Old Bust Head Brewing Company - Caramel Macchiato Stout

Old Bust Head’s Irish Oatmeal Stout is one of the brewery’s core year-round brews, and this Caramel Macchiato variant has proved super popular as well, earning it a spot among the year-round offerings, too. Pouring a deep brown, almost black, this stout shows nicely in the glass as a plentiful cap of medium brown foam slowly recedes. Brewed with vanilla beans and sustainably sourced coffee roasted locally by Cafe Kreyol, this brew offers up impressive coffee and caramel expression in the aroma, along with moderate roast, milk & semisweet chocolate, brown sugar, and hints of vanilla. With an oatmeal stout as its base, it’s no surprise this brew comes across super smooth, silky, and round on the palate. Look for the aroma notes to express nicely in the flavor too, with rich caramel and toast at the base, and decadent coffee and chocolate widening across the palate with prominent vanilla notes adding an engaging creamy character. The similarity to an iced caramel macchiato is obvious, and pairing options should naturally play off of those core notes. Desert pairings would be our go-to here, like tiramisu, or chocolate and coffee cakes with caramel drizzles. Of course, it’s delicious by itself too, so as you like it. Cheers!

The idea that would evolve into today’s Old Bust Head Brewing Company started as a brewpub plan developed by brewer Charles Kling, whose previous experience included several years at Louisiana’s Abita Brewing Co. before he took over as brewmaster and general manager of Arkansas’s Diamond Bear Brewing Co. A trained chemical engineer, he had taken a job at the US Patent & Trademark Office, but dreamed of returning to the brewing world by starting up a brewpub. While trying to find an appropriate location, he met Ike Broaddus, who was working for the Vint Hill Economic Development Authority. Though the EDA wasn’t interested in the brewpub idea, Ike was. Around that time, Virginia law was changed to allow breweries to serve beer to patrons directly without having to serve food, so ultimately the brewpub restaurant concept gave way to the idea of a full-fledged production brewery with an on-site tasting room. When Ike’s wife Julie bought into the idea, the partners got started on bringing their brewery to life.

Construction began in 2013, and in mid-2014 Old Bust Head opened to the public. Named after a local Fauquier County crossroads, the brewery put an emphasis on sustainability and community involvement from the get-go. 40% of their energy needs are served by their rooftop solar array, and 18 500-ft geothermal wells with 12 heat pumps provide heating and cooling for their offices and tasting room, using a third less energy than traditional means. Specialized brewing equipment captures and recycles waste heat and water, and the brewery donates their spent grain to feed cattle on local farms. The brewery supports dozens of local non-profits and hosts an annual 5K Benefit Run/Walk which supports Finley's Green Leap Forward, an environmental foundation established by the Broaddus’ late daughter, Finley.

Currently, Old Bust Head produces about a half dozen year-round beers, plus a wide variety of seasonal and limited-run brews in additional to a root beer and several hard seltzers and soda. For more info on the brewery, guest food trucks, and their taproom featuring 48 taps, visit www.oldbusthead.com.