The first brewery visit of Bike Tour 2012. The ride into Port Angeles from Sequim on the Olympic Discovery Trail was pretty awesome, although the strong headwind got old quickly. All the folks biking east were smiling, however. The last stretch that takes you into town is right along the water — a much more scenic entry to Port Angeles than on Highway 101. Really very pretty — almost made up for the headwind. My original plan was to follow the Waterfront Trail all the way to the end of Ediz Hook, but by the time I reached the downtown area, I was too hungry and thirsty for that kind of completist stubbornness. Instead I snarfed down some happy hour fish tacos and a pint at the Next Door Gastropub (no Fathom & League on tap, unfortunately), then walked around the corner to the Barhop Brewing taproom.

Sampler flight at Barhop Brewing — Port Angeles, WA

Rob’s Picks
• Redneck Logger Pale Ale – 5.4% – Somewhat sweet, pretty crisp, slight lemon/breadiness.  Drinkable and refreshing.
• PA 7 Pale Ale – 7% – Interesting — kind of lager-y. Slight alcohol flavor, bit of honey sweetness. Subtle hoppy bite. Slightly spicy on the tongue.
• FnA IPA – 6.2% – Citrus aroma. Good strong citrus hoppiness, but not a flavor blast — it builds up. Bit of an alcohol edge. Pretty light on the tongue. Almost creamy, but also almost watery — unfiltered aspect balances it out, though.

The Rest
• Loser Dog Summer Brown Ale – 6.1% – Definitely a brown, with some coffee notes. Really light on the tongue, interestingly enough. Sweet roasty maltiness with some honey flavor. I’d prefer the Redneck Logger as my summer beer, though.

Friendly folks in the taproom, and they have a decent little bottle selection of other Washington beers, as well as a tap for their friends at Dungeness Brewing. The production brewery, which is currently located just outside of town, will be combining with the taproom and moving to a brand new location a couple blocks away. The woman working there said it’d happen in September, but these things always seem to take longer than expected — I’ll keep my fingers crossed for them. Next time I’m in Port Angeles I’ll definitely check in and see what’s new.