June 9, 2009
I’ve been frequenting this place for several years now. The staff is always helpful. The recommendations are fantastic. Norm is always willing to put you down on the list for an upcoming limited release and hold beer for you. No complaints here.

May 20, 2009
This place is truly a find. The staff was wonderful as they went out of their way to help find the brands I was looking for. Their recommendations were outstanding and they truly knew their product. Definitely my stop from now on.

February 25, 2009 [ Updated March 9, 2009 ]
This is the best beer store in the greater D.C. area as far as I’m concerned. Nice selection, and the staff is generally friendly and knowledgeable, and willing to talk beer. Plus, they do bulk discounts on 6 or more singles or 6 or more 6 packs.

February 14, 2009
Through the unrelenting hell of NOVA to get here. Tucked away in the corner of a strip-mall, I think one of the nicest things about Norms is the ambiance: pleasant, woody wine store vibe. Plenty of room to move around, with cases, shelves, and bottles everywhere. The service was quite friendly, and not intrusive. And they have some nice discounts available. I confess to being a bit disappointed with the selection. The Belgians were fairly perfunctory, with some Gouden Carolus, Chouffe, and other major players but nothing especially quirky or rare. Much the same with micros (I actually didn’t see any Scandinavians at all, though there appeared to be a good representation of German and British beers). Lots of regional coverage from Troegs, et. al. Not many bombers, compared to sixers everywhere. Some Stone, a couple Southern Tier, 1 Smutty, but a bit of a letdown all things considered.

October 30, 2008 [ Updated January 21, 2009 ]
Traffic isn’t too fun to get here, but it is worth it. Although the singles selection isn’t quite up to the levels of Heritage, Zipps, or Cellars back in MN, it is still very good. Prices were reasonable, as I was able to make my own 6 pack for under $15, and the man that was working there was friendly and let me break up a 6 pack. I will definitely be back. Update: I’ve found Norm’s to be significantly more expensive than other beer stores in the area. Selection is excellent, but I have also found places with comparable, if not better, selection as well. Worth a stop, but perhaps not the best store in the area, as I had once thought.

September 2, 2008
Norm’s is a solid place that typically has a selection that cannot be found in Total WIne or Whole Foods, such as Oaked Arrogant Bastard. Prices are good and once they get to know you the special bottles make the weekly trips to the store worth it. Many of my top prizes in my beer collection have come from Norm’s, so highly recommended for those hard-to-find bottles.

August 17, 2008
I am from NJ, so maybe I am missing something here? The selection at Norm’s was significantly lacking. The beer selection was extremely small, and everything they did have could easily be foundat almost any decent liquor store in NJ. I wonder did they once have a much larger selection? I must say that I left extremely disappointed.

April 20, 2008 [ Updated April 21, 2008 ]
Since I’m from another state I may be giving Norm’s a slightly higher score than I would if I lived in Virginia, as the selection consisted of lots of beers I can’t get back in Wisconsin, which made the place feel fresh and exciting. Unfortunately, many of the interesting/hard-to-find beers weren’t broken out into singles (strangely sessionable beers that could easily be sold in six packs like Shock Top White and Hop Sun were sold as singles), so I didn’t get to try all the beers I wanted to. And with the wide variety that Norm’s offered, selecting two multi-packs wasn’t very easy. But, overall, the experience was a good one and had I been spending more time in Virginia I would have certainly stopped back in on another beer run.

January 10, 2008
Now I know how the Israelites felt when they came out of the desert and saw the Promised Land for the first time. Northern Virginia has some great beer bars and decent selections at Whole Foods and Total Wine, but none of them compare with NBW. The only place in NOVA where you can get a good selection of singles, and easily the best selection of craft beers and imports around. I also like the 10 percent discount for a mixed case, and they always have some special beers behind the counter for sale. They have a huge seasonal rack with at least a dozen of the seasonal beers. I love the place so much I have an NBW magnet on my car!

November 26, 2007
Glad I took the quick drive out here yesterday. Easy and closer than I would have thought. Great prices overall and a pretty nice selection. Great selection of Bells in 6 packs and pretty damn nice prices. Expedition for $3 a bottle or $14 for a 6 pack ain’t bad if you ask me. Somewhat decent Belgian selection. Nice calm mellow atmosphere. Well organized and nice to see seasonal selections prominently featured.