Everything Falls into Church - Part III: Back home through the land of Mary

Like any other trip, this one had to come to an end too. Of course, our last day always includes several stops as we make our way back to good ol' Central PA. We'd pretty much expunged our options for the immediate Fells Church/Arlington/Alexandria area, so I looked further north to find an appropriate place to visit as we started our trek home. 

Rockville, Maryland's True Respite made the cut. The small brewery's logo - a keyhole - and well-curated tap list garnered my attention while I was searching for a suitable candidate as Sunday's first stop. I was always drawn to antique doors with wide keyholes for some reason, which seemed to be in abundance in many of the older homes in my hometown of Shamokin. The imagery of the keyhole also represents discovery and unlocking a mystery, which has always appealed to me. So the logo kind of sucked me in. (They have really intriguing brand and origin stories that I won't waste time paraphrasing; I recommend just clicking the link and reading for yourself.) 

Inside True Respite's Rockville, MD, taproom

Upon perusing the tap selection, I immediately noticed a Lichtenhainer, an antiquated German-style sour ale brewed with smoked malt, which is a style I love and just don't see all that often. I think I can count the number of times I've run across one on tap using a single hand (thumb included). If you're a smoked beer like me, this is kind of a holy grail beer style due to its scarcity and niche. As far as sought-after beers go, I'd put it on the complete opposite side of the spectrum as a hazy NEIPA, fruited milkshake sour, or pastry stout with fifteen ingredients. So when we arrived, needless to say the first beer I ordered was the Lichtenhainer. It was well-executed and enjoyable. If you've never had one before, think of the lightly tart gose with its wheat backbone and lemony zing paired with a rauchbier but not quite as smoky. The smoky character is a bit more subdued than what you'd get with a smoked porter or traditional rauchbier. So the next time you see one on a beer menu in your travels, give it a try.

Pleeps: "I ain't afraid of no Lichtenhainer!"

Up next was Fox, a classic unfiltered German-style pilsner. The twist here is that Fox is dry-hopped with two unusual hop varieties: Jarrylo and Kazbek. (Geek alert! I'm going to provide some fun facts about these two seldom-seen hop varieties, so feel free to skip ahead if you'd rather just look at pictures of Pleeps.) 

Jarrylo (pronounced 'Yar-i-lo) is a newer American variety not meant for IPAs or other hop-forward beers. However, when paired with a crisp pilsner base, this variety lends subtle hints of ripe banana, delicate pear, citrus and a hint of spice. Simple, lighter beers tend to benefit from this understated hop variety. Kazbek, on the other hand, has origins in the Czech Republic and borrows its name from Mt. Kazbek, a dormant volcano in the Caucasus Mountains, which stretch across the intersection of Europe and Asia. This variety is akin to the Czech Saaz hop; only it's more of an amped-up version with potent citrus notes of bright lemon and grapefruit. 

Here's looking at you, Pleeps!

OK, so there's your hop lesson for today. This beer definitely ventured into hoppier territory; not bitter, mind you, but flavor-wise. I definitely picked up on the enhanced lemon and citrus notes. It's always a pleasure to come across a finely-crafted pilsner, and this was one of 'em. 

From the Fox I moved to the Vulture, a black IPA brewed with old-school Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo hops. Aaah, the good ol' days! I'll never understand why Black IPAs didn't become more of a fixture on beer menus across the country. Sure, they're not uncommon per se, but you won't find 3 or 4 of them simultaneously on the board at a brewery. (I'm lookin' at you, NEIPA!) Come to think of it, the percentage of - and I'll use simple terms here - "good" vs. "bad" black IPAs I've had over the years is a very high number; meaning to say that I've been burned far less by a black IPA than, say, a West Coast IPA or NEIPA, or even a Session IPA. Vulture adds to that high ratio of "good" ones... and True Respite is three for three (if you're keeping score at home). All in all, it was a great first impression. I hope our travels carry us back to this area sometime in the future so we can dig deeper into True Respite's beers.

Everybody's got something to hide except...

After a delightful visit to True Respite, we were off to more familiar territory. Yes indeed, it was time for another stop to one of our favorite beer towns: Frederick, MD. First up was Jug Bridge, a brewery we'd just discovered earlier this year during our Frederick Overnighter jaunt. As soon as we entered the small taproom, the bartender called out, "Hey, Tröegs guy!" I'm not gonna lie to you... I enjoy getting recognized. Perhaps I have a unique look (for better or - probably - worse), which makes me an easy guy to pick out in a crowd. Of course, there was no crowd this time. I was wearing a mask, though. Anyhow, for some reason I'd thought we'd visited much longer ago than two-ish months, but time seems to have slowed down during the last year's oppressing COVID-19 times. Perhaps that's been the silver lining in 'Rona's otherwise black, miserable cloud. "Freeze this moment a little bit longer." Right Neil?  

When we first visited Jug Bridge, I was completely enamored with a beer called Companion3, a West Coast IPA aged in gin barrels that previously had been used to house port wine and later dry-hopped with spruce tips and Mandarina Bavaria hops. It was freaking amazing, and I didn't hesitate to tell the fine folks at Jug Bridge about my infatuation with this beer. Of course, it was no longer available, as I've been told I got the last two crowlers when we visited in January. Lucky me! 

Pleepin' around at Jug Bridge.

