Nano 108 Brewing Co. – July 2019 Visit

July 26, 2019 Jesse

This trip Mike and I were joined by Bill once again. Bill has a slightly different taste in beer than Mike or I do (not that ours are the same, either) so it’s refreshing to get some new taste buds and opinions on the beers. Not to mention Bill is a great guy and a pleasure to have a beer with. We had been to Nano 108 once or twice quite some time ago but didn’t write about the visit since it was before we started documenting our beer-ventures on this site. I have to be honest, I wasn’t extremely impressed with the beer that I had on our previous visits, so I wasn’t super-hyped to go back there and write a post about their beer. However, based on the beers we all tried last night, I’m kicking myself for not going sooner. They had a nice variety of styles, several of which are offered on nitro, if that’s your bag. A few lagers, some IPA’s, some Belgians, a Scotch Ale, – quite the lineup. Unfortunately, some of the beers that we really wanted to try were off tap (The Scotch Ale with cherries and the Blood Orange Honey Wheat for example) but I supposed that’s just a reason to go back again.

Belgian Witbier – 5.4% ABV 15 IBU – Due to a communications SNAFU, I received a 20 oz. pour of this beer instead of the requested 9 oz. but, you know what?, it turned out to be a “happy little accident” as Bob Ross used to say. I really enjoyed this beer. It was light, crisp and refreshing and seemed to be true to style with a nice, ‘Belgiany’ finish. I had to stop myself from finishing the whole thing because I wanted to try a few of their beers, but I would have happily had a few of these if I could have.

Hogs Head Lager – 5.14% ABV 23 IBU – Mike and I had, at one time, considered a tagline for this blog. I don’t know if we ever agreed on one, but it would have highlighted the fact that he was a much more learned beer connoisseur than yours truly – which is fine. I know what I like and I see this as a journey for me to learn more about beer and discover new styles that I may have not have exposed myself to previously. Well, my ignorance was on full display when I ordered this beer last night. I ordered a lager expecting a LIGHT lager (like a Mexican lager, or a Yuengling, for example), instead, I got a reddish, malty, sweet beer you see on the right. I loved it. As with the Witbier, above, I would have happily ordered a few of these over the course of the evening.

Sight Challenged Hog IPA – 6.8% ABV 85 IBU – Having read the description on the menu for this beer, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. What I got was a great red IPA. It was very slightly malty but had a strong piney finish – but not too strong. I’ve had some of these in past (at other establishments) that made me think I was drinking PineSol. However, this was piney enough to make it interesting and delicious, but it didn’t overwhelm my palate.

[Mike’s Updates]

As Jesse mentioned, the last time I visited Nano 108, which I have to say was a really long time ago, I don’t really remember what I had, which is really strange for me. I wasn’t impressed with the beer much, not saying it was bad, but it didn’t really stand out. To be honest, I think that’s why it took Jesse and I so long to make a visit for the blog.

Well the joke’s on me. The beer was really pretty solid, and they have a good number of styles available, along with some twists on traditional beers. I know we’ll have to visit again soon.

Irish Red – 5.2% ABV 42 IBU – For my first beer of the evening, I had to go with a favorite style, and you know me and Irish Reds, if it’s on the menu, I have to try it.

Although it wasn’t quite as malty as I would have liked, the malt flavors that I wanted were still there. The color was really nice too. Absolutely a good beer.

German Schwarzbier – 5.7% ABV, 31 IBU. Schwarzbier is a pretty new style to me, but I have a feeling it’s quickly going to become a favorite. It’s well balanced, it had a nice roasty flavor that sticks around after the finish.

The dark color makes you think it’s going to be heavier than it is. Then you’re surprised when it’s light, with a dry finish. I could drink a lot of these. Solid beer, and this was my favorite of the evening.

American Blonde Ale – 5.9% ABV, 20 IBU. This was a pretty good example of a blonde ale, and was pretty much exactly what you expect. Light, slightly malty, with a nice clean finish. If you’re thirsty, this is a great choice.

As a matter of fact, I got so wrapped up in just drinking it and talking with friends, that I nearly forgot to take a picture of it. Really enjoyable.

Beers we’ve reviewed at Nano 108: