After stumbling across the Lake Trail Taproom of 192 Brewing (they update their facebook page much more regularly) while biking the Burke-Gilman in May 2012, I periodically stopped in to try and taste their beer. Sometimes they would have one available, sometimes not — regardless, they always had a good selection of other Washington micros on tap. Finally, though, on the scenic but freezing ride home from Bellevue Brewing over the north end of Lake Washington, Jonny and I decided to take a break here, hoping to warm up, and found three 192 beers available. That brought me up to five, plenty enough for me to write up a post. Some handy things to know about 192: The number comes from the square footage of the brewery, a detached garage at the owner’s house. The owner/brewer seems to really like that sour mash flavor in his beers — they all have it to some extent. If you’re into that, then you’ll love the 192 beers. If you’re not, well, there’s a good selection of other micros on tap. Lastly, while hanging out at the Taproom, you have a decent chance of meeting the mayor of Kenmore — he’s a 192 fan. (At least, during my first visit, a guy there claimed to be the mayor of Kenmore, and I don’t know why anybody would think to do that unless they actually were.)

192 Brewing’s Lake Trail Taproom with adjoining beer garden — Kenmore, WA

Rob’s Picks
• 10 Hop IPA – Pretty malty IPA, but smooth and drinkable. Bit of floral hoppiness and some bitterness on the tail end. Bit of sour mash undertone.
• Lemon Blackberry Ale – Tart berry flavors with underlying sourness. Not too sweet, not too tart. Light and summery.

The Rest
• Hop’n Mad Red – Odd. Mix of caramel and berry flavors. Light and bubbly.
• Winter Wheat – Sweet caramel/toffee start, very light on the tongue, no breadiness, and that sour mash undertone. Flavors kind of break down on the finish.
• Shticky Blonde – 6% – A little watery, a little bit bready, with an underlying sour mash edge. Slight lemon and honey flavors, and a bit of a bitter finish. Fairly complex, actually, but in an odd way.

What else to say? They have a huge garden area that is a pleasant place to sit and drink a beer during the summer months (especially during a bike ride to or from one of the many Woodinville breweries), and it just might be the most happening place in Kenmore. [On a side note, this now catches me up on my 2012 breweries. Progress! Next, a bazillion brewery updates, and then nine new (or new-ish) breweries I’ve visited in 2013 so far…]