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...

Texas Road Trip: Day 2 - Sweet Home Chattanooga and other tales from the Deep South

Day 2: Knoxville, TN > Chattanooga, TN > Trussville, AL

We didn't have a very far drive to get to Knoxville on Saturday, so we had the luxury of sleeping in a bit. There are apparently a ton of breweries in Knoxville, and I'm glad we had the luxury of splitting them up over two visits. (We'd be hitting Knoxville again at the tail end of the trip.) First on the agenda was a visit to Balter Beerworks. I scoped out its web site prior to organizing our itinerary, and discovered that they opened earlier than most breweries and also served food. This is something I often tend to overlook when planning our trips. A man's gotta eat, Julian! So this seemed like a good place to start for our afternoon in Knoxville, TN. 

Like many breweries, the impetus of Balter started with homebrewing in a garage. The hobby quickly turned into a passion and eventually a career choice. After rehabilitating an old service station in downtown Knoxville, Balter opened its doors in February 2016. Balter prides itself on crafting all its foods daily from scratch, using the freshest ingredients available. The brewery itself preserves the history of the service station while still managing to create a comfortable and inviting modern space for its customers to enjoy fresh beer and scratch-made food. 

Pleeps doin' his thang!

Since this was our first stop, why not begin the day with a coffee porter? That's just what I did with Bear Blend, an Oatmeal Porter brewed with local coffee from Three Bears Coffee Company. I mean, does any brewery use Folgers or Maxwell House in its coffee beers? God, I hope not. I guess Bud or Miller might, if they ever decided to brew a coffee beer. 

I followed up the coffee porter with Firebelly, described as a Classic IPA. This feisty IPA boasted moderate bitterness with lots of grapefruity character courtesy of Cascade hops. Even though it drank more like a classic northwest pale ale, I ain't complainin'. 

While we were at Balter, I discovered a bit of unfortunate news: I'd been given back the wrong credit card from our server at Elderbrew the night before. Once I discovered this, I racked my brain as to how this possibly could have happened. I quickly recalled that he asked me my name two or three times while he was looking through his carousel of cards. After a minute or two, he held up a card that looked exactly like one of mine and asked if it was mine. Since he was about 10 feet away, I said yes. He handed it back to me, I placed it firmly inside my wallet and didn't think twice about it. Eighteen hours and 120-odd miles later, I'd realized that I'd been handed the wrong credit card. To say I was irate is a bit of an understatement. I ended up spending about 30 minutes on the phone with my credit card company trying to cancel the card in the event that mine was given to some jackoff who might go on a spending spree. So unfortunately I didn't get to fully enjoy our time at Balter. It really is a cool place and, if I recall, the food was very good. From now on, I'm definitely going to make sure I get the right card back from bartenders when I close out a tab. Live and learn. 

Outside Knoxville's Pretentious Beer Co.

Our next stop was Pretentious Beer Co. With a name like "Pretentious," I must admit that I though this place was going to be pretty high on the douchebag spectrum. Like not even a little bit douchy; more like metric shit-tons of douchbaggery raining down upon me as I ordered my beer. Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. This was easily one of the most memorable breweries of the entire trip. 

Why is that, you ask? Survey says? Number one answer on the board... Pretentious Beer is actually the sister company of Pretentious Glass. Founded in 2018, Pretentious Glass Co. started with owner Matthew Cummings selling handcrafted glassware on Etsy to pay for his studio space as a side hustle. Eventually, the company blossomed into a full time gig. Surprisingly, he was able to open the glass company with no additional owners, investors, or bank loans. I must say that this was the first time I'd come across something so novel as a brewery that creates its own glassware by hand in an adjacent facility. It really added a sophisticated flair to the presentation and made for a totally unique, elevated experience. They even offer tours of the glass facility, which sadly we could not enjoy during our visit. If you'd like to go down a quick rabbit hole, you can read all about the intriguing process of glass blowing here. 

Curio of glassware at Pretentious Beer Co.

On the brewing side, Pretentious crafts one-off experimental brews served exclusively in its tap room, which - like its artisan glassware - was built by hand. Actually, pretty much everything at Pretentious is made by hand; not only the exquisite hand-blown glasses, but also the hardwood bar, the chairs, tap handles, etc. It's no wonder why this place has created a haven for fellow local community artisans. 

Our view from the bar at Pretentious.

So, let's move on to the beer, shall we? I started off with Good Times, a pilsner brewed with rye Crystal hops. I honestly can't recall if I'd ever encountered a pilsner brewed with rye before. It stands to reason that I must have, at some point, at one of the countless breweries we'd visited, somewhere, came across a pilsner with rye. However, I was drawing a blank. So let's say this was the first time. (I'm sure if I referred to my Untappd check-ins, I'd likely find that I had one about three months prior to this.) This beer came across as crisp and clean with a hint of dry spiciness, courtesy of the addition of rye to the grain bill. I enjoyed this beer quite a bit, and the glass in which it was served heighted the experience. 

Pleeps loves him some Good Times!

I decided to keep things light and opted for a pour of the humorously named Glassholes. This Pale Ale is smooth and fruity with a wash of peach and orange thanks to hopping with Galaxy, one of my favorite varieties. Like Good Times, this was served in a unique glass created by Pretentious Glass Co. and made for an enjoyable quaff. Overall, this was a great stop and I'm glad we had time to hit Knoxville twice on the trip. This town definitely has a lot to offer beer-wise. I'd love to take a tour of the glass facility next time we're in this neck of the woods.

