Monthly Archives: February 2013

CAPITAL ALEHOUSE – RICHMOND

BEER PUB
 
mike may
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
 
Right along Main Street in downtown Richmond, CAPITAL ALEHOUSE may be the city’s best beer pub. With franchised Virginia locations in Innsbrook, Midlothian, Fredericksburg and Harrisonburg, the statewide chain does a great job promoting a host of exceptional newfangled indigenous brews. 
 
Entering thru the brown wood-paneled front door to a narrow bar space on a snowy February ’13 evening, the crowded public house clearly deserves some credit for expanding the horizon of young beer-centric Virginians. Thirty taps plus two coolers filled with handcrafted beer provide a wide stylistic variety for any and all beer enthusiasts.
 
Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Capital Alehouse not only serves some of the best Virginia-made beers, but also hosts many local musicians in its right side Music Hall. In the main area, several booths oppose the elongated 40-seat walnut bar (which utilizes two ice rails to keep frosty mugs cold). Downstairs, a gameroom with 16 taps and 2 casks keeps sports-minded patrons busy. 
 
I had the Capital Cobb Salad (with big chunks of ham and chicken and a side of bleu cheese) to go alongside five pints of previously untried brews while seated at the front corner of the bar. Cool Blues music played continuously in the background while I conversed with Frank, whose band the Lost Satellites, recently played here. Several people nearby recommended Prince Edward Mussels as well as the specialty burgers and sandwiches.
 
For openers, the moderate-bodied fare, including Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager, Wild Wolf Hunny Blond and Wild Wolf Alpha Pale Ale, proved highly sessionable, if not completely special.
 
Better were the rich bourbon barreled ales, such as the oak-charred, berry-soured, chocolate-fudged Blue Mountain Dark Hollow Imperial Stout and dark-roasted coffee-fronted Williamsburg Alewerks Bourbon Porter (full reviews at Beer Index).
 

HARDYWOOD PARK BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,
 
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
 A virtual godsend for the city of Richmond, HARDYWOOD PARK BREWERY resides inside a luxurious 12,000 square foot red brick warehouse in the light industrial section of the former German brewing district. Co-founded by enthusiastic New York transplants Eric Mc Kay (Fordham business grad and creator of GreatBrewers.com) and Patrick Murtaugh (Masters of Brewing at Munich’s renowned Doemens Academy), Hardywood Park takes its name from an Australian sheep station where the pair first discovered hand crafted beer in 2001. Open since October 2011, this outstanding brewhouse bottles, kegs and serves growlers to go.
On my February ’13 journey, a blackboard lists today’s available tapped beers and a community table just to the left of the entrance sports a flatscreeen TV. Glass-encased brew tanks and wooden barrels behind the serving station hold various full-time, one-off and seasonal brews. To the right side, a gray-floored room with high ceilings, exposed pipes and metal beams features a growler filling station and food stand (with cheeses, croissants and locally grown foods).
Hardywood Park serves four libations from its atrium taps. One’s a Belgian styled staple that’s put thru a Randal tube dispenser with fresh fruit and vegetables and the other two are related dark ales.
Sitting at one of the couches to the left of the tap room, I get ready to throw back my 6-ounce samples amongst a litany of beer enthusiasts. One of ’em is a native New Yorker who attended Richmond University. We get to talking while I sip on my first offering.
A zesty citric effervescence brightens the white-peppered grassy hop spicing and Belgian yeast cellar musk of Hardywood Singel (Abbey-style Blonde Ale). Its tangy grape-skinned tangerine, navel orange, pineapple, melon and banana sweetness contrasts lemon-rotted peppercorn, coriander and dank cannabis resin.
Put thru the Randal dispenser (with fresh lettuce plus lemon and orange slices), the fruitier tapped version softens its funky Belgian yeast attributes and tones down the Cascade-hopped carbolic fizz, leaving a fresher citric frisk to mellow out the buttery biscuit bottom.
On the dark side, Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout loads Ethiopian coffee (from local Lamplighter shop) atop serene caramel-malted milk chocolate creaminess. Its roasted coffee bean bittering picks up dark-spiced dried cocoa, molasses, toffee and hazelnut undertones for a soothingly approachable Russian Imperial.
For this wintry cold day, the most worthy libation is the fascinating one-half Bourbon Cru and one-half Sidamo Coffee Stout concoction simply known as Brian’s Barrel Blend. Its creamy bourbon-soothed mocha contour outlines sour raspberry, brambleberry and dark cherry fruiting. Dewy peat mossing soaks into the chocolate-covered blueberry center (where tertiary raisin, red grape, oaken vanilla and pecan nuances reside).
While in Richmond, don’t forget to pick up beers at Once Upon A Vine (www.onceuponavine.us), owned by beer enthusiast Robert Kocher. I picked up several cool local brews by Williamsburg Alewerks, Devil’s Backbone, Center Of The Universe, Lost Rhino, Blue Mountain, 16 Mile and O’Connor.

