Enough with the short bike rides! I went and put about 40 miles on my bike with a friend, around the north end of Lake Washington to Redmond and the Mac & Jack’s brewery, then over to Kirkland where we hopped on a bus back to Seattle.

Most people think of just one beer when they think of Mac & Jack’s, their African Amber, but they actually have four year-round brews. We missed their fall seasonal, the Cascadian Dark Ale, unfortunately, and their spring, the C U Lator Barley Wine, won’t be ready for a few weeks, yet. D’oh! Supposedly they have a Pale Ale in the works for summer — seems like as good a reason as any to re-visit them.

Crappy photo in the Mac & Jack’s taproom — Redmond, WA

Rob’s Picks
• Serengeti Wheat – Spicy, bready, and a bit hoppy. Nice. Refreshing, especially after a bike ride.
• African Amber – The old standby. Good hoppy finish for an amber. Crisp, very drinkable. Guy working the taproom said it’s dry-hopped.
• Two Tun IPA – Aroma and taste are both very floral. Slight spiciness tempers the floral-ness. Good hoppy bite.
• Blackcat Porter – Nice dry taste and not too heavy. Slight coffee flavor. Good porter.

Should’ve done some other angle in the photo and had the taps in the background or something, but after 30 miles on the bike I wasn’t feeling too creative. Alas. But the guy working there was cool — he let us keep the taster pint glasses, instead of having to shell out $2 a pop. Score!