Dominion Spring Brew 2007
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Pours a light golden color with a nice inch of white frothy head. Smell is malty with some yeasty, barnlike scents. Taste is much better. Lots of spice coming through in the flavor. This was a nice surprise and change of pace. Decent mouthfeel. Good and clean.

Pours a pretty foggy orange gold. Nose is super funk. I hadn’t read the back label yet and was already like...this is a Belgian Ale? Lots of spices on there. Unfortunately it goes too far and the spices completely wreck the whole ride. Way too overpowering. Lacks balance. Lacks anything that would make it what you want it to be. I will not be able to finish this beer. Bad, beer! Bad!!

Chill hazed bright straw color with a low white ringed head and subdued slow carbonation. Prominent cardamom aroma and flavor; a touch of Belgian yeastiness on the aroma with a bit more on the tongue. Medium-light bodied with a spicy light dry finish.

Too much cardamom; out of balance. Pass!

Label States: "Pilsner and Wheat malt. Saaz and East Kent Goldings hops. Spices (cardamom and coriander)"

Bottled: 03/02/07
Tasted: 04/23/07

($5.99 / 6-pack)

Courtesy of limesmut. Pours a straw color with a nice sized head and lots of carbonation. Aroma is spicy with breads, yeast, and citrusy fruits in the mix. Taste is a nice blend of the spices with the delicate fruity flavors running through it. Hints of sweetness are nice. A little on the thin side, but that's okay for the style, IMO. Very nice little beer. Would definitely pick up some more if it were available in my area.

I grabbed a sixer of this on my last visit to the brewery a couple of weeks ago, hoping this year's Spring Brew would be like last year's, which was very nice. Not so lucky this year, for reasons explained below.

Pours a dull semi-opaque straw color with lots of bubbles and a fizzy white head which does not last long and leaves no lace. Reminds me of a cloudy High Life, to be honest. The aroma is busy but not unpleasant. Citrusy (mostly lemon) with lots of spices. The label on the bottle says "Ale brewed with spices (cardamom and coriander) and you can tell from the aroma here that there are some other less discernible scents too. It's peppery at times, and almost burns my nose. Perhaps some lavender too; an aroma that should never be mixed in with beer, in my opinion. Still, you can tell the gang at OD went to some trouble to produce this, and even though it's noisy, it's not offensive. The taste is also a bit busy. Spicy lemon citrus characteristics are foremost, with some pepper, some wood, and some noticeable hops. But it's also a bit flat and watery too. In fairness, though, it does seem to improve a bit after warming up for a minute or two. Not very fullbodied. Mouthfeel is average. Calls itself a "Belgian Pale Ale" but I would classify this more as a spicy hefeweizen. I do not plan to return to this Spring Brew again. Last year's version had much more to offer, but 2007 has been a bit of a disappointment.

Part of NEPA BC split #3.

Pours a golden yellow with nice clarity and lots of bubbles. There's a nice 1 finger white head but blink and its gone, without much of a trace to let you know it was ever there. Smell has a lot of bready yeasty notes, coriander and cinnamon, orange peel and some floral aromas. Taste is the same with a nice citrusy flavor, bit of spice from the coriander and cinnamon, and a splash of hops to hold it all together.

Carbonation is a little much, as expected given the wild bubbly action. Medium bodied, it finishes clean and dry like a wit.

I enjoyed this. A lot like a wit but with a bigger body and higher abv. Nice.

4.0 right down the line!
I've had Dominion's version of an Oak Barrel Stout from a hand engine; and it was SMOOTH. On the other end of the spectrum is their Spring Brew. Again SMOOTH.
Nice pour. An offwhite head coats the top of the glass.
Smells wonderful. Spice, bread yeast, citrus.
Taste is very nice. Not too overly carbonated, nice spice notes, a touch of citrus, mildly hopped. I could pair this with just about any food, but right now, I'm thinking crab cakes.
Very clean aftertaste.
I could drink this one till I fall over. I really like it.

Alas, getting only three bottles from a recent beer split, I have but two bottles left. I'll have to make some calls and find the nearest supplier.
This one will definetly be on hand for the upcoming summer season.
Very good.

Had this on tap in D.C. It's a mostly clear pale yellow ale, with a small head. Doesn't look that great. The nose is heavy on bready yeast and slight citrus. The taste is lemon and yeast, with sweet floral noted and a bit of spice. Mouthfeel is above average, and drinkability is excellent. This would make a good session brew.

Asked the server what the seasonal beer on tap was, this is what he came back with. He called it a "Spring Brew" but didn't mention it's Belgian characteristics.

I picked up on them immediately, and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think a little brewery in Virginia could turn out such a delightful little brew. Fruity and light, with a nice balance of hops and barley. Will be trying this again, and would recommend to anyone that has a chance to try it.

Oh yeah, it's time for spring in Virginia. 80 and sunny on Opening Day for baseball today. Time to crack the first spring beer of the season.
This one is a very pale yellow. It reminded me a bit too much of Bud, but the appearance was as far as that comparison goes. The beer bubbles a bit, creating a bubbly white head that fades quickly, leaving no trace on the glass.
The aroma starts with various spices (according to the label, cardamom and coriander, which I then confirmed by checking against my wife's spice rack). The taste is very crisp, more of the coriander stands out, and it finishes with a clean hop flavor to it. 7% alcohol? I didn't notice. Very smooth.
Great start to my spring, though this one is versatile enough to stretch into summer.

This is the second time I've been snared into buying a Dominion beer because of a display at Wegman's, and I'm a lot happier than last time.

The pour into my Trois Pistoles glass puts forth no head, just a small glass ring and sparse bubbles. The lacing is nonetheless quite nice. The body is a barely transparent yellow-gold. The nose is highly spiced, with hints of mint, nutmeg, and others that I can't specify. It's also sweet. The taste is richly malty, a bit citrusy, yeasty, and filled with toned-down spice, when compared to the nose. Really, very well done here. The mouth is medium-thick, with quality, fine carbonation. A fun beer that I might get again.

Pours a slightly hazy golden-amber with a brief, wispy white head. Fruity nose with a touch of spice as well. The yeasty but fairly smooth palate features more fruity esters and blends well with the tasty but not over-bearing Belgian spices (not unlike what you'd find in a Wit). A soft touch of grain and easygoing hop bite make their way through as well. More yeast and spice in the finish.

Now, I must say this was actually quite good, but what the hell happened to the double pilsner!? I know that Dominion’s seasonals vary from year to year, but Spring Brew has been this awesome American Double Pils for a few years now and it just got better and better with every new release. What happened? Like I said, this year’s version is OK, but I for one want the old Spring Brew back.

Still, recommended…