Pleeps says: "Only Glassholes fling poop!"

I had high hopes for our next stop. Xül, the new kid on the block in Knoxville, came with much praise from the bartender we'd just encountered the previous night at the Cascade Taproom in Bristol. It turns out that our visit to Cascade was a pivotal moment in our trip, because Xül was one of those rare places that completely blew me away on every level. 

When we pulled into the parking lot, the first thing that struck me was the odd building in which the brewery is situated. It had a very "retro modern" look that reminded me of a car dealership you might have seen on an episode of The Jetsons. Turns out my assumption was correct, as the building used to house a Volkswagen dealership. 

Outside Knoxville's Xül Beer Co.

As a child of the 80's, this place was right up my alley. I immediately felt at home here. Given her vast - almost labyrinthine - depth of movie, TV and pop culture trivia knowledge, Brewslut called out the fact that Xül (pronounced like and actually spelled Zuul) was in fact the gatekeeper in the movie 

Ghostbusters. While the beer is forward-thinking and of-the-moment, its tasting room hearkens back to the decade of my youth. Its merchandise dons iconic logos and characters from the era such as G.I. Joe and Robocop (I bought the Robocop T-shirt), and some of its beer names are steeped in nostalgia as well. (Side note: I later learned that Xül's quartz bar was inspired by a similar one found at Brooklyn's Tørst, a bar we'd visited several years ago with our beer bud, Nate, who we'd also be hanging out with in a few days in Texas.) 

Out seat for the duration of our (first) visit.

The bartender at Cascade mentioned that Xül had been "killing it" and were making world-class IPAs. Man, to think that I wouldn't have discovered this brewery had we not stopped into Cascade for a quick one makes me think that perhaps spontaneity yields the best results when traveling. 

So with that in mind, I decided to make my first beer at Xül an IPA. After all, I owed it to the guy from Cascade, right? Enter If Lost, Please Return, a hazy IPA hopped with Citra, Citra Cryo and Mosaic. By now, you know about my love/hate relationship with hazies. Part of me just wishes that the style would disappear into oblivion, while the other part stumbles on an amazing one every once in a while, reaffirming my faith that perhaps hazies are here to stay. This was one of those times. The aroma, flavor, texture, mouthfeel, and finish were all spot-on. After a few sips, I began to understand the enthusiasm of my new friend from Cascade. Yes, kids... this brewery ain't fuckin' around. 

If lost, please return... to my gullet!

After an enjoyable IPA, it was time to travel to the opposite end of the spectrum and enter the dark side of Xül. The next beer I tried elicited one of those reactions for which I yearn with each and every brewery visit we make on a given trip. Beyond the Lines of Reason stirred my loins. Conditioned on mounds of fresh and toasted coconut across multiple additions, this decadent stout has the distinction of perhaps the greatest texture I've ever encountered with a stout. The mouthfeel was the stuff of legends. I didn't want to swallow this beer; I just wanted to swish and swirl it around my mouth and across my tastebuds until the end of time. I was excited to see bottles of this world-class beer available for take-out, and I bought one without hesitation (although I wish I'd bought more) because it was that good!

After an amazing experience at Xul, it was off to Chattanooga, TN, to hit a few places before landing in Alabama for the evening. First up was Hutton & Smith. I'd assumed this brewery was named after its two owners, but a quick perusal of its web site debunked that theory. Rather than paraphrasing, I'll simply provide a direct quote from the brewery's web site:

 James Hutton and William "Strata" Smith are considered the fathers of modern geology, and rightly so. In "The Theory of the Earth", Hutton, a Scot from Edinburgh, illustrates the concept of deep time - the immense expanses of time over which geological changes occur. The Englishman Smith produced the first geological map of the earth, a revolutionary feat, detailing regional geology. Scots and Brits had been drinking beer for ages before any of these revelations came to mind, and it is rumored that our two friends sometimes strayed to focus on their love for tasty brews. Though we can only speculate, it is almost certain that at some point they imagined what it might be like to brew their own beer. We pay meager homage to these two beer drinking pioneers of their field by opening Hutton & Smith Brewing Co. in their names.

 

Plenty of beer to be had at Hutton & Smith.

I rarely order a Doppelbock at a brewery - much less lead with one! - but I decided to give this one a shot. The beer itself, Taylor Doppelbock, gets its name from our server who helped brew it. Her name, obviously, is Taylor. Assuming she had brewed it, I inquired with her about the beer and asked if she was a brewer. Turns out that the brewers at Hutton & Smith let each employee come up with a concept for a new beer or a style they'd like the brewery to release, and they work with the employee to make it happen. So I suppose it's kind of like job shadowing. Pretty cool, eh? This beer in question is a classic interpretation of the German-style strong lager. Working at Troegs, I know all about doppelbocks ('Nator, anyone?) or the "double bock" as we call it. Malty with hints of toasted bread and crackers, Taylor finishes smooth with a subtle sweet, slightly fruity finish and hint of booze. Turns out I had some 'Nator in tow, and gave her a can since she was such a fan of the style. I hope she enjoyed it! 

Pleeps looking picture perfect at Hutton & Smith.

The other two beers weren't as memorable, but not because they were inferior; they just didn't have a story attached to either of them the way Taylor did. I opted for a pair of hoppy offerings after the doppelbock: Igneous IPA, a dry-hopped IPA with citrus and pine notes; and Elvis Legs, a DDH Double featuring Citra, Talus and Simcoe. This was the first of four different beer releases for the brewery's 6th anniversary. How could I not try a beer called Elvis Legs? Perhaps the next one would be named Elvis' Pelvis. 

After Hutton & Smith, we had one more stop to make in Chattanooga. OddStory firmly believes that beer and storytelling go hand in hand, and this small brewery strives to embrace that notion by encouraging folks to gather together, share stories and make new ones over a beer. Oddly enough, this was the least memorable brewery of the day. While I don't recall its beers being flawed, I just don't have much of a recollection of the place itself or the two beers I sampled during our visit. Upon browsing through some photos on Google, I quickly remembered the tasting room being extremely packed. We managed to grab two vacant bar seats after sitting at a barrel-turned-table for about 15 minutes or so. Even the line for the food truck out back was ridiculous. I mean, good for OddStory for packing in the peeps. After all, it was late afternoon on a Saturday, which is prime time for any brewery worth anything. With so many people occupying the place, it was difficult to get a snapshot of the room or pick up on a particular vibe. Consequently, we spent much of our time people-watching while we sipped our beers. 

Pleeps has got the Monkey's Heart.

First up was yet another pilsner for me called Forgotten Fortress. This one is a classic German-style Pils brewed with 100% Pilsner Malts and Noble hops. Traditional to the "T". I followed up with a West Coast IPA called Monkey's Heart. Boasting seven varieties of hops, it's a bold, slightly bitter IPA reminiscent of the kind of IPAs we'd encounter 10 years ago while driving around San Diego. Pleeps made sure to get his share of this one, too. He's got a lot of heart already, our little Pleeps! 

After a quick stop in Chattanooga, it was off to Alabama, another first state for us on this trip. On our way to our first stop in Trussville, which happened to actually be Ferus (more on them shortly), we noticed a brewery called Slag Heap on the opposite end of the sprawling parking lot as we pulled in to Ferus. Might as well stop in for one beer, right? I mean, who knows when we'll be back in Alabama.

Opened during Labor Day weekend 2018, Slag Heap is part of Trussville’s “Quad One” downtown center, which is part of the town's revitalization plans. One of its attractions is its large outdoor concert stage, which was in use when we arrived... by a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band. I kid you not, folks. There's nothing like rolling into Alabama for the first time and hearing some good ol' Confederate flag-waiving, rifle-totin' southern rock blaring as you get out of the car. 

Pubbin' it up with Pleeps!

I decided to keep things traditional, so I opted for a nitro pour of Q's Moneypenny, an English-style pub ale (similar to Boddington's). The style itself is antiquated and therefore a pretty rare sight at craft breweries where everyone is trying to be the new Tree House. Malt forward with low hop bitterness and a light ABV, this nitrogen-poured ale was exceptionally smooth and delicious. I easily could have tossed another one of these down, but alas we had to get to our final destination of the evening, as we'd put on quite a few miles - somewhere around 350 - already. 

Artwork inside Ferus Artisan Ales

Our final stop of the day, Ferus Artisan Ales (also in Trussville), was one of a few breweries Uncle Jedi recommended. We'd try to meet up with UJ and his better half, Joan, as they live in Alabama, but they were also on the road doing some of their own beer traveling. (You think we go to a lot of breweries? These two should write their own beer travel blog!) With the Slag Heap audible we'd just called, I was hoping we'd get to Ferus before the band finished its set, as I assumed the majority of them would descent upon the brewery and we'd get shut out or have to wait a ridiculous amount of time to get seated or even served. Turns out we beat the crowd to the punch and were able to secure seats at the ample wrap-around bar that occupied the center of the fairly large tasting room. 

Although its name implies beer that is "untamed, uncivilized, and rough," I found this place and its beers to be anything but. With that said, the term "ferus" also applies to the brewery's passion for adventure and all things wild and avante garde. I can certainly embrace that philosophy. From this sense of adventure stems everything from wild and sour beers, crisp pilsners, hop-forward IPAs, full-flavored stouts, and a variety of barrel-aged beers.

Pleeps says, "Enough with the pilsners. Gimme a stout!"

I apparently neglected to check in my first beer, which was a delicious pilsner aptly named Pilsner. This one was a straight-up German-style pils brewed using 100% Pilsner malt and hopped with spicy Noble hop varietals. As I said before, this was the trip of the pilsner. I think I drank more pilsners and lagers on this trip than during any previous trip we'd taken. I enjoyed this one quite a bit and made sure I grabbed a 4-pack to enjoy at home.

Speaking of appropriate albeit unimaginative names for beers, I followed up with the IPA, an India Pale Ale showcasing big citrus hop aromas with subtle bitterness and a soft mouthfeel thanks to the use of oats and wheat in the malt bill. 

We finished with a shared pour of a big Imperial Stout called Ursa Rex. After reading the laundry list of ingredients in this sucker - coffee, coconut, cocao nibs, roasted pecans, Tahitian vanilla beans, and lactose - I knew this was going to be the beer to cap off the evening. This was quite tasty, although I couldn't help comparing it to Beyond the Lines of Reason, the stout I'd had earlier at Xül. All in all, it was a fine visit and the perfect beer with which to end our second day.

Pleeps aka the Stout Whisperer.

