All right, for all of you who follow us on the socials, y'all know we spent a couple of days doing a wintery roadtrip through the interior. We did it for YOU! We did it to chase down some amazing breweries and the amber gold they're sharing with the world.
This was a three day adventure, and we left the Shuswap (not in the beer truck, obvi) in a light flurry to head into one of my favorite towns in all of BC: Nelson.
Why do we love Nelson? It's charming, friendly, small, and inviting! If you can make the trek there in the winter, you'll enjoy hittin the slopes at Whitewater, takin in some fabulous downtown shopping, eating at chic bistros and diving into one of the THREE local breweries.
Today we're taking you to Nelson Brewing Company!
Walk up the hill, and you'll find NBC tucked in a heritage commercial space. The tasting room is deceptively quaint: their brewery facilities are massive! After a long drive through wintery weather, we were stoked to arrive at NBC and be greeted by Tara, the resident Tasting Room Manager. We always sit at the bar when we can, and this was no different. We felt right at home with Tara running the taps, who was inviting, ridiculously knowledgeable and a fabulous conversationalist.
The tasting room is quaint and welcoming: this is a local's haunt! During our visit, several folks made their way in to fill up growlers, and grab a flight after a day on the slopes.
We each sat down to flights dominated by small batch beers. Unfortunately,
NBC's licensing meant we had to choose wisely: we could only sit and enjoy a flight each and not more. This might have been the toughest decision of the day: this organic brewery (one of only a handful in Canada) prioritizes real ingredients (you won't find much in the way of artificial flavoring here).
Overall, this brewery did not disappoint. Know when you can taste passion?
We enjoyed the easy sipper that is their Hooligan Pilsner (ABV 5% IBU 24)- it's the kind of beer we would recommend to hosts for an easy breezy, light drinker in the summertime!
We were also taken with the Oso Coffee Stout (ABV 5.5% IBU 29), which features coffee from the local roastery, located in the same building. Frankly, we love that NBC takes the time to showcase Nelson's local fares. We have previously talked about their ESB on our Insta feed, which features local tea and a bad-ass can design!
Ok, now on to the part y'all have been waiting for! Our picks from the day.
Rob's Pick: Chocolate Imperial Stout (ABV 5.5% IBU 40)
Rich, creamy and all the things you want a stout to be! Also of note? It tastes like RICH, REAL chocolate. Ever had one of those "chocolate" stouts that tastes, like...well, it's made from the chocolate of waxy Easter Bunnies? Not this one! This bad boy is a small batch...so you're gonna hafta take our word for it or take a field trip (recommended option).
Jody's Pick: Spruce'n It Up Spruce Ale (ABV 5% IBU 24)
All right, it's true - I haven't had many "pine-y" beers that I've liked. But I really took to this brew! Subtle, natural - it just kinda tasted like being outside and drinking beer to me. Again, this is a small batch. So really, we're telling you to suck it up and GO!
Bar Pick: Power Leopard IPA (ABV 6.9% IBU 37) & Faceplant Winter Ale (ABV 6% & IBU 19)
We let Tara sneak in an extra recommendation on this one - in the spirit of the holidays and all that! Besides, we could hardly argue with her choices. Truthfully, I'm a sucker for a great IPA (y'all mighta noticed that from previous brewery posts), and the Power Leopard is a beauty: crisp, fresh, delicious. Bonus? They recently posted on their Insta feed that it's coming to liquor stores...we're SQUEALING with delight! And honestly, we can't get enough of the Faceplant Winter Ale this time of year, and we love that our friends at Blind Bay Village Grocer carry it on their shelves.
NBC - Nelson Brewing Company
512 Latimer St, Nelson BC
Website: https://nelsonbrewing.com/
For Beer Geeks, Untappd: https://untappd.com/NelsonBrewingCompany
We wanna hear from you? Got a beer you wanna see featured on Thirsty Thursday, or a brewery we GOTTA visit? Email us cheers@thetappedtruck.com
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