Durham Brew Tour Preview: Vol. II

The final stop on the Durham tour is Fullsteam, located near Durham Central Park and the original Durham Athletic Park.  Fullsteam’s beer is unique.  Even in the fiercely independent world of craft brew, their offerings stand out for their originality and ambitious ingredient lists.  Like Triangle and BCB&B, they use as many local suppliers as they can while crafting beers that try to do more than fulfill the standard beer style spectrum; they attempt to fit their beers into North Carolina and southern culture. 

Their best-known example is Hogwash Brown Porter – ostensibly made to drink while eating NC barbecue – which I compare to drinking cold, carbonated liquid smoke.  I like a good smoky Scotch, but I will have to say that I have a difficult time getting through an entire pint of it. (That brings up another good thing about Fullsteam – they offer ½ pints of their beer also, so you aren’t stuck with a whole glass of something that you don’t like).

However, they don’t have it right now, so you don’t get the opportunity.  Fullsteam has two categories of brews; first, their session beers, collectively known as their Workers’ Compensation series.  In a nod to their somewhat radical beer leanings, they also offer the Apothecary series, seasonal and experimental brews that push the boundaries of even non-traditional libations.  Let’s throw the ‘ol virgin visit scale at this amalgam of tastiness and see what falls out:

1.      Beer For Folks That Don’t Like Beer:  Some folks think that this doesn’t exist at Fullsteam, but I would argue that this is the easiest one to find; the brewers always have something so different that it strikes you as a different beverage.  Normally I would place the Summer Basil Farmhouse Ale in this category, but they didn’t have it last week, so we’ll go with the Chatham County Paw Paw – a sweet ale made from local paw paws, which taste like mild mango/bananas.  Served in a wine glass – very smooth.
2.      Beer For Folks Who Want Hops, Hops and More Hops:  Fullsteam does offer an IPA, Rocket Science, but it is really not one of their standouts – however, it’s more of thereally pale ale variety than the Dogfish Head variety – that is to say, it’s not terribly floral or crisp.  More of a session IPA than an “I’m not worthy” IPA like the ‘Fish.
3.      Beer For Folks Who Think They Are In Siberia in January:   Easy one here – IGOR.  Fullsteam’s bourbon-barrel-aged stout is fantastic; one can easily imagine enjoying IGOR in a wingback chair in front of a roaring fire.  Really.
4.      Beer For Folks Who Will Try Anything:  Interestingly, a difficult call given the brewery’s dedication to making all their beers an alternative to the mainstream.  They do offer a Carver Ale, made with sweet potatoes, but it doesn’t taste anything like sweet potatoes.  The problem is that the entire Fullsteam palette is created to expand your horizons – so we won’t pick one.  Ha!
5.      Bonus Category:  Beer That Tastes Like A Better Version of Something You Already Drink:  The Fullsteam Lager tastes a lot like a very, very, very good Yeungling.  When I first tried this beer I was not impressed in the least – however, over the last year, it has become well-rounded and was excellent last week.


Fullsteam does have some interesting food items (but no kitchen), but its status as a premier food-truck destination takes care of that issue.  Throw in the fact that the whole place looks exactly like what you would do if you had a massive garage to make into a bar – a long, uncomplicated bar room, huge open space with picnic tables, and a game room area with ping-pong and classic pinball machines – and Fullsteam is definitely a Durham destination.

Durham Brew Tour Preview: Vol. 1

Yes, there is a commercial brewery tour in the Triangle (haven't tried it, so can't endorse it), but some extremely lucky folks are scheduled for a mini-tour limited to the Bull City this Saturday as a pre-Thanksgiving (beer)feast. As a primer for those visitors that have not experienced the varied offerings of Durham breweries, CP will dedicate its week to previewing the three scheduled Durham breweries.  Think of it as a program, or Playbill, for Saturday's activities. After all, you don't want to be saddled with a pint of English bitter when what you really want is an aged persimmon ale, right? We will preview each of the three scheduled breweries this week and hopefully provide a rough roadmap for drinkers that have been exposed to many beer styles and for those that may be new to "different" brews.  We start with the second (logically) of the tour's destinations, Bull City Burger & Brewery.

BCB&B is the youngest of the Durham triumvirate, and, in our opinion, has shown the most growth in quality of beer since their first pour in March 2011.  Upon visiting the site four days after opening, we found NO BCB&B beers ready (though they did offer other local taps) due to poor forecasting.  Disappointed, your CP staff visited some three weeks later and came away underwhelmed after tasting five serviceable but unremarkable brews.  In the time since, however, BCB&B seems to have found its groove, churning out solid base beers with envelope-pushing seasonal concoctions.  Using the time-honored CP formula for virgin brewery visits, we offer the following:

1.  Beer For Folks Who Don't Like Beer:  BCB&B staff would steer you to the Bryant Bridge Gateway Ale as it is the "lightest" of their offerings (and the most like mass-produced beers - think of a more flavorful Miller Lite - but don't tell BCB&B I said that), but I would encourage you to try the "Goat" Bullock Bock.  Bock is a light (don't let the caramel color fool you) German style beer that is quite malty and very smooth, and the Bullock is an excellent example of an easy-drinking, sweet brew.

