1001 Beers: Cottonwood Pumpkin

Beer Number 113: Foothills Cottonwood Pumpkin

I had a taste of this one at Twin City Taps last year, but I was not thinking about the list or even if I should count something that was just a sample where it is readily available.



So this beer was originally a Carolina Beer Company beer but I guess they were sold as they became defunt... or something... I don't know the full story. I think I remember someone telling me one day, but I can't remember what they said...

Carolina Beer purchased the Cottonwood Ales brand from the original Boone brewery in 1999. The Pumpkin Spiced Ale is Carolina Beer's most popular seasonal brew.

Even though another company is now in charge of this beer I can see why. It was simply fantastic. Some would say you never hear that about pumpkin ales, but it is true in this case.

Cottonwood Pumpkin poured a golden amber color with a short lived white head. Maybe a finger width in height before it began to fade. A very clean and clear ale with a bit of spice, nutmeg and all spice on the nose. Up front there was some sweetness, a very light sensation being brought over the palate and the pumpkin spice flavors are pretty welcoming. A medium bodied mouthfeel with some fruits and spice in the finish and a nice sour touch. I very much enjoyed this one.

888 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

Foothills: Hoppyum

Foothills is a very unique brewery. I can honestly say that I have never heard of anyone that does beer they way they do. No, I am not talking about things such as Sexual Chocolate. I am talking about them, their philosophy about beer, and the way they serve it. I mean sure, some of it sounds similar, but there is a major kicker.

We believe drinking truly fresh beer is one of the greater pleasures in life. We guarantee that FOOTHILLS beer is as fresh as nature allows because it flows directly from our serving tanks to your glass. You just can't get beer that taste any fresher.

So, I may have to verify this, but it sounds to me that the beer for consumption at the brewery is all flowing out of a bright tank and into your glass... No keg, No... well, nothing else. I think that is pretty sweet. They even take pride in their food. They have a fancy chef, make their own condiments, use their own beer in several menu items, and the part that again will throw you off because all of the rest sounds common, they make their own pickles! WTF, right? Who does that? A brewery that wants to show they take pride in the full experience while you are dining or having a beer or three at their location.





As you would expect, they take their beer seriously, too. I mean, They have to, right? What kind of brewery would not? Hoppyum IPA

Do you like hops? Our HOPPYUM IPA is full of citrusy American hops with an emphasis on Simcoe hops, an especially pungent hop variety. This brew finishes dry, making it a great session beer to come back to.

So I may or may not have given this beer a very aggressive pour but look at the monster head this Hoppyum put forth! It did leave behind some nice lacing all the way to the end of the glass. Notes of pine, citrus, and a little bit of tropical character comes across in the nose. I found it to be a little resiny and sticky. The earthy flavors and the citrus worked together well as well. It was built on a nice malt background and you get orange rind on a dry finish. There are some sweeter flavors in here that I feel cover up a bit of the bitterness until the finish.

The bottle tells me 78 IBUs and 6.25% where the site claims both of these numbers a little bit lower. When I said this was one of the better IPAs I have had in a long time it was suggested to me that I find the Jade IPA they release... Now my only issue is finding it. Oh where, oh where, can it be...

Cheers!

1001 Beers: Sexual Chocolate

Beer Number 34: Foothills Sexual Chocolate

I still don't know everything I should know about beer in North Carolina, but Foothills is one of the names I do know. I ran into them at the Twin City Taps Festival and they had one of the biggest tents. I actually hovered around there for a little bit just trying each of their beers.

At the end of the festival I was feeling really good and trying to figure out how to learn more than I already knew about the brewery. One of the guys running the stand gave me their twitter account but that was a total disaster. I was searching terms like "Fullsails" & "Footsails". I never really figured it out until I got home.



One thing I did find when I started my search, was Sexual Chocolate. I have heard a lot of talk about this beer before but I never knew anything about it. I figured since I was actually in the state where it is produced this year, I should find it. I did not go out to the release event and all the local bottle shops were saving the bottles for special events and such so I went on a mission to find this one on tap... It had to be there, right?

Needless to say, after a long day out... I FOUND IT!!! and it was at one of my usual stops while in Raleigh, Tyler's Taproom. I did not have to go out of my way at all. What could be better than that?!?!

Sexual Chocolate was originally conceived in 1996 as a home-brewed beer to celebrate St. Valentines Day. A decade later, the beer was produced commercially for the first time at Foothills, and word spread quickly. Brewmaster and co-owner Jamie Bartholomaus uses cocoa nibs that are cold infused in the stout after fermentation and during conditioning. The beer's name is a semiobscure reference to the 1988 comedy movie Coming To America, which starred Eddie Murphy as Arsenio Hall. In the movie, a fictional band named Sexual Chocolate perform the song "Greatest Love of All" at a church-sponsored event.

Here is Sexual Chocolate and their performance. Anyway, this beer.



Completely dark, black. You could not see through this one if you tried and a small brown head. This glass really did not do it much justice when it comes to aromatics but you do get some roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate.

Sexual Chocolate had a lot going on, in a good way. Coffee and chocolate up front melding into a thick flavor flood. Layered on top of a nice malty body.Very rich and robust. The bitterness on this beer keeps it in line. Toffee, dark malts, and more chocolate. 10% ABV. Now that you can give half ratings on Untappd, this one got a 4.5

I wish I could have gotten a bottle of this one. Maybe I will find some lying around... or maybe when the barrel aged version is released, I can get that. I think Sexual Chocolate would probably be amazing on some wood... I didn't just say that though.

967 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!