Texas Road Trip: Day 3 - From cotton comes magnolias

 Day 3: Birmingham, AL > Hattiesburg, MS

The third day of the trip saw us cover a lot of miles but only hit a few breweries. For all intents and purposes, it was more of a travel day, which probably wasn't a bad thing since it was a Sunday and most breweries are either closed or have limited hours. Add to that the fact that we were traversing much of the south's craft beer void (Alabama and Mississippi, in this instance), we opted for quality over quantity. 

We began the day with a leisurely drive to Birmingham, AL, for our first stop of the day: Ghost Train. Having been burned many times by referring to Google for hours of operation, I always defer to a brewery's actual web site when planning our itinerary. Turns out the folks at Ghost Train failed to update their site in the wake of COVID-19 (thanks, 'Rona). I was glad to see their hours indicated an 11 a.m. open time; this meant we could get an early start and arrive right at opening time. We arrived at 10:45 a.m. only to learn that we weren't just 15 minutes early... we were an hour and fifteen minutes early. Yes, kids, they didn't open until noon. We saw some musicians unloading their gear from the previous night's festivities, and one of them mentioned that they didn't open until 12. M'wah, indeed. Since our options were limited, I figure we'd just hang around for an hour and drink coffee until they opened for business. Turns out we didn't have to do that, because once they found out we were visiting all the way from PA, they invited us in and basically let us have free reign of the place. 

Tap handles inside Birmingham's Ghost Train Brewing.

Since October 2016, Ghost Train has operated in the facility previously occupied by Cahaba Brewery, which is situated in Pepper Place Market (thought it reminded me more of an industrial park instead of a market). This makes perfect sense, as brewer/owner Taylor DeBoer had been a former co-owner of Cahaba. But the story goes back even further. Prior to occupying this space, Ghost Train brewed at Crooked Letter Brewing in Mississippi. So the name "Ghost Train" has been in the regional beer scene's lexicon for the better part of a decade. 

Since they guys on duty were still getting things opened up for the day, we decided to park ourselves at a table and hang for a bit. Brewslut and Pleeps sipped on a beer while I took a quick stroll around the brewery to snap some photos. The Ghost Train guys were super cool and gracious enough to offer us beers even though they weren't even open to the public yet. Gotta love that kind of hospitality! 

I noticed a pilsner on the tap list, so I started with that. However, I failed to recognize that this was, in fact, an Imperial Pilsner weighing in at 10% ABV. Not the best beer with which to start off my day. Regardless, Incognito is crispy and crushable with a floral hop flair and hint of herbaceous spice as well as some fleshy tree fruit. Of course, the beer is aptly named, as I doubt anyone would deduce that this sucker was in ABV stratosphere of double digits!

Pleeps says, "All aboard the Ghost Train!"

Upon finishing my pour of Incognito, I bellied up to the bar and started chatting with the staff. We enjoyed a few samples and I mentioned I worked at Troegs. None of the guys heard of my employer, which was kind of cool. I always like traveling in states where Troegs isn't available because I love sharing beers with folks who appreciate it. We proceeded to go through just about everything they had on tap, including a tasty wild berry sour called Kaleidoscope and a straight-up Kolsch called, simply, Good-Ass Kolsch. Then we started getting into the IPAs. I tried a bit of the hop-heavy Gulf Coast IPA, which was right up my alley. This one is fairy dank and laid-back with notes of pine resin and grapefruit. 

After all these, it was time to sample a few beers from its Allurium DIPA series. Numbers 3 and 5 were available, and I sampled them both! They just kept pouring... and pouring... and pouring, and who was I to stop them? The two beers I sampled were #3 and #5 in this DIPA series. Allurium 3 features a hop combo of Simcoe and Sabro to provide a blast of juicy citrus fruit with a splash of coconut and stone fruit around the edges. Allurium 5, on the other hand, is hopped with Azacca and Amarillo to produce a tropical-forward flavor profile boasting heaps of mango and citrus with subtle traces of summer melon and even peach. Both of these were in the 9% ABV range, so I kept to small sample-size pours.  

Afterwards, I shared some Troegenator with the guys, which everyone absolutely loved. I also left a few cans behind (as well as a hefty tip for the hospitality), and we were on our way to our second - and last - stop in Birmingham before heading into the uncharted waters of Mississippi. 

