The Beer Circle » Barrel Aged, Mad Fox Brewing Co. » Guest Post: Mad Fox Oak Aged Beer Event
Guest Post: Mad Fox Oak Aged Beer Event
Editor’s Note: This is another of what we hope is many contributions from our readers. These guest posts come from our friends, followers, and fellow beer geeks who have something they want to share. If you’ve attended a great event, tasted a rare beer, want to give your favorite brewery some love, or share anything else beer related feel free to send us an email at thebeercircle@gmail.com and let us know!
Drinking the afternoon away isn’t normally how I plan to spend a Monday, however, in retrospect it makes almost as much sense, if not more so than drinking on a Friday. Also, who could pass up the chance to sample Mad Fox’s rare oak aged beers? I can personally relate to the idea of something aged, intense and boozy. Plus, it offered me the opportunity to try their fabulous food for the first time and HIRL (hang out in real life), with a member of my beer circle, Tim.
Whatever your reason for visiting the Mad Fox, food, friends or libations, this warm sunlit restaurant has a lot to offer. Mad Fox opened in early summer of 2010 to the joy of many locals, bringing local ingredients and home-made delicacies (from the beer to the ketchup) to the forefront of the Falls Church restaurant scene. When visiting expect something cozy yet open, and intimate but social-friendly.
The owner, Bill Madden, helped to open seven local brewpub locations while working at Capital City Brewing Company before opening Mad Fox. His malty concoctions boasts metals from the Great American Beer Festival. Kellerbier Kölsch won a 2011 GABF Gold Medal and their English Summer Ale won a 2011 GABF Bronze Medal.
Tim and I started off with the Bourbon Barrel Wee Heavy and the Oaked Slobberknocker, respectively. The Bourbon Barrel Wee Heavy with its dark and fruity notes made the Fig and Balsamic Pizza really come to life. Tim felt this beer was the prize of the night. Figs, plum, brown sugar, spice, and everything nice. This beer earns a VERY high marks in his book, and blew him away. Despite the 8 and 9 percent respective ABVs and aging process these beers were both silky smooth and easily drinkable. Besides being fun to say, the Slobberknocker is an impressive American Barleywine which had spent some time in Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye white oak barrels, and was all the better for it. A faded pumpkin color with vanilla and toffee, malty character. Not just spectacular on its own, but it was also a great accompaniment to our 1905 Cheese Pizza, a basic cheese pizza made with aged mozzarella, which went along with our “well aged” theme.
Next up were the dark duo, the Bourbon Barrel Batch 100 and Oaked Crazy Ivan. The 100, is described by Mad Fox as “a numerologist’s dream – 100 specific gravity points, 100 IBUs, 100% Centennial (love the [un?]intended pun) hops, and 10.0% ABV.” The murky depths of the Batch 100 were hypnotic and foreboding with plenty of wonderful citrus notes on top of a rich, strong malty base – but then Crazy Ivan caught our eyes. Crazy Ivan, a 9% Russian Imperial Stout was declared by my dining companion, Tim, as the blackest beer he’s ever seen – the ambient lighting might have even dimmed as it was poured. Ivan was slightly less effervescent which worked in its favor, though that’s not to say Batch 100 wasn’t excellent in it’s own right. The Cold War is over, so we allowed Ivan and the Batch 100 to warm slightly. When a fried banana cheese cake Nutella à la mode plate of insanity was placed on the table, we happily devoured both the beer and dessert with abandon and finished off the day, along with our diets.
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Written by Michele "Batty Girl" C (Guest Author)
Batty first became enthusiastic and passionate about craft beer after a Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout changed her life in 2009. Although stouts will always be her first love, she is on a mission to "try all the beers" and has developed a new appreciation for IPAs and pale ales. Each beer is not just a beverage to her, but a new experience. Batty is dedicated to getting women (and men) to open themselves up to craft beer and will always give a six pack away to friends who claim they don't like "beer". Converting the non believers to craft beer is a mission.
Filed under: Barrel Aged, Mad Fox Brewing Co. · Tags: Brew Pub, Mad Fox Brewing Co.
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