Southern Grist 2020

I enjoy them very much. However, I still think Bearded Iris does haze better, across the board. And while most of the Batch Ones of late have been wonderful, their base stout has a very distinct taste that can actually become distracting if you're having a few at a share.

I did have their first bottled sour recently, and at a $16 price point for a 750ml, it was plenty good enough to grab a handful for the cellar.

 

We do have great breweries here, but for some reason they aren’t as sought after across the country as much as other breweries (ie. New England area, California area, etc.) Not sure why they aren’t as hyped up, or maybe they are and we just don’t hear about it since we live here. Or, the hype about other areas is louder and the South forum never builds up steam.

 

I always wonder this my self. Over here on the east side we what seems like a hundred breweries. Blackberry Farms being my favorite. Every beer they put out is top notch. Knoxville has to many breweries to chose from and the Asheville is a short drive as well. I think the most creative brewery in Knoxville in my opinion is Crafty Bastard. Those guys put out some off the wall stuff.

 

I just visited State Street Brewery in Bristol (It was on the VA side of the street). They pump out a lot of new/quality beers. The owners/brewers were there the day I visited and they were also very friendly and available to chat up with. Now Bristol, TN side needs a brewery

I just traded some SG and Living Waters to a NY trader here on the forum. He already did a great review on the ones I shipped him.

All the breweries here have some solid beers and they seem to favor a style too. Depending on the day/season I have my go-too's fo sho!

 

We just received Living Waters here in Jason and I's neck of the woods, greater Knoxville. I purchased a 4 pack and it was solid. I put them up there but slightly behind BI and SG; however, to be honest I need to try more of their stuff.

What did the NY trader send you in return?

 

I'm with you. The more BI I purchase and drink, the more it begins to run together. Their model is very much like Other Half (to a certain extent Tree House) that just keep pumping out extremely similar beers with a narrow scope of hop varietals.

I picked up several SGs the other weekend and loved them all aside from Intentional Glitch. Wish we would get more variety from them....seems recently its been a good amount of fruited sours & Berliners. A lot of their Hill series has dropped here...loved the orange creamsicle variant.

I hope one day both breweries progress to placing an emphasis on more extremely well crafted single hop beers. Like THs Bright Series or many of Hill Farmsteads IPAs. Right now doesn't seem to fit their business models.

 

Have you run across any Albright Grove beers? Dude has a killer brewing background and already has collaborated with some top notch folks like Shared (which is Side Projects non barrel label).

 

micada

 

Man you are absolutely right!! They are awesome. This barrel aged Maibock was top notch. I’m keeping an eye out for some BA stouts giving their background. He has another brewer there that does home brewing and has a YouTube channel. I follow him as I’m a homebrewer also. It’s a funny entertaining channel. It’s called
Two and a half pints brewing. Sorry tried to copy a link, I suck at that.

 

I grew up in Blountville. No breweries in Bristol or the tri-cities for that matter when I was there

 

I'm in Johnson City, TN and while we have six breweries ( seven if you count Depot Street just down the road in Jonesborough), none are really doing anything earth shattering. Most produce solid beers and are fun places to hang out but no one is really going to seek out the beer.

One that might buck the trend is Little Animals. They just recently opened but are doing a lot of barrel aged and mixed fermentation beers which is a first for the region. Everything I've had so far has been excellent.

 

Good to know, when ever I visit my brothers in Bristol I try and look this place up

 

Talk it up. I know the discussion in things dealing with Arkansas & Oklahoma depress me. I feel like I am talking to a few people at the most.

 

I think we get a little and it sells out quick

 

That'd be awesome....especially considering (as you said) his solid background w/Goose. I'm sure he knows his way around a barrel or two.

 

The sleeper pick in Nashville is/was Smith and Lentz... they are closed up now due to the tornado and this damn virus but they make the best lagers in the city....love SG and BI but for the best Helles or Dunkels or Pilsners in the city, this is the stop.... hoping they will open up very soon...