Review of WV Microbrews

This is the first of several beer reviews. I will typically cover microbrew beers or beers from across the ocean. Look for a post in the coming weeks, asking for beer/bar reviews by guest contributors.

 

This past weekend, I went on a skiing trip with a group of guys to West Virginia. I looked forward to this trip, not only because of the great snow base and forecasted weather, but there were a couple microbreweries that we planned to visit. We actually booked a room at a lodge beside one of the brewpubs, Blackwater Brewing Company. Our trip to West Virginia took longer than expected, due to the weather, so we were definitely ready to try some beer. Part of the group grabbed a table at Blackwater and had some beer ready for us when we arrived. My first glass was Parsons Porter. It had a good dark brown color from the roasted malt, but the flavor was a little weak. My next glass was the Blackwater IPA. I am a huge fan of pale ales so I thought this was a good choice. Again, the beer had good color, but the flavor was not as strong as I had hoped. I love hops, so I tend to prefer an IPA with a strong hop presence that creates a bitter taste and aromatic experience. Overall I was a bit disappointed with the beer. I commend the fact that this establishment is open in the small town of Davis, providing people with something other than Budweiser. I think they just need to tweak their recipes to add a little flavor. I also wonder how fresh the beer is, considering the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to visit Mountain State Brewing Company, in nearby Thomas, West Virginia.

On Sunday we did some cross country skiing at White Grass in Davis, West Virginia. It was a lot of fun, although my lack of experience showed as I stumbled a few times. We finished in the early afternoon and determined we would hit a restaurant on the way back. One of the guys, Mike, a fellow homebrewer, knew the area and recommended CJ Maggie's because they stock West Virginia Brewing Company (website unknown) beer. We grabbed dinner at the Buckhannon location. After a day out in the cold, I enjoyed a burger, fries and an Appalachian Ale. It was a decent brown ale that went down easy. There were hints of nut, but the beer was thin and didn't really coat the tongue. I would like to visit the brewpub in Morgantown to try their other varieties.