Asheville, NC and Aspiring to become Beer City, USA

In 2009 Charlie Papazian started the Beer City USA Poll, a popular vote allowing beer drinkers to express their collective voice via an html radio button on a webpage long since gone. The goal of the poll was basic, simply giving beer drinkers an easy way to let the world know which city they thought represented craft beer the best. Asheville, North Carolina came out on top, winning or sharing the title from 2009-2012 before finally being unseated in 2013 by Grand Rapids, Michigan in what turned out to be the final running of the Beer City USA poll.

Knowing how well regarded Asheville is amongst beer drinkers, I bet it wouldn’t surprise you to hear I was ecstatic upon hearing the Beer Bloggers Conference would be held there in 2015. I was determined to attend no matter where it was located, but knowing I would get a chance to visit Asheville was icing on the cake. To call upon my inner Yoda, disappointed, I was not, and the trip down south for the conference this past July was one to remember. Rather than tell you all of the gory details of the beers I tried at each brewery and how great it was, I’m going to attempt to put together a list of key elements I saw in Asheville that helped make them Beer City USA.  And since I’m from Baltimore it only makes sense to do a little compare and contrast to see where we’re holding our own or dropping the ball in our own effort to become a countrywide beer lover’s destination. We’ll start with the proximity of breweries.

Proximity of Breweries

Wakeup in your hotel in downtown Asheville, roll out of bed, and find yourself surrounded by dozens of brewpubs and breweries. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. There are so many options, in fact, that within 20 minutes of my initial venture into the city I found myself starting to feel guilty about walking by multiple breweries simply because I had another destination in mind.  What kind of beer fan does that? I guess one lucky enough to find themselves in Asheville.

All of these small breweries and brewpubs clustered in such a small area is what truly separates Asheville from the average beer scene in most parts of the country. Variety is the spice of life and you just can’t put a price on knowing you have the opportunity to taste high quality beers everywhere you go. And you know what? It’s pretty damn nice knowing you can get your fill without worrying about you or your cohorts operating a vehicle.

How does Baltimore measure up?

We simply don’t have this. No two breweries are within a reasonable walking distance from one another. In fact, Baltimore City doesn’t have the biggest brewery representation in general. If we ever wanted to be considered a beer lovers destination, getting a few more breweries should be goal number one and ideally a fair number of them should be accessible by foot.

Quality & Variety

It goes without saying (SO NOW I MUST SAY IT), but without a wide variety of local beer for customers to pick from a city will never legitimately be considered a beer destination. Even more important than having any array of beer, though, is the quality with which it’s made.  Asheville had both of these facets on lock. I’ve already alluded to all of the breweries within city limits, but it’s the quality that really matters. Breweries with Belgian backgrounds, sour programs, or what I’m calling “American craft style breweries” are sprinkled about town as far as the eye can see. And what’s most impressive is how they all come together to function as a unit while still maintaining a healthy competitive individual presence.

Of course, all breweries want to stand out individually and do the best business they can, but understanding that the Asheville beer product is just as important as anything else, established brewers have been known to offer the new guys in town a helping hand to make sure the quality level stays as high as it currently is. That’s impressive and one of the biggest things I took away from the weekend I spent there. Everyone is in business for themselves, but there is strength in numbers and you’re only as strong as your weakest link. It might be cliché but it’s also true in this case.

How does Baltimore measure up?

Baltimore has some work to do if it hopes to find itself with a starring role in the major leagues of good beer. There’s obvious promise here. Union Craft Brewing owns a couple impressive medals and there are a few other breweries consistently pushing the envelope locally, but in my estimation there are few options that are standouts nationally to draw out of towners to our great city. If you’re a beer fan travelling through Asheville, you’d be absolutely crazy to leave without visiting the Wicked Weed Funkatorium. After all, stacks upon stacks of barrels aging and souring can’t be found just anywhere. Regrettably, there is no such place in Baltimore with that kind of appeal but that doesn’t mean there never will be.

Price

So you’ve got a plethora of beers to select from and a surfeit of breweries in which to visit. The hotel leaves only a short walk to the good stuff and nobody is driving which leaves only one question; how much money is it going to cost to get a good feel for the beer scene with only a short time in this city? And the answer is, if you’re in Asheville, not very much.

I was blown away by the cheap price of beer during my visit. I’m used to paying anywhere from $6 - $8 for a typical beer, but in Asheville the average was running around $4 for a full pint. In fact, the only time I paid more than $5 for a beer was when I visited the Wicked Weed Funkatorium and got a sour beer for $6. These types of price points found everywhere in Asheville make beer approachable for any type of budget.

As great as the affordable price of beer was, my absolute favorite part of the Asheville beer scene was the availability of half pints at nearly every establishment. Yes, I know “taster flights” are pretty prevalent, but let’s be honest, those little sample glasses suck. I don’t want to taste a beer; I want to drink a beer. Half pints give you just enough to make you feel like you’re truly enjoying a beer and at $2 -$2.50 it’s easy to try a variety but still get value for your dollar. I wholeheartedly believe half pints should become a staple in every American bar/brewpub/brewery.

How does Baltimore measure up?

As I hinted at above, we don’t measure up here. It’s as simple as that. Prices for pints in Baltimore, whether at the bar or the brewery itself can be somewhat prohibitive depending upon your budget. There are reasons for that I won’t get into here, but I’ve got to think there is something that can change to allow local beer fans a little more bang for their buck.  And half pints? Make them available. If you make good beer and you’re proud it, let me have a drink because a sample just won’t do. As far as I know Pratt Street Alehouse is the only place offering half pints and I’d love it if we could have them on offer at more establishments across the area.

Food

We all want to taste as many types of beer as we can, but at some point you’re going to need eat. Every brewpub I ate at on our trip showed the same care with food as they did with beer. That’s the way it should be. People that like good beer and care enough to travel for it are going to care about their food in the same way. Don’t just throw together a menu for the sake of having food. Wow us with your culinary skills and people will remember. Great food and great beer coming together is just smart business.

How does Baltimore measure up?

Ehh, our local food and beer options are okay. A few places such as Of Love and Regret really get it, a few miss the mark completely, and most fall somewhere in between. If we step up our food game, the beer scene becomes that much better by default. It’s a simple but often overlooked part of the beer experience and I’d like to see Baltimore do better.

