The 10 Best DC-Area Beers?

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by starrdogg, Aug 27, 2015.

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  1. starrdogg

    starrdogg Initiate (0) Jun 21, 2010 District of Columbia

    I was thinking about this today, and we might finally be to the point where we can put out a list of 10 local beers and not have a bad beer on it. I'm arbitrarily confining the area to DC/Baltimore and the suburbs, but specifically excluding Richmond, Charlottesville and the Eastern Shore area (so no Hardywood, Devils Backbone, Evolution, etc.). Here are my top 10:
    1. Ocelot Home* - This is the first truly world class IPA to come out of the DC area, an incredibly flavorful, drinkable beer that could stand up alongside some of the world's best hoppy beers from Hill Farmstead and Alpine.
    2. Union 3rd Stone Apricot Sour - This is the best sour beer to come out of the area and it's not particularly close. Amazingly, it's not even barrel-aged! It's essentially a beefed-up Old Pro Gose without the salt and with a ton of apricot puree. Really impressive, and apparently the first of many fruit sours for Union.
    3. Right Proper Diamonds Fur Coat Champagne - An amazing, unique berliner weisse. Probably the best beer I've had from these guys (and that's saying something, as they'd make up maybe half of this list if I continued it to 20).
    4. DC Brau Solar Abyss - Given the batch-to-batch inconsistency of OTWOA, I'm giving Solar Abyss the edge here, especially with how wonderful the last batch was. I wish they'd make this more often!
    5. Union Double Duckpin - This beer has gotten better and better with each batch, and the newest one might be the best yet. It's still perhaps the area's best kept secret.
    6. Right Proper Biere de Mars (Batch 1) - The first batch of this was a perfect blend of brett and hops. The 2nd one didn't quite repeat the magical formula, sadly.
    7. DC Brau on the Wings of Armageddon - The best batches would come in near the top of this list, but inconsistency bring it down.
    8. Mad Fox Orange Whip - Maybe I'm biased because I had a keg of this at my wedding, but this oldie is still a goodie!
    9. Mad Fox Batch 100 - This remains the best local barrel-aged beer I've had to date.
    10. Bluejacket Forbidden Planet - My favorite beer from these guys, a hop forward kolsch that's both flavorful and refreshing.
     
    #1 starrdogg, Aug 27, 2015
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  2. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Kind of hard to nail down what is the area exactly since it encompases so much, particularly in distribution for what is available.. and even things that are close such as Baltimore...

    Would have to think about what my favorites are... tough one...
     
    #2 Smakawhat, Aug 27, 2015
  3. RKP1967

    RKP1967 Savant (1,150) Sep 26, 2010 Virginia

    I've had some on your list and some I haven't. I won't dispute any of them. I also quite liked Bluejacket
    Rheinard De Vos.
     
    #3 RKP1967, Aug 27, 2015
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  4. LanguedocRocks

    LanguedocRocks Zealot (702) Aug 21, 2014 Virginia
    Trader

    I can definitely agree with the #1 on your list. Ocelot Home is just fantastic. I'd even add Truth or Consequence to that list. Those two beers are better than a majority of all the other local IPA's out there.

    I really liked The Funk (Mad Fox). I'm not a huge fan of their stuff, but that one surprised me.
     
    #4 LanguedocRocks, Aug 27, 2015
  5. siege06nd

    siege06nd Pooh-Bah (2,027) Dec 29, 2009 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    Ocelot has been killing it, but I was surprised to see how Home* took off with praise. I had it at the brewery when it debuted and it was good but didn't consider it noteworthy. Now I'm hoping I get the chance to try it again!

    For my money, the 10 best in no particular order:

    (1) Orange Whip
    (2) DC Brau OTWOA
    (3) Right Proper Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne
    (4) Right Proper Kick, Kick, Snare
    (5) Lost Rhino Exesus Sanctum (Peach Sour) - best sour in the area IMO
    (6) Union Old Pro Gose - all day, all night, all year.
    (7) Bluejacket Lost Weekend
    (8) Ocelot Fading Beauty
    (9) Union Double Duckpin
    (10) Mad Fox Dingo IPA
     
    #5 siege06nd, Aug 27, 2015
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  6. jcos

    jcos Pundit (802) Nov 23, 2009 Maryland

    Any list without DC Brau Solar Abyss is invalidated.

    Union Old Pro Gose is quite good too. Haven't had the opportunity to try anything from Ocelot yet. Where have you gone?
     
    #6 jcos, Aug 27, 2015
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  7. starrdogg

    starrdogg Initiate (0) Jun 21, 2010 District of Columbia

    Old Pro Gose probably deserves to make the list too, but I felt like I might be going overboard with Union beers if I included it. I heard great things about the Lost Rhino peach sour, but never got to try it. Their blackberry sour was good but not great.
     
    #7 starrdogg, Aug 27, 2015
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  8. siege06nd

    siege06nd Pooh-Bah (2,027) Dec 29, 2009 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    Forgot about Monocacy Brewtus. That's a heckuva beer.
     
