First Brewery Visit - Nantahala Brewing Co.

I have been out of pocket for the past week. This was a term we used to use in my Arthur Andersen days to mean that I would be out of the office and not accessible. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this is no longer the case as I am usually attached to my electronic leash and my Pavlov's dog trained response to its rhythmic vibrations. However, I am happy to report that I was legitimately out of pocket most of last week.

Margaret, the girls and I joined some friends at their family cabin in Western North Carolina, near the Smokey Mountains. Since the cell service near the cabin was non-existent, I had the phone off most of the time and was able to enjoy some relaxation and clean mountain living. This included running, or attempting to run up the steep hills, fishing, sleeping late and just enjoying the views.

Somewhat to my surprise, the area where we stayed has quite a craft brewing scene. During our week there, I tried almost a dozen different beers from breweries in the surrounding areas. The place has such good craft beers that you can even make a mixer beer six pack at the local Walmart. My friend Tom and I put together 3 different ones with mostly all local stuff. Reviews of specific beers to come later.

The beer highlight of the trip came when we traveled about 15 miles to the Nantahala Brewing Company (I will use NBC for short) brewery in Bryson City, NC. I had mentioned previously how my planned trip to the Abita Brewery during our camping trip earlier this month was 86'd due to not letting kids in the brewery. No such luck with NBC. Kids and even dogs are welcome in the brewery. We did decide that this would be a kid free night as we had babysitting, which was much appreciated.

The atmosphere was really relaxed and casual. The open room has a couple dart boards and bean bag toss boards (I can't think of a better way to describe it). Against the back wall is a nice selection of taps and includes "guest taps" with beers from other breweries. Unfortunately due to the cold weather, the tasting room was moved to a smaller, but warmer room that got quite crowded.

One of the most appealing aspects of the NBC offerings is the small tasting samples that allowed me to try several beers during my visit. Among them were the Bryson City Brown Ale.

A Hefeweizen (I did not get the specific name)

Black Ale (I did not get the specific name) 

Dirty Girl Blonde

Devil's Courthouse Belgian Style Ale (tasted a lot like Duvel)

Before you ask, no I did not drink both of the beers in each picture. I did have some help. Speaking of help, I will need some help with this one that I brought home. This Russian Imperial Stout is part of NBC's Trail Magic limited edition series and is among only a few that are available in bottles. Note, not small bottles.

I was even able to meet Greg, who is the NBC Brewmaster. He was kind enough to take me to the back where the magic happens.

Of the beers I tried, the Black Ale, Dirty Girl Blonde and the Devil's Courthouse were my favorites. I found the beers to be well made and even better priced. The sampler size is a real bargain. The place had a very welcoming vibe that really made for a great evening. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, I highly recommend giving Nantahala Brewing Company a visit. As they say, "Water is for Quitters."

Thanks to Kathleen & Tom for your hospitality and turning me on to NBC.

For more info on the Nantahala Brewing Company, please see Nantahala Brewing Company

Cheers!