This time around, I enjoyed a pair of beers that were vastly different than Companion3 but were enjoyable nonetheless. First up was Path Forward, a dark lager fermented with a Norwegian Kveik lager yeast strain, then dry-hopped with Idaho 7. This beer was pretty interesting in that it straddled the line of a black IPA (some roasty and chocolate notes) with a contrasting lemony, citrusy character and a touch of pine and earthy black tea leaves. I've been drinking a lot of dark lagers as of late, and this one was more of a hybrid than a traditional dunkel or schwarzbier. 

For my second beer, I settled on a French saison called Ruban Rouge. The beer appeared as a lovely golden orange with a slight haze and a pleasant aroma of black pepper, lemon rind, and earthy spices. French saison yeast always strikes me as slightly sweet and sticky but with a fairly dry finish, and this beer possessed those qualities. Overall, this was a fine interpretation of the classic French farmhouse ale. 

It was great to get back here again so soon after our first visit, and I'm glad to add another must-stop brewery to our list of favorites in Frederick. Pleeps even met a new buddy, and he was also wearing a blue mask. He seems to make friends wherever he goes. 

Pleeps making more friends!

We seem to be clocking in quite frequently at Attaboy these days. Our travels over the last year or so have taken us through Frederick on numerous occasions, and it's not like we need an excuse to stop here anyway. You've undoubtedly read about our numerous visits to Attaboy, so I'll spare regaling you with unnecessary details. In a nutshell, it's one of our favorite breweries in Frederick (and there are quite a few of 'em these days, kids). 

Brewslut and I shared pours of two beers: Tarts McGee (Strawberry & Soursop) and The Famous Lion. The former, a tart and tangy offering from its cleverly named Tarts McGee (no longer on vacation, apparently) brewed with strawberry and soursop, a slightly acidic tropical tree fruit related to the custard apple that resembles a pear with a spikey exterior. Its flavor is said to resemble a combination of strawberry and apple with sour citrus notes but with a thick, creamy texture similar to a banana. It's an interesting fruit to say the least. Attaboy does a fine job with these sweet-tart beers, and we typically encounter one on tap when we visit, to which Brewslut tends to gravitate.  

The Famous Lion, on the other hand, is a NEIPA hopped with Citra and Strata. OK, so you probably thought you were off the hook with lessons in hops. Well, I'm sorry to inform you that I've got another one. Strata was first hop variety to be released by the Oregon State Aroma Hop Breeding Program based in Corvallis, OR, in 2009. Its dominant flavor profile is an unusual one for a hop: strawberry. While this beer did present a whiff or strawberry, it was also quite heavy on the citrus fruit, with an apparent orange note and hint of pith. The folks at Attaboy equate it to a glass of Sunny D (not the dreaded "purple stuff" at the back of the fridge). I dig. 

Attaboy, Pleeps!

Of course, no visit to Frederick is complete without a stop at Idiom, which has become a fast favorite of we Pour Travelers. Since we were ready for dinner by the time we arrived, it seemed like an opportune time to stumble onto one of our favorite local food trucks: Boxcar Burgers. They serve up some slammin' burgers including one of the best plant-based protein burgers around. The fries are pretty solid too! 

With our dinner plans solidified, it was time to focus on beer. Although Idiom produces some amazing hop-forward beers, I decided to switch gears and venture toward the dark side. Enter In a Nutshell, an American Porter layered with chocolate malts, toasted coconut and coconut cream. It seems a lot of breweries are churning out coconut beers these days, and this one was definitely up there with the best of them. Great beers aside, Brewslut and I always appreciate the names of Idiom's beers. Perhaps it's the English majors in us that recognize the clever wordplay. See? It's not just another pointless brewery moniker. 

For some reason, I enjoyed just one lone beer at Idiom. We'd thought about stopping at Fourscore in Gettysburg on the way home, but it was time to stick a fork into this guy, because I was done. In my advanced age, I seem to be getting less motivated to stretch out our final day of a trip. More often than not these days, the couch seems to be calling my name on Sunday round about 7 or 8 p.m. I suppose it's probably the reason why I like to pack as much in as possible on Friday and (especially) Saturday. 

Alas, the tale has come to an end. Thanks for following us on our most recent weekend escapade to "parts unknown" (you know... where the Green Bastard resides). Pleeps is already ramping up for our next adventure, so stay tuned for more Pour Travelin'. Until next time...

Frederick Overnighter

Aside from the possibility of inclement weather (which is highly likely in Central PA around this time of year), we like to embark on quick little overnight or weekend jaunts to nearby beer destinations during wintertime. We've actually experienced some unseasonably warm temperatures the last few years during January and February trips. While it was pretty chilly this last weekend, the cabin fever was starting to get to us. Plus we like to get off to a good start at the beginning of a new year. While Frederick, MD, is well-traversed ground for us, we were actually able to hit two new breweries and a brand new sister location of one of our favorites in the process. We made a last-minute decision to reserve a hotel room, which was dirt cheap, so we pulled the trigger and were off to Frederick for a little overnighter. 

I always like to factor in a quick stop somewhere along the way to our main destination, and Gettysburg's Fourscore Beer Co. seemed like the obvious choice. We'd just been there on the "silver medal" Drinksgiving trip this past November. We'd planned to go to Knoxville, TN, with D&C and cross another state off our brewery list, but, well... COVID. 'Nuff said. 

