DC/MD/NoVA Beer Updates (2018)

Anybody heading to the Salt Line for Oyster Wars today? They posted the beer list on Instagram and it's sick. It's sold out, FYI, just wondering if any BAs will be there.

 

Tons of surly stuff at Total Wine stores, including 2016 Darkness, Todd the Axeman, and Furious.

 

Total Wine where? Virginia or DC?

 

Definitely not in DC.

 

Didn't they send 2 month old IPAs? lol pass

 

Ah, damn. Can someone verify this? Was gonna swing out to Ballston to pick some up some Furious, but...

 

There is no TW in DC.

 

Well then. That would definitely lower the chances that they have Surly.

 

Someone posted that Todd was dated 8/7 in this thread.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/surly-shows-up-tw-locations-in-richmond-va.589371/

This also highlights the fact that Virginia, especially NoVA, is a Mi-Atlantic state and not a South Atlantic.

 

Just opened a Todd the Axe Man today and it was phenomenal, canned 8/7. The Furious cans were canned almost a month later.

 

Glad to hear it. I wouldn't pay $16 for Todd that old, but that's just me. How is the carbonation? I remember that beer being pretty flat.

 

Carbonation seemed normal to me. Honestly if someone gave me a glass and told me it was canned yesterday I would’ve believed them.

 

For what it's worth, Surly Abrasive was a top 5 IPA for me when I had it about a year ago, canned just a couple weeks out. I tried the Todd this week and I thought it was good but I could definitely believe it was almost 2 months old. Furious was even less impressive. Glad I only got a couple cans of each.

I would be eager to try fresher cans if they come back around, but the dumb part is that if they don't make a big splash the first time they come to town, it's less likely they'd return. That's why I'm always confused when brewers don't send their freshest, best first impressions to a new market. It's like when we got Sip of Sunshine last year after even Sean Lawson admitted that the hop harvest had been poor that season and SoS wasn't showing it's best self. Several friends tried it for the first time then and called it overrated. Oh well.

 

Just had one, and I don’t know if it’s how my palate has changed (I used to love Furious, but haven’t had one in a long time) or the age on these (dated Aug 23), but I just had a can and it came across as a MALT BOMB.

 

That beer was always a bit malty IMO

 

Maybe less the age and more a lack of refrigeration? Six-week-old Furious should be fine.

 

My son got me a 750-ml 2016 Surly Darkness ($19.99) from the Chantilly, VA Total Wine store last night. I think I'll keep him in my will. ;-)

 

Now that's a beer that lived up to expectations! Strongly recommend pouring about 20-30 mins before drinking, or at least sip slowly. It opens up a lot.

 

What's up with Born Yesterday? Anybody seen any around NoVA?

 

Should be here Monday or Tuesday