Baying Hound Aleworks

What a great place to hang out, drink some amazing beer, and meet some interesting people.

We have tried a lot of breweries and I understand that sometimes they are a little off for a while or people have different taste but this brewery is just bad. It may be that the taps were dirty but 4 of the 6 beers we tasted were essentially not drinkable and we didn’t drink them. The other two were mediocre at best. I would skip this one and go to the Gordon Bierch down the street!

I stopped by tonight after looking for the opportunity over several weeks to taste Baying Hound’s brews. I’m an IPA guy, and enjoy a wide variety of beer styles: pale ale, lager, Pilsner, stout, some Belgians. The one thing I can’t take: fruity or sweet beers. I also don’t do well with high alcoholic content beers. I have many memories of home brewers serving me their latest concoction of raspberry saison or honeysuckle kolsch. Undrinkable. And you have to smile and look upward and say ‘hmmmm, interesting, different’.
My experience at Baying Hound was exactly that, but here you are expected to pay because Paul, the very nice, sincere owner, is trying to make a living from this.
They were out of IPA when I arrived. That tells you something: IPAs are good and drinkable, so people drink it.
I tried, I kid you not: Hrotgarmar Viking Ale, Red Rover Hibiscus Ale, Dog Breath Wormwood Ale, and Wild Ass White Stout. Undrinkable. Sour, bitter, fruity, nasty, strange tastes to my palate. When you can go a few miles away to Gilly’s (or many other places within a 20 mile radius) and get Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, Dogfish Head, Lagunitas, Ommegang, New Belgium, Dales, Schlafly, Flying Dog, DC Brau, etc why would I ever do this? Why would I seek out Baying Hound?
I really root for Baying Hound. Paul’s an entrepreneur chasing a dream. He set up a nano brewery in a warehouse bay. He has auto repair shops as neighbors. I want him to win. If he had good beer, this would be THE place to drink and enjoy beer (in addition to Gilly’s). Let’s wish him well in making this happen.

This is my kind of place!
It’s very small, very quiet and casual, in an industrial corridor. But man, is the beer good! I like the smaller settings, you have great conversations with the other patrons and the staff. When I was there, they had a delicious porter and a «viking» beer which was quite good. I loved the beer and the atmosphere.

I had stopped by Baying Hound a couple of times when it was wasn’t open, so was glad to find it humming and get to try it the other night! This is a no frills, industrial environment. The tiny barroom is up front and the nano brewery behind a curtain in back. We tried a flight of their different brews and then had a couple full pulls of our favorites.
The beer is wonderful — not pasteurized or full of chemicals. I lived in Germany for awhile, and these brews reminded me of the purity of beers at German Biergaerten, where I drank for five happy years of no hangovers. Same very high standards and lack of pasteurization (and hangover!) at Baying Hound.
Paul has developed a very creative pallette of nano-​brewed variety, and won awards for his brews.
The atmosphere was casual and friendly. No music or tv. The better to focus on the brews themselves, and a friendly game of «trivial pursuit» with the five other patrons.
I recommend Baying Hound as a treat for those serious about craft brewing, and as an interesting Rockville establishment if you’re in the neighborhood.

Located in a random parking lot a few long blocks from 355, Baying Hound makes you do a double-​take. Here? Oh-​Kay. If the tasting room is packed, it could fit 30 people, and not one more, and if you stray outside into the parking lot with your beer, you are told to retreat back inside. There is a serious 90’s feel, on purpose, a NoFX-​ish Pandora station providing the tunes, and roller-​derby posters on the wall.
Baying Hound brews small-​batch «experimental» beers, and at least one will blow your mind. I had the flight, tried all 6 on tap, and then settled on an Amaretto beer that quickly got old. I prefer my beer to taste like beer — no added flavors needed. Cool vibe, fun neighborhood watering hole, but they don’t really have a classic product I appreciate, and since they change the beers all the time, you’ll never really know what you’re getting into. But I think that’s what they want to do, and if it is, they are nailing it!
I think brewers and will appreciate it, but my palate is self-​admittedly a little behind in appreciating these kind of craft beers.

