Red Apron

Finally went to Red Apron Sunday.  They don’t have any taps.  Just bottles and cans.  They have lots of bottles to go but only five or six to drink there.  They have 6 really big bottles of Gulden Draak among others.  If you need any specialty meats or duck fat in a tub, you can probably find it here.

I had a chili dog and Steph had a bowl of chili.  We also had fries. Everything was good.  I had a Blue Mountain Kolsch and Steph has a Lagunitas Sucks.  The Lagunitas was really good.  I thought it was supposed to be a brown ale and it seemed more like an IPA to me.  After researching the beer a little, it's a replacement for a brown ale that they weren't able to brew due to production schedules and then kept because it's good.

Anyway, stop by Red Apron for good meats and beer.

McLean December Results

The holiday month brought us a taste of lagers. Though they don't posess the biting and robust flavor of an ale (at least to this author), we still managed to find a few with some taste. The winner was Raven's Special Lager of Baltimore - the face on the label belied the smooth taste and drinkability. The Henry Weinhard Private Reserve placed and the Blue Mountain Lager of Afton, VA pulled up the rear - it was smooth, but it didn't climb high enough for the judges. The selection was nice, but if you're going to pay the price, stick with an ale. ;)

Sweet Baby Jesus!

If you haven't tried the Sweet Baby Jesus Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter from DuClaw, then you are definitely missing out. Absolutely not a session beer - I consider it a desert beer. In fact, I'm not sure I could really drink and entire one by myself (I haven't yet). But if you are like me and enjoy the hell out of a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, then you can appreciate the subtle flavors in this outstanding beer creation. Available for a limited time once a year, and only in the DelMarVA. I snuck some back on my last trip and have been politely sharing with my Southern brethren. I recently discovered that it pairs well with chocolate covered espresso beans.

McLean November Results

The winner for November was the Flying Dog K-9 by a unanimous vote.  The Harpoon Winter Warmer some how edged the Bell's Winter White Ale for second.

Racer 5 Amuse-Bouche...

What? Craft beer becoming a foodie's dream? Well, it happened with amuse-bouche (a single, bite-sized hors d'œuvre)by chef Nick Peyton at a (former) tony restaurant in Healdsburg, California - Cyrus. The picture below presents a "Racer 5 Beer Bubble", a golden sphere filled with Bear Republic Brewery's Racer 5 India Pale Ale and a hint of lemon. Looks good, but I think I'd ask for 12 more, or at least a variety of bubbles to compliment my meal.

Prost

Welcome Great Pumpkin!

What better way to celebrate a birthday (no matter the age) than with a little beer, pumpkin, and sugar.  This glass of pumkin ale goodness was found at Ford's Fish Shack in Ashburn > it's a Southern Tier Pumpkin Ale with crushed pumpkin seeds and brown sugar on the rim. It carried with it a nice color and "lovely citrus hop notes".  Welcome the Great Pumpkin.
Prost. 

Single-wide IPA does the trick in a Dogfish Head IPA glass...

Who says a double-wide is the only way to go?  Retrying a recent McLean beer club entry, I poured a nice golden Single-Wide IPA from Boulevard Brewing Company, StL MO for a low-key nightcap.  It provided the classic IPA hoppy nose, but not any bitterness.  What made it especially tasty was using my new Dogfish Head IPA glass.  They style of the glass forces your nose into the glass to get an extra whiff of hops + it has this unique base that is intended to help creating a constant head - not sure I experienced that (though I didn't give it much time) but it did make drinking this pleasant IPA unique.  I'd recommend the Single-Wide if you are looking for a classic easy to drink IPA.
Prost.