Posts tagged westbrook

Westbrook Brewing Co.

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Citrus Ninja Exchange Double IPA

9% ABV

About a year ago, Westbook got a little hot and heavy with the guys at the Charleston Beer Exchange. Both were turned on by their mutual love for citrus-forward IPAs, and when their love was consummated, they birthed a beautiful - and delicious - bundle of joy known as Citrus Ninja Exchange. The Cascade single-hopped DIPA was stuffed with 50 lbs. of grapefruit, then dry-hopped four times. Needless to say, it was hoppy, juicy and heavy on the citrus.

Or so I’ve heard. The first born was a draft-only concoction that I never got to try. But this year, they got together again and gave that first brew a younger brother, this time with a simpler malt bill and a blend of American and New Zealand hops for Citrus Ninja 2.0.

Ninja pours a classic deep, hazy orange color. There’s about half a finger of head that disappears pretty quickly, as you’d expect a 9 percenter would. That’s coupled with some very nice lacing and alcohol legs.

If they were going for a citrus-foward beer, they achieved it in spades. The grapefruit wafts out of the glass as you’re pouring, and there’s just an epic grapefruit note on the nose.  It’s very astringent and a tad boozy. Just imagine sticking your face in a freshly cut grapefruit and inhaling. It’s like that, but with less pulp.

Tastewise, there’s a slight bitterness on the tongue and a medium mouthfeel. There’s sort of a syrupy sweetness and a New Belgian-esque bready maltiness to it. Of course, that’s all taken over by the gigantic explosion of grapefruit on the back. It seriously tastes like eating pure grapefruit. The alcohol burn on the middle and back of the palate are exactly what you’d get from a fresh grapefruit. There are also hints of other citrus - lime, lemon, orange - but it’s overwhelmingly grapefruit centric. There’s also sort of a pulpy aftertaste and a dry finish. The beer, in a word, is amazing.

Fruit- and citrus-forward IPAs are my favorite. They can have an aggressiveness and power to them, but still mellow nicely and become more enjoyable as your palate adjusts. Citrus Ninja is an assault on the taste buds, what with its huge tartness and astringency, but it’s one you just want to keep drinking. The flavor is full, lush biting, but just oh so damn good. Here’s to hoping this becomes an annual collaboration. 

Westbrook Brewing Co.

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Brett & No Mices Belgian-style Pale Ale

6.4% ABV

I really do love what Brett can do to a beer, imparting a good funk but a nice, rich taste and sweetness. I also love barrel-aged beers, what with their oakiness and slight bite. And, I love Westbrook, easily South Carolina’s most adventurous brewery, which continues to crank out one awesome beer after another.

So when Westbrook puts out a Belgian-style pale ale brewed with Brett, aged in barrels for 10 months and then dry-hopped, well … I’m probably going to love it. That’s just what Brett & No Mices is, another entry in the Mt. Pleasant brewery’s barrel room series (and quite a barrel room it is).

This baby pours a murky copper orange color with about two fingers of a tight white bubbly head. There’s a really nice carbonation streaming up the edges of the glass. The lacing’s pretty weak and it’s got some mild alcohol legs to it, but it’s quite a nice looking brew.

A big Brett funk and a major oak character punches you in the nose on first whiff. There’s a touch of fruits, maybe a slight pineapple or orange. Definitely some wine characteristics, and a bit of apple and pear.

On the tip of the tongue you get a slight pinch of tartness. It’s got kind of a lighter mouthfeel and really good carbonation throughout. The funk is very prevalent on the end and the oak really shines through right at the back. I got a very mild toffee and raisin flavor toward the middle of the palate. It’s got a dry finish, which is a nice way to end it.

The nose on Brett & No Mices is more layered than the beer turns out tasting, but the taste isn’t any less delicious. The barrel aging blended with the magic of the Brett is a great mix, and all the characteristics of both are very present. Another winner.

Westbrook Brewing Co.

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Single Hop: Amarillo Rye Pale Ale

5.5% ABV

When I reviewed the Single Hop: Pacific Jade - the first entry in Westbrook’s single hopped rye pale ale series - I commented that I hoped the brewery would continue to crank out more and more variations of the style, similar to what Mikkeller did with their (his?) single hop series.

I didn’t have to wait for long for the next entry, as Westbrook recently released a Amarillo version of the beer. Amarillo imparts a more citrus flavor as opposed to the spice and tropical fruits of Pacific Jade. And as with the first entry, it’s sessionable and very easy drinking.

The beer pours a cloudy orange with more of a brown toward the center and yellow around the edge. There’s a finger of head that dissipates pretty quickly, along with some fairly strong alcohol legs, but not much lacing.

The citrus hits first with big orange juice notes on the nose. There’s a little bit of mango and papaya and a slight bite of rye and a yeasty sweetness, but overall it blushes with extremely juicy fruit.

On the front of the tongue is that distinctive rye bite followed by a very smooth mouthfeel. The big sweet citrus fruits on the back. In the middle of the mouth, the thing pops with huge mango, papaya, a bit of pineapple and, of course, orange. It’s very right and juicy, like biting into a piece of fruit. The strong carbonation does a good job of cleansing your palate and getting ready for the next sip.

Westbrook’s certainly been one a roll lately, not only with this series, but also in general. I appreciate that Ed’s picking hops that I don’t usually list as my favorites. It gives me a new appreciation for the characteristics and traits that each hop brings to a beer. Keep ‘em coming.

Westbrook Brewing Co.

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Gose

4% ABV

Throw around terms like “stout” or “IPA” and it’s likely even people who are major beer geeks will have a general idea of what the particular style is like. But when it comes to Gose, you’ll have to find a more seasoned drinker to really discuss the style.

Gose (prounounced gose-uh) is a top-fermented German style of beer that dates back to the 18th century. It nearly went extinct during World War II but managed to survive and has a bit of a resurgence as of late. Gose beers are usually made with at least half malted wheat and brewed with coriander and salt. Lactic acid added is added after the boil to give it a sour taste.

Westbrook is one of the latest American breweries to try their hand at the style. When I first had a Gose, my palate was still pretty weak, so I found it a bit off-putting. But since then, I’ve grown to love sours and find Gose to be a great well-balanced style. While not as extreme as traditional brews, Westbrook’s attempt is a good gateway for people looking to pucker up.

The pour is a very dirty hazy deep yellow, almost like lemonade or, more appropriately, salt water. There’s very little head to speak of and what is there dissipates rather quickly. It’s a very light beer, so there’s no lacing or alcohol legs to speak of.

The salt is the first thing that hits your nose when you smell it. Behind that is the sourness, again with a sort of lemonade quality. Very tart lemons are pretty present. There’s a slight touch of a bready sweetness from the wheat and what seems like some astringency, but is probably just the lactic acid.

That sourness from the acid kicks the hell out of your tongue on first sip. There’s a huge wash of sour throughout the mouth that drops off into a tart saltiness that sticks to the back of your throat. That salt water/sour lemonade taste is very present. There’s kind of a creaminess to it too, which I would guess comes from the wheat.

If you like sours, this is an incredibly easy drinking beer. It’s sour and tart but not overpoweringly harsh, and overall is very well balanced. It’s a limited batch, and at only a few bucks a bottle, it’s one worth picking up.

Westbrook Brewing Co.

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Covert Hops Extra Black Ale

5.7% ABV

I was able to try Covert Hops on draft during a recent trip down to Westbrook and the South Carolina coast and have been meaning to pick up a bottle of it. That was about two months ago and I didn’t get around to grabbing a bomber until this past weekend. While I was worried the hops in Hops would die down a bit, I was happy to find that it was just as roasty and hoppy as I remember it.

As the bottle would hint, Covert Hops pours black with a gigantic head on top. I was worried the bottle was a bit over-carbonated, but after reading some more reviews I realized I wasn’t alone. Of course, the lacing is really nice on it, but at just under 6%, there’s no alcohol legs.

The roasted malts and piney hops are the most prevalent on the nose. There’s a hint of bitter dark chocolate and just a very slight hint of dark fruit, giving it a slight sweet character. That characteristic black IPA smell is what’s the most present, though.

There’s a big bitterness on the front of the tongue. The piney hops come through huge in the middle of the mouth. (There are 4 lbs. used in each batch.) The roasted notes reappear on the back with a big bitter black coffee taste. It’s a very light-bodied beer, which is in contrast to its appearance. Maybe a bit too watery, but awfully drinkable.

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Quick side note: While they’ve been around for just more than a year, Westbrook has some of the best labels I’ve seen. Each beer is unmistakably Westbrook, with the name featured very prominently below each central design, but the labels themselves are littered with all these little drawings across them. But what I appreciate the most is that each bottle includes a short description of the beer, the suggested serving temperature, the proper glassware and an easily noticeable bottling date, four things EVERY craft brewer should have on their label. Cheers to Westbrook for eye-catching yet informative artwork.

Westbrook Brewing Co.

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Single Hop: Pacific Jade Rye Pale Ale

6.1% ABV

I’ve talked before about my less-than-enjoyable visits to Westbrook Brewing down on South Carolina’s coast. But whatever reservations I have about the facility itself, the same can’t be said about the products they put out. With a little more than a year under their belt, the brewery has continued to put out an increasingly-impressive line beers. One of their latest releases is (I believe) the first in a series that will explore single hopping, starting with Pacific Jade.

A sessionable rye pale ale, the beer uses a new hop strain from New Zealand, which is becoming a mecca of new hop strains lately. The hop is marketed as having a spicy and citrusy flavor to it, which seems smart considering it’s used with a rye pale ale.

The beer has a hazy orange color to it with two fingers of a pillowy head on top. Nice lacing and a bit of alcohol legs as well.

There’s a really great smell to it which, to me, resembled ripe, rich starfruit. There’s a bit of an orange juice smell and other juicy citrus, with a very slight astringency and a slight black pepper note. There’s a slight bite from the rye, but not much.

The starfruit really pops on the tastebuds, and the carbonation pinches the insides of your cheeks. Really rich orange juice and grapefruit notes are very present as well. It’s got a very smooth mouthfeel and a bite from the rye, which is much more prevalent than on the nose. The rye is balanced out really well by the citrus in the hops. There’s a slight bready malt note on the back. Overall, extremely easy drinking.

Westbrook seems to be always trying something new. There’s usually one or two new releases hitting the shelves every couple of months, with each seeming better than the previous. I love single hop beers and being able to deconstruct the specific ins and outs of each hop on its own. If Westbrook keeps up with this series, I’ll keep coming back for more.

I was in Folly Beach, SC, for the night a couple weekends ago, and since it’s in proximity to Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, I decided to show some love for great local beer by swinging by two of my favorite local breweries: Coast and Westbrook.

While I had been to both before - and to Coast about a month ago for Brewvival - I always make a point to stop by and try some fresh product straight from the source.

First up was Coast, located in North Charleston. Coast was founded in 2007 by David, a longtime home brewer, and his wife Jamie, a bio major from New Jersey. While the couple makes some of the best beer in the state, I have even more respect because Jamie led the Pop the Cap SC movement, which revolutionized beer in the Palmetto State

(Quick background: Before 2008, SC breweries could not sell beer on premises. A bill passed by our state Legislature changed that, and allowed beers up to 17% ABV to be sold in the state. Before then, it was the beer dark ages in SC. Visitors are allowed only four 4 oz. samples per visit in conjunction with tours, and sales as restricted per person, but it’s better than nothing.)

The brewery sells growlers and bottles on site as well as conducting tours of their brewery, which is basically one small room with all the necessary equipment. While it was St. Patrick’s Day when my fiancee and I visited, the brewery was dead, so Jamie was bussing us samples and talking with the cliental.

On tap that day:

• Shreddin’ Wheat, an American pale wheat ale with a lighter sweet taste of orange and hops;
• Dead Arm Pale Ale, a 6% West Coast-style pale also that’s light, crisp and hoppy;
• Export Scotch Ale, a 4.5% Scotch ale that could have been confused for a rauch beer. Super smokey with a bacon flavor;
• Bulls Bay Oyster Stout, an awesome oyster stout brewed with local oysters. I think it was because of the protein or calcium, but the oysters gave the beer a light roasted quality, with hints of chocolate and a great dry finish;

With the crowd light that day, Jamie was able to talk to everyone on site and give a tour of the brewery, which was albeit a quick one. She talked about some of the upcoming beers they’ve got, including the next release of their barrel-aged versions of Blackbeerd, their incredible imperial stout, and Old Nuptial, their equally as incredible barleywine.

After an hour or so at Coast, we made our way over to Mt. Pleasant for a stop at Westbrook. The brewery, founded by Ed Westbrook, another longtime home brewer, is one of the state’s newest breweries. They just celebrated their first anniversary with the release of Mexican Cake, an excellent imperial stout brewed with habanero peppers.

Westbrook is a sharp contrast to Coast. Whereas the latter is located in a small building in a naval yard, Westbrook is in a huge, brand new building tucked away at the back of an office park. The brewery itself is huge, cavernous and, for the most part, spotless. In addition to all the usual equipment, a small canning line was recently installed, and there’s an impressive barrel room off to the side.

Of the beers on tap that day, I tried:

• Covert Hops, a 5.7% black IPA with the characteristic light roast and hop flavors;
• Beer Table Table Beer, a 4.7% collaboration with Stillwater. It was tart and crisp with a nice funkiness to it;
• Lichtenhainer, a 4.2% smoked sour ale. The first time I tried it a couple months ago, I described it as tasting as if you poured an ashtray into a glass of lemonade. (I.e. disgusting.) The second time was much better. A really nice smoked taste with the tartness of a sour;
• Imperial Biscotti Break, another collaboration, this time with Evil Twin. It’s an imperial version of their already great stout. Much smoother with a good kick of chocolate, almonds, coffee and vanilla.

Rant time: This was my second time visiting both Coast and Westbrook, but likely my last time visiting the latter. For the second time, Westbrook’s taproom staff was snobby, rude and discourteous to the people in the taproom. The two girls working that day completely ignored those with empty glasses, stood in the corner talking with each other most of the time and seemed burdened by the fact they had to fill up 4 oz. tasters for paying customers. I understand working on a Saturday sucks, but if you don’t like doing it, then quit or at least try to make your customers feel welcomed.

In fairness, I was contacted by Westbrook after my visit and assured changes would be made. (Sounds as if I might not have been the only one with complaints.) And I’ve heard from plenty of others they’ve always had a great time during their visits. Still, not an enjoyable experience for me for the second time in a row, but one I hope to not see repeat again.

Coast? No complaints. Those folks are nothing but awesome.

Complaints and accolades aside, both breweries make great beer. South Carolina’s lacking when it comes to breweries, but not when it comes to quality. I highly recommend a stop at each if you ever get a chance to visit the coast.