OCTOBER BEERCATION – CHARLESTON – EDMUND’S OAST BREWING CO.

The next stop on the beercation was at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. Brewery & Taproom. I visited here previously during their grand opening weekend in 2017, I have also visited their Restaurant and Brewpub on two previous trips. (By the way, I love their Muscadine Pie.) Previous Charleston visits have also included the following area breweries: Revelry, Holy City, Westbrook, Palmetto and Pawleys Island.

While at the Brewery & Taproom Hoppy enjoyed a flight of four IPAs. These were as follows:

Bound by Time – Made with good old-fashioned hop-bursting techniques and irresponsible dry-hopping technology, Bound by Time is an offering to those looking for something brimming with hop character and as unadulterated as a butterfly’s wing. 7% ABV 70 IBU.

Foresworn – Brewed with whole leaf Centennial hops. 7% ABV.

Viridi Rex – Double dry-hopped Double IPA. Sacrificing over four pounds of hops per barrel, we have evoked potent notes of mango, papaya, orange, and an ever-so-sinister warming sensation on the back of the tongue.  9.5% ABV 70 IBU.

Like Tears in Rain – Hazy IPA brewed with Simcoe Cryo, Chinook Cryo, & Mosaic hops. 6% ABV.

OCTOBER BEERCATION – CHARLESTON – FROTHY BEARD BREWING

Hoppy’s next visit on the October Beercation was at Frothy Beard Brewing in Charleston, S.C. Here he drank a flight of four IPA’s before deciding on the Dino DNA for a pint. The flight included the following ales:

They Do Move In Herds – A fresh hop IPA. Strata hops (passion fruit, pungent/dank) were used in the mash, first wort pre-boil, during boil, in whirlpool tank and in the hop back on the way to the fermenter. These hops were picked off the bine in Oregon and mailed overnight to be used the very next day. Typically, hops are dried whole and/or pelletized.  6.8% ABV.

Life Uh… Finds A Way – West Coast Style double IPA with Centennial, Cascade, Columbus used in first wort pre-boil, boil, whirlpool, hop back, and finally dry hopped. Big resinous pine and grapefruit citrus. 9.6% ABV.

Dino DNA – Whole Leaf Chinook (piney, resinous, citrus) and Whole Leaf Williamette (citrus, berry, spice) were added during first wort pre-boil, boil, whirlpool hop back, and finally dry hopped in the fermenter. We also dry hopped with Columbus (herbal, citrus). 7.8% ABV.

Bubbles! The Destroyer of Worlds – Mango IPA with Mosaic hops. 7% ABV.

OCTOBER BEERCATION – KNOXVILLE – BALTER BEERWORKS

The first stop on the October Beercation was in Knoxville, where Hoppy visited Balter Beerworks. Here he imbibed a Falconer’s IPA hopped with Falconer’s Flight and Simcoe hops at 6.8% ABV and 50 IBU. For those of you that may not know, Falconer’s Flight hops were developed by Hopunion LLC in 2010, and are an exclusive proprietary hop blend created to honor and support the legacy of Northwest brewing legend, Glen Hay Falconer. There is also a Glen Hay Falconer Foundation which was created to celebrate his life, and which provides three scholarships annually. In 2021, the Foundation provided two educational scholarships to the World Academy of Brewing at the Siebel Institute and one to the American Brewer’s Guild. More information can be obtained here.

Hoppy also enjoyed a pint of the Bear Blend which is a coffee oatmeal porter brewed with local Three Bear’s Coffee. It clocks in at 5.6% ABV and 20 IBU.

Below are photos of the brewery and pub:

BAD DAD BREWERY – FAIRMOUNT

Hoppy recently visited Bad Dad Brewery in Fairmount where he not only enjoyed their beers, but their names, as well. He tasted three IPAs that included Tapestry of Obscenity at 6.6%, Pull My Finger at 7.1% and an Imperial IPA, Kiss The Cook, at 8.8%. He settled on a pint of the Tapestry of Obscenity. Other clever named beers included Because I Said So (Weizenbock), You’re Grounded, Mister (Coffee Stout), and Schitzengiggels (Festbier).

BEERCATION – TACOMA – E9 BREWING

Hoppy’s 2nd and last visit in Tacoma was at E9 Brewing. This new brewery and tap room opened in 2019 in the city’s Historic Brewing District. E9 was the first brewery in Tacoma, opening in 1995 They still operate this location as a restaurant and taproom. It was the last operating horse drawn firehouse in Tacoma and is now listed on the National Historic Registry. (E9 Brewing was originally known as Engine House No. 9 Brewery.) They are currently best known for their sours, hence their slogan, “Keep Tacoma Sour.” Hoppy enjoyed a Farmhouse Deux, a barrel aged farmhouse ale at 6.2% ABV, while here.