Attractions Outside of Beer

What? You mean there are things to do for fun that don’t revolve around stainless steel fermentation tanks? I guess if you look hard enough you can find a few. In the case of Asheville you’ve got an excellent “shop local” small boutique kind of vibe to take in while you’re meandering from one bar to the next brewpub. You’ve also got the world famous Biltmore to check out where a day can easily be lost taking in the magnificent house and gardens. And, uh, I know I’m supposed to be talking about non-alcohol related entertainment but the Biltmore does boast their own wine and beer on the property as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to take in the outdoor activities found throughout the area but seeing people tubing down the river while on a bus ride to Sierra Nevada (oh yeah, they have a world class brewery a short drive away too) and Oskar Blues, I know exactly what I’ll be making time for should I return to in Asheville during the warm months in the future.

How does Baltimore measure up?

This is where Baltimore can stand toe to toe with Asheville. It’s beautiful here. We’ve got the Harbor, professional sports teams, different neighborhoods with their own individual personalities, history for the history buffs, and a city that makes it easy to just enjoy being outside. The draw is there. We’ve got a great city and with a few tweaks to the beer landscape Baltimore could be a huge draw.

Now it may seem as if I was bit hard on Baltimore in various parts of this post, but that’s only because I care. I want to see our beer scene expand, improve, and ultimately become a beer lover’s destination. The foundation is here for us to become Beer City USA, but it's going to take a strong desire to keep moving the ball forward. A lot of collaboration among the beer community is going to be needed.  Most importantly, breweries need to come to a realization that selling beer and representing your own brand becomes much easier when you combine great beer with the power of selling the beautiful city of Baltimore. Cheers to Baltimore – Beer City USA in the making.  And Cheers to Asheville for showing me what all other beer loving cities should aspire to become.

Thank you. Come again!

The rules are simple.  In ten minutes put together a list detailing as many things as can think of that you'd like to show thanks for. It sounds simple but when the pressure is on it’s harder than you’d imagine to come up with a list. So, without any further adieu, here are the beer and blogging related odds and ends I’m thankful for.

• My wife for trekking around with me from brewery to brewery always being willing to try something new.
• Belgium for creating some of the worlds most creative and tasty beers all inside one tiny little country.
• Germany for sticking to the Reinheitsgebot and making this Helles lover happy.
• Friends and Family who encourage me to write.
• Maryland breweries all too happy to welcome tiny bloggers inside their business for a closer look.
• Beers brewed to style.
• Brewers that say style be damned.
• CCMABBD (Continental Congress of Mid-Atlantic Beer Blogger Doctors) for being a great group of trusted beer bloggers and friends
• Oliver Gray for being a level headed thinker and wizards of words.
• Bryan Roth for looking to data to backup andecdotal claims and being the first blogger I noticed doing this thankful game.
• Jake Scholan aka Hipster Brewfus for being funny as hell and having the courage of his convictions.
• My brother Matt for brewing beer with me despite major shortcomings in my brew game. 
• My readers.  Because everyone likes an audience.
• Generous restaurants and breweries who help make doing a blog like this a little extra rewarding
• Union Craft Brewing Old Pro Gose
• Cask Ale without cookies

What are you thankful for? Your time....starts....now.

For more giving of the thanks check out these blogs:

• This Is Why I'm Drunk
• Hipster Brewfus
• Literature & Libation

Weekend Beerventures from Baltimore Part 2: Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm

Part 1 of our Fourth of July Beerventure can be viewed here.

Our Fourth of July continued as I surprised Deana with a beercentric trip to Frederick.  I grabbed my camera and car keys and we set off for Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm on one of the most beautiful days of the summer. The sun lit up the surroundings in all its glory and the sky was painted as blue as the 1980's Kansas City Royals uniforms Bo Jackson made me love as a kid.

You won’t find me excited about car rides that last longer than 3 minutes but the ride to Milkhouse Brewery, located on the way to Frederick in Mt Airy, was really something to take in and appreciate. A drive with wide open space, blue skies, lush rolling green hills, and a perfectly photogenic brewery waiting at the top of a hill will tend to help with my aversion to cars.

Considering this was our first experience with Milkhouse’s beers, we decided to familiarize ourselves with their offerings by ordering a sampler. On this particular day the sampler included Dollyhyde Summer Farmhouse Ale, Goldie’s Best Bitter, East Coast Pale Ale, 4th Step IPA, and Coppermine Creek Dry Stout. Occasionally they have a cask on hand that’s included in the sampler but we weren’t so lucky. I guess that means we’ll just have to make another drive to Frederick to get the full experience.  All of the beers were well balanced and tasty, but the standouts were the Bitter and Farmhouse Ale for me and the East Coast Pale Ale for Deana. The fact that Deana picked a Pale Ale as the standout beer in a lineup speaks volumes to the balance that Milkhouse displayed with all of their recipes. The East Coast Pale was a 5% Ale bittered to 38 IBU’s with Cascade hops grown on site at Stillpoint Farm and evoked similarities to a British Style Pale Ale.

Mid-way through the sampler Deana wisely suggested we get something to eat. We had a few more stops planned and with no breakfast in either of our stomachs food was going to be essential. As fate would have it, Milkhouse had us covered with a wide variety of cheeses and crackers available for purchase in the taproom.  Because I'm not the best at pairing beer with food I decided to trust their handy suggested pairing list. Deana ordered a full pint of Pale Ale and I was looking for more Bitter so we went with fantastic garlic cheddar trusting it would pair well with both.

As we lounged on the patio enjoying the beer and our snack something dawned on me. Most people consider beer to be a combination of 4 simple ingredients consisting of water, malt, hops, and yeast. But that overlooks what might be the most important ingredient of all when it comes to enjoying a beer. Place. Place is a special ingredient that not every beer is lucky enough to have and Milkhouse provides it like no other Maryland brewery I've visited can.  With gorgeous hills of green as far as they can see, hops growing nearby, and the big blue sky above I could have spent all day sitting with a beer reminding myself how lucky I was to sip that beer with Deana by my side.  Our trip to Milkhouse Brewery ended far too quickly, but it definitely won’t be our last. I can’t wait to head back in the fall to enjoy the crisp air and changing leaves.

