The second stop we made in Frederick was at another brewpub called Barley and Hops.  This location was not nearly as charming as Brewer’s Alley as it was located in a strip mall just outside of town. Staring at a Target, doesn’t do much for ambiance.

The beers here were decent though and once inside it was warm, cozy, and packed with people. The beers here also had great names based on Maryland landmarks and history. I always enjoy it when brewers give beer good unusual names.

We started with the Catoctin Clear Lager. For those that don’t know, the Catoctins are the mountains located just outside of Frederick. This was a pretty nondescript tasting and smelling beer with a good name. Unfortunately, this was too much like Budweiser for me. However, I am pretty sure that Bud fans would go for this one.

Lunch Break Brown was also a pretty nondescript beer. I didn’t get any nuttiness in the taste and really only got a slightly toasted and hop flavor.

FSK (i.e., Francis Scott Key– the guy who wrote the Star Spangled Banner) was a solid IPA. It had good hop flavor and a light hop nose.

Tuscarora Red was another beer that was not my favorite. It seemed way too sweet to me. You got overwhelming sweetness on each taste and only a hint of a toasted malt that should be evident in a red.

Schifferstadt Stout was a solid stout with good coffee flavors. This stout was a bit on the too sweet side for me too.

Snallygaster Dark Ale was by far my favorite here.  This had good solid hop flavors along with the coffee flavors from the dark malt. I think this was what my home brewed beer was supposed to taste like.

While at Barley and Hops, I also tried one of the guest taps, a Scotch Ale from DC Brau. This didn’t have much of a nose and tasted a bit too sweet and a lot like toffee. I hear great things about this brewery though. I might have to check them out next time I am in town.