La Coalición and an Oktoberfest

My employer treated us to a four day weekend this holiday, so after a fun Friday afternoon spent driving country roads, just to get out of the house, I settled out to the screen porch for a beer and cigar. After a beautiful morning and afternoon, a storm was approaching but I was hopeful it wouldn't be too intense.

I grabbed a bottle of Blue Mountain 13.Five Oktoberfest to enjoy with the smoke. The beer pours a clear amber with just a wisp of head. The aroma is sweet with notes of caramel and bread. As expected the flavor is sweet malt and caramel, with just a touch of bitterness. It's a relatively light flavor profile with a thin mouthfeel. The beer was enjoyable, but lacking the heft that I personally prefer in a Märzen style beer. However, I won't pass by the rest of the six pack either.

In contrast to the beer, Crowned Heads La Coalición is a full-bodied smoke. This is one I've been looking to try for a while, but just never got around to picking it up. This 5½" x 50 Gordito was part of the August pack from My Cigar Pack and I was excited to finally try it. I got rich notes of chocolate, espresso, cedar, and a touch of pepper throughout the 90 minute smoke. The stick burned evenly producing copious smoke, although it did threaten to go out and need a touch from the torch a couple times. I was not at all disappointed in the cigar, though next time I think I'll pair it with a strong stout or a bourbon.

Eventually the skies darkened and that storm came through. The rain fell and the wind blew hard. I actually had to move away from the screen to stay out of the rain being forced through. It was a short burst of weather activity, and in a short while I was back in my normal seat enjoying the cool air and the return of blue sky.

Great Minds Think Alike

Yesterday afternoon I made an spur of the moment run out to the local beer store to check if my favorite late winter release, Tröegs Nugget Nectar was in stock. A successful beer run made, I returned to my desk and within a few minutes received a text message from Colleen, who happened to be out running errands at the same time.

That's Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout and Blue Mountain Dark Hollow Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout in her cart. Looks like we both had the same idea! We'll have plenty of good beer to enjoy this week.

Capital Ale House is Open

Just under three months since a catastrophic roof collapse, Capital Ale House in Fredericksburg reopened this week. We didn't visit on opening day, but Colleen and I did make it downtown for dinner and a few beers on the day after the reopening. Taking seats at the bar, we were greeted by familiar staff faces, and began perusing the beer menu. After quickly making our beverage selections, it was time to look over the food menu.

Capital Ale House has added some new options to the menu, while keeping many, but not all, of our favorites. A couple of Virginia beers, Blue Mountain Brewery Humpback Oktoberfest and Fair Winds Brewing Siren's Lure Saison, along with a new Crispy Artichoke appetizer occupied us while we perused the menu further.

We eventually decided to try out two new items on the menu. Colleen opted for the Pork Belly Tacos, and I ordered the Hub Cap, a Schnitzel Sandwich, served on a Pretzel Roll with Caramelized Onions and a spicy mayonnaise. To go with the flavorful sandwich I opted for a Great Dismal Black IPA from O'Connor Brewing in Norfolk, VA. The roasted and hoppy flavor comibation of the ale went quite well with the sandwich. As it turned out, there were a few O'Connor pint glasses left over from the previous evening's "Steal the Glass" night so I ended up with a souvenir glass as well — not that I really need anymore beer glasses.

We even opted for a celebratory dessert of the Giant Carrot Cake, while we enjoyed our beverages. It's good to have Capital Ale House open again and back on our list of options to visit when we're heading out in search of good beer.

Blue Mountain Beer Dinner

On Tuesday evening we enjoyed a beer and food pairing with Blue Mountain Brewery at Capital Ale House. The beers were not ones that are usually available at the restaurant, and the food dishes were specially created for the event as well.

The Menu

Hors d'ourves

Toasted smoked Gouda and vegetable brushetta

Paired with Maggie Maibock

Salad

Wedge of romaine with almonds and dates finished with carrot ginger dressing

Paired with Steel Wheels ESB

Appetizer

Beer battered avocado with lime crème fraiche

Paired with A Hopwork Orange

Entrée

Surf and turf of cilantro lime steak and cocoa coconut shrimp with Duchesse potatoes,

paired with Prizefighter IPA

Dessert

Bacon and carrot cake truffles with vanilla cream,

paired with Local Species Belgian Pale Ale

The food was all quite tasty and the pairings worked well. The toasted smoked Gouda and vegetable brushetta that started off the evening was exceptional. A bunch of us suggested to the manager that it would make a good addition the Capital Ale House menu. I know headquarters will be getting a few emails with that same suggestion. The Maggie Maibock went well with the appetizer and was a good "easy" beer to start the evening. The salad course, though simple, was surprisingly enjoyable with the ESB.

The beer battered avocado was an unexpected treat. I wasn't sure at first how if would work, but it did. The selected beer, A Hopwork Orange, raised some questions at our table. I had the beer last year, and I recall it being candy sweet with an orange flavor. The beer poured this evening was a citrusy IPA. The brewery rep also described it has having a wheat beer base, which none of us detected.

Moving on to the main course of "surf and turf" we were treated to tender, juicy steak bits and nut encrusted shrimp. The menu noted "cocoa coconut" but the crunchy coating was all peanut flavor. The Prizefighter IPA was quite similar in flavor to the beer served in the previous course.

And finally dessert! The bacon and carrot cake truffles were either a hit or a miss with the diners. I enjoyed them but I saw some who rejected them outright. Local Species is one of my favorite Blue Mountain beers and it was a fitting finish to the meal.

The speed at which the courses came out seemed to be a bit rushed and I frequently found myself gulping down the last of my beer as the next course was being placed. Colleen noted the absence of any of the brewery's dark beers, and the last three beers were quite similar. But, overall it was a very enjoyable evening. The beers were all poured in generously sized samples, so there was plenty to go along with the food. The food was well prepared and as a whole enjoyed by all and the evening finished with smiles all around. It's been a long time since the Ale House hosted one of these events, and this one was very reasonably priced. I hope CAH does more of these events in the future.

Now, I'm off to email Capital Ale House headquarters with my menu suggestion...

From West to East - An Evening of Great Beer

Each month Capital Ale House taps a special beer that's been aged for the past year. The December "Ales From the Crypt" selection was Stone Brewing 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale. It seemed as good a reason as any for an evening out. I don't recall that I ever had release in the Stone Vertical Series, and the beer could only have gotten better with time.

I always enjoy the appearance of a beer, and the Belgian Strong Ale looked quite appetizing in the snifters. Served a touch too cold for my tastes, I admired the beer and let it come up to temperature as we perused the dinner menu, and Colleen arranged the social media photo shoot.

Stone 12.12.12 had a surprisingly mild aroma. We picked up molasses, vanilla, ginger, along with some Belgian yeast. The flavors came out much the same with a stronger presence. Some dark coffee and roasted notes are added as well. The mouthfeel is thick with a long-lingering, dry finish. The beer was quit enjoyable and the well-blended flavors I suspect were only enhanced by the year spent waiting in the cellar.

On a serendipitous note, a friend of Colleen's on FaceBook saw the above picture posted, and inquired back, "Bottle or draft?" Colleen answered and the reply back was "We're our way!" A bit later in the evening we were joined by another couple. As it turns out, the husband is a craft beer fan AND shooting enthusiast. Any guesses what we talked about most of the evening?

As I looked over the row of tap handles, trying to decide on my next beer, I spied a Blue Mountain Barrel House handle, and learned that Dark Hollow Imperial Stout was behind that lever. Dark Hollow is a Bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout. That aging treatment is apparent in the aroma, as the sweet bourbon and dark coffee notes waft from the glass. The beer is not overly boozy, but neither is the alcohol masked. Tastes of dark chocolate, coffee, molasses and vanilla are also present. The mouthfeel is thick and smooth. This is an exceptional Bourbon barrel stout.

Since we were now joined by friends, it was only sociable that I enjoyed another beer. Also sighted on the tap row was Lickinghole Creek Brewery. I posted on this new new Virginia brewery last year, but have never had the opportunity to enjoy their beers. The beer being poured was Gentleman Farmer Estate Hop Ale. I think this is the first beer from the Goochland brewery to make it to Fredericksburg, so my evening of good beer would conclude with another Virginia-brewed libation.

Gentleman Farmer Estate Hop Ale is an Amber Ale brewed with Cascade, Columbus, Nugget and Chinook hops grown on the brewery's farm. The beer has a thick viscous appearance, and the bubbles seem to rise slowly in the glass. The aroma was very mild, with subtle bready malt and citrus fruit notes. The flavor, and mouthfeel, followed the sights and aromas. I found the beer to have a very clean and refreshing taste. I savored the subtle flavors, especially following the big and bold of the previous beers. I'm looking forward to trying this one again, as well as some of the other Lickinghole Creek beers.

It was a fun evening, filled with good beer and conversation. I enjoyed the California-brewed Stone Epic Ale, but I remain partial to the beers of Virginia. The evening's treats from Blue Mountain and Lickinghole Creek breweries are just two of the reasons for that preference.

Blue Mountain Recognized for 'Farm to Pint' Efforts

Virginia's Blue Mountain Brewery and Hop Farm was recently recognized for its commitment to using local ingredients in their beers and supporting the local agriculture industry. The brewery made the Farm Flavor Top Ten listing of Farm to Pint breweries, as reported by the Augusta Free Press:

Blue Mountain Brewery has been named one of 10 awesome farm-to-pint breweries by FarmFlavor.com, a national website that highlights the best in recipes, cooking tips, farmers guides and more that follow food’s journey from the farm to your kitchen. 

For the inaugural list of some of the best farm-to-pint breweries across the United States, FarmFlavor.com editors looked at breweries with a commitment to source the best local ingredients for their beers while also supporting their local agriculture industry.

Blue Mountain not only uses their own locally grown hops, they also feature ingredients from local farms in their brewpub food menu. The Farm Flavor website has more information on all ten recognized breweries.

The Elusive Blue Mountain Oktoberfest

A few weeks ago when we visited Blue Mountain Brewery, I was disappointed they were out of their Oktoberfest beer. Then, last week, Park Lane Tavern was advertising a Steal the Glass event featuring the beer, so I planned to try again for a taste. Shortly before that event was to start, they replaced the featured Blue Mountain beer with Sam Adams Oktoberfest -- I suspect a scheduling or supply issue. (Fortunately I saw that announcement before I left the house.) The STG event was rescheduled to this week. Colleen and I took advantage of that on Wednesday and finally got our pints of Blue Mountain Oktoberfest, and a couple of really nice Blue Mountain Barrel House snifters too.

Blue Mountain Oktoberfest pours a brilliant amber-orange color with a persistent head. The aroma is malty with toasted grain. The flavor presents a big, rich toasted malt base with toffee and some nuttiness thrown in. That malty base is balanced with a very pleasing earthy, hop bitterness. The bitter hops linger a bit in a clean finish. Our overall impression of this beer was succinctly summed up by Colleen after her first sip, "This is good."

After I finished my snifter full, we still had some time to linger so I ordered a standard pint of the Oktoberfest. The long hunt for this elusive beer was well worth the effort. I wonder if I'll get a crack at another pint this season...

Anniversary Road Trip

To celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary, we took a drive down to Nelson County to visit a couple of brew pubs last Sunday. Our main destination was Devils Backbone Brewing Company. We arrived with the Sunday lunch crowd in full swing, and even though we couldn't get a table outside, we were seated right away indoors. Naturally, the first order of business was to peruse the beer menu. No less than twelve house beers were on tap. This was going to be a tough decision, especially since the majority were ones I've not had the opportunity to try. Devils Backbone also offers their beers in sampler flights consisting of four predetermined selections. We opted to start out with two flights, in order to try eight of the beers. The samples are small, just 2 ounces, so at the end, there's no issue ordering a full serving of your favorite.

Once the flights arrived, Colleen and I had fun sipping and comparing. The beers up for our discussion were Spider Bite Wheat Black IPA, Ale of Fergus Scottish Ale, Pear Lager, Ramsey's Draft Stout, Smokehaus Rauchbier, Blue Ridge Hop Revival Pale Ale, 1949 Lager and Ichabod Crandall Pumpkin Ale. The decision wasn't made much easier by the tasting; they were all very good beers. Interestingly, and thankfully, the beers were all moderately low in ABV too, ranging from 4.4% to 6.8% ABV. Among our favorites were Spider Bite IPA, Smokehaus Rauchbier, Ale of Fergus, Ramsey's Stout, and Hop Revival. I vacillated between the Rauchbier and Hop Revival, and only making my decision at the last moment as I ordered.

At the end of the tasting exercise, I selected the Blue Ridge Hop Revival to enjoy with my lunch. This beer is brewed with 100% Virginia grown Cascade hops, added to the brewing process while still fresh. The beer is slightly cloudy, orange-marmalade in color, with a frothy white head. The aroma is grapefruit and floral. In the flavor, the malt base and citrus and resinous hops are in good balance. The finish has some pleasant lingering bitterness. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

For her selection, Colleen went with the Ale of Fergus. The beer was a deep, dark red color which appeared nearly black. The taste was mildly sweet with a tasty, roasted coffee and smoke flavor profile. Ale of Fergus makes a very nice session beer at just 4.0% ABV.

Oh yeah, there was food too! The food at Devils Backbone is worth the drive alone. The menu is heavy on smoked meat, all of which is smoked onsite. We started out with an appetizer plate of fried pickles. The spears were lightly coated in a spicy batter and very delicious. So good in fact, that we ordered as second helping while waiting for our main dishes. For the main course, Colleen and I both opted for "Rob's Bonedipper," a sandwich made on Toasted Ciabatta bread, with shaved house-smoked Prime Rib, bacon, Muenster cheese, and Smokehouse mayo. A cup of "jus" was set on the side for additional dipping flavor. Highly recommended! Our son chose the DB Pulled Pork Samich. This sandwich was piled very high with smoky pulled pork. After a leisurely lunch, we got back on the road to start in the direction of home.

But first, there was one more stop to make. We could have easily made three along the way stops. Route 151 in Nelson County is home not only to Devils Backbone, but also Bold Rock Cider, Wild Wolf Brewing, and Blue Mountain Brewing. Not wanting to overdo it, we passed by the first two and pulled into Blue Mountain Brewery for a quick dessert. We'll hit the others on a future outing.

Not that we were in any way still hungry after the Devil Backbone meal, but Colleen and I both had a hankerin' for something sweet. And a chance for another good beer is always welcome. We took a table outside on the patio. I saw the brew pub had their Oktoberfest on the menu, and decided it was time for my first Oktoberfest beer of the season. Alas, when I ordered I was informed they were out of the Oktoberfest. Not sure how that happened so early. (So I'll have my first Oktoberfest of 2013 at this weekend's Blue & Gray Oktoberfest celebration instead.) I was a bit let down, but not wanting to go with any of the higher ABV beers offered, I opted for the Kölsch 151 that I've been enjoying in bottles recently. To me it seemed the draft version had a slightly more citrus profile. Colleen opted to get a glass of Rockfish Wheat. The beer is a refreshing summer wheat beer with nice bit of spiciness; once she remove the lemon slice that was incongruously perched on the rim of the glass.

We shared a couple of desserts with our beers. Colleen picked the Creme Brulee, which was a cup of tasty vanilla bean custard, with a thick, hard candy-like caramelized crust. It's hard for me to resist bread pudding, so I ordered the Evil 8° Bread Pudding. The Blue Mountain twist on this classic is interesting. The thick slices of a cake-like bread were layered with caramel sauce, chocolate, pecans and whipped cream, and served with fresh strawberries. While none of us *needed* anything more to eat, we certainly enjoyed the extravagant treats.

After a food and beer filled day, it was time to finally make the drive home. A quick stop for overpriced chain coffee gave us fuel for the pleasant drive through the countryside. It was a great day and a wonderful way to celebrate our 29 years together.

Blue Mountain Tap Takeover

Thursday evening, Capital Ale House dedicated 10 of its tap lines to beers from Blue Mountain Brewery. I headed over after work, and since my family was off on a day trip, I hung around for several hours enjoying the opportunity to try a few new beers.

