also i went to momofuku noodle bar last month and his beer selection sucked.
The Beer Thread
stevewizzle wrote:
also i went to momofuku noodle bar last month and his beer selection sucked.
And Ren's/Toki in DC/MD have much better Ramen. He is opening a spot at City Center in DC next year.
Yada wrote:stevewizzle wrote:
also i went to momofuku noodle bar last month and his beer selection sucked.
And Ren's/Toki in DC/MD have much better Ramen. He is opening a spot at City Center in DC next year.
never went to rens, but i'd also through in sakuramen in the better column.
also in the better column, and featuring a brooklyn brewery beer made exclusively for: ippudo
Shake Shack also serves Brooklyn Brewery beer.
No doubt that's why Garrett name dropped Shake Shack.
No doubt that's why Garrett name dropped Shake Shack.
gave Pumpking another chance tonight. i'm done with this beer. i don't hate all pumpkin beers… just this one.
I can't get enough of Warlock by Southern Tier. Not really digging any other pumpkin beers at all
sweetcell wrote:
gave Pumpking another chance tonight. i'm done with this beer. i don't hate all pumpkin beers… just this one.
yeah, that's one i don't care for, but it has a soft spot in my heart for a legendary night where a bar in adams morgan presumably mispriced the beer as a 12oz bottle for $9 (for those not in the know, it comes in 22oz format and clocks in around 9% abv). we probably went through half their stock of pumpking that night.
did you see any of the elysian offers in the DC area? pumpkachino is fantastic.
two, words
avery pump[ky]n
avery pump[ky]n
We went sweet beer tonight with a 2013 Southern Tier Choklat. Maybe even too sweet for a sweet tooth guy like me.
I swore I'd skip all pumpkin beers this year, but sprung for 4 oz of Good Gourd at Cigar City. Was tolerable. #1 pumpkin beer on Beer Advocate.
They had a bunch of Elysian pumpkin beers on draft at Scion.
Was tempted to pick up one of those Avery Pumpkyns but just too pricey for my blood.
That's all i got for tonight. Cheeers.
I swore I'd skip all pumpkin beers this year, but sprung for 4 oz of Good Gourd at Cigar City. Was tolerable. #1 pumpkin beer on Beer Advocate.
They had a bunch of Elysian pumpkin beers on draft at Scion.
Was tempted to pick up one of those Avery Pumpkyns but just too pricey for my blood.
That's all i got for tonight. Cheeers.
My Whole Foods had this on draft. $7/32 oz growler. I had a taste. Surprizingly not bad (I hate Pukeking.), but there was no way I was going to drink 32 ozs of it. Or even 16 ozs.
Sidehatch wrote:
I can't get enough of Warlock by Southern Tier. Not really digging any other pumpkin beers at all
walkonby wrote:
two, words
avery pump[ky]n
Agreed.
On draft at Red Apron in Union Market which is a short walk from my house. Thankfully so.
We did a hike at Manassas Battlefield Sunday, so checked on some Prince William County breweries as well. Unbeknownst to us, the Post had run an article on PWC breweries on Friday:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/whats-brewing-in-northern-virginia-old-bust-head-heritage-brewing-and-badwolf-brewing/2014/10/16/0ab8d752-52e4-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html
so the two we went to were a bit crowded.
We had previously visited Old Busthead, and found them to be too tame/lame/mediocre, so we skipped them this time (This was the brewery where the worker had never heard of DC Brau, which I thought a little bit strange in terms of not being aware of the surrounding market, but Atomic was totally ok with that fact.)
We also had previously visited Heritage (had two flights, eight beer tried), and had recently heard of BadWolf, across the street. So we decided to hit both of those yesterday.
Service:
BadWolf: "Try anything you like before buying."
Heritage:
Me: "Could I please taste two before buying two pints (One of the beers I wanted to try was $9/13 oz, seems only fair the ask for a taste before shelling out that kind of $$ for a completely unknown beer)
Bartender: "That's what flights are for."
Me: "But I don't want a whole flight, I just want a small taste of two specific beers."
Bartender: "That's what flights are for."
(Actually, I thought a flight of four beers offer more than "a taste" of each, and I didn't want a flight, I had been there several months ago and tried two flights already.)
Value:
BadWolf: Six-6 oz pours for $15 (one each of everything on draft). I couldn't help thinking I'd get better beer for less cost if I stopped at Fairfax Whole Foods. (And indeed I did…took home a 32 oz growler of Schafly TIPA for $5.)
