The ferry schedule from Sidney, BC, to Anacortes didn’t include a bike-friendly stop in Friday Harbor, so I went with the sailing that got me back into Washington state around 2pm, rather than squeeze in some biking time in the San Juans. After disembarking, I immediately pedaled to the Rockfish Grill, home to the Anacortes Brewery, where I had a late lunch and a beer sampler.

Anacortes Brewery sampler at the Rockfish Grill — Anacortes, WA

Rob’s Picks
• Pilsner – Light, with a bit of bitterness, a bit of breadiness. Somewhat creamy mouthfeel. Slight sweetness.
• IPA – Good mix of floral and citrus hoppiness and bitterness. Pretty crisp. Bit of malty balance.
• Rye IPA – Sweet caramel flavor, some floral hoppiness, bitter finish. Good strong rye throughout.
• Darkside IPA – Light brown in color. Smooth, less carbonation. Good bitterness with caramel finish. Quite drinkable.
• X – 10th Anniversary Imperial IPA – Reminds me of a strong Belgian trippel. Really smooth, with strong flavors: caramel, alcohol, malt. Good strong bitterness.

The Rest
• Vienna – Creamy and mellow, with subtle banana/clove flavor. Fairly sweet, with a bit of an alcohol edge.
• Porter – Slightly creamy. Coffee/chocolate flavors with some caramel sweetness zing. Pretty good, but kind of standard.

My obsessive note-taking has paid off — I’d stopped by a year before en route to a friend’s wedding on Orcas Island but only had enough time to try the X before getting in line for the ferry. Now those old scribbles have finally seen the light of blogdom. Yes!