We got a later-than-usual start, as Brewslut was visiting the salon for her requisite bi-monthly  appointment. Still, we managed to arrive at Fourscore shortly after 1 p.m. The inside tasting room was full, save for a lone table, but was snatched up by two old ladies who cockblocked us by grabbing the table before ordering beer. (Enter your favorite C-word here.) Oh well, the chilly weather would have likely brought on some uncomfortable pangs of osteoporosis from which one of them I'd wager surely suffers. So it was outside and into the tent for us. It was rather windy during our visit, but the side flaps of the tent provided some adequate cover, and a small heater at the far end helped to warm the area as best as it could. 

We weren't very hungry, as it's customary for us to eat a filling breakfast prior to a day of drinking. However, PA law is still such that we must order food when drinking alcoholic beverages. So, we decided to split an order of wings. Turns out I was hungrier that I thought. The wings were tasty, although I don't know why many places insist on serving a quantity of 10 wings instead of a dozen. Call me traditional.

Anyway, on to the beer. Despite this being our third visit to Fourscore, I hadn't written about the brewery yet. Third time's a charm, I suppose. I've been digging Schwarzbiers lately. There's something about the crispness of a lager paired with a rich, dark chocolate-like malt character. After asking about a pair of foeder-aged beers on the menu, I noticed Lager Life: Black Lager on the board, so I switched gears. Brewed with a a hefty portion of British Maris Otter and dark Munich malts, the malt base for this beer also includes flaked and malted oats as well as a variety of specialty malts. Inky black with a tinge of mahogany around the edges, the aroma smacks of freshly brewed coffee, toast and a hint of chocolate. The flavor layers in some caramel and vanilla, lending a sweet but crisp finish. 

Meanwhile, Brewslut worked on a pour of Brekkie Bowl: Mega Berry. An updated version of the original release, this intense fruited sour features flaked oats, wheat and a touch of lactose. It's tartness comes from house Lactobacillus, and it's fruitiness is amplified from dry-hopping with lots of Mosaic and Citra Cryo pellets. Oh yeah... it's also conditioned on coconut, banana puree, toasted almonds, Madagascar bourbon and Tahitian vanilla beans, and PA maple syrup. Then, it's conditioned on strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and twice the amount of açaí fruit of the original. This drank more like a smoothie than a beer... not that that's a bad thing. It was pretty freakin' delicious. Last time we visited, I was pretty bowled over by another of its fruited sours, called Jahmba (Mango/Lime/Coconut). So it seems Fourscore has developed a niche for intense fruit beers. Hey, you don't hear me complaining! 

Pleeps enjoys a Brekkie Bowl. Banana, you say?

Par for the course, we'll typically share a pour of a high gravity beer before shoving off to the next place. Enter Black Friday Joy, a variation of another stout from Fourscore called Noon As Dark As Midnight. This bold stout features a malt base of oat malt, Maris Otter, flaked oats, British chocolate malt and a variety of crystal and roasted malts. But here's where the fun stuff takes place: the beer rests for 15 months inside bourbon barrels from Widow Jane Distillery of Brooklyn, NY, which previously held 10- and 13-year-old versions of its bourbon. As if that wasn't enough, after the aging process the beer is conditioned on a heaping amount of toasted coconut, Tahitian vanilla beans and Antidote beans from Baltimore's Vagrant Coffee. I liked Fourscore's description of this beer: "The aroma is distinctly wet and weathered oak with swirls of roasted peanut, sweet vanilla and rich whiskey. The flavors are the same with a nice medium-full body and all flavors linger on the finish. It's a complete candy bar experience!" This was pretty damn delicious, and its only shortcoming was perhaps its lack of a thick, robust head and slightly more dense mouthfeel. Otherwise, a winner for sure! 

Pleeps poses with Black Friday Joy.

Ever since we started frequenting Frederick and the surrounding area, Attaboy has always been a favorite stop. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if we've ever come through Frederick without swinging by for at least one beer. Well, Brewslut and I were excited to discover that this favorite brewery had recently opened Attaboy Barrel House, which is conveniently situated right around the corner from its original taproom.

Barrel racks at Attaboy Barrel House

This addendum to Attaboy's original brewery is a dedicated space specifically used for barrel-aging and blending with a focus on tart, fruity and funky beers aged in a variety of wine barrels procured from around the world. (Upon casually strolling around the brewery, I noticed that the majority of them were from France and California... two obvious meccas for wine!) 

Wood, Jerry... wood!

Inside, it's quite spacious with enough room to maintain plenty of COVID-inspired distance from other patrons. Besides, one requires lots of space to house all those large, wooden vessels! The decor is clean, bright, open and modern, with a minamilist's approach to interior design: stark white walls, gray and black accents, tables with geometric designs, and a hint of lush, green foliage from some tropical-looking plants for a splash of color. Oh yeah, and barrels... lots and lots of barrels! In addition to a few standard Attaboy beers, the small but well-curated selection offered a plethora of unique styles and flavors to be had.

Pleeps says, "A small time can still be a good time!"

I started out small - literally - with a beer named Small Time, a barrel-aged petite saison weighing in at 4.8% ABV. Simple yet elegant, this flavorful saison was slightly dry with a lint of lemon zest and lots of cereal grains in the finish. Think dry Cheerios or Rice Krispies. Meanwhile, Brewslut was working on a pour of an elegant-looking, lavender-colored beer called Raspberry & Blackberry Farmboy. Described as "jammy and tart, bright and zippy," this beer exemplifies all of those adjectives and more. Blended from five different red wine barrels of multiple ages, this complex beer straddles the line between tart acidity and sweet-and-sour pucker. 

Farmboy... fetch Pleeps a beer!

For our final beer, we decided to share a beer called Fredericka (Pom-Tea). This 9% ABV strong golden ale spent a year in a barrel (of an undetermined variety), emerging with a bright tartness and spunky funk. A light dosing of pomegranate and Pu-erh tea lends subtle hints of black tea leaves and tropical fruit. This was undoubtedly the most unique beer of the bunch, and the contrast between the tea leaves and faint tartness of the pomegranate was pleasing to the palate. All in all, this is a great addition to Attaboy's already stellar line-up of finely crafted beers... because everyone needs a fancy beer every once in a while, right?  

Around the corner at Attaboy proper, things were hoppin' with a healthy crowd and a local Food Truck. Being a party of two, we felt bad grabbing a table for six but nothing else was available. After we settled in at the table, a group of people came in but must have left. Two of them remained, so we asked if they wanted to join us. The table was long enough to maintain a safe distance, so it was OK by us. We had a great conversation with them (a couple: the guy, from nearby West Virginia, and the woman, from Puerto Rico). If there's one thing that COVID-19 has taught me over the last year, it's not to take for granted conversations to be had at a brewery. It's the thing we miss most about not being able to sit at the bar. So this was a welcome diversion from how things have been since last March. 

Beer-wise, I went with something hoppy this time... my first of the day! Creek Life (Citra) sounded new to me and tasty to boot. Hopped with Simcoe, Horizon, and obviously Citra, this super-drinkable IPA offers bright notes of citrus and tropical fruits, especially orange and mango. I seldom come across Horizon hops, and a quick Google search revealed that it's actually an older hop variety created in Oregon in 1970 with a lineage similar to Nugget. This one went down effortlessly, and despite finishing it quickly, we hung out for a bit and enjoyed our conversation. After a short while, we'd all finished up, and it was time to cross Carroll Creek at a small footbridge and head to our next stop.

Idiom Brewing was largely the impetus for this particular little getaway. Brewslut and I were both blown away as a result of our initial visit, and we were eager to return. It had been almost a year to the day since our first visit, and by then Idiom had just celebrated its first anniversary over Black Friday weekend. My favorite beer of that particular trip was Just Desserts, an imperial stout brewed to mimic Rocky Road ice cream. Cue the salivary glands. I knew we'd be here for a little while. Then, when we were standing in line to order our beer, we noticed this can label:

Drinking on a lighted stage...

As if I didn't already like this place enough! While Brewslut was quick to order this beer, I went with Coffee & Cake for my initial beer. Brewed with a mix of 2-row, flaked barley, caramel and chocolate malts, this blonde stout gets the cold-steep treatment courtesy of 7 lb. of fresh roasted Ecuadorian Sarchimore coffee from Frederick's own Dublin Roasters. As if that wasn't enough, the fine folks at Idiom chuck in all the flavor components of the decadent Italian dessert known as Tiramisu: cocoa powder, cake batter and marscapone. This sucker was delicious and complex! 

Meanwhile, Brewslut worked her way through a pour of the aforementioned Limelight (with its label inspired by, if you couldn't tell, my favorite band Rush). Brewed with Motueka and Ariana Hops, this Double NEIPA is rife with tropical fruit and red berry with hints of lemon, lime and a touch of coconut. This one definitely approaches the unreal, and we were sure to grab a 4-pack of cans before heading out. She also enjoyed her pour of What's the Scoop, a blonde ale featuring more than 200 lbs of black cherry puree, a touch of lactose and Madagascar vanilla. Cherry and vanilla is always a winning combination when well-executed, and this one was eloquently so. Delicious!

Pleeps knows what the scoop is!

 

More beers ensued, including my favorite of the bunch: Feast Your Eyes. Inspired by the quintessential holiday salad, Ambrosia - or what my mom calls "Heaven" - this fruit-forward sour ale is indeed a heavenly amalgamation of juicy Mandarin orange, dank pineapple, coconut, Marachino cherries and heaps of marshmallow fluff. I was immediately transported back to our last trip to Madison, WI, for Great Taste of the Midwest, where one of our favorite collective beers was Church Salad from Iowa's Pulpit Rock Brewing. (Yes, it was so good that I remembered the name of the beer, the brewery, and the state from which they hail.) This beer was the spitting image of Church Salad. There was no way a crowler of this wasn't going home with us. Sadly, no cans were available. 

Pleeps enjoys living in the Limelight at Idiom.

For our final selection, we opted for Moment in the Sun, another fruited sour, this one with papaya, pineapple and coconut cream. While it was delicious in its own right, it paled in comparison to its predecessor. I'd say you're doing a good job with your brewery if a beer this good pales in comparison to another beer you brew. With that said, both beers were indeed stellar... the Feast Your Eyes just happened to be stellar to the "n"th power. At Idiom, there was none more stellar. You get the picture. 