Click to Read Part 3

Weekend Beerventures from Baltimore Part 1: Union Craft Brewing and Blue Pit BBQ

It’s been awhile since I've had a Weekend Beerventure. I've been looking for a good time to hit the road again and with a 3-Day Independence Day weekend in front of us Deana and I decided to hop in the car and seek out the local suds.

The weekend started off with a trip to Union Craft Brewing. Not really a Beerventure from Baltimore, but it's how the weekend began so that's where we'll start. Depending on your disposition you might see the glass as half full or half empty, but one thing we can all agree on is that your Union growler should always be completely full. That’s especially true when Old Pro Gose is flowing through the tap system. Old Pro is tart, slightly salty, and the most satisfying local beer around during the summer months. If you've yet to get your hands on a pint of Old Pro it sounds like you need to schedule a beerventure of your own and rectify the situation.

With our growler filled to the brim and a couple pints of Union Anthem patriotically chugged Deana decided we needed to kick our Fourth of July celebration into high gear and find some BBQ. While discussing our dinner options the rain was starting to come down hard and since I've been hearing about Blue Pit BBQ located just seconds up the street from Union we decided to race through the rain and head for the BBQ. Only one problem existed with the plan. Blue Pit BBQ isn't scheduled to start serving BBQ until later in the summer. Safe from the rain and surrounded by a myriad of whiskey we decided to stick around anyway. And besides, we weren't completely left without any food options. There was a limited but enticing menu of Binkerts sausages and a cheese plate on offer.  Deana chose a Weisswurst in hopes of reliving our travels in Germany, but we both agreed that I won the Sausage Selection Extravaganza when I decided to try the Debreziner. The word debreziner was new for me, but it’s essentially a delicious mix of pork and beef meat. In other words, it’s a damn fine hot dog. Though, topped with deli mustard and a stunningly intense green atomic relish there is a reason you won’t ever confuse the debreziner at Blue Pit with an everyday hot dog. The atomic relish really lightened up an otherwise salty and savory bite and while freshness isn't a word that always comes to mind when thinking of sausages it makes for one of the more interesting condiments you’ll come across.

Surprisingly (as far as my own preferences are concerned), an expertly crafted Old Fashioned served as the highlight of the night. Blue Pit has a fair amount of craft beer on hand, but since I already visited Union and I was in a whiskey bar it only made sense to order the libation they’re known for. Knowing next to nothing about whiskey I relied on the advice of the bartender as to which variety I should select to create the quintessential Old Fashioned flavor. I went with his recommendation of Elijah Craig and waited anxiously as he went about mixing the classic cocktail. What I received was a sublime amalgamation of smooth vanilla, citrus, and smoke flavors equally doing their part to take some but not all of the whiskey burn away. In no way do I consider myself a whiskey aficionado, but I would definitely order this drink again.

Blue Pit BBQ might not have a fully functioning kitchen just yet but our visit showed enough promise to convince me that there is a lot to look forward to from them in the near future. Be on the lookout for the smoke and the meantime there are worse things you can do besides grabbing a sausage and sipping on premium whiskey.

Click to Read Part 2
Click to Read Part 3

Session Beers and Blogger Meetups

Geez! More than a month has gone by since I last posted. Getting married is time consuming business! I'm still not there yet, but I'm drawing near the finish line and you can expect regular postings in the very near future. While it's true that I've taken a short sabbatical from writing, that hasn't stopped me from taking little trips and discovering the best that Maryland Beer has to offer.

One such trip involved a meetup a few weekends ago with a blogger I've been following since way back before I really knew what proper beer even was. That blogger is pictured above on my right and he is Tom Cizauskas of Yours for Good Fermentables. But Tom isn't just any old blogger. Tom is a guy that has played a substantial role in Maryland's beer scene over the last 20+ years and it was a privilege to pick his brain for a few hours. He's an encyclopedia of local beer knowledge. Oh, and any time you come across Cask Ale locally it's in no small part to the efforts of Tom and the people he's worked with in the past to help pave the way.

While talking with Tom I learned an abundance about local beer history, but something beer related struck me on the ride home after our meeting that had nothing to do with our actual conversation. Our discussion lasted a solid two hours and spanned three or four beers. Not only was driving not an issue, but I realized I was able to give our conversation my full attention and that's something that's not always possible when the ABV of beers are running a little higher than I'd like.

As fate would have it, we met at Pratt Street Alehouse where there were multiple beers weighing in at less than 3.5% ABV on tap. The first beer was the DuClaw collaboration Back to Basix which is fantastic Ale made with Pale Malt and Amarillo hops. At 2.8% it maintains a surprisingly full body but played the part of the perfect session beer as Tom and I discussed Maryland Beer. Also on offer was the 3.2% Spring Session Ale. This beer is made with English Lager Malt, flaked oats and corn,and hopped with Mt Hood and Citra hops. It was the perfect beer to bring along to a conversation as Spring Session Ale was delicious but unobtrusive, just as any quality session beer should be.

One of my biggest hopes for Maryland beer is for low alcohol beers to become more and more prominent across our region. Beer is a social drink no matter the level of alcohol, but the coherency of conversations has an inverse relationship as the ABV creeps higher. High alcohol beers have their place, certainly, but so to do the little but delicious beers like Back to Basix. So, here's to another...and another...and another. Cheers to Session beer! And Cheers to Tom!

Brewer's Art

If you come to this blog it's because you're a fan of one of two things. You're either a fan of the Baltimore food scene or you like good beer. If both of those descriptors fit you, than Brewer's Art is an absolute must visit. If only one of those descriptors fit you, Brewer's Art is still a place you need to visit. It's just that good.

The first time Deana and I ever visited Brewer's Art was during a Restaurant Week. One of the appetizer options offered was something called Liptauer Cheese Spread. My initial thought was "Cheese Spread? Weird. You don't see that everywhere. Let's get that." We did and we were happy souls. On the day of our Restaurant Week visit they used some spicy red pepper in the spread and it was fantastic. Creamy cheese, pepper with a little bite, and some super crunchy crustini combined to make one of my favorite appetizers in all of Baltimore. More recently, we went back with my brother and sister-in-law and the spread was just as good. The main difference between our first and last visit was that the pepper used wasn't as spicy and the crustini had a sauerkraut flavor that was superb. My brother, the ultimate consumer of cheese, gave it a rousing review.

On our most recent visit, I decided to try Braised Duroc Pork Cheeks for dinner. As is often the case, I like to try things I've never had before and since I've never chewed on a cheek before I decided now (or then as it were) was the time. The Cheeks were also served with a baby Bratwurst, split peas in a cider gravy, and swiss chard. This was the perfect plate. The cheeks had the familiar taste of pork with a crunchy outer texture juxtaposed against the tender inside. The bratwurst didn't tread on any new territory, but who would want that anyway? Brats should be brats and this one was as good you could want. The spicy mustard they served on the side was a great compliment. Swiss chard was also something I had never tried and I really enjoyed the earthy flavor it gave off. However, my favorite part of the dish, and also something new to me, were the split peas. They kept a crunchy texture and the cider gravy they were served with gave them an almost baked bean like flavor that went perfect with the pork cheeks. 

On my initial visit to Brewer's Art I ordered the Steak Frites as did Deana and my sister-in-law Amy on our most  recent trip. The steak frites are delicious in their own right, but what I really want to talk about is the out of this world customer service Amy received when her steak came out cooked a little more done than she had asked for. She was feeling a little self conscious about complaining, but we convinced her that it wasn't worth fighting through a meal she didn't ask for. She let our waitress know about the issue and there was absolutely no argument. Our waitress apologized that it was over done and said she'd have a new steak up as soon as possible. A few minutes later the manager one duty stopped by the table to apologize to Amy and thank her for giving them a chance to make things right. Brewer's art displayed some of the best customer service I've seen and I'd like to personally thank them for going out of their way to make sure our table left satisfied. The meal ended up being great and left all of us happy when all was said and done. 

As far as Brewer's Art's beer is concerned, I've never had a beer from them that I didn't completely enjoy and that wasn't totally full of flavor. I've sampled gruits, their staples in Resurrection and (the now infamous) Ozzy, and on this particular night I was smitten with their Charm City Sour Cherry (flavor is self explantory) and Biere De Mars (tart red ale) . I give them major props on putting out beers that are big on flavor without ever taking your palate hostage. 

I'm sure I could sit here and come up with a fun to say "be sure you visit Brewer's Art", but I'm not even going to try. You should visit because the food is great and the beer is as good as anything else being put out locally. Visit now. Eat good. Drink great. Be happy.

Price: A little on the expensive side, but they do have great happy hour pricing

Recommendation: Must visit for the foodie and beer geeks among us.

What to Order: Whatever your heart desires. They won't let you down. 

Brewmore

Last Thursday, Nick Kovacic of Digital Cave Media premiered his movie Brewmore at the MICA Brown Center to hundreds of local beer fans. Heading to the event, I wasn't sure what to expect of the movie but after it was all said and done I left with a much better understanding of the incredible history Baltimore has within the world of brewing and a sense of excitement that we can get back there with the help of some very talented modern day brewers. 

Brewmore focused a great deal of its roughly one hour run time on Baltimore Breweries from days of yore. Having not grown up in Baltimore I really appreciated being filled in on all of the glorious details of our cities brewing history. It's absolutely astounding to learn that at one time there were roughly 40 breweries operating within the city borders. More impressive yet, National was producing 1 million barrels of beer per year at it's pinnacle. To put that in perspective, you could add up every barrel of beer produced by our  local craft breweries over a span of many years and still not be anywhere near 1 million barrels. 

And speaking of our local craft breweries, it was nice to see Heavy Seas, Brewer's Art, Stillwater, and Union Craft Brewing in the spotlight. I thought a little more time could have spent on the modern day stuff, but what we did get was plenty entertaining and a great way to learn about the history and personalities of the breweries you can't always get otherwise. Personally, I really enjoyed getting a feel for what Brian Strumke of Stillwater is all about in regards to brewing. I knew he brewed great beer, but prior to seeing the movie hadn't learned much about him other than the fact that he's a "gypsy" brewer. Brewmore filled a lot of gaps in for me. 

If you're a fan of our local beer scene but weren't lucky enough to be in attendance last Thursday make sure you find the time to attend their April 19th screening at Heavy Seas Brewery. Brewmore is a great celebration of Baltimore and Beer and it's not to be missed. 

Weekend Beerventures from Baltimore: Burley Oak and Evolution Craft Brewing Co.

Welcome to what I'm hoping will be come a pretty regular blog feature called Weekend Beerventures from Baltimore. The idea is simple. It's the weekend and you're looking for good beer within 2 hours (3 max) of Baltimore. It could be a bar, brewery, brewpub, or distributor. If I make it to one of these destinations, I'll take some pictures and let you know if I had good time or not. Sometimes, I might try to set something up so it's more of an "official" blog visit. And sometimes,  as was the case on this visit, I might just visit with no agenda other than to taste some good beer.

This particular Beerventure was a winter weekend trip to Ocean City. I wasn't sure how many breweries I would be able to drag Deana to but I was pretty determined to make it to Burley Oak. I've heard nothing but good things about them and being that I've only sampled 2 or 3 of their beers prior to our visit I was pretty excited to get a better idea about what they had to offer. And I found out, they have a lot to offer. 

When we first arrived it was looking pretty dead. I was a little worried the snow was going to keep people in their house, but within an hour the place was full of thirsty visitors looking to get Burley. I wish I would have taken a photo of their tasting room, because it was a really cool place to hangout. It was the perfect kind of size where it's big enough that people aren't breathing down your neck, but small enough that you can feel the energy of the crowd. The bartenders were friendly, taking their time going over the different options and were right there to get you something else as soon as they noticed you were nearing the end of your pint or sampler. 