Heritage: Four 4 oz pours of their flagship beers (ipa, pale ale, amber ale, scotch ale) for $7. Higher price flight if you want to mix in their seasonals or limited beers. $9 for a snifter of the barrel aged scotch ale. (no free tastes…my wife commented that she couldn't believe a tasting room in a warehouse in Manassas was charging Churchkey prices for Manassas made beer when the unproven brewery had been open for less than a year), $18 for a take home bomber of the BB Scotch, BB Amber, and $25 (wtf) for a bottle of BB Winter Warmer.
Selection:
Badwolf: Six beers, always rotating. Two pale ales (fair), a habanero amber, pumpkin saison, rauchbier, and imperial stout (all very good)
Heritage: Four flagship beers (the scotch ale is good, the others mediocre…from previous visit), some seasonal and limited offerings. The BB Scotch was very good but not mind blowing.
Food:
Both BYO.
Ambiance:
WildWolf: Classic rock, lots of bottlecap/six pack case artwork.
Heritage: Classic rock, "Freedom isn't Free IPA" t-shirts.
Verdict: Will return to BadWolf if/when in area. Feel like I'm done with Heritage (and Old Busthead).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/whats-brewing-in-northern-virginia-old-bust-head-heritage-brewing-and-badwolf-brewing/2014/10/16/0ab8d752-52e4-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html
so the two we went to were a bit crowded.
We had previously visited Old Busthead, and found them to be too tame/lame/mediocre, so we skipped them this time (This was the brewery where the worker had never heard of DC Brau, which I thought a little bit strange in terms of not being aware of the surrounding market, but Atomic was totally ok with that fact.)
We also had previously visited Heritage (had two flights, eight beer tried), and had recently heard of BadWolf, across the street. So we decided to hit both of those yesterday.
Service:
BadWolf: "Try anything you like before buying."
Heritage:
Me: "Could I please taste two before buying two pints (One of the beers I wanted to try was $9/13 oz, seems only fair the ask for a taste before shelling out that kind of $$ for a completely unknown beer)
Bartender: "That's what flights are for."
Me: "But I don't want a whole flight, I just want a small taste of two specific beers."
Bartender: "That's what flights are for."
(Actually, I thought a flight of four beers offer more than "a taste" of each, and I didn't want a flight, I had been there several months ago and tried two flights already.)
Value:
BadWolf: Six-6 oz pours for $15 (one each of everything on draft). I couldn't help thinking I'd get better beer for less cost if I stopped at Fairfax Whole Foods. (And indeed I did…took home a 32 oz growler of Schafly TIPA for $5.)
Heritage: Four 4 oz pours of their flagship beers (ipa, pale ale, amber ale, scotch ale) for $7. Higher price flight if you want to mix in their seasonals or limited beers. $9 for a snifter of the barrel aged scotch ale. (no free tastes…my wife commented that she couldn't believe a tasting room in a warehouse in Manassas was charging Churchkey prices for Manassas made beer when the unproven brewery had been open for less than a year), $18 for a take home bomber of the BB Scotch, BB Amber, and $25 (wtf) for a bottle of BB Winter Warmer.
Selection:
Badwolf: Six beers, always rotating. Two pale ales (fair), a habanero amber, pumpkin saison, rauchbier, and imperial stout (all very good)
Heritage: Four flagship beers (the scotch ale is good, the others mediocre…from previous visit), some seasonal and limited offerings. The BB Scotch was very good but not mind blowing.
Food:
Both BYO.
Ambiance:
WildWolf: Classic rock, lots of bottlecap/six pack case artwork.
Heritage: Classic rock, "Freedom isn't Free IPA" t-shirts.
Verdict: Will return to BadWolf if/when in area. Feel like I'm done with Heritage (and Old Busthead).
Five years ago this Wednesday, we opened our doors on 14th street with the promise of bringing the very best in craft beer from all over the country–and the world–to the district. Since then, we've turned the taps over countless times to an array of our favorite breweries, marked the DC debuts of many fine beers and uncapped some of the rarest ales we could get our hands on. To say it's been quite the ride for our Greg Engert and team is an understatement.
So to celebrate this milestone birthday and to thank you all for being a part of our last half-a-decade, we've got a full lineup of events that really run the gamut: everything from old friends and local favorites, to breaking out our supply of vintage beers to our classic tribute to wild, funky brews.
Check out the details below and our Facebook events for full draft lists:
ChurchKey & Friends: The 5 Year Keg Kickoff!
