Barrel-Aged Bonanza in Dupont Circle

Quick note here about a couple of exciting beers we found recently, both Scottish imports aged in–what else?–Scotch whiskey barrels. If you have a taste for such things, get thee to Connecticut Avenue Wine & Spirits (1529 Connecticut Avenue, NW), a block north of Dupont Circle and a few doors up from Kramerbooks. Ask for Al, the store’s friendly and well-informed beer guy, and have him talk to you about Dark Island Reserve and Fraoch 20th Anniversary Ale. Both are limited edition artisanal beers and, yes, cost a pretty penny–in excess of $20 for a 750ml bottle. One caveat: beers like these tend to age exceptionally well, so we have yet to try them. So buy them on faith. If nothing else, it’ll be an adventure. Last we checked there were about four bottles of each on Al’s shelves.

Tags: Connecticut Avenue Wine & Spirits, Dark Island Reserve, Fraoch, Fraoch 20th Anniversary Ale, Orkney Brewery