Taylor Smack has been the brew master since day one, but was previously at the helm of Goose Island Breweries in Chicago, and spent 6 years as head brewer at South Street Brewery in Charlottesville, Virginia. His good education (at Chicago's Siebel Institute) and experience are apparent when you take a sip of his handcrafted beers.

The signatures on tap (and in the bottle or keg) are the Classic Lager which is brewed with imported Pilsner and Vienna malts, noble hops, and like all of their beers, their own deep-drawn well water. The beer is crisp and clean with more aromatics and body that your typical lager.

The Kolsch 151 is a light German-style ale that has been treated more like a lager, undergoing cold aging which makes it a clean, crisp beer using Vienna and Pilsen malts to achieve a flavor subtly different than the classic lager.

The Full Nelson is their pale ale and packs plenty of hops. Served in a can and a bottle, this is one of the most popular beers around! It has a good balance of malts and hops without being too over-the-top for a pale ale, which can sometimes taste too bitter. This beer often runs out of stock, as they can't seem to brew it fast enough.

On a recent visit to the brewery, I enjoyed one (or a few) of their seasonal selections only available in growlers or on tap, called Evan Altmighty. It is brewed in honor of Taylor and his wife's new son, Evan, and is made in the style of a Dusseldorf originating from the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. It is similar to a kolsch but has a deeper copper color and a hoppy dryness to back up the malty undertones.

On tap right now, they also have two serious winter brews: Long Winter's Nap which clocks in at 12% alcohol (hence the name), and Dark Hollow, which is a bourbon barrel-aged stout.

Aside from growing their own hops, brewing delicious local beers, and having a subtle but nice ambience, the brewery also serves pizzas, sandwiches, and appetizers which include products from numerous Nelson County farmers . They also have live music on occasion, and when the weather is warmer it is a real delight to sip a cold one whilst staring up at the Blue Ridge Mountains from the patio.