NC's best new brewery--Hi-Wire

Discussion in 'US: South Atlantic' started by jmw, Feb 6, 2014.

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  1. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

  2. Netdigger2

    Netdigger2 Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2011 South Carolina

    I would have to put Wicked Weed way past them. Not that Hi-Wire isn't good, I think the answer is obvious though...
     
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  3. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    Apparently not obvious, if you place any value on ratings sites with an educated review base such as this one.
    I'm anxious to give it a shot.
     
  4. Immortale25

    Immortale25 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,721) May 13, 2011 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've only had Hi-Wire's Strongman Coffee Milk Stout and it was awesome. I had a flight at Wicked Weed and it didn't wow me like I was hoping. Now Burial, on the other hand, has been killin' it with their beers. Lots more investigating to do for me though. Congrats to Hi-Wire.
     
  5. Barhoppin13

    Barhoppin13 Initiate (0) Oct 6, 2013 Florida

    On my brewery tour I hit Hi-Wire...every single beer was just solid. Their Lager is the best Lager I've ever had, and Strongman is unreal! Congrats to those guys! Cheers
     
  6. wedge

    wedge Pooh-Bah (2,552) Jan 13, 2004 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Wicked Weed technically opened very late 2012, so perhaps they weren't in the running. Regardless, Hi-Wire has been solid in my experience and yes, Stongman was excellent on tap. I look forward to giving Burial another go soon - the first visit I only had two beers, one was very good, one was decent. I look forward to revisiting all three in a week or so.
     
  7. DWheeler379

    DWheeler379 Zealot (747) Jun 15, 2012 Colorado

    1- Wicked Weed
    2- Burial
    3- every other Asheville brewery

    That said, I'll have to check out Hi-Wire. Seen the bottles, but haven't picked any up except 1 single. Tasted a couple this past weekend at QCBF - they were solid.

    Catawba just opened a tasting room in Biltmore Village. They have some good beers (the ones they don't can). And Twin Leaf will open soon on Coxe Ave (another one in that area).
     
  8. Handle

    Handle Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2009 North Carolina

    I was going to point this out as well.

    Regardless of who came out No. 1, NC really had lots of great breweries open last year: Hi-Wire, Burial, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Fonta Flora, Crank Arm, Raleigh Brewing, Trophy, Deep River, Steel String -- and that's just a handful of the bigger names.
     
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  9. RaggaD

    RaggaD Initiate (0) Jun 29, 2013 Florida

    The sours at Wicked Weed are IMO the best beers being made in NC period.
     
  10. DrewBrew87

    DrewBrew87 Initiate (0) Dec 17, 2013 South Carolina

    WW > Burial > Hi-Wire, in my humble opinion is the order of the best "new" breweries in Asheville. Sounds like a good reason to revisit Hi-Wire though (and all the Asheville breweries while I'm at it!)
     
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  11. NCMonte

    NCMonte Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2014 North Carolina

    I will give Hi-Wire another shot, but the two times I've been in there, I didn't care for the Beer. I am an equal opportunity enthusiast and a glutton, so I will go back to Hi Wire and re sample. But, Congrats to them. My taste go to Wicked Weed, Burial, Pisgah, heck even Highland over Hi Wire and the rest of them. Re tried Green Man last night, sampled 3 of their brews, they fall into the same tier as Hi-Wire for me.

    Oh, edit for everyone: Talked to one of the Bartenders over at Twin Leaf, the grand opening date is set for March 7th.
     
  12. NCMonte

    NCMonte Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2014 North Carolina

    To clarify, not that Hi-Wire or French Broad or Green Man are BAD, they're good, just to my taste buds, I prefer some of the others.
     
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  13. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    "heck even Highland"?? What's wrong with Highland? I think they do exactly what they set out to do, which is produce quality standard beers in solid style categories, in the face of fairly tempestuous speculation on the part of newer-generation brewers.

    eh, I suppose that's promising (and telling of me)--I consider GM's ESB to be a pint worth pursuing.
    cheers
     
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  14. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah


    I don't seek out Highlands stuff, but drink it as a "home town" brew when I'm at our house in WNC for the summers.

    However- I'll say that we do enjoy Greenman. Their ESB and Porter usually top our list as solid examples of the style.
     
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  15. NCMonte

    NCMonte Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2014 North Carolina

    I like Highland's Brews, they're top tier stuff, but I view Highland Brewing as more of a Volume seller, not as crafty as a Wicked Weed, Hi Wire, etc. The Highland beer, its good, very consistent stuff and their Cold Mountain is one of my top 5 Asheville beers (will go out of my mind finding that stuff when it hits Asheville, drove to Hendersonville to pick up my 2.5 cases). I'm not sure Highland Brewing tries to do some of the things Wicked Weed or Green Man try to do. At least that is my perception, and why I think some folks don't rate it as high.

    I will have to try Green Man ESB. I had both their Porter's the other night and I liked them, got a couple of free glasses out of it (pint night at Juicy Lucy's), but I started out at Green Man. The Porter they had at Juicy Lucy was better than the one at Green Man, little smoother more flavorful had a different name as well. There are a few different Porter's or Stout's in town I like more though.

    The Sticke Alt was real good as well, little sweeter, I would drink that again.

    Thanks for the advice on the ESB, I will give it a shot. I may have had it before and not known it. Funny thing about this forum, as I am new here, it has made me pay more attention to the Beer I drink than even 3 months ago. Makes me quantify my feelings about the beer and brewers, unlike a buddy of mine here in town who likes the "browner stuff".
     
  16. mntlover

    mntlover Pooh-Bah (2,232) Jun 30, 2003 Tennessee
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Like Highlands too make some solid regular brews. One I had from High-Wire was good. But Wicked Weed just plain kicks ass. Sours are on par with the stuff Vinnie is making in my opinion.
     
  17. NCMonte

    NCMonte Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2014 North Carolina

    Cheers back at you, had ESB tonight on your recommendation. Excellent brew, thanks for that heads up.
     
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  18. Handle

    Handle Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2009 North Carolina

    Taking a risk to start Asheville's first brewery since prohibition in a basement twenty years ago is pretty damn "crafty" if you ask me. :stuck_out_tongue:
     
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  19. brstls4drmrs

    brstls4drmrs Maven (1,396) Jan 30, 2011 North Carolina

    ^^^^ exactly. You've gotta start somewhere. Then you've got to fill the demand. Higher demand = higher volume.
     
  20. VncentLIFE

    VncentLIFE Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2011 North Carolina

    Hi Wire has done good things, but can I get some love for Steel String in Carrboro? They brewed the best malt forward DIPA on their first try, then its gotten better each subsequent batch. Also, theyve got the best session-style beer in Rubber Room. Their IPA (Big Mon) has improved faster than Olde Hickory, Fullsteam, Bull City, Triangle, LoneRider, Big Boss, et al.

    Dont sleep on these guys, seriously.
     
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