Just went over there for the first time last night — I’ve been to a lot of local breweries but Baying Hound has a style all its own. A very industrial but laid-​back feel with great people. Had a long conversation with some of the patrons about brewing (I brew mead and kumiss; seems like a lot of customers make their own homebrews as well). Harley (who was tending bar that night) was friendly and knowledgeable about the beers, and I felt well-​taken care of.
As for the beers themselves, there are a few things you need to know before you come in. This is a nanobrewery and very experimental. One of their contest beers was on tap last night and featured honey, pear and jalapeño (delicious, but not what you’d expect if you’re walking in unprepared). They have six beers on tap at any one time, and rotate these out frequently – they brew in small batches and once it’s gone it’s on to the next style. You can get a flight of all six for $ 8. The other big thing to know in advance: they brew unfiltered beers and they brew them in the English tradition. That means low carbonation and not served ice-​cold (not warm, but not half frozen either). Personally, I love this as it lets you notice the complex flavors at work here. That said, those used to American– or German-​style beers may be slightly put-​off if you’re not expecting it. The people on here writing negative reviews over that, however, have no excuse: they make it very clear from the outset that that’s what you’re getting.
In conclusion: if you want to try something different and a little off-​the-​wall, brewed by people who obviously care about their work, this is your place. Seems like even the regulars are getting something new all the time. If you know exactly what you like and you want to get the same thing you get from any other local brewery, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Since I’m squarely in the first camp, I think it’s safe to say I’ll be a regular patron of Baying Hound Aleworks.

Should be $$. $ 6 per pint of flat, bizarre mixture, home brew, really? These guys will not make it with a poor product and poor service. Realistically, I give this ZERO STARS. Don’t waste your money. Go back to your basement/​garage and start over. «Brewmaster» should be called an «Apprentice».

Came here a little after 9 last night with my girlfriend. I immediately fell in love with it. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere made me feel right at home. It may be in a storage space, but it has a lot of heart and warm vibe. We both ordered flights. Our mutual favorite was the Scooby Snacks lingonberry chocolate stout. The Sit, Down, Stay IPA was a little low on carbonation, but it still had a good taste. Paul, the owner, was very hospitable and charming. He came out just to talk with us about the establishment. I ended up talking with him for a good ½ hour or more. He gave us a mini tour of the whole operation and regaled us with stories and anecdotes. If my growler wasn’t already full, I definitely would have filled it there. I ended up walking out with a shirt and 2 pint glass. We’re definitely going to come back for more!

Hate to give one star, but I only liked one of their 8 beers, the brown ale. Their beers are all low carbonation, almost flat. Prices are high for this type of outlet, 6 bucks for a pint or $ 8 for beers that are over 8 abv. Our growler was only ²⁄₃ full due to CO2 problems and they were supposed to take $ 2 off. After checking my bill, they did not deduct it. No water, poor service, and lack of knowledge of their beers.

Coolest «bar» I’ve ever been to. It’s basically a storage warehouse with some stools in it. They’re working on remodeling soon, but I like the dive feel. Bring a jacket if they have the bay open. Get a flight or two for only $ 8 each. They sell bottled water and they have a bowl of chips and candy like you’re at the Red Cross donation center. There is a fully stocked bathroom and the artwork is really unique. We ended up watching South Park and listening to music on YouTube. Very cool.

I went here for a tasting one night with my boyfriend. They have a interesting style of beer that was cool to try. It’s a really low key place. When we arrived I wasn’t sure if we were at the right place, it almost looks like they’re renting out a huge garage. The people were really friends but I just thought that their beers were okay. Its not expensive and you can try a variety but nothing to rave about.
They said they have events here sometimes which I thought was interesting. I would definitely try some of their beers again, but not sure if I’d come by the brewery. More like a one time trip type thing.

