Sunday, March 22, 2026
Deep Thoughts #353
You know how you can tell your local coffee shop is awesome? The song playing on the overhead speakers when you walk in is “Down in a Hole”.
Friday, March 20, 2026
632. Gatlinburg Brewing Company (Gatlinburg, TN) - Breakfast Juice
“Tropical fruit flavors and aromas are complimented [sic] with a pillowy mouthfeel in this interpretation of a New England IPA.”
The beers I tried in the taproom were much better than this one out of a can; I genuinely can’t come up with anything to say about this beer. Yes, there is fruit there; but it tastes more like stone fruit than tropical fruit to me, though whatever that flavor might be is light. That said, I maintain a species of affection for it, because the Gatlinburg outpost of this company is a very lovely place to sit and have a drink. We went twice, sat at the same table both times, and were both dismayed and amused by the fact that there was a Trump Store across the street. I was a tiny bit disappointed with the pizza, but the service was exceptional. If you go, ask for Rachel.
The beers I tried in the taproom were much better than this one out of a can; I genuinely can’t come up with anything to say about this beer. Yes, there is fruit there; but it tastes more like stone fruit than tropical fruit to me, though whatever that flavor might be is light. That said, I maintain a species of affection for it, because the Gatlinburg outpost of this company is a very lovely place to sit and have a drink. We went twice, sat at the same table both times, and were both dismayed and amused by the fact that there was a Trump Store across the street. I was a tiny bit disappointed with the pizza, but the service was exceptional. If you go, ask for Rachel.
631. Smoky Mountain Brewery (Gatlinburg, TN) - IPA
“A west coast American IPA. Small amounts of honey malt and biscuit malt balance beautifully with loads of late-addition aroma hops.”
I got a six-pack of these to go and was unimpressed with the three I had while we were still in Gatlinburg. However…the one I’m having at home right now, poured into the frosted mug, has a strong bready aroma on the nose, a much smoother finish, and a hint of honey on the back end. It’s so much more interesting than I originally thought that I almost wish I had tried one on tap while we were in Gatlinburg. (But not really. Some of the other Smoky Mountain Brewery beers I tried were just straight up bad. I would say that you shall hear, except that I only had one each of the other four I tried; those were all in the restaurants; and I didn’t make notes about any of them. Journalistic ineptitude strikes again!)
I got a six-pack of these to go and was unimpressed with the three I had while we were still in Gatlinburg. However…the one I’m having at home right now, poured into the frosted mug, has a strong bready aroma on the nose, a much smoother finish, and a hint of honey on the back end. It’s so much more interesting than I originally thought that I almost wish I had tried one on tap while we were in Gatlinburg. (But not really. Some of the other Smoky Mountain Brewery beers I tried were just straight up bad. I would say that you shall hear, except that I only had one each of the other four I tried; those were all in the restaurants; and I didn’t make notes about any of them. Journalistic ineptitude strikes again!)
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