One of four flagships brews, copper-bronzed medium-full body proves richer, creamier, ‘maltier’ and darker than typical IPA fare. Brown apple, bosc pear, tangerine and grilled mango fruiting heads to the fore alongside red ale-like toasted caramel spicing, overriding usual grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering as well as mild piney hop musk.
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
Three streets away from Top Of The Hill, the more diverse CAROLINA BREWERY, with its casual wood-furnished dining area and second floor plasma-screened VIP lounge, had better fare, July ‘04. Founded 1995, it’s the oldest operating brewery in the Triangle Park area. More conducive to attracting University of North Carolina students than its brewpub competitor, it blends sportsbar atmosphere and blue-collar ruggedness with family-styled friendliness.
Brewer Jon Connolly bid lemony mild-hopped Kolsch-styled Sky Blue Golden Ale; sharp-fruited mash tun-baked Copperline Amber Ale; imposingly bitter Chinook-hopped grapefruit-peeled lemon-limed Firecracker Pale Ale; resinous salami-smoked banana-fruited clove-spiced West End Wheat; loud stone-fruited spice-hopped Flagship IPA; and coffee-dried mocha-sweet chocolate-powdered Old North State Stout.