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Contributed by Brian Artis
THE CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA and surrounding area is often considered to be the most important wine making region in Virginia. With such well known vineyards as Kluge Estate, Pollak, and Barboursville, this argument is pretty easy to make. However, nestled quietly among these great vineyards is a small craft brewery known as Starr Hill.
Starr Hill is currently located in the small town of Crozet, just outside Charlottesville, but Master Brewer Mark Thompson's dream began in 1999 in a small historic storefront on Main Street in downtown Charlottesville. The growing demand for Starr Hill beer was the reason for relocation to a larger facility in 2005. The name Starr Hill comes from a local neighborhood in Charlottesville and the brewery once shared its space with the legendary Starr Hill Music Hall. It was during this time that local beer aficionados, musicians, and music fans discovered how good Starr Hill's beers were.
I met Mark Thompson about two years ago during a training class at a restaurant where I use to tend bar. The reason for Mark's visit was to give us a Beer 101 style training session. We served Starr Hill Amber Ale at that time, so Mark didn't just tell us about beer, but he gave us a crash course on his beer. Like many craft brewers, Mark's enthusiasm about all things beer is boundless. It was easy to see that he put his heart and soul into every bottle. Mark likes to call his brewing philosophy Beer Minimalism. The idea is to make very well-defined styles of beer and consistently practice the art of making them. He employs a brewing style known as 3-2-1. Craft brewers everywhere are familiar with this style. To the non-craft and non-home brewer, it translates to three malts, two hops and one yeast. It's a very simple technique, but if you've had Starr Hill beer, then you know that in this case, simple is good.
These days, Starr Hill produces several different brews. Among them are Jomo Lager, Amber Ale, Dark Starr Stout, The Love, Pale Ale, Northern Lights The Gift, and Festie. They are all very good, but there is no need to take my word for it. At last count, they've received 15 medals from competitions around the world, including six Gold Medals from the Great American Beer Festival.
Starr Hill is available locally, so I was able to find a few of them to taste for this post. I've had them in the past, but I wanted to have a fresh perspective. Besides, is there ever a bad time to do a beer tasting? I liked them all, but I chose just three to review. First is the Pale Ale. This English style pale ale is orange in color with copper highlights. The nose is malty and hoppy with a hint of citrus. It's very well balanced. The palate is hoppy with a little citrus. It's finish is dry, but you definitely recall the malt and hops. It's very drinkable and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Dark Starr Stout was next in the queue. This Irish Dry Stout is dark brown and develops an impressive head when poured into a pint glass. The nose has lots of malt, hops, wood, and smoke with the tiniest hint of molasses. It tastes delicious. There is lots of malt, coffee, smoke, and hops. It's really light for a stout and very reminiscent of Guinness in that it's light, smooth and flavorful. You can drink several without feeling like you've eaten a hearty meal. It's very well-made and very drinkable.
Since it's almost summer time, I thought that I'd finish with The Love, a Hefeweizen or wheat beer. It has a pale yellow to golden color with light carbonation. It smells great. There is malt and oats at first, but then you sense clove and banana. The anticipation caused by these aromas is definitely rewarded. This medium-bodied beer is slightly sweet with fruit characteristics at mid-palate that finishes very cleanly. It is very refreshing and very drinkable. I will no doubt keep The Love on hand for the dog days of summer that are right around the corner.
So, there you have it -- Starr Hill untapped. One of my favorite phrases of all time is think globally, drink locally. Starr Hill makes practicing this philosophy very easy. Their award winning selection of beers is just as good as beers from around the world with the added bonus of being available at my local beer outlets and restaurants. I'm also a fan of supporting local craft brewers whenever possible. So, if you've never tried Starr Hill, what are you waiting for? As always, when enjoying a frosty cold Dark Starr Stout, Amber Ale, Jomo Lager or any of the other fine brews from Starr Hill, please drink responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!
 Starr Hill Brewery
5391 Three Notched Rd.
Crozet, VA 22932
434-823-5671
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