Winchester Beer Crawl –  Winchester Brew Works: Hard Work Pays Off

Winchester Brew Works Holiday Quad, Quadruple Ale on Dates        Abv   8.6

                Winchester Brew Works had eight beers on tap when we were there that ranged from a “Canoe Love” Cream Ale (Uh Huh—don’t make us explain that one) to this 8.6 Big Sipper.   We think their entry beers would keep most not-yet-up-to-craft partiers happy for an evening while their friends could enjoy the big complexities of strong ales and IPAs.  We liked the gentle way the flavors blended with competing and the rich aftertaste that allowed for the slow sipping this sort of beer not only deserves, but virtually necessitates.

Tasting notes:   Even, rich and smooth from the start with lots of dark fruits almost immediately.   We were skeptical about the added dates, but they accent without intruding while dark malts lurk in the background.  The dark fruits last with some cherry and dark cherry in the aftertaste.

Food Pairings:  This would be a good beer for rich and complex dessert.  Ever since the manager of the Brugges Bier Museum walked us through a series of strong beers and local Belgian cheeses, though, we’ve been hooked on the idea of a strong finishing beer and a cheese plate to finish the meal.   Stop and pick up some local artisan cheeses in town and reward yourself at the brewery.   This one, of course, will be gone by the time you get there, but there should be something rich and complex for you. Review #0086 20170320

Tomorrow, March 21, A Juicy Session from Winchester Brew Works

Winchester Beer Crawl – Alesatian Blackness: A Tasty Dark Beginning to a Bright Night.

Alesatian Blackness Dark American Ale, Winchester, Virginia        Abv        6.7

                Most people at Alesation seemed to like their full range of beers; everyone at our table had good things to say about them.   They were indeed drinkable, though some phenolic flavors suggested to us that they might have some issues with temperature control.  We had no problem enjoying the Blackness, though.  Had we stayed for the evening, I probably would have returned to their nicely hoppy IPA, but Ellie loved this beer.

Tasting notes: Very dark with a huge ashy and somewhat acrid malt.   The ending adds some lactose and cream, but I thought it still stopped short of smooth.  Ellie thought it was nicely rich and smooth with black malt and a creamy feel.   Her bottom line “a basic clean gooey dark with dry herbs.  Yummy.”

Food Pairings:  Dark beers go very well with Italian red dishes including pizza.   Order something from downstairs and relax in the informal and welcoming atmosphere. Review #0085   20170318

We take Sundays off to dry out – On Monday we continue our Winchester Beer Crawl at Winchester Brew Works.

DuClaw’s Hell on Wood 2016, Damned Good Beer Indeed  

Hell on Wood Barrel Aged Barley Wine, DuClaw, Baltimore        Abv        13.1

                A huge winter storm that delighted students and paralyzed airports from Virginia to Maine gives us a good excuse to continue a barley wine theme even as spring approaches.  DuClaw is a good-sized regional brewery that manages to balance good sized flagships with very skilful one-off and small batches.   Its Devils Milk has been a soberkilling staple since DuClaw was a relatively small brewpub in Bel Air, Maryland.   We first had it at the Brickskeller holiday tasting in December, 2000; we were impressed.   It was “only” 10% alcohol then, but that was pretty impressive for the equipment they had then.   We had this barrel aged version at the Mad Fox Barleywine tasting in February this year and it blew us away.   Aged on Kentucky White Oak, the big deep flavors gain complexity from the wood  without being impaired by flavors that shouldn’t be there.  Blending barrel and beer isn’t as simple as it sounds. Too often among this generation of brewers, it’s a guessing game at best.  DuClaw’s Jim Wagner, however, has always had a knack for it and it shows in every sip.

Mad Fox Brewpub in Falls Church, Virginai, hosts the Mid Atlantic’s top barley wine festival.

Tasting notes:   Rich, big and very complex.   Malt jumps in early but barely manages to stay a step ahead of the barrel as they race downhill.  At the bottom, vanilla, fruit, some spice, and thick clean caramel all play nicely together.  Pears and pear reduction sing as it drinks.

Food Pairings:  It wouldn’t be a sin to use this in place of a wine in a rich and complex meal, but we think there’s too much going on not to give it center stage.   A goblet at just under room temperature and a good cheese plate as a final course would leave the diner feeling elegant even if the main meal had been fast food.   Review #0084              201703

Tomorrow – We start a seven beer Winchester beer crawl at Winchester’s newest brewery: Alesation.

COMING TOMORROW (3/17) – ONE MORE FABULOUS BARLEY WINE —  THEN A PUB CRAWL THROUGH WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA

MAD FOX SLOBBERKNACKER:  ONLY THE TASTING WILL BE VERTICAL

Mad Fox Slobberknocker 2016        Abv 10.4       Dry Hopped

                A sloberknocker, in case you haven’t been in one, is a respectable fight that brewks down into chaos.  There’s no doubt that a couple of pints of Mad Fox’s Slobberknocker would deliver a knock out punch; there’s a delightful riot to be had along the way.

Bill Madden has been a towering figure in the DC area brewing community for many years.   He’s had a chance to hone approaches to some classic beers that have migrated with him as he changed breweries.  Now with his own place in Falls Church, he can not only brew freely, but determine which beers will age and for how long.

Mad Fox Brewpub in Falls Church, Virginai, hosts the Mid Atlantic’s top barley wine festival.

Barley wines age well.   The malt forward flavors mellow with time, the alcohol acts as a preservative and if the hops fade a bit, they never were the main story.   The Mad Fox Barleywine Festival, held at the brewpub each February, provides a wonderful chance and vertical tastings that will leave you horizontal if you’re not very careful.

The best range at this year’s festival was of the brewery’s own Sloberknockers.  Some aged in wood, some quite fresh, and this one-year-old prize that had been dry hopped with Citra hops.   Citra can be a good hop if it’s used carefully, but it can be edgy to annoying if used excessively or carelessly.   Madden has a knack of using it well, and rarely better than in this 2016 version of Slobberknocker.  The beer shows all of Citra’s remarkable breadth of flavors without succumbing to its edginess.   Ellie, who hates Citra if she can spot it, loved this beer.

The original barley wines were intended to replace Claret wine on the tables of British aristocrats.  This winey barley wine shows the original intent of the style better than most even if it does rely on a not-at-all 18^th century hop.  We think the like of Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, (Marquess of Lansdowne) and his buddies would love it.

Tasting notes:  Big and exceptionally soft, especially considering the alcohol strength and Citra hop.  Some fruit – stone with some pear-ish notes as it drinks creates a breadth of flavor that dresses up the booze in a three piece suit.  Ellie found a good deal of maple sugar in the malt that blanketed the Citra almost entirely

Food Pairings:   We’ve been recommending cheese with barley wines all week and there’s no reason not to repeat the choice here.  The is so smooth though, that any dish worthy of a smooth rich wine would pair as well with the Slobberknocker; its taste is ever so much more elegant than its name.    Review #0083   20170311