As if the convenience of Attaboy and Idiom being within walking distance from one another wasn't enough, Steinhardt had to go and open up right next door to Idiom. In Frederick, who needs Uber? Like Idiom, Steinhardt is located in the Union Knitting Mills Building along Carroll Creek. With that said, aesthetically it has a very similar vibe to Idiom in that the space ensconces you in exposed brick. The small, family-owned brewery opened its doors in Frederick back in August 2020, but owner Jim Steinhardt has been brewing and selling beer from home for five years before opening a taproom (even being named "Best Local Beer" in 2018 by Frederick Magazine). Steinhardt's taproom boasts over 20 beers on tap, covering a wide array of styles with a penchant for Belgians and Flemish-stye sours. While I was scoping this place out prior to our visit, I was intrigued by the fact that they had four sours and five Belgian styles on tap. We settled on four 9oz. pours of the following beers:

• Kriek - Flemish-style ale brewed with Belgian malts and fermented with traditional Flemish souring agents. Aged in French Oak barrels with sour cherries for a tart, refreshing finish.
• Framboise - Flemish-style red ale is brewed with Belgian malts and fermented with traditional Flemish souring agents. Like the Kriek, this is aged in barrels but with raspberries instead of cherries.
• BBA Tupelo Stout - Imperial Stout flavored with vanilla bean and Tupelo Honey, then aged for over three months in bourbon barrels.
• Coco Loco - An easy-drinking 4.2% ABV stout with notes of chocolate and coconut.

Of the four aforementioned beers, both Brewslut and I were drawn moreso to the Kriek and Framboise rather than the stouts. Both sours were fine examples of the styles. The BBA Tupelo Stout missed the mark a little, though, in that the bourbon character didn't really carry through, perhaps hindered by the sweetness of the honey and vanilla. The Coco Loco was sweet with a dominant coconut flavor and hint of dark chocolate in the finish, making it quite flavorful for a 4.2% stout. Overall, everything was pretty well executed. 

I was hoping to squeeze in one last brewery for the day, and it's a good thing we made it there because my favorite beer of the day was from Jug Bridge Brewery. It's slogan is: "Brewing olde fashioned good righteous beer!" I can get down with that! Named after a local Frederick landmark, the small brewery is situated at the previous Olde Mother Brewing Company location. (I'd included Olde Mother on our itinerary as a "maybe," but it eluded us this time.) We made it just shy of last call, so unfortunately it would be a one-and-done stop for us. But man, what a "one" it was! 

Jug Bridge's logo mimics a popular Frederick landmark.

Brewslut opted for a pour of Dublin Lager, described as "Norwegian Coffee Lager infused with Dublin Roasters Coffee house blend coffee beans." This beer was delicious, and I wished we would have had more time for me to enjoy a pint of this. I seldom miss a coffee beer when one is available, but I did manage to score a few sips of this tasty beer. 

And speaking of tasty beers, the beer I ordered was off the charts! The beer in question, Companion3, was, simply put, amazing! In retrospect, it was my favorite beer of the day. So what, pray tell, is this beer of which I speak so highly? It's a West Coast IPA aged in gin barrels from McClintock Distilling that previously had been used to house port wine. The aged beer was then dry-hopped with spruce tips and Mandarina Bavaria hops. My God, I freakin' loved this beer. The amazing this about it, though, was the subtlety of the flavors and how well-balaced it was. Everything just came together magnificantly. Brewing with an adjunct such as spruce tips can be a tricky thing. Believe me, I've had beers that tasted like sucking sap out of tree bark. This beer was beautifully eloquent in its design. 

Pleeps found a new Companion3.

All in all, it was an awesome (albeit short) visit to Jug Bridge. We sat at a table in close proximity to some younger locals (one of which apparently worked there but was off her shift) and enjoyed talking to them about the Frederick area, music, and, of course, beer! They all spoke highly of Jug Bridge, and after the exemplary beer I experienced there... well, I CAN CONFIRM. We were sure to grab a pair of crowlers of Companion3 to take home and enjoy. Can't wait to get back here and really dig into their beers. 

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

When we returned to the hotel on Saturday night, we still hadn't made the decision of whether or not to take the same route home that we took to get to Frederick. When I mentioned to Brewslut that we could take a slight 20-minute detour and head home on I-81, we'd be able to swing by Cushwa and a new favorite of ours, Homaide Brewing. This great one-two punch of breweries right around the corner from each other is sure to entice us to visit Williamsport, MD, more often. 

Inside Cushwa's new tasting room.

We landed at Cushwa about ten minutes prior to opening time, so we got right in and grabbed a small two-fer table near a window. Cushwa makes some great IPAs, and the beer menu was littered with 'em. However, I've had a few that are a little too "Trillium-y" for me; you know, just not in my hop combo wheelhouse. With that said, I tend to gravitate to their fruit beers and imperial stouts. The problem with the stouts is that most of them are in the 13-15% range. Ooofa! So Brewslut and I will usually share one for "dessert" aka our "after dinner" beer. 

Still located in the Bowman Business Park, Cushwa has been open for business since 2017. However, its recently expanded taproom around the corner from its original location (where Homaide now calls home) has doubled its bar, taproom seating area, and production facility. Even more exciting is the fact that the new space now features some of the best brick oven pizza in the area, courtesy of Rad Pies. It's a match made in heaven!

Pleeps: "I'll take all the dark beers!"

I started by entering some familiar territory with Illusory Correlation, another Schwarzbier, or traditional dark German lager. Similar to the one I'd enjoyed at Fourscore the day before, this one boasts notes of light roast coffee, dark chocolate and crusty bread with a fairly dry but crisp, roasty-sweet finish. I'd had this once before and was fairly certain that I'd enjoyed it. I was right. 

