DC Brau Alpha Domina Mellis
Back in January, Norm’s Beer and Wine in Vienna, VA happened to get a keg themselves of DC Brau’s Alpha Domina Mellis. I didn’t know much about it when I first entered the shop, only aware that it was an imperial IPA. Having had the company’s On The Wings of Armageddon (OTWOA) in the past, I felt the need to get a growler fill of this 8.5% ABV and 100 IBU brew.
A blend of Citra, Centennial, Amarillo, Cascade, Columbus and Mosaic hops gets things started for this big brew while 120 pounds of local wildflower honey from Haymarket’s Burnside Farms ands a nice touch of depth. As you can imagine, tropical fruits abound within this murky, amber brew. At the level of IBUs that Alpha Domina Mellis presents, the beer does pack a solid bitterness, but it hits quickly and briefly, fading smoothly to a long lasting tingle on the tongue.
While the single-hop OTWOA was just bout as mind-blowing a beer as you can get, this one doesn’t quite match, but the flavors in brings to the table are outstanding nonetheless. I love the touch of honey in the mix and the hop blend is exactly what you want from a modern imperial IPA — fruit juice-y, biting and potent.