Dirty Duck Beer Tasting

 I went to Saturday April 20th's beer tasting curious but not with high expectations. I simply wanted to see what they came up with. I defiantly did not think of Belgian beer as bad but I had a few in the past I did not care for and in the states we only usually get a few Belgian options. More or less it was something we had not done while attending the Renaissance Faire and figured why not. We were pleasantly surprised.

We got to the Dirty Duck a little early and claimed or table. While you are still sitting outside, you do have umbrella to shade you and your food and drink from the sun. Our $25 got us 6 samples, some snacks and water to cleanse the palette and a Scarborough pint glass to take home.  

The beer tasting takes place each day of Scarborough’s run and is led by Hugh O’Neil who is also a brewer at Deep Ellum Brewery. You can tell Hugh is knowledgeable and passionate about his beer. He was to introduce new beer drinker to the finer points and help the rest of us discover some new things.  Each week features a different region or theme and they are try to give some general information on beer and the brewing process.

As with any typical beer or wine tasting we start with the more mild options and work our way to the bolder flavors. There is also a bucket available to clean your glasses or to empty out the unwanted samples. I had expected all the standard Belgian options: Stella Artois, Stella Cidre, Hoegardden and Chimay. Hugh surprised me with none of those. I had only taste one of the 6 offerings before and I found to new favorite beers.

We started with the Saison Dupont farmhouse ale with citrus and pepper notes. This saison was only slightly acidic and more fruity and spicy. Next was the Westmalle Tripel, a Trappist Abbel Tripel. It had fruit flavors of banana and citrus with a hint of pepper and floral hops. The Rodenbach Grand Cru flanders red ale was the only one I tasted before and did not like. It is a blend of young and barrel aged beer with sour fruity flavors and vanilla. The sour bitterness is reminiscent  of balsamic vinegar. The next three were much more pleasant. I generally like lambics but prefer them blended because they tend to be sweet. My new favorite lambic is Liefman’s Cuvee Brut. The men at the table who don’t normally like lambics enjoy it. The cherry aroma was strong but the flavor also had hints of vanilla and light woody flavors. The Belgian Dark Strong ale was also a favorite with dark fruits like cherries, raisins, fig and prune.  We finished things off with the Rockfort Trappist 10, a Trappist Quadrupel., dark malty sweet beer with a slight chocolate taste.

All in all what started as a “why not” drinking event taught me about a new region of beer and helped me discover a few new favorites.  I highly recommend if interested, get tickets ahead online because tastings sell out fast.  If you’re going to visit Scarborough take a break to taste some beers.

Revolver Brewing

We had been wanting to make the trip to Granbury's Revolver brewing for months. Although it's about a 45 minute drive from the mid-cities area of DFW the trip made for a nice spring afternoon. I was definitely impressed with the country setting and the atmosphere at the brewery. It reminded me of a trip to a Hill country vineyard. The large amount of land allows delver to offer a stage for various performers, game area with corn hole, bean bags and jenga and a large picnic area.  Several visitors opted for a picnic lunch and there are many tables and benches as well as places to spread a blanket.  Music ranges from country and folk to rock, when we were there the Tarleton Jazz Ensemble played. Your admission gets three beers and a tour.

Despite the scenic setting and the entertainment; it is Revolver's beers that make the drive worthwhile. Blood Honey is undoubtedly a favorite to many craft beer lovers in the area. It is a unfiltered pale ale finished with blood orange zest and honey from Falls Creek Farms. I did not find a beer here I didn't like. High Brass is a pale blonde ale with carmel malts and Saphir hops from Germany. Revolver bock is a traditional bock with carmel and toffee flavors. The summer seasonal Sidewinder is a pale ale with unique  Texas flavors of agave, citrus, spice and maize. Sidewinder is a good summer brewer that's light but still has a little kick. The other current seasonal Mother's Little Fracker is one of my favs. This nutty sweet stout has a 7.75 avb and has a great roasted flavor. . The tour is not a full walk through of operations but rather a talk by members of the brew staff. They explain the brewing process and give some background on the brewery.

Done forget to end you visit with a stop at the gift shop because there is some awesome merchandise. We had to bring back a tim sign and a couple of shirts. The food vendors rotate but options may be limited so you can easily pack a cooler with your own lunch. I highly encourage a spring or fall trip out to Revolver.

Rabbit Hole Brewing

Everything from the name of the brewery to the first types of beers offered to the artwork on the website all suggest that Rabbit Hole Brewing in Justin is not your typical craft brewery. Most new brewers wouldn’t bother attending a beer festival when they were able to bring along beer samples. Yet we met the guys from Rabbit Hole last year at Best Little Brewfest in Texas proudly handed out swag and talking passionately about their product. 

The Justin facility was worth the drive. It’s not big but you feel like you’re drinking on a friends patio. Your ten dollar admission includes a pint glass and three tokens which can bee redeemed for beer, put toward merchandise or donated to charity. Several members of the brew team greeted us, thanked us for coming out and took some time to chat. Rabbit Hole has a unique custom of making a toast at every open house which I thought helped create a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Each of the brewers, founders take turns leading small tours through the facility and answering questions about the beer. Currently they don’t have live weekly entertainment but several special events are planned including book signings. The brewery has an amazing stained glass window showing a bit of Wonderland and some equally good mercy available including the popular Rabbit Hole hockey jerseys.

Currently Rabbit Hole has three year round offerings: 561, Rapture and 10/6.Mike Modano’s 561 Kolsch style beer is light and crisp with a soft malt and a hint of hoppiness and  is lighter than most kolsch beers made in the area. 561 is there most infamous brew being named after the legendary Dallas Stars player. Rapture, my favorite, is a balance of an English and American style Brown ale with a light toasted flavor and a little bit of citrus. I recommend the house blend Raptadano, a mix of the 561 and the Rapture. The newest offering is 10/6 an English style IPA that is less bitter than most IPAs. It blends three different English hops and is bold without being overwhelming. Rabbit Hole is about to launch its first seasonal, a saison currently in test batches. But again deviating from the norm, they won't have the traditional seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter but instead each season has a theme. We are particularly looking forward to this fall. Can you guess the theme ? 

Rabbit hole is one of my new favorite craft brewers. It has a casual familiar feel and you can enjoy a sunny Saturday in the country with good friends and good beer. I expect more interesting beer offerings and enjoy their irreverent attitude. So if you’re looking for something different come take a trip down the rabbit hole. 

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