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The next brewery visit in Weaverville was at Leveller Brewing. Their name was derived from a 17th century group of English radical agrarians. The owners admire the spirit of the Levellers and think that beer is at its root a radical agrarian product – a way to preserve the harvest and nourish the common person.

They opened their doors in December 2022. Their emphasis is on farmhouse ales and Czech-style beers. (Notice the Czech-style side pull faucet on the picture of the taps.)

Hoppy quaffed the following brews during his visit:

Tractor Attachment Czech-style Pilsner – Features Riverbend’s Avalon pilsner malt and a triple decoction followed by a generous dose of Kazbek hops. This pils is described as bright, grassy, lemony, and crispy, with a touch of minerality and a firm bitter finish. 5.4% ABV.

Hop Herder Farmhouse IPA – Made with their farmhouse yeast and Brettanomyces blend. Described as the newest and booziest addition to their farmhouse IPA series, and it drinks like it’s a lot smaller than it actually is. Belgian, banana laffy-taffy aromas are followed by big tangerine rind and earthy, under-ripe pineapple notes, plus undertones of edible flowers. 7.4% ABV.

Pictures from the visit follow:

Hoppy’s next stop was at Zebulon Artisan Ales in Weaverville, NC. Zebulon is a nano brewery operated by a husband- and-wife team that began in 2015. It is known for brewing historically correct ales. Due to their small size, their taproom is only open Friday through Sunday.

While there, Hoppy enjoyed a flight of some of their current brews. These were as follows:

Czech Tmave 12 Dark Lager – Described as malty, complex and delicious with notes of toffee and licorice. 5.2% ABV.

Mixed Citrus Saison Farmhouse Ale – Brewed with local malt and aged on orange, lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot peel. Described as having a light citrus flavor with a light rose aftertaste. 6% ABV.

Vintage (c. 1850) XX Stout – This is a historical re-creation. Described as having loads of roast and hops, almost an Imperial Stout, but a bit less boozy. 7.4% ABV.

Blueberry Sour – Made with mixed culture fermentation. 5.4% ABV.

Pictures follow:

Hoppy recently visited the Burial Beer Forestry Camp location. This was their second Asheville location which opened in 2019 on the historic grounds of a former Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) property. It is the home of their Production Brewery and VISUALS Winery. (Hoppy visited their original location in Asheville’s South Slope in 2019.)

During his visit Hoppy enjoyed the following beers:

Surf Wax West-Coast IPA – Brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Columbus and Centennial hops, with lots of barley and a touch of wheat. 6.8% ABV, 45 IBU.

Until There Is No Longer New England IPA – Brewed with 100% Citra hops. Whirled with Citra and Citra Incognito. Double dry-hopped with hand-selected Citra pellets and with Citra Cryo. Described as a cornucopia of overly ripe Naval and Alphonso mango flesh, orange pixie sticks, and some Mango Mama strain. 7.4% ABV, 60 IBU.

For Extraordinary Temptation Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – This is a pairing of Mezcal barrel fruit and smoke paired with their dark fruit and caramel Woodford Reserve barrel-aged stout married together with French Broad cocoa nibs, Mezcal barrel-aged Mexican vanilla bean and a dash of sea salt. Described as an incredibly diverse range of Mexican spiced hot cocoa, sweet citrus chocolate cake, Bourbon vanilla Frappuccino and dark chocolate-dipped black cherries. 15% ABV, 28IBU.

Pictures of the visit follow:

On Friday afternoon Hoppy visited Creatures of Habit Brewing (COH) in Anderson. They began brewing under the Creatures of Habit name in 2017 and opened their taproom in April 2019. As well as a taproom and restaurant, they also have a bottle shop.

While there, Hoppy imbibed the following brews in a flight:

COH Brewing R2C2 American IPA– Described as a Malty IPA that brings balance to the hop force. Brewed with Centennial, Cascade and Magnum hops. 6.6% ABV, 58 IBU.

Guggman Haus Brewing Cosmic Horizon DDH American IPA– Brewed with loads of Galaxy, Simcoe and Mosaic hops, this DDH IPA offers big tangerine and citrus flavors and aromas, with notes of peach and tropical fruit. It finishes smooth and refreshing with subtle hints of pine. 7.5% ABV, 110 IBU.

Stone Brewing Sublimely Self-Righteous Black Imperial IPA – This is a rebirth of an ale first brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale. They claim that it was brought back as they loved it so damn much and that they felt that it was truly sublime, and that you may now revel in your own self-righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of theirs. 8.7% ABV, 90 IBU.

COH Brewing Meridian Medicine British Strong Ale – Creatures of Habit states the following: The Meridian system is a concept of traditional Chinese medicine. There is no solid proof that it works. The fact is that our brewery is located on Meridian St. in beautiful downtown Anderson, IN. Meridian Street at one time had many pharmacies. We are not claiming to be a pharmacy or that our Strong Ale has any medicinal properties whatsoever, but with its rich malt bill, spicy notes from Nugget hops and the warmth from the alcohol, this beer is sure to warm you up and make you feel better. 8% ABV, 40 IBU.

Hoppy finished his visit with a pint of the Creatures of Habit R2C2 American IPA.

Pictures from the visit follow: