Fullsteam Brewing (Durham, NC.)

Hello friends, as I get older I get less patient for trying to schedule outings with friends. I have probably blogged about it before but life is demanding and sometimes you just gotta go. That is exactly what I did 1/17/14, when I went to Durham for a 24 hour experience. Up at 2:30 AM Friday morning I worked through all the shit with my job and finally got on the road at 4:30 PM. I arrived at 7 and despite the hunger pushed through the party until crashing at 1 AM. There was supposed to be a midnight ride to this brewery, but then again breakfast was there the next morning. It felt like cheating, a get away with scooters and new breweries!

I am no brewery freshman, and am of the opinion that to be successful you have to create a destination for your patrons. It is very important to your local home that the mecca is a place they can spend some relaxing time and lots of money. Distribution is only a measurable piece of the business that reflects long term growth and worth. If you can stay small, keep your locals happy, and sell plenty of beer without distribution, it appears you can be profitable. The head aches one can avoid keeping business in house would be something I would go after. The entry way to this brewery is perfect reflection of that beer mecca that calls out to the local drunkards. Behind this door opens to a large welcoming space with lots of natural light, via sky lights, a small stage for bands, and a room with arcade games. The bar itself is a separate space and features not only fullsteam beers, but a plethora of other local beers. The customer service was great, and they offered half pints which I enjoy. Fruitcake . . . The beer, a piece of pride for the brewery was hot a confusing. I enjoyed all of the dark beers that I had, the smoked porter pictured below was great for the weather. 

Being as close as Durham is I would say I will definitely have to go back to this brewery again for a more even keeled review. I was so tired, and malnourished that I wasn't myself. I was a shell of a man having this experience, although I'm glad I went. It's a place that is far enough away you feel like you went somewhere, but it is farther than the beach! I was able to unplug from work, other than going to a brewery, and relax for 20 minutes or so. 

http://www.fullsteam.ag/beer/

http://freezeyourballsoff.wordpress.com/

Rose De Gambrinus (Cantillon)

The bottle looks unassuming, and the general style of sours do not sound appealing to most people. It is a style similar to IPAs, in that if you have a shitty one first you may not come back to the style. This is the third style of Cantillon that I have had, and my favorite so far. This beer is like a quiet conversation in the corner of a cafe somewhere in Europe. The flavor is a woven tapestry of fruit, bitterness, and funk. The mouth feel is robust, falling right in the middle. You'd probably expect it to be lighter.

Most brewers spend years working on cleanliness and sanitation, just a touch of unwanted bacteria can ruin the flavor that was the goal.  Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces are types of these bacteria that enjoy the high sugar of a fermenting mash. These bacteria create unwanted acids that give off flavors like band aids, metal, and even unwanted herbal aromas. The brewers who have been playing with this funk for years have the experience to kill the bacteria once the desired amount of funk is present. The people at Cantillon have been playing with fire for hundreds of years. It is obvious that these sours are above and beyond many of their American counter parts. I love getting to try these, and if you ever travel to Belgium or see these beers around, don't second guess yourself. This is the Whale of Whales!

http://www.cantillon.be/br/3_1