Brewslut went right to the opposite end of the spectrum as me and ordered a pour of Brinner. Remember that thing I just said about imperial stouts? Well, this is one of 'em! A collaboration with the yet-to-open Burnish Beer Co. based in Salisbury, MD, this rich, decadent Imperial Pastry Stout is loaded with waffles and maple syrup, and just a hint of blueberry to evoke a big ol' stack of sweaty flapjacks. Damn, was this tasty, although I might not have gotten through an entire pour by myself due to its intense sweetness and maple character. Actually, who am I kidding? Of course I would have.

Pleeps knows how to chill 'til the next episode.

Speaking of breakfast beers, it was time to chill... to the Next Episode. A coffee cream ale? Yes, please! As I said earlier, it's hard to get me to refrain from ordering a beer brewed with coffee when one is readily available. For this particular beer, Cushwa started with a cream ale base, added lactose, then dosed it with heavy amounts of Lock 44 coffee from River Bottom Roasters of Hagerstown, MD. This one was pretty damn remarkable, with sweet, roasty notes of French vanilla latte. This was probably my favorite of the three beers I sampled this time around. I also snagged a 4-pack of Electrofruit - Ambrosia, which should be similar to the amazing Feast Your Eyes we enjoyed at Idiom. We're obviously looking forward to cracking one of these open in the near future!

Pleepin' around at Cushwa.

Around the corner at Homaide, things were a bit quieter. I was really looking forward to getting back here to dig into Homaide's beers. This new brewery, which now occupies Cushwa's original location in the same industrial park, made our Top 10 list for 2020 based on the strength of pretty much one beer: Fight Milk. So when we arrived this time, I was giddy to see a coffee and coconut variant of said beer on nitro! 

The owners of Homaide had originally sought a location in nearby Hagerstown, MD, for its brewery and taproom. They had participated in multiple craft beer festivals and most recently scored a "Best Beer" award at the 2019 Maryland Craft Beer Fest. Makes sense, because Homaide's beers are amazing!

Homaide took over Cushwa's original brewery.

Looking over the menu when we arrived, I realized there was a lot I wanted to try. First thing's first, though... I had to get some of that Fight Milk (Coffee & Coconut) in my gut! Described as a "session milk stout with cocao beans and coconut," this variant was every bit as good as the original. Serving on nitro really softens up the body and smooths out the foam on top. If I remember correctly, one of the owners had told me during our initial visit that they use a combination of nitro and CO2 for this one. Whatever the equation is, it's working.  

Pleeps enjoys some Fight Milk with coffee & coconut.

There were also a pair of "cobbler" beers on tap that sounded intriguing. Although I was most excited about the peach version, Brewslut opted for the Blueberry Cobbler, a collaboration with Mullys Brewing. The base beer is a light, crisp Berliner Weisse with a sour punch. However, conditioned on blueberry compote sweetens the pot a bit and elicits a faint earthy note. It's finished off with a light accent of cinnamon and vanilla. Well done, indeed. However, I was definitely more into the Peach Cobbler. This beer is part of Homaide's "HE SAID-SHE SAID" Sour Series. It's a light, refreshing kettle sour brewed with tons of peaches and a hint of coconut and cinnamon. Man, this tasted like I was face down in a slice of peach cobbler from a tiny mom and pop diner in Anytown, USA. The combination of peach and cinnamon scored big points with me, and the coconut acccents offered a hint of complexity in the flavor. Man, was this delicious! I was hoping for cans, but no luck this time. 

Pleeps is jammin' on the one!

We ended our session with JAMCARE, a smooth DIPA hopped with Mosaic, Galaxy and a new-to-me hop variety called Moutere. This one was brewed in collaboration with Cushwa, and it was pretty delicious. This hop combo lends a blend of tropical fruit and berries, while Moutere - a relatively new hop variety from New Zealand - adds grapefruit and passionfruit notes with hints of earthy baking spices and pine resins. Nicely done!

Pleeps is always making new friends!

Postscript: We decided to swing by Boneshire for a quick pint and soft pretzel before heading home to host my virtual rock music trivia night. As usual, I went with one of my local faves, Green Machine. Seriously, if you live in Central PA and still haven't been to Bonshire... get there! Green Machine is definitely up there with Pizza Boy's Murren River as a favorite local West Coast IPA. Remember those? Well kids, that's all for now. Thanks for reading. Until next time...

We're only immortal for a limited time: Part II

Welcome to the conclusion of our weekend jaunt to Harpers Ferry, WV. When we last left you, we'd just enjoyed our visit to Dirt Farm Brewing and were on our way to another brewery just three miles up the country roads.

Situated in the historic hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, B Chord opened its doors near the end of 2017 and is as much of a farm brewery as it is a music venue. Sticking with its music bent, the name of the brewery refers to an old Bluegrass slang term meaning “the best of its kind”. The space itself is pretty much a large pole barn with a bar at one end, a stage at the other, and some tables and other eclectic seating around the perimeter. We decided to set up show in the corner among some cozy chairs and sofas. Like some of the other breweries in the area, B Chord is dog-friendly. As a matter of fact, we befriended a little mutt named Toby, who kept coming over to us to beg for morsels of our giant soft pretzel we'd since ordered.

As for the beer, I decided to stick with something simple and sessionable, so I opted for Quail Ridge Pale Ale. Unfortunately, a distracting, off-flavor vegetal character really turned this into a disappointing beer. I tried some of the group's beers, and they seemed fine. Something had definitely gone awry during the brewing process. Oh well... sometimes you get stuck with a clunker. Usually it's Brewslut; this time, it was me.

