Hidden down at Carolina Beach off the main strip is a little gem I discovered just recently. They have only been open a few months, but I can't believe it's taken me until now to hit them up. A pint night offered just the opportunity I needed! 8 half pours for 10 bucks? That's the kind of deals the craft beer nerds love to see. Maximum tasting for minimum dollars.
Moving on from the sweet deal they offered was the live music going on out back. We went for a walk with our dog beforehand and brought her with us to the brewery. They are dog friendly and with numerous dogs roaming about there was a lot of sniffing to be done. And not the kind of sniffing I do when I pour an IPA. The music scene just wasn't for our little pup unfortunately so I had to condense my experience a bit. I meandered towards the brewery itself and found myself on on impromptu tour.
As a brewing nerd I love going on tours and asking questions - and to fall into an unplanned tour was awesome! Brewing on a 3 barrel system there is plenty of room for expansion here. By far the most unique and interesting part of this brewery is that they have plastic fermentors. The more I've thought about it the more I'm wondering why not! Heck I use a plastic fermentor for the most part and I've never had any issues. Maybe all the concerns of scratches harboring infections are a moot point when you use the proper cleaning agents.
The other reason plastic fermentors are an exciting proposition is that they are relatively cheap. You can scale up quickly and while I don't have any first hand experience I would imagine the lead time on procuring these is significantly less. This brewery also has a DIY cold room that was quite inspiring as well as far as what you really need in order to be functional. Their back storage room where grain is housed was impressively large and it was clear that future expansion was planned.
This small 3 barrel system pictured above will turn into a 10 barrel system if things keep going well for Good Hops. With the solid lineup on tap and future exciting brews like the 13% barleywine planned to release around Christmas - I don't see anything holding them back!
The Beer
Donna Golden Ale - very impressive flavor for a Golden ale. I was expecting a Bud Light alternative and was surprised to find a fruity light refreshing beer
Pleasure Island Pilsner - Not my favorite style but it was very crisp and would certainly be a gateway type beer for a non craft beer lover
Wind Sail Pale - Modest hop flavor gives way to some malt flavors. Fairly well balanced and enjoyable
Topless Amber - A lighter bodied amber ale that does a good job of staying out of brown ale territory while still delivering and enjoyable experience
Hoppertone Double IPA - A malt forward Double IPA that brings many hop flavors to the table but not in an overwhelming way
S19 Smoked - I'm not a huge smoked beer guy - and this thing has some serious smoke. I had this directly after the Double IPA and that may have wrecked my ability to taste. Not a bad beer and I would certainly recommend it if you are into the smoked beer style
Good Hops Brewing Website
Address - 811 Harper Avenue at Dow Road
Carolina Beach, NC 28428
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