Get a jolt from a new Highland brew

Oct. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Thunderstruck Coffee Porter, the new winter seasonal from Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, NC, arrives in early November. This robust porter’s fine, roasted coffee flavor has hints of chocolate from the Chocolate and Midnight Wheat malts.  Subtle fruit and spice notes are derived from fair trade, organic coffee, roasted in neighboring Black Mountain, NC, by Dynamite Roasting Company. The partnership was easy – Dynamite is owned by one-time Highland brewer, Andy Gibbon.
Like Clawhammer, Little Hump, Cold Mountain and all other Highland seasonals, Thunderstruck is named after a prominent NC mountain peak. Every seasonal release is combined with a presentation in the brewery tasting room and a hike to the named peak (with the appropriate beer served at the top). Presentations have ranged from Claw Hammer-style music to an educational session on local cougars. Thunderstruck’s event may feature live owls, which are protected in the Thunderstruck Peak area. For all seasonal events and hikes, Highland partners with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The SAHC is one of the country’s oldest and most respected land trusts. They work to protect the Appalachians - the world’s oldest mountains - in NC and TN, including the unique plant and animal habitat, water, farmland and scenic beauty.
Thunderstruck Coffee Porter will be available in all seven states where Highland is distributed. Seasonals are Highland’s fastest growing brands. Two of 2011’s seasonal styles sold out a month early or more, despite 66% increases in production over 2010. This new beer adds to the annual Highland frenzy in November, as it will be released around the same time as the highly sought-after Cold Mountain Winter Ale.

For more on Highland Brewing: www.highlandbrewing.com
For more on Dynamite Roasting: www.dynamiteroasting.com
For more on SAHC: www.appalachian.org

Thunderstruck Coffee Porter Information
Grains: Briess Pale Malt, Briess Caramel 60, Briess Chocolate Malt, Briess Midnight Wheat, 1.5# Coffee/BBL
Original Gravity: 14.5 Plato
Hops: Chinook, Hallertau Mittlefrue, German Select
ABV 5.8%
IBU 26

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The first legal brewery in Asheville, NC, serving the Southeast with five year-round beer styles and numerous seasonal and one-off styles, all made fresh in the Blue Ridge Mountains.