Thanks to big beer companies, most beer drinkers these days think of breweries as these laborious factories that churn out pillars of steam (and terrible beer). Thankfully, the craft beer movement is slowly dispelling this unfortunate myth. Breweries have become gathering places for friends and family. There are few greater things in life than drinking quality beer among close friends at a great local brewery. Throw in some delicious street vendor food and you have the Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC. It’s a gathering place for better beer fans. To Fullsteam, it’s about more than just the beer. It’s also about the environment you enjoy it in. This is why I can’t help myself when I hear about their various events. I recently attended a local tap takeover where regional breweries came in to showcase their beers... at Fullsteam. Oh, it gets better. A portion of the proceeds were donated to NCBrew2U, a new organization dedicated to promoting craft beer in NC. This is the kind of support and camaraderie you find in the craft beer world. It’s a beautiful thing. During the event, I was lucky enough to get my hands on Fullsteam’s One Hop Rye IPA.

In the glass, this beer has a thick and hazy deep orange appearance. It comes with a frothy white head that dissipates fairly quickly. The aroma consisted of an earthy citrus resting atop a malty sweet caramel. As rich as this beer looked, the smell was surprisingly crisp and clean. This is also the first time I’ve had a one-on-one experience with the Apollo hop variety, the ''one'' hop used to brew this beer. Needless to say, I was quite intrigued.

The first sip was a burst of rich orange citrus, so much so that you think you’re drinking fresh squeezed orange juice for a split second. Those Apollo hops emerge in the middle ground as a crisp sting, adding a savory counterweight to the sweetness. There was no mistaking the malty rye base, which provided even further balance through a rich bready tone. The mouthfeel resides firmly in the mid-body area and is quite smooth for an IPA. The finish is very clean and tappers off with a lightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall, Fullsteam’s One Hop Rye IPA is a delightful brew that I can recommend to any and all beer fans. It’s deliberately simplified style provides seasoned palates with a purist study of the Apollo hop. On the same note, One Hop’s easy drinking nature provides novices with a flavorful intro into the IPA style. Enjoying this beer makes me wish that there were more flavorful yet accessible IPAs on the market. Fullsteam has crafted a fabulous session IPA for the hot summer months, so I hope they don’t mind me planting a BrewChief flag on one of their bar stools.