Once again, Freedom Rolling comes to you with another brew review, this time from the Keowee Brewing Company in Seneca, South Carolina. So let's head down to the taps and see what they have to offer. As with this and all other brew reviews, please ensure that these, or any brews, are enjoyed in accordance with local laws wherever you may be.
First up, we find the Highly Contagious Key Line Pilsener. Presented in the typical pale color you normally find with a pilsener, this one has a heightened scent of limes from the added fruit. Upon the first sip of this brew, a slight bit of sourness comes into your palette as a result of the key limes, yet not in an overpowering sense like some of the sour beers available at other breweries. It almost gives you the sensation of drinking a cider, but otherwise has no taste to it, almost as if it's a flavored water. It's a decent introduction to sour beers if you need to ease your way into them, but perhaps there are other options.
Heading down the flight line, we come across their recommended choice, the Hike & Hops American IPA. We can see why they chose this as the one to drink, as it has a beautiful golden color and a scent of citra hops. Upon the first sip, the hops are controlled to where they aren't overpowering, yet unlike some of the similar American IPAs we've reviewed, this one will leave the slight aftertaste of hops in the roof of your mouth. Although this combination seems to be one that almost every brewery does, you cannot deny that it's a comfortable staple to have, along with a good way to ease into the type of brew.
When you're in the deep south, you almost certainly have to try something that involves peaches. Enter the Peach Kölsch they call Good Friends with Peach. Clearly it is going to have that orange color you'd expect from a peach, but surprisingly you don't detect the scent of it when the brew is presented. After one sip, you do get the sweetness that you'd get when biting into a peach, but it must truly be overpowering, as you really don't get the taste of anything aside from what seems like peach juice. As much as it's inventive to try to showcase the local crop, there must be some better choices available.
If you've been reading the brew reviews, you know about Freedom Rolling being a sucker for ambers, so we almost certainly have to try the Hindsight Amber Lager. As with most brews of this type, that lovely caramel color you expect comes forward, but no additional scent upon presentation. After the first sip, there's a subtle kick that you just can't put your finger on, so you go back for a second. Perhaps that intrigue is what really sells the beer, but otherwise it's just an average amber that you'd expect to drink anywhere.
With another side note, the brewer on site was incredibly kind and knowledgeable about his products. Compared to the last time a brewery was visited, this is something you really want to see when you step into an establishment like this. Although the beers were average, they make up for it in customer service, so if your Internal Compass takes you to northwestern South Carolina, you may just find this to be a good choice of watering hole.
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