My first visit to Hoppy Trout Brewing Company, and it all started because my wife forgot her sweater. It's true! We had just arrived at Harrah's Cherokee Valley Rivere casino for a few days of fun, and my wife found it cold there. She searched our luggage for her sweater, but found she had forgotten to pack it, so we were back on the road to Walmart (right down the street). As we approached the main highway, she noticed a sign for Hoppy Trout Brewing Company.
Normally I go to downtown Murphy to visit Valley River Brewery, but they are closed on Wednesdays. Buck Bald has a location there too, and I ended up dropping by there next day for some beers to take home. Hoppy Trout is about 13 miles distant in Andrews, well withing striking range, The wife pulled up their website on her phone and told me they had a sweet potato beer-done deal! I was soon on my way.
I got a sampler of six beers, one of which was from another brewery (guest tap). Yamma Ray was the first sample I tried.
I chose to forego the marshmallow and cinnamon sugar, wanting to taste the beer in pure form. Next time I visit, though I will get a full glass and have it with those accoutrements. I will also bring a growler and get a fill. The bartender told me this was a seasonal beer, but that it was so popular they added it year-round by popular demand. I can see why.
NOTE: For some reason most of my pictures inside the brewery are blurry, I may have had a finger over one of the lenses, though thankfully the pictures of the beers came out just fine.
About Hoppy Trout Brewery
At Hoppy Trout Brewing Company, we are passionate about creating a customer experience, and crafting high-quality pizza and beer. It's been a labor of love, and every step has been about creating an experience that makes you, our customer, feel like part of the Hoppy Trout family- whether it's through sharing a pint, laughing over trivia, or enjoying music. We absolutely couldn't have come this far without your support, and we're excited to continue and share the adventure with you.
Tasting Notes
My taster glass of Hoppy Trout Yamma Ray arrived a slightly hazy orange color and was just about the hue of a sweet potato. There was only a film of head and The beer offered vegetal sweet potato and spice in the nose, then big sweet potato aroma and flavor in the medium body. Sweet brown sugar was next, then cinnamon, nutmeg ginger into the dry spice finish.
Value & Verdict
I paid $3.50 for a 5-ounce sample; a pint was running $7.
Sweet potato pie in a glass, that’s the best description for this beer. I will definitely be back for more.
