I could only shake my head and smile last year while watching the 2010 Great American Beer Fest awards and hearing Devil,s Backbone win award after award. Jason Oliver and team continue to build upon that success and last year announced plans to build a new production facility. Its only a matter of time before Devi’s Backbone explodes in popularity  but the importance of slow and steady growth cannot be overstated.  Don’t miss this chance to enjoy Devil’s Backbone and certainly get out to their brewpub this summer for some super fresh seasonals.

Location: Roseland, VA

Type: Production brewery/brewpub

Available in DC Market: No

Beer #1: Vienna Lager (4.9%)

Sponsorship

Beer Advocate: A- (8 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 50 Overall, 89 Style

Notes: This is a nice and easy drinking lager, which is something of a lost art these days. Notes of caramel and slight bitterness are accented with a nice base of roasted malt. This one is a great session lager that is a perfect example of Jason Oliver’s approach to packing flavor into beers, even at a lower gravity. As my favorite Jason Oliver quote goes, “Intensity of flavor does not equal quality of flavor.” I need this printed on a t-shirt.

Beer #2: Azrael  (Belgian Style Strong Pale Ale / 7.8 %)

Beer Advocate: B+ (5 Reviews)
Rate Beer: N/A

Notes: What a great style of beer for the summer months. A nice clean Belgian pale with plenty of the fruit and esters that Belgians are known for. This golden colored pale ale comes through with a  slight bit of sweetness, low carbonation, and a few hints of spice. This beer is being paired with cherry peppers stuffed with goat cheese and toasted pine nuts — perhaps one of the best pairings at this year’s event.

Hopefully with the additional production capacity and new facility, Devils Backbone will able to get its beers to our market for more than the occasional beer tasting. These beers have been too good for too long, and it would be a shame to see them remain outside our reach.

This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2011 SAVOR participants.

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