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Rating: 3.50
Locations: Five locations in NC
Founded: 1999
Last visited: July 2022
Catawba Brewing has two locations in Asheville, NC and we visited the taproom in the Biltmore Village neighborhood. It’s a barebones, spartan taproom, but it gets the job done. Resident Dog Ellie appears to be in charge of the place. There were 16 beers on tap on our visit.
BEER:
Brown Bear Brown Ale (2.50) – Very dark appearance, maybe excessive for a Brown Ale? Too much roasted character. This beer could easily pass for a Porter. Lack of caramel aspects troubling. A very tasty beer, just far from the target for a Brown Ale.
Carolina Fog Hazy IPA (4.25) – Floral aspects evident in the bouquet. Proper level of hop bitterness for style. Malt sweetness well balanced for this beer. Totally acceptable example of style.
Czech Mate Czech Pilsner (4.00) – Medium-bodied lager, straw colored. Hop bitterness lingers throughout and is especially evident in the aftertaste. Malt sweetness is prominent.
Espresso Porter (4.50) – Huge black beer with coffee characteristics in the bouquet and first sip. Beer is loaded with malty goodness, dark malts and roasted malts. Low level of hop bitterness, as appropriate.
Fruity Trippel (2.00) – Extremely fruity in the bouquet and first sip. Citrus is too powerful and overwhelms the classic Trippel components.
Peach Sour Ale (4.25) – Tartness and peachiness are in excellent harmony. Light-bodied, easy drinking beer. Hazy, straw colored. Hop bitterness very much in the background.
Premium Lager (3.00) – Light bodied lager, pale straw color. Not aggressively hopped. Beer is probably best described as a thirst quencher.
Vienna Lager (2.25) – Medium-bodied, but somewhat thin for style, which is malt-forward. Lacking in roasted and caramel aspects. A kind of fruitiness lingers in the finish, totally out of character for a Vienna Lager.