Highland Brewing
Highland Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout is back
Highland Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout, part of the brewery’s Warrior Series celebrating “big beers in small batches,” releases for the second time this November.
Highland Black Watch is a 8% alcohol by volume milk stout, brewed with cacao nibs. The recipe is originally designed by brewery bartender J Unger.
The name pays tribute to Scotland’s historic military regiment known as The Black Watch. With their dark tartan and mission to keep watch over the Highlands, Highland salutes these warriors with a dark mahogany colored brew that pours silky smooth. Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout combines more than 100 pounds of cacao nibs with five malts, roasted barley, and flaked oats to create a rich, high-gravity ale reminiscent of brownie batter and marshmallows with an aromatic nose and a lingering dark chocolate finish.
Highland Black Watch re-launces on draft and in 4-packs at the brewery tasting room on Black Friday, November 25th. Shortly after, a limited release of 4-packs will hit shelves within the brewery’s distribution area.
Taste: If you love milk stouts (and chocolate), this beer is for you. It’s smooth, creamy, and hard to put down. 12 ounces of dessert at a time.
The first release in the Warrior series series was Highland King Macalpin Double IPA.
Style: Milk Stout (w/ Cacao Nibs, Lactose.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: Late November, 2016
8% ABV
Highland Imperial Cold Mountain celebrates 20 years of the seasonal
This year, on the 20th anniversary of Cold Mountain’s release, another beer will join the ranks for a limited time – Highland Imperial Cold Mountain Winter Ale.
Yes, the longest running seasonal will have some “imperial” company. The extremely popular base beer is Cold Mountain, that features flavors and spices like vanilla and hazelnuts, amplified with a bigger malt bill, resulting in an 8% alcohol by volume edition. (The regular edition of Cold Mountain hovers around 5% ABV.)
The brewery describes Highland Imperial Cold Mountain as being a bit more chocolate-forward, with hints of fruits and nuts.
Bigger and bolder, Imperial Cold Mountain Winter Ale perfectly accompanies holiday gatherings celebrations. This special version of our beloved season commmemorates 20 years of an Asheville favorite. Malty in body, and lightly hopped, the brew is rounded out with intense, tasty hints of spices, nuts, and fruit.
Highland Imperial Cold Mountain Winter Ale will be a 22 ounce bottle and draft offering, starting November 10th.
Style: Imperial Winter Warmer (w/ Spices)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: 11/10/16
8% ABV
Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter 2016 release
Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter releases again this year, appearing on draft and in their tasting room on October 14th, 2016. Named for the Southern Appalachian landscape, Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter features fair trade/organic coffee from Dynamite Roasting Company.
This year’s version will feature both a Mexican dark roast blend and a lighter Honduran blend.
Early in the brewing process, referred to as the hot-side, Highland adds Mexican coffee at the end of the boil, which extracts the flavors much like the way coffee is made at home. Later, on the cold-side part of brewing, Honduran coffee and a portion of the base beer are blended, allowing the coffee to concentrate, after which the hi-test liquid is injected and circulated into each tank.
Highland Brewing Company along with Dynamite Roasting Company, show their dedication to the freshness of this offering by freshly grinding the beans the morning of each brew day.
Shortly after its release in the tasting room, Thunderstruck Coffee Porter will release across Highland’s distribution areas.
Additionally, Highland aims to protect the region that inspired this beer. So for every glass purchased on October 14th, they will donate $1 to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
Style: Porter (w/ Coffee)
Hops: Chinook, Hallertau, German Select
Malts: Briess Pale Malt, Briess Caramel 60, Briess Chocolate, Briess Midnight Wheat.
1.5 lbs of coffee per barrel
Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft. Fall Seasonal.
Latest Return: Mid-October, 2016
5.8% ABV, 26 IBUs
Highland Gaelic Ale now available in cans
Highland Gaelic Ale appears in cans for the first time this month. The Asheville, North Carolina based brewery first bottled Gaelic Ale back in 1994, and decided now it needed a new home in outdoor friendly in aluminum.
Read More: Highland Mandarina IPA available in cans
“With bottling and canning operations, we are in a new chapter. And Gaelic is the right beer to package both ways because of its flexibility – its medium body and balance. It fits with food or on its own, in cool or warm weather. Gaelic cans will be with me on my next hike.” – Leah Ashburn, President.
Highland Gaelic Ale adds to the growing number of canned offerings from Highland, following their first cans of Pilsner and Mandarina IPA over the summer.
Additionally, Highland stated that with their flagship beer now in a can they will be seeking to expand distribution in the near future.
Style: Amber Ale
Availability: 12oz cans, Draft, 12oz bottles
Distribution: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Washington, DC.
5.5% ABV
Highland King Macalpin Double IPA back for a second round
Highland King Macalpin Double IPA kicked off the brewery’s new “Warrior” series last summer. The Warrior Series is described by Highland as game-changer, going above and beyond anything the brewery has done before.
Highland King Macalpin Double IPA is what then brewery calls a “hop bomb” clocking in at a robust 10% alcohol by volume.
It is packed with 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel. Aromas and flavors offer layered fruits finishing with piney bitterness and a citrus punch at 10% ABV
Highland King Macalpin Double IPA is back once again for a limited time in 12 ounce bottles and draft.
Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Centennial, Amarillo, Chinook, Simcoe
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft
Latest Return: August, 2016
10% ABV
Highland Mandarina IPA is a great lineup addition
Highland Mandarina IPA is now cans for the first time as June winds down. Honestly, we are in love with this new India pale ale.
As spring was ending, the Asheville, North Carolina based brewery started introducing cans for the first time. Pilsner was up first. Now, Highland Mandarina IPA expands the canned lineup. The beer features a strong dry hop of Hull Melon and Mandarina Bavaria hops, plus California oranges. (To the tune of 400 pounds per fermenter.) This beer is so labor intensive, it takes the entire brewing team to puree the oranges in preparation.
The result is an incredibly smooth IPA with strong notes of orange in both the nose and the flavor. A fantastic addition to the brewery’s lineup. While at the brewery, founder Oskar Wong mentioned how excited he was to launch this beer. Mandarina is a staff favorite, and really, it was brewed for them. You are just lucky enough to drink it too, year-round.
“We combine Mandarina Bavaria and Hull Melon dry hops with hundreds of pounds of whole pureed oranges to create a unique orange blossom aroma and orange zest flavor in this fruit IPA. – Hollie Stephenson, Head brewer
Highland Mandarina IPA is available on draft and 12 ounce cans year-round.
Highland Gaelic will be available in cans later this year.
Style: IPA (w/ Oranges)
Hops: Chinook, Cascade, Bravo, Hull Melon, Mandarina Bavaria
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Year-round
Release: July, 2016
5% ABV
Highland Pilsner Blanc
Highland Pilsner Blanc, a new year-round offering coming in May, 2016.
This post is in progress. It will be updated with beer details closer to launch.