My first selection was the Steel Wheels ESB. ESB is a style I'm particularly fond of, but not one that's commonly brewed by a lot of breweries. Blue Mountain's version is dark caramel in color with a thin head. The flavor is predominately sweet, caramel malt. I also picked up some faint bitter chocolate lurking in the background. The finish was dry. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

Next up was one of the barrel-aged selections from the Blue Mountain Barrel House. Local Species is a Belgian-style Pale Ale. The reddish-amber beer had a thin white head, and was, in my opinion, served much to cold. I grabbed the snifter to have a sip and was shocked by the chill on the glass. I let it sit for a few minutes to warm a bit. The aroma was fruity with hints of yeast and lemon. My first sip evoked a "Oooh" exclamation, followed by an immediate second sip. I would enjoy this one I could tell right off. The taste was a flavorful blend of grapefruit citrus and funky yeast. Some bourbon notes came through at the end. The slightly sticky finish left a bit of lemon tartness behind.

Now I had a decision to make. Do I order another glass of the tasty Local Species, or do I continue my exploration with a different beer? I opted to try another Barrel House selection, the ÜberPils Imperial Pilsener. The bright, straw-colored beer had a strong grassy, sweet aroma. The taste is predominately sharp grain with a touch of bitter citrus. The alcohol warmth is noticeable and not masked. I've had a couple of these "Imperial Pilsner" style beers, and I must admit, I just don't get them. They take the crisp, sharp flavors of the Pilsner and add in a very noticeable alcohol aspect. There's just not enough to the base beer to cover that addition. I do enjoy a good alcohol "burn, when matched with a strongly-flavored beer, but in a pilsner it becomes medicinal tasting to me.

I did order one of Capital Ale House's giant Bavarian pretzels with spicy mustard to go along with Pilsner. The brown mustard certainly cleared off the alcohol notes of the ÜberPils.

Finally, I opted to end my stay with a glass of one of the brewery's flagship beers, Full Nelson Pale Ale. Although I've enjoyed this one frequently, I wanted something more moderate in ABV, but flavorful enough to stand up to the spicy mustard as I finished off my pretzel appetizer.  The mild citrus and fruit aromas, belied the citrus and bitter hops to follow in the flavor.

The evening proved to be an enjoyable mid-week diversion. I've made a mental note to find and enjoy again, Blue Mountain Local Species, which was the beer highlight of my visit. A surprise of the evening came when I looked over to see who had sat down at the bar a couple seats over from me. It was a cross-country teammate from college, who I had not talked to in at least 30 years! We had a good time chatting and catching up. It turns out he's a regular at Capital Ale House, and we share similar tastes in beer, and politics.

I only got through four of the 10 beers being featured. But I did have to get home at some point!

Blue Mountain Kölsch

As the warm days of Summer take hold, the day's length may be getting longer, but the day's activities also increase, leaving less time for enjoying our favorite beverage. It's time to look for refreshment in the form of tasty and lower ABV beers. Blue Mountain Kölsch 151 is one such libation that fills the bill perfectly.

Kölsch 151 pours a transparent straw color with a moderate white head. The aroma bready malt with a touch of sweetness. The flavor is crisp and sharp with a slightly sweet grain base. The hop profile is grassy, with a touch of citrus. A bit of bitterness comes through in the finish, but the aftertaste is short-lived and clean. The overall impression is crisp and refreshing.

The brewery's web site describes Kölsch 151 as their "lightest beer." It's a "light beer" done right, quite unlike those flavorless "lite" liquids the factory brewers promoted as suitable Summer refreshments.

Virginia GABF Winners

Virginia Craft Brewers brought home a Lucky 13 awards from the Great American Beer Festival held this week in Denver, CO. The big winner was Devils Backbone which walked away with the Small Brewpub and Brewer title and 8 category medals.

