Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company - Double D

This Double IPA from the Dominion line of beers presents nicely in the glass with a bright copper hue boasting crystal clarity and a robust head of foam which descends to a persistent ring, leaving behind a good deal of sticky lace. The multiple hop varieties contribute plenty of aromatic fireworks; look for a distinct grapefruit-like citrus character, some herbal, pine-like notes, and a ton of soft tropical fruit character suggesting pineapple, mango, passion fruit, and even a touch of berry. On the palate, this brew comes across both richly malty and brightly hoppy. Lots of caramel and toasty notes form a strong base with a little residual sweetness onto which the huge hop contribution can rest. The hop bitterness is big, but equally big are the aromatic hop flavors, including spiciness amplified by the big ABV. In fact, everything here is big – we suppose that's why it's called Double D! The sharper citrus notes and softer tropical flavors open up quite a few pairing options. A salty pork dish with a fruity sauce should play nicely off the tropical notes in the beer. Sharp cheeses, including blues, will stand up to the intensity, and spicy chicken wings would be a good call, too. Cheers!

In 2007, Fordham Brewing Company formed an alliance with Old Dominion Brewing Company, and in 2009 the two breweries joined their operations and became a unified company under the name Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company at their location in Dover, DE, while maintaining separate brand line-ups. Both breweries have an interesting history.

In 1703, England’s Queen Anne commissioned Benjamin Fordham to begin a brewery in America, in her namesake city of Annapolis, MD. Sadly, when he passed away in 1716 the brewery was shut down. The Fordham name was resurrected in 1995 with the establishment of a new brewery by William Muehlhauser and Jim Lutz. After five years of strong growth, they moved to a larger facility in Alexandria, VA, and three years later they had outgrown that building too. Fordham’s brewing and bottling operations moved to their current facility in Dover, DE in 2003 and a few years later they joined forces with Old Dominion.

Old Dominion was founded by Jerry Bailey in 1989 as a brewpub in Ashburn, VA, but soon expanded into a full-fledged production brewery to serve nearby restaurants, pubs, and supermarkets. In the years since, the brewery has been well-recognized in the industry for their excellence, bringing home over a dozen medals from the Great American Beer Festival, as well as being ranked one of the country’s 20 best breweries by Gourmet Food and Wine magazine. After outgrowing their location in Virginia, the brewery was moved to Dover, DE, where they ultimately teamed up with Fordham.

For more information about the unified breweries, their tasting room, events, and scheduled tours, call 302-678-4810 or check out their web site at www.fordhamanddominion.com.