Haymarket Finally Taps Its Own Beers
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jan 18, 2011 7:20PM
Since opening on Christmas Eve, Haymarket Pub & Brewery had been serving only selections from other breweries while brewmaster Pete Crowley played catchup and raced to fill the tanks with his own stuff. Late last week Crowley was finally able to tap the first three of Haymarket's offerings for customers - a Belgian Pale ale, an India Pale ale and an abbey-style Dubbel. We were able to sample all three.
The best of the lot was the Dubbel. It has a nice dark sugar rush on the palate, with an underlying note of spice and a nice lingering finish. The Belgian Pale had a nice flavor, as well, but there was a hint of sulfur on the nose that indicated the beer could have used a couple more days in the bright tank before being tapped. The India Pale Ale hoppiness was mild for the style, but worked well with Haymarket's house-made hot links.
Since we visited, Haymarket has tapped more beers, including a double IPA called "Ombibulous" (it means "lover of all kinds of alcoholic beverages and is a nod to H.L. Mencken). Crowley said that the guest taps, 18 in all, will rotate out frequently to act as a complement to the beers he has planned.