Inside Birmingham's TrimTab Brewing Co.

TrimTab was another brewery recommendation from Uncle Jedi. He obviously knows his turf quite well, as this place was solid any way you slice it. Founded in 2013, this Birmingham-based brewery focuses on a diverse portfolio including expressive IPAs, experimental stouts and a variety of fruited sour beers. 

But what the hell is a "trim tab"? 

A quick search on Google reveals that a trim tab is a small surface on the trailing edge of a larger control surface (i.e. a small rudder on a larger rudder... not to be confused with a Dutch rudder). For example, a trim tab on a boat or airplane can be manipulated to counteract opposing forces of resistance. In essence, trim tabs help to stabilize the vessel, which is achieved by adjusting the angle of the tab relative to the larger surface. 

OK, enough with all that scientific gibberish. 

Metaphorically speaking, it's a small, unassuming piece of equipment that seems insignificant but ultimately serves a much larger purpose. It's kind of like Ringo in the Beatles; it wouldn't be the same band without him. According to the brewery: "At the end of the day the trimtab is the actual source of how all direction and balance is achieved."

Inside TrimTab. Squiggly wins!

Like several other stops thus far, I kicked off with a lager. This one is from its experimental Gallery Series, and was notated as #041: Agave Lager. I love when breweries experiment with ingredients and processes and take risks. This beer was crisp, clean and extremely refreshing, with a pop of sweet agave nectar in the finish. 

Another line of beers the folks at TrimTab offers is "Beach Club," a rotating series of fruited sour ales inspired by tiki and island-influenced cocktails. Brewed with pink guava, tangerine, sea salt, and lactose, a beer called Floatation Device sounded quite tasty. This one turned out to be right up Brewslut's alley. 

Pleeps chillin' at TrimTab.

Brewslut loves her sours, so she also opted for a pour of Margarita Gose. Kettle soured with lactobacillus and brewed with Himalyan pink sea salt, coriander, and sweet orange peel, this tart beer also benefits from the addition of ruby red grapefruit and fresh-squeezed key lime juice. This one featured a nice blend of bright lime, pithy grapefruit and a pinch of saltiness with a refreshing finish. 

We had to end on a big note, so I thought it only fitting to share a pour of something special. Enter Language of Thunder Cumulus, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout conditioned on vanilla beans and toasted coconut. Ooofa! This one was over the top with notes of bourbon-soaked coconut, Macadamia nuts, smooth vanilla and rich cocoa. We savored this mammoth, chewy stout, which clocks in at a hefty 9.8% ABV. While it certainly wasn't teetering on the upper scale of the imperial stout spectrum, it nevertheless packed a pretty serious punch. 

After a pleasant visit to TrimTab, we set off on our three-and-a-half-hour drive to Mississippi to visit one of my most anticipated breweries of the trip. I had received reviews of Southern Prohibition from several friends in my beer circle, and all of them were quite glowing. I was pretty sure this was going to be one of the highlights of the trip, and I'm glad to say that it was!

Opened in April 2013, Southern Prohibition Brewing is located in downtown Hattiesburg, MS. Downtown Hattiesburg isn't what I'd call a metropolis. As a matter of fact, it seems as though Shamokin, PA, might have more happening on its main drag. The outside of the brewery is very industrial and somewhat akin to a warehouse or automotive store (think Auto Zone or the Pep Boys... Manny, Moe and Jack). Once inside, however, the atmosphere changes dramatically. 

Outside Mississippi's Southern Prohibition Brewing Co.

Upon entering, we were greeted by an oddly appointed Victorian-style room with a large screen TV, a fireplace and some highbrow leather armchairs and other period furniture. Even the wallpaper would have been up to snuff for Queen Victoria's library. Continuing up a narrow hallway, we arrived at the tasting room, which looked more like something you'd find in a brewery. A long bar occupies the wall on the right, and the room - with cinderblock walls and a concrete floor - is sparsely decorated with some barrels and scattered seating. The beer board above the tap handles provides the focal point of the room, which was fine by me. After all, we were here for the beer. 

