The Unknown Brewing Co.

Charlotte, NC

Posted in The Unknown Brewing Co., Don't Miss This, Seasonal Return

This “Bright Ass Tank Top” from Unknown Brewing kicks off summer

Unknown Bright Ass Tank Top can

Unknown Bright Ass Tank Top is back in action as summer kicks up, slamming big flavors together in one canned package.

Key limes may be one of the most popular additions in craft beer these days. Unknown Bright Ass Tank Top has them in the base gose, plus Nicaraguan rum barrels. Brewery founder Brad Schell told Beer Street Journal of his excitement to find such great rum barrels.

“They smell like being drunk on a beach or being a pirate.”- Brad Schell

The base beer is a gose brewed with sea salt and key limes, then aged in the rum barrels for over three months.

The result? A bold beer. There are a few key lime flavored beers running around out there these days. While some just taste a little citrusy, Bright Ass Tank Top doesn’t let you forget what it is. A rum filled gose that is full of key lime juice. You can’t miss a bright as shit tank top walking by you. You won’t forget this beer either.

Unknown Bright Ass Tank Top is available once again in 16-ounce cans and draft by the end of June (in time for July 4th).

Style: Gose (w/ Sea Salt, Key Limes. Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.

Distribution: NC, SC, GA
Latest Return: Late June 2019

4.1% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

Posted in The Unknown Brewing Co., Coming Soon

Unknown Brewing The Teleporter debuts in cans for the first time

Unknown Brewing The Teleporter

Unknown Brewing The Teleporter will be available in cans for the first time on September 28th.

The brewery’s robust porter is brewed with cocoa nibs from Asheville, North Carolina’s French Broad Chocolates and coffee from Enderly Coffee Company.

These ingredients give this beer a wonderful nose of coffee and chocolate, a creamy tan head, and rich mocha taste.

Look for Unknown Brewing The Teleporter in 16-ounce cans in the brewery’s taproom in Charlotte, North Carolina starting September 28th.

Style: Robust Porter (w/ Coffee. Chocolate. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 9/28/18

7.2% ABV

Posted in The Unknown Brewing Co., Don't Miss This

Catnip beer? Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles might drive your cat crazy

Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles bottle

Like a little catnip in your beer? Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles is back for a second time.

Two years ago, Charlotte, North Carolina based Unknown Brewing debuted ‘Kitten Snuggles‘ a farmhouse ale brewed with “fuzzy” apricots, lactose milk sugar, and catnip flowers.

Catnip has the most notable influence on felines, thanks to nepetalactone, an organic compound found in the plant. A little over 60% of cats are affected by the compounds in catnip.

Lesser known uses include making herbal tea or culinary dishes with catnip. In this case, the off-the-wall folks at Unknown Brewing created cat themed Kitten Snuggles with what some call “kitty crack”. (The brewery once made a beer with food grade scorpions.)

By now you might be wondering what catnip tastes like. Catnip tea is slightly minty and grassy. It’s been two years since trying Kitten Snuggles at the brewery in Charlotte, but as we recall – it’s apricot fruit heavy and creamy, with just a touch of grassy flavor. Cats followed us around the rest of the day. It was as cute as it was weird.

Unknown Brewing Kitten Snuggles is available for the first time in 16-ounce cans at the brewery on May 25th.

Style: Farmhouse Ale (w/ Apricots. Catnip. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Latest Release: 5/25/18

?? ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

Posted in The Unknown Brewing Co., Coming Soon

Rare coffee & expensive vanilla beans make Unknown Brewing Rarest Bean

Unknown Rarest Bean Bottle

Unknown Brewing Rarest Bean debuts on February 16th.

“Pastry Stouts’ are in high demand in the beer world. Today it’s Charlotte, North Carolina’s Unknown Brewing’s turn to release one, using two of the world’s rarest beans.

The first bean is the “Black Ivory Coffee” bean, one of the rarest coffees on Earth. The raw beans pass through the digestive tract of elephants and are very literally pooped out. (Similar to the Kopi Luwak coffee that passes through a civit.) Around 1000 pounds the coffee are produced a year, running over $100 dollars a bag.

Tongan vanilla beans are the second rare bean in Unknown Brewing Rarest Bean. Just one of the beans can run almost $20 dollars each.

Both rare beans have been added to a 12.5% alcohol by volume imperial stout and allowed to age. The result is a beer that should prove to be both rare and decadent.

Unknown Brewing Rarest Bean will be available in 16.9-ounce bottles in the brewery’s taproom on February 16th.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Vanilla Beans. Coffee Beans.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles. 100 Bottles Available.
Debut: 2/16/18

12.5% ABV

Posted in Seasonal Return, The Unknown Brewing Co.

Unknown Vehopciraptor. Big hops. Little arms. No bottles.

Unknown Vehopciraptor Glass

Unknown Vehopciraptor Double IPA returns to the North Carolina-based brewery’s lineup for the forth time on September 15th. In 2017, you won’t find this animal in bottles.

Unknown Vehopciraptor features highly aromatic scents due to the seven different hops and nine additional ingredients used to brew this prehistoric beast.

RELATED: Unknown Bright Ass Tank Top

The Vehopciraptor was a terrifying beast that roamed free millions of years ago, wreaking havoc on local natives and their taste buds. It would use it’s large claws and aromatic bite to strike swiftly. We’ve attempted to capture the spirit of this beast. With 7 hop varieties and 9 additions, this double IPA packs a serious bite.

Unknown Vehopciraptor is available only on tap in 2017. The first pour can be found at the brewery in Charlotte on September 15th.

Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: Draft only
Latest Return 9/15/17

9.9% ABV

Posted in The Unknown Brewing Co., Don't Miss This

Big on aromatics. Unknown Brewing Scratch n Sniff, a session IPA

Unknown Brewing Scratch n Sniff can

Unknown Brewing Scratch n Sniff hits shelves just as spring begins.

Subtitled “Aromatic IPA,” the beer’s name is truly fitting. Unknown uses a technique called “hop bursting,” where a massive (read: unreasonable) amount of hops are added at the end of the beer’s boil and whirlpool stages. The result is a beer that is low on bitterness and big on hop aromas. The Unknown Brewing team uses a seven hop blend, bringing a real burst of flavor to the table.

The hop bursting technique is really evident in Scratch n Sniff. There is so much hop aroma in a 4.8% session IPA. It’s hopped like an imperial IPA, but won’t put you under the table nearly as fast.

This aromatic IPA is made with 7 hop additions. All those hops are thrown in at special timed editions to create flavor, a nose full of goodness, and light bitterness.

Unknown Brewing Scratch n Sniff is available in 12 ounce cans and draft as a spring seasonal.

Style: IPA
Availability: 12oz Can, Draft. Seasonal release.
Latest Return: March, 2017

4.7% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal 

Posted in New Releases, The Unknown Brewing Co.

Unknown Brewing Twas the Night, literally just before Christmas

Unknown Brewing Twas the Night

Unknown Brewing Twas the Night, releases almost literally the night before Christmas, has hit shelves.

This beer is flying under the radar a bit, sneaking onto shelves the week of Christmas. The dark sour ale was brewed during Christmas of 2015, and has spend a majority of 2016 aging in oak barrels. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to sip stouts by the fire.

Unknown Brewing Twas the Night is available in limited quantities the week of December 20th.

Style: American Sour/Wild Ale (Barrel Aged)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: Christmas, 2016

6.8% ABV