Baying House Aleworks (BHA) is located in a slightly older industrial park area of Rockville. I admit to driving by 2 – 3 times before we finally pulled into the parking lot. I was really excited to try out their beer as I’m a huge advocate of local breweries, no matter how big or small they are.
The best way for me to describe the BHA brewery is this: Picture one of those small storage lockers on the show «Storage Wars»…the smallest storage lockers that not many people like to bid on. That’s the size of BHA. You literally step out of your car into the brewery. The opening of the brewery… I’m just going to call it a garage has a small homemade bar for visitors.
That day the person pouring the beers was quite chatting (in a good way) as he was boisterously talking about how much he loved the BHA beer and the different tasting notes of each brew. All of the beer was dispenses via kegs for all patrons to enjoy. We had bought the LivingSocial «tour» which the guy admitted, «Feel free to look around and ask questions. There’s no formal tour but we can answer any questions you have.»
Because of the small size, I pretty much saw everything when I first stepped into the garage, so I opted to begin tasting the available beer. That day they had the following on tap. The first beer that was presented was supposed to be a dark malty brew, the name escaped me for one reason… it was sour like a lambic.
It didn’t taste right so I opted to move onto the Kolsch. Same sourness.
The pale ale, also sour. Hmmm… maybe it’s the keg lines and the little bar set-​up that was making all their beers taste sour.
I took home three of their 22oz bottles to try at home:
— Kolsch
— IPA
— Pale Ale
As soon as I arrived home I popped all three bottles into my beer fridge with plans to try them a few days later after they had a chance to chill and the yeast had a chance to settle to the bottom (BHA doesn’t filter their beer and naturally carbonates their beer).
The day came and I whipped out a nice beer glass. First beer I opened up was the Kolsch. It poured a bit cloudy, but being unfiltered it’s somewhat expected, so I thought nothing of the color. The smell however was a bit off. Still, I took a sip and immediately headed to the sink to spit it out. The flavor was sour and off putting… Ick.
I poured the remaining contents of my glass and the Kolsch bottle into the sink. Rinsing out my glass and drying it, I popped open the IPA. Sour… and oddly enough any hoppy aroma and flavor was overtaken by the strong sour flavor of the beer. This bottle too went down the sink.
Okay, so they were 2 for three… the third bottle had to be good. Right? Again, I rinse out my glass and poured some of the pale ale into my glass. WTF!!! Sour… beyond lambic sour!
How could all three beers have that same «off» sour flavor? There was no distinct aroma or flavor between these beers… they all had that same sour flavor that happens when some bacteria has taken over and changed the flavor or your beer. As a homebrewer, this is the kind of thing I’m scared of whenever brewing my beer… and for this reason I keep all my equipment, materials and brewing supplies very clean.
I did think back to the BHA set-​up and remember the place being quite dusty and a bit dingy. Is I stared at the three empty bottles, I wondered if all of their beer was infected to the point of becoming some sort of lambic type brew…
After reading that they’ve received an award in 2011 from the DC Bocce League for their Lord Wimsey’s Mild Pale Ale (tied with Porty City’s Essential Pale Ale), I considered giving them another try. Then, I also saw some of their brews at my local Total Wine… again, I wanted to give them another chance… but the thought of that odd sour flavor completely changed my mind.
I’d rather save my money to fill my growler at one of the many great VA area breweries.

Three of us visited this nanobrewery on a Sunday afternoon and had a great time. We got a tour of the small brewery, which was actually quite informative and interesting. Sampled some of their brews on tap, which were quite good, and bought a few bottles to take home. The folks there were very friendly and nice people to talk to. This brewery is still rather fledgling, and I hope they succeed.
If you like good ales, some of them creative («pumperstiltston» tasted like pumpernickle bread), this is definitely a place to stop by and give it a try.

