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A dark, amber red body and tight, small bubbled head, characterizes this beer on our pour. When bringing the beer up for our first taste, we had a mild hop bitter nose, with an underlying caramel malt undertone.
The hop was noticeable, but not biting, when drinking, leaving a sweet mid-note and a clean finish.
Comments made were, “Very drinkable” and “Great go-to for a regular beer.”
Rating 3.5 / 5
Recipe ideas: Would love to use this to make a beer bread or beer batter for fish and chips.
One of the reasons I started this blog is the level of excitement I get from discovering new beers and new places to get them. My friends laugh at the almost child like behavior I exhibit when I find something they like as well, or a place where they agree with my love of. The Raleigh/Durham area is full of such places and I have only scratched the surface so far.
For my inaugural location review, I want to focus on one of my favorite locations that friends and family enjoy as much as I do, if not more so. Wine 101 is such a place.
Started in the Fall of 2008 by a gentleman named Joe, Wine 101 initially had a small craft beer presence, with that being secondary to wine. Thank goodness that’s changed! As time progressed, in response to his customer’s desires, Joe has expanded to carry a large selection of craft beers as well as a solid selection of wines. If you love good drink, he and his staff will help you find it.
Beer Library
Recently, the Wake Forest location expanded into nearby storefront space, creating what is now referred to as The Beer Library, which has a great tap tender by the name of Rufus (@BeerLibraryWF on twitter).
What can I say about the staff? They are always friendly and helpful with loads of knowledge to share. The clientele are the same, as Joe and his team make Wine 101 all about the community.
There are two locations you can visit, both with great selections of beer, and wine, taps with fresh kegs, and they do growler fills. They frequently will host events, like Tap Takeovers, where a brewery will be featured for tasting, frequently with a representative there to speak about it and sometimes share swag. They also have regular tastings on Fridays, 5-7 and Saturday 2-5 in both stores.
Wine101 pulls
Joe has set up membership programs called the Beer and Wine clubs that have great benefits, particularly for those who buy frequently and are well worth the membership fee.
It’s the time of season when Fall beers are finishing their runs and this article will start our first brewery run with Aviator Brewery.
Aviator has produced a wonderful fall beer, aptly named Frostnipper. With an ABV of 7.2 and a grim specter on the can, you should be wary, but not afraid.
A photo posted by First in Flights (@1inflights) on
On first pour, you can see a nice dark brown body that, held up to the light, has a slight red tint. The light tan head was brief, but with a tight bubble.
With a lightly sweet spiced coffee and chocolate nose, this beer was an absolute joy to drink. Sweet and mildly spiced chocolate, this beer finishes cleanly, leaving a slight coffee or dark chocolate bitterness on the back note. This goes down very smooth, with a creaminess that makes it very easy to drink.
Rate: 4/5
Recipe idea: Use this in stews of beef, venison or lamb; gravies; or even in cupcake recipes. Very delicious!
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