Bad Dog(fish) !

We spent Sunday afternoon visiting a friend in Northern VA, and as we have often in the past, opted for lunch at the Dogfish Ale House in Fairfax. Before we even arrived I had my sights set on a 75 Minute IPA. In fact, this was to be the choice of all three drinking members of our party. However, our request was met with "We're out of 60 Minute." Without the 60 Minute IPA to blend with the 90 Minute, there's no 75. Well, time to peek at the chalkboard. We're here for a Sunday afternoon lunch, before a 90 minute drive home, so I'm not keen on a 9, 12, or 18% beer. It seemed our choices were limited. I decided on a Shelter Pale Ale. This is a beer that I don't recall trying in the past so I figured I'd make the most of the situation and try something new. The rest of the group opted for Iced Tea.

My beer arrived and I eagerly stuck it to my nose to check the aroma. Soap? Let's try again. Yep, the beer or the glass smells like dirty dish water. The flavor was mildly bitter but tinged by a metallic flavor. Colleen smelled the beer and wrinkled her nose, took a sip and declared it "icky." My friend neglected to taste it after taking a sniff. I drank a bit more of the beer with my food, but finally left the beer unfinished.

I opted for Dave's Border Burger for my lunch. The burger was topped with pepper jack cheese, ripe avocado, pico de gallo and fried jalapenos. Cooked to a juicy medium doneness, the burger was delicious and filling. It was very satisfying even if enjoyed with just a glass of water.

Whether a key beer was out of stock due to the snow storm this week, or just poor planning, it was a disappointment. The offensive odor given off from my glass didn't inspire a second choice. The food was good and the company excellent. Unfortunately on this trip, the beer experience just didn't make the grade.

And to top it all off, the picture at the right was taunting me throughout my visit.