3.5 stars!
What do you get when the owner is «that guy» mixed with a rented garage and a dash of a real hound dog in Rockville??? Beer, good stories and a lot of dust! There’s nothing great about the beer, the place hasn’t been cleaned since they moved in, the «bar» is falling apart and the owner was both hung-​over and wasted when we arrived… sounds like the makings of a good time to me!
Had a LivingSocial deal or something for ‘tour’ and tasting. The place is so tiny that the ‘tour’ was more of an arm sweep over his shoulder, and we settled in for our tasting. The owner is living his dream! I mean, he’s living every man’s dream! He decided, after years in a job he hated, to open his own brewery! He’s credentials… he worked in the food industry and brewed his own beer for years! Follow you dream… hell ya… bring your dog and name your company after him! These are the type of businesses I love to support. He’s product is not bad, but you can feel his soul in every batch of brew! Rock on!!!

Small, hot, and gross. Just sayin’. Beer made me sick to my stomach… Nice peeps tho, defiantly a chill place. Now if only I liked the beer…

For now, this brewery is as close to a homebrew operation as you can find. It is currently being run out of a small warehouse area in Rockville. The warehouse is split between a bar area with room for 7 or 8 stools and the brewing area. Most of the space is for brewing and storage of the essential beer making ingredients. Behind the bar are three taps with whatever they feel like putting back there at the time (when we went it was a Lemongrass and Ginger Beer, an Abbey Ale, and a Double IPA).
Tours are offered on an hourly basis on the weekends and it looked like maybe during the week by reservation. For $ 5 the tour consists of one of the two guys who runs the operation showing you the equipment they use and then chatting with you over samples of the three beers they have on tap. We had a living social deal so we were also able to take home two bottles (an IPA and a Kolsch). The brewer seemed pretty knowledgeable about the brewing process and was extremely friendly. After talking to a few of the homebrewers in our group he was even nice enough to crack open a bottle of Coffee Stout. It was lucky for us that he did because it turned out to be everyone’s favorite.
In my opinion the beer was sort of mediocre (I haven’t tried the IPA yet though). It could be that it just wasn’t to my taste but I don’t think anyone in our group was overly impressed. But for $ 5 it’s worth going and taking a try for yourself.

Don’t expect anything fancy, but do expect good beer.
Husband took me here over the weekend, and while we thought we were lost in a residential neighborhood for a while, destined to find this brewery in someone’s garage, we actually did find it, kind of in someone’s warehouse/​garage.
Paul was the only one there, but there were three guys there drinking. He offered us the $ 5 tour (walk in, look around, you’ve had the tour), then we proceeded to drink and shoot the shit with Paul and the locals. He offered pretzels and water as well (which was good for me as the driver).
There is a little «bar» that seats about 6 – 7 people, and a booth that could fit 4 – 6. It’s not huge by any means, and definitely a relaxed, «my buddies started a brewery» kind of place, which means it’s comfortable, welcoming, and you could probably sit there for hours and not realize it.
We walked out of there with a growler and three 22s, so I have to say it was pretty darn good.

Great beers, when we visited he was trying out new hops for his IPA and they were both good, as was the stout and local award winning «Mild IPA».
The place is hard to find, in a machine shop type small bay of an industrial park building. This is a true nano, with several hobby size fermenters. The brewer said he is thinking of going to a 10BBL system. The bar tasting area is literally next to the brewing area, and consists of a homemade keezer, and a corney keg and CO2 bottle sitting out with a tap handle on it.
The brewer is a great guy to talk to.
The bad news is that the place is filthy.

What would it look like if one of your friends decides to go into the beer brewing business? Well if your imagination has been burnt out from all the TV that you’re watching, then swing by the Baying Hound Aleworks to see what a starter brewing company looks like.
Go to their website or call their number to schedule a tour of their brewery which pretty much requires you to stand in one spot to see all of their equipment.
But you do get to just talk beer with the brewer of Baying Hound Aleworks.
It’s just refreshing to see that a brewery is starting in Rockville, MD.