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I don't like beer. Actually I love it! Dark, light, malty, bitter. You name it, I love it! The color,
the aroma, and don't get me started on the flavor. Oh, the flavor. But, it wasn't always like
that; in fact, I never really cared for "beer." Growing up, like most Americans, I drank
watered down big beer. No flavor. I would buy beer for a party and the leftovers would sit
in my fridge for months on end. But one fateful day, I discovered a hidden gem…Callaway
Brewing in beautiful Callaway, Virginia. Wow! What flavor! I never knew that beer could
taste like that! Unfortunately, Callaway Brewing is no longer with us; but I digress. However,
much to my delight, my father-in-law introduced me to a great craft brewery just six minutes
down the road…Chaos Mountain Brewing Company; aka the Callaway Community Center as
it's lovingly known by the locals. Well, this magical place is only six minutes from home! I've
timed it! This is a double-edged sword. The good thing is it's only six minutes from my
house; but the bad thing is it's only six minutes from my house. My first experience at a real
belly up to the bar brewery with beers on tap and really good beers! (Insert a picture of the
clouds parting, streams of light, angelic voices singing…you get the picture). This was a
game changer! And the beer was amazing. There was such wonderful flavor. An explosion
on the tongue. My first craft beer love was stouts. That dark, rich color and malty nose; oh
the yumminess. Chocolate, coffee, coconut, hazelnut, and on and on. Well, any craft beer
lover will tell you that stouts are not always available on tap. Reluctantly, I had to begin trying
other styles and to my pleasant surprise, there were so many amazing styles out there.
Porters, amber ales, IPA's, pilsners, wheats…really too many to name. My love of craft beer
has grown into a passion. Jokingly, I began to call myself the bearded beer man, that later
became #beerdedbeerman. And, much to my disbelief, it stuck. In fact, when I pitched the
idea to my graphic designer sister, she actually jumped in with both feet and created my logo.
I then began discovering the different breweries this area has to offer. A side effect of the
brewery crawling was that I got to meet the owners, brewers, and the beer slingers. They are
truly an extraordinary group of people. They share a passion for beer, to create it, and share
it with others. Talking with the owners and brewers about their beers only increased my
curiosity and desire to discover more. I truly enjoy beer. Everything about it. My wife tells me
that I love beer more than her; not true, but I do love beer. There is still so much more that I
need and want to learn, breweries to explore, and people to meet. Some of my best friends I
have met at breweries. True blue friends who share my love of beer. There is nothing quite
like sharing a beer with friends. Friends that will tag you on social media because they know
I’ll be jealous of the beers they are experiencing at a brewery I haven’t discovered yet! :-p But
the upside is that they bring you a growler because they know you’re going to love it! And of
course I do. There are so many beers out there to try that I know I will never even get close to
reaching the end. But, if I can share my passion and ignite a spark of interest in someone who
“doesn’t like beer,” then I consider my job done. My “job” is to give you, in layman’s terms,
what characteristics (nose, flavor, aroma, mouth feel) a beer has to trigger your interest in trying
something different. You will never know from one of my reviews whether or not I like a beer.
There are some beers that I don’t particularly like, but I want you to try it for yourself. If my
review sparks your curiosity to try to citrus IPA or chocolate peanut butter porter, then I’ve done
my “job.” You say you don’t like wheat beers. Well, maybe my flavor profile will make you want
to try it just because it sounds so delicious. I am not claiming to be an expert; I am a lover of
craft beer and I want to share that love with you. That’s a lot of talk about love from a big hairy,
hee haw looking Pittsylvania County boy who is a computer geek by day. Cheers!
“Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer.” Henry Lawson
the aroma, and don't get me started on the flavor. Oh, the flavor. But, it wasn't always like
that; in fact, I never really cared for "beer." Growing up, like most Americans, I drank
watered down big beer. No flavor. I would buy beer for a party and the leftovers would sit
in my fridge for months on end. But one fateful day, I discovered a hidden gem…Callaway
Brewing in beautiful Callaway, Virginia. Wow! What flavor! I never knew that beer could
taste like that! Unfortunately, Callaway Brewing is no longer with us; but I digress. However,
much to my delight, my father-in-law introduced me to a great craft brewery just six minutes
down the road…Chaos Mountain Brewing Company; aka the Callaway Community Center as
it's lovingly known by the locals. Well, this magical place is only six minutes from home! I've
timed it! This is a double-edged sword. The good thing is it's only six minutes from my
house; but the bad thing is it's only six minutes from my house. My first experience at a real
belly up to the bar brewery with beers on tap and really good beers! (Insert a picture of the
clouds parting, streams of light, angelic voices singing…you get the picture). This was a
game changer! And the beer was amazing. There was such wonderful flavor. An explosion
on the tongue. My first craft beer love was stouts. That dark, rich color and malty nose; oh
the yumminess. Chocolate, coffee, coconut, hazelnut, and on and on. Well, any craft beer
lover will tell you that stouts are not always available on tap. Reluctantly, I had to begin trying
other styles and to my pleasant surprise, there were so many amazing styles out there.
Porters, amber ales, IPA's, pilsners, wheats…really too many to name. My love of craft beer
has grown into a passion. Jokingly, I began to call myself the bearded beer man, that later
became #beerdedbeerman. And, much to my disbelief, it stuck. In fact, when I pitched the
idea to my graphic designer sister, she actually jumped in with both feet and created my logo.
I then began discovering the different breweries this area has to offer. A side effect of the
brewery crawling was that I got to meet the owners, brewers, and the beer slingers. They are
truly an extraordinary group of people. They share a passion for beer, to create it, and share
it with others. Talking with the owners and brewers about their beers only increased my
curiosity and desire to discover more. I truly enjoy beer. Everything about it. My wife tells me
that I love beer more than her; not true, but I do love beer. There is still so much more that I
need and want to learn, breweries to explore, and people to meet. Some of my best friends I
have met at breweries. True blue friends who share my love of beer. There is nothing quite
like sharing a beer with friends. Friends that will tag you on social media because they know
I’ll be jealous of the beers they are experiencing at a brewery I haven’t discovered yet! :-p But
the upside is that they bring you a growler because they know you’re going to love it! And of
course I do. There are so many beers out there to try that I know I will never even get close to
reaching the end. But, if I can share my passion and ignite a spark of interest in someone who
“doesn’t like beer,” then I consider my job done. My “job” is to give you, in layman’s terms,
what characteristics (nose, flavor, aroma, mouth feel) a beer has to trigger your interest in trying
something different. You will never know from one of my reviews whether or not I like a beer.
There are some beers that I don’t particularly like, but I want you to try it for yourself. If my
review sparks your curiosity to try to citrus IPA or chocolate peanut butter porter, then I’ve done
my “job.” You say you don’t like wheat beers. Well, maybe my flavor profile will make you want
to try it just because it sounds so delicious. I am not claiming to be an expert; I am a lover of
craft beer and I want to share that love with you. That’s a lot of talk about love from a big hairy,
hee haw looking Pittsylvania County boy who is a computer geek by day. Cheers!
“Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer.” Henry Lawson