We were on our way to Adroit Theory when we drove past Dragon Hops. Deuane had mentioned it mere minutes before we stumbled upon it, as it was a relatively new brewery on the local scene. Veteran owned and operated, Dragon Hops opened its doors in May of 2018 but had already been growing organic hops and maintaining their a hop farm in the picturesque rolling hills of Loudoun County. With so many "farm breweries" in the region, Dragon Hops established a mobile hop processing facility, which serves as a valuable resource to other local hop growers, allowing them to rent equipment to use on their own farms. What a great concept!

Dragon Hops the brewpub features a full food menu to complement its traditional-inspired beers and host a variety of live music. Oddly enough, I overheard a table full of people next to us mention "Rush tribute band." My head snapped around quickly and soon enough we were talking about my favorite band. Turns out there was a Rush tribute band called Caressing Steel performing there in a few weeks. I made sure to plug my own band and, later, gave them some Mad Elf after I found out that they all loved Tröegs beer. They were great people and it was cool to run into some fellow Rush fans during a delicate time for us all. 

After checking out the tap list, my love for peaches trumped my disdain for NEIPAs and I went with a beer called Sunova Peach. At 8% ABV, this was a refreshing, juicy peach-forward IPA not too heavy on the haze. This was quite enjoyable and exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, this was a quick one-and-done stop, as we still had to get to Adroit Theory. Still, I'm glad we had enough time to swing by and check things out. Overall, it's a cool place with solid beer and a comfortable, casual setting. Plus any venue that hosts a Rush tribute band is alright in my book! 

Adroit Theory is about as metal as it gets as far as breweries go. Situated in Purcellville, VA, the brewery offers "esoteric and style challenging beers" with an emphasis on hazy IPAs, fruited sours, pastry stouts, and barrel-aging projects. Adroit Theory opened in 2013 and quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the Virginia craft beer scene. We first visited the brewery in late May of 2015 during an overnight trip to the area to see Rush perform in Bristow, VA, on the R40 tour. Back then, the brewery was relatively new and I'd only found out about it after consulting my handy brewery map website. We were pretty blown away, and I'm glad to say that our opinion has not changed after almost five years away from this place.

When we arrived, the outside speakers were blaring some aggressive death metal. Well, it wasn't blasting like the music at, say, Three Floyds. It was, as Milton would say, at a reasonable volume. I mean, we could converse over it without being bludgeoned by blast beats. Turns out the weather was still cooperating nicely, so we sat outside for a while and had a nice chat with one of the locals.

Once we went inside, we realized that they totally changed the layout of the place. What used to be an "L" shaped room is now kind of a medium-sized rectangle. The space seemed smaller to all of us, but it had been a few years since our last visit so our minds were perhaps a bit hazy. As usual, the beer list was rife with unusual barrel-aged concoctions, all of which I needed to try. Sadly, two of the ones I really wanted to try had kicked. Still, there was plenty to be had. Androit Theory makes some legit beers, so it's no wonder why they're exclusive members of the "One Dollar Club" (i.e. breweries who charge basically $1 an ounce for beers). Ok, so we made that up. Not that I'm complaining, either; I'm happy to pay $4 for a sample-size glass. I'd rather pay a premium for a beer that's pretty much guaranteed to be good versus $7 or $8 for a pint from some local yokel brewery that might suck ass. (Believe me, it's happened on multiple occasions!) Case in point, check out these beers I was lucky enough to sample:

• B/A/Y/S (Ghost 811) - bourbon-barrel aged stout with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, hazelnuts, toasted coconut,  and honey. Absolutely delicious!
• Therapy Sessions (Ghost 796) - apple brandy barrel-aged stout with toasted coconut, Belizian cacao nibs, and Tahitian vanilla. Love me some apple brandy barrel-aged beers, and this one was no exception.
• AAMEUL (Ghost 808) - imperial stout with black currants, black sugar and squid ink. Yes, you read correctly... SQUID INK! This one was earthy and a tad briny with a burnt sugar and dark fruit character. 
• All I See Is Carrion (Ghost 804) - Belgian-style Quad, heavy on the malt with a dark sugar character and fruity Belgian-style esters.

As anticipated, my favorite was the B/A/Y/S. Can't go wrong with a bourbon barrel-aged stout with coffee. The hazelnuts, coconut and honey were just added bonuses. Therapy Sessions was also quite delicious, with a tangy, apple brandy-soaked tropical quality followed by a wash of lush vanilla and dark chocolate in the finish.  

Group pic!

By this time in the evening, I think we were all getting a bit sloppy, so it was time to stick a fork in the night and return back to Highacre for a nightcap. Deuane and I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. talking about, well, everything... and the beer kept on flowing... and flowing... and flowing. Needless to say, I was yawning pretty hard come Sunday morning.

However, I wasn't too tired to help finish puzzle number two, a colorful selection of various birds perched on a wooden fence among tall grass and flowers. Beer and birds. I can't believe Deuane didn't get more involved with these. He did help out by finding one or two pieces we needed, so I guess that constitutes "helping."

After breakfast, we got everything packed up and hit the road. But the trip was far from over. Each time we travel to this neck of the woods, we always make a point to explore the ever-growing landscape of breweries in nearby Frederick, MD. First on the agenda was a brand new place called Idiom, which had just celebrated its first anniversary on Black Friday 2019. Before we arrived, Brewslut wondered if the names of their beers would all be idioms. Turns out they pretty much were! The impetus of the brewery occurred during a trip to Oregon to visit some friends. In addition to exploring the amazing craft beer landscape of Oregon, they were invited to join in a homebrew day and were immediately hooked. That inaugural stove-top batch of an Irish Red ale spawned countless recipe ideas and eventually led to Idiom Brewing Company.

