Carolina Beer Guy: New Highland brews coming

NEW BREWS: Highland Brewing will release four new packaged beers in the first half of 2017, including Southern Sixer IPA. Image courtesy of Highland Brewing Co.

Welcome to my new column here at Mountain Xpress. Some of you know that I have been covering the Carolina beer scene since 1994, when Asheville’s first craft brewery, Highland Brewing Co., turned on its equipment at its original home in the basement of the Barley’s pizzeria building on Biltmore Avenue.

I was down there on that historic day when the first batch of Celtic Ale (since renamed Gaelic Ale) went in the tanks. A lot has sure happened since then.

Who would have figured that it would begin a journey that transformed Asheville into the nation’s East Coast beer capital?

Over the years that have followed, I’ve reported on each of the 23 other breweries that have opened in Asheville and Buncombe County, and the 60-plus around the Western North Carolina mountains, and the growing brew scene in Upstate South Carolina. Another wave of breweries is poised to open in coming months in Asheville and in the Greenville, S.C., area.

And we will keep the coverage coming here in Xpress, where I will now be part of the best beer reporting team in these parts. New beers, new styles, new breweries – we will be on top of it all.

Since Highland was the first big local beer story, I figured that it would be a good place to begin this column. It just released the wildly popular Cold Mountain Winter Ale, including a new, limited higher-alcohol imperial version, which was sold only at the brewery. The bottled Cold Mountain is going be tough to find in stores now, but the draft will be in good supply through the winter.

Highland, like many of Asheville’s original breweries, has been finding ways to shake up its product line. No brewery can get along with just a few classic beer styles anymore. Highland head brewer Hollie Stephenson has done a remarkable job of bringing new beers into the fold in 2016, including the Mandarina IPA, which became one of the company’s biggest-selling beers in 2016, and the crisp Pilsner, which sure cut the heat during the summer.

Now Highland is thinking ahead to 2017 and will release more new packaged beers to join its line. These new brews will all be bottled and will be showing up in both specialty brew stores and in groceries with better beer selections. You can also try them as they are released at the brewery.

Southern Sixer IPA, arriving in January, will feature six American hops bringing citrus notes and a touch of pine and green pepper notes. This new seasonal, 6 percent alcohol, is named for the group of six Appalachian Mountains that are over 6,000 feet in height.

Next is the new 4.9 IPA, due in February as a year-round brew. It is flavored with Mosaic, Centennial and Citra hops.

Imperium Russian Imperial Stout is the latest player in Highland’s Warrior brew series and will also arrive in February. This 8.5 percent brew will include Counter Culture coffee, hand-cut vanilla and toasted coconut.

Big Briar Tart Raspberry Ale will make an appearance in April, hopefully as spring weather arrives. It will be a seasonal selection.

These are just for starters. Highland will have more beer releases in the second half of 2017. And of course, there are always new small-batch beers on tap in the tasting room every weekend.

Follow Tony Kiss on Facebook at Carolina Beer Guy and on Twitter at BeerGuyTK and email him at avlbeerguy@gmail.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Tony Kiss
Tony Kiss covers brewing news for the Xpress. He has been reporting on the Carolina beer scene since 1994. He's also covered distilling and cider making and spent 30 years reporting on area entertainment. Follow me @BeerguyTK

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.