To be honest, I’ve never really been much of a fan of Whole Foods. The prices are exorbitant and they tend to only be located in the richest areas of any major city. However, the one thing I can get behind is the commitment they have to craft beer; more importantly, they seem to have a commitment to local craft beer at many of their in-store bars.
While celebrating Thanksgiving with my in-laws near The Woodlands, we figured a short drive over to Whole Foods Market in The Woodlands would be a nice respite from the errand-running we were doing. I enjoy the fact they list their on-tap items on Taphunter since it makes my decision to visit that much easier if there is something I really want to enjoy.
When we went, they had recently done a 11 Below Brewing tap takeover event and still had several of the brews still available. Before we headed down there, I saw they had 2015 Negative Space, which I remembered to be a solid imperial stout. Aged one year, it still did not disappoint and I couldn’t have been happier. The cocoa flavor seemed to mellow a bit, but I tasted the cinnamon spice more in this batch. I just wished it was served in a snifter to enjoy it more as it warmed. Glassware aside, the flavor was top notch.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t spend too much time there because our errand duty called, but I figured a nice Live Oak Smoaktoberfest would be a perfect finisher. Live Oak takes their traditional Oaktoberfest fall lager and offers a smoked version that provides the smokiness of a rauchbier, but a smooth balance of a lager. This beer is unique and delicious. I feel as though it would be a perfect beer to pair with smoked turkey, which means next time, I will have a plate of it in front of me while enjoying this beer.
I can’t neglect to mention the wonderful bomber selection that was there including several Jester King brews and some Texas favorites. The commitment that this Whole Foods Market has to Texas craft beer is something that can’t be denied, which means I’ll probably make a visit the next time I’m in the area.