NC Local Sours and Smokes

I'm a big fan of smoked beers, but I'm struggling to think of one that is brewed and bottled here in NC.

 

The only notable bottled sour I can think of from NC is the Natty Greene's American Sour, but that disappeared a long time ago.

Common Good from Fullsteam was pretty good, but it was a small batch that never hit bottles.

 

Our Hogwash hickory-smoked brown porter is available in growlers.

Common Good is on tap at a few places still in Charlotte. It's not an aged (Brett) sour; it's a sour mash Kentucky Common that's less, say, challenging than some sours out there.

 

A guy I works with has one available, he bought two, and didn't like it.

 

Really? I thought that beer was fantastic. The only reason I didn't recommend it is because I don't think he'll be able to easily find a bottle.

 

I keep forgetting that growlers hit distro.

 

Green Man has bottled a couple sours, maybe more, but really small batches, maybe a couple dozen cases. I bet there will be more in the future, but NC is seriously lacking in sour beers.

 

Aside from a few one-time pilot batches from NoDa, I can't think of any sour beers in NC.
Triple C in Charlotte does a Smoked Amber. I can't really speak to its quality, as I've only had it once. Additionally, Olde Mecklenburg did a Rauchbier for the month of February. I think it's all gone by now, though.

 

Mystery has a beer called Ballantrae that is a smoked scottish ale. (maybe in growlers)

Mystery also has batch #1 which is rather expensive (about $28) and is a sour and bottled.

Haw River bottled a Flander's Red I believe if you want to buy into the $495 barnraiser premium package.

Big Boss makes hells bizness which is a pretty great sour. (doubtful in any bottle form)

Olde Hickory's Southern Bell is bottles and is nicely tart, but not really sour.

Local breweries in NC are not really yet at the stage where bottling anything other than popular styles like IPA, pale, porters and stouts. Several of the new breweries are ready to start changing it up, but I don't see much in bottles in the foreseeable future.

 

OBX Brewing Station puts out sours.

 

Forgot about them. Expensive and the reviews aren't great, so I've never tried.

 

I heard that Wicked Weed has a nice sour (sours?) but sadly I can't confirm this first-hand.

 

Yet another reason to go to Asheville to confirm.

 

They do, though I don't know if they're willing to put them in growlers since they're much smaller batches.

 

I've had their sour ale (Flanders) a few times and like it

 

That was true when I was there a couple of months ago. Let's hope that policy changes.

 

A couple of years ago in VERY limited quantity (maybe a keg or two) they had a sour First Frost that Sean will eventually grow tired of me bringing up, but what can I say... it was awesome and was the beer that first turned me on to the style. I keep dreaming that someday it will make its way back.

 

Intentionally?

 

Yeah, all of 230 bottles. I still have one (#10). Need to find a good time to open it sometime soon.