The craft beer scene in Washington, DC has some great beer bars such as The Brickskeller (now closed), Churchkey, and Rustico. There is an appreciation for craft beer in and around DC, the only thing they needed was a full fledged brewery. Not only did they got one, they got two. We previously highlighted Port City in Alexandria, VA. The other brewery, DC Brau, is located within the District. I have for a review the first fruit of their canning operation, The Public, an American Pale Ale.

The Public pours an amber-orange color out of it’s DC centric can (which advocates for DC statehood). The head is white in color, about one and a half inches thick and leaves a decent amount of sticky lacing on the glass. The aromas are hop-centric and a little spicy. Citrus and pine come through most predominantly with a light maltyness to the base. Overall, the aromas are a little weak – you have to seek them out.

The malt shows itself upfront on the first taste. It offers a little sweetness before the rush of hops. The citrus and pine come back from the aroma, in addition to some more spiciness. There is also some grassy and bready notes in the finish. The Public finishes a bit dry, with a good lingering bitterness. The malt elements did add some balance, and make this APA an easy drinking one (also thanks to a lighter mouth feel) while still remaining hop centric.

I never fully judge a new brewery by their first beer. It takes a few batches to dial everything in. DC Brau is off to a good start though. Is there some cleanup work that needs to be done on The Public, for sure. The hop elements need to be fine tuned and the malt should play a little more of a role. The aromas also need to be beefed up a bit though this is a great start for a new brewery, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store.

Rating

80
out of 100