HARDYWOOD SIDAMO COFFEE STOUT

Beers A-Z

By scattering loads of expressive Ethiopian coffee (from local Lamplighter shop) atop serene caramel-malted milk chocolate creaminess, full-bodied Russian Imperial retains soothing approachability and really stands out. Rich roasted coffee bean bittering picks up quickly descending blueberry puree initiation. Dark-spiced dried cocoa, molasses, toffee and hazelnut undertones suffice.

 

SIXPOINT 3BEANS

Beers A-Z
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, rich and creamy limited edition Baltic Porter’s way more extreme than typical stylistic competition. Soothing Stumptown coffee roasting overrides hefty 10% alcohol volume. Modest oak aging dries out cacao-husked cappuccino, espresso, vanilla, molasses, Kahlua and black chocolate subsidies. Fudgy hazelnut midstream sweetens up-front java bittering and minor wood-smoked hop char.
 

ANDERSON VALLEY WILD TURKEY BOURBON BARREL AGED BARNEY FLATS OATMEAL STOUT

Beers A-Z
On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, ambitious mocha stout receives mild rye-dried Wild Turkey bourbon barrel aging. Dark chocolate entry picks up fudgy coconut, vanilla, molasses, espresso and cocoa powder illusions as well as tertiary cola-walnut nuances. Sour cherry and raspberry undertones firm up the hop-charred backdrop, adding dried fruited depth. In the bottle, circa 2014, richly creamed high gravity dark ale gains velvetier smoothness, drier bourbon influence and teasing rye whiskey nip. Subtle black chocolate, day-old coffee and raw molasses undertones get scattered.
Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout now available on

WIDMER BROTHERS OLD EMBALMER BARLEYWINE

Beers A-Z
On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, mellow sweet-fruited barleywine retains easy appeal despite boozy turpentine backdrop. Cotton-candied peach, pear, pineapple, clementine, tangerine, red cherry and brown apple ripeness spreads across mild grassy-hopped pink grapefruit bittering. Red-wined Sangria niche reinforces fruit-spiced India Pale Ale-like sensation as well as oncoming caramel-honeyed vanilla sugaring.
 
 
 

WIDMER BROTHERS BRRR

Beers A-Z
Pleasant sweet-fruited caramel-malted winter warmer closer to a mild IPA than a holiday-spiced seasonal. Grassy-hopped grapefruit peel bittering softens over tangy orange-tangerine-apple-pear-peach-cherry ripeness, brown-sugared cinnamon toasting and cereal-grained bed. Resinous spruce-pined forestry freshened by clean-watered minerality. Medicinal ethanol astringency lingers thru backend. A perfectly centrist choice. 
 

SMUTTYNOSE ZINNEKKE BELGIAN-STYLE STOUT

Beers A-Z
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, bittersweet Belgian stout arouses green coffee beaning and cappuccino-milked creaming with sugar-spiced candi syrup. Modest bourbon barrel aging serenades loud mocha frontage. Hazelnut espresso, chalky cocoa and vanilla fortify dark chocolate interior, melting away some high end coffee tones. In deep recess, banana, cherry and plum nuances reside.
 

LOST ABBEY JUDGEMENT DAY

Beers A-Z
Generously fruited Belgian dark ale is a stronger offshoot of brewers’ fine Lost & Found Ale. Raisin-pureed red grape, cherry jubilee, raspberry, blackberry and melon tones drape brown-sugared Black Forest chocolate caking. Rigorous dried fruiting and rich maple molasses malting gain luster above nutty mocha hide. Tertiary maple, molasses, spiced rum, amaretto, vanilla, black licorice and cocoa illusions deepen impact.