We're just getting started, kids! Aside from my credit card misfortune, it was a fantastic day, with Knoxville really knocking our socks off. Tune in next time as we head into to Birmingham, AL, and make our way into yet another new-to-us state, Mississippi. Until next time...

Texas Road Trip: Day 1 - You got your Tennessee in my Virginia!

The time had come. 

Yes indeed, it was time to make a serious dent into our brewery bucket list. In recent years, our long-time beer friends Deuane and Carolyn had inspired us to visit at least one brewery in each of the fifty states. Several years ago, they stuck a fork in their list with a trip to Alaska for a premier barleywine festival. (Note to self: must add that to our list!) In looking at our own list of brewery visits (yes, I keep track of them all via an Excel spreadsheet), I realized that we were just over the halfway mark, with 26 states under our belt. Not too shabby, right? Of course, the number of breweries we'd visited since we began our beer travels a decade or so ago was well over 800. Nevertheless, we knew we still had a lot of ground to cover if we wanted to hit our goal before we get too old and senile to travel. 

So, after a year-and-then-some of being cooped up in the house (thanks, 'Rona), we felt it was time for a road trip of epic proportions. We'd been wanting to get to Texas to visit Ingenious Brewing Company for the last three years, and we decided that this was the year to do it. Originally, we'd planned on flying down for a few days, staying with our friend and Ingenious mastermind, Justin, and hitting up some breweries in the greater Houston area. However, in light of all the issues with traveling and airlines in general (thanks again, 'Rona), we decided to bite the bullet and drive the 1500-odd miles (one way, mind you!) to Texas and bypass all those meddling airlines. I mean, we already had driven to Minnesota to visit the Twin Cities a few years back. What was another 4 hours? We could do it. Actually, I could do it, as Brewslut wasn't behind the wheel for even one mile of the trip. Although we did Uber around Houston with Justin for a day, it was all me, baby. 

First, a little backstory on how we became friends with Justin, proprietor of Ingenious Brewing. 

We met Justin over a decade ago at the good ol' Brass Rail Deli, where Brewslut used to work part-time. Back then, he was in the process of completing his residency at Hershey Medical Center and he eventually came to be known as "Dick Doc." After all, he was studying to become a urologist. Over time, he became part of our extended beer family, inviting each other to tastings and other events like Imminent Liquidation and Ffej of July. He'd also been homebrewing with a fellow medical colleague, Mike (ask Brewslut about him), and they would share their creations with us when Justin hosted a tasting night. I specifically remember one evening when they had six different beers on their makeshift tap system (essentially a converted chest freezer). I tried all of them, and they were fantastic. I said something to the effect of, "Man, you guys should open a brewery. These are all better than most of the beers the new breweries are making around here." I wasn't blowing smoke, either. They were legitimately fantastic. I remember one Imperial Stout they brewed that was inspired by Westbrook's Mexican Cake, with chocolate, cinnamon and peppers. It was off the hook! Justin's goal was to land his dream "dick doc" gig in his home state of Texas and open a brewery, where at the time there really wasn't much going on craft beer-wise. 

Well, turns out that's what happened. Fast forward three years, and the brewery is crushing it in the Houston area and the surrounding region. As if getting to hang with Justin wasn't enough, our old pal Nate, who'd worked at Pizza Boy for a few years and was part of our extended beer family, had recently moved to Houston to take a job at Ingenious too. So we got to do a bit of double-dipping. 

I started working on our itinerary months in advance, first sketching out a general travel route with a laundry list of brewery options along the way. After a few weeks of piecing the puzzle together, it was already starting to look like an ambitious undertaking to say the least. After several weeks of tweaking and seeking the advice of a few well-traveled beer friends (thanks Deuane, Uncle Jedi and Cornelia!), we landed on a firm itinerary that would have us traverse a grand total of eight states (nine if you count the northwestern tip of Georgia), six of which were uncharted Pour Travelers territory. (Technically, the grand total is ten, because I left out Pennsylvania, our home state.) That's a lot of miles to cover in eleven days. So, I assumed about seven to eight hours of driving for each of the first three days with several brewery stops along the way. Our goal was to leave on Friday morning and make it to Texas by Tuesday afternoon. (Hint: we achieved our goal.) 

Day 1: Home > Roanoke, VA > Abingdon, VA > Bristol, TN/VA

So, let's begin at the top with Day 1, which began with a lengthy drive from Annville, PA, to Roanoke, VA, for our first afternoon of the trip. 

Inside Roanoke's Golden Cactus Brewing.

I firmly believe that the first brewery we visit sets the tone of the whole trip. If we have a great experience, it tends to be a good omen for what's to come. I absolutely loved Golden Cactus. The atmosphere of this place transported me directly to San Diego. Once we discovered there was a legit taco restaurant a block away, it really felt like Ocean Beach. 

The spacious brewery occupies the old Nehi soft drink factory, a company that produced fruit-flavored sodas in the first half of the 20th century and changed its name to Royal Crown (RC Cola, anyone?) in 1955. After clearing out the factory's interior, the folks at Golden Cactus brought in some talented Interior Design students from Virginia Tech, who transformed the utilitarian warehouse into a magnificent brewery and tasting room. 

Another interior shot of Golden Cactus Brewing.

As I meandered around the spacious tasting room to snap a few photos, I discovered a small koelschip (or coolship for all you yanks) behind the bar area. Although it was empty, I was surprised to find one at such a small brewery. If you're not in the know, a koelschip is a broad, flat, open-top vessel used to cool wort. Oftentimes, it is used to inoculate wort naturally. As it cools, a variety of airborne particles, bacteria, microflora and other "funk" in the air float in, allowing the beer to ferment spontaneously and capturing the terroir of a specific region. It's quite rare to stumble across this piece of brewing equipment at a brewery. Two that immediately come to mind are Allagash and Pen Druid. Sadly, the current tap list didn't feature any beers utilizing this process.

Koelschip at Golden Cactus.

We ordered our inaugural beers of the trip and I placed an on-line order with Tuco's Taqueria Garaje, which was just a block away. We hadn't eaten yet, and it's never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach. About fifteen minutes later, I returned with a variety of delicious tacos that paired fantastically well with our beers. First up was a farmhouse-style Saison called Thistle brewed with agave and Saaz hops. Sweet, citrusy and slightly spicy, this beer really hit the spot and worked well with my shrimp tacos. 

Pleeps loving life!

I followed it up with another enjoyable beer, Pils R Güd, a dry-hopped Italian Pilsner. So, what exactly qualifies a pilsner as "Italian"? Well, it obviously has its origins in Italy, but the style was popularized by one of my favorite American breweries, Firestone Walker. But before it gained some momentum in the states, the style began its life back in 1996 as a failed attempt by a brewer at Birrificio Italiano to brew a traditional German pilsner. It's an intriguing story, and if you'd like to go down that rabbit hole, check out this great article from Hop Culture. 

Cool painted bar at Golden Cactus.

All in all, this was an amazing first stop on the trip. The beers were definitely up to snuff, the ambiance was right up our alley, and the woman tending bar was friendly and talkative. Golden Cactus even has a "brewery dog," although I can't remember her name. She was a sweetie, though, and we gave her some tortilla chips for being so well-behaved. So needless to say this place is very dog-friendly, for those of you who travel with your puppers. What a great start to our trip! 

Careful not to get pricked, Pleeps!

Diagonally across the street from Golden Cactus is Big Lick. We didn't even have to find a new parking spot. How convenient! Touting itself as Roanoke's first microbrewery, Big Lick opened its doors in September 2014. The spacious location houses a 15-bbl brewhouse, tasting room, and - at more than 6,000 sq. ft. - the largest permanent beer garden in the area. We're more indoor types, so we opted to sit inside and scope the place out. 

Outside Big Lick Brewing

Inside, the Tasting Room sits atop the brewhouse, so you can peek down and check out what the brewers are doing while you sip your beer. (HINT: They're either brewing or cleaning.) Accented with lots of natural wood and black railing, it's a clean, modern space that's casual and unpretentious. 

Conversely, inside Big Lick Brewing

Up first was a half pour of RND Coffee Stout. At first, I thought this was a small batch "R&D" (i.e. research and development) beer, but it turns out RND is the name of a local Roanoke coffee roaster. This tasty stout features a blend of Ethiopian and Tanzanian beans to impart hints of French roast, chocolate, and a spritz of citrus. It was a tad thin for my personal preference, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I rarely find a coffee stout that I don't like. 

Chillin' with Pleeps at Big Lick.

As I was perusing the beer menu for my next pour, I noticed another Italian Pilsner, which prompted my mind to announce quietly, "Look at that! Another Italian Pilsner on tap. Let's get that!" Peste Italian Pils is a crispy (that's becoming a buzz word descriptor for lagers these days) beer with a clean malt character and Euro hop flair. According to the beer description, "peste" translates to "naughty girl" in Italian.

Pleeps + beer = happy!

Of the three breweries we visited in Roanoke, the only one I knew about was A Few Old Goats. I'd actually never tried any of its beers, but I found out about this brewery after my friend Eric from Covered Bridge Brewhaus - knowing my affinity for goats - brought back a T-shirt for me from this brewery after one of his beer trips. I mean, I probably would have planned to visit anyway based solely on the name of the place. You know... GOATS!!! 

Located on the west end of downtown Roanoke, A Few Old Goats Brewing (AFOG) opened in 2018 on a small 2-barrel nano brewhouse. The 2,000-square-foot brewery is situated at the West Station Flats, a building that previously housed Roanoke's health department until 2016. Inside, the small brewery and adjoining tasting room featured - obviously - lots of sweet goat artwork, toys, wallpaper, and other decorations adorning the greatest of all animals. Clearly, the owners have a collective penchant for all things goat. Can you blame them? 

With just a handful of beers on tap, I decided to pull up my big boy pants and try a pair of higher gravity beers. First up was an Imperial Milk Stout called Collusive Resistance. Clocking in at a humble 8.5%, this beer boasts plenty of milk chocolate character with splashes of coffee and cream. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, I must say.

Goats really are the G.O.A.T.

BBA Big Red/Stuck On Stoopid Blend with Cinnamon - This sucker is a blend of AFOG's Big Red Riding Wood, an Imperial Red Ale, and Stuck on Stoopid, a 13% ABV American Barleywine. The addition of cinnamon tempers the boozy heat with a hint of sweet spice, but make no mistake: this is a mammoth beer! There's a lot going on here: sticky, resinous hops; dried stone fruit; a smack of bourbon with some cooling vanilla; and a touch of cinnamon. This one was quite tasty, and I enjoyed chatting with owner/brewer Ken (I think) about beer, music... you know, the usual. Turns out he and his wife got hooked on craft beer while living out in Cleveland (a pretty good beer city by my account), and migrated to Roanoke to open the brewery. All in all, this was a mighty fine visit. Between the beers, the conversation and - of course - the goat references and paraphernalia, this was a no-brainer stop for this goat lover. Turns out the beer was very good too, so that was an added bonus. 

