Belt’s Beer Garden: Grist What I Needed

This week I’m back at it solo and have two amazing hazies to share with y’all.

Up first, a Nashville brewery that I have fallen in love with.

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Southern Grist has quickly risen the ranks to one of my favorite breweries. Unfortunately, they are only available in Nashville, Tennessee (where they’re located) and around Davidson County...with one odd pallet per month making its way up to Wisconsin.

I was able to sit down with the guys last year for a different website and was blown away by just how awesome they are and, more importantly, how good their brews are.

Since then, I have consumed as much SGBC as possible…which, sadly, is mostly when my friend who lives down there returns to Chicago or invites me down.

Well, luckily for me, she returned for Christmas and gifted me a few of their brews…one of which had a sick label. Naturally, that’s the one I chose to share with you all:

Who Needs Galaxy? is a double IPA was brewed with Azacca, Citra, and Mosaic hops and packs a solid 7.5% ABV. You might be able to find a few cans around the Nashville area still and, if you do, a four-pack will set you back around $16 or so.

Who Needs Galaxy? poured a hazy straw color that was completely opaque and seemed quick thick. A finger of fluffy, dense head built up like froth in a cappuccino. The eggshell white foam slowly faded away but left a small barrier between me and the beer.

The aroma was pure juice. Tropical fruits burst forth with mango, pineapple, and grapefruit leading the way. There as a soft sweetness from the malt profile that added a dash of breadiness and some flaked wheat notes. I couldn’t wait to dive into it.

A flash of carbonation started off my first sip before the pillowy soft mouthfeel and super juicy flavors came forward.

It was almost exactly how it smelled. Mango and grapefruit hit first with just a dash of citrus peel bitterness hitting the back of my togue.

The pineapple waited a few moments before striking around the midway point with a slightly acidic flavor and that tiny burn that accompanies eating the fruit. However, the pineapple stayed underneath the other fruits, just lingering in the background, which was unusual as it normally overpowers the other flavors.

Flaked oats and wheat balanced out the beer with a moderate dose of cereal-like maltiness midway through before, once again, being over powered by the fruit flavors.

The hops add a twinge of bitterness around the midway point as well…just a simple reminder that it is indeed beer you’re consuming. The hoppy bite lingers for a few moments before slowly fading away.

Who Needs Galaxy? ends mostly clean. There is a moderately dry, and a slightly sticky, grapefruit peel resin that lasts for a few moments but otherwise, not much to it.

Grist has done it again. They have continued to make some of the best hazy IPAs over the past few years and this is no different. It’s super sessionable, downright crushable, and tasty as hell. Juicy and packing a 7.5% ABV? Sign me up.

The only problem is I don’t have any more cans and Nashville is seven hours away. Well…that’s not TOO far.

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Up next, a brewery I haven’t had yet...but after this one, will be on the lookout for - Foundation Brewing.

Foundation Brewing was founded in Portland, Maine in 2012 but didn’t officially open until February of 2014. You can find them across New England in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

They offer three year-round brews: an IPA, a brown ale, and the one I have for you today – Epiphany, a double IPA.

This DIPA was brewed with five hops (Cascade, Citra, Columbus, Ella, and Mosaic) and three grains (Pilsner and Pale Malts and oats). It comes packed with an 8% ABV and 79 IBU and costs about $15 for a four-pack. On BeerAdvocate it’s rated a 98 overall and is currently listed as the 65th best New England IPA and 274th best beer overall.

The can says this is neither an East Coast or West Coast IPA but, rather, transcends both and is a Maine IPA.

And it certainly looked like an ideal Maine/New England IPA – pouring an incredibly dark and murky orange color that was completely opaque. Just over two fingers of fluffy, eggshell-white head topped off the brew and slowly fizzled its way down, lacing the glass nicely as it did so.

An incredibly juicy aroma of tropical and citrus fruits filled the air. Leading the way were notes of orange, tangerine, pineapple, and some mango. A slight grapefruit peel scent hid underneath the juicier fruits.

The first swig started off very smooth, with a little rush of carbonation and a creamy, heavier mouthfeel kicking it off.

From there, the hops started pelting my taste buds with big and bold tropical fruits flavors. Pineapple leads the way with an acidic tingle but bursts of orange and mango were close on its heels.

There was a quick flash of grapefruit midway through before the hops switched gears on the backend of the sip.

When the grapefruit hits, it was accompanied by a citrus rind bitterness and a low-level hum of pine.

Epiphany had one more quick pop of juicy fruits before the earthy, slightly bitter hop profile finished off the sip.

The beer ends with some moderate dryness and just a dash of lingering hoppiness that sat at the back of my throat for a few moments before finally fading.

If all Maine IPAs are like this one, I might have to move there. It wasn’t as juicy as the smell led on and there was just a bit more bitterness than I was expecting but, overall, it was a pretty dang good IPA.

It started off with tons of juicy fruit and, despite the 79 IBU, it was rather easy to drink. If you’re in the Northeast, you’d be a fool not to check out Foundation Brewing.