Pints at the Station: Baltimore, Maryland

Way out on the East Coast and Baltimore this week.  I was banished to the suburbs this time, but it put me close to a nice little restaurant and brewpub that might normally be too far out to make the trip worthwhile.

The Redbrick Station is mostly a grill and bar type restaurant.  I don't know if beer is really their specialty, it was good, but it didn't seem to be the focus.  It was good, but not spectacular.  The beer was more or less what you would expect from the styles although they did have a cask conditioned beer available, so that's a pretty big mark in their favor.

I would both recommend and warn against the fish and chips here.  They are awesome.  At the same time they pile the plate high with french fries and big-old cuts of battered fish.  If you missed lunch, like I did that day, you might be tempted to eat the whole thing.  It was delicious, but it did create a gastronomical adventure later in the evening.

I guess, what i am saying, enjoy in moderation.

Now, the beer.

Honey Go Light: A light honey ale that makes the honey known in a very pleasing aroma.  The dry, sweet flavor is fairly prominent off the top followed by bread flavors and a fizzy mouthfeel.  As light ales go, this was pretty good.  Probably not something to reach for everyday, but refreshing when summer starts cranking the heat up,

Avenue Ale: There was a very light citrus aroma here.  I could detect the hops in the aroma, but not nearly as much in the flavor.  There was some slightly roasted, bread and malt flavor.  The citrus was there but overall this beer just didn't have the flavor I like in a pale.

Something Red: No aroma I could detect here.  The flavor was first dominated by malty flavors with hints of dark cherry fruit.  Pine and floral hops started very, very light and slowly climbed to give the beer a dry, bitter flavor.

Cask Conditioned Red Ale: The same beer as above served just below room temperature and naturally carbonated.  This really brought out a malty aroma that just wasn't there before.  There was a little bit of caramel sweetness with the malt and dark cherry in the flavor.  There was more sweetness here, but the hops still managed to cut through it at the end.

Daily Crisis IPA: Just a hint of citrus in the aroma.  As far as IPA's go this was a bit different.  First there is lots of light malt but almost no hops.  You have to wait a bit.  Give it a few seconds.  Keep waiting... hold... there it is.  Pine and floral hops eventually show up almost after the rest of the flavor has already passed.  I enjoyed it to a certain degree but I think those who really, really like an IPA would find this disappointing and they would probably be right to think that.

Spooners Stout: Intense coffee aroma here.  Kind of a drier Guinness clone although I did get hints of chocolate peaking out from the creamy roasted grain flavor.

Scotch Ale: This packed a hell of a hop wallop for the style. Sweet roasted malt with light cherry fruit carried most of the flavor but there was a very distinct pine bitterness.