Back in June I did a brief western Loudoun County brew tour. I started out about as far west as you can go in Loudoun at Dirt Farm Brewing Company . I will be honest this is probably one of the nicest breweries I have been to. The whole facility is stone and bare wood, with a picture perfect patio that overlooks the mountains. I'm pretty sure I could have stayed there all day and just relaxed. I just might go back and do that. At the time that I went they were doing only soft openings and had three beers on tap. The first was a tart cherry beer called Tart 31, with a 5.9% ABV and only 17 IBU's. It was a beautiful dark red with real deep strong cherry flavor, and I don't mean like candy cherry, real cherry. After that I had Scott, which is a brown ale with a 5.6% ABV and 35 IBU's. I really enjoyed this one with its great earthy flavor. Lastly was their Session IPA called Work. It's only 4.7% ABV but 43 IBU's. I am not a huge of fan of hoppy beers but this one went down nice and smooth. I would suggest getting to this brewery if you have the time. I know I will be returning.
Next we traveled east to the town of Purcelville(we didn't make it any further). This is home to Adroit Theory , Monk's BBQ and our final stop Belly Love Brewing.
We stopped at Adroit Theory to grab a flight and see what they were all about. Adroit has an interesting industrial look and feel about it, it's a great atmosphere, if you are into that kind of stuff. I tried four of the many beers that they had on tap. White Noise, which is a White IPA with 7.8% ABV and 71 IBU's. This is a strong and great beer. IBU's are a little out of my comfort zone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next was the Imagination Atrophy which is their milk stout at 7% ABV and obviously a low IBU of 20. A very nice dark delicious beer. Next was their Gojira, which is their bourbon barrel aged stout at a whopping 11% ABV and 54 IBU's. This one packed quite the punch. I think I remember drinking it. Lastly I tried another IPA called Road to El Dorado. This had an ABV of 9.1% and an off the chart IBU rating of 126. I suggest you try this one for yourself! If you are looking for some really interesting beers and a real metal/industrial feel, this place is for you.
After having the high ABV content of the latest beers, we made our way, safely( we had a DD) to Monk's BBQ to get some food in our systems. For lunch I decided to get some of the most tender ribs I've had, with baked beans and probably the best macaroni and cheese I have ever taseted. The mac and cheese is made with smoked Gouda and shells. The Gouda makes it so creamy and delicious. If you have the opportunity please, please, please eat here.
The last place we stopped was Belly Love Brewing. Another very modern on the inside look and they had couches to sit on. That was nice. I was unaware before going to Belly Love that they also serve food. Unfortunately I was too full from Monk's to try anything, but their menu had a lot of things I wanted to try. As for beer they have a great variety to choose from. I started with the Narcissist which is a nice golden lager with a 5.4% ABV and only 20 IBU's. This was a very light and refreshing beer. It was nice on such a hot day. Next I went dark with the Eye of Jupiter which is their oatmeal stout. It has a ABV of 6.2% and 34. 2 IBU's. This was a great creamy, hints of coffee stout. Lastly was the 50 Shades of Gold, which a strong Beligan Golden. It has a ABV of 9.2% and IBU of 29, so this goes down quickly. Be careful though, it could catch you by surprise.
Remember all these places change their beer menu's pretty often. That's why I suggest you make your own trips and try as much as you like. Please make sure to follow all them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on their current beer selections. I have also linked all of their websites above.
Adroit Theory:
Belly Love Brewing:
Dirt Farm Brewing:
Monk's BBQ:
I spent the day in Fredericksburg last weekend visiting some old friends and some new. Stay tuned for that coming up soon.
As Always, Drink Up and Eat Well!!
