Beerneuring Freezing Saddles Side Bet is Back!

[Sunyata]

The third stop was Denizens in Silver Spring. I had actually never even heard of this brewery, but was pleasantly surprised that the uphill battle was worth it. I had the cask Lowest Lord, which was an ESB. The cask aging really brought out the bitterness. It was pretty good. I wish I had also gotten the Rye IPA, but I have a feeling I will head back up there soon to get more fried dough and beer.

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[Sunyata]

The next stop was 3 Stars, but I just had tiny tasters. All four were great (Peppercorn Saison, Nectar of the Bogs, Ghost White IPA, Courting the Squall). Their oatmeal stout (Courting the Squall) was REALLY good. I will probably go back and get a full size of that one and actually count it.

The fourth stop was Hellbender. They were pretty packed, but reminded me a lot of Corcoran out in Loudoun. There, I had their Dunkelweisse, which was a pretty standard Dunkel. It was good with a nice malty base, but nothing to write home about. I did appreciate the pickle lizard though…
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[Sunyata]

The next stop was the other Right Proper Brewing. I had the White Bicycles after a fairly lengthy wait for the bartender to free up to take our order. They were also pretty packed.

The White Bicycles was a lime witbier and was quite refreshing. By this time, the sun had come out and it was a balmy 28 degrees. A little tropical wit was just what I needed. :p Although, the beer was a bit hoppy to be what I would consider a true witbier, it was tasty nonetheless.

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As with the first Right Proper, the murals on the wall were pretty amazing. This one had a bit more sinister feel, as all the animals had turned on the humans. It was awesome.

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[Sunyata]

The next stop was The Public Option. I LOVED this place. It was a hole in the wall brewery with games and adorable salt and pepper shakers. And a dragon in the bathroom!

The beer was the Cream Ale on suggestion from pdubs and ctankcycles. It was nice and light, but seemed to have a bit of a lager finish.

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[Sunyata]

The last DC brewery that we made it to (Bardo was on the list, but they were not open) was Atlas Brew Works. This was definitely the most commercialized brewery that we visited all day. The huge tasting room was packed. I had the Dance of Days, which as much as I hate to admit it, was the best beer I had all day. It was quite hoppy for a wheat beer and had a nice crisp, almost fruity finish.

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There was a group next to us that had this pretty awesome picture printed out from their wedding a few months prior… We decided to steal it for a moment.
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[Sunyata]

The last stop of the day was back in Shirlington at New District Brewing, where we by chance met up with some cycling friends and most of our SO’s showed up to drag our drunk selves home.

Here, I had a Potomac Paddleboarded, which was their Blonde Ale. By NDB’s track record, this was actually a good beer. It was crisp with just the right amount of hoppiness to give it a bold, not watered down taste. I have historically not been a big fan of New District’s beer, as with the exception of the 1821 Dark, they have all been pretty indistinct.

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The final four that braved the snow and nine brewery stops! (Why am I always not looking at the right camera!?)
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[jrenaut]

@Sunyata 151795 wrote:

The next stop was The Public Option. I LOVED this place. It was a hole in the wall brewery with games and adorable salt and pepper shakers. And a dragon in the bathroom!

The beer was the Cream Ale on suggestion from pdubs and ctankcycles. It was nice and light, but seemed to have a bit of a lager finish.

When were you at The Public Option? We were there from a bit before 4 until 530.

[jwetzel]

I guess I should go drink some beer…

[jrenaut]

@jwetzel 151800 wrote:

I guess I should go drink some beer…

Slacker.

[jwetzel]

@jrenaut 151801 wrote:

Slacker.

Hey! I resemble that remark.

[Sunyata]

@jrenaut 151799 wrote:

When were you at The Public Option? We were there from a bit before 4 until 530.

Hmm… I remember needing a light when we left, as it was just about dark. So maybe between 4 and 5? We had to have been there around the same time. Belated hi!

Here is the route, by the way:
https://www.strava.com/activities/824691115/overview

[fxbooks]

I can already tell that I have no chance at winning this. But in my defense, I did start early. Cask conditioned ESB with Fuggles and Prime. Creamy head, and the perfect temperature. Mild, and a great choice for my first beerneuring.
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[fxbooks]

Cask Defender APA. Loving the cask conditioned ales lately. This has just a touch of the grapefruit I usually don’t like but is great here. And it’s got a subtle sweetness that really works. Very good choice for beerneuring # 2.
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[ctankcycles]

From Denizens it was back into the city for a quick stop at 3 Stars.

Mile 21.8 – 3 Stars – Four tasters – Peppercorn Saison, Nectar of the Bogs (Cranberry Saison), Ghost (White IPA), Courting the Squall (Oatmeal Stout) – The only one of these beers I’ve had before is the Ghost which is a crisp, not very hoppy white IPA. My fav was Courting the Squall which seemed fitting for the day’s weather.

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[ctankcycles]

By now the snow had let up and the stops were closer together. From 3 Stars it was a quick trip to Hellbender. It’s like a two for one with these breweries they’re so close. Hellbender filed for Chapter 11 back in November so hopefully they’re able to successfully reorganize because they have a cool process that’s more environmentally friendly than your typical brewery operation.

Mile 22.7 – Hellbender – Nitro – Grompus (Smoked Nut Brown, 6.2 abv) – My favorite beer of the day. Nitro was on point and the smokeyness was nicely balanced with the nuttiness.

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[Author]

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