About
Highland Brewing was founded in 1994 by retired engineer and entrepreneur Oscar Wong, establishing it as the pioneer of Asheville, NC’s booming craft beer industry. With a portfolio that is equal parts established and inventive, Highland is known for consistently excellent beer. Proudly regional, Highland is distributed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Kentucky. Highland is the largest independent family-owned brewery born in the Southeast, with the third largest solar array in an American craft brewery. The brewery is in a rehabilitated manufacturing facility on a hilltop, affording space for thousands of visitors to enjoy limited release beers, tours, and live music. In addition, the event center and rooftop can be reserved for private events. Since 2015, the company has been led by Wong’s daughter, Leah Wong Ashburn, and has 50 full-time employees.
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle at Bob’s Bar during "Extravaganza!" on 02/27/2016. The beer is a clear amber-orange color with a medium foamy white head that recedes steadily to a film. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of malt, spice and banana. Medium body with flavors of caramel malt, banana and cloves. The finish is sweet with a malty aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Mar 2016
at 12:31
7/10
Tried
on 01 Mar 2016
at 18:55
6/10
Tried
on 28 Feb 2016
at 13:45
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
On draught at Liberty Tavern. The beer is a clear reddish-orange color with a medium off-white head that diminishes steadily to an outer ring. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of hops, fruit and rye. Light to medium body with flavors of fruity hops, earthy malt and mildly spicy rye. The finish is moderately bitter with a rye and hops aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Draft
at
Liberty Tavern
on 22 Feb 2016
at 22:12
8/10
Tried
on 13 Feb 2016
at 13:22
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 oz. bottle into a tulip Bottle filled 12/30/15 A: Pours clear pale copper gold with an inch of pillowy foam. Average retention and lacing. Good amount of visible carbonation seen in bunches. S: Sweet orange/tangerine on the nose along with a whiff of sweet bread dough or caramel. Light but nice T: Bitter citrus flavors hit 1st followed by some citrus fruitiness. Not much pine. Dry toasted bread at the back. Pretty good. M: Well carbonated but soft on the mouth. Not too heavy or boozy. Light body for the strength. Medium short finish is bitter but clean and fairly dry. O: Impressive if unimposing in each aspect, this is now my 2nd favorite Highland beer to Gaelic Ale. A bit strong for my tastes but the price is nice too so I can see myself buying this again. A winner!
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Jan 2016
at 17:10
5.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 4
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
22 oz. bomber filled 12/16/2015 (!) Pilsner glass A: Deep cloudy orange brown with a thick, slowly diminishing head of beige. and thick lace. S: Raisiny smell is an immediate turnoff for me. Not an IPA scent T: Bitter sharp hop taste first off. Earthy or floral? Roasty malts provide a good foil. No dark fruit taste (yay). M: Smooth and creamy texture with medium body. Finish is slick and bitter. O: Good looking and tasting ale though seems to be a niche product. Hate the RIS-like aroma but the taste is good and plenty bitter. Not bad but not a repeat purchase either.
Tried
on 02 Jan 2016
at 17:56
7/10
Tried
on 27 Dec 2015
at 19:15
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draft. Deep amber body with a frothy, beige head. Spicy aroma of cinnamon, all-spice, bread, toasted grain, caramel. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes lightly to moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Aftertaste of spice and a bit of paper.
Tried
from Draft
on 18 Dec 2015
at 11:20
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Total Wines, Sterling, VA. Dark brown with a decent, beige, head. Rich coffee bean aroma and taste, avoiding any jarring bitterness. Also had some plain chocolate and a trace of leafy hop, before a dryish finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Dec 2015
at 03:41