Day 1 Beer Bloggers Conference in Asheville

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Well I have finally gotten a chance to sit down and write about this awesome experience. If you are looking to have a great time and meet some beer lovers like me, then I highly suggest the Beer Bloggers Conference. Next year is Tampa and, since I don’t know where I am going to be, I am not sure I will attend. This one in Asheville sold out so I suggest that if you do want to go that you book now. You can click here for information on how to register. 

So what was so special about this year’s conference in Asheville??? Everything. You got VIP treatment, lots of great beer from breweries all over the country, and met a lot of great people.

Day 1 was probably the best day of the trip. We started out at the conference hotel with a couple of talks but then traveled to two of the largest breweries in the Asheville area– Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada.

To get there we took the Oskar Blues trolley, which didn’t have air but was a great time (and who needs air conditioning when travelling down the highway at 65 mph).

trolley

At Oskar Blues, we were treated to picnic tables filled with swag and coolers filled with beer.  I am a big fan of Pinner so I had a couple. We also got some samples of a Mango Habanero Dales Pale ale. I really liked the Death by Coconut, as it was reminiscent of Maui Coconut Porter (one of my favs). I went upstairs to the tap room and tried a couple of saisons and a barrel aged G’Knight that was spectacular.

sign brewery tour and guide brewery tour malt on brewery tour brewery tour brewery tour death by coconut tap room

After all that, we traveled to Sierra Nevada’s brewery. I had seen a feature on CBS regarding the brewery but it didn’t do it justice. It is spectacular! It is like a ski chalet with a huge flagstone patio and sited in a big park! It is worth the trip just to see this!

We were treated to a brewery tour by the Grossmans themselves!

brewery grounds Grossmans and German brewers back of brewery brewery tour brewery tour brewery tour brewery tour brewery tour tour of the brewery with Brian Grossman sierra nevada brewery front view of brewery driveway to brewery After the tour, we headed down into the woods for a great pig roast cookout and the first of this year’s Oktoberfest beer in big steins (which we got to take home)!  The German brewers that collaborated on the beer were also there with their beer.

oktoberfest German beer

And after all that– we still weren’t done. We were treated to a huge beer tasting event with beers from throughout the United States but particularly represented were breweries from throughout the state of North Carolina.  For a list of all the beers I tried, you’ll have to check out my untapped account (terezam)

Finally the night ended with a bottle share.  By this time, I really couldn’t drink much more but I had to try to elusive Pliny the Elder.

Me and Pliny

Sadly, it wasn’t as great as I expected.

After a raging hangover, I awoke to day 2.

Bury Me Brewing– Finally Written

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I have put this one off for a while. I like the guys here and I didn’t want to end up with a similar situation as I did with Fort Myers Brewing but I think the truth often prevails. Like Fort Myers, I think Bury Me tried to release too much and too fast, so nothing here is great. I would like to see breweries release 3 or 4 spectacular beers that try to make a big show with 10 or more. Unfortunately, people remember the first thing that they try and they won’t come back.  It’s better to be the best at one thing that marginal at many.

I started with the Cremation Cream Ale.  The first round of this had an almost berry like taste.  A comment that I heard from many people is that this beer is too high in alcohol for a cream ale, and it probably is.  I was told before the opening to expect this to be the best beer there. It wasn’t.

Cold Dead Hands IPA has gotten better since the original release.  It always had a nice hop nose but was not well balanced at the start. Last time I had tried it, it was getting better. It still needed some work but much more drinkable.

Souless Scottish Red Ale has also improved.  It still doesn’t have that slightly caramel/toasty nose I would expect from a red but the alcohol burn at the end has improved and it is more balanced.

Dead On Dunkel Weiss has a nice nose with a hint of herbs on both the nose and taste. It ends a bit malty. I am not a huge fan of this style but this seemed very true to style.

Corpus Coconut was a coconut Roggenbier. The nose is of cinnamon and coconut and the taste ends with a good bit of coconut but is not overpowering. I enjoyed this beer, since the coconut took a backseat to the beer. I also got a hint of rye in the nose and taste.

Hellbound Brown Ale had a toasty nose but left a really sour taste in my mouth.

Pearly Gates had a hint of herbs on the nose but didn’t really taste like a White IPA. You get the bitterness from the hops but don’t really get the Belgium, herbal flavors as well.

La Morte was billed as a Saison but I didn’t really get that. The nose was a bit of licorice and it tasted a bit sour.

Bound for Glory Belgian IPA was one of the best.

MortaliTea Ginger Peach Blonde Ale reminded me of an old fashioned wine cooler. Not my style of beer but very drinkable.  The nose was very ginger and peach and the peach was most prevalent in the taste. It would be great on a hot day at the beach.

MortaliTea Mango Pineapple Guava Blonde Ale wasn’t as good as the Ginger Peach. You got a nice nose of mango and pineapple but I didn’t really find that those tastes went together as well. I didn’t taste much mango and the pineapple made it a bit sour.

Maggot Braggot has a very unfortunate name. I would definitely change this one as maggots are in all ways unappealing.  I heard several comments on this. This had a sweet nose and tasted very flowery with hint of sour.

Bitter Biter was probably the most true to style beer here. This was a true English Style Bitter and I am glad to hear there is talk of adding it to the regular line up. Several brewers and enthusiasts agreed with me on this one. Keep making it! The nose has hints of toast and the tastes are very well balanced. And I don’t even like ESBs.

Since the grand opening, I have gone back a few times. I got to try the Anna Nicole Blonde Ale. This beer was light with a hint of citrus and very light herbal nose with citrus undertones. This was very easy drinking but almost too light, as the Belgian flavors were very subdued.

The Strawberry Blonde was good for the style. It was slightly sweet but not overly so. The strawberry was better balanced than many. I enjoy a fruit beer that starts as beer and finishes as fruit.

I’ve also tried the 6 Feet Down Oatmeal Stout. This is another beer that is good for style.

I hope Bury Me is able to make it in this highly competitive market. With World of Beer opening around the corner, it is going to be tough. My advice– keep refining the beers and make something truly special.

oatmeal stout anna nicole bury me growlers sample at opening day bury me taps draft list opening day coconut roggenbier samples at opening day

Additions to Big Top Article

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The article on Big Top was in the paper and I don’t really have much to add, except a few more pictures and a thank you for the oranges. If you are there ask if they have been making Trapeze Monk because they might have bags of zested but totally intact local oranges. Not only did I get beer or my trip, but I also got a bushel of oranges which I turned into fresh orange juice. Word to anyone out there– I will always take free, fresh fruit! flight of core beers brewery flight of special beers tasting room tasting room tasting room 019 upcoming releases The highway outside sign orange juice beer list