BREWERS ALLEY AND MONOCACY TEAM FOR A YUMMY OATMEAL STOUT

BREWERS ALLEY AND MONOCACY TEAM FOR A YUMMY OATMEAL STOUT.

Brewery: Brewers Alley/Monocacy, Frederick, Md. Abv 6.3

One of Monocacy’s barrels holds a wild beer, but their barrel aged Oatmeal Stout was tame and delicious.

Permitting problems prevented Brewers Alley from establishing a separate production facility under their original name. The work around was to establish Monocacy Brewing as a technically separate entity. While Brewers Alley remodeled and installed a new brewhouse, even the beers sold in the downtown Brewers Alley pub came from Monocacy.

Monocacy Brewing’s taproom is informal and intimate and a fun place to drink.

Whatever the source, Brewers Alley Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout was one the highlights of last winter’s Strong Beer Tasting at RFD. Plenty of chocolate, some coffee with a bit of a dark edge, brown sugar flavors and sweet rich milk at the end before a last breeze of chocolate made us sorry the 5 ounce portion wasn’t larger.

Frederick is a great town for beer and worth a weekend visit. Monocacy gives a great tour and its taproom is smaller and less formal than some of the bigger breweries. After sampling beers there, Brewers Alley is a short ride into town for dinner and more beer.