Haw River Coming on Strong

I'm still hanging onto a bottle of Ben's 2012 homebrew version of Darius, that I'm planning to try side by side with the first commercial batch once available- very excited about those bottles coming out soon!

Thanks for the updates! very cool to hear and crossing my fingers for Darius in the summer- would be fantastic. Cheers!

 

We take the old Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road through SE Guilford County, seeing the great old dam and lake at Kimesville, further through very old Quaker territory past Snow Camp, past a couple more Quaker churches and wind into Saxapahaw, crossing NC 87 down to The Haw River. I was traveling once with an Aussie and we took this route. His only comment was, "I feel like I've finally seen North Carolina". This is a beautiful and peaceful drive that I always take anyway when I have business or pleasure in The Triangle. My daughter just moved to Chapel Hill and we all prefer this route.

 

I will have to give that a try sometime.

 

I'm also a fan of Haw River's beers. I really like the tap set up at the Haw River tap room. If you haven't been, it's made from iron pipe. It looks very industrial and cool. You can see it in this image linked from their FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/hawriveral...69206.181556651866105/966756366679459/?type=3

Also, when you're out at Sax, be sure and check out Left Bank Butchery. It's a great new butcher shop that works closely with farmers. The stuff's not cheap, but its excellent quality.

 

HRFA is the "best kept secret" that isn't really a secret. Tons of respect for how those guys run their business, let alone for the fact that their beer is awesome. I thought their St. Benny's Cask on the BBA release day took the cake--I could drink that beer all day.

Haven't had any of their sours outside of Major Arcana, but that one was enough to make me a card-carrying member of their sour fanclub. Can't wait to see what they put out next.

 

I'll be headed there this weekend for the first time, at least thats the plan until murphy gets a vote. Very excited. Thank you everyone for your reviews/opinions in here.

 

Bump. The one-year anniversary today was incredibly well-executed - these guys are doing it right.

 

Did they have bottles for sale at the event? I thought I read somewhere they were having some limited bottles released. I have been able to grab their standards in Asheville, and was planning on dropping by the brewery next Saturday before going to a football game to fill some growlers.

 

They had their usual year-round bottles for sale as well as 3 one-off bottles as part of their new "Bifurcation Series" - each was a twist on an existing year-round beer they brew. I think the Bifurcation beers sold out at the event, but if any are left I imagine they'll be for sale at the brewery if you're there next weekend. Otherwise, they'll probably have the regulars in bottles (St. Benedict's Breakfast Dubbel, Newlin's Belgian Oatmeal Pale, Cotton Pickin' Brett IPA, maybe Regent's Rye Tripel) and some unique stuff for growlers.

 

Had a great time yesterday - good sized gathering, but it never felt too crowded or crazy to me. I especially liked being able to pick up my bottles whenever I wanted after getting a wristband. There were some long lines here and there before certain beers were scheduled to go on, but they moved quickly once the taps were flowing. Bodhi Loves Chachi sour aged on cherries, vanilla, and cinnamon was a delicious way to wrap up my day in Saxapahaw. Great job Haw River!

 

If anyone is coming to Saxapahaw from the west, do yourself a favor and find the old Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road. It's easy to find your way across, almost at Saxapahaw to cross NC 87 down to the Haw River. This a true scenic beauty, through very old Quaker territory. Beautiful large hills and it does not take much more time than the route down NC 87 from I-40 to the village. I always take this route and love it every time. The area has a way of getting into your blood!