2012 GABF VIRGINIA WINNERS

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Devils Backbone Brewing Company - Basecamp, Roseland, VA
Devils Backbone Brewery Team

Individual Awards:
Category: 17 Gluten-Free Beer, 20 Entries
Gold: Nikki’s Gluten Free Honey Pale Ale, Rock Bottom Arlington, Arlington, VA

Category: 21 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 51 Entries
Bronze: Local Species, Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington, VA

Category: 28 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 26 Entries
Bronze: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 35 Vienna-Style Lager, 36 Entries
Gold: Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 39 American-Style Dark Lager, 12 Entries
Silver: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category: 41 Bock, 33 Entries
Silver: Elixer Maibock, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA
Bronze: Turbo Cougar, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 43 Baltic-Style Porter, 31 Entries
Silver: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category: 48 English-Style India Pale Ale, 54 Entries
Bronze: Monumental IPA, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA

Category: 65 German-Style Sour Ale, 29 Entries
Gold: Berliner Metro Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category: 76 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 16 Entries
Bronze: Ramsey’s Draft Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Category: 77 Foreign-Style Stout, 25 Entries
Bronze: Ramsey’s Export Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Basecamp, Roseland, VA

Congratulations to all the Virginia winners. It looks like there are a few more Virginia beers I need to search out. You can see the entire awards list here.

Brew Ridge Trail

Roaming the Planet took a weekend tour of Virginia's Brew Ridge Trail. They gave a detailed, and enticing report in "Hopping along the Brew Ridge Trail."

In the Blue Ridge Mountains, everything seems to be found along a well-organized trail. The Wine Trail, the Artisan Trail and the granddaddy of them all – the Appalachian Trail – send us out in search of everything from the bounty of the land to inner peace. 

And the Brew Ridge Trail? That gives us a place to kick back, relax, connect with one another and give thanks. The gifted few who brew are making a bit of magic here that may just border on religion, at least to the folks who congregate on their patios and decks and in their tasting rooms and biergartens. 

This weekend romp will make you proud to be a Virginian, leaving you in awe of our talented brewers, their inspired products and the intoxicatingly beautiful surroundings.

The seven stops, representing 5 different breweries, sure sounds like a fun weekend!

See "Hopping along the Brew Ridge Trail" for pictures and details of the author's weekend.

Blue Mountain's Big Beers

Greg Kitsock posted a very interesting conversation with Taylor Smack, the owner / brewer at Blue Mountain Brewery in the Washington Post Food section last week.

In the article, Smack talks about the brewery's unique, among U.S. breweries, parti-gyle brewing system and the interesting "corked and caged" beers being produced in their new production brewery in Colleen, Virginia. We also get a hint of a third Blue Mountain brewing facility coming by 2015.

See "Even in the heat, a complex brew has fans" for the complete article.

H/T to Thomas Cizauskas on Twitter for the link.

Virginia Named A Top Beer Destination

Confirming what the followers of these Musings already knew, wise people that you are, the Travel Channel has listed Virginia as one of the top 7 beer destinations in North America.

Virginia's Lagers and Ales 

The entire state of Virginia is so obsessed with its beer culture, it is officially naming the month of August "Virginia Craft Brew Month." Virginia has more than 40 breweries, a 25% increase in the past 2 years alone. Head to Roseland, VA, to the popular Devils Backbone Brewing Company, home to the annual Virginia Craft Beer Fest, and Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA, the state's first countryside brewery, hop farm and tasting room. Central Virginia’s oldest and largest microbrewery, Legend Brewery, provides true premium beers to many local restaurants and is one of the few craft breweries in the entire region to produce both lagers and ales. While you're in town, check out the Richmond, VA, skyline from the brewery’s outdoor deck, one of the best places for the view!

Congratulations to Virginia's craft breweries. See "Top 7 Beer Destinations" for the complete list.

More information on Virginia Craft Beer Month here.

Congrats to Virginia Brewers

The 2012 Craft Brewer Conference was held May 2-5 in San Diego, California. The biannual Brewers Association World Beer Cup competition was held in conjunction with the conference. Five Virginia breweries won awards this year.

Devils Backbone – A Gold Medal in the Vienna-Style Lager Category for Vienna Lager.

Great American Restaurants (Sweetwater Tavern) – A Silver Medal in the Extra Special Bitter Category for GAR Pale Ale.

Hardywood Park – A Bronze Medal in the Herb and Spice Beer Category for Gingerbread Stout.

Rock Bottom Arlington – A Bronze Medal in the Coffee Beer Category for Coffee Stout.

Blue Mountain – A Bronze Medal in the American-Belgo-Style Ale Category for Blue Reserve.

Congratulations to the breweries and the brewers for bringing more recognition to the Virginia craft beer scene.

You can see the compete awards list here.

