Wilmington Brewing Company

Next stop on the Wilmington Beer Trail was a visit to Wilmington Brewing Company on Kerr Ave. They started out as a small homebrew shop a few years ago and have grown to a 11,800 square foot facility. They still have a large homebrew supply section, and a nice bar area with a whole lot of beers on tap. 

They do not offer flights, but they are happy to let you sample any beer you want, so I tried three. First up was Blair's Breakfast Stout which weighed in at 7%. It was one of the finest Breakfast Stouts I have tasted and I took some home. Next up was the Jalapeño IPA. Nice and clean with a touch of heat. Last I tried the Sneaky Goose, a double IPA weighing in at 9.6%. I stopped there because I was driving, even though the samples were small. They do offer a short glass for about three bucks and that would be the best way to sample a few as the small samples don't really reveal the full flavor of the beer. 

So I opted for a crowler (can/growler) of the Blair's Breakfast stout. Now the crowler is something new, and cool. It is a 32 ounce can that they fill from the tap and pop a top  on. Next it goes onto the machine shown below where it is spun (you can see that in the photo) and sealed. A quick wipe off and it is labeled. Since the crowler is two pints, they just charge you for two pints of beer, in this case twelve bucks. 

I don't know what the shelf life is, but that didn't matter in this case as I popped the top as soon as I got back to the house. It has a nice taste, a hint of smokiness, and holds up well. Again, one of the finest breakfast stouts this writer has sampled. Next time I am going with an IPA, and maybe a few others.

They have a website for more information. Check them out, I know I will be there a few more times.