Tag Archives: NoDa

NoDa Gordgeous

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noda-gordgeous

Fresh, delicious liquid pumpkin pie in a can. What better way to start November? Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing Company is the company behind this seasonal pumpkin ale, called Gordgeous. The nose is sweet and bready, the middle bursting with pumpkin, brown sugar and fall spices. In the finish, the spiciness fades and the brown sugar comes back into the fore. The body is medium and the alcohol is a pleasant 6.4% ABV. This is a really nice pumpkin ale on the pie end of the spectrum, if that’s what your taste tends to, and I really love it.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

NoDa Par 4 Session IPA

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Par 4 is Noda Brewing Company’s low alcohol session IPA. The head is creamy and light, and the nose is very nice, with scents of grapefruit and lemon. The middle however, really lets it down for me. It is more flavorful than the average session IPA, (which is one of the drawbacks of the style, to me) but it’s very one-dimensional with powerful shot of bitter lemon and little else. This ale is brewed with oats, and a bit of that soft oaty goodness comes forward in the finish as the bitterness fades fades, and a hint of grapefruit comes through. The body is medium and the alcohol is 4.0% ABV, which is perfect for a session beer. I love NoDa, but for me, this was not one of their best, though I don’t have a lot of love for session IPAs as a style in any case, so it may be as much me as the beer.

I give it a 3.2 out of 5.

NoDa Nodajito

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noda-nodajito

This summer refresher from NoDa Brewing Company here in Charlotte is a mojito inspired twist on a Belgain Witbier. It pours the expected light golden hue with the traditional massive wheat head. The nose is spicy and clean, with some light wheat flour notes. The middle is where the mojiton influence comes to the fore, with the light wheat base entirely masked by strong mint and lime flavors. The lime lingers into the finish, along with wheat toast and a bit of Belgian sourness. The body is light to medium and the alcohol is a lovely summmer-ey 4.8% ABV. This is a fun beer and could hold its own against beer-based beverages like a Shandy or Radler. A nice summer treat.

I give it a 3.9 out of 5.

NoDa Coco Loco Porter

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Coco Loco Porter is NoDa Brewing’s latest offering in a can. It’s pours with a generous head and a dark brown hue as befits a porter. It’s brewed with cocoa nibs and coconut, and both the cocoa and the coconut are present in the nose, with lovely warm cocoa in front and faint coconut in the background. The middle is velvety and chocolaty, without being sweet. A hint of sweetness does come out in the finish with some toasty malt to remind you this is a porter. It has a medium weight body, and a nice 6.2% alcohol level. It’s an excellent porter that relies on the chocolate for flavor without undue sweetness. One of my new favorite porters, I’d say.

I give it a 4.7 out of 5.

NoDa CAVU

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noda-cavu

 

CAVU is an aeronautical acronym for the term “clear and unlimited visibility.” In other words, the weather is fine, and smooth sailing is ahead. CAVU is a Blonde Ale from Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing Company and the sailing is smooth indeed as this is one of the finest summer lawnmower beers around. The nose has orange and pineapple, and the middle is lemony with some wheat giving it a mild, dry profile. The middle follows into the finish which becomes earthy and adds a hint of pine and grapefruit right at the end. The alcohol is a relatively light 4.6% and the body is light to medium. This is a deliciously balanced beer that isn’t overpowering in any way, and I’ll be enjoying it all summer long.

I give it a 4.6 out of 5.

NoDa Jam Session

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Jam Session is, as its name implies, a session beer. I’ve found it in 16oz cans, which is just about my favorite container these days. It’s a 5.1% ABV American Pale Ale from the NoDa Brewing Company right here in Charlotte, NC. It is deep orange-amber in color, and has a thick, meringue like head that sticks around. The nose has pine and lemon, and is predominantly hoppy. The middle still leans toward hoppiness but isn’t overpowering. It’s grassy with more lemon and a bit of caramel from the malt balancing it. The finish has a touch of orange and toast and the tiniest undercurrent of pine. This is a really nice pale ale and in this lighter session beer format, one I’m going to be happy to drink quite a bit more of this summer.

I give it a 4.4 out of 5.

NoDa Hop Drop ‘n Roll

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Hop Drop ‘n Roll is an American IPA from the NoDa Brewing Company, right here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hop Drop ‘n Roll is actually the beer that got NoDa started, way back in 2011. (I believe, anyway. I couldn’t find a definitive date.) The nose is remarkably heavy with pine. It’s strong enough to bring up scent memories of my childhood in the evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest. The body is remarkably heavy for a non-Imperial style, and it offers massive flavor, leading with more pine and orange. As you move towards the finish, the texture changes to butter and the first sweet notes come into play with some sugary citrus. There’s a tiny hint of alcohol right at the end, which befits this 7.2% ABV brew. This is definitely a hop-forward concoction, and a masterful one at that. This is a fantastic example of an IPA.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.