Entries by Scott Hickman

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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.

 » Read more about: RAK Brewing Co. – Deadstar  »

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.

 » Read more about: Fireforge Crafted Beer – Cult Rivalry  »

Brewing With Rye Malt

Happy #RyeJanuary, everyone! 

Rye Malt

Many Riverbend customers are brewing with our Rye malt— Carolina Rye and Munich Rye— so we asked our Customer Success Representative, Tina Hoffert, to school us on best utilization of this grain in the brewing process. Tina is a graduate of AB Tech Asheville and she was brewing professionally before joining the Riverbend team.

Below, she runs us through Rye 101 with recommendations to combat issues with high-viscosity,

 » Read more about: Brewing With Rye Malt  »

9 Best Beers of 2025: Made With Riverbend Malt For Good Causes

Beers made with Riverbend malt for good causes in 2025

Every year, we take time to identify some of our favorite beers we tried and why they stood out to us. In 2025, breweries across the Southeast collaborated on fundraiser beers made with Riverbend malt for causes they cared about. We were inspired to see so many of these initiatives, and delighted to support at brew days and with malt donations. Thank y’all for inviting us to be a part of these awareness and fundraising efforts. 

 » Read more about: 9 Best Beers of 2025: Made With Riverbend Malt For Good Causes  »

New Riff Distilling – Confluence Project – Vol. 1

For the inaugural release, both distilleries set out to make a whiskey neither had made before: a 100% wheated whiskey built on New Riff’s heirloom Red Turkey Wheat and shaped by Chattanooga’s signature High-Malt style.

Each Single Barrel in this release delivers its own distinct flavor profile, showcasing the unique character of the barrel it came from. As a collection, this release generally presents a bold and layered experience:

Nose: Clove,

 » Read more about: New Riff Distilling – Confluence Project – Vol. 1  »

Riverbend Malt House and Asheville’s Coffee Library Partner On Pallet Coffee Program

Because most brewhouses are fueled by coffee and not nut rolls, we partnered up with Asheville’s Coffee Library to give our full pallet orders a boost! 

Meet Grain & Glory Coffee

Inspired by some of our favorite specialty malts, the first blend we created with the Coffee Library delivered a creamy, sweet cup with rich notes of bakers chocolate, dark fruit, and just a hint of smoke in the finish.

 » Read more about: Riverbend Malt House and Asheville’s Coffee Library Partner On Pallet Coffee Program  »

Hurricane Helene Reflections from Riverbend Malt House

One year ago, Hurricane Helene shook the communities of Western North Carolina with irrevocable damage. At Riverbend, we lost power in our facility and subsequently a great deal of malt product— but we were lucky. Our incredible team stayed safe from the storm, and showed up diligently to help us create a new normal. Once the lights were back on, we were able to donate this unusable malt to farmers for feed and compost. 

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