Frog Level Salamander Slam IPA

Salamander Slam weighs in at 7.0% ABV.  Unfortunately the brewery website doesn't offer any more information about this specific brew.  It pours as expected, a light golden color with a thin but persistent white head.  The nose on this beer departs from a traditional IPA in that in addition to the hops there is a distinct malt aroma.  The malt aroma transitions quite nicely into a light and smooth taste.  At first this beer has a deceptively smooth and mild flavor.  The hops flavors then come on slowly but strongly.  This progression of flavors is the most striking aspect of this otherwise standard IPA.  You can see my reaction in the YouTube video.  The hops flavor will be familiar to regular IPA drinkers.  This beer boils down to being a rather text book IPA.  While the extra malt character and slowly developing hops character in the flavor give this beer a bit of personality it just fails to be much more than an excellent IPA.  Now the great thing about this beer is that Frog Level packages many of their beers in these wonderful half growler bottles.  This gives you about 3 glasses of beer which is more than enough to share with friends.  Since Spring is trying to arrive here in North Carolina finding a good beer to sit out on the porch and enjoy with some friends is important and this is certainly a candidate.  The hops flavor is not so overpowering that it's going to keep you from enjoying this beer with food or enjoying another beer after this one.  Just because it isn't a stand out IPA doesn't mean it is a bad beer.  If you are a fan of IPAs, and really if you are reading this you probably are, you should certainly try this one just because of the nice malty start.  If IPAs aren't your thing you can probably skip this one.  Since this is an IPA you probably shouldn't try to introduce your lager drinking friends to craft beer with this one.  Some of the flavor may be due to the yeast that they use.  As of this writing the Frog Level website lists what I hope is a British Cream Ale which they seem to be calling Lilly's Cream Boy.  That may be an interesting brew.  Based on how the hops work in their IPA I'd also like to see them tackle a Kolsch style beer.  I would certainly stop by the brewery if you find yourself in Waynesville, NC.  For more information about what's currently on tap at Frog Level check out their website.  As always keep enjoying North Carolina beer.

Cheers!

Big Boss Brewing Company Big Operator

Big Boss Brewing Company the Big Operator weighs in at a robust 8%ABV.  The label describes this one as a belgian ale conditioned with raspberries.  The Countess was the opening act to this big beer.  Since it is a Belgian I expect more hops character than was present in the Countess.  There is only one way to find out and that involves opening and tasting.  The beer pours a rich black, it shows little carbonation but forms a short velvety brown head.  The most pronounced aromas on the nose are the toasted malts and the cocoa.  Some lighter notes suggest some sweetness either from the malts or the raspberries.  The predominate flavors are the toasted malts and the cocoa which isn't surprising based on how strongly they are smelled.  These mix very well and keep this beer from being overpowering.  While it wasn't what was expected from the aroma it delivers big.  The base of the beer would compete well with well known Black Belgians.  The additions of the cocoa and raspberries really set this one off as being a unique beer.  The raspberry flavors are unfortunately not as pronounced as hoped but are very much on the same level as they were in The Countess.  Once again the primary flavor the raspberries impart is their tartness.  It blends well with the mild hops bitterness.  The beer has a very smooth rich texture and an almost thick moth feel.  This isn't going to be the Spring Ale you sit out on the porch and drink to refresh yourself in the early evenings.  This is the beer you sit down with in the evening to finish off the day.  This one is bold enough to go with food but should stand on it's own very well.  You should also note that this is beer is 8% ABV and while that isn't outrageously high this is a very drinkable beer and you could quickly find yourself in some trouble if you have very many.  For more information on this one check out the YouTube video or check out the information on Big Boss Brewing Company.  As always thanks for reading and keep enjoying North Carolina Beer!

Big Boss Brewing Company The Countess

The Countess comes in at 4.5% ABV.  It is described as a Framboise style ale.  This really just means it's a raspberry conditioned ale.  The Countess appears to be new to the Big Boss line-up as it was posted to their website in January 2013.  This is the first beer we selected to review for spring because of the fruit and malty blend.  Summer always brings to mind wheat beers and lighter flavors but Spring beers can float between the more complex winter beers and the simple refreshing beers of summer.  Adding raspberries to a simple ale should prove to be just what we look for in a spring seasonal offering.  Big Boss promises a refreshing ale and on that promise they deliver.
The beer pours a yellow gold with hints of red and shows a large amount of carbonation.  Despite the carbonation level only a small head forms but most of it persists.  The malts are strong on the nose and not much else comes through on this one.  I had hoped to smell some of the fruit but it just didn't seem to be there.  While disappointing it's not a deal breaker; this is after all a beer and not some candy malt beverage.  The flavors should prove to be subtle if the nose is any indication.  The beer is very mild at first taste.  The sweetness of the fruit is perceptible but not overpowering and a pleasant addition to the malt and yeast flavors.  Rather than hops bitterness I would describe this beer as tart from the fruit.  My overall impression is that this beer will be far to easy to drink and it may take more than one to fully appreciate all it has to offer.  If you can find this one on tap I suggest you order a pitcher, sit outside with friends and enjoy a few of these.  The combination of sweetness and tartness from the raspberries really set this apart as a spring beer.  This one is subtle and easy to drink.  As of early April reports say it's still hard to find and I hope that changes soon.  Big Boss Brewing has an excellent beer on their hands with this one and now is the perfect time to enjoy it.  This one should be completely accessible to any beer drinker.
If you are reading this during the month of April then it is NC Beer Month and seasonals like this one are a great reason to go out and celebrate.  For more information about The Countess check out the Big Boss website at: http://bigbossbrewing.com/the-countess.aspx For more information about NC Craft Beer Month hit the link to the side or check out our preview page in the top navigation pane.

Foothills Brewing People's Porter

Foothills Brewing People's Porter Barrel Aged Porter

This one weighs in at 5.8% ABV according to the website; it says 6% on the bottle.  They list a relatively high 42 IBU.  Foothills describes this one as having complex chocolate, caramel, and toffee notes with added vanilla from the bourbon barrel aging.  The beer forms a substantial and persistent head on pouring.  Much more than I normally expect from a porter.  They say the hops flavors will come first and coffee notes will be on the finish.  The bourbon is noticeable early on the nose especially the vanilla.  The smoked malts also add a nice aroma to this brew.  It is possible to smell some of the earthy notes of the hops but they are faint.  As with most bourbon aged beers the bourbon character is present at first taste.  There is also a distinct amount of hops in this one which isn't always present in a porter.  The finish is definitely all from the malts.  A light sweetness accompanies the toasted malts.  Foothills describes it as a espresso flavors but it tasted more like toasted bourbon to me.  The waves of flavor in this beer are what set it apart from other porters.  Finishing with the more traditional toasted malt flavors with the chocolate and coffee undertones give the beer a suprising characteristic that really makes this a nice beer to drink.  The hops is a very nice touch in this beer.  The toasted malts are subtle.  The bourbon flavor is understated but definitely present.  The sweetness late in the finish make it easy to take that next drink.  At first I didn't want to recommend this beer for everyone as I suspected that the high IBU, bourbon barrel aging, and complex flavors would make it somewhat unaccessable but it all seems to work well together.  While a die-hard American Lager drinker might not like this one the rest of us can certainly appreciate this one.