We’ve come to the last of the Highland, and the first spring seasonal. Little Hump is a refreshing and clean pale ale with pine-scented nose and excellent slightly bitter hop flavors. Beers like this make me happy that spring is on its way.
I give it 4.3 out of 5.
One of my favorite “expensive” beers. I first had this on tap when I visited my father in law in South Carolina. I’ve been a fan ever since.
A higher ABV (9.0), this isn’t a gulping beer. It’s almost mead, and works best in a pint or wine glass. It’s supposedly from a 2700 year old recipe from the tomb of King Midas (where it gets the name).
You can definitely taste the honey in it, and the muscat grapes also give it a champagne feel, too.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Review Submitted By: Nicolas Webb
A thick, dark beer, dark as a porter or Imperial Stout, Highland’s Black Mocha Stout is a weighty, heavy-bodied stout offering scents of roasted coffee and malts. The taste is strong with coffee and cocoa. It seems to be typical of Highland to temper the sweetness, and the Black Mocha Stout is no exception. Very little sweetness here, but excellent flavor. Another really good beer from the folks in Asheville.
This is an amber ale, but with a distinctly strong, smooth and only slightly bitter hoppy flavor. It reminds me a lot of a good IPA and I’d say that it actually tastes more like an IPA than an amber ale. Very tasty, and very drinkable.
I give it a 4.4 out of 5.
Now that I’m in North Carolina, I’ve been seeking out new local brews to try, and Highland Brewing from Asheville has several that will be the subject of my next few reviews. Tonight it’s their Oatmeal Porter. I’m a big fan of Oatmeal beers, and this is no exception. There are chocolately notes in the nose, but it’s surprisingly savory, with very little sweetness in the smooth semi-bitter chocolate middle and a refined, fading hint of bitter hops in the finish. Not as heavy a body as a typical porter, but still a medium-heavy body.
I give it a 4.4 out of 5.
I’ve been remiss is reviewing beers lately…It’s about time I finished off the last of the winter beer, and started on the spring seasonals, of which I already have several among the dozen or so in my refrigerator waiting patiently to be reviewed. With that, I give you Bell’s Winter White Ale. A medium-to-full bodied wit bier, there is citrus in the nose, and the middle is sweet with a strong hint of orange. I really like Belgian ales and this is a good one. Not a great one, but definitely a good one.
I give it a 4 out of 5.
Avery Brewing Company’s Ellie’s Brown Ale is a nice dark brown ale with lots of smoky, roasty malty flavors plus a bit of nuttiness and a hint of chocolate. This is a really nice, pleasant brown ale.
I give it 4.2 out of 5.
Sam Adams Chocolate Bock is an interesting beer. It’s very sweet, and style-wise it makes me think of a light-bodied milk stout. It’s definitely different and I want to like it, but it’s just too sweet for me, and it doesn’t measure up to a chocolate stout like Young’s.
I give it a 2.75 out of 5.
Samuel Adams – Noble Pils goes into the bucket of, “I remember it being much better the first time around”.
I enjoyed this beer quite a bit last year and distinctly remember making multiple purchases. However, this year something seems off. The taste is not as full and it feels like it is missing something.
I am still a big fan Sam Adams (I am drinking a traditional lager as a I write this), but for me sun has set on Noble Pils.
3 out of 5.
Review Submitted By: Scott Watermasysk
Q. Is it a beer or is a delicious desert in a bottle?
A. Both
World Wide Stout is definitely a unique sweet dark stout. I think DogFish has it right to compare this more to a glass of port than your average beer.
At 18% ABV you won’t be pounding a six pack of it any time soon, but I do recommend you pick up a bottle and give it a try.
4.5 out of 5.
Updated – removed blurry picture
Review Submitted By: Scott Watermasysk
OpenCraftBeer 