2.  Beer For Folks Who Want Hops, Hops and More Hops:  Not a perfect choice at BCB&B right now; their IPA (OK, but not spectacular) is not on tap, so we'll have to go with the Parrish St. Pale Ale (a nod to the restaurant's downtown location).  Their Pale Ale is reminiscent of Sierra Nevada's classic offering, with not quite the bite, but a much richer color.

3.  Beer For Folks Who Think They Are In Siberia In January:  These are the folks that drink stouts and (for wusses), porters all times of the year.  Right now, BCB&B has you covered with its Watts Oatmeal Stout, complete with a nitrogen-powered tap.  If you don't know why that's important, you probably don't need to taste this beer.  A perfectly carbonated stout that's not overwhelmed with coffee beans, the Oatmeal Stout holds its own with any locally-produced stout.

4.  Beer For Folks Who Will Try Anything:  Two offerings here; first, for those who want to fully experience the autumnal mood, BCB&B pours their Rhine ESP (Ephemerally Spiced Pumpkin) Ale.  Admittedly, I did not try this one, but the pumpkins used were grown just outside of Boone, NC, so why not?  Second is the Movember Moustache Ale - a nod to the heretofore obscure (to me, anyway) Movember movement that supports men's health.  An English bitter ale with very little bitter, it's what we snooty beer folks call a session beer - the sort of which you can down three or four without thinking about it (before you fall off your barstool).      

BCB&B's burgers are considered among the best in the Triangle and their fried pickles are also excellent.  I have found their bartenders to be among the most knowledgeable in the area about their beers, if not the most garrulous (not that this is a bad thing).  With a large bar and an adequate outside patio, you will enjoy your foray into downtown to visit BCB&B.  Only warning is that BCB&B has the lightest barstools in the Triangle...you will know what I mean once you are there.  Tomorrow:  Fullsteam. 
   

Da Bears, Da Beers: A Chicago Adventure

Your intrepid CP editor escaped the NC 100+ heat to Chicago's relatively cool 95 degrees a few weeks back for business (no, surprisingly blogging about beer is not highly profitable) and took the opportunity to sample two of the Windy City's most talked-about microbreweries - Goose Island, well-distributed across the country, and Revolution, which seems perfectly content serving its own ultra-hip western neighborhood ("don't try to act like you like us NOW, you Michigan Avenue ingénue...").  My admittedly bourgeois hotel was picketed by disgruntled workers during my stay, further coloring my Chicago experience and, perhaps, skewing my reviews (beer is the drink of the People, as you know.), but I can’t be sure.

Fellow workers, I work tirelessly every day to ensure that my compatriots are given the full measure of their value from ruthless management and the opportunity of escape to the people’s drink – beer – in draught houses across our great city of Chicago, a city built with the blood and sweat of the common man.  From Pullman’s tyranny to the contemporary struggles of the NFL’s player-millionaires, the enjoyment of the people’s beverage in Chicago has served as a partial distraction from the perpetual repression from the Man.  Brothers, I slumped into one of these establishments, Goose Island Brewery (Clybourn location), dog-tired from railing against your evil management, and plopped upon a stool (a lowly contraption, lacking back support…suitable for us working-class folks) to sate my thirst (for JUSTICE!).

I was only able to sample three of the establishment’s concoctions – as you know, we labor leaders are in the fight only for ideological reasons and subsist on meager wages (just like you) – and they offer 30 - yes, 30 - fresh brews on draught at all times.  As it was somewhat balmy on the day of my visit (though nothing like we (you) endure each day in your labor, I reluctantly quaffed Goose Island’s Summertime Ale, which reminds me of what it must be like to be in Moscow in the summer of 1917 – very light, no fruity aftertaste and refreshing, but very hard with which to maintain my dour visage.  My second sample was distinctive – an IPA that was admiringly machine-made, following worldwide standard processing with the standard amount of hops and standard bitterness with standard bite at the back of the palate.  Could you make a more sanitary (and perfect) beer?  I was loving it (though I’m not allowed to use exclamation points).