Another VA Brewery Collaboration

Wild Wolf, Blue Mountain and Devils Backbone breweries in Nelson County are again collaborating. This time they are brewing a Honey Pear Wit Beer. NBC29.com has the story.

See this here to read about previous collaborative efforts by Virginia breweries.

Hat tip to Nelson County Life.

Blue Mountain Featured in Nelson County Promo

Blue Mountain Brewery was featured in the "Live Where You Love: Nelson County, Virginia" promotion from Nest Reality.

It's a cool sign of the times see a Virginia craft brewery being shown as a highlight of the community.

Cidery and Brewpub Coming to Nelson County

Virginia's Nelson County, home to Devils Backbone, Blue Mountain, and Wild Wolf breweries will soon be home to a new cidery and brewpub. GoDanRiver.com has the story:

A Danville native plans to open Virginia’s first cidery and brewpub. 

John Washburn, who grew up in Ruffin, N.C., and graduated from George Washington High School in 1965, is currently building Bold Rock Cidery and Brewpub near Wintergreen in Nelson County, where he now lives. Right now, 15,000 square feet of cidery buildings and a restaurant are under construction, but eventually the cider pub will offer four varieties of hard ciders and a relaxing atmosphere nestled in the Blue Ridge countryside.

Washburn will have his first cider ready in March. Tastings and "to go" sales will be available as well. The brewpub is expected to follow late in the year. The cider will be produced using Virginia-grown apples, most provided by Nelson County orchards.

See "Danville native to open Virginia cidery" for more details.

Blue Mountain Breaks Ground

Last month brought the news that Blue Mountain Brewery was celebrating the opening of their expanded brewpub. Not content to sit idle, this week owners Mandi and Tylor Smack and Matt Nucci broke ground on the new Blue Mountain Barrel House production facility in Colleen, VA. As usual, Nelson County Life Magazine was on hand to witness the event.

Blue Mountain Barrel House and Organic Brewery is a 10,000 square foot production-only facility for the 10 lines of Blue Mountain beer that will be kegged or bottled in 750ml corked bottles and undergo 100% natural refermentation. These beers will be USDA certified organic and will tend toward the more “specialty” end of Blue Mountain’s beer production spectrum. Beers brewed will include the popular Dark Hollow Bourbon-Barrel Aged Stout and Mandolin, but will also introduce new styles such as an imperial pilsner and a barrel-aged Belgian-inspired ale.

The amazing success and rapid growth of Blue Mountain Brewery speaks to the quality of the beer they produce. This groundbreaking marks the second in a trio of projects that the brewery is undertaking. First was the aforementioned brewpub expansion completed just last month. In the near future Blue Mountain plans to also build a production facility for its bottled beer lines.

I've enjoyed a number of Blue Mountain beers, but notice that for some reason, I've not mused about them here, except for the excellent Pale Ale. I think I'll need to rectify that!

See "Blue Mountain Brewery Breaks Ground On Production Facility In Colleen" for more information and more pictures from the ground breaking ceremony.

Photo By Tommy Stafford : ©www.nelsoncountylife.com

Local GABF Winners

I had such a busy weekend that I've been remiss in sharing the news about Virginia winners at the Great American Beer Festival. Once again, some of our favorite Virginia craft breweries brought home medals.

Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet Virginia

Gold in Category #34: Vienna-Style Lager for Jomo Lager

Silver in Category #15: Indigenous Beer for Monticello Reserve Ale

Silver in Category #26: Smoke Beer for Smoke Out

Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, Virginia

Gold in Category #15: Indigenous Beer for Monticello Reserve Ale

Silver in Category #17: American-Belgo-Style Ale for Blue Reserve

Mad Fox Brewing Company, Falls Church, Virginia

Gold in Category #25: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier for Kolsch Kellerbier

Bronze in Category #45: English-style Summer Ale for English Summer Ale

Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Roseland, Virginia

Silver in Category #31: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest for Tommy Two Fists

I should also give a shout out to another favorite brewery here at the Musings. Maryland-based Flying Dog Brewery brought home a Gold medal in Category #83: Barley Wine-Style Ale for Horn Dog Barleywine.

Congratulations to all the winners. You can see the complete award list at the GABF site here.