Wednesday, October 22 at 6 PM
Simply put, we're starting things off with a selection of brews we love right now from some of our closest friends in the biz–from De Struise Brouwers to Avery Brewing Company to Prairie Artisan Ales. The full (and growing) draft list for the night is here.
Sly Fox's DC One Year Anniversary Extravaganza:
22 Drafts, 5 Casks & Brewmaster Brian O'Reilly in the House!
Thursday, October 23 at 6 PM
We couldn't think of better friends with which to share a birthday than Sly Fox Brewing Company. BBCK's official birthday is on the 22nd of October, and we technically launched Sly Fox in DC last year on the 24th, so we landed in the middle on the 23rd and are pulling out all of the stops for an unforgettable bash (which will rank as one of the brewery's hugest tappings ever!). Unquestionable masters of real ale, Sly Fox is sending fresh classics that we have yet to see in DC on cask including Jake's ESB, Pughtown Porter and Chester County Brown, plus a slew of others on draft. Plus, their brewmaster Brian O'Reilly will be on hand to talk all about his adventures in brewing.
BBCK Opens the Vintage Vault: 50 Cellar Rarities from the Wall & Beyond
Saturday, October 25 at 12 PM
Since our inception, we've stashed a slew of bottled scarcities, year on year, never knowing when?or if?we could bear to part with any of them. But for this occasion, we can and will! We'll feature 50 vintage bottled brews, spanning from 2008 to 2013, including Bell?s Batch 10,000 (Vintage 2010), Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout (Vintage 2011), De Struise Rio Reserva (Vintage 2008) and many more. Note that since we will have a relatively limited number of bottles for each selection, all of these beers will be available as tasting pours (to share the wealth).
The Allagash 5th Anniversary Event ? A 20 Draft BBCK Love Fest
Tuesday, October 28 at 6 PM
Allagash is some of our closest buds in the business and they're bringing it for our 5th anniversary! From Nancy and Evora to their Confluence Vintage 2013 and Midnight Brett, we're turning 20 of the draft lines over to our friends from the north.
Night of the Living Ales #4: 50 Sours on Draft for BBCK?s 5th Anniversary Finale
Wednesday, October 29 at 4 PM
No October at BBCK would be complete without Night of the Living Ales, and we can't think of a better finale to our series of anniversary events. The fourth installment of our tribute to wild, funky brews will feature 50 sours such as Cantillon Iris ? Grand Cru, Mikkeller & 3 Floyds Bla Spogelse, Oersoep Brettanosaurus Rex and many, many more.
So to celebrate this milestone birthday and to thank you all for being a part of our last half-a-decade, we've got a full lineup of events that really run the gamut: everything from old friends and local favorites, to breaking out our supply of vintage beers to our classic tribute to wild, funky brews.
Check out the details below and our Facebook events for full draft lists:
ChurchKey & Friends: The 5 Year Keg Kickoff!
Wednesday, October 22 at 6 PM
Simply put, we're starting things off with a selection of brews we love right now from some of our closest friends in the biz–from De Struise Brouwers to Avery Brewing Company to Prairie Artisan Ales. The full (and growing) draft list for the night is here.
Sly Fox's DC One Year Anniversary Extravaganza:
22 Drafts, 5 Casks & Brewmaster Brian O'Reilly in the House!
Thursday, October 23 at 6 PM
We couldn't think of better friends with which to share a birthday than Sly Fox Brewing Company. BBCK's official birthday is on the 22nd of October, and we technically launched Sly Fox in DC last year on the 24th, so we landed in the middle on the 23rd and are pulling out all of the stops for an unforgettable bash (which will rank as one of the brewery's hugest tappings ever!). Unquestionable masters of real ale, Sly Fox is sending fresh classics that we have yet to see in DC on cask including Jake's ESB, Pughtown Porter and Chester County Brown, plus a slew of others on draft. Plus, their brewmaster Brian O'Reilly will be on hand to talk all about his adventures in brewing.
BBCK Opens the Vintage Vault: 50 Cellar Rarities from the Wall & Beyond
Saturday, October 25 at 12 PM
Since our inception, we've stashed a slew of bottled scarcities, year on year, never knowing when?or if?we could bear to part with any of them. But for this occasion, we can and will! We'll feature 50 vintage bottled brews, spanning from 2008 to 2013, including Bell?s Batch 10,000 (Vintage 2010), Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout (Vintage 2011), De Struise Rio Reserva (Vintage 2008) and many more. Note that since we will have a relatively limited number of bottles for each selection, all of these beers will be available as tasting pours (to share the wealth).