My co-workers, I am reluctant to admit that I used your hard-earned dues on the last of my samples.   Only in protest of the unspeakable forcing of mollusk ejaculation did I down a pint of the Squid Ink Saison (it was already exploited by then, right?).  In deference to the labor undertaken by the misunderstood sea creature, I must admit that, minus the thrill of its nomenclature, the actual brew only approached a slightly bitter Guinness.

I reached into my shallow pockets to reimburse the hard-working bartender and ventured outside to find a fellow laborer to transport my now taxed soul to our next location.  As the proud transportation professional inquired as to my destination, however, I regained my verve with thoughts of the legions of followers (no, I mean co-workers) that rely on me to fulfill their lives.  On we go, to the Revolution Brewery!  (I’m allowed that one because of the name.)

We arrived at our destination and I caught my breath at its stately façade –could a so deliciously-named establishment have a more appropriately Spartan entrance?  I could barely contain my excitement as I burst from the hard-working taxi-driver’s office to approach the door.  I could almost hear the Marche Slave (1876) emanating from the stone building…oooooh...).  Once inside, my expectations were confirmed; comrades (oops, not supposed to say that either), the beer at Revolution Brewery was perfectly unremarkable.

Yes, I first ordered the French Saison, only for reasons of espionage – I certainly wouldn’t  expect the bourgeois French to produce any sort of palatable popular beverage.  Revolution’s Saison was toward the more equal, as we say, of this sort of beer, and was highly drinkable (you should stay away from it, of course, because it’s French).  However, the brewery’s obvious dedication to our struggle would overcome any shortcoming in their liquids.  Fortunately, those are difficult to discern.  After forcing down the French brew, I regaled in the Iron Fist Pale Ale, which like our daily life, was dry, short and flavorful; a quality pale ale in a Black Sea of competitors.

As I reluctantly departed the loyalist establishment, I couldn’t help but salute its interior, highlighted by hand-carved raised-fist columns supporting its hardwood bar and its matching tap handles.  I left with a full heart and realization that I had possibly visited Chicago’s brewery polar opposites in less than two hours.  If you visit the city, you may think that you are limited to the corner purveyor of Old Style or PBR… just remember:  “Sometimes history needs a push…”

Editor's Note:  Carolina Pints learned after its visit that Goose Island was recently purchased by Anheuser-Busch...sorry.

Oktoberfest Sighting! Creech Takes Home '11 Title

It has happened...the most anticipated event of the year!

No, not tax-free weekend (which obtusely doesn't apply to NC-brewed beer but to millions of non-NC- and internationally-produced products...whew!...good thing the state is so flushed with revenue...), but the first local sighting of a seasonal Oktoberfest-style brew in the Old North State!  Yes, tonight in the bustling berg of Durham, North Carolina, dedicated Carolina Pints readers Temple and Kent Creech reported that Samuel Adams Octoberfest was pouring from a tap at Durham Bulls Athletic Park (fortunately yours truly was seated to their immediate right and quickly made the most of the opportunity).  Yes, it is true that the celebration of Oktoberfest doesn't technically begin until September 9, but your humble editor is partial to this particular seasonal brew - its earthy aroma arouses promises of football tailgates, autumn leaves and the thankful migration from summer Hefeweizens to the celebration of lagers, ales and pilsners known as Oktoberfest (doesn't that sound better than "Mmmm...smells like football," which was my actual first thought?).

Carolina Pints plans a complete review of 2011's Oktoberfest-style beers in upcoming posts; we are anxiously anticipating the arrival of Paulaner's Marzen, Flying Dog's Dogtoberfest, St. Pauli Girl's Oktoberfest, Beck's Oktoberfest and other like beverages that make the autumn season the best on the beer calendar.  Also anticipated are Carolina Brewery's Oktoberfest standby and the eagerly anticipated Stierstadt ("Bull City" in German) from Bull City Burger & Brewery in Durham.  Stay tuned and feel free to report other early NC sightings of this wonderful fall nectar.

In Memoriam

...and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

Jesus loves you more than you will know

God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson

Heaven holds a place for those who pray

Come Fly With Me...to Fuquay!: Aviator Brewing

Yes, Fuquay.  Varina, that is, with the hyphen.  Can you really fly to Fuquay-Varina?  A question for ambitious Expedia searchers or well-to-do folks who circle their Cessnas, decide to skip RDU and are searching for a fresh North Carolina brew without breaching the I-440 chastity belt(line).  If you can find Broad Street in Fuquay - hint: it's just off Hwy. 55, like everything else in the South-of- Raleigh Central Planning District (SORCPD) - you will find an original, well-executed brewery and taphouse with quaint surroundings and quality brews.

Admittedly, the lovely wife and I did not visit the actual Aviator brewery - we only visited the taphouse as the brewery tour was not available and the Smokehouse restaurant was way across the street (it was pouring rain) - but the taphouse allowed a full appreciation of Aviator's varied and satisfying beers.

