| Another little unknown beer spot |
Last
time, in the mash tun…
I
reviewed the best audible ever called; yes, even better than that time Donovan
McNabb called an audible on 4th and 26 and hit Fred-X for a 27 yard
pass to extend the drive and eventually beat the Green Bay Packers in an NFC
divisional playoff game. Come to think of it, I’m not sure that was an audible.
But the time I decided to drive across the mountains and check out the Devils
Backbone Brewery in Lexington, VA definitely was.
Later
that day, we arrived at the fourth stop on our epic conquest of the Brew Ridge
Trail – the Wild Wolf Brewing Company in Nellysford, VA. Wild Wolf is located
on the same exact road as the Devils Backbone Brewpub in Roseland and the Blue
Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA, so its convenience cannot be overstated. It is
also right next to the skiing resort in Wintergreen, so if your reason for
being in the area is skiing and not beer, but you also like beer, and are
looking for a place to go drink beer (and eat too), well, you know…
 |
| The biergarten |
As you
approach Wild Wolf, you’ll notice that there is a hop grove and a sizeable outdoor seating area/biergarten in the front, along with several out buildings.
As it turns out, one of those out buildings is a homebrew supply store! These
guys have thought of everything! Of course we stopped into the store and bought
a few supplies (hops) and talked to the shop keeper. The grounds also smell of barbecue as there is a smoker fired up off to the side of the biergarten.
Seriously, this place didn't seem like a brewpub to me, but rather an outdoor,
beer-related, adventureland.
But
there was a brewpub too – which resembled a cabin in the woods. They also had a
fish pond, a gazebo, an outdoor playing area for the kids (complete with bouncy
house)… really off the wall kind of place.
The menu
was extensive and the food was very good – I had a pulled pork sandwich, because
I couldn't resist the smell of that smoker. The prices were reasonable too.
| The stars of the show |
The
beer, which of course is why we are all here, was eclectic and delicious. There
were 11 to be had, and they were divided into two flights: a staples flight and
a seasonals flight. You don’t have to get both flights, but I had to, because
if you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly bear. The beers were as follows:
American Pilsner, Blonde Hunny Belgian style blonde ale, Alpha Ale American
pale ale, Wee Heavy Scottish style brown ale, Dry Stout, Weiz Wolf hefeweizen,
Strawberry Schwarzcake schwarzbier, Peach Slap fruit beer, Honey Saison, Area
151 Belgian fruit rotator, and Brew Ridge Trail Collaboration Imperial IPA
(2013). There are several highlights here, and I will break them down one by
one.
The
staples, or the brews that Wild Wolf has all the time, are consistent and
tasty. Nothing really jumped out at me as far as having a “wow” factor, but all
five of them were exactly as they should've been. I think my favorite was the
Alpha Ale, followed by the Dry Stout as a close second.
The Weiz
Wolf hefeweisen was exceptional. I am starting to realize how wonderful a hefe
can be when it is made correctly.
The
Strawberry Schwarzbier was also very good, and an interesting twist on a
classic style. They basically made a dark beer and fermented it with
strawberries (primary and secondary) so that the flavor and aroma were full of
strawberry goodness. This, of course, flies in the face of proper German brewing
traditions, and the Reinheitsgebot purists would probably spit in this beer on
principle, but I thought the result was a flavor like strawberry shortcake and
an aroma like a chocolate-dipped strawberry. Delicious.
Peach
Slap was tasty as well. It was light and tart, almost hinting at being similar
to a Berlinerwiess. If you've ever had Dogfish Head’s Festina Peche, and you
liked it, you’d like this one as well.
Honey
Saison was a treat, like a lightened-up version of a honey wheat ale. It
reminded me of eating honeysuckle when I was a kid - very light and airy, but
with a not-so-subtle sweetness that makes it all the more refreshing.
 |
| This one was made with raspberries |
The Area
151 was awesome, not just because it tasted great (which it did), but because
of what it is. Essentially, 151 is a “year round seasonal,” which means that
they always have it, but it changes with the season based on which ingredient is
in season. It is a Belgian style that has fruit added during fermentation, and
that fruit rotates so that the Area 151 varies depending on when you are there.
The version they had when I was there was brewed with local cherries, and the
result was very similar to a kirsche Weiss (cherry wheat). Quite good.
Speaking
of local ingredients, spoiler alert – all of the fruit and other adjuncts, as
well as much of the barley and hops used to brew Wild Wolf beers are grown in
Nelson County, VA. Hurray local agriculture!
Then
there was the pièce
de résistance – the Brew Ridge Trail Collaboration Imperial
IPA (2013). This beer was a great example of why I go questing to breweries:
going to the source is the only way to find collabo-awesomeness like this.
Every year, all of the Brew Ridge Trail breweries get together and brew a
collaboration project, using locally grown ingredients and their collective
beer brains. In 2013, their project was a beautifully crafted imperial IPA, and
what they came up with was out of this world. My only regret was that Wild Wolf wouldn't let me take a growler of it home with me… something about having to
save enough for everybody. Oh well, what you find at the brewery stays at the
brewery.
In
keeping with the overarching theme of this mega-quest, Wild Wolf was a great
experience with great beers, and I highly recommend you give them money in
exchange for malted-barley-based deliciousness. Check out their website for more information. Until
next time…
 |
| The little homebrew store... a great idea |
… to be
continued…
Here’s
to craft-brewed happiness (and the Brew Ridge)… Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment