Field Trip: Port City Brewing Company

Hi all,

At the Capitol City Oktoberfest a few weeks ago, I happened to meet Port City's Jason, who is a market manager for the brewery. We got to talking, and he kindly offered to set me up with a tour of the Port City Brewery right downriver in Alexandria, Virginia. I've been to breweries before (like Troegs up in Pennsylvania) but I've never featured one on this blog. So here goes!

Port City Brewing Company occupies an unassuming brick building a mile or so from the King St. metro stop. I took an Uber there and it wasn't more than 10 minutes. 

Inside, they've got a pretty lively tap room with two bar areas, a gift shop, and a growler fill area. They've also got some tables and a fridge set up with Port City offerings (and a chalkboard that says when each batch was bottled!)

A pizza food truck was parked outside, and looks like lots of the patrons inside grabbed a pie from the truck. My friend Andrew, who is visiting from Connecticut, accompanied me. However, we weren't here for the pizza. We had a tour to take!

Dan, one of my contacts at the brewery, met us at the bar  and immediately provided Andrew and I with cold glasses of Port City's Optimal Wit (one of my favorites, and a great hot day beer.) Justin, our bearded cicerone, rang the big silver bell and took a group of 20 of us through the back door, past the beer garden, and into the brewery proper.

Justin began by giving some background on the brewery and the founder, Bill Butcher. He also discussed some basic beer knowledge and talked about how the machinery behind them was made and what each element is for. 

Rose, his colleague (and former resident of Hartford!) passed around some of the malts they use in the brewery. Mmm, crunchy!

All the brewery's equipment has been custom-made and digitally-controlled. Brewers can check the temperature, pressure, and all other statistics from a control panel and can control the flow of ingredients by way of the pipes you see connecting all the vats.

They also made a dry-hopper, called the "Hopzooka." Dry-hopping is the process of adding hops to beer during the fermentation stage or even in the keg itself. Hops are normally added during the boil, but you can let dry hops sit directly into finished beer for up to several weeks. This adds the tangy hops flavor to the beer.

Justin took the group through each stage of the brewing cycle, describing as he went the steps the brewers take. He also put a heavy emphasis on how each step came to be; since the brewery is only a few years old, they've been refining and expanding and adjusting as needed. It was really cool to hear about how a start-up brewery handles initial public demand as well as plans for the future. Meanwhile, Rose came around with a pitcher of some super-fresh Monumental IPA. It can't get much fresher or tastier than this!

Here's Justin talking about the next stage, fermenting. Yep, behind him is three vats, each containing 3780 gallons of beer. The closest one houses some Optimal Wit. On the chalk cards, the brewers would write the music they were listening to at the time the finished the batch. 

Next we moved over to the where the beer is kegged. As Justin was explaining how they fill and haul (heavy) kegs by hand, I leaned up against a door - and it was icy to the touch! That's because it was the door to "the Vault" where they keep all the beer cold. So many kegs! They also have an area outside the cooler where they keep kegs ready for transport. 

They also have a $500,000 Italian-made bottling system, capable of bottling one 12oz bottle of beer per second. They got this system second-hand, from the awesome brewery Southern Tier in Lakewood, NY. Because they were able to get the bottling equipment second-hand, they were able to immediately start to bottle beer right after launching the brewery. It think it's cool they got it from Southern Tier; maybe Pumking was bottled on that line!

The tour finished with a Q&A session; I asked if they planned on bottling beer in any formats other than their usual 12oz bottles (like cans, or 22oz bombers.) Justin said they may in the future, but since doing so would require a new and separate bottling system, it would probably be some time before they got to that point. Can't blame them - at half a million a pop, bottlers do not come cheap!

So the tour concluded, and we made our way back in to the tap room for a tasting. Andrew and I each received 6 tickets gratis, each good for a 2oz taster at the brewery's tap room. Also - as a disclaimer - the dudes at the brewery did waive the entry fee for Andrew and I, which included effectively all the free beer I could drink. But please know that I never accept money or goods in exchange for a positive review on this blog - everything is totally genuine.

Anyways - on to the beer. They had numerous beers on tap, including many I'd never had before. Here's what I ended up having:

Ways and Means

This one is their 4.5% ABV session rye IPA. It was delicious - a bit sour, hoppy, with a faint pine nut taste. It's super fresh and bright and I think I had two of them.

Colossal Two

Scanning the fill menu for my next drink, I came across their 9% ABV "Colossal Two," an imperial smoked porter. Oh yeah! A nice mix of chocolate, chicory, with a sweet roasted taste to it. Very enjoyable, but not sessionable at all - way too intense!

Long Black Veil

Next up is their "Long Black Veil," a 6.8% ABV black IPA. It's dark, sweet, and hoppy - the beer board calls it their "light roast" of beers. Pretty apt! It's a nice beer and very smooth.

Northwest IPA

I ended with a glass of their Northwestern IPA, a 5.3% ABV IPA. It's made specifically for Chef Geoff's restaurants. I enjoyed it - it was crisp, hoppy, and smooth with interesting floral notes. Kinda reminds me of Rogue's Juniper, which was great.

In closing, I had an awesome time at Port City. The folks there are very welcoming, laid back and very friendly, and it's cool to see a brewery up close and personal. They're located on 3950 Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, VA, and are open 7 days a week. I'd also like to extend a big shout-out to Justin, Jason and Dan at Port City for all they do (and for making sure Andrew and I were all set up for a tour!) I'd definitely suggest a trip down there to check it out, and I'll sure be going back with friends. 

Beer Flash - DC Brau's "Penn Quarter Porter"

Enjoyed a delicious glass of Penn Quarter Porter on tap today at Stoney's on P Street, the home of DC's finest grilled cheese.

Field Trip: 2014 Capitol City Oktoberfest in Shirlington

Two Saturdays ago was the annual Capitol City Brewing Co. Oktoberfest, held in Shirlington, VA. Yours truly has been every year he's been in DC, and every time I go I'm exposed to awesome new beers and great food. Like last year, I'm going to give a quick rundown of most of the beers I tried.

Joined by compatriots Jon, Jill, Sonora, and Will, and armed with a water bottle, it was time get started!

Victory Brewing Co. - "Old Horizontal" barleywine (11.00% ABV)

Started the morning off right with a 11.00% ABV barleywine. Nice amber color to it, very little aroma, smooth and a bit sour. Flavor opens up nicely, balanced very well, good deep woody flavors to it. Delicious.

Crooked Run Brewing Co. - "Summer Night" dark raspberry saison (7.5% ABV)

Couldn't resist trying such a unique beer. It's a 7.5% ABV beer made with raspberries in the farmhouse style. It's dark, sweet, and fruity, with an intriguingly-sweet, stout-style finish. It's a great beer to have for dessert - nothing I'd drink session.

Brooklyn Brewing Co. - "Fire & Ice" American porter (7.2% ABV)

Swung by the Brooklyn tent to grab their new "Fire & Ice" smoked American porter. It was dark, not too strong, with notes of chocolate and smoke. I liked it - it wasn't too gimmicky and had a solid taste profile that I enjoyed. I'd be curious to try a pint of this at some point and get deeper into it. 

DC Brau - Oktoberfest marzen (5% ABV)

DC Brau's tent was right next door and so I had to grab their Oktoberfest, which is only available on draft. The beer had a very pleasing orange color, with a cool crisp aroma and full, smooth, hoppy flavor. Not too heavy. DC Brau uses lots of hops in their beers so it was cool to see a super-hoppy Oktoberfest.

The Schlafly Tap Room - Pumpkin Ale (8% ABV)

Next up is Schlafly's famed Pumpkin Ale. Look at that clear red color! Schlafly's pumpkin ale was delicious. It smelled great, with lush pumpkin and allspice flavors. That flavor quickly slid into a warm cinnamon finish. I may investigate a six-pack of this in the future - very delicious. 

Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - "Wookie Jack" American black ale (8.3% ABV)

The Firestone Walker Wookie Jack is dark, deep, and strong with sharp rye flavors. It has tasty roasted malt flavors and chocolate notes and is very drinkable. There's also a Double Jack version, which I may have tried with my extra tickets at the end (towards the end I stopped keeping track.)

Forge Brew Works - Imperial Oatmeal Pumpkin Stout (9.5% ABV)

This beer, made by local brewer Forge, was rather interesting. Like some of the other pumpkin stouts I've had, it had more flavors from the allspice / pumpkin spice end of the spice drawer. There was a whole mix of spices in there, nice and warm and smooth. Deep flavors at the end. I can get into this!

Devil's Backbone Brewing Company - Schwartzbier (4.9% ABV)

Ran past Devil's Backbone for a taste of the schwartzbier, which is German for "black beer." It's a rather-light 4.9% ABV. This, I think, was the most disappointing out of all of them. The taste was sweet but not very flavorful at all. Pretty thin, no real aftertaste. It didn't leave me wanting to try another one.  

DuClaw Brewing Co. - "Sweet Baby Jesus" American porter (6.5% ABV)

Again, another beer that was highly recommended by my beer-sipping comrades. It's DuClaw's chocolate and peanut butter American porter, the "Sweet Baby Jesus." Friends Sonora and Will seemed to really like it, so I had to give it a try. And I did.

Whoa.

Peanut butter! It really tastes like peanut butter. It was rather sweet, and smooth, with definite chocolate / peanut butter flavors mixed in. Nice and smooth on the way down with a warm aftertaste of sweet chocolate flavors. I'm definitely getting this again!

Founder's Brewing Co. - "Breakfast Stout" American double imperial stout (8.3% ABV)

I've heard tell of this beer. It's one of the only beers that scored a perfect 100 on BeerAdvocate, Sonora spoke reverently of it when we scoped out the taps before the place opened.

The beer pour dark, and with a nice khaki-colored head. The beer was smooth, flavorful, and strong, with interesting chicory tastes and a hint of dark chocolate. The flavor was nicely polished with a finish of warm, earthy hops. A great way to round out my beer tasting experience!

Epic Brewing Company / DC Brau - "Fermentation Without Representation" imperial pumpkin porter

Hi all,

Sorry for forgoing last week's post - work obligations, travel outside the DMV, and apartment renovations all prevented me from adhering to my usual schedule. But, that's all over, and since fall is upon us, why not review a really delicious (and timely) beer.

It's DC Brau's collaboration with Epic Brewing Company. This beer, like many other collaborations, is part of the Exponential Series of beers. These are collaborations or special-run beers with interesting ingredients or special seasonal mixes. Of course, for fall, it's pumpkin. Last year I did a pumpkin showdown, which I probably will not repeat this year. There are simply too many pumpkin beers to try. But I'm always on the lookout for new ones, and this definitely caught my eye. I'd heard of it, in the past, and made a mental note to watch for it in the fall. Lo and behold, here it is at Whole Foods for a paltry $7.99.

It's an 8% ABV beer billed as a "porter brewed with pumpkin and spices." This is along the same lines as Red Hook's "Out of Your Gourd" Pumpkin Porter, which was pretty good and very cheap. So I was of course interested to see what new flavors and textures DC Brau and Epic would deliver. Let's dive in.

It's got a nice chocolate brown pour, with a khaki-colored, foamy head that settles quickly...lots of big bubbles in there. It's a dark beer, but it's a porter, so no surprise.

The nose is of pumpkin and chocolate. The taste starts out with some pumpkin flavors, and then slowly blends into a mixture of pumpkin and chocolate that smooths over into some nice roasted nut / malt flavors. There's a lingering aftertaste of spice and chocolate.

I'm pleased with this. It's not Pumking - then again, what is - but it's tasty and sweet. Whereas a lot of beers, Pumking included, are lighter pumpkin ales, this beer takes a different approach for something smokier and darker. In addition to Red Hook's "Out of Your Gourd," this beer reminds me as well of Southern Tier's "Warlock." I'd definitely try it again, and I'd even be curious to see how it ages.

Beer(s) Flash: Trappiste Rochefort and Orval Trappiste

Two fine, delicious beers enjoyed at Cafe Bruges in Carlisle, PA.

 Both are authentic Trappist beers - which means they're brewed in one of 8 recognized breweries run by Cistercian monks. These are great beers - try them if you can!

Chariot Gypsy - 2012 California Red Wine (United States)

For those of you clamoring for me to review a cheap, available, and solid red table wine - your day has come. Today's wine is only $4.99 at Trader Joe's.

It's what's called, uninventively, "red wine." Yes, that's what this is called. Having no idea what exactly this meant, I asked wine merchant and former vintner Charles Bissell, of Charles Fine Wines. He says that "[w]hen a label says simply 'California Red Wine,' it is most likely a blend. It may state on the back label what grape varieties are used, or it may not. This gives the winemakers a ton of leeway into what they decide to put in the bottle. It can be anything and everything.'

Great. And to my chagrin, the back label offered no hint as to the varietals contained within. However, the Internet is a magical thing, and my research has revealed that this "red wine" is comprised of  Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petit Syrah. Sounds like a good blend, the price is right, but let's see how it stacks up to the actual taste test.

The eye is a translucent red, rather thin and clear. All that weird discoloration you see is just the glass, I assure you. The aroma is good - smells a bit sharp, with some definite cherry flavors. Let's hope those carry through to the wine, because I love ripe fruit flavors in wine.

A few careful sips, and then a gulp, confirms this is rather good.

What immediately struck me is the lack of sour, awful, overripe tastes (and accompanying heartburn feelings) that sometimes come with cheap wine. The texture is smooth with nice dark fruit and cherry tastes, as hoped. The finish has a bit of an alcohol bite, but not nearly enough to make it concerning. But on the whole, this wine is straightforward and not too complex and with a remarkable lack of nastiness or objectionable flavors.

So yes, good, cheap wine does exist. This is one of them. I'd recommend this one for an everyday drink; you could also bring this to a friend's for game night or perhaps a pizza party. It's good enough to serve without averting your eyes in shame, but cheap enough to drink in quantity. It's readily available, so grab a bottle and enjoy.