Pleeps is always making new friends!

On the way to Bristol, where we'd be spending the night, we stopped at Wolf Hills, which was recommended by Uncle Jedi. This was kind of one of those "out in the middle of nowhere" places with a roadhouse (that's right, all you Swayze fans) vibe. I feel like we kind of got the hairy eyeball from at least a few its patrons, but the staff were friendly. It seems like one of those places that is always filled with locals, and passers-by are few and far between. So, we set up shop at a small table near one of the windowsills. 

Situated in Abingdon, VA, the brewery's namesake is derived from a reference Daniel Boone made about the land while hunting in this uncharted area. Local folklore suggests that Boone and one of his hunting companions spent a sleepless night along a hill after their dogs encountered a pack of wolves, which had a den in a nearby cave. There's wolves in them thar hills, indeed!

Outside Abingdon's Wolf Hills Brewing Co.

I kicked off with Flatpicker Pilsner, a clean, crisp, simple beer featuring pilsner malt, German Tradition hops, and lager yeast. I was already starting to see the writing on the wall; this was going to be the Summer of Pilsner. (Note to self: I need to do a final count of all the lagers consumed on this trip!) 

I followed up the pilsner with a pour of Blackstrap Pecan Porter. If I had a gun to my head and was asked to name my favorite type of cookie, I'd most likely blurt out molasses. I know it's not a favored flavor to most, but growing up in PA Dutch country with shoo fly pie helped solidity my love for molasses. In addition to using pecan extract, this porter features a hefty malt bill of honey malt, caramel 40, chocolate malt, and black patent, resulting in a rich, dark body. Northern Brewer hops add a tinge of earthy spiciness to balance the sweetness, while an addition of blackstrap molasses adds its signature blend of baked gingerbread cookies, brown sugar and a hint of smoke. As much as I love molasses, this one didn't really hit the "pastry" mark but the flavor was enjoyable. I was hoping for a beefier texture and fuller mouthfeel, but it came across as pretty thin overall. 

There's a wolf in them thar hills, Cletus!

My last beer at Wolf Hills was For Science! IPA, an experimental IPA focusing on low bitterness and sweeter flavors. The brewers often tinker with new and different hop varieties for research... you know, for science! They've featured such hops as Amarillo, Azeca, Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic but this beer is constantly in a state of evolution. This one came across as pretty light on the palate and drank like a session IPA. 

Nothing here knocked my socks off, but it seems like a great place that caters to locals, and I could see myself visiting once or twice a week if this was my watering hole option. The beers were all pretty solid overall.

After our stop at Wolf Hills, it was time to head a little further south to our first destination of the trip. Bristol, Virginia. Or is it Tennessee? Actually, it's both, because Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee, are twin cities. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. While I wouldn't call it a "destination," I chose it because the hotel prices are reasonable and there are three breweries in town... none of which were amazing by any stretch of the imagination... but more on that shortly.

Elderbrew... our first brewery in Tennessee.

We checked into our hotel and headed to Elderbrew, situated on the Tennessee side of town. We managed to score a parking spot about two blocks down the street. Touting itself as "Bristol, TN's first small-batch brewery," Elderbrew crafts its beers on a 1-bbl system. I mean, how much more nano can you get? The answer is none... none more nano. 

Tap handles at Elderbrew.

Inside, the vibe of this place is awesome... kind of like 60's psychedelia meets Victorian. Sadly, we encountered just one lone Enderbrew beer on tap to be had. Even worse was the fact that said beer was an Irish Red, one of my least favorite styles. Worse than that was the fact that I just didn't enjoy it at all. To be fair, this was Brewslut's choice; I opted for a guest tap, which I rarely do, always preferring to try a house beer. So I suppose that's a testament to how much I dislike Irish Red ales. This one (named Dalcassian) came across as a malt bomb with a harsh, almost astringent finish. I just wasn't digging it. Brewslut didn't seem to mind, though. The other beer we tried was the oddly named Manuscripts Don't Burn from Print Shop (more on them at the tail end of the trip). The beer is a margarita-inspired gose with hints of key lime, salt and orange peel. Slightly tart, light and refreshing, it was much more enjoyable than the Irish Red.

I'd hoped to spend a little more time at Elderbrew, but with no other house beers available, we decided to move on. (Editor's note: Elderbrew will turn up again later on in the story... but you're going to have to wait.)

Pleeps kicking one back at Elderbrew.

Next on the agenda was a stop at State Street, which is on the Virginia side of the tracks. It seems as though State Street is the "main drag" of Bristol, as there were lots of restaurants, shops and whatnot. 

Inside, the place is pretty huge and could actually double as a small music venue. There were maybe two or three other patrons occupying the tasting room when we arrived, which never bodes well for a brewery on a Friday evening. The atmosphere reminded me of an old-school brewpub that's been around for 15-20 years and stopped caring about 2-3 years in. You know those places; the ones who have been brewing same halfhearted red ale, brown ale, pale ale and fruited wheat beer since the dawn of time. There are plenty of those places around, and I can typically sniff them out. I didn't really have super high hopes for State Street - or any of the breweries in Bristol - in the first place, but I figured we might as well stop in for one while we were in town. To be fair, they have a really nice web site and have incorporated some fine photography and "beer porn." Turns out State Street just opened its doors in March 2019, so they'd only been around a little over two years by the time we'd visited. I wouldn't have guessed it. Hey, even I'm wrong from time to time. 

After securing a seat at the mostly vacant bar, I scoped out the draft list and settled on Barrel Aged Smoke Show, a bourbon barrel-aged smoked amber ale. This beer should have been called Barrel Aged Shit Show, because it was a hot mess. Actually, Brewslut loathed her beer. Mine was just... well, it was pretty undrinkable but I sucked it up because it was the first day of the trip. 

By this time, we were in dire need of sustenance, and after a few failed attempts of trying to procure some much-needed nourishment, we were left with little options. So off to the nearby Quaker Steak & Lube for dinner! We generally dislike eating at chain restaurants; not that the food is bad, but most of them employ this phony schtick (Chachi's from Office Space, anyone?) that rubs me the wrong way. The food was OK but I felt dirty. Sometimes you just have to suck it up when there are no other options available. 

After dinner, we made our way up the street to Cascade Draft House and in the process got caught in a heavy thunderstorm. I hadn't heard of this place, but while we were trying to find a place to eat, we wandered into this place because it seemed like they served food. No dice. The food truck out back was closed. On the way out, we noticed the tap selection boasted a wide variety of regional breweries with which we weren't familiar, many from Tennessee and Virginia. We decided to swing by for a quick one after dinner. It proved to be a great idea, because the bartender recommended Xül, which turned out to be a revelation... but more on that in Episode II. While we were at Cascade Draft House, I enjoyed an IPA from a brewery based out of Johnson City, TN, called Watauga Brewing Company. The beer, named Divine Rights, is a hazy NE-style IPA with plenty of citrusy and tropical notes. I couldn't find any details about this particular beer on Untappd or even the brewery's official website, but I recall enjoying it, which I more than I can say about the previous place we visited. 

We ended the night at Bristol Station, also on the Virginia side of the tracks. Situated inside the old Historical Bus Station in downtown Bristol, this brewery has allowed the history of the building to shine through. Before I knew the brewery used to be a bus station, I actually said to Brewslut, "Man, it feels like I'm waiting for a bus or a train." The brewery employs a 10-bbl system and brews primarily classic styles like pilsners, pale ales, porters, and even a rauchbier. Sadly, I didn't snap any pictures here because we were fully engaged with the customers. 

Our visit here started off with a drunk guy... scratch that, a fucking obliterated guy... singing the Celine Dion classic from Titanic (a movie I've never seen... it's true, and it's going on my tombstone as my epitaph... if I don't get cremated, that is), "My Heart Will Go On." It was epic, and I managed to grab a few seconds of it on video, which I shall cherish forever. After reveling in that unforgettable snapshot for about a minute (sadly, we only caught the tail end of this Grammy-worthy performance), it was time to focus on beer. 

Since it was our last stop of the night, I kept things light and ordered a glass of Bristol Helle Raiser, a Helles lager. The folks we encountered at Bristol Station likely did not follow suit, because everyone we encountered - save for the brewery staff - were well lubricated to the point that it was time for them all to go home. How they'd get home is another story. I spent the better part of half an hour chatting with a young Asian guy (probably in his early to mid-twenties) about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness... and also some woman (with whom I became Facebook friends but can't recall her name) that he wanted to take home, presumably for a good old-fashioned shag. I had just enough alcohol in my system to speak in a completely liberating fashion, and I'll admit that it was probably the highlight of our first day of the trip to me. It was one of those nights where you just had to be there. All in all, it was the perfect way to end the inaugural day of our trip. And with that, it was off to the hotel for some much-needed rest before another full day of travel, which would take us through Knoxville, TN, and onto Birmingham, AL. See you in the deep south. Until next time...

Into the Valley of Lehigh rode the Pour Travelers: Part II

Sunday wasn't quite as ambitious as the previous day, but we still managed to get in three new breweries and make some other stops along the way. We kicked the day off at The Proper in downtown Quakertown. I must admit that I don't really recall much about this place, and I had to visit its website to jog my memory. "Oh yeah, that place!" I must have been excited to go to the Quakertown Flea Market... or the "Dirt Mall," as Andria called it. Well, there was a pretty awesome record store situated in there amongst the tchotchkes and other assorted bric-à-brac vendors. If anything, the people-watching here was delightful, and rivals one of my other favorite locales - The Tower City Carnival - where we saw a shirtless, skinny white kid with a tattoo across his stomach, which spelled out "Thug Life" in a pretty dope hip-hop font. Anyway, I found a stack of Little River Band albums for a buck each. Have you heard about the lonesome loser? Nope, because I win! 

Anyway... beer. Unfortunately, I couldn't really dig up more details about any of these beers other than their styles. Here's what I samples while visiting...

• I'm Walking Home - hazy IPA
• You Can't Fix Stupid - American IPA
• Rosario - Mexican Lager

I'd like to say that these were somewhat enjoyable, since I had a few half pours... but who knows? I'm usually not this forgetful so early in a particular day, so perhaps the beers were lackluster. I guess I'll need to visit again to make a fair assessment. 