Inside the spacious Idiom Brewing Company.

I loved everything about this place. It just felt so comfortable and inviting there. Our server was friendly. The atmosphere was perfect. But what about the beer? Dare I say it was my favorite of the trip? It very likely was. The beer I ordered, a 9% ABV beer called Just Desserts, was described as a "Rocky Road dessert stout with pecans and marshmallows." This beer tasted even better than I'd imagined! The marshmallow provided a hint of fluffy sweetness and the toasted nuttiness from the pecans worked well within the context of a thick, rich stout. This was a special beer for sure. So special, I believe it was my favorite beer of the trip. Not bad for a brewery with only one year under its belt.

Rocky... rooooooooaaaaad?!

Meanwhile, Brewslut was equally enamoured with her selection, a lemon meringue milkshake IPA called Shake on It. As a matter of fact, she enjoyed it so much that she ordered two full pours during our visit and took home a 4-pack of pounder cans to savor at home. Now that's saying something about Idiom's beers... the Brewslut stamp of approval.

We ended up scoring a free pour of Raise Your Eyebrow, a rye IPA brewed with Citra, Cascade and Simcoe Cryo hops that had just been the focus of a photo shoot a few moments prior. I was curious about "Simcoe Cryo" hops, which were listed as part of the beer's description. Of course I'm familiar with Simcoe hops, but what's this "Cryo" business? Turns out Cryo Hops® essentially eliminates astringency in beers. Extremely high in alpha acids, they produce intense flavors and aromas without the unwanted vegetal byproducts that traditional hop cones and pellets contain. This was a delicious beer with a juicy hop character and hint of dry spiciness courtesy of the rye. The mouthfeel was full and luscious, making it all the more enjoyable.

In the essence of time, we had planned to skip Attaboy because we needed to be back home around 4 p.m. to get ready for my monthly rock music trivia night. But Deuane said Attaboy was in walking distance (like a one-minute walk) of Idiom, so we decided to swing in for a beer. We'd been to Attaboy a handful of times in the last few years and have never been disappointed. The small, starkly decorated taproom features about eight taps, which run the gamut of a variety of IPAs to saisons and sours to oddball styles like Biere de Gardes and Grisettes.

I opted for a "light hopped saison" called Blanche, named after the feisty, sexually promiscuous cougar (or should I say GILF?) from the Golden Girls. The beer came across as quite floral with a hint of delicate summer melon and a touch of vanilla. It was enjoyable and provided a nice diversion from the types of beers I'd been enjoying thus far over the weekend. I'm usually good for a saison or two when we travel, and this one hit the spot. I should have nabbed something from the food truck, Boxcar Burgers, as we've enjoyed their food a few times in the past. But this was a quickie, and I was still able to enjoy an afternoon delight with Blanche.

Our final destination was another new-to-us brewery called Midnight Run. I'd actually been in contact with the owner, Brent, who recently had taken a group tour with his staff at Troegs, and I helped facilitate his visit by introducing him to our tour manager. I was hoping to meet him when we stopped in, but unfortunately he wasn't around. I did drop off a few cans of Double Blizzard for him and our bartender to enjoy, though.

I'll have the soup of the day, please!

Midnight Run began life in a garage more than a decade ago when two friends and homebrewers dreamed of one day opening a brewery. With degrees in both culinary arts and mechanical engineering, long-time friends Rich and Brent joined forces to start the brewery of their dreams. Taking a free-thinking approach to brewing, the duo's beers tend to throw out the style playbook. Using science and art, they strive to create unconventional beers for both jaded beer geeks and craft beer noobs.

View from my barstool at Midnight Run.

Since it was our last stop, I decided to go big. I was surprised to see not one but two barleywines on tap. I couldn't decided which one to get, so I got small pours of each, because... why not? The first,
Royal Gold, is a rye barrel-aged English-style barleywine weighing in at 8% ABV. This is surprisingly pretty light on the barleywine scale, and quite sweet too, with notes of caramel squares, toffee, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

Time Machine, on the other hand, is a 9% ABV barrel-aged American-style barleywine. American-style barleywines tend to be considerably hoppier and aggressive than their counterparts from across the pond. With that said, Time Machine does have a bit more gusto and hop presence than Royal Gold. Again, it was on the sweeter side of the spectrum but also boasted an orange candy hop character with hints of caramel and vanilla. I was expecting more of a resiny hop bite; instead, it was heavy on the orange. Of the two, I preferred Royal Gold a bit more, although both were enjoyable.

Despite the circumstances, we still enjoyed a pleasant weekend of checking out some new breweries. The surroundings were beautiful and the weather was pretty amazing for this time of year. Since we travel so much, I couldn't help but reflect on a few lines of lyrics from the Rush song, "Dreamline":

We travel on the road to adventure

On a desert highway straight to the heart of the sun

Like lovers and heroes, and the restless part of everyone

We're only at home when we're on the run

On the run

Our beer travels have taken us many places over the years. We're fuelled by adventure and, almost innately, follow our own restless hearts to wherever they might lead us. Whether its near or far, hither or thither, yonder or close, sometimes you just have to appreciate the moment and the people with whom you spend it... because we're only immortal for a limited time. 

Until next time...