While I don't do many of these it's fun to occasionally highlight beer-makers out there doing great work. After examining two regional powerhouses (Dogfish Head and Surly), I'm now working on a few micro-breweries near our home. Early this year I did Olde Mother right here in Frederick, MD. Today I'm doing Adroit Theory across the Potomac.
Quickly, it's funny how often I want to go to Purcellville, a small town in northern Virginia. Seriously, nearly any time we go any distance south I'll request a stop there. The home of only 8000 people, it has the best BBQ I've had anywhere on the east coast (go to Monk's!), a stellar little brewery (the subject today) and a great local distillery too (we haven't actually seen Catoctin Creek but I did write up their whisky). Now, back to the beer.
Adroit Theory proclaims they're all about pushing limits. Looking at the definitions of 'adroit' and 'theory' you could also call them 'nimble thinking' or maybe 'adept experimentation.' After pondering on it a little I'm impressed by the name because they're following through. Every beer comes from small batches and frequently kegs and cans are depleted at the taproom. The changing batch numbers ('Ghost') for the various beers are a prominent part of the naming structure. And they do plenty of out-there styles and variations. Their self-declared focus is on hazy IPAs, fruited sours, pastry stouts, and barrel-aging. All the dark or barrel-aged beers is what made them most interesting initially, though basically everything is remarkable for one reason or another. On our last visit (Father's Day), they had a sour that could've been Kool-Aid. Even if it was far too sweet I'd never had anything like it. At the moment the industrial taproom appears to be under renovation (or maybe it's just Covid related?) and I'm curious what's going on back there, but I can't complain at all about what they're producing.
The brewery also has a very hardcore style that's apparent in everything they do. Even the font used on their webpage and inside the brewery is intimidating (is it Spartan?). I'm frustrated in being unable to find a quality picture (really thought I took one myself) of the long double banner on the taproom wall explaining their philosophy, which is super intense. The vast majority of their beers are high ABV, often over 10%. And many of the beer names and labels are just so metal. Let's grab a few from their current tap list: Now I Am Death, Destroyer of Worlds (Ghost 1039), Heaving Through Corrupted Lungs (Ghost 1012) and Chasing Visions of Our Future (Ghost 1022). These are all hazy IPAs, the other styles aren't usually as over-the-top. Another piece of complete earnestness is the list of specific pairings that accompany most beers they make, including food, cheese, cigar and music. It probably should be said that along with all this absurdity comes a high price, a 4-pack (16oz cans) regularly costs $20 or more. In their case it's usually worth it for a special treat.
Today we're not talking about a wildly metal hazy IPA. Instead I choose a barleywine more tamely called 'Cold Woods (Ghost 1011),' which still fits the brewery well as a strongly flavored and fairly uncommon style. It also provides the side benefit where each beer post covers something different. If I do ever get around to writing up a hazy IPA it'll likely be something actually from New England, the style's origination (Tree House? Maine Beer Co?), because I'm a snob like that.
Barleywines are a type of beer that almost seems closer to a wine. While wine is made from fruit (grapes), beer starts with a grain (barley) and its name developed from the combination. Always high in alcohol (it's technically a type of strong ale), a barleywine is like a highly hopped IPA with maxed out malt. They're dark brown in color and thick, sometimes accurately described as chewy. It's the polar opposite of the currently popular hazy style where IPAs resemble fruit juice. Usually only a seasonal release during the cooler parts of the year, these certainly aren't for everyone.
What's most notable about Cold Woods is that, even for a barleywine, this beer is a beast. It absolutely feels like every bit of its 13% ABV and it took me hours to finish the first one I drank. That may sound bad but in this case it's not, it's just a big outrageously bold beer that's worth your time if you're into that sort of thing. What I'm trying to say is this is indeed a fantastic choice to represent Adroit Theory. They took an already intense style and pushed it to its extreme. I like beers that do that and it's no wonder I'm really into their creations. I also have to admit I like the label with what's got to be a 100-point glowing-eyes mutant buck underneath a skull moon. How do they come up with this stuff?
Cheers!
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