Six beers on tap plus a guest "beer" (today it was a local cider) - a good variety; we have found that trying to maintain more than six disinct draughts at one time is beyond the capabilities of even the largest craft breweries (see earlier post on Sweetwater Brewing).  The best compliment to Aviator is that most merit comment here, though with varied reviews.   

You can sample the Hot Rod Red at many a Triangle location - it's the most oft-found Aviator brew - a capable Irish red with a slightly hoppy finish.  It seems to be their flagship brew, but I think it belies the brewery's other offerings.  The lovely wife, a disciple of Hoegaarden, Allagash White and Lonerider's Shotgun Betty, was not overwhelmed with the somewhat thin flavor of the Mad Beach wheat ale - it was much hoppier than most "summer" brews and came across as more of a medium-depth pilsner than a true wheat beer.  That is not to say, however, that it wouldn't be a well-received draught on a hot summer afternoon.

Is imitation a truly honorable goal of a craft brewery?  If you believe so, Aviator should be at the top of your list for accomplished breweries in North Carolina, largely on the backs of their two top-flight brews, Steamhead and Hog Wild IPA.  The informative bartender described Steamhead as similar to San Francisco's Anchor Steam (creative branding, Aviator), and he was right on. Smooth with a bit of a smoky ending, Steamhead is very drinkable with enough heft to satisfy.

Those of us who worship at the Dogfish 60/90 Minute IPA altar would do well to traipse to Fuquay for the Hog Wild IPA.  Most local breweries offer IPAs of differing hoppiness, from Carolina Brewery's smooth brew to Lonerider's late, great Graverobber Black IPA.  However, the Hog almost fully captures the floral crispness of the 60 Minute (it doesn't have the high-gravity bite of the 90) - emphasis on crisp, because I think that's the essence of a quality IPA, not a lip-puckering deluge of hops.  There are IPA enthusiasts out there who say "the more hops, the better", but I think that's a cop-out (Miller Lite says its beer is "triple-hopped", so if you want to hitch your ride to that cart, be my guest).  The Hog has a citrus aroma (again, a good sign) and the taste ends on the tongue quickly - no sour aftertaste.  Yum.

I reserve my last comments for what is truly an insidious, dishonorable attempt by Aviator to take advantage of the fair maidens of this south-Triangle village.  After only one visit I uncovered the devious plot - well planned, yes, and expensive, but clearly designed to result in a bar full of pliant, happy females open to suggestion.  Here's what I uncovered; in case I disappear after this post, you'll know where to look:

1)  Aviator knows that a majority (not all) of female beer drinkers will look first for a summer/wheat/Hefeweizen brew to enjoy.
2)  Aviator intentionally brewed its Mad Wheat to be somewhat hoppy - not fruity, or, not a Blue Moon replacement...therefore directing the fairer sex to other options.
3)  Aviator created the Devil's Tramping Ground Tripel.  Egads!  The beer is a fantastic, smooth Tripel that has the full flavor of Belgian Tripels but without the astringent aftertaste often ascribed to Belgian-style brews.  It even has hints of fruitiness but lacks sweetness.  Sounds great, right?  So what's the big deal?  IT'S 9.2% ALCOHOL!  What seemed to be otherwise upstanding young (and not-so-young) female Fuquay-Varinans were quaffing the Tripels during our visit like they were Michelob Ultras (with lime).  Aviator has shrewdly nudged its lady customers from a 4.8% summer wheat to a 9.2% Belgian powerhouse.  Ladies' night indeed!









     

New Name, New Focus

Yes, this dapper (and undoubtedly 1960's lush) gentleman has it partially correct - beer can change at least North Carolina, if not the world.  The passage of "Pop the Cap" in 2005 led to the profusion of craft breweries throughout the Old North State and, subsequently, a culture around the local brewpub scene that blends the best of progressive farm-to-table and conservative give-me-my-alcohol theorems into a wide assortment of brew styles that competes with any found in the United States. This is not, of course, the only local beer blog in the b'sphere, but it will strive to provide intelligent (if not academically scientific) conversation about North Carolina beer and its fledgling brewery culture. Though headquartered in Durham, the site's reviewers will make every effort to search throughout the southeast to report on the comings and (hopefully rare) goings in the local craft beer world. You'll read dispatches from great beer bars, local brewery tours and tasting rooms and out-of-the-way beer stores that provide that extra variety that lovers of great local beer crave. Most of all, we hope to provide our readers with the sights, sounds, smells (yes) and tastes of what gives North Carolina an excellent craft beer culture. (While we work through the site's growing pains, we'll also try to cut down on the parentheses...crap)