    #8 siege06nd, Aug 28, 2015
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  9. PComninaki

    PComninaki Aspirant (201) Jul 31, 2010 Virginia

    haven't heard anyone talk about RAR. I see it on several draught lists in DC. What says you?
     
    #9 PComninaki, Aug 28, 2015
  10. nimbleprop

    nimbleprop Initiate (0) Apr 4, 2008 District of Columbia

    In terms of consistency and value, hard to argue with this.

    For Right Proper, Biere de Mars Batch 1 was sick, but my favorite of theirs has been Kodachrome. But this is like debating favorite pizza toppings: everyone can be right.

    No 3 Stars on anyone's list?
     
    #10 nimbleprop, Aug 28, 2015
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  11. schteve

    schteve Pundit (884) Sep 10, 2003 New Jersey

    I'm not from the area, so I haven't had many of the ones on the lists, but I was wondering this, too. I visited in June and, while the beers from the Tasting Room/Homebrew Store were OK, they had some very good to great beers available in the main tap room. Peppercorn Saison, Above the Clouds and Cognitive Dissonance were all great to me. One could surely make a local top ten. Maybe if you pulled back the radius a bit…:wink:
     
    #11 schteve, Aug 28, 2015
  12. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I've had some alright beers on tap from them from time to time, but I've also been burned by flat bottles from purchasing.

    In general I haven't really gotten excited or really wowed by something here that I've had. Some very good things, but nothing that makes me really spend the hours days months years thinking... boy I can't wait to have that again... otherwise I'd be all over it...

    I can think of maybe one beer that's now retired Yonder Cities (DC Brau - Union collab) and that's about it. So they stopped making that to just probably torture me no doubt. Perhaps Two Hemispheres comes close as well from Mad Fox.

    All depends on what I am in the mood for as well.
     
    #12 Smakawhat, Aug 28, 2015
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  13. siege06nd

    siege06nd Pooh-Bah (2,027) Dec 29, 2009 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    Ahhhhh...good pull on Yonder Cities. That was an excellent beer. I wish they'd can THAT.

    Two Hemispheres is also darn good.
     
    #13 siege06nd, Aug 28, 2015
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  14. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I just don't get crazy excited about IPAs, there's just too many good ones out there, but everyone makes them and yes we make some very good ones here too...

    That Yonder Cities though was something ridiculously special and unique... I still think about that beer to this day it just kills me that it's not around...
     
    #14 Smakawhat, Aug 28, 2015
  15. stickboy1125

    stickboy1125 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2012 Virginia

    Draft only or is this packaged?
     
    #15 stickboy1125, Aug 28, 2015
  16. PuppyClawz

    PuppyClawz Initiate (0) Nov 22, 2014 Maryland

    Just had the Union 3rd Stone last night at the taproom. Absolutely amazing.

    Draft only as far as I know. They brewed it for their 3rd anniversary.
     
    #16 PuppyClawz, Aug 28, 2015
  17. jacewg

    jacewg Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2012 District of Columbia

    Wonderful topic and I agree with a good portion of your list. So happy to see Mad Fox Batch 100 on there. I think that beer can stand up to any BA Stout I've ever had.

    I have a bottle of Lost Rhino Exes Sanctum I can give you that was just bottled Wednesday (Thanks Favio!). But it will need some time to condition before drinking.

    I do agree with others on Yonder Cities and Two Hemispheres.

    Other beers to consider:

    Right Proper Peche Gnosis and Kick Kick Snare
    Oliver Barrel-Aged Hot Monkey Love
    Monocacy Brewtus (and barrel-aged Brewtus, but only one keg has made it to DC)
    Flying Dog The Truth/BA Gonzo
    District Chophouse Barrel-Aged Stout (a 13% version they make once a year. Mind-blowing)
    The first batch of Bluejacket A Little Golden Gem (and Willow)

    A bunch of others I'm forgetting.
     
    #17 jacewg, Aug 28, 2015
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  18. siege06nd

    siege06nd Pooh-Bah (2,027) Dec 29, 2009 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    I thought I heard a rumor they were going to revisit the peach sour. As far as I'm concerned, they should just become a full time wild ale brewer. The blackberry sour, though not quite as good as the peach, was still very strong.
     
    #18 siege06nd, Aug 28, 2015
  19. jacewg

    jacewg Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2012 District of Columbia

    Had a sour/funky brown called Alphabrett while I was there that was phenomenal. The barrel collection they're amassing is staggering and awesome.

    Also had a Virginia wet-hop Cascade pale from the tanks that was great.
     
    #19 jacewg, Aug 28, 2015
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  20. siege06nd

    siege06nd Pooh-Bah (2,027) Dec 29, 2009 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah

    Having recently moved to Purcellville, I am happy to hear that Lost Rhino is upping their game. Not too many options out here, though Ocelot and Belly Love have been sustaining me.
     
    #20 siege06nd, Aug 28, 2015
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