Cool Springs Wines & Spirits' Specialty Beer Cellar
BEER CELLAR FAST FACTS
Location
In a room directly to the left after you enter the store
What classifies a beer as "high-gravity"?
Beers above 6.2% alcohol
Number of unique beers in our cellar
Over 140 different options
Can I buy singles?
Yes, we encourage that so
you can taste test.
Discounts?
Available when you buy
4- or 6-packs of same beer (some exceptions apply)
CSWS Beer Specialists
Sean Lines
If you’ve been by the store recently, you may have visited our new beer cellar. We’re really excited about it over here at Cool Springs Wines & Spirits. As you walk in the store, just head directly to your left.
It’s currently located where Frank’s Value Cellar used to be. But don’t worry! Frank’s value wines are still located in that general location. The truth is that Frank’s Value Cellar outgrew that location and needed a little more room to spread its wings. The leftover space was perfect for a beer cellar.
Why a beer cellar? For those of you new to the interesting beer laws in Tennessee, it breaks down like this. To sell any beer above 6.2% alcohol, you must have a liquor license. Thus you can’t find many of the best beers available in grocery or regular beer stores. To get the best IPAs, seasonals, stouts, barley wines, meades, porters, Belgians, bocks, etc…you have to go to a bar or a liquor store like Cool Springs Wines & Spirits.
If you’re a beer lover, you must stop by and see our selection. It keeps getting bigger and brighter every day.
FEATURED BEERS
Updated June 14, 2010
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Chimay Premiere (Red Cap) Abbey Dubbel brewed at Scourmont Abbey in Balieux, Belgium
The Chimay beers are some of the most famous in the world, and because of their wide distribution, they are often the first high gravity brews that one might try at a bar. This is a good thing, because the Chimay products are easy to drink, but they still offer value and complexity.
Like the other five Trappist breweries, the Scourmont Abbey is maintained by actual Trappist monks and they only use protected well water from within the monastery grounds. They've been brewing beer (and making great cheese, by the way) since the mid-19th century, and the methods they use haven't really changed. In the case of beer, this is for the best--none of the Chimay beers are filtered or pasteurized and they undergo secondary fermentation within the bottle. Also, as with the other Trappist beers, a good chunk of the proceeds goes toward charitable works.
The Premiere version of Chimay is an Abbey Dubbel (as in double ingredients/double fermentation) and is a fine example of the style in a very approachable form. As expected in a dubbel, the focus is on the malt with lots of subtle yet complex fruit notes. The backbone is caramel/toffee (though not particularly sweet) accented by flavors and aromas reminiscent of banana, a touch of citrus fruit, and some red fruit, especially raisins. There is a subtle spiciness as well--maybe coriander and cloves. This is all held together with a bready flavor from the Belgian yeast and topped off with a mild but pleasant hoppy bitterness on the finish.
All together, this dubbel comes across as fairly light and easy-drinking for the style, but still offers plenty of robust Belgian flavor, so it's a good choice for high gravity newbies and connoiseurs alike.
Looking for the Best Selection of High Gravity Beers?
At Cool Springs Wines & Spirits, we always stock over 140 unique bottles of craft beers, all with a minimum alcohol content of 6.3%. For a detailed selection, click here, or link directly to one of these categories: