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So, this will be the first in a series of occasional posts about a particular place, say a restaurant or a park or a town, where joy abounds. In this case, we are going to visit Sapwood Cellars, a small brewery in Columbia, Maryland.
I’m actually a little bit embarrassed to talk about Sapwood Cellars because I only just discovered this jewel even though it is just miles from my home and has been open since 2018. But, better late than never!
Anyway, it all started when I began to notice that there was a brewery in Maryland called Sapwood Cellars that was winning accolades and consistently rating high in Untappd’s Community Awards (Note: Untappd is a social media service for rating beers with friends). I was especially blown away to see they were making a lot of sour ales, which is a Belgian specialty I love. So I looked up the place, and lo and behold, it was just down the street! I had been by there a million times, but it is in the back of a complex of buildings and not visible from the street.
So finally my wife and I went there on a date night. What fun! The vibe is warm and welcoming. The taproom is tastefully decorated inside with plenty of room. We were there in winter, but for warmer months (or hardier souls) there is also a dog friendly outdoor patio. The folks that work there are as nice as can be, extremely helpful in explaining all the choices, and very attentive. Someone checks in on you frequently and is always ready with recommendations.
They will soon open their own kitchen, Albura Taqueria, featuring Mexican-inspired food, unique creations, and plenty of plant-based options. Sounds amazing! But, the night we were there they had a food truck (DMV Taqueria) onsite. My wife and I can attest that their food was excellent, definitely high quality Latino fare prepared with pride.
Hoppy or Sour?
But enough delay. On to the main event – the libations! What strikes me about Sapwood Cellars is the commitment to excellence and creativity in their craft. The passion comes through with every sip. The focus is clearly on quality rather than profits, on spreading a little joy over raiding your wallet.
The only place I have visited on the US East Coast in the same class is Hillstead Farm Brewery in Vermont. The setting and specialties differ, but the dedication to high quality, smaller batch beer made with an emphasis on locally grown ingredients is similar. They are both making beers that rival their European forebears.
Sapwood Cellars produces many types of beer—almost always with innovative twists—but their focus is on barrel-aged mixed-fermented beers (sours) and fresh hoppy ales. This corresponds to the respective specialties of the two owner-brewers Mike Tonsmeire and Scott Janish, both of whom appear to approach their work with the passion of an artist and precision of a scientist.
My wife and I tried two beers and a cider while we were there, and bought another beer to go that we had later over a meal at home. Our first was Electric Light, an excellent blackberry sour ale aged in Spanish cedar white wine barrels. Next up was Scroggin, an unbelievably complex hybrid imperial stout aged in whisky and rum barrels. This thing is practically a trail mix desert, so delicious but also so rich—would recommend limiting yourself to a half pour. Finally, the William Henry is a wonderful dry cider made with a local apple variety popular in hard ciders in the Colonial era.
The crown jewel, though, was Neologism 2024. This is a masterpiece that combines the sour and the hoppy into an unexpectedly happy fusion, kind of like Sapwood itself. Beer and Brewing rated the 2022 version as one of the best beers of the year. Neologism is a sour ale aged in gin barrels and hopped late in the process. It is light and pleasantly sour with delightful pine and herbal notes. This one would be awesome for aging, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be buying more of these for home!
Now, I regret to say I haven’t tried any of the classic hoppy beers yet, but not really, because I love hoppy beers and this gives me a reason to return to Sapwood soon!
So, with that, I think I’ll close it there. Sapwood Cellars is a definite font of joie de vivre. If you like beers, particularly the sour or hoppy varieties, or cider and are ever in the Baltimore or Washington, DC area, I definitely recommend stopping by. It’s worth a visit.
Share Your Thoughts
If you’ve tried Sapwood Cellars, please let us know what you think in the comments. Have you had their hoppy ales before? Which ones do you recommend?
Are there other breweries or beers you love? Please share!
Cheers!
A Short Meditation
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
God wants our lives to reflect his majesty. When we respond to what he has done for us in Jesus, when we put others first, when we pour our heart and soul into what we do as an offering of love, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Our lives, our work, our actions show forth God’s excellence, we bless others, and we reap joy.
Un Petit Aperçu
Sapwood Cellars est une merveilleuse petite brasserie artisanale près de Washington, DC. Ce qui me frappe chez Sapwood Cellars, c'est la haute qualité et la créativité de leurs bières. Vous pouvez goûter la passion des brasseurs. Ils se spécialisent dans des sour ales, similaires aux lambics belges, et des bières houblonnées. L'une de leurs meilleures bières est la Neologism 2024, une délicieuse sour ale vieillie dans des fûts de gin, qui donne à cette bière des notes de pin et d'herbes. Si vous êtes dans le coin, cette brasserie vaut vraiment le détour. Quelles sont vos brasseries et bières préférées ?
Μία Περίληψη
Το Sapwood Cellars είναι ένα υπέροχο μικρό ζυθοποιείο κοντά στην Ουάσιγκτον, DC. Αυτό που είναι εντυπωσιακό για τα Sapwood Cellars είναι η ποιότητα και η δημιουργικότητα των μπύρων και του μηλίτη τους. Μπορείς να γευτείς το πάθος σε κάθε γουλίτσα. Η ειδικότητα του Sapwood είναι οι sour ales, παρόμοιες με τις βελγικές lambics, και τις μπύρες λυκίσκου όπως οι IPA. Μια από τις καλύτερες μπύρες τους είναι η Neologism 2024, μια νόστιμη sour ale παλαιωμένη σε βαρέλια τζιν, που δίνει σε αυτή τη μπύρα νότες πεύκου και βοτάνων. Αν βρεθείς ποτέ στην περιοχή, αυτό το ζυθοποιείο αξίζει σίγουρα να επισκεφθείς. Ποιες είναι οι αγαπημένες σου ζυθοποιίες και μπύρες;