I didn't take very good tasting notes as I attempted to be a good fiance and actually talk with Deana as opposed to diligently going over each beer making sure I missed nothing. However, thanks to Untappd I can confirm that I tried their Just The Tip Kolsch, a Brown Ale called 'Merica, a Berliner known as Sour Trip, their take on a homemade Root Beer, and my favorite of the day a Flanders (not sure, but they labeled it a Sour) called Tart Attack. Oh yeah, and Deana had a SuperFun Stout on Nitro, Assawoman Amber, and a Red Ale called Rude Boy that I got to try as well. The standouts for me were Sour Trip and Tart Attack. Sour trip was the perfect amount of sour, but it still had a very earthy wheat backbone that I thought provided some balance. And Tart Attack was just delicious if you're a fan of sour cherries. There might have been snow on the ground that day, but Tart Attack had me ready for Spring. Deana was also a big fan of Tart Attack, but the SuperFun Stout on Nitro seemed to be a hit with her as well. Fans of beer with silky mouthfeel need to find this oatmeal stout when it's getting the Nitro treatment. Unreal.

At some point during all the beer tasting Brewer Bryan stopped by and casually asked if anyone was interested in a brew tour. Of course we were game and  headed into the back of the building to see what was going on. He went through the basics you hear in just about every tour, but I found it particular interesting that he started malting his own barley. A farmer in Snow Hill provides the barley, Bryan malts it, and you might have been drinking it recently if you had the chance to try Loakal Pale Ale in the past week or two. Unfortunately, I was a week early and missed out but I look forward to trying out their house malted beers as they expand their efforts into the future. If drinking local is your thing, you really can't ask for much more than that. 

Especially noticeable on our visit to Burley Oak was how involved Brewer Bryan was with everything. He was running the tours, filling pints, running the cash register, and thanking everyone for their business with a smile on his face that let you know he really loved what he was doing. It was a really good time and I'm looking forward to my next trip to Berlin. 

But that wasn't the end of good beer on this trip. I thought Burley Oak was going to be the extent of the Beerventure, but on the way out of town Deana gave the thumbs up for a quick visit to Evolution. Evo is about 30 minutes outside of OC in Salisbury and they boast one of the cooler brewery setups I've visited with a restaurant and tap room sandwiching a pretty decent sized brewery area. Unfortunately, we ate lunch before deciding we'd make our visit, but the restaurant was smelling fantastic. The next time I'm in the area I definitely want to make sure I save time and room for some food in the Public House.

However, we did have time for a few beers before we headed back to Baltimore. Since I've had Lot 3 and 6 plenty of times, I decided to pass on them and sample Rise Up Stout, their spring seasonal Sprung, and Incubator 3 and 4 (Saison and Oyster Stout). Deana choose Winter Migration (Strong Ale), Exile ESB, and Lucky 7 (Porter). There wasn't a bad beer among them, but the favorites were Incubator 3 for me and Rise Up Stout for Deana. 

Our little tasting session at Evolution was also a reminder of how drinking a fresh beer can bit vital to understanding what a beer is really intended to be about. I specifically ordered Sprung because in the past when I've had it in bottles I thought it literally tasted of nothing. Given that Evo puts out consistently flavorful beer I always wondered what was up with Sprung, but having it fresh on tap at the brewery made all the difference. Sprung was still light on aroma, but there were subtle fruit components I never experienced before with hints of apple and white grape popping in and out. 

The tour there was okay (no fault of evo's). It was the same old stuff  but we did have the privilege of being momentarily locked in their malt room. Normally, I wouldn't worry but on Sunday when NOBODY was in the brewing area it had me wondering how long we'd be in there before someone noticed we were missing. Luckily, our tour guide got us out after a few minutes of playing around with the door, but if it took a little longer I think we'd have been okay considering we had a pitcher of Rise Up Stout with us to pass the time.

We didn't get to spend a ton of time at Evo, but the time we did spend was enjoyable. The beer was good and the people working there were super friendly which is just about all you can ask for on a visit to a brewery. If you end up taking my advice and visiting, be sure to leave enough time for food.

Overall, I'd say a trip to OC (especially during off season) is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. It's a few hour drive, but you have two breweries within 30 minutes of each other putting out some really good beer. Start your day early at Burley Oak and then head back to Baltimore while taking a beer detour at Evo. Taste the beer, eat some food, enjoy the company of friendly strangers, and you've had one hell of a Weekend Beerventure from Baltimore. 

Maryland Beer Reviews: Baltimore Washington Beer Works Tell Tale Heart IPA

Back with another video review. This time I'm talking Baltimore Washington Beer Works Tell Tale Heart IPA. Still working out my camera presence and all that, but this'll do for now. 

One thing I noticed was that as this beer warmed up was the astringency I experienced early on became less and less to the point that it became a very balanced beer and the cattiness become less prominent while the citrus balanced out and the malt began to pop it's head out more. 

This is something I've noticed with a lot of beers I drink. What I think about a beer initially can be totally different by the time I'm down at the bottom of the pint. I'm aware of how temperature can affect taste and I did let it warm up prior to filming, but still, this beer didn't really fully open up to me until the the second half of the drink. This made me realize that I don't think a quick sniff and taste is a fair way to review a beer, and so I'll be changing up my review format a bit to accommodate for my beerpoloar disorder from here on out. 

Beer: Baltimore Washington Beer Works Tell Tale Heart

Style: IPA

ABV: 7.3%

IBU: 50

Maryland Beer Reviews: Full Tilt Brewing Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout

I've been looking for ways to spruce up the blog and video reviews are something I've wanted to do for quite a long time. You would think that talking to a camera about beer is easy, but alas, it is quite the opposite. It took me 3 beers over two different nights to get this to be simply okay. Hopefully, I can grow into being in front of a camera and this will develop into something everyone will enjoy.

The Maryland beer I chose to review to open up 2014 was Full Tilt Brewing's Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout. Watch the video to hear my thoughts and if you have a Youtube account please subscribe to the channel.

Beer: Full Tilt Brewing Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout

Style: Sweet Stout

ABV: 6%

IBU: 36

Maryland Beer: DuClaw Funk

DuClaw is one of my favorite local breweries and I'm a wheat beer obsessed fool. Logic says that when I add those two factors together the result should be one happy Doug. So, let's crack open a Funk and see if the logic plays out here. 

Brewery Location: Rosedale, MD
Style: Blueberry Citrus Wheat Ale
Serving Type: Bottle
ABV: 5%
IBU: 16

Appearance: Funk is effervescent and surprisingly clear for a wheat beer. I didn't notice any haze at all, just a vivid gold liquid.

