When the Mahoning Valley Flight Crew was invited to participate in Barrel 33’s December beer dinner, were immediately intrigued.

When we found out the pairing partner was North High Brewing out of Columbus, we hopped at the opportunity.

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Barrel 33 is an outstanding outlet for craft beer lovers located in the Howland Plaza in Warren. Owned by Brian Fry, who also reviews wine for The Vindicator, this venue hosts monthly beer tastes and always has a wonderful selection of craft beers on tap and in bottles.

North High Brewing is one of the fastest-growing Ohio breweries, and for good reason. Its staples like its Pale Ale and IPA are award winning. And its seasonals, like Grapefruit Walleye and Stardust, are good enough to make you wish the in-between months away.

Best of all, Valley native Tim Ward is a partner in the brewery, which is trying to make a bigger impact on the Mahoning Valley craft beer scene.

Watch for the Flight Crew’s full review of North High beers coming January 9. And keep an eye out for details about Barrel 33’s January beer sampling with Warren’s Clubhouse Brewing.

In the meantime, here’s what Flight Crew members had to say about our delectable December delicacies:

Roger Gillespie Mr. Fahrenheit IPA (7.2% ABV) “I’ve been considered by my children to be the Grand Master of the grilled cheese sandwich. But now, I must humbly bow down. The presentation was a treat for the eyes and the taste just simply left me wanting more. A waffle iron beer cheese sandwich resting in a bowl of soft beer cheese. A dip, a bite and a sip of the excellent Mr. Fahrenheit IPA. Mr. F. is a fairly hazy New England style bold IPA with a fluffy off-white head. For me, this was the best pairing of the evening.”

Jason Jugenheimer Old Man McNasty Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout (Pub Exclusive, 10+% ABV) “Two things I generally do not always gravitate toward are super-rich desserts and Barrel-Aged beers ... that may change if I can get more pairings like this. Molasses bread pudding, with rich and roasted flavors, drizzled on top and below with a delectable dark caramel sauce is enough to put you in a dessert coma. But ... when you take an awesome 9 percent Russian Imperial Stout like Filthy McNasty, barrel age it in OYO barrels and create Old Man McNasty at 10+% to pair it with that dessert ... you get pure dessert bliss (I may have even snagged some off a fellow Flight Crew member’s plate). My only regret, and perhaps it’s a good thing, is that Old Man McNasty is a pub-exclusive beer generally only available in small quantities in Columbus.”

Brian Long Break On Through Double IPA (8% ABV) “In need of a little Hop intake? North High’s Break on Through DIPA is a crushable 8 percent. This beer is greatly balanced with a nice malt foundation and is super clean THROUGHout. Now, take that beer and put it in the hands a of Barrel 33’s chefs. The chicken was brined in this very beer, and then breaded in a wheat flour and yes, HOPS. The smell of the hop breading was simply amazing, and was one of the juiciest, most flavorful pieces of chicken I’ve eaten ... some of us damn near ate the bones.”

Joe Sanfilippo Blackberry Shandy (Pub Exclusive) “What a wonderful way to start off the evening … the pairing of the Blackberry Shandy with the Braised Pork Shoulder Slider. This slider was mixed with blackberry chipotle BBQ sauce. What an amazing combination. The Shandy pulls all flavors out of this BBQ sauce. It was also topped with the house-made quick pickles.”

Dave Shively Tree Tapper Maple American Brown Ale (6.2% ABV) “The presentation could not have been more simple. A long, skinny, rectangular plate, containing three nacho chips garnished with toppings, paired with a six-ounce glass of a dark Brown Ale, was placed before me. What happened next was anything but ordinary. The food pairing of Barbacoa Guajillo Nachos with North High’s Tree Tapper Maple American Brown Ale was, by far, the most complex combo of the evening.

“Each nacho was exquisitely topped with slow-cooked lamb, covered with fresh guajillo salsa, then topped with shredded pepper jack cheese and a splash of fresh lime juice.

“The spiciness of the Mexican guajillo chile peppers, had my palate looking for a way to calm the heat, and the nutty brown smoothness of the American brown ale was just the perfect extinguisher. The beer, with an ABV of 6.2 percent, is a fall seasonal for North High Brewing, and the addition of locally made Ohio maple syrup gave this heavy but smooth chocolate ale a sweetness, which left me wanting more! More nachos and beer that is.”

Recommended Flight Pattern: Navigate toward Barrel 33 and swoop in to pick up some North High brews any chance you get.

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