We also swung by a place called Sage Alley for a one-and-done. I remember sitting at the bar here, and the place was screaming with assorted Memorial Day decorations and other patriotic flair. I do, however, remember enjoying my pint of Wise Crack, a West Coast IPA dry-hopped with Azacca, Simcoe, and Mosiac hops for a big citrusl and floral punch with a fair amount of that dry bitterness that's a signature of the style. I'm fairly confident this one produced some tasty hop burps, something I really miss in a world overrun by hazy IPAs. 

However, my favorite of the day was probably Yergey. I had a feeling that Yergey was someone's name, and I was correct in my assumption. Owner and head brewer Jim Yergey is in fact a retired chemist who decided to open a brewery in Emmaus, PA, back in 2016. We decided to sit outside for our first round because the main tasting room was pretty full. 

I rarely gravitate toward Scotch ales, but I couldn't resist Wee Love Scotch. Once I saw that it featured a touch of peat-smoked malt in the grain bill, I was sold. Big and malty, this tasty ale boasts notes of dark caramel, toffee, stone fruit and, of course, peat. 

I followed up the enjoyable Scotch ale with a West Coast IPA called Runners Reward . Wow, back-to-back westies at two breweries! Hop forward with tropical fruit and subtle cedar notes, this complex IPA also features splashes of coconut and a tinge of pine resins, then finishes dry and bitter, as it should.

After a pleasant visit to Yergey, it was time to head back to basecamp for additional drinking and other assorted festivities. (Saj knows what I'm talkin' about.) We spun some of our new vinyl acquisitions and got a few more rounds of karaoke in before hitting the sack. Stick a fork in another memorable Memorial Day weekend!

But that's not all, folks! 

On Monday, we realized we were pretty close to one of Freewill Brewing's tap rooms, but when we arrived we realized we'd miscalculated their hours and were over an hour early. D'oh! So we decided to head to nearby Round Guys, a brewery that's been around for close to a decade and we'd still hadn't visited. Back when they opened in 2013, one of the brewery's flagship beers was a Berliner Weisse (still is, actually). This was still a relatively unknown style to many beer-drinking folks. We'd stumbled upon this style a few years earlier while visiting Nodding Head in Philadelphia, a brewery generally credited to reviving the style in the U.S. Brewslut in particular immediately took a liking to this style and it has since become a favorite of hers, if not her absolute favorite beer style. We'd actually had Round Guys Berliner and, truth be told, we weren't too jazzed with it. With that said, we decided to test the waters with some other styles, so I opted for a flight of four beers across a broad spectrum of styles. Here's the lowdown:

• Desert Cruiser - German pilsner. Simple enough. 
• Professor Booty - NEIPA. Aaaaah, Professor... what's another word for pirate treasure? Four out of five professors say, "Well, I think it's booty!" 
• Rebirth of Cool - Collaboration with Back Yard Beans featuring Punch in the face Cold Brew Coffee blended with Round Guy's Russian Messenger Stout. "Messenger" stout? That's the first time I've heard of that descriptor for a stout. Must be some sort of Russian traitor. 
• Pagan Poetry - Quad aged in mead barrels. Rich, smooth, and dangerous. Hopefully that's a reference to the Bjork song of the same name. 

Nothing really stood out to me as above average, so we just stuck with our initial flights and hit the rocky road. Still, it was cool to get to Round Guys after so many years. Put another notch on my lipstick case, right? 

On the way home, we decided to hit up Collusion at its new site in Lititz. Easily my favorite brewery in York, PA, I'm glad they opened a new taproom half an hour closer to home. The new site is pretty bitchin'. While it doesn't have the same charm as the original site, I like the multi-level vibe of the Lititz spot. Plus it's got a stage in there, which I will hopefully grace with one of my various musical projects one of these days. 

Sniffing out some hops from down under, I opted first for a pour of Half Nelson, a pale ale with Nelson hops. Collusion generally does justice to hoppy beers, and this one didn't disappoint. I love the white wine fruitiness of this particular hop varietal, even though I'm a dry red wine guy all the way. Still, I think this flavor works well in the contest of beer more than wine, so hooray for Nelson. 

Up next was a hazy IPA called Been Jammin' that's hopped with Sabro incognito, HBC 586 and a touch of Eukanot and benefits from the addition of pineapple puree as well as toasted and also raw shredded coconut for a tropical twist. So, we've got lots going on with hops here, including the use of the newfangled "incognito" hops. If you're new to the blog, you might have missed my hop lesson during an earlier post. Essentially, it's an all-natural hop flavor product specifically designed to be used in the whirlpool. In other words, it delivers the impactful, variety-specific flavor outcomes brewers want, but without the process loss. So you lose unwanted vegetal flavors and gain the essential hoppy goodness of a particular hop variety. 

We finished up with a shared pour of a Lemon Lime Cheesecake iteration of Collusion's house DIPA, Homunculus. This was pretty God damned awesome, if you ask me. Even if you don't ask me, I'll tell you. I can't recall having too many "cheesecake" inspired beers in the past, but this one gets an A for effort... and flavor! Nicely done.

Well, that about wraps things up, doesn't it? All in all, it was a more-than-enjoyable long weekend in Lehigh Valley with some old friends, plenty of beer, and some other assorted shenanigans as well. We're already looking forward to another weekend at Joe and Andria's pad. Until next time...