Aroma: Blueberry is the most noticeable smell of Funk. As soon as I cracked the bottle open a shot of sweetness wafted it's way to my nose. After I poured the beer and the aroma had a chance to show its self fully, the blueberry smell came across as more Fruit Loops than blueberry. I could pick up a little lemon, but overall the blueberry masks anything else that might be going on.

Taste: Funk is without a doubt a fruit beer. There is lot of blueberry up front. Middle of the mouth a little of the wheat notes come in but it's quickly pushed back aside as blueberry and a bit of lemon dominant the finish.

Final Verdict: Overall, Funk is a refreshing summer beer which is extremely easy to drink. The fruit flavors are prominent without being cloying, but I'm left wishing the wheat flavor had the ability to shine through a bit more. On hotter days I can see reaching for one of these to quench my thirst, but because it's mostly sweet fruity flavors this isn't a beer I envision stocking my fridge with.

Maryland Beer: Baltimore-Washington Beer Works Pendulum Pilsner

I try (and fail) not to get on my high horse when speaking of craft beer and tell drinkers that they need to drink more of XYZ style beer or that brewers should brew more of that style. But, with that said, lagers are a style that I wish received more attention from brewers and drinkers alike.

Up to now, it's my feeling that craft beer has been pushed forward with the attitude of more, more, more. Lagers aren't known for high alcohol, IBU's, or exotic flavors in general. What they are known for is being perfect snapshots of subtle perfection and attention to detail. It's that subtlety that gets lost in translation for the average drinker. It's also why I love them so much. Nothing jumps out at you and says "Hey, I'm a lager baby! Drink me and love me!" Well, some might, but that's Justin Timberlake talking, not the beer. Lagers stand on their own merit. If there's a flaw, you're going to know about it and no amount of dry hopping is going to overshadow the product you produced. Perhaps that's why so many brewers shy away from lagers.

One brewery that apparently  isn't afraid of lagers is Baltimore-Washington Beer Works . In fact, two out of the three beers they produce are lagers and for that they get a tip of the cap. They also get a review. Let's get into it.

Brewery Location: Baltimore, MD

Style: Pilsner

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 4.5%

IBU: 22

Appearance: My bottle of Pendulum Pilsner didn't pour with much head to speak of, but good lord was it crystal clear. The beer was one of the all time beauties to look at. Amber and visually flawless, I'm not ashamed to say I sat in my "man chair" for a good five minutes reveling about how good it looked while Deana sat across from me on the couch shaking her head and second guessing why she chose me.

Aroma:  I was a bit disappointed with the nose. I tried my best to sniff something out, but overall I wasn't getting much more than just a note of sweet malt here and there. When I wasn't gazing lovingly into my glass I was sniffing like a Basset Hound so it wasn't without effort that nothing special was detected aromatically.

Taste: Pendulum Pilsner drinks incredibly smooth, but that's about as far as I can go with the compliments. There was mellow malt taste with nothing on the back end to bring everything full circle. Personally, I would like to see the Saaz hops have a slightly bigger role. A crisp, snappy, dry finish would be the perfect way to balance out the sweet malty experience you being your sip with.

Final Verdict: As a huge fan of The Raven and an even bigger fan of Tale Tell Hearty Ale, I was ready to LOVE Pendulum Pilsner. We were going to be boys and spend many an evening together in perfect harmony. But, as it stands, we're probably going to settle for being acquaintances. Sure, he's cool and I don't have any real problem with him, but I don't see us having enough in common to spend extended hours together.

Maryland Beer: Baying Hound Aleworks Lord Wimsey's Mild Pale Ale

A few months ago in one of the Sessions I mentioned that in order to keep my stockpile of beer manageable, I had decided to only buy beer from a select few local states. It's been a success as far as keeping my ad-hoc beer buying binges at bay (alliteration!), but it's having unintended consequences elsewhere. I'm learning more about Maryland beer.

Because I don't like to drink the same beer repeatedly, I'm always on the lookout for something new. I thought that was going to be somewhat of a problem when it came to choosing beers from Maryland, but I'm finding that's far from the truth. There are so many beers right here in my backyard that I was unaware of. Because of that, I decided I'm going to focus my beer reviews much more on the local beer scene. I consider myself to be pretty in touch with the happenings of our local craft beer community, but if this many beers are slipping through my radar I'd imagine the same thing is happening for some of you. My goal is to increase my knowledge of the Maryland beerscape and hopefully pass my findings on to you.

Picture provided by Oliver from Literature and Libation.

Brewery Location: Rockville, Maryland
Style: Mild Pale Ale
Serving Type: Bottle
ABV: 6%
IBU: ?

Appearance: Lord Wimsey is copper colored with a thick velvety head. This particular beer took a solid ten minutes before the head reduced to a point that I could take a sip of the beer. I suspect this was a result of the bottle conditioning the beer goes through, and while it's understandable, I found it a bit inconvenient to wait around for the head to fade.

Aroma: The aroma reminded me of a doppelbock.  Lord Wimsey has a very malt forward smell that's full of bread and dark fruits like prunes and raisin. With almost no hop presence on the nose this beer takes you down a completely different path than you're probably used to walking with a Pale Ale

Taste: Lord Wimsey tastes just like it smells. You're hit with dark fruit, prunes, raisin and there is a definite bready quality hinting about. My bottle had a fair amount of carbonation, but again, that was probably due to bottle conditioning.

Final Verdict: Despite it's less than stellar reviews online, I like this beer quite a bit. They say that this is a beer brewed for people who don't want a hop bomb and they achieve that with ease. Malt bomb is probably a more accurate description for Baying Hound Aleworks Lord Wimsey's Pale Ale (man, that's a name). It's quite different from the average ale on the market and I appreciate it for the unique charm.

The Six-Pack Project: Maryland Beer

We're bringing together writers from all over the country to highlight a six-pack of our home’s native brews that best represent what our beer culture has to offer. If someone is coming to visit, what bottles or cans would we want to share? Here are the rules:

• Pick a six-pack of beers that best represents your state and/or state’s beer culture.
• Beer must be made in your state, but “gypsy” brewers are acceptable, so long as that beer is brewed with an in-state brewery and sold in your state.
• Any size bottle or can is acceptable to include.
• Current seasonal offerings are fine, but try to keep selections to year-round brews as much as possible. No out-of-season brews preferred. 

When Bryan from This Is Why I'm Drunk contacted me to ask if I was interested in participating in The Six-Pack Project as a Maryland representative I was happy to jump at the opportunity. I love Maryland Beer and the idea of giving out-of-towner's some beer advice is my kind of fun. Of course, I'm not the only person in Maryland with a blog and an interest in local beer. So, Bryan got creative and came up with the idea of a Maryland Craft Beer Fantasy Draft between myself and Oliver from Literature and Libation. A coin flip determined who made the first pick and then we snaked (the last pick of the previous round makes the first pick in the next round) our way through until we both had a full Six-Pack of Maryland Beer. Here is how the draft played out (my picks are underlined):

Round 1: 

Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber

Heavy Seas Loose Canon

Round 2:

Union Craft Brewing

DuClaw Bareass Blonde

Round 3: 

Evolution Lot #3

DuClaw Mysterium

Round 4:

Brewers Art Resurrection

Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning Uber Pils

Round 5:

Pub Dog Hoppy Dog Ale

Red Brick Station Something Red

Round 6:

Heavy Seas Great'er Pumpkin Ale

Baying Hound Lord Wimsey Mild

Let's go to the Coaches Corner where I discuss what was going through my mind when I was making these picks and give you a little background on each of the players.

Heavy Seas Loose Canon - As I said when made this pick I don't necessarily think that this is the best beer in Maryland, nor is it my favorite,but when I'm making a first round pick I'm looking for someone who is consistently going to show up each and every week. And if Loose Canon does anything it shows up. I don't have any empirical data to back this up, but in my opinion Loose Canon is easily the most readily available Maryland beer in my neck of the woods. It's on almost everyone's tap list throughout Baltimore and if you walk into a distributor that isn't carrying Loose Canon you probably shouldn't be in that store to begin with.

Loose Canon is an IPA that is Orange/Amber in color. The head is average and diminishes quickly. On the nose you're hit with floral aroma, a little pine, citrus and lemon. Sweet and malty in the initial taste, the hops gain strength through the finish and you experience all the same floral, pine, citrus notes that were present in the aroma. Best of all, the bitterness doesn't linger which makes Loose Canon highly drinkable.

Union Craft Brewing Duckpin Pale Ale - I followed up my first round pick with another IPA. Normally, I  don't like to hit the same position in back to back picks, but I had to make an exception here. In addition to putting out an all around delicious beer, Union goes out of there way to insert themselves into the local community. They host food trucks at their brewery and are currently doing an outdoor movie event each weekend. If you're visiting Baltimore for a weekend, there's a good chance Union is up to something fun. They just started canning their beer a few months ago, but if you get the chance to visit them at the brewery don't pass it up.

Duckpin pours a medium amber color. If I had to describe the beer in one sentence I'd say it's a straight forward, well balanced pale ale. It's nothing fancy, but it's always one of the freshest tasting beers around. The nose is a little piney with hints of grape fruit and orange and it tastes of the same. Duckpin isn't astringent. It's not too dry. It's just very drinkable. This beer displays the perfect amount of hops. Plenty to let you know they are there, but they never wear you out and make it easy to go back for more than one.

DuClaw Mysterium - Before I even made one pick I knew I had to have DuClaw represented somewhere in my 6. The only problem with making a DuClaw pick is deciding which one to take. Somewhere in the past year DuClaw has grown on me and you could easily make the argument that they are the best Maryland has to offer in the way of beer. Everything they make is solid and balanced perfectly. In the end, I decided to go with their Belgian Spiced Ale, Mysterium. Not only is it a beer I enjoy, but it's my girlfriend's favorite.

Normally, when I read "spiced" in a beer description I pass, but as I mentioned earlier DuClaw does a fantastic job of balancing things out.  The restraint they show with the spice, both aromatically and in the flavor is a thing of beauty. None of the spices jump out and say "Hey, you taste that? It's me, Scary Spice...your favorite Spice Girl". But just like the Spice Girls came together as five (?) different girls to perform as one solid unit of pop music perfection, so to do individual flavors in Mysterium. Most surprising, you can still taste an earthy malt backbone which is almost unheard with other spiced beers.

The Brewers Art Resurrection - This is one of those beers that you love but always find yourself over looking. Maybe it's the places I visit, but Resurrection isn't as available as some of the other beers in this list and that's a shame. It's a damn good beer and definitely deserves it's place in your Maryland Six-Pack.

Resurrection pours a sexy dark Amber color with ruby hues floating throughout.  Aromatically, there are hints of dark fruit, plums, bubblegum, and clove leaving no doubt that you're about to partake in a Belgian Abbey Brown Ale. It tastes of cherries, dark fruits, with a touch of clove and caramel on the finish.

Redbrick Station Something Red - After Oliver went with a local (to him) pick in Pub Dog, I decided to follow suit. Red Brick Station is within 10 minutes of my house and within walking distance of my place of employment. They specialize in English Style session beers and Something Red is definitely that.

Something Red pours a beautiful copper like an Irish Red should. The malt backbone here is perfectly earthy. The hops are there as necessary and it finishes a touch sweet.  Something Red is the ultimate session beer. Being that Redbrick is so close to where I work, it's a great place to meetup with my lady after work and blow of some steam. Something Red is the perfect beer to numb the day but never interrupt my train of thought when it's time to whine and moan.

Heavy Seas The Great'er Pumpkin - Now, I kind of broke the rules with this pick because it's seasonal, but I did so for good reason. This is the beer that got me all twitterpatted about craft beer a few years ago. Most likely, they'll be releasing this around the end of August so be on the lookout if you're here around that time of year.

The Great'er Pumpkin is an Imperial Pumpkin Ale aged on Bourbon Barrels. It's also the best and most complex pumpkin beer in the history of pumpkin beer. Even in a world full of pumpkin beer on top of pumpkin beer this one never disappoints. And it ages well to boot. You've got pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, oak, bourbon, great pumpkin flavor, and this awesome alcohol burn that warms you to your bones. The first time I ever tried this beer it floored me and sent me right back to the store to pick up even more. Needless to say, this is a beer you need to get your hands on if you can.

