Adroit Theory & Corcoran Breweries & Doukenie Winery

This past weekend my boyfriend and I decided to make an afternoon out of some light W&OD bike riding accompanied by checking out some local breweries and a winery.  Our first stop was at Adroit Theory, which is a nano brewery in Purcellville, Virginia that focuses on crafting barrel-aged beer.  Their brewery presentation is very different from something you might generally expect.  They have a very casual feel like you might expect from most breweries, but they have a heavy metal theme reflected in their decor and bottle-naming series.  I personally liked that they decided to try something different with their decor theme; it helps make them stand out and reflects (I assume) the interests of the owners.  They have some beautiful barrels used as tables in their tasting area where you can sip on your brew and watch them label bottles behind the glass production room.

Adroit Theory doesn't have a set flight, but they do offer tasters--which range from $3.00-$4.50--of all of their beers.  From left to right (see picture), we tried Saviours & Guillotines [Ghost 027] (Red Wine Barrel Aged Imperial Saison), the Experimental Cardamom Stout (Imperial Stout), and Love of the Damned [Ghost 063] (Old Ale).  They were all very different from each other and very different than most beers I drink outside of this nano brewery.  Saviours & Guillotines tasted like half beer and half wine, in part because it had been aged in a red wine barrel.  The Cardamom Stout smelled and tasted exactly like cardamom.  And Love of the Damned was very smooth and the most similar to a beer I'd choose in a bar or grocery store.  In short, this made me realize that barrel-aged beers that contain complex flavors aren't really in my personal future, though others may find them agreeable to their palettes.

Our next stop was Corcoran Brewing Company--who also owns a winery in the area--which was a very short drive down the road from Adroit Theory.  There is also no set flight at Corcoran, but you can create your own flight of five beers off of their menu.  Our tasting associate was very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, which is always a plus.

From left to right we chose their Commonwealth (Kolsch), Dutchman's Creek (Hefeweizen), Corktoberfest (Oktoberfest/Marzen), P'ville (American Pale Ale), and Slainte (Stout).  Overall we thought their beers were average, but our favorites out of this flight were Dutchman's Creek, P'ville, and Slainte.  I'm definitely looking forward to their fall and winter menu, though, which they should start debuting on tap in about a month.  This would include, for example, their Padawan Pumpkin (Ale) and Oatlands (Oatmeal Ginger Stout).  Then again, I'm more of a sucker for spiced beers.

Finally, we stopped at Doukenie Winery on a whim.  Out of the local wineries I've been to, this is one of my favorites, so I wanted my boyfriend to see it since we were in the area.  Not only do I think they have some of the better wines I've tasted so far, but they also have a beautiful plot of land for their winery.  I want to give a special shout out to our Tasting Associate who gave me a tasting of their Syrah, which wasn't on the tasting menu, since Yellowtail's (found in grocery stores) left a bad taste in my mouth.  I am a changed woman and am thankful and happy to discover that they don't all taste as pungent as Yellowtail's.

You can enjoy your wine indoors or outdoors--and I highly recommend outdoors if the weather is great.  Doukenie has a large lake that's perfect to walk around with your honey or to just let your rambunctious kiddies race around.  There are plenty of picnic tables on which to savor your own picnic or to enjoy some of the small fare offered on site.  I'm especially fond of the local flock of ducks that paddle back and forth across the lake.  It's a very idyllic setting where you can even walk up to the grape vines growing on the grounds.  I definitely recommend this winery to everyone with whom I end up discussing wine.