The Allagash 5th Anniversary Event ? A 20 Draft BBCK Love Fest
Tuesday, October 28 at 6 PM
Allagash is some of our closest buds in the business and they're bringing it for our 5th anniversary! From Nancy and Evora to their Confluence Vintage 2013 and Midnight Brett, we're turning 20 of the draft lines over to our friends from the north.
Night of the Living Ales #4: 50 Sours on Draft for BBCK?s 5th Anniversary Finale
Wednesday, October 29 at 4 PM
No October at BBCK would be complete without Night of the Living Ales, and we can't think of a better finale to our series of anniversary events. The fourth installment of our tribute to wild, funky brews will feature 50 sours such as Cantillon Iris ? Grand Cru, Mikkeller & 3 Floyds Bla Spogelse, Oersoep Brettanosaurus Rex and many, many more.
last night was the monthly DC Homebrewers meeting. first time in a year i've been able to attend. it was held at blue jacket.
the homebrews i drank varied in quality, from a few clearly problematic (brewer knew his beer had issues and brought it for evaluation) to mostly downright amazing (crazy IPAs, a kriek, a barrel-aged BDSA, hoppy saisons, etc.). my soured saison was well received.
i had a number of tasters of BJ's beers (descriptions here)
DARLING BUDS: EQUINOX: equinox is a new hop that is getting rave reviews to i was excited to try this. result was disappointing. it's a wet-hopped beer, meaning that they used fresh un-dried hops. i got a lot of vegetal/grassy and not a lot of hop character.
VIGNETTE - fail. had a weird off-flavor (diacetyl) that made the sourness not enjoyable. not a lot of cherry.
GRGICH HILLS CHARDONNAY BARREL-AGED HIGH SOCIETY: not bad, but too much red wine character that didn't go well with the relatively sweet beer.
APPLETON ESTATE BARREL-AGED CASHMERE: excellent. complex. just a little rum character that didn't interfere with the belgian yeast's contributions. i could drink this all night long (slowly).
BRETTA WORLD PEACH: nice. not certain i'd order a full pour of this, vs. everything else they have, but it's solid.
BJ batted .500 based on my non-representative sampling. the homebrewers were in the 75% range based on the "want another taste of that" criteria.
the homebrews i drank varied in quality, from a few clearly problematic (brewer knew his beer had issues and brought it for evaluation) to mostly downright amazing (crazy IPAs, a kriek, a barrel-aged BDSA, hoppy saisons, etc.). my soured saison was well received.
i had a number of tasters of BJ's beers (descriptions here)
DARLING BUDS: EQUINOX: equinox is a new hop that is getting rave reviews to i was excited to try this. result was disappointing. it's a wet-hopped beer, meaning that they used fresh un-dried hops. i got a lot of vegetal/grassy and not a lot of hop character.
VIGNETTE - fail. had a weird off-flavor (diacetyl) that made the sourness not enjoyable. not a lot of cherry.
GRGICH HILLS CHARDONNAY BARREL-AGED HIGH SOCIETY: not bad, but too much red wine character that didn't go well with the relatively sweet beer.
APPLETON ESTATE BARREL-AGED CASHMERE: excellent. complex. just a little rum character that didn't interfere with the belgian yeast's contributions. i could drink this all night long (slowly).
BRETTA WORLD PEACH: nice. not certain i'd order a full pour of this, vs. everything else they have, but it's solid.
BJ batted .500 based on my non-representative sampling. the homebrewers were in the 75% range based on the "want another taste of that" criteria.
Has anybody had Founders Dark Penis? Walky? My wife had some in Philly a couple of weeks ago, I'd rank it a tad below Uinta, Firestone Walker, and Stone for black ipa's.
Seems to be hitting the DC area shelves along with Breakfast Stout and Harvest Ale.
Backwood Bastard early Nov.
Seems to be hitting the DC area shelves along with Breakfast Stout and Harvest Ale.
Backwood Bastard early Nov.
I wonder if that will leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Just found founders dark penance (damn good) and founders harvest ale. Plus more dfh 120 minute for my collection. I am done with commas. So there.
I picked up two bombers of Rodenbach Grand Cru for $11.99 each and two bottles of Founders Harvest Ale for $2.99 each.
How does that Rodenbach Grand Cru manage to be from Belgium and be half the price on an American sour in America?
How does that Rodenbach Grand Cru manage to be from Belgium and be half the price on an American sour in America?
walkonby wrote:
Just found founders dark penance (damn good) and founders harvest ale. Plus more dfh 120 minute for my collection. I am done with commas. So there.