Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). It is written by Garrett Cruce, a Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server.
Halloween may have come and gone on Tuesday — a day dedicated to chasing away frightening and ominous spirits by disguising ourselves and giving out sweet treats — but you can now get a little voodoo anytime you want. Pennsylvania’s Voodoo Brewery is distributing down here and is now available at Dominion Wine & Beer.
On Arch Street in Meadville, PA, just across the street from the post office, you’ll find Voodoo Brewery, started by Matt Allyn in a former cabinetry store. In the ten or so years that Voodoo has been around they’ve grown from one brew pub to five locations in and around Eerie, which is just to the north. Each location features a generous tap room with extensive tap lists of both regular and rare Voodoo beers.
Voodoo brews 5 flagship beers, a bunch of seasonal beers and has made a name for itself with its barrel-aged program. Their maple syrup infused Big Black Voodoo Daddy called Grande Negro Voodoo Papi Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout ranks 62nd on Beer Advocate‘s list of Top Rated Beers.
I grabbed 3 flagship brews to share with you. Read my reviews then head over to Dominion Wine & Beer today, November 3, for the Friday tasting of Voodoo Brewery offerings between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.
Hoodoo IPA (7.3% ABV)
An unfiltered IPA, Voodoo threw in 7 different hops, all of which start with the letter C. Seven different hops, there’s a lot going on here. This is an exciting beer! I got a complex aroma of peaches and candied mango with a malty white bread and herbal green grass undertone.
The sip revealed a dry, but fruity beer that finishes spicy and lightly bitter. Think melon and black pepper. Hoodoo is a unique IPA, it’s flavorful and light bodied while still packing a punch at 7.3% ABV. Grab a six-pack of this complex IPA if you need a diversion from tongue-coating, juicy IPAs.
Gran Met Belgian Style Ale (9.2% ABV)
Gran Met means Grand Master, which is an apt name for a tripel that hits all the right notes. Fruity and clean, this beer gives off the expected banana and clove aromas with sweetness of lightly caramelized sugar. In fact, Voodoo slowly feeds their fermenting Gran Met a mixture of cane and beet sugar, making for a stronger beer in the tradition of this style. I found this to be a solid American version of the classic Belgian tripel. Gran Met is hefty and smooth and drinkable — it’s everything that this style should be.
Voodoo Love Child Belgian Style Ale (9.2% ABV)
What if you took the delicious tripel, Gran Met and you aged it with some fruit — maybe some cherries, raspberries and passion fruit? What? Voodoo already did that? Oh, I get it — Voodoo Love Child. The cherries are really the star here, bringing a syrupy cherry compote flavor to this already tasty beer. I’d drink this beer with dessert any day.
Cheers!