Devils Backbone Brewing Company is a small brewpub that I had been hearing a lot about lately, especially so after the Great American Brewing Festival in September. Winning 3 silver medals and one gold (for their lager) Devils Backbone was one of the top award winners in the entire mid-atlantic region. So I was extra thrilled when we found a way to weave it into our plans as it was on our way to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Situated about 15 miles or so south of Charlottesville in Roseland VA, we rolled in hungry after our day at the Apple Festival. A pretty rustic joint in a really cool lodge style building, the place was surrounded by mountains, had a dirt parking lot and was filled with stuffed game, Rams, Turkey, Fox and heads of every beast known to man. It wasn't an overly large dining room, but good sized bar, tons of tv's and outdoor dining.
Now for the good part, the beer. The beer came in several sizes, so I was able to try...well, just about all of them. My favorite was their "Kung Pao, Enter the Hop". Made with the Sorachi Ace hop, it came in around 7% and delivered a serious, and extremely delicious, wallop. It was a tough one to start off with, after having it, I didn't want to change up and on top of that the hops probably blasted my taste buds a bit. What can you do? It was well worth it to start with such a winner.
I also sampled their Gold Leaf Lager, which was as advertised, a gold medal lager for sure. I typically stick to Ales, but if this beer was near by, I would be drinking it regularly.
Great food as well, though we pretty much stuck with the appetizers. The nachos and wings were both solid accompaniments to the beer. Next time I go, I certainly want to make it THE destination of the evening and order up some serious food and a growler to go.
iPhone pics of the building, mountains, beer menu and bar:
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