Tuesday 2nd of October 2012 04:27:55 PM

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Nelson County VA has a wonderful beer and wine trail following Route 151 along the eastern base of the Blue Ridge mountains. For craft beer hunters, there are four major stops including Blue Mountain Brewery, Wild Wolf Brewing, Devil's Backbone Basecamp, and Blue Mountain Barrel House. Along this 31 mile trail there is also Blue Toad Pub, Bold Rock Cidery, and several wineries. I highly recommend exploring this scenic region.

When I visited Bold Rock in summer 2012, the Cidery was only a couple of months old, but the quality of their two ciders was mature and excellent. Their paved entrance winds through trees, crosses a stone bridge, and yields to a gravel driveway and lot. There are two red wooded buildings with steel corrugated roofs. Their tasting room consists of a small wooden bar in the corner of their production warehouse. The place is very clean and organized, and has a relaxed atmosphere. By next summer they plan to build a new house and tasting room on the nearby hill. The owners are extremely friendly and warm, and are happy to share samples. They have two ciders (both 4.7% abv): crisp yellow Virginia Apple, and darker brown Virginia Draft, both of which I thought were very good. They are also planning to produce two versions of sparkling cider that have wine-like characteristics. Bold Rock Cidery is charmingly rural, but professionally produces delicious ciders. I think this place will do well, and adds excellent variety to the Blue Ridge beer trail.