Virginia Craft Beer Month

August has been named the official Craft Beer Month by the awesome state of Virginia. I am proud to call Virginia my home state! Having been born and raised within 20 miles of where I now live. Some may say that is sheltered, nay I say, it is loyalty!

Tonight is night number two of home alone for me so instead of just coming home after work I decided to help my dad with his first major project post retirement...Redoing the deck at mom and dads house! So obviously I needed a beer when I got home. By the way congrats dad!

I had a big decision tonight well I mean not really THAT big but big enough; do I go with one of my go to beers or do I try something I've never had before. In true craft beer enthusiast style I went with something I have only ever read about. I decided on a brewery by the name of Devils Backbone Brewing Company more specifically I chose their brew Belgian Congo Pale Ale (Devils Backbone Brewing Beers). I actually just read about this company today in an article about the Virginia Brewers Guild and the Brew Ridge Trail (Read the article here). 

Not knowing much or anything really about this Pale Ale I decided to do some research first. Devils Backbone was founded in 2008 in the heart of Virginia; Lexington Virginia to be exact. For a "newer" brewery they have certainly made quite the impression, by winning a few awards at the GABF (if you consider a lot a few!). Steven, the founder is actually from Virginia as well and even from the same area as I am which makes me like this brewery even more. 

My first impression of Congo was typical IPA with a piney, floral smell right out of the bottle, I was curious about the Belgian aspect of this brew, but after pouring into the everyday pint glass this must be the clearest Pale Ale I have ever seen, you can read the writing on the bottle through the glass! I take my first sniff and realize my initial thought is wrong...dead wrong! Yes you get that pine/hoppy smell, but take a deeper breath and there is lemon and orange in there! This is the first place I sense the Belgian twist. Of note upon pour is a beautifully white head that develops and lingers around for a bit.

This is not a "big" beer, yes it does have 50 IBU's which is a lot by every day standards, however among IPA's these days this is typical and not over powering at all. The beer has a great feel on the tongue, big sips are easy to take and can multiple very easily! While sitting on your tongue you can really taste the Belgian style of this Pale Ale, just like a true Belgian it finishes with a hint of citrus and fruit. What I really love about this beer is that there is absolutely no bite at the end. Most IPA will pucker your mouth and you really have to be a true craft beer person to want more, but not this awesome beer from the great state of Virginia! This beer may have just become my favorite beer and that is saying something when I rarely get the same beer twice! 

I will definitely pick up another 6 pack next time I throw some steaks on the grill and I suggest you do the same! 

Happy reading and Cheers! 

(spread the word!)

All Alone except for Brett

Tonight is the first of three nights that I will be home alone while Mallory and the boys are gone watching our niece for the next few days and I must admit, I am not fond of being home alone at night. I am very much used to the normal sounds of our boys at night; saying our goodnight prayers and tucking them in bed...and then tucking them into bed again when they get out....as well as those times I have to tuck them in a third time! So, needless to say, I am quite bored tonight and what better way to stave off boredom than to crack open a brand new brew! 


Tonight I had a couple of different options both of which are new to me and my tongue; the first being a Double IPA from a  brewery called Long Trail out of Bridgewater, VT (I had not heard of them until a trip through Wegman's last night, but I will be saving this for International IPA Day on Thursday), and the second/winner for tonight's purpose, is a beer from the Lips of Faith Series which is a collaboration between The Lost Abbey and New Belgium Brewing Companies. This beer is their Brett Beer, it is brewed with Sorachi Ace, Centennial and Target Hops, which means this is a going to be a good, fruity beer. 


The name Brett is short for a wild yeast called Brettanomyces; this is the first time I have ever tasted a beer brewed with Brett, having only read about them in Brewed Awakening and instead of boring you with the details, here is the wiki page as well as a link for Brewed Awakening (which is an awesome read for anyone interested in craft beer! Do I get paid for endorsements?) Brett Yeast and Brewed Awakening, again this book is a must read for anyone wanting to know more or read more about the craft beer scene. Now back to the star of this post...THE BEER!

BrettBeer poured a beautiful hazy yellow forming a finger and a half sized head. My normal routine before taking my first sip is to smell the brew a couple of times, first right after the pour then a couple minutes after the beer as been resting. This beer has a great fruity smell to it, you can pick up hints of lemon and pineapple. After smelling my beers I take a big first sip this way I can make sure that I get all of the flavors and try to find everything that each beer is hiding. With Brett, I got a carbonated mouth feel with then turned into tasting the fruit and hops used in the brewing process. What is really great about this beer it also has a malty finish to it where it leaves your mouth a bit dry ready for the next sip. Once finished there is a beautiful lacing pattern on the glass where each one tells a story of your drink.

While this beer has a higher ABV at 7.5 it is an easy drink that refreshes your palate and beckons you to take in more and more. This being a special collaboration with The Lost Abbey and brewed by New Belgium it is only available in a 1 pint 6 oz bottle, it makes for a great choice in beer to pick up a couple and share at a dinner party or BBQ.

Happy reading and Cheers!

My Journey

I started my journey into the world of craft beer almost a year ago now. It all started when I became fed up with being told that I should be drinking what everyone else was; fizzy yellow water! My solution to getting away from macro brewed beer? Try/look for a new beer at my local grocery store or Total Wine every week, luckily both do a great job of procuring craft beer from around the country.

At this point I do not remember what my first adventure was (other than Sam Adams and their long list of craft brews) however I do remember my mouth exploding with flavor. I found beer and flavors that stretched and in some cases exceeded limits of what was considered beer by most standards (and mine up until this point).

During the past year I have made it my mission to learn all that I could about craft beer and the brewing process. While on my search I have found that I was not alone in my quest for great beer. The craft beer community is full of great people who enjoy conversing, sharing and drinking everything that is craft beer. It seems we all have one goal in mind...TRY MORE GREAT BEER!

Although my journey is a great one and I generally believe I am up for the challenge to try every beer ever made, I could not have gotten this far had it not been for my wife who has allowed me to bore her with details of each beer and consenting to taste tests right a long with me!

So as we embark on the next leg of my journey we go together, I will share the beers I am tasting and buying, as well as things that are going on in my life at that moment...I will post pictures here, on instagram, twitter and Facebook feel free to follow (maamrb5, andrewbutler85 and Andrew Butler).

Thanks for reading and Cheers!