Welcome to Tennessee, Devils Backbone!

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IMG_1958I am no road warrior. I rarely travel for work but enjoy it when I do. The best part of business travel is getting to taste local beers wherever I go. Two years ago I had to visit a client in Beckley, WV, a city better known for its exhibition coal mine than craft beer.

I had to drive because you can’t fly from Nashville to Beckley. Serendipitously, at a gas stop in Wytheville, VA, I found Devils Backbone Eight Point IPA. My night at the Beckley Hampton Inn was looking better. It’s a 6.2% 60 IBU IPA with Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and Simcoe hops. Those are big hops, but it’s not a hop bomb. Rather, Eight Point is a very well balanced IPA with a solid malt base and the big hop flavors you expect.

IMG_1959Devils Backbone is Virginia’s largest craft brewery. They opened the doors in 2008 with a German-designed Japanese-built 8.5 barrel system. Seriously. They are a GABF three-time winner of “Brewery of the Year” in several categories.

Devils Backbone operates two breweries in central Virginia, the original Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows in Roseland and the Outpost Brewery & Tap Room in Lexington, a state-of-the-art production brewery. (That’s about 7 hours from Nashville. Beer run, anyone?)

I was lucky enough to attend a private kickoff event and got to sample several Devils Backbone beers. The Basecamp Favorites are the year round offering while the Trailblazers are limited release beers:

  • IMG_1963Vienna Lager: a good representation of one of my favorite, but hard to find, styles
  • Eight Point IPA: brought back good memories of a great IPA from a lonely night in a WV hotel room
  • Gold Leaf Lager: a bready, light Helles lager that’s super easy drinking
  • Schwartz: I love a good Schwarzbier and this one measures up
  • Trail Angel Weiss: a classic German hefe with the obligatory banana and hints of honey
  • Spiderbite: a session black IPA and my favorite of the night, but unfortunately a limited release beer, so get it before it’s gone

The Devils Backbone team is in town this week to feature their beers throughout Nashville at these locations:

IMG_1962Tuesday, August 25

  • 4 to 7 p.m. Frugals Tap Takeover
  • 6 p.m. Broadway Brewhouse Midtown Tap Takeover

Wednesday, August 26

  • 7 p.m. Flying Saucer Pint Night and Tap Takeover
  • 7 p.m. Jack Brown’s Pint Night

Thursday, August 27

  • 4 p.m. Rudies Seafood and Sausage Tap Takeover and specialty firkin with tapas beer pairing menu
  • 5 p.m. Edleys 12 South and Edleys East Tap Takeovers
  • 5 p.m. Filing Station 12 South and Filling Station East Tap Takeovers

Friday, August 28

  • 5 p.m. Sam’s Sports Grill Pint Night and Sampling
  • 5 p.m. Craft Brewed Tap Takeover, Pint night and Growlers to go
  • 5 p.m. 3 Crow Tap Takeover on the back patio

Saturday, August 29

  • 1 to 3 p.m. Samplings at the growler station at Wholefoods Nashville
  • 1 to 3 p.m. Samplings at the growler station at Wholefoods Franklin
  • 3 p.m. 12 South Taproom Patio Party with specialty firkins

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Disclosure: The event was a private event for friends and associates of Devils Backbone and their distributor, Ajax Turner. The beer was free. It was also delicious.