Entries by Scott Hickman

Cellarest Beer Project – Bimble

The teams at Riverbend and Cellarest gathered for a cupping at Coffee Library to select two coffees to be included in the blend: one from Brazil and another from Mexico. The naturally processed Brazilian coffee is of the Catuai varietal of the coffee plant, grown and harvested at an altitude of 1100 MASL in the Cerrado Mineiro Region of the Minas Gerais state. The washed processing Mexican coffee was grown and harvested in the Zangolica,

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Cellarest Beer Project Debuts Bimble Coffee Blonde Lager In Collaboration With Riverbend Malt House and Asheville’s Coffee Library

Cellarest Beer Project just released Bimble Coffee Blonde Lager, a blonde-hued beer made with Riverbend Malt House’s most recent pallet coffee blend by Coffee Library. Cans of this storied beer will be available soon.

The Backstory

In 2025, Riverbend Malt House launched the pallet coffee program in tandem with local coffee roaster Coffee Library. We wanted to thank our customers who purchased full pallets of malt with an added treat— because most brewing teams are fueled by morning coffee,

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Introducing Ridgeline Red Malt

New Ridgeline Red Malt Is Here!

In response to our brewing customers’ requests for a red-hued malt option with versatile usage opportunities across ale and lager styles, Riverbend Malt House presents Ridgeline Red malt. 

Fresh off the kiln and now available for purchase, this new malt opens with an inviting aroma of toasted grains, bread crust, and rich honey before shifting into a complex layer of figs and raisins. It closes with a palate-cleansing loose leaf tea finish.

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Oktoberfest Recipe Planning Guide By Riverbend Malt House

As summer fully blooms, we know brewers are already thinking into the next season– more specifically, Oktoberfest. The time has come to get those German-style lager recipes in the tanks! 

Our sales team is here to help you craft the perfect recipe, so please feel free to reach out. We can share stats on individual batches to help ensure you hit your target color, flavor profile, and ABV!

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Riverbend Malt House Crystal 80 Malt Is Now Available

Crystal 80 malt kernels

Introducing Crystal 80 Malt

 

Riverbend Malt House is adding its darkest malt offering yet to its Crystal malt family. Crystal 80 malt is now available for purchase. 

After years of research and development to inform the move from caramelization to crystallization, the Riverbend team is pleased to add Crystal 80 to its portfolio. This new malt is produced using a proprietary kilning technique that mimics the stages of a standard roasting profile without the intense heat.

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RAK Brewing Co. – Deadstar

In collaboration with Guilford Hall Brewing, Deadstar showcases a clean, crisp backbone that lets hops take center stage. We dialed up the punch with Mosaic and Nectaron hops — a dynamic duo that delivers vibrant tropical fruit character with layers of juicy nectarine and citrus zest. Aromas of grapefruit and orange peel mingle with subtle resinous pine and floral notes, leading into a firm but balanced bitterness and a dry, refreshing finish. It’s a hop-forward celebration of classic West Coast IPA intensity with a modern fruit-driven edge.

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Riverbend Malt House 2025 Year In Review

Riverbend Malt House sales team

Riverbend Malt House exemplified its Malt With A Mission ethos in 2025 with strong relationships across the supply chain, research and development on innovative products, and continued commitment to their environmental initiatives.  

Here is the Riverbend Malt House 2025 Year In Review.

 

Production & Team

Last year, Riverbend produced nearly 4 million pounds of malt. In October, Riverbend’s production crew filled the GKV with the malt house’s 1000th batch. 

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Fireforge Crafted Beer – Cult Rivalry

This beer is very hop-forward with notes of grapefruit, pine & resin. We brewed it with Southeastern-grown craft malts, including Riverbend Base Camp & Vienna malts, plus a generous dosage of old-school American “C” hops: Cascade, Centennial & Chinook. Yet, our overall approach to this West Coasty is new(ish)-school, focusing on honing a light malt backbone & dry finish to accentuate the hoppiness.

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