Tag Archives: Starr Hill

Hardywood & Starr Hill Collaboration Amped Up Ale Only At Fall Line Fest This Weekend

Fall Line Fest Amped Up AleFall Line Fest rolls back into town Friday and Saturday nights with 50+ bands at six local venues turning the weekend into musical insanity.  You’re going, right? I had a blast last year.  Head over to RVA Playlist’s Fall Line Fest Beginners Guide to get started.  I’m working on my schedule as I type this — so many choices!

Building on the success of last year’s exclusive Fall Line Fest ale from Hardywood, organizers have raised the bar by teaming with Hardywood and Starr Hill breweries to collaborate on this year’s beer.  Aptly named by RVA’s own Page Hayes, “Fall Line Fest Amped Up Ale” is a Farmhouse ale, dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace and Mandarina Bavaria hops and spiced with fresh local ginger. I’m hearing from multiple sources that it is quite delicious. The beer debuted for a short time in Starr Hill’s taproom but will be served exclusively at Fall Line Fest venues as well as key accounts involved with the festival.

Hardywood’s head brewer, Brian Nelson, had this to say about the beer:

I think for us, collaborating with Starr Hill was probably long overdue. When the idea was proposed to create a beer together for Fall Line Fest, you could see and hear the excitement building as we all discussed what was possible…In the end, I think we captured the brewing styles and concepts of both breweries in the Fall Line Fest Amped Up Ale. Cheers to Robbie O’Cain and the Starr Hill crew for helping to make this beer excellent—the only thing left to do now is bring on the music!

Robbie O’Cain, Starr Hill’s Manager of Brewery Operations, relayed:

It is always great to work with Virginia brewers, especially when it involves new ingredients and new processes. One of the great things about the industry, especially in Virginia, is that we share ideas and process knowledge while maintaining our own unique way of doing things…Brian Nelson and the brewing team at Hardywood did a great job with the pilot batch, which allowed us to hone in on the final recipe. We are excited to present this beer in collaboration with our good friends at Hardywood, and we hope Fall Line Fest patrons will enjoy this brew while listening to some awesome music.

Get you tickets here, drink the beer, and have an awesome time!

Starr Hill Brew Ridge Trail Collaboration Tapping at Capital Ale House Today

Starr Hill logoFrom Taste the Local:

Thirsty Thursday in effect at all three Capital Ale House locations. They will be tapping the only kegs in RVA of this year’s Brew Ridge Trail collaboration beer. Mark Thompson will be at the Midlo location at 7pm. Booyah!

This year’s BRT, brewed at Starr Hill, is an 8.8% abv, 85 IBU DIPA packed with Apollo, Simcoe, Columbus, & Motueka hops in the kettle and then dry hopped with Centennial, Mosaic, Simcoe, & Falconer’s Flight. Holy Hops, Batman!

Head over to the Facebook event for more information.

Starr Hill Grateful Pale Ale Makes Richmond Debut Tonight at The Camel

Seeing as music and Starr Hill go hand in hand, it only makes sense that they would choose The Camel for the Richmond debut of their new summer seasonal, Grateful Pale Ale, tonight April 24th at at 8pm.

Grateful Pale Ale creates a fresh spin on the American Pale Ale tradition. A strong citrusy, resinous aroma from the hops leads into a light body with subtle malt flavor. Grateful is a sessionable brew at 4.7% abv.

Don’t worry if pale ales are not your thing.  The Camel will have plenty of other Starr Hill beers including:

Grateful Pale Ale
Bourbon Barrel Cryptical Imperial Stout
Starr Saison
Little Red RooStarr Coffee Cream Stout
Northern Lights IPA
Double Platinum Imperial IPA

So head on out and try this new beer and enjoy music provided by Love Canon.  Check out the Facebook event for more information.

Bourbon Your Saturday With Hardywood And Starr Hill

Bourbon Weekend 030213Looking for bourbon barrel aged stouts this Saturday March 2nd? Here are two ways to get your fix.

Hardywood Bourbon Sidamo Release

Hardywood celebrates the release of their barrel aged Sidamo Coffee Stout with a bottle-only sale in the morning followed by tasting room opening for bottles, draft, and food vendors at 2pm.   and an acoustic evening of Exebelle and the Rusted Cavalcade!

Hardywood will be open 10AM – Noon Saturday morning for a pre-sale event for bottles and merchandise.  If you’re looking to skip the lines before tasting room hours start at 2PM, this is when you want  to be at the brewery.

Tasting room hours will be open from 2 – 9PM with Bourbon Sidamo Coffee Stout available in half or full pints with most likely a special randall.  Exebelle and the Rusted Cavalcade will play acoustic sets starting at 5:30pm.

Food vendors for the night will be Monique’s Crepes, Estes BarBQue, and Station 2.

Head over to the Facebook event for more information.

Starr Hill ROCK MS Bourbon Barrel Cryptical Release

First off, thanks to  Screens N Suds for making me aware of this event

Take the scenic drive up to Starr Hill in Crozet, VA as they kick off their month-long celebration of ROCK MS.  They will be having a special tapping of their rare Bourbon Barrel Cryptical Imperial Stout in their tasting room.

