There I was in Atlanta at the magnificent new New Realm Brewery, getting ready for the next leg of my pub crawl. Where to next? I had started out at Abbey of The Holy Goats in Roswell, then made it to New Realm, all via Lyft, and I was looking for a ride to my next brewery. I figured I should start heading back north to Canton, and since I was long overdue for a visit to Burnt Hickory in Kennesaw, that was my next target.
There was only one problem: to go the roughly 27 miles currently, Lyft was getting $75 fare (it was St. Patrick’s Day, and Lyft prices go up with demand). I waited a bit and got a much more reasonable $32. With a $5 tip, that would make the amount spent so far on my pub crawl to $92. Not bad at all to get around care-free!
I arrived at Burnt Hickory around 6:30 PM, and they were quite busy. I didn’t know it, but they were celebrating ShamRock and Roll Over. Stout It Out Loud 2, A Kiss themed St. Patrick’s Day party with a number of great beers pouring.
Beer two was a half pour (but a generous one) of Shanty O, a variant on Big Shanty Graham Cracker Stout. Shanty O is Big Shanty with Irish Cream, and seems to be brewery only (I see but 11 check ins on Untappd.
Like Big Shanty, this is a 9% ABV beer and I paid $5 for my more than half pour.
My glass of Shanty O Imperial Graham Cracker Stout with Irish Cream was jet black in color with a minimal head and a minty creamy Baileys like nose. Taking a sip the beer was smooth and gently roasty, with light graham Cracker goodness. It's nigh phenolic, and ends with more creamy notes and a minty warm alcohol finish. Yeah baby!!!! Perfect beer for St. Patrick's Day.
The Burnt Hickory brewery is worth a visit in an off the beaten bath retail plaza. The brewery itself is in the back, with a cozy tasting room bedecked with an eclectic array of music and movie memorabilia. When I arrived, folks were enjoying a brew inside and out front, hanging out in the back, and crowding around the tap station for another beer. Music videos were being projected onto a screen with the tunes streaming from nearby speakers.
A fun time was had by all……
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft