Get Ready to Play at Waynesboro's Basic City Beer Company

During the same weekend we visited Adventure Farm, we parlayed a swim at Sherando Lake with a visit to Waynesboro's Basic City Beer Company. The relatively new brewery is located on scenic Rt 250 in the reclaimed Virginia Metalcrafters industrial complex. Evidence of the former foundry is everywhere, from the industrial lathes to reclaimed pipe and wood tap room tables. The pipes housing the taps are particularly stylish. co-founders and brothers Bart, Chris and Joe Lanman also added entertainment value to the facility by building out a large game room stocked with ping pong, shuffleboard, skeet-ball, foosball, and more. Add the hammocks and large picnic area in the back; live music; and food from Hops Kitchen and this is a family friendly establishment. But what about the largest attraction: the beer?

Beer Menu as of Sept 2017

Head brewer Jacque Landry leverages 20 years brewing experience into crafting a portfolio of a dozen beers. I elected for a flight of the WaynesbeerOh Lager, Oopsproch Lager, Rays Pale Ale, and Bramblehead Raspberry Stout. They were well made with the stout very smooth, the lagers refreshing, and the pale ale on the money. However, I seemed to gravitate to the Rotsproch Lager, a hibiscus infused Marzen Amber Lager. The beer was more tart than malty sweet and thirst quenching as the day had warmed. We had a fantastic visit, laughing, drinking, and eating with the only reservation having to drive over the mountain back to Charlottesville. But we will be back to basic City as well as other Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail breweries with the assistance of theCompass Craft Beverage Finder. Cheers.

TasteCamp Maryland 2017: The Beer

TasteCamp Maryland's agenda incorporated a couple breweries and why not as the Frederick area hosts over a dozen craft breweries. The first was actually an informal stop at the Old Line State's biggest craft brewer, Flying Dog Brewery.  This was my first visit to the tasting room since our MyJoogTV episode and since then they added an outdoor patio and food trucks. Even thought a majority of their beers are well distributed, the tasting room provides an expanded lineup such as the Raging Bitch on cask, suggestions for combining beers as in a Black & Tan, and limited release beers like their heat series.  See The Passionate Foodie's take on the "Heat Series" Shishito Rice Ale.

Smoketown Brewing Station is located about 10 miles southwest of Frederick in the historical railroad town on Brunswick -- once a major hub for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The town is much quieter these days, more a destination for those biking the C&O Canal or kayaking on the Potomac.  Smoketown now provides these visitors with local craft beer brewed from their premises in the former Volunteer Fire Department. Make sure you ask about Walter, the resident ghost and former fireman, who is the namesake for the delicious Walter's Spirit. This high ABV Porter is aged 4 months in A. Smith Bowman Distillery barrels. Another nice high alcohol offering is the Wicked Threesome Belgian Tripel. Their lighter beers were also excellent and would hit the spot during a bike ride so try the Light Rail Lager, German Crossing Hefe, or Ashcat Pale Ale.

The final brewery stop was to Attaboy Beer, a new operation located just off Carroll Creek in historic Frederick. Think casual at this spot as Carly and Brian Ogden provide a kid friendly environment, a legal change that they requested as the Frederick County Board of License Commissioners used to outlaw minors at breweries.  The horror of such a possibility. Minors still have to leave by 9PM, but not before their parents can sample an interesting portfolio of ales and saisons. Don't leave without trying a version of Creek Life Pale Ale - this is one solid beer. 

And as always, theCompass Craft Beverage Finder can guide you to all these destinations. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge: Port City Brewing Company (#51)

I don't visit Alexandria's Port City Brewing Company enough and in fact it's slightly embarrassing that this was my first trip to the brewery since starting the #VABreweryChallenge. But I'll blame it on the brewery itself by providing a steady and reliable distribution throughout the area. Why drive 15 miles in DC traffic when my local beer store stocks their entire lineup?  And this lineup has been particularly solid since opening day six years ago; if you want to know how a particularly beer style should taste like - this is your stop.

No wonder Port City was the GABF Small Brewery of the Year in 2015. They were one of the first to help resurrect the Belgium Wit and their Optimal Wit is spot on. Want a mocha Porter - get the Port City Porter. Their Downright® Pilsner is a non-bready and balanced Bohemian version and their Essential Pale Ale® is an everyday beer. I'm a contrarian when it comes to IPAs but if I had to drink one, the Monumental® IPA at only 57 IBU is my go to. These are the flagships brews so during my visit I turned to the Ways & Means® Session Rye IPA. I generally avoid session beers - although I prefer the low abv - because it seems most are weak beers that are dry hopped to add some character. Not so with the Ways & Means. The rye adds spicy complexity and the hops are not overwhelming. This is my All Day IPA. And safe travels vising any brewery using theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App.

A Pre-Game at Morgantown's Chestnut Brew Works

Well before the WVU Mountaineers losing to the Oklahoma Sooners left us dispirited, our tailgate started brilliantly at Morgantown's Chestnut Brew Works. This three year old brewery is located in historic South Park and provides a wide range of styles brewed by Bill Rittenour. The brewery's name results from Rittenour graduate work (he holds a Ph.D. in Fungal Biology) studying the chestnut tree and how to resurrect the tree from it's demise due to a deadly fungal infection. Bill was on hand to pour my flight of seven beers and explain the reasoning behind each offering. And the beers were more than solid, they were delicious. We were in a cheerful, buoyant, optimistic mood heading to Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium...

• Smoke Hole Lager Rauchbier - love this style, light bacon smoke flavor, smooth tail
• Highwater Roselle Blonde Ale - refreshing even in the hold, snowy weather
• Your Best Hoption - 100 IBUs comes across rather smoothly
• South Park Porter - delicious sweet choclate and smooth finish
• Halleck Pale Ale - their best seller, flavorful and a bit more hop aromatics and bite than others
• Nate's Nut Brown Ale - fits the style, light malty and smoke
• Mo-Bel Prize Dark Belgium - IMO the weakest link,

Hiking and Maryland Beer at Sugarloaf Mountain

Normally after a nice climb up Sugarloaf Mountain we descend and head directly to one of the top wineries in Maryland, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. However, this past weekend we decided to investigate a nearby year-old brewery: Mad Science Brewing Company.

theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App showed us that the brewery is located north of the mountain on a route to Frederick. It is located in Thanksgiving Farm; grows Columbus/Zeus, Nugget, Centennial, Cascade, and Magnum hops; and is as nano as possible. On our visit there were four beers available: Helles Belles lager, Rye-Sin Amber IPA, Antidote Pale Ale, and Hemophilia, an Imperial Stout on draft and nitro. This was very tasty, even refreshing after the hike. More refreshing was the Helles Belles. This is a fantastic beer, light but flavorful with the right amount of minerality and hops. Well done. And a fellow hiker raved about the Antidote so there are good things coming out of this nano brewery.

After a round, hunger set in so we headed into Frederick to the long running restaurant-brewpub Barley & Hops. In fact, the brewery has been operating since 1999 producing a wide range of beer styles.  Over bratwurst I chose a sampler of the Catoctin Clear Blonde Lager, Vinz Clortho Gose, Gore'd Pumpkin Duppel, and Drunk Dial Porter.  The lager was very good, flavorful, just not the minerality and hop balance as the Mad Science version. The gose was very interesting, tart and smokey. The last two were my favorites with the pumpkin duppel showcasing the squash and ,alt as opposed to the dreaded holiday flavors. And the porter was spot on. Nicely done and a highly recommended spot to eat. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge #49 - Sweetwater Tavern Centreville

We've been off the #VABreweryChallenge for too long and stopped of at local brewpub chain Sweetwater Tavern Centreville for an early Sunday dinner. There are two other Sweetwater Taverns, one in Merrifield and the other in Sterling, with the trio sharing the same beer menus. The food is quite nice and reliable across all three with the beer decent, but not exceptional. The Naked River Light is a lightly hopped Pilsner suitable as a lawnmower beer. On the other hand their Iron Horse Lager has more flavor and hop profile and more satisfying on my palate. The Great American Restaurants Pale Ale was my favorite - a solid offering. The Great American Restaurants Oktoberfest was as expected with suitable maltiness - I just don't care for the style. And finally, their Ghost Town Pumpkin Ale is not bad, spices added to the glass rim not the brew. I like that serving method. Cheers.

San Diego's Prolific Craft Beer Scene

San Diego is craft beer heaven. I know there are other awesome craft beer cities like Portland and Denver but combine the weather, the beaches, and an accommodating baseball stadium and you get America's Finest City. First, let's look at the numbers. There are approximately 80 tasting rooms within city limits and a few of these are giants like Ballast Point Brewing Company and Stone Brewing. Others, like Pizza Port and the Karl Strauss Brewing Company, have numerous venues scattered throughout the city.  Second, there's Petco Park stadium which embraces craft beer - not just tolerates it.  See the Ballpark & Brews post. And finally, the beer is unique, interesting, and delicious.

On our arrival and quick hotel check in across from Petco Park we headed over to the Stone Brewing Tap Room located conveniently just outside the stadium. The tap room provides a host of Stone brews, most very IPA-centric, but enough options for our heavily weighted Miller Lite group. I choose the Citrusy Wit and finished my Father's Smoked Porter before heading to the Tilted Kilt for lunch. Both solid beers for their respective styles. At the Kilt I went overboard with local beer starting with the AleSmith Brewing Pale Ale .394, then moving on to the the Coronado Brewing Company Berry The Hatchet, and finishing with the Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin. The later was slightly sweeter than the Grapefruit Sculpin, the Coronado fruit ale tasty, and the AleSmith my favorite of the trio.

After putting the padre to bed for a nap, I ventured ahead to Half Door Brewing Company, named in honor of the Irish pubs and farmhouses where half doors were a way to let fresh air in and keep the nosy farm animals out. The brewery sits in an eccentric historic house with a large front porch and divided second floor seating. Great architecture.  I started with a favorite style, the Bearleener Berliner Weisse and it was tart and fruity as expected. When the crew eventually caught up most of us turned to the Half Door Pale Ale  - a beer that found common ground between the IPA and lite beer drinkers. This beer left us in a cheerful state heading into the stadium.

Day 2 started with an Uber to Ocean Beach to visit relatives, walk in the ocean, and stroll the pier. Afterwards Pizza Port Ocean Beach was a short walk away for lunch and we came away impressed with the food and the beer. My favorite was the No Surf Cream Ale - a refreshing summer ale, while my brother looked favorably upon the Swami's IPA and my father stuck to his porter - the Tube Time Porter.

Our return Uber ride detoured into the Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen Restaurant, a satellite venue in Little Italy. I knew it was a wise decision when we met Bob Carpenter, the MASN TV voice of the Washington Nationals, coming out. I selected three different beers for my sampler and fell in love with the Tart Lady a Wild Ale exuding juicy and tart apricots. The other two experimental ales just weren't for me. The Hop Trois IPA was funky but seemed unbalanced and the When Doves Crye Rye Wine was tense and spicy - too much for my palate. But a sifter of the Tart Lady quickly it washed away. And once again I finished my Father's porter, this one the malty Black Marlin.

I'm returning to America's Finest City later this summer and I will be using theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App to visit several breweries that I lost time - particularly Mission Brewery and Monkey Paw Brewing. Cheers. 

#SAVOR2016's Top Fifteen Beers That Blew Me Away

I attended SAVOR 2016 on Friday June 3rd and this Brewers Association sponsored event was splendid.  76 breweries poured two beers each and represented a mix of styles from IPAs, Stouts, Porters, Saisons, and sours. Many sours in fact and that's how I started off the evening. Out of the two dozen or so, there were a few that clearly stood out above the noise. Same for the many excellent barrel aged stouts and porters.  And in both categories top honors goes to Crux Fermentation Project. One caveat, I didn't sample many IPAs - just ran out of time trying to sample 152 beers. Cheers.

1. Crux Fermentation Project [Banished] Bretted Farmhouse 
2. D9 Brewing Company Systema Naturae Sour Ale fermented with wild lactobacillus & yeast, naturally conditioned.
3. Crux Fermentation Project [Banished] Tough Love Barrel Aged Imperial Stout banished to used bourbon barrels
4. The Lost Abbey Track #8  Barrel Aged Quad Judgement Day aged 9 months in new bourbon barrels and spiked with cinnamon sticks and dried chili peppers
5. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout combines hefty amounts of various dark malts with 98 IBUs of hops
6. Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Schnickelfritz Weissbier
7. Center of the Universe Brewing Company IV Quadrupel aged in red wine barrels
8. Southern Tier Brewing Company Salted Caramel Imperial Stout based on a milt stout with Himalayan sea salt and caramelized sugar
9. Right Proper Brewing Company Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne Berliner Weisse brewed with Meyer lemon zest, elderberries, and dry hopped with Sauvin
10. New Belgium Brewing Company Tart Lychee Sour Ale barrel aged with lychee puree and cinnamon sticks
11. Perennial Artisanal Ales Savant Blanc Sour Ale Barrel Aged Belgium Blond Ale (aged in Chardonnay barrels) with Chardonnel wine grapes
12. Deschutes Brewery The Abyss Rye Barrel Aged Imperial Stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark, augmented with vanilla, then aged 12 months in rye whiskey barrels.
13. Strange Craft Beer Company Cherry Kriek Lambic with loads of cherries
14. Bell's Brewery Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition Stout
15. Lewis and Clark Brewing Company  Prickly Pear Pale Ale

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

• Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout with Vanilla Beans
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Seaquenchale Kolsch/Gose/Berliner Weisse Hybrid
• Perennial Artisanal Ales 17 Imperial Stout
• Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
• Lewis and Clark Brewing Company  Miners Gold Hefeweizen
• The Lost Abbey Ad Idem Sour Ale
• Uinta Brewing 23rd Birthday Suit Sour Ale
• Service Brewing Company Old Guard Biere de Garde
• Confluence Brewing Company Stavropol Imperial Stout
• Uncommon Brewers Steamers Lane California Common
• The Spencer Brewery Spencer Trappist Ale
• The Spencer Brewery Spencer Imperial Stout
• Allagash Brewing Company Sixteen Counties Strong Ale
• Stone Brewing Scout Wit
• Insight Brewing Hell Chicken Pale Ale
• Black Tooth Brewing Company 1314 Bourbon Very Strong Ale
• Short's Brewing Company Melt My Brain Golden Ale
• FATE Brewing Company Laimas Kolsch
• Bear Republic Brewery Tartare Sour Ale
• Brewery Ommegang Gnomegang Blonde Ale
• Hoppy Brewing Company Total Eclipse Black Ale Porter
• 4 Noses Brewing Company Vier Neuzen Barrel Aged Tripel
• Troegs Brewing Wild Elf Fruit Beer
• Stickmen Brewery Paddle Board Pale Ale
• Odell Brewing Company Friek Fruit Lambic
• Roadhouse Brewing Company Saison En Regalia
• Newburyport Brewing CompanyDas Kolsch
• Roadhouse Brewing Company Sacred Brett Sour Ale
• Port City Brewing Company COLOSSAL V Old Ale
• Port City Brewing Company Downright Pilsner
• Saranac Brewery Brett Saison
• Worthy Brewing Company Coeur De La Peche Saison
• Center of the Universe Brewing Company Monkey's Uncle Tripel
• Parish Brewing Company Blackalicious Stout
• Parish Brewing Company Ghost in the Machine Double IPA
• Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru Belgium Ale
• Saugatuck Brewing Company Neapolitan Mile Stout

More #VABreweryChallenge Along Northern I-95

Building off our previous #VABreweryChallenge post, #VABreweryChallenge - Four Breweries Along Northern I-95, here are two more breweries located off I-95 in Stafford.

Adventure Brewing Company, Stafford (#31)
Although Adventure Brewing is a relatively young brewery, owners Tim Bornholtz, John Viarella, and Stan Johnson having been brewing beer since the 1990s. In 2010 they began brewing together and formed the Stafford Brewers Club. Adventure is just the next step forward. The tasting area is a lively and comfortable environment to enjoy their four year round beers and plethora of seasonal\specialty beers. One of these is the Hop Hash IPA which is hopped using "two experimental hops from Oregon Valley and a special “hop hash” that is a gooey, resinous and super concentrated lupulin punch". Still not sure what I think of this one, but it is worth trying. I stuck with the year round lineup in my canoe sampler consisting of the Backpack Wheat, Super Power Pale Ale, Expedition IPA, and Stiletto Stout. These were all solid beers, particularly the stout. Looking forward to the next couple weeks when the Backpack Sour is released.


Wild Run Brewing Company, Stafford (#32)
This may be the most peculiar tasting room as it is located in the campsite office of Aquia Pines Camp Resort. Talking about having a captive audience; the tasting area is the entire campground. But the campers (and neighboring Suburban Extended Stay Hotel) are better off with fresh craft beer than stale Bud and Miller.  The beers are brewed by Michigan beer alum Matt King who provides a well rounded lineup. I didn't delve deeply into this selection but chose three: Harvest Ale, Souza Hefe, and Cherry Cream Ale. The last is outstanding, a slight velvety body, clean and crisp. The other two were spot on the styles; very pleasant beers. Make sure you visit one of the only campground breweries.

#VABreweryChallenge - Four Breweries Along Northern I-95

Ever been stuck in traffic on I-95 between the DC Beltway and Quantico? Of course you have. Well, here's four breweries to soak up the time waiting for traffic to subside. Plus it ticks four more off the #VABreweryChallenge.

Ornery Beer Company, Woodbridge (#27)
If you are hungry or passing Potomac Mills Mall then Ornery is your stop as they are the only brewery of the four to offer a full restaurant. I had the Kielbasa - a very good choice.  As for the beer, they offer a range of styles from a rather tasty Blonde to a deep and velvety Imperial Stout. I sampled Austrian Dreams Vienna Lager, Ornery Blonde, Dubbel Ornery Belgium Dubbel, Black Stuff Dry Irish Stout, and the Lord Vader Imperial Stout. The blonde was lightly salty and very refreshing; the Dubbel spot on the style; and the Russian Imperial Stout providing velvety layers of chocolate without being overly malty and sweet. On the other hand, I thought the Vienna Lager to be too malt forward and the Dry Irish Stout too light - almost felt light drinking air. Nevertheless, I pleasant stop.

Growling Bear Brewing Company, Woodbridge (#28)
Located just a couple miles from Ornery, this brewery has the largest portfolio of the four with twelve beers on tap.  Too many to sample in this sitting I went with the Elder Bear Ale (a fruit ale brewed with organic elderberries with a subtle fruit profile and a tannic finish);  Alt Bear German Altbier (very good with a solid dose of hops); Arrogant Bear American Pale Ale (Grapefruit profile) and the Nutter Butter Bear Porter (heavy on the chocolate, light on the Peanut Butter). I think these were my favorite sampling on this trip.


Forge Brew Works, Lorton (#29)
Heading North into Lorton, Forge is located in a industrial area just off the highway. Their signature beer is the Roggenbier, a rye ale that predated the Hefeweizen. On previous visits the spicy rye flavor was prevalent, but this recent batch is more citrusy. Still a solid, unique beer. Their Farmhouse Ale was once again solid and the Belgium Blonde less salty but more hoppy than most. The icing was the Abbey Ale, tasted like fruit cake. I'd say this was my favorite beer of the outing.


Fair Winds Brewing Company, Lorton (#30)
Just a mile away, Fair Winds had the most dynamic tasting room, full with my chatter and games being played. The beer was vibrant too. The Quayside Kolsch was very refreshing as was the Sessions in the Abyss Session IPA - lighter profile with and citrus throughout . The Following C's Pale Ale was my favorite with it's smooth hop profile. The Blackened Seas Porter was close behind with a noticeable dose of cherries and chocolate.
 



Update: Many of noticed that I left out two breweries a little further south of Woodbridge, but before Fredericksburg. Wild Run Brewing Company and Adventure Brewing Company will be covered in a future post.

Update II: The new post is available.

Les Brasseries de Montreal

Did you know that Montreal, the "The City of Saints", is home to dozens of breweries (brasseries).   During a recent visit I was able to sample from several of these and in general, the beers were solid with a wide choice in styles.  Les 3 Brasseurs is probably the most noticeable establishment with six brew pubs located though out the area. We had lunch at the Brossard restaurant and was quite pleased with the food (first dapple with Poutine) and their beer menu -- consisting of five staple beers (Blonde • Amber • White • Brown • IPA), two neighborhood beers, and a guest cider. It became clear immediately that Montreal brewers have conquered the Blonde style as every version I drank was solid. Les 3 Brasseurs White was also spot on the style.


From that lunch, theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery app guided us to the production facility for Les Trois Mousquetaires.  The three owners opened this brasserie in 2004 and focus on Germany styled beers and they utilize Quebec grain malted in the Province's Frontenac and Maltbroue malt houses. Truly a local product.  There is no tasting room at their facility, but you can purchase any of the beer so we went home with their Noire, Blonde, Berliner Weisse, Gose, Oud Bruin - an oak aged Belgium inspired brown ale laced with brett.  The Gose was a little off kilter for me, having a stronger Coriander profile than salt, but I regret not buying more of the other four - particularly the Noire Schwarzbier.

I had received several recommendations to visit Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel (translates to Good Lord or God of Heaven) and the beer did not disappoint as I drooled over the beer menu. They produce a wide ranging portfolio from the delicate Rosée d’hibiscus to the Immoralité  Imperial American IPA. Once again the lighter style beers were rock solid such as the L’Été Aborigène Golden Ale and Corpus Christi Pale Ale. And believe me, a Pale Ale is on the lighter spectrum at this brasserie. The Résurrection Porter was quite delicious as was the Aphrodisiaque Chocolate & Vanilla Stout.


The final brewery we visited was the soon to open Mabrasserie coop de solidarité brassicole, a joint venture between Isle de Garde, Noire et Blanche Microbrasserie, Broue Pub Brouhaha, and Brasserie artisanale La Succursale. This will be a huge facility not only crafting and canning beer, but also a  a beer and brewing interpretive center targeted to home brewers. The facility will also house a large tasting area, both inside and on a terrace. We were able to purchase two future products, a growler full of Porter and the canned Tribale Pale Ale. The Porter was sold, but the Pale Ale was exceptional. Just enough hops to balance the malt for a clean finish. The outlook looks good for this startup.


Les Brasseries de Montreal

Bedondaine & Bedons Ronds
Benelux Brewpub
Bierbrier Brewing Inc.
Bistro Le Reservoir
Bistro-Brasserie Les Soeurs Grises
Brasserie Artisanale Albion
Brasserie artisanale La Succursale
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - Montreal
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - St-Jérôme
Brasseurs Illimités
Brasserie McAuslan Brewery
Brasseur de Montreal
Broue Pub Brouhaha
Brutopia
Ferme Brasserie Schoune
HELM Brasseur Gourmand
Isle de Garde
L'Amère à Boire
Le Cheval Blanc
L'Espace Public
Le Saint-Bock Brasserie Artisanale
Le Saint Graal
Les 3 Brasseurs - Brossard
Les 3 Brasseurs - Crescent
Les 3 Brasseurs - Laval 
Les 3 Brasseurs - Montreal
Les 3 Brasseurs - St-Denis
Les 3 Brasseurs - St-Paul
Les Trois Mousquetaires
Mabrasserie coop de solidarité brassicole
McAuslan Brewing
Microbrasserie Goudale
Microbrasserie L'Alchimiste
Microbrasserie Le Bilboquet
Microbrasserie Maltéus
Noire et Blanche Microbrasserie

#VABreweryChallenge: Culpeper's Far Gohn Brewing Company (#20) & Beer Hound Brewery (#21)

After countless trips to Charlottesville, I finally skirted off Route 29 and headed into downtown Culpeper. theCompass app had alerted me that the railroad town hosts two new breweries, so another stop on the #VABreweryChallenge. Far Gohn Brewing Company was our first destination and founder Steve Gohn poured our first round and discussed his beers. The brewery specializes and German styles, augmented with a few British and American styles. I started with the Aesel Kolsch, clean, a tad salty and refreshing; and followed with a flight of the Yager Mountain Pale Ale, Ferhoodle Hefe, Dunkel Dimmel Porter, and Heva Hava Milk Stout. The later was another favorite: chocolate cream.


Beer Hound Brewery makes it's home just a few blocks away right off the railroad tracks. It is larger and older than Far Gohn, having evolved from from Kenny Thacker's original 2012 operation. Their beers are named after famous hounds in movies and history like Teddy, the brewery dog. This beer nails the American Cram Ale as the Teufelhunde does with a Belgium Tripel. The Belgium Wit Wyte Fang was also spot on. Food is not served at either location, but feel free to being in your own. They are both worth a sit down meal. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge: Vienna's Caboose Brewing Company's (#16) Grand Opening

One difficulty in completing the #VABreweryChallenge is that new breweries continue to open in the Commonwealth. The latest is Vienna's Caboose Brewing Company, which hosted their ribbon cutting ceremony last night (5/21). The brewery is located at Mile Marker 12 on the W&OD Bike Trail, just past the red caboose while heading west.  Matt and Jeanine Greer and Tim and Jennifer McLaughlin have been planning for over a year to get the proper permits, licensing, equipment for this hybrid gastro-pub and brewery. The kitchen will follow the "Farm to Table" model sourcing ingredients from local farms and artisans. The establishment will also highlight these local resources and the current menu included rabbit pot pie, grass fed beef cheeseburgers, Maryland crab soup, and Virginia bratwurst.

The brewery utilizes a 15-barrel system with former Heavy Seas brewery Chris Mallon in charge of production. The beer menu encompasses a variety of styles from light to dark, easy drinking to spicy.  Being a chilly evening, last night I enjoyed their Casey Jones Rye Pale Ale (5%) and the Vanilla Hobo Stout (7.0%).  The rye had a nice flavor profile, slightly spicy and a clean finish. The stout has just a subtle hint of vanilla, with a creamy roasted chocolate flavor.

Update: Today (5/22) I stopped by the brewery after a lunch time bike ride after seeing some patrons on the patio. Currently the brewery opens at 4PM during the week (Tuesday-Friday), but prudently opened the tasting bar today. The beer of choice was the Citra Wheat, a full bodied refreshing beer and one that non-wheat beer lovers should sample. Since citra hops are used, the beer tastes more on the pale ale side of the house than wheat. Cheers.

SAVOR Profile: Crazy Mountain Brewing Company's Neomexicanus Native Pale Ale

Over the years most of us have become accustomed to recognizing several hop styles, particularly when dry-hopped, such as the citrus-floral aroma from Cascade hops or the more floral Centennial. I've also come to appreciate the single hop brews such as Flying Dog Brewery's Simcoe. What all hops - used in American brewing - have in common is their European lineage (humulus lupulus lupulus); they may be grown in the Pacific Northwest; but the specific hop varieties originated in Europe. Until now. 

One of the coolest breweries I met at SAVOR was Crazy Mountain Brewing Company, out of Edwards, Colorado - not far from Vail. They were pouring their Neomexicanus Native Pale Ale which is bittered using the indigenous humulus lupulus neomexicanus hops. "This species of hops is completely native to the United States and is genetically different from other varieties of hops currently commercially available." For my wine friends, we are talking about lubrusca or aestivalis as compared to vinifera.

Kevin Selvy, the brewery's CEO & Brewmaster, spent 5 years searching for this hop - and found it growing at CLS Farms in the Yakima Valley, Washington. They had procured some rootstock from a farmer in northern New Mexico, who had spent his life collecting "eighty different genetic lines of the plant that were growing wild". CLS Farms planted 8 of these varieties and when Selvy saw them, he ordered the entire supply. Coming full circle, the humulus lupulus neomexicanus hop variety is native to Colorado, so perhaps one day, Crazy Mountain will plant their own estate hops. Pretty cool.

The Neomexicanus Native Pale Ale weighs in at 6% ABV and 46 IBU. The aroma is very strong - part agava and part white fruit - as I recall. The flavor is on the sweeter side, somewhat bready; with the long finish focusing on citrus flavors - grapefruit and lime. A rather unique flavor profile. And very tasty. For now, I believe you need to travel to Colorado to enjoy the beer. Painful. Cheers to Crazy Mountain. 

Touring DC Breweries with #theCompassApp Winery, Brewery, & Distillery Locator

Yesterday I spent a rainy Saturday testing the various features of #theCompassApp Winery, Brewery, & Distillery Locator by visiting three Washington D.C. breweries. My first stop was into the far reaches of Northeast Washington to DC Brau Brewing - the District's first production brewery since the mid-1950s.  The brewery was started by Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock from 2009 - 2011 and the pair had to assist the local gov't in drafting new legislation to allow beer consumers to taste at the brewery and fill growlers. By now they are well known for their canned portfolio - The Public™ Pale Ale, The Citizen™ Belgian Ale, and The Corruption™ IPA. Today #theCompass navigated me to the back of the shopping center where a eased into the last parking spot. After entering the brewery and receiving my 4 free drink coupons, I discovered why the lack of parking - the brewery was packed. Visitors were tasting in the front room, the side area, and even in the packaging area - tasting and listening to music piped through large speakers. I quickly grabbed a sample of their Exaltation Holiday Ale and joined a brewery tour - learning about their history, process, production levels, and murals coating the brewery's interior. What a cool place to spend an afternoon - particularly when getting one of the last pours of their Pauncy Stout™.  I had to share the good news via our social media channels using #theCompass' share functionality - allowing me to seemliness check on via Foursquare and share on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

From DC Brau,  the application navigated me easily a few miles to Chocolate City Beer, a much smaller establishment but equally hospitable. This brewery was started by Jay Irizarry and Ben Matz and is located close to Catholic University. In fact, the building once hosted the stone making equipment that created the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (the largest Roman Catholic church in the United States and North America). Now most Catholics like a good beer and Chocolate City offers a few from their every day lineup of Cornerstone Copper Ale, Big Chair IPA, and Cerveza Nacionale (black lager). My favorites were The Big Chair - named for the District's own monument in Anacostia - that delivers a smooth refreshing finish for an IPA and the Mister Mayer Second Term Imperial Stout. This latter is named after former mayor Marian Berry and is fermented with Marion Berries (a blackberry developed by the USDA ARS breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University). The is a really nice beer - chocolate notes mingle with a sour ale-ish finish - and don't worry if a few berries make it into your pour. That's by intent.

Unfortunately I couldn't visit longer being on a tight schedule and thus parked the car at work and used a cab for my last stop: Bluejacket Brewery. And a cab or Metro is highly recommended for this stop; there's a lot to sample - talking about over 20 beers on tap - all produced in house. And they are good; Beer Director Greg Engert and Brewmaster Megan Parisi must work long hours keeping the brewery supplied because once again - this brewery was packed - two to three deep at the bar and all tables filled. And this was four in the afternoon - evenings must be even crazier. But don't let the lines prevent a visit - the beer and breadth of their portfolio is worth it. Want a pale ale or pilsner, no problem; English bitter, Imperial IPA, Porter, Stout, Hefeweizen, Biere de Garde, Kolsch, Dunkelweizen, Barleywine - all on the menu. My favorite was the Mexican Radio, a chocolate stout laced with spicy peppers and believe me it's like sinking your teeth into a gourmet chocolate bar of the same nature. I can't wait for baseball season, with the brewery two blocks from Nationals Stadium - good baseball and beer -> what's not to like.

Cheers to the DC brew scene. Next on the agenda - 3 Stars Brewing Company, Atlas Brew Works, and Right Proper Brewing Company.