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Rating: 4.50
Location: Asheville and Old Fort, NC
Founded: 2016
Last visited: July 2022
We visited the Asheville location, which was a homey, comfortable taproom. Long bar, lots of tall tables. Two outdoor seating areas. There were 18 beers on tap that day.
BEER:
Old Fort Original Gold lager (3.75) – Light-bodied lager. Hop bitterness not evident immediately, but lingers beautifully in the finish. An addition to the grain bill would propel this beer to greatness.
Kölsch (4.50) – Checks all the boxes for a top Kölsch. Medium-bodied and crisp. Hop bitterness is on the mark. All components properly balanced.
ESB (4.75) – Malty mouthfeel is prominent. Amber colored ale. Lovely balance with bittering characteristics. Two-time winner at the Great American Beer Festival and it’s not hard to see why.
Robust Porter (5.00) – Big, dark, and roasty. Coffee notes evident. Low level of hop bitterness, as appropriate.
Hefeweizen (5.00) – A classic German Hefeweizen. Contains all of the key components, Clove, banana are prominent. As good as any German-brewed Hefeweizen.
Trippel (4.50) – Big and bold, with malty character upfront. 9.5% ABV not exactly hidden away, but does not detract from the enjoyment of this beer. Fruity notes and spices evident.
Family Tradition Belgian Hop Blonde (3.75) – Aggressively hopped beer, probably too much for this style. Malt character competes with bitterness, which is a detriment. Various fruity components are hidden in the flavor profile, but are there if you are patient enough to find them.
Biere de Garde (4.50) – Cherry notes evident in bouquet and first sip. Light and refreshing. Cherries are not expected in this style, but are smartly incorporated into the recipe, resulting in a beer of deep complexity. 8 3% ABV concealed nicely.
FOOD:
The food menu contains a nice variety of choices. We tried the falafel wrap and the turkey salad wrap, both of which were excellent, and quite a step up from typical bar food.