February 2009 - On the road to the Wintergreen resort, this is a beautiful building erected just for this brewery. We went on a slow weekday afternoon, so our service was very attentive and friendly. The menu is relatively standard pub fare with a few unique twists on old favorites -- we shared a hummus pizza and some soup, both of which were outstanding. We tried a total of 5 beers between us and all were well made, ’inside the box’ offerings. You have to mean to be out in this part of Virginia, but if you find yourself out there, definitely stop by! Brewery #468

Visited several times since they opened this fall. The building itself is constructed from pieces of old tobacco barns and other farm structures. The many stuffed animals add to the rustic ski lodge theme which is unsurprising given its proximity to the ski resort. The beer selection is updated frequently and new beers have become available on a sometimes weekly basis. Well worth a visit if you find yourself in the mountains of Virginia.

This Brewpub was visited on my wife’s birthday. It is located on the access road to the ski area Wintergreen The food was good. TV ’s were positioned well to eat and watch college games on Saturday. The outside tables had a super view of the Virginia Mountains. I had two of their beers. I look forward to future visits. Many of their beers have won medals in national competions.

Stopped in this place with yourefragile on our way from DC down to Winstom-Salem for the Barrel-Aged Sexual Chocolate release. Kind of out in the middle of nowhere, though the area is beautiful. Also impressive that there are three breweries in close proximity to one another here. First off, the parking lot is massive and consists of a gravel circle with more than enough room. Ahead is a nice amphitheater, which I assume is used for concerts. Once we got inside, there was a band playing off to the left. Nothing too loud, and fairly enjoyable. Nice hunting lodge theme throughout the place, though quite tastefully done. The brewing equipment is viewable behind the bar, where we sat down. Good service from the start. The place was quite busy, but the bartender did a good job coming back to us. As would be expected, plenty of German-style lagers on the menu. No surprise, as Jason excels here. Food menu was pretty diverse. There were approximately 10 beers on tap, with 4 regulars and then 6 or so new beers. The food was pretty good and at a reasonable price. I also loved the fact that they had multiple types of branded glassware -- pints, tulips, and weizen glasses. Very cool vibe at this place. I will definitely return the next time I’m headed down that way.

The address listed above, if it says Patrick Henry Highway, is technically not correct, but it is the best way to find the place via mapping software. The brewery itself is behind a Ski Barn with a very blue roof. If you are coming from the North, watch out as it is easy to miss the turn. Big place, with the brewery clearly visible behind the bar, lots of wood and other touches, much of which is made from recycled material. Not all the beer was ready opening day, but the five available were all drinkable and three of those were very nice. Food was tasty. Prices reasonable. Service was friendly, but not too terribly knowledgeable about the beer, but this can be forgiven on opening day. They have 2-3 guest taps dedicated to other Virginia beers at all times, which is cool. Absolutely beautiful surroundings. This is a very cool place, and one that I will be visiting time and time again.

5/5/09... one that I HAVE visited time and time again!

I see I haven’t updated this in a couple of years, so I shall now. Behind Beer Run, this is the beer place I visit more than any other, even if its a good 45 minute drive each way from my house. I’ve had every beer they’ve produced, or very close to that. If they’ve made a beer I haven’t had, I’m not aware of it. Wide range of beers, there are of course ups and downs but the overall quality of the beer is high and standouts are common. The food is always good as well. Lots of local stuff, and the meat smoked on premises is simply astounding. The place where their popularity affects them negatively is customer service which can vary quite a bit, though the bar staff is generally very good. I’ve gotten to know Jason the brew-master and he’s a cool guy. I originally rated this a 78. I expect that’ll be going up a fair bit in the next few minutes. Once Bold Rock Cider opens about a mile up the road, this 13 mile stretch from Blue Mountain down to DBBC will feature three breweries, a cidery, a meadery, a beer bar and a bunch of wineries. Not too shabby for rural old Nelson County.

Something like a 45 minute drive from Charlottesville, but worth making the trip out for the beer and food, especially the beer. The service can be a bit hit and miss at times, but if you get a good server then everything is just perfect. Given the talents of the brewing team, there is always something worth drinking on tap, and there session beers are worth guzzling many a gallon of. Beyond the service issue, the only problem with Devils Backbone is that they don’t have a pub in Charlottesville!

the place is out on its own in a good looking stretch of country. I liked the place as soon as i saw the outside and liked it even better on the inside. the food is good and the beers are better than decent. the service is hopping even on a really busy Saturday. Sat on the rockers a few of us and just took in the sun. nice place, friendly locals.

Good, but not wonderful food, good and a couple of very good brews, al lserved in a comfortable setting. The surrounding scenery is enough to make a trip there worth the effort, even if you don’t like beer.

Headed on down to the Devils Backbone from a house we were staying at the Wintergreen resort area. There is a lot of parking - probably far more parking than the actual brewpub could ever support, lots of space. Place was fairly crowded but we were able to sit in a nice fireplace and space heater heated covered outdoor area. Servers were very chipper, and easy to talk with.

Lots of beers available from them, so it was good to be able to try many of their brewpub only brews. Food came out pretty promptly. Burger was HUGE, so it made up for the slightly over-salted (at least for me) fries that came with them.

Went there a second time two days later and the place was busy, even for roughly 4:00pm, but still got seated immediately in the covered patio. Service was quick. One addendum to this that other reviewers have noted - no one in the group of 8 (both with Verizon and AT&T) had cell signals. It’s dead. There isn’t any free wi-fi available, something that at least Wild Wolf provided just down the street. Not a deal breaker, but virtually impossible to check-in or write reviews on the fly when there.

Visited here when staying with friends on a relaxing trip. Tried several of the local favorites and was quite pleased. We sat on the patio area and the smell of garbage was swirling the air. This didn’t bother me as much a some. The beer was pretty good, the food was average or slightly above and the bar inside was quite nice for such a rural nook of the eastern seaboard. All in all, I say the place was nice enough to revisit. Especially since, its the only damn thing in Roseland that resembles a decent beer joint.