Country Boy Brewing

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.44/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

I love the aesthetics, deer heads with tiaras, grungy floors and walls, hole in the wall feeling. 25 taps, 13 originals and a ton of oddball charm, Country boy was a ton of fun. The crowd was eclectic, 70 year old next to 20 something's, a low hum of voices and no volume on the tv, thank God, I was in a Bliss.

I had a bad experience one my first go around but have been back several times since. The quality of the beers is top notch and these guys don't mind to buck convention. Knotty Pine is phenomenal and RX Strength barrel aged Stout is amongst the greatest beers I've ever had.

11-18-2012 01:22:42 | More by KYGunner

KerryCummins1977

Kentucky

4.94/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Country Boy is the place you need to try if you're ever around Lexington. When you walk in, Country Boy is a very plain, block walled room. You're attention is quickly drawn from the block walls to the many drafts they have behind the bar. Two big chalk boards border a large TV screen, and the boards display all the brews currently on tap as well as the cost and the APV. Country Boy offers many craft brews of their own as well as a few others on tap from around the region. The staff is more than happy to let you sample any brew you like, and you won't be disappointed with any flight combination you come up with. Take home a howler or a growler and you won't be upset. I took home a growler lof their Wheat/Raspberry last weekend and it only lasted a day. They don't offer any food, but they do have a lunch truck right outside the door and a list of several places in Lexington that deliver to Country Boy. This is a nice touch and combines any meal you want with a wide selection of brews. Try Country Boy, thank me later.

05-15-2013 00:37:38 | More by KerryCummins1977

BeermaGeddon13

4.59/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25 | $

While pomp and circumstance maybe more focused on its bigger brethren like West 6th, BBC, or Against the Grain, the country boys down on Chair Avenue more than make up with an outstanding, eccletic selection of local brews mostly inspired by the owners' days as up and coming home brewers. From an IPA in Cliffjumper, that's as good as any on the market to pappy van winkle aged Papaw's Red..each and every recipe exudes the care and respect of the process of brewing. Bonus points go to these guys for taking a creative leap and peppering some beers with heat and others with the warm spice of winter. quality, care, freshness, combined with a friendly knowledgable staff make this place a cant miss visit for any beer lover

01-24-2013 21:36:12 | More by BeermaGeddon13

Jameshoward2223

4.46/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75 | $$

I just moved to Lexington from Louisville and decided to try this place out over the weekend.I was impressed to say the least. Seems to be good people. the selection was great and price was reasonable also. I will be glad to return. somewhat small place, but i'd say that's a good thing.

01-15-2013 00:27:04 | More by Jameshoward2223

mwar

Kentucky

4.16/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Hidden Gem...Literally, you have to know where you are going. Worth the search! Friendly people, good beer, I had the Chicken Brown Ale. Nice mix of people. We were their early on a Thursday and the place was half full. No food service, though they have a "taco truck" just outside the entrance.

Brew pubs are relatively new to Lexington, this is one of the first, and should stand the "test of time".

Nothing fancy or pretentious, my kind of place! This 500 minimum character rule is difficult for those of us not so wordy!

12-02-2012 23:19:50 | More by mwar

RedSpecial1

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visiting Lexington for an interview, and decided to stop by for a flight and some food. The atmosphere is very laid back with the walls being bare cinder blocks, and some beer signs hanging. Bartenders were good about taking your orders and making suggestions. There was a very large selection both from the brewery itself and other logical breweries. I had a flight with a hose, a dipa, a barrel aged imperial red, and a jalapeno beer. All were quite good. There was a good truck out front that specialized in French food so I had a cassoulet that was delicious. I would definitely come here again.

11-30-2012 02:11:34 | More by RedSpecial1

DCon

Missouri

4.48/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Came here after friends from both Mellow Mushroom and Beer Trappe suggested I stop by for a beer. Ended up enjoying MANY beers here! When the price is right and the beers tapping are "can't pass up", it makes for an enjoyable evening at a BrewPub. Here are a few other things I found:

Walking into "darkness" a low-lit, completely wooden brewery bar is upon us. Two chalk boards make up the tap lists and all of the tap handles are wooden. They definitely had a country/farm theme going on. I think I also caught a glimpse of a bourbon barrel sitting to age in the corner of the room with chairs protecting it?

All beers were served in the correct style of glassware with extra care being taken to make sure they were clean. Bar was clean as well and felt like I was sitting in a home if living out in a Kentucky farm.

Service couldn't have been any better! One man (one of the owners) ran the show and did a great job. Not only was he able to keep multiple conversations going with all of the guests, no one had a close to empty glass or looking for another round. That was talent.

Selection blew me out of the water as well! With their 12+ beers they had to offer being wide variety for styles, they had Guest taps including Against the Grain, Three Floyds, Bells, and many others.

Would definitely recommend for anyone coming into Lexington! One of my favorites of the city.

08-17-2012 23:03:24 | More by DCon

GJ40

North Carolina

4.06/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

My wife and I stopped by the tap room while staying at a hotel nearby.

The building is by UK but tucked out of the way in an industrial area. The interior is simple but has a nice feel to it. I think they did a great job balancing costs and comfort. The bar provides a great foundation to the room with a corrugated steel front and a heavy butcher block top.

The selection was fantastic. They had about 24 on tap with 12 of their own and 12 guests. We had their Fulcan-A IPA, their Cliff Jumper IPA, Three Floyds Alpha King and Cumberland Citra IPA. They were all good.

Country Boy has a great tap room, a cool logo and some good beer. I think these guys are really onto something.

07-06-2012 11:58:23 | More by GJ40

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.14/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

A: Country Boy Brewing, located in a renovated industrial space adjacent to Gordon's Steel Co. on Chair Ave., has an odd, unique atmosphere that perfectly fits its locale. The gritty setting of the structure meshes well with the simple, rustic interior, effortlessly merging urban and rural. The simple space is filled with dark wood tables and chairs. Beers available are announced by a series of chalkboards scattered about the room. A lone wide-screen television hangs above the bar, and is usually tuned into a sports network. A jukebox sits in the corner. One of the brewers works the bar, while other brewhouse employees zip in and out.

Q: Country Boy Brewing specializes in local and regional brews, of course, with an emphasis on its own products. The beers offered are typically local and regional, all coming from within a day's drive of Lexington. In addition to a respectable number of Country Boy's own high quality offerings, regional favorites from Alltech's Lexington Brewing, Schlafly, Bell's, and Great Lakes are almost always on-tap. The beers selected always represent a mixture of local and regional favorites, as well as limited specialty offerings, and the quality of each selection is always extremely high.

S: The service is prompt and discreet, and always extremely courteous and friendly. The guy behind the bar is always willing to banter with customers, answer questions, and make recommendations. If you go in on a slow day, expect to be asked for your opinion on whatever you're drinking. The laid-back, good-natured attitude that permeates this clean, austere space makes it a great place to spend an afternoon or evening.

S: As mentioned earlier, Country Boy Brewing presents a a number of local and regional options, with an understandable emphasis on the brewery's own products. If I recall correctly, there are twenty four taps in the taproom, with most of them being dedicated to the brewery's specialties. Some may find that a bit limiting, but honestly, the brewery's range is so diverse that if one can't find what one is looking for, then one is far too picky.

F: Food is not available at the taproom, but it is my understanding that you can bring food in with you or order in (the taproom features a chalkboard with a number of options for delivery).

O: Spending an afternoon or evening at Country Boy Brewing is a wonderful experience. Everything about this place just feels right. Here's hoping that it thrives in its current space.

05-16-2012 17:21:47 | More by mrfrancis

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.91/5  rDev -11.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Now open for about six weeks, the good ole' boys at Country Boy Brewing Company are now getting their feet under them and carving out a niche in Lexington's craft beer market. Located just off of S. Broadway (near Tolly Ho Restaurant) and near the University of Kentucky campus, the brewery and taproom occupies a mid-sized warehouse in a modest industrial zone, just a block or so off of the beaten path and onto Chair Avenue.

Although the brewery isn't accessible to customers unless part of a planned (or impromptu) tour, the 3-barrel system is sort of a Frankenstein collection of pieces and parts. The sudden popularity of the brewer has already forced several upgrades and additions. Otherwise, a peak into the Country Boy taproom door reveals the decorated theme of industrial metals, barnyard woods, and chalkboards. The no-frills space is austere in decoration and color scheme and keeps the focus on conversation at the bar. About a dozen bar stools and various tables and bars behind provide total seating for about 30-40, along with ample standing space to handle even the most busy of nights. And with the demeanor of brown painted cinder blocks and low light, the taproom really does feel like the bar at a brewery and not a posh boutique. Ya gotta like rustic- even the mounted buck and doe heads that denote the men's and women's restrooms show a clever and raw sense of humor.

Though short in time, the brewery has already constructed 15 of their own beers with more coming seemingly weekly. Whiskey barrel aging, jalapeno additions, high gravity recipes, and colaborations with local brewing talents are already employed- showing the same reckless abandonment that shapes the taproom's vibe. The playful 'red-neck' demeanor also plays into naming the beers, with names like Cougar Bait, Brown Chicken/Brown Cow, Fulcan-A, and Heart of Dankness as I find myself trying beers outside of my comfort zone based on the clever titles alone. Though the beer styles vary, they seem to focus on dark American Ales and hoppier styles of both America and England. With no alcohol cap on beers, don't be surprised to find one of these creeping well beyond 10% abv. Though about half of their taps revolve around what's made behind the scene, the other half of the 24 taps include a rotation that often celebrates other Bluegrass-brewed ales and lagers.

Because of the 'taproom' nature as an auxiliary use to the brewery, you can't expect to order anything other than the beers. A glass of water yields just that- no ice, no bottles, no lemons. Likewise, on-premise food isn't allowed but customers are welcome to bring in orders, phone them in from the list on the wall, or tend to the vendors that camp outside the brewery on higher profile nights. This place does one thing, and does it right... Kentucky made beer!

What's best about the 3-man operation is that the folks who pour the beers at the taproom in the evenings are the same folks who make the beers by day. Any questions, queries, or concerns about the beer or establishment is swiftly met with accurate, thorough, and precise answers for beer novices and connoisseurs alike... and always with pride, enthusiasm, and jovial smiles.

Though most beers are poured as 16oz. pours, half-pints, flights, and samples are available for the curious palates who have to try several, maybe all of the selections available. Keep in mind that because of the strength of alcohol, intense flavors, or exclusivity of the beers, a few may only be offered in 8oz. glasses or smaller. Find a beer that you can't leave without? Although the brewery doesn't bottle their wares, they offer 64oz growler fills to go of nearly all their offerings and at very reasonable prices, usually in the $6-$9 dollar range.

In fact, the prices are more than reasonable. The common ales are consistently $3 for the true pint and don't approach $5 for anything that they make in house. Guest taps trend higher depending on the at-cost paid by the Country Boys.

Most exciting is that Lexington finally has its second brewery, 12 years after the production brewery of Alltech's Lexington Brewing Company (Kentucky Ale) opened their doors. As Country Boy originated from a few local homebrewers who decided to take their game into the pro arena, their laid back approach brings a seemingly endless array of beers in very short time. Experimentation and quality is at the essence of what they make.

03-28-2012 17:00:09 | More by BEERchitect