I typically do not spend too much time writing about commercial beer, but every once in a while I will make an exception to that rule for particularly interesting beers and events.

I am currently in Raleigh, North Carolina for the 2015 Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference, an annual event that invites the greatest beer writers and hottest breweries from around the country to drink, share stories, and drink some more. I attended last year when it was in San Diego, but I am especially excited to be attending again in NC because 1) I have never been to North Carolina and 2) the beer scene is blowing up around here. The event itself is in Asheville where local favorites like Green Man Brewing and Wicked Weed mingle with newly planted facilities from western giants like Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada, an exciting mix of truly local and the pioneers of craft brewing.

As part of the Beer Bloggers Conference experience I had the opportunity to go on a pre-conference excursion to the breweries of Raleigh led by excellent hosts from visitRaleigh and Beltline Brew Tours. My general impression is that Raleigh is on the cusp of becoming a booming beer city and the breweries we visited will be bursting at the seems before too long. Interesting to note the breweries and consumers in Raleigh have a keen fondness for classic styles, something I wish San Diego brewers would pay more attention to (one can only have so many mega-dank IPAs). All-in-all some great beers were had and I left wishing Raleigh was not so far away!

Read on for the details.

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