My wife got good news today. Navigate Chiropractic is trimming her schedule down to two days a week, which is a good thing. They’ve done so much to relieve her back pain, and I’m so thankful. So, to celebrate my wife’s victory we thought we’d drink a little…and maybe eat some dinner. So, just a couple miles down the road from their office is the Tampa Bay Brewing Company (TBBC). I previously wrote about their Gingy Imperial Porter but this ups their game a notch. Let’s check it out.
TBBC describes this beer as “our beloved Dixie Dirt barrel-aged in Woodford Reserve barrels.” Dixie Dirt (2018) pours coffee black with a thick caramel head that leaves a nice lacing. Swirling the beer in the glass reinvigorates the head for a bit, which is a nice touch. It stays longer than most after swirling, which I appreciate.
Aroma is sweet bourbon with a touch of vanilla. I like this already, and I haven’t had a taste yet. It has a medium mouthfeel…man I wish it was thicker, but I always strive for that syrupy stout. There’s coffee mixed with the bourbon sweetness at first. Damn, that’s tasty. As it warms there’s a wave of dark chocolate on the back end which makes me want to drink another one. Unfortunately, this beer is heavy, so only one in the cards tonight. Seems highly carbonated, which adds some bitterness to the tongue. This tastes very similar to BA Bonafide from 4 Hands Brewing in St Louis. Uncanny how similar these beers are! However, I like Dixie Dirt a lot, but it’s heavy so be careful.
TBBC serves excellent food so if you get a chance to go check them out, do so. I had the blackened shrimp, which was amazing. My wife had the beer cheese soup, which was decadent. She also had a New England IPA and it was really nice as well. Cool atmosphere, and on this night, an excellent beverage.
Beer Stats
- ABV: 12%
- Untappd Rating: 3.85
- # of Ratings: 82
