Beer: DOOM
Brewery: Adroit Theory (Purcellville, VA)
Style: Bitter – Extra Special / Strong (ESB)
5.6% ABV / 40 IBU

If your musical accompaniment for this Adroit Theory beer is anything other than doom metal, you’re doing it wrong. I queued up Iron Man, Unorthodox, and The Obsessed since Adroit Theory’s space in Purcellville, VA is really just a short drive from the one-time nexus of Maryland doom. You could also go with an all-British pairing to stay true to the roots of the Extra Special Bitter style. It’s your party. Or, if the playlist is 100% My Dying Bride, your, uh, funeral.

As an ESB, Adroit Theory pretty much nailed it with DOOM. It is definitely the standout of the Virginia brewery’s heavy metal genre tribute series, which also includes Black Metal (an altbier), Thrash Metal (a helles lager), and Death Metal (a wheatwine) The ESB is pretty much the anti-IPA, a style for malt fanatics where the hops, while not a complete afterthought, are relegated to a supporting role. Here, there’s sweetness on the nose and a very long tail of caramel and toffee notes. Because of that mellow flavor profile, it’s a style that is easy to drink.

As always, the can art totally slays, but you are encouraged to drink this one out of a glass. Not so much for the chemical reaction when the beer comes out of the can, but because it’s a really pretty beer. The amber color is pitch-perfect for the style and the level of carbonation produces interesting lacing effects/around the glass. This is also a beer that absolutely benefits from a hard pour. Tip it quickly into a pint glass to produce the most massive possible head. It becomes a bit like drinking a cappuccino, where the foam is light and sweet, and the liquid underneath sports the bitterness. All in all, a fantastic brew—here’s to hoping Adroit keeps this in constant rotation.

For more info on Adroit Theory, please head here.