Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will begin the Seasonal Release of Rustic Ridge IPA in September 2021.
Brewed each year as a part of an “ever-evolving IPA” series, Rustic Ridge IPA is an American India Pale Ale “[that] highlights the best of [Highland’s] annual hop selection.” This year’s Rustic Ridge IPA comes in at 6.7% ABV and 65 IBUs.
Rustic Ridge IPA is rolling out now and will hang around for a limited time. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottes, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in North Carolina and throughout the rest of Highland’s distribution footprint. Prost!
Vital Information for Rustic Ridge IPA from Highland Brewing
Release – Seasonal; September 2021 Style – American India Pale Ale/Harvest Ale ABV – 6.7% IBUs – 65 Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will add High Pines IPA to its Year-Round portfolio in mid-February 2021.
High Pines, “named with the forest and fresh scent of mountain pine in mind,” is a West Coast-style Imperial India Pale Ale featuring Mosaic, Simcoe, Centennial, and Comet hops. Clocking in at 9% ABV and 65 IBUs, High Pines is “a big West Coast IPA with resinous blueberry and piney hop flavor.”
“At Highland, we are working hard to make some of the best IPAs in the industry and following the success of Rising Haze in 2020, we wanted to take it to the next level by offering an Imperial IPA,” said Patrick Sullivan, Highland’s Sales Director. “High Pines is a big, delicious, piney IPA that is easy to drink even at 9% ABV. This beer has done extremely well in our taproom and we expect it to be a solid addition to our year-round portfolio.”
Highland brewer, Jesse Lapinski, said “High Pines was made in the tradition of old-school West Coast IPAs. While it does not shy away from big bitter, resinous hops, it has a good malty body to balance that bitter, piney flavor.” Lapinski continued, “My wife loves the label and I think this is the perfect beer for a bonfire or a winter warmer into springtime.”
High Pines IPA is scheduled to debut in mid-February with availability in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft. You can expect to find this new Year-Round at craft beer-focused establishments located within Highland Brewing’s distribution footprint in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia. Prost!
Vital Information for High Pines IPA from Highland Brewing
Release – Year-Round; launching mid-February 2021 Style – Imperial India Pale Ale (West Coast-style) ABV – 9% IBUs – 65 Featured Hops – Mosaic, Simcoe, Centennial & Comet Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft Distribution – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee & Georgia
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Cold Mountain, the brewery’s fan-favorite Spiced Winter Ale, during the weekend of Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 8.
Returning once again to give beer lovers a “taste of the holidays in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Cold Mountain is a Winter Warmer filled with “notes of vanilla, hazelnut, dark fruit, and cinnamon.” Coming in at 5.9% ABV, Cold Mountain is a full-flavored offering that you can easily enjoy all holiday season long.
“We started receiving messages in May asking about the dates for the Cold Mountain release,” said Nikki Mitchell, Highland’s Hospitality Director. “While this will not be the typical Cold Mountain experience, we are doing our best to make Cold Mountain magic.” Mitchell continued, “Our property will have themed spaces to encourage guests to spread out. Safety for our guests and staff is key. We have table seating in all venues. Guests must wear a mask any time they are not seated.”
The 2020 batch of Cold Mountain will debut at Highland Brewing with a ticketed weekend of socially distanced festivities spanning from November 6 to November 8. Pre-ordering of special Cold Mountain Beer Packs will continue at the brewery through November 14 and full distribution of Cold Mountain is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 15. You can expect to find Cold Mountain available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Highland Brewing’s distribution footprint. Prost!
Vital Information for Cold Mountain from Highland Brewing
Release – Limited; November 6, 2020 Style – Winter Warmer ABV – 5.9% IBUs – 28 Malts – 2-Row, Pilsen, Vienna, Chocolate, Wheat, Caramel 40 & Caramel 60 Hops – Cascade & Mount Hood Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will begin the Seasonal Release of Clawhammer Oktoberfest in August 2020.
Back for its 12th year, Clawhammer is a Bavarian-inspired Märzen Lager that showcases German hops and malts. Coming in at an easy-drinking 5% ABV, Clawhammer is “smooth and well-rounded with toasty malt character.”
Clawhammer is available now and will be hanging around through October 2020. You can expect to find this Seasonal Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Florida, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Highland Brewing’s distribution footprint. Prost!
Vital Information for Clawhammer Oktoberfest from Highland Brewing
Release – Seasonal; August – October 2020 Style – Oktoberfest/Märzen ABV – 5% IBUs – 25 Malts – 2-Row, Munich, Vienna, Caramel & Pilsen Hops – Hallertau Mittlefrue & German Spalt Select Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that Rising Haze IPA will join its Year-Round lineup in late April 2020.
Finally ready for release after “years” of research, development and experimentation with small-batch Hazy IPAs, Rising Haze is a “freshly unfiltered” Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale bursting “with notes of citrus, pineapple, and apricots.” Coming in at 7% ABV and 35 IBUs, Rising Haze is here to “serve as a bright spot in these difficult times.”
“This is our first virtual and package-only beer release,” said Leah Ashburn, Highland Brewing Company family-owner and president. “While we shifted our focus towards protecting our team and our community during the COVID-19 outbreak, we maintain our spirit and our promise to keep moving forward. The multiple meanings of the name Rising Haze are not lost on us. We hope that this release adds a new experience, even as other experiences are limited, and reminds us to look ahead to brighter days.”
Rising Haze IPA is scheduled to roll out in late April as a package-only release. You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans at Highland Brewing for curbside beer pickup and at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and throughout the rest of the brewery’s distribution footprint in the Southeast. Prost!
Vital Information for Rising Haze IPA from Highland Brewing
Release – Year-Round; launching late April 2020 Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale ABV – 7% IBUs – 35 Hops – Mosaic, Ekuanot, Galaxy, Citra, Centennial & Apollo Malts – 2-Row, Malted Wheat, Flaked Wheat, Carapils & Malted Rye
COVID-19 Info – “Highland now offers curbside pickup from 2-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 1-6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Orders may be placed by calling (828)545-6556. In an effort to give back to the community during this crisis, Highland will donate 10% of all curbside sales to the OneBuncombe Fund. Food donations for MANNA FoodBank will also be accepted at the brewery curbside pickup. To say thank you to local medical professionals, Highland has also instituted a medical professionals membership program that will allow local medical care providers to receive 15% off all beer to-go purchases at the brewery through the end of the year.” Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will hold a Limited Bottle Release of Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea, the second barrel-aged release to come out its newly established Southern Nouveau Series, on December 20.
Inspired by the London Fog chocolate bonbon crafted at Asheville’s own French Broad Chocolates, Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea is an Imperial Stout “brewed with cacao nibs and Earl Grey tea and then laid to rest in bourbon barrels for 9 months.” This clever recipe and treatment produces a decadent stout featuring notes of “rich chocolate . . . underscored by the slightly bittersweet note of the Earl Grey tea, all while being supported by a hearty bourbon character.”
Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea will officially release at Highland Brewing on Friday, December 20. Like all Southern Nouveau Series releases, Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea will be available in 500ml bottles and on draft for a limited time. The first 100 bottles released will be signed by Highland’s family owners, Oscar Wong and Leah Wong-Ashburn. Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea is a brewery exclusive release and is not expected to see distribution. Prost!
Vital Information for Bonbon Stout with Earl Grey Tea from Highland Brewing
Release – Limited/Southern Nouveau Series; December 20, 2019 Style – Imperial Stout ABV – ??? Added Ingredients – Cacao nibs & Earl Grey tea Treatment – Aged in Bourbon barrels for 9 months Fun Fact – With a name inspired by “the architectural beauty” found in Highland’s home city of Asheville, the Southern Nouveau Series is a new lineup of carefully crafted offerings that will “encompass both clean and sour barrel-aged beers.” Availability – 500ml bottles & draft Distribution – None. Brewery only
Highland Brewing(Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will launch the Southern Nouveau Series, a new barrel-aged beer program, with the Limited Release of Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch on Black Friday, November 29.
With a name inspired by “the architectural beauty” found in Highland’s home city of Asheville, the Southern Nouveau Series is a new lineup of carefully crafted offerings that will “encompass both clean and sour barrel-aged beers.” The first three offering in this series will be “bourbon barrel-aged stouts with exciting additions, like earl grey tea from local tea shop Dobra Tea and cacao nibs from Asheville’s own French Broad Chocolates. The first sour beers in the series will debut in the Spring of 2020 alongside the opening of Highland at the S&W Market.”
“There is such excitement and anticipation on our team about these beers,” said Highland Family-Owner and President/CEO, Leah Wong Ashburn. “The Southern Nouveau Series name was inspired by the architectural beauty of Asheville, which has been called the Paris of the South, and our connection to the history of this place. The beers showcase the innovation and quality at the Brewery Taproom in East Asheville and in 2020, they will shine in the Art Deco glamour of Highland at the S&W Market.”
Trace Redmond, Brewing Innovation Manager, said, “We have been building the barrel program for two years now and I’m excited to share the fruits of our labor. With the Southern Nouveau Series, we are exploring Southern ingredients and bringing together the beer, barrels and time to create something new. We want these beers to feel true to Asheville and Highland. You don’t get to be a 25-year-old brand without patience. You also don’t get great barrel-aged beers without patience, so these beers will reflect our past and the future we’re building.”
The first official release in the Southern Nouveau Series will be Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch, an amped up version of Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout that has “aged in bourbon barrels for one year.” Weighing in at smooth-sipping 11.5% ABV, Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch “features the brownie batter character fans enjoy from Black Watch, but with spicy bourbon and oak notes that soften the mouthfeel.”
Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch will officially release at Highland Brewing during the Black Watch Release Party on Black Friday, November 29. Like all Southern Nouveau Series releases, Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch will be available in 500ml bottles and on draft for a limited time. Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch is a brewery exclusive release and is not expected to see distribution. Prost!
Vital Information for Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Watch from Highland Brewing
Release – Limited/Southern Nouveau Series; November 29, 2019 Style – Milk Stout ABV – 11.5% Treatment – Aged for over a year in Bourbon barrels Availability – 500ml bottles & draft Distribution – None; brewery exclusive release
Highland Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has announced that Thunderstruck Coffee Porter is officially back on shelves and taps to serve as the brewery’s Fall/Winter Seasonal.
Crafted to be “the perfect pick me up” during the colder months, Thunderstruck is an American Porter brewed with “200 pounds of Dynamite coffee” per batch. Clocking in at 5.8% ABV, Thunderstruck supplies its drinker with plenty of “coffee aroma and flavor with subtle spice and fruit notes.”
Thunderstruck Coffee Porter is rolling out now and is scheduled to hang around through January 2020. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Highland Brewing’s distribution footprint. Prost!
Vital Information for Thunderstruck Coffee Porter from Highland Brewing
Release – Seasonal; October 2019 – January 2020 Style – American Porter ABV – 5.8% IBUs – 30 Malts – Pale, Caramel 60, Chocolate & Midnight Wheat Hops – Chinook, Hallertau Mittlefrue & German Select Added Ingredients – 200 lbs. of Dynamite Coffee per batch Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Brewed by Highland Brewing and Sierra Nevada – two multi-generational, independent craft breweries – with malt and hops exclusively sourced from independent, family-owned suppliers, Highland’sRustic IPA 25th Anniversary Ale is a Hazy India Pale Ale featuring “experimental hops like Motueka, Zappa, Azacca, and Strata that lend notes of tropical fruit and lemongrass to the brew.” A “hazy malt bill featuring flaked oats, rye, pilsner malt, and wheat” rounds out the recipe and further accentuates the beer’s “fruity hop character.” Coming in at 5.8% ABV and 45 IBUs, Rustic IPA promises to be “a balanced showcase for the best of innovation and tradition from each of the collaborators.”
Brian Grossman, Family-Owner and Second-Generation Brewer for Sierra Nevada in Mills River, said, “When Sierra Nevada chose to build our second brewery in Asheville, Highland welcomed us with open arms. Being multigenerational, family-owned companies, we share similar values and experiences. We were proud to collaborate with our friends to brew a special beer to celebrate their 25th anniversary. “
“Good businesses are built on relationships and we genuinely enjoy and are proud of our relationships with Sierra Nevada and these suppliers,” said Family-Owner and President of Highland Brewing, Leah Ashburn. “Brian and I are in a small group of second-generation family leaders in craft beer and we intend to build a sustainable future for both our breweries. This collaboration beer celebrates that future.”
Rustic IPA will debut at Highland Brewing Company’s two-day anniversary festivities on May 3-4 and limited distribution is scheduled to follow the on-site release. You can expect to find this special collaboration available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Prost!
Vital Information for Rustic IPA from Highland Brewing Company & Sierra Nevada
Release – Limited, May 2019 Style – Hazy India Pale Ale ABV – 5.8% IBUs – 45 Hops – Motueka, Zappa, Azacca & Strata Grains – Flaked Oats, Rye, Pilsner Malt & Wheat Featured Malt & Hop Suppliers – Riverbend Malthouse, Briess Malting, Crosby Hop Farms, Roy Farms & CLS Farms Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft Distribution – Limited; North Carolina, Tennessee & South Carolina only
On the morning on March 19, representatives from Highland Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Riverbend Malthouse, Briess Malting, Crosby Hop Farms, Roy Farms, and CLS Farms gathered at Highland Brewing Company to mash in the brewery’s 25th Anniversary Ale – Rustic IPA. Photo Credit: Highland Brewing
Highland Brewing Company (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that Slow Crush, a Tart Spritz Ale, will launch in May 2019 as the brewery’s newest Year-Round offering.
Developed to be Highland Brewing’s “sessionable fresh take on kettle soured beers”, Slow Crush is a refreshing Tart Spritz Ale “inspired by the incredibly popular cocktail Aperol Spritz.” Showcasing “all-natural . . . botanicals like gentian root, cinchona bark and hibiscus flowers”, the recipe for Slow Crush is rounded out with “flaked rye and citrus-forward American hops like Citra and Amarillo’ to give the experience “a very craft spin.” Clocking in at an easy-drinking 5% ABV and 20 IBUs, Slow Crush is “effervescent with a refreshing acidity that makes a perfect libation for any occasion.”
“This is a dynamic time in the industry and at Highland. We are exploring what Highland beer can be and creating beers that are different from anything we have ever done before. Slow Crush refers to the tradition of gruits and aperitifs and the way that brewers and distillers tried to achieve balance with different herbs and spices. In blending the past and present, we are creating beers that fit uniquely into this moment and in Highland’s portfolio.”
– Trace Redmond, Highland’s R&D Brewer
Slow Crush Tart Spritz will officially debut at Highland Brewing’s two-day anniversary celebration on May 3 & 4 and is scheduled to enter distribution shortly after the event. You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Highland Brewing’s distribution footprint in the Southeast. Prost!
Vital Information for Slow Crush Tart Spritz from Highland Brewing Company
Release – Year-Round, launching May 2019 Style – American Sour Ale ABV – 5% IBUs – 20 Featured Hops – Citra & Amarillo Added Ingredients – Gentian root, cinchona bark & hibiscus flowers Fun Fact – Slow Crush will be the first Highland Brewing offering to launch in a 16 oz. can format Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft Beer Finder – https://highlandbrewing.com/beer (located at the bottom of the page)
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