Natty Greene's -- Southern Pale Ale

This Greensboro, North Carolina beer hits the mark. The idea was to showcase Cascade hops with the citrusy element marked by a touch of pine.

A bit darker than one might expect for a pale ale, there’s also more of a malty back story to the staging of the hops than one might expect in this style.

A few sips from the bottle or a glass tells you why Chris Lester and Kayne Fisher have grown their production brewery to 20,000 barrels a year since establishing Natty Greene’s in 2004 on the heels of their successful restaurant businesses.

And yes, indeed there was a General Nathanael Greene who chased the Redcoats out of the Carolinas during the Revolutionary War.

-- Jonathan Ingram