The