Imperial Gaelic Ale released Sunday in brew event of the year in Ashvegas

It was the beer event of the year in Ashvegas and no, it wasn’t the Brewgrass Festival. It was Sunday’s sale of an extremely limited number of bottles of beer produced by Highland Brewing Co.

Highland brewed the beer to say farewell to its revered beer-making operation on Biltmore Avenue, a location that seemed to imbue the beer brewed there with magical qualities. OK, that’s over the top, but Highland holds a special place in our heart because the brewery and its owner, Oscar Wong, have put Ashvegas on the map when it comes to hand-crafted beer.

So on a gray and rainy Sunday morning, 300 to 400 people stood in line shortly before noon at Highland’s warehouse and brewing location in east Ashvegas. A feeling of tired excitement (tired because most folks had been partying at Brewgrass all day Saturday) filled the air as people clutched the $60 they prepard to hand over for the drink.

The crowd listened intently as Oscar spoke. He thanked the crowd for support of his product, and said he was offering the Imperial Gaelic Ale at $10 a liter bottle for them, the loyal beer-drinking public. The crowd cheered and applauded.

Oscar, flanked by family members and co-workers, bought the first six bottles of IGA. Tony Kiss, the Citizen-Times columnist known as The Beer Guy was second, and the crowd followed.

People were only allowed to buy six bottles. The sale was scheduled to go on until 5 p.m., but we feel certain the IGA sold out well before that time.

Here’s what the Beer Guy said about the nectar:

Created by Highland brewer Paul Rollow, it’s been in the tanks for months now, carefully aging, taking on its unique flavor.
The beer is potent – 8.7 percent alcohol, with big hoppy notes. It’s a sipping beer, not for guzzling. But it’s so limited, so precious that you won’t want to waste it. Only a small amount was made, much less than Highland’s popular Cold Mountain winter ale, which until now, has been the most sought-after beer made in Asheville. … Having tasted it, we declare Highland IGA the best beer that’s been made in Asheville.

We think declaring it the best beer ever made in Ashvegas hits a little over the top. It’s unique and hoppy, with a butterscotch end. Good, yes. Best ever? Not quite. But you won’t know unless you got your bottles on a rainy Sunday afternoon.