I arrived in Washington DC for work today and spent most of the afternoon running around the National Mall taking pictures and checking things out. Although it was only a couple of hours, it was great to see some of our nation’s treasured monuments – The Whitehouse, Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and more. I was ready for a nice brewpub and found that Capitol City had 3 in the area. In order to avoid traffic, we hit the one in Arlington, VA.
Location: On tap at Capitol City Brewing in Arlington, VA
Numbers: 5.6% ABV
Appearance & Aroma: As you can see, it was a slightly hazy amber color with lots of carbonation in it. The carbonation had big bubbles, reminding me a bit of a soda, which created a thin head which quickly disappeared. There wasn’t much aroma, only a slight maltiness could be detected.
Taste & Feel: The body was light-medium and there was a carbonation crispness on the front with a bit of citrusy bitterness. Caramel and bready malt flavors came through in the middle before a big citrusy bitterness came through in the finish. The more I drank it, the more the citrus bitterness in the finish coated my mouth, and the bitter citrus hop flavors lasted well into the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: This went perfectly with my burger, as the malt flavors went well with it. The big burger also helped to cut down on the bitterness a bit. However, I’m sure it would probably go well with almost any pub type food.
Overall Impression: There was plenty of carbonation in it, but I was surprised at the size of the bubbles and how the fizziness reminded me of a soda. Overall, the beer was crisp with plenty of citrusy hop flavor. I was expecting it to have a much stronger malt backbone then it did. I enjoyed the hoppiness, but it was probably a bit too much for the style.
My Rating: 
Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]
Recent Comments