2:45 pm – 3:30pm: Rocksploitation
4:00 pm- 4:45 pm: The Brain Box
5:15pm- 6:00pm : The Mystery Men
6:30pm-7:15pm : Balloonaut
7:45 pm- 8:30pm: Tag Team
9:00 pm-9:45 pm: Grinder Nova

inside:
2:15-2:45pm: Dave Ellington
3:30-4:15pm: Spanky and The Love Handles
4:45-5:15pm: Kevin McFoy Dunn
6:00-6:30 pm: Old Custer
7:15-7:45 pm: Abby Wren
8:30-9:00pm: Swingset
10:00-?: Getaway Car


And while you are there, grab a glass or 7 of XL Double IPA! Jordan whipped up another batch this year that is chock full of Simcoe & Amarillo hops.

For Whom the Bell's Toll

Bell's Brewery comes a ringin' to Decatur next week! Brick Store Pub will be tapping a super limited cask of HopSlam and a keg of Special Double Cream Stout on Monday May 18 around 5pm.

HopSlam, which is released yearly in January/February, gets an A score on BeerAdvocate with over 1200 reviews. I am really looking forward to the cask version of this bad boy.

At this time, Brick Store Dave ain't too sure what they will carry full time from Bell's, but I'll keep you posted.