Mini-Review: Highland King MacAlpin

Aroma is slightly dank and resinous with hint of malt
Appearance is light orange with light white head
Flavor is piney and resinous with light malt backbone
Mouthfeel is moderate with medium-high carbonation
Overall Impression is solid DIPA

Mini-review Innovation Midnight Ryeder

Aroma is citrus and spice
Appearance is deep brown with tan head
Flavor is citrus and spice with very light malt
Mouthfeel is moderate with mediu, carbonation
Overall Impression is decent black IPA

Mini-review: Innovation Brewing Beet and Basil

Aroma is herbal and slightly vegetal
Appearance is reddish orange with a light white head
Flavor is herbal and basil with light vegetal (beet) character
Mouthfeel is medium with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is a bit strange but would make a good dressing

Mini-review: Lonerider Sweet Josie

Aroma is roast and light chocolate
Appearance is light brown with light tan head
Flavor is deep caramel with roasty bitterness to balance
Mouthfeel is medium low with light carbonation
Overall Impression is a solid brown ale.

Mini-review: Lonerider Tres Vaqueros

Aroma is vanilla and some honey with a light caramel and graham cracker
Appearance is deep gold with a light white head and lacing.
Flavor is a light vanilla with some peppery phenols
Mouthfeel is medium with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is decent belgian tripel with barrel character.

Wicked Weed - Late Night Dinner With Beverages

Rolling into Asheville at 9:16PM, I was happy to know that Wicked Weed served food until midnight. We had missed lunch and dinner, so this place on our to do list sounded like a good place to solve our nutritional whoas and start our Asheville experience. I loved the bare brick walls! We were seated inside at a table. There was an awesome outdoor patio with a fire pit for those who wanted to sit, sip, and visit. We did not check out the tap room, so we will have to do that on another trip...

The food menu was brief. Although the burger looked like a good option, I really didn't need meat, so I opted for the No Evil Foods Seitan, tamari, carrot, red onion, green apple, and naan. I'll be honest; I didn't know what half the ingredients on this were. Our server was able to confirm that it was vegetarian, and said it was one of her favorites. It was awesome! The seitan was well seasoned, the green apple was sliced thick, the red onion was shaved thin, and the carrot was shredded. I ate all of the contents and only a few bites of the warm pita it came in. This came with house made chips that were awesome because they were toasted brown and had no salt on them. As a beer lover with medical issues, I felt this place really got me. It understood that I wanted to drink beer and eat healthy.

On to the beer. What I really like is the pour size option. I always want to try multiple beers, but really don't need or want a full pour of everything I want to order. I also don't want to waste beer. Sharing isn't always an option as Toby and I have different tastes (i.e. I like fruity, he doesn't, etc.). The small pour came in a snifter glass, one of my favorite glass styles.

Lunatic Blond - a good, clean, well-balanced Belgian blond. I started here because I don't normally like blonds, but this one made me like blonds for the evening. Note: red heads have more fun!

XLVII Pineapple Guava Saison - fruity, but not overly sweet. You really taste the Guava more, the pineapple is in a support role for balance. I really liked this one!

XLVI Salted Chocolate Black Saison - think Ghirhardelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree or Godiva Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. It's like a liquid but not syrupy version of one of those bars.  Divine, roasty, chocolate, dark beer goodness. Loved it!

Midnight came all too soon, so I hope to make it back there or to the Funkatorium to enjoy a Black Angel Cherry Sour. Anyhoo, if you make it out to Asheville, drop in and get your grub and brew on!

Journey to Asheville for the Beer Bloggers Conference 2015

I had been looking forward to my vacation time for well over a month. Anxiously awaiting my much needed three days away from my day job (the emails, the conflict, the problems, the people...) to spend some time checking out a new place, meeting new people, and tasting new beers. So it was in no way, shape, or form amusing when the air conditioner stopped working on Tuesday night. At 7AM Wednesday I called the repair service, I was relieved when I was told I would receive a call between 1 and 5PM for a tech to come out to repair our system. We had planned to get on the road at 6PM to drive to Montgomery so we would be half way to Asheville, a logical break in the drive. It all still seemed possible...

Needless to say, the owner arrived at our house at 9PM. 45 minutes and $352 later, we were ready to get on the road. Well, if I could just pry the 85lb Chocolate Lab (who had figured out that mommy was leaving) off my legs. We pulled into the Sonic on HWY 42 at 9:59, only to be told that they were no longer taking orders for the night. Since when in the hell does Sonic close at 10PM? 6 hours later, we pull in at the Courtyard Marriott in Montgomery to catch some sleep, so much for missing Atlanta traffic on Thursday, but at least we could get 6 hours of sleep before getting back on the road.

12 noon on Day 1 of vacation, all I want is a 44oz diet coke with lime from Sonic. Really, that's all...So we pull off at the next exit that had a Sonic and go through the drive through.  An hour later we are back on the interstate, some how we ended up in a mad rush hour traffic jam at the Sonic, don't ask...I heard about my "need" for a Sonic drink for the rest of the trip. I know I will never live it down. We hit Atlanta just in time for a pile up caused by multiple wrecks and were treated to a high speed pursuit with arrest in the middle of the interstate in broad daylight. That's the kind of stuff you only see on the news, film at 11...

When we arrive in northern Georgia and the curves and hills and drop offs begin, I am so glad we are driving this in daylight. I do not like this part of the drive at all, even though it is quite beautiful. We roll up at the Four Points Sheraton in Asheville at 9:16PM. So much for an afternoon of brew hopping. But we unpack and get settled in and take a late night stroll to Wicked Weed for a late dinner...