Sadly, we only had about an hour and fifteen minutes to spend here. With such a small window of opportunity, we made every sip count! First off, the two bartenders (one, a young male college student and the other, a young twenty-something woman), were amazingly friendly and talkative. Oddly enough, the place was virtually empty. Perhaps folks from Mississippi don't believe in drinking on the "Lord's Day." Fine by me! We basically had free reign of the place during our visit. 

Southern Prohibition is one of those places where I want to try just about everything it had to offer. With limited time, I opted to open with a sample flight. I opened with three small pours of the following beers:

Space to Face - Hazy IPA hopped with Galaxy and Citra. Thanks to a healthy dose of lactose, this one is velvety smooth with a fruity character and crushable drinkability. That's my kind of hazy! I was quick to grab a 4-pack of this to enjoy at a later date. 

Sherbet Sherpa Banana Split - You know Pleeps wouldn't let us leave without trying this beer. Loaded with banana, coconut, strawberry, and vanilla, this beer comes across as liquid sherbet, so mission accomplished, I suppose. Pleeps was all over this one... as was I! I'm always skeptical about banana beers, but this one delivered. 

Cake Walk Chocolate Turtle Cake - Another one of Pleeps' favorites, this decadent Imperial Stout mimics a chocolate turtle cake. Part of the "Cake Walk" series, this dessert beer features plenty of adjuncts including lactose, caramel, cocoa nibs, and roasted walnuts. Yum, yum, gimme some!

Everything in my flight was pretty amazing, so we continued sampling beer until we had to leave. Again, I'm not sure if or when we'll ever be in Mississippi again, so I figured we might as well take advantage while the taking was good. 

I followed my stellar sampler flight with something called Double Fluff. This time around, the inspiration was another famous southern dessert - blueberry apricot crumble. Packed with a laundry list of scrumptious ingredients including blueberry, apricot, pecans, marshmallows, honey granola, and a pinch a cinnamon, this beer is southern hospitality in a glass!

We ended our stellar visit at Southern Prohibition with a pour of Crowd Control, a dry-hopped DIPA showcasing Mosaic hops. Sticky and fruity with a solid malt backbone, this was a flavorable yet well-balanced DIPA with plenty of citrus, tropical, and berry-like fruit notes. What a way to stick a fork in our visit to this fantastic brewery!

Pleeps enjoying our flight at Southern Prohibition.

While we were at Southern Prohibition, we caught wind of another small brewery in Hattiesburg called Colludium. We hadn't planned on hitting another brewery, but we figured we might as well. I mean, when is the next time we'll be in Mississippi? 

Colludium is about board games as much as it is about beer. Boasting more than 100 games of all kinds, this place provides a really inviting atmosphere perfect for friends to gather and spend a few hours kicking back some beers. With a hodgepodge of mix-and-match tables and chairs, shelves of games, and other assorted knick-knacks, I felt like I was hanging out in my grandparents' attic, or perhaps Auntie Wainwright's bric-à-brac. However, the main difference here was the addition of beer. 

A wall of games awaits at Colludium.

Turns out the actual name of the brewery was also inspired by the two owners' love of games. With origins in Latin, the word "colludium" refers to sporting or playing together and is also linked to the word "collusion". 

The tap list was light, as expected for a tiny brewery, so we opted for a one-and-done visit. As hard as it was to abstain from getting knee-deep into a game of Scrabble or Hangman, we decided to stick with beer and conversation. With that said, I opted for Wizards of the West Coast, a West Coast IPA, while Brewslut went with Peach Sour Up. I couldn't really find any details on either of these beers, but I do remember the IPA being a little off with a tinge of diacetyl, an off-flavor reminiscent of buttered popcorn to which I'm extremely sensitive. Otherwise, it tasted like an old-school IPA with the classic "C" hops for a mix of citrus fruit and some pine. One the other hand, Peach Sour Up was quite pleasant. If I had to guess, the base beer was likely a kettle sour (perhaps a gose or Berliner base beer). In the end, this refreshing beer offered a subtle peach flavor paired with some mild acidity and tartness. 

Inside Colludium's bric-à-brac... I mean brewery!

Well folks, that's a wrap on Day 3. We had another hefty travel day in store for us on Monday (not a great day for visiting breweries), followed by a brief respite in New Orleans, our first-ever visit to this historic city. Tune in for Part 4 as we continue onward to our destination: Houston, TX! Until next time...