Triangle.com

Submitted by Triangle.com — Staff

Once a month, our beer enthusiasts gather to review brews from North Carolina. They taste a few different types of beer, give their description and rate them from 1 to 10. The average of their ratings is the triangle.com Beer Summit's official rating. This group is not made up of beer specialists. They're just people who like to try different beers — especially ones that are local.

This month, the group gathered at Vintage Bar and Lounge to review products from Aviator Brewing Company, Huske Hardware House Restaurant and Brewery, LoneRider Brewing Company and Triangle Brewing Company. Their evaluations are below.

Shotgun Betty (Hefeweizen/Wheat) | 5.8% abv | LoneRider

Cristina - This beer was very light and refreshing. You can taste the fruity undertones, which make this a perfect summer beer. Definitely the kind of beer that you could drink all night. Looking forward to ordering this! | Rating: 9

Eric - Betty is cloudy and yeasty, as a good hefeweizen should be, with a strong banana aroma that dissipates just a bit on the tongue so it's not overpowering. It's lightly carbonated with a very clean finish, so it's easy going down. A refreshing summer drink. | Rating: 7

Sarah - It seems like a great summer beer. I'm a big hefeweizen fan, and this was a great example. It wasn't too boozy, and was fresh and just delicious. It made me want to sit outside on a porch somewhere and enjoy some nice summer weather. | Rating: 9

Andrew - Light, not overly complex. Actually refreshing with no bitterness at all. I'd drink this all summer. | Rating: 8

Beer Summit rating: 8.25

Belgian Style Golden Ale | 8.0% abv | Triangle

Cristina - This beer has a great taste, but very strong. It has hints of a sweet citrus flavor, which adds to the taste of the beer. It has a good aftertaste, too, but I wouldn't drink more than one of these in a night. | Rating: 6

Eric - A pleasant yeasty aroma becomes a robust fruity flavor, but there's also some character of hops in the taste. It's a quenching summer ale, very refreshing and clean, but don't gulp it like a pilsner — the high alcohol content isn't obvious, and you could get yourself in trouble. Savor this one at a nice pace. | Rating: 8

Sarah - This had a strong flavor and was a bit too much for my taste. The alcohol taste was too heavy. | Rating: 4

Andrew - This is very sweet with minimal but noticeable, aftertaste. I can't taste the extra kick from the high-gravity beer. And I bet it pairs nicely with EVERY food choice. | Rating: 9

Beer Summit rating: 6.75

Sledgehammer Stout (imperial oatcreme stout) | 6.1% abv | Huske Hardware House

Cristina - First thoughts before drinking it: intimidating. This was a bitter and heavy beer. I didn't like the taste or how filling it was. The beer was very thick and I don't think I would ever order it again. | Rating: 2

Eric - This is a solid brew, with a creamy texture and a nice mocha taste, not unlike a liqueur. It's smooth, with very little aroma, and it has the desired combination of a robust flavor with a light, clean finish. For fans of stout, this would be a solid indoor drink for winter, and it would go very well with beef anytime. | Rating: 8

Sarah - This was super tasty. It had some really great notes of coffee in it and was just a good, hearty beer. I'd probably be more apt to try this in the fall or winter. It had more punch and complexity than a Guinness, and was allover a yummy, tasty beer. | Rating: 8

Andrew - This was the first beer in this group I can could smell. The stout has some sweet (caramel or chocolate?) hints to it. My beer's head dissipated, but other tasters' beers kept the head. I like it, but couldn't do more than one only because stouts fill me up. | Rating: 6

Beer Summit rating: 6

CaveMan Alt (German) | 7.2% abv | Aviator

Cristina - This beer had a strong, bitter flavor, but a smooth taste. It was a thicker beer. Though it was okay, it definitely was not my favorite. | Rating: 4

Eric - This ale introduces itself well, with a nice brown color and a definite tinge of hops, but the first impression doesn't last. It's lightly carbonated and not too bitter, making it easy to drink, but it's actually a little light on everything. A pleasant brew, but I expect a little more character from a brown ale. | Rating: 6

Sarah - A bit too hoppy and syrupy for me. It had too much of a bite. I think those that like hoppy beers would be fans of this one. It wasn't the one for me, though. | Rating: 4

Andrew - The taste sticks with you for a while. The taste and aftertaste are a little strong with a fair amount of hops and bitterness. Not a sweet beer, probably a starter beer before I switch to a lighter-tasting beer. | Rating: 7

Beer Summit rating: 5.25

Note: The beers the tasters review are available at the bar when the tasting takes place. Since bar inventories change frequently, we can't guarantee these beers always will be available when you visit the venue.