Nickelpoint Brewing Co.

 

 

 

This is a very small brewery down the street from Neuse River. I keep wandering how a small city like Raleigh can support so many breweries.

Only 6 taps: Blonde, Vienna, Belgian Golden 9.2%, Porter, IPA, Doppelbock, The bar is pretty small, but they have another area by the brewing tanks with a sofa and a ping pong table. I can see this as a nice place to chill one evening, but the beer is not too great and there are so many options in Raleigh…

 

 

 

Located in a kind of strange area where some old warehouses abut residential and the space is not really anything special. There is a decent amount of outside seating and there was a food truck there on the evening I visited. The inside space is nothing special and pretty small. The place has a feel of local neighborhood pub and the bartender seemed to know almost everyone that came in to get beers that evening.

The beers were at a proper temperature and well poured but I was a little disappointed that disposable glassware (plasticware) was used. The beers were offered in multiple sizes (taster, half pint, and pint) as well as growlers to go.

The bartender was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable.

While there was not a huge selection of beers, there was a pretty good choice of styles available.

The space isn’t exactly impressive. As most young breweries, the space was clearly bought for the price point rather than the aesthetics. The exterior is a run-of-the-mill aging warehouse space, with a gravel lot and street parking. The interior is cozy but small, with more of a 1970s construction office feel than a trendy young business.

But it still kinda works. A small bar, a couple of tables and some cozy chairs–what else do you need?

Their beer recipes speak strongly to traditional English styles. Their IPA won’t hit you over the head with hops and their lighter styles are delightfully malty. The four they had on tap when I visited were straightforward–an IPA, a porter, a blonde and a Belgian golden. While none were knock-me-down impressive, they were all consistently on-point and easy to drink, which more than I can say about a lot of young breweries I’ve visited over the years.

I see a lot of potential here. The beer list has already expanded to a strong scotch, a marzen, and a Vienna lager. I think once they find their footing and start branching out a bit, they may surprise some people in the area in the near future.