BEER! HONKEYTONKS! a “TOP SECRET PROJECT!”…and A Boy Named Sue on location in SMASHVILLE! Grab yer s#@tkickers from Robert’s Western World, pay homage to legendary Tootsie’s and raise (multiple) pints for this mashup beer review of some of Nashville’s best breweries as A Boy Named Sue toured around Nash-vegas checking out the beer scene.

(RELATED: A Boy Named Sue Wants You to Make a Pour Decision)

THE BELLY-UP GUIDE TO BEER: Chapter 6, Nashville Edition (On Location) by A Boy Named Sue

(Talking barley pop the way ya do when ya belly-up on a barstool.)

• BARLEY POP #6+: TRIPLE HOMESTYLE NE-Style Triple IPA (Bearded Iris Brewing – Nashville, TN)
• BELLE MEADE 42-MONTH NAVEL GAZER BBA Imp. Stout (New Heights Brewing – Nashville, TN)
• CHOCOLATE ALMOND DOUBLE-FILLED BLACKBERRY JELLY DONUT Sour (Southern Grist Brewing – Nashville, TN)

TRIPLE HOMESTYLE is the “put your big boy pants on” triple IPA version of Bearded Iris Brewing’s signature single IPA, HOMESTYLE, and it is absolutely fantastic on the taste buds.

The beer has a beautiful golden NE-style slight (SLIGHT) haze to it, yet the malt is oat driven, so the body drinks with a slight (SLIGHT) creaminess. You get a bunch of citrus juice–very juice bomb-y! Mosaic hops give it a zesty floral-berry fragrance and freshness on the palate. It’s dangerously good and easy to drink at 10% ABV…and that’s why you’ll enjoy one in a dainty and shapely stem glass.

Located in the hipster Germantown area (cool kids and converted industrial spaces), Bearded Iris has an awesome tasting room and these cool cats know how to make beer!

BELLE MEADE BOURBON 42-MONTH B.A.N.G. is a long-awaited BBA release of New Height Brewing’s signature NAVEL GAZER imperial stout.

As the very name suggests, B.A.N.G. is an imperial stout aged for 42-months in Belle Meade bourbon barrels (which aging that long in those good of barrels is as sick a Filip Forsberg lacrosse-style tuck from behind the net). Both leave you speechless, simply saying, “Wow,” to yourself.

The smell of bourbon hits you immediately as one lifts this gem to one’s yapper. Rich chocolate, roasty-toasty malt, a touch or raisin AND most importantly…bourbon baby…boozy, delicious bourbon that drowns the taste buds as the surprisingly lighter body slides down the gullet.

This beer is remarkably good and relatively easy to drink considering it’s a little over 13.5% ABV, though an enjoyer of this is definitely slow-sipping and savoring. Per past recos, take an initial sip from the goblet pour and then let this bad boy open up and come to room temperature to fully enjoy.

Located basically in the heart of Smashvile just south of downtown, these are good people that make great beers. It just so happens A Boy Named Sue learned about New Heights while having a beer at a local regs beer bar (stunner) and struck up a convo with their sales rep…a cool cat named “Johmny”…yep, you heard it right…Joh”m”ny. Upon visiting the brewery, it also just so happens A Boy Named Sue struck up a convo with the gal that runs the tap room, Katy, and guess what…the two of them happened to know about 20 of the same peeps from lives past.

Pucker up Buttercup!!! Because Southern Grist Brewing has “baked” up an absolute delight from their long-coveted SLAB SERIES. This mouth-watering and puckering sour ale: CHOCOLATED ALMOND DOUBLE FILLED BLACKBERY DONUT! Hunhhh… Whaaat… Come again?? Oh, you heard it right and the beer name speaks for itself.

This incredible innovation is undoubtedly the most creative and unique sour ale A Boy Named Sue has ever tarted his tongue with. The sour ale is made with actual blackberry puree, but then is conditioned (essentially finished) on literal chocolate chips, almonds and donuts. It’s got a medium thick and very slight creamy body (but no lactose in it…which is a nice twist) with a beautiful ruby red color. Tastes are simple, to the point: blackberry, tart sweetness, a bit “bready”…heck, it says it’s a jelly donut. That’s exactly what you bite err…drink in to.

At 5.5% ABV, one still enjoys this sour ale in a chalice glass, because, hey, it’s a sour and it’s F.A.F. (I’ll leave that one for my devoted followers to figure out.)

Southern Grist has 2 locations: one in The Nations (West Nashville) where I had this unicorn, and one in East (hipsterville) Nashville which I also checked out as I hit this amazing strip called Gallatin Pike for the hipstery-ist of cocktails and my boy Tim’s karaoke genius…but I digress. Both locales have super-cool tasting rooms. Both are worth finding and imbibing in.

BONUS POP: SUE Imperial Smoked Porter (Yazoo Brewing – a Nashville, TN original)

SUE. Yep. I mean, c’mon. SUE. Are we serious here?? Oh, yes we are. SUE!!! How could I possibly not…but all I’m gonna say is that Yazoo Brewing is a Nashville original and is the big boy that got the whole craft beer scene in Nashville rockin’ almost two decades ago.

And so, with out further ado…behold the namesake…I’ll let the beauty do the talkin’!

Sound familiar?!

There must be no way possible we’re not gonna finally have that Prost or Skol or Cheers…I’ll raise a Sue to me!… next time. It’s Round 7 time.