Pilot by day, brewer by night, Dan O'Leary, along with his wife Heather, are the duo behind DUO Brewing. Conceived in Minnesota but born in Puyallup, Washington, this nano-brewery came to life in 2011. I had the privilege of spending a few hours with Dan last week talking shop about beer, brewing, and the industry in general.
Seeing their beers on tap around town, but having not tried them yet, I was intrigued by the line up Dan had created. As a hophead, I immediately inquired about their lack of a flagship IPA. Dan's answer was poignant. With so many IPAs on the market, why make another one? Does he like IPAs? Of course. But Dan's expertise with brewing goes beyond just making something that everyone else does. He diversifies himself with Belgians, Porters, Wheats, and barrel aged treasures. After trying a sample of his Earth & Wind American Wheat, I was convinced that he was on to something great. I don't reach for wheat beers. Usually, they tend to be a bit too bready and bland for me. DUO's Wheat was smooth with a hint of citrus; no lemon was needed to flavor it. I could have enjoyed pints of that beauty all day long. I didn't even miss the lack of hoppiness...shhhh, don't tell anyone.
Noticing a few Woodinville Whisky barrels in the corner, I asked about the barrel aging process. As a homebrewer, I hadn't tried that technique and wanted to know how Dan's beers fared with that aging process. He let me try his Scotch ale prior to barrel aging. Dark and crisp, it pleased my palette. Then, I tried the Rye Whisky Aged Scotch Ale; the same beer, just in the barrel. Wow. Smooth with hints of rye spiciness, the barrel had mellowed out the malt and added a woody tone.
With a brew day of my own to attend to, I eventually stopped monopolizing Dan's morning and let him get back to work. The popularity of his brews has kept him quite busy, playing catch up on the days he isn't working. Watching Dan's eyes light up when talking about his brewery, his passion for the craft was evident. And passion equals great beer.
Find out where DUO is on tap at duobrewing.com.
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