19th hole...and 20th...Part II - Fullsteam

The second leg of our Saturday tour took us west to the newly-opened Fullsteam Brewery tasting room, which proved to be unique in this reviewer's experience, not including their off-the-wall beers they offer.  I had followed Fullsteam's buildout for some time online and tasted its IPA, Sweet Potato, and Hickory Stout at other venues, but the tasting room has only been open for two weeks.  When one enters the establishment, the bar/tasting area is on the left and is reminiscent of your standard neighborhood bar, albeit rather plain and sterile-looking.  However, their "social area" is very laid-back and interesting - how else would you describe a large room whose contents are a ping-pong table, a multi-level deck/stage, a 1980s-era bowling arcade game, a Baywatch pinball machine, multiple picnic tables and a kiddie-level analog mechanical bull?  The beer, though, should play the pivotal role, and Fullsteam has a different, to say the least, approach to that.

The folks at Fullsteam tout their "plow-to-pint" philosophy for brewing beer - using local ingredients to create beers that you can't taste anywhere else.  Their signature brew, the Hickory Smoked Porter, is a good example.  Reportedly brewed to accompany North Carolina's beloved smoke-infused barbecue, the Porter is quite a beverage.  At first taste, you are overwhelmed with the fact that your throat now tastes like it does after standing next to a barbecue pit or pig cooker for five hours - which sounds great if you've actually done this and the delectable swine is in the offing soon - but, to be honest, is a bit too much after about 1/2 pint and no 'cue is immediately forthcoming.  I have to give it to the Fullsteam folks in that they fulfilled their mission here, and the beer is of good quality, but it's just too much for me personally.  It may be good with some good Barbecue Joint pork, but we'll have to wait to try that combo.

Fullsteam's other brews are acceptable (IPA, Carver Ale) and their setup is great - particularly in the fall when the open-air room is 70 degrees or so.  While their beer is an acquired taste (to be fair, they know this and state it plainly), their localvore leanings are admirable and their building is definitely worth a visit or two.

19th Hole...and 20th...Part I

We posited some months ago that it would require an early round for the Triangle Brewing Company tour in Durham to qualify as a 19th hole. Well, here at Aces & Ales we are willing to sacrifice to bring the ultimate in brewery information to our dedicated readers. Not only did your intrepid A&A editor make (barely) the TBC tour before last call after an early morning round at Quail Ridge, he joined fellow travelers for a double-header - a late-afternoon trek across the Bull City to visit the recently opened tasting room at Fullsteam Brewery.

The lovely wife and I invited friends to our Saturday afternoon brewfest, and they were suitably impressed with three things - the just-delivered TBC canning machine (yes, canned beer is better - it's all about air and light, or the lack thereof), its Canadian purveyor, who may very well have convinced our lovely wives to join him at the San Francisco beer equipment show next year (no, not the beer show, but the beer equipment show), and the newest TBC release, Imperial Amber.

Dave, my longtime ale-testing companion, who is not given to overstatement, practically gushed about the Amber upon my arrival. Our opinions about beer are not always in concert, but I have to agree that the Amber was one of the best high-gravity brews I've tasted in some time. Very smooth with a slight taste of dark cherry and a caramel finish, it reminds you you're drinking a high-alcohol beer, the Amber gives you a feeling you're enjoying a grown-up beer with no pretention (read: whiskey-like aftertaste). For a moment you imagine what it was like when beer was a requisite for around-the-Cape voyages along with hardtack and the occasional seabird - a beverage, yes, but one that demands more attention from your palate than your standard iced tea or Diet Coke.

Octoberfest Sighting!

O joy of joys! A rite of autumn was experienced today with the first sighting of Samuel Adams' Octoberfest brew in Durham. The golden moment was realized today at the Kroger on S. Roxboro St. (admittedly, an unlikely place for an epiphany) as I purchased a "Harvest Collection" variety pack that included two of the aforementioned harbringers of fall (the lovely wife was also pleased to find two of a new Sam's brew, Harvest Pumpkin Ale - I'm so proud of her). I also noticed an autumn offering from New Belgium (of Fat Tire fame), the invitingly named "Hoptober" - an Octoberfest-style with a hoppy character? I'll certainly have to include that one in the Aces & Ales seasonal beer review spectacular coming in early September. Stay tuned for details - don't grab a brew for the 'Fest without it.

Oktoberfest @ Carolina Brewery Sept. 25

The Aces & Ales crew has visited the Pittsboro Carolina Brewery location the past two years for its Oktoberfest celebration, and it's worth the drive. Live music, good food and, of course, one of A&A's favorite concoctions, the Brewery's Oktoberfest. Undoubtedly the most fun you'll have in Chatham County this year - make plans to join us on September 25 (it's also very kid friendly - bounce houses and other stuff).