While bottles will be made available at a later date, tastings, pints and growler fills will be available. Sign up to stake your claim for special Bourbon Barrel Cryptical bottles from their super limited run of this extremely rare brew.

Local food truck favorites Delicious George and The Lunchbox will be serving grub. If you have what it takes you compete in a fierce corn hole tournament for VIP tickets to ROCK MS, Starr Hill merchandise  and more. Come for the afternoon to sample and sip on this limited-edition extraordinary brew.

This Saturday marks the first of many community events surrounding Starr Hill’s  fundraising efforts for the National MS Society Blue Ridge Chapter and the James Q. Miller MS Clinic at UVA. The main event, ROCK MS will be held at the Jefferson Theater on Saturday, April 13th featuring the soul legend Charles Bradley.

To donate directly to Walk MS, click here: http://bit.ly/WGFkwp

To purchase tickets to ROCK MS featuring Charles Bradley, click here: http://www.jeffersontheater.com/rock-ms

Head over to the Facebook event for more information.

Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin at On The Rox

I didn’t know it was already time for this but I received a tip last  night that On The Rox will tap Starr Hill’s Boxcar Pumpkin Porter tonight August  29th at 6pm.

Grab a bite at On The Rox early during their half off happy hour from 3 – 6pm then stay some pumpkin. 

While perusing their Facebook page this morning, I saw Starr Hill’s Brewmaster Mark Thompson was riding around Richmond last night.  If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll stop into The Rox. 

UPDATE: Apparently, I was right abot Mark Thompson still being in town.  He will be talking up the pumpkin porter at Station 2 according to their tweet.

 

 

Thoughts for Next Year’s VA Cask Festival

I attended the first Virginia Cask Festival this past Saturday, April 21st.  Arriving a bit late, the crowd was noticeably thin but buzzing excitement.  Everyone in the room was there for beer. I started out light with Devils Backbone’s Wit Bier then dived head first into Hardywood’s Bourbon Cru.  By all accounts, Hardywood’s Cru was a crowd favorite.  In addition to the Cru, Mad Fox’s Wee Heavy and Williamsburg Alewerk’s Choca-Latte were a malt lovers dream in a room of IPAs. I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Madden of Mad Fox for the first time and thanked him for bringing one of my personal favorites from the Falls Church brewery.  I will say the only beer I was disappointed with was O’Connor’s Great Dismal Black IPA.  Normally, a favorite of mine, something about the addition of coffee did not work for me.  On the other hand, I found Starr Hill’s Double Platinum quite enjoyable and balanced as it is normally too hoppy for me.

Turning thoughts to next year’s festival, there are a couple items that I think would make next year’s festival even better.

More Breweries

With only eleven breweries in attendance, it may have been difficult for people to justify the price of admission.  The festival was a fundraiser for the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild; breweries who were not guild members were rightfully not allowed to participate. So in order to grow the festival, more Virginia breweries need to join the guild.  VCBG has done a great job promoting craft beer in Virginia, most notably the passing of SB 604 which will allow breweries(member or not) to sell pints without having to server  food.

Location

If we are able to increase the number of breweries at the festival, it would most likely necessitate a larger venue. Capital Ale House’s Music Hall was the perfect size for this years festival but add another five or ten breweries in the mix and the room could feel cramped.  I think Kanawha Plaza would be a nice step up from the Music Hall plus Richmond loves an outdoor festival.

How can you help? Next time you visit a Virginia brewery ask if they are VCBG members.  If they say no, ask them why not.  If they say yes, thank them for making great beer here at home.

Virginia Cask Ale Festival Picks

Heading out to the inaugural Tap into Virginia Cask Festival today, Saturday, April 21st, at the Downtown Capital Ale House Music Hall. Here are my personal first six picks:

  • Hardywood Park Craft Brewery — Bourbon Barrel Quad Yes you could wait to get it next weekend but why wait?!
  • Mad Fox Brewing  — Wee Heavy Scotch AleNot available in Richmond; you’d have to drive up to NoVA to have anymore of their great beers.
  • Devils Backbone Brewing — 1)Wit Bier – 4.5% ABV, 15 IBU  Belgian-style witbier that is hazy straw in color, light in body, with a refreshing fruity spicy finish. Spiced with coriander, orange peel, szechuan peppercorn, and brewed with an aromatic Belgian yeast strain to create a complex yet delicate wheat ale.  2) White Stag IPA – 7.0% ABV, 50 IBU’s.  A wheat IPA that blends aspects of American IPA’s, British IPA’s, and wheat ales . Brewed with 4 types of malted & un-malted wheat, kettle hopped with both American and English hops, and dry hopped with East Kent Goldings to create a beer that’s uniquely its own. Choose between two Devils Backbone beers? Not going to happen.
  • O’Connor Brewing — Great Dismal Black IPA –  infused with “Old Havana Cuban Coffee Blend” from Virginia Espresso in Norfolk, chocolate and vanilla bean.  ABV- 8%. A personal favorite so of course it’s here.
  • Wild Wolf Brewing — Tom Tom Founders Festival Ale — White IPA with extreme citrus and tropical hop notes added to the flavor of a traditional belgian wit, dry hopped with a pound of cascade. The brew used more than 60 pounds of local VA wildflower honey.  70IBU 5.5% ABV White IPAs are a very new style so I’m looking forward to trying this one from another Nelson county brewery. 

Have fun out there!

Thirteen Real Ales to be Tapped for Inaugural Virginia Cask Festival

Tomorrow, Friday April 20th, is the last day you can buy advance tickets to the inaugural Tap into Virginia Cask Festival.  The festival will be held at the Downtown Capital Ale House Music Hall for two sessions on Saturday, April 21st.

If you’re still on the fence about attending this Saturday, maybe this complete list of thirteen casks of real ale from eleven Virginia breweries will change your mind:

  • Legend Brewing — Golden IPA (dry hopped with Citra hops and aged with French oak chips)
  • Hardywood Park Craft Brewery — Bourbon Barrel Quad & Hoplar
  • Starr Hill Brewing — Double Platinum – dry hopped with Centennial hops
  • Mad Fox Brewing  — Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
  • Port City Brewing  — Monumental IPA
  • Lost Rhino Brewing — Face Plant IPA
  • Devils Backbone Brewing — 1) Wit Bier – 4.5% ABV, 15 IBU  Belgian-style witbier that is hazy straw in color, light in body, with a refreshing fruity spicy finish. Spiced with coriander, orange peel, szechuan peppercorn, and brewed with an aromatic Belgian yeast strain to create a complex yet delicate wheat ale.  2) White Stag IPA – 7.0% ABV, 50 IBU’s.  A wheat IPA that blends aspects of American IPA’s, British IPA’s, and wheat ales . Brewed with 4 types of malted & un-malted wheat, kettle hopped with both American and English hops, and dry hopped with East Kent Goldings to create a beer that’s uniquely its own.
  • Williamsburg Alewerks — Choco-Latte (Double Coffee Stout infused with Dutch chocolate and vanilla bean)
  • O’Connor Brewing — Great Dismal Black IPA –  infused with “Old Havana Cuban Coffee Blend” from Virginia Espresso in Norfolk, chocolate and vanilla bean.  ABV- 8%.
  • Wild Wolf Brewing — Tom Tom Founders Festival Ale — White IPA with extreme citrus and tropical hop notes added to the flavor of a traditional belgian wit, dry hopped with a pound of cascade. The brew used more than 60 pounds of local VA wildflower honey.  70IBU 5.5% ABV
  • St. George Brewing — Imperial Pale Ale – 10% ABV English style pale ale with 100% UK Fuggles and dry hopped with  UK Fuggles.

Remember, real ale is truly beer in its most natural delicious state. All proceeds from the festival go to support the work of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild.  What are you waiting for?  Get your tickets to the afternoon (noon – 4pm) or evening (6 – 10pm) session. Head over to the festival website or Facebook event for further updates.

Capital Ale House
623 E Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-780-2537

Richmond, Get Ready for Real Ale!

How fresh do you like your beer? If the answer is REAL fresh, then get ready for real ale Richmond!  The Tap into Virginia Cask Festival will be the first cask festival to happen in Richmond and most likely Virginia as well.  The festival will be held at the downtown Capital Ale House Music Hall for two sessions on Saturday, April 21st.

Not familiar with cask or real ale? There are three main points when talking about real ale:

  • Top-fermented beer that completes its secondary fermentation in the container from which it is served
  • Served at cellar temperatures and often dry-hopped
  • Not filtered or pasteurized

The festival will feature casks of real ale from eleven Virginia breweries:

Legend Brewing
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Starr Hill Brewing
Mad Fox Brewing
Port City Brewing
Lost Rhino Brewing
Devils Backbone Brewing
Williamsburg Alewerks
O’Connor Brewing
Wild Wolf Brewing
St. George Brewing

I am very interested in seeing what Mad Fox Brewing will have to offer. Here are three casks that have been confirmed:

  • Starr Hill — Double Platinum IPA dry-hopped with Centennial hops
  • O’Connor — Great Dismal Black IPA — Infused with “Old Havana Cuban Coffee Blend” from Virginia Espresso in Norfolk, as well as chocolate and vanilla bean.
  • Devils Backbone — White Stag IPA. A wheat IPA that blends aspects of American IPA’s, British IPA’s, and wheat ales. Brewed with 4 types of malted & un-malted wheat, kettle hopped with both American and English hops, and dry hopped with East Kent Goldings to create a beer that’s uniquely its own.

Remember, real ale is truly beer in its most natural delicious state. All proceeds from the festival go to support the work of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild.  So go ahead and get your tickets to the afternoon (noon – 4pm) or evening (6 – 10pm) session. Head over to the festival website or Facebook event for further updates.

Capital Ale House
623 E Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-780-2537

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