New Nashville Favorites: Exclusive Taps at Butchertown Hall

Every new watering hole opening in Nashville touts its craft beer lineup. There are plenty of places around town that tap a rare keg or two. Standing out can be a tough proposition.In the rapidly changing Germantown neighborhood, Butchertown Hall has put a different spin on its beer offerings. Along with an intimidating number of craft taps, the new restaurant can boast its Private Selection, a series of Tennessee craft beers made specifically for Butchertown Hall.

I have not tasted them all (not sure if there’s a flight available, but there should be), but what I’ve tasted has been pretty special. If you’ve got time for one and feel like hops, go with Simcoe. Single-hop IPAs are still percolating as a trend but they are always worth seeking out. Jackelope’s Simcoe IPA uses the fragrant, piney hop exclusively, and a magnificent, drinkable hoppy beer emerged.

It isn’t the Private Selection's only palate challenger. Chattanooga Brewing’s Pepper Pils cries out for food pairing, and cry out you will if you tackle it solo. The pepper in question is the always-intense habanero, which fits surprisingly well with the clean, sharp hops and malts of a pilsner. For so intense a pepper burst, the habanero flavor does not linger as badly as I expected. The vegetable paella helped immensely.

Served in a chalice as a nod to its Belgian roots, Cool Springs Brewery Golden Ale provided a solid citrus-tropical fruit flavor with a dry, estery finish with hints of banana.

At first sniff, Blackstone Weizen Bock displays its sweet and smoky textures. The wheat malt imparts banana-clove-orange notes that mesh surprisingly well with the strong bock flavors like molasses and dates. Despite the Nashville heat, it was quite refreshing for a strong dark lager.

The Private Selection also includes Black Abbey’s oatmeal altbier, Czann’s dunkelweiss and Little Harpeth’s Bison Bock Vienna Lager. I’m sure I’ll catch up in future visits.

While the signature beers are a strong hook, the rest of Butchertown’s tap selection stands out for bold and sometimes rare choices. Anytime you can get Saison de Pipaix, grab a pour – it’s an otherworldly tart saison.

I went for Hitachino Nest Anbai Wheat. Japan's finest brewer makes a world-class white ale and an enticing ginger ale (the alcoholic kind). Anbai translates to “salty plum” and that hits the center of its flavor profile. A Japanese spin on the German gose style (salted, slightly sour wheat), Anbai Wheat has a flavor intensity beyond most gose ales. The use of Japanese green sour plums and sea salt kicks all the gose attributes up a few notches.

I cannot forget the food, since it is Butchertown's main attraction.  A la carte tacos are a delight – lamb, Portobello, pork or chicken all hit the mark. Don’t skip the street corn paired with sour cream and cilantro. From burgers to homemade sausages to the vegetable paella, it’s a solid menu with myriad food and drink pairings.

The extensive and exclusive taps draw beer lovers like myself, but Butchertown fosters a good atmosphere for quaffing a few craft beers over a taco or plate of something smoked.