Fabled Brew Works
Sitting tucked away off the main roads in a tiny strip mall in Erlanger, KY you will find (in my humble opinion) one of the finest breweries I have yet to visit. I do not say this lightly and the opinion is not because it is impressive in size or because of some amazing design of the building. This opinion is simply because the beers they are making are absolutely stellar! (and isn’t that the main reason you want to go to a brewery?)
The inside of the place is dedicated to a fables theme. The décor makes me feel a bit like I am at Harry Potter world (a cheaper version for sure but still). Clouds on the ceiling with lights installed within them to act like lighting, building facades that look like something from a fantasy world and wood furniture (actually made by hand by some of the breweries owners) everywhere. The space is small but very cute and comfortable done. I also liked that the noise level was much softer than most breweries I have been too (which can be challenging at times). Excluding the bags of chips for sale behind the bar, there is no food but you are welcome to bring food in if you wish. There is even a small patio in front that extends into the parking area.
We sampled a number of their brews and I was impressed with all of them. We begin with the Paul Bunyan Lager, which is referred to a s a great American lager (ABV 5%). Essentially your standard beer style, I was not expecting anything to write home about, but boy was I wrong. Very clear in the glass with a slight citrus nose, this beer impressed me with slight citrus notes over a light bready body. A truly inspired “basic” beer. Next was the Last Call of Cthulu, which is a German pilsner (ABV 5%). Again, not expecting a whole lot but was treated with a delicious brew that was similar to the Paul Bunyan but with more noticeable notes of citrus and bread and a nice hop profile. Very nice pilsner. The Kraken, Mexican lager was next (ABV 5.3%). Bright, clear yellow appearance with a wonderfully light and refreshing lime taste to it. The last one in Mrs. Bacchanalians flight was the Merliner Weisse brewed with mango, guava and passionfruit (ABV 5.3%). With a dense orange appearance and a nice fruity nose, this beer was very yummy with loads of mango and guava flavors. I do not always enjoy the beers she tends to gravitate towards, however in this instance I would have been very satisfied to have had just these four beers alone.
My flight began with the Kokiri Forest, NEIPA (ABV 7.2%). Nice and hazy appearance with a tropical nose and flavors that were equally tropical and a nice hoppy bite at the end. Delicious. Next was the Jimmy Squarefoot, Double NEIPA (ABV 8%). Slightly more dense that the Kokiri with a nose that was also tropical if a bit sweeter. The mouthfeel was very creamy and there were hints of vanilla. Wow, great beer. Next I sampled the Treebeard vanilla milkshake IPA (ABV 6.8%). Very dense and thick with a dark orange/yellow color. Excellent mouthfeel with a great vanilla flavor without it being overwhelming. It can be easy to let the vanilla become overwhelming but they did a perfect job of keeping it present without it over powering the brew. My last sample was the Jambee Juice, pineapple, banana, orange smoothie sour (ABV8%). That flavor profile will draw me in every time. Dense and thick with a lovely golden yellow color and a wonderfully fruity nose. The flavors come bursting out at you with that banana coating the mouth as the pineapple and orange light up your taste buds. Completely killer! After all of this wonderfulness I had to have one more so I opted for a 10oz pour of the IPA of the Beholder, creamsicle Milkshake IPA (ABV 6.8%). OMG! Dense, thick, creamy goodness with really great creamsicle flavor. So glad I went back for this one.
Even after all of those samples, both of us were left wondering about what we had missed out on. So we both decide to come back the following week to sample the rest of what they have to offer. This place has already made it to the top of my list as one of the best breweries in this area. With the quantity of breweries we have in this area that is no easy task. Highly, highly recommend this for all of you.
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