Overall, I really like the Six-Pack I put together. I've got a few IPA's, a few Belgian's, a Session Beer, and my favorite beer of all time. If I were leaving Maryland, not to return for a considerable amount of time, and this was the Six-Pack I left with to remember this great state by I'd be pretty happy. Does my fantasy Six-Pack have enough star power to take out Oliver and his squad? Maybe. Maybe not. What I do know is that any traveler looking for good beer in Maryland is in for one hell of a tasty trip.

Other State/Area Six-Packs:

Maryland - by Literature and Libation
Chicago - by Hop Brained
New York - by Once Upon a Stein
Ohio - by Queen City Drinks
Kentucky - by Hoperatives
California - by The Beginners Brew

DuClaw Naked Fish

If you've followed my blog at all you probably remember me referring to Sam Adams as the King of the Well Balanced Beer (or something along those lines). Seemingly every beer you try of theirs puts together the perfect flavor profile no matter the style. Well, if Sam Adams is King then DuClaw is next in line to the throne. Lately, I've been trying more and more of what DuClaw has to offer and nearly every beer leaves me impressed. They're all so full of flavor, and yet, they aren't overpowering at all. It's very impressive. Today, the beer we'll be discussing is their Naked Fish.

Style: Chocolate Raspberry Stout
ABV: 4.6%
IBU: 30

Appearance: It's not every day a Naked Fish turns you on, but that's only because you haven't seen it undressed and outside of the bottle. Pitch black with a massive khaki brown and bread like head, this beer is a real head turner. Even when I take into account the fact that all stouts look tasty to me, the head on this thing makes Naked Fish stand out as a great looking beer.

Nose: There were all kind of things going on with the aroma in Naked Fish, but nothing you wouldn't expect in a fruit stout. Roasted malt, biscuit, a little coffee, a touch of sweet fruit, and a dab of dark chocolate all come through. If that doesn't make you thirsty, then what are you doing ordering a Chocolate Raspberry Stout to begin with?

Taste: Naked fish is a smooth, easy drinker. Not an overly bitter Stout and not unnecessarily fruity either, Naked Fish is an extremely well balanced and drinkable beer. I don't always associate stouts with spring and summertime drinking, but this is one I can see being a go to stout all through the warmer months. In addition to the great flavor, I was also taken with the lighter body.

Final Verdict:  Naked Fish would make a great summer stout. If you're lucky enough to see this one sitting on any local shelves, be sure to pick yourself up a 6-pack. You won't be sorry.

BBB Beer of the Week: DuClaw X-1

I've always liked what DuClaw had to offer, but some time during the past year my appreciation for what they do has grown considerably. Nearly every beer I try of theirs is something to behold. Each time I try a something new from DuClaw I find myself enjoying beer that has big flavor but is also extremely well rounded. A few months ago while doing my winter seasonal bottle shopping I happened across a bottle of X-1. Being that this beer took a medal at the World Beer Cup it's a beer that I've wanted to try for quite some time. Yesterday, after forgetting that I had this bad boy sitting in the basement I was finally able to sit down and enjoy the X-1.

Style: Imperial Chocolate Rye Porter
ABV: 7.7%
IBU: 60

Appearance: X-1 pours pitch black and is topped off with a fairly substantial head that was bread like in its texture and chocolaty in color. I don't know what it is, but anytime a beer has a head with a color different than the usual white/off-white color it makes it look all the more inviting to me.

Nose: The aroma on this one is great. There are big chocolate notes on top with roasted coffee underneath it all. I'm not always a fan of chocolate and beer but in conjunction with the roasted malt the aroma on X-1 totally won me over.

Taste: DuClaw X-1 could very well be not only the best chocolate beer I've ever had, but also the best porter. A lot of what you smell is what you taste, but I was happy to learn that chocolate presence was more subdued than the aroma had me anticipating. That's not to say the chocolate flavor isn't a major player. It is....it's just not the be all end all of this beer. The sweet chocolate notes are balanced perfectly by the bitter roasted coffee flavors you get on the finish.

Final Verdict: Like I said on my Untappd check-in last night, what a f'n beer. It truly is delicious. When it comes to Porters and sweeter/maltier beers I often find it a challenge to drink more than one beer at a sitting. By the time I get through the sweet flavors I've worn my palate out and I'm ready for something else. With X-1, I don't see myself having that problem. This is perfectly balanced beer that is worthy of any accolades it's received. If you see this one on the shelf or hear about it being offered on tap, do not hesitate to seek this one out. DuClaw X-1 is a great beer.

Beer Tastings: Union Craft Brewing Blackwing Lager

Finally, I got my hands on a Union Craft Brewing beer after many months of hearing nothing but good things about these guys. And after hearing that they won a gold medal at the GABF a week or so ago I knew I needed to get my act together and hunt some down sooner than later.

Tonight, I got my hands on their Blackwing Lager. I don't know what my expectations were pre-sip, but as soon as the beer touched my tongue I automatically became a fan of Union Craft Brewing and will definitely be making their beer a bigger part of my life. B the site just put out a Top 20 list of Maryland beers and I can say with full confidence that the Blackwing Lager could easily hang with anything in the Top 5. It's that good.

Enough pumping them up, though, let's get on to the taste. The Blackwing Lager lives up to it's name and pours a beautiful black color with a fairly substantial creamy head. The aroma is wonderful. Initially, I thought it smelled a lot like a Stout with roasted coffee coming to the forefront. Not surprisingly, once you're done taking in the color and aroma and finally taste the beer you get a bitter coffee flavor with dark chocolate notes. At times I even thought I was picking up hints of black licorice. And while this beer is full of delicious flavor it lives up to the Lager name and drinks very smoothly.

If you live in the Baltimore area and you see Union on tap, do you yourself a favor and try them out. Considering the Blackwing Lager was a winner and their Gold Medal winning Altbier is already getting national attention I think it's safe to assume that this new brewery is top notch.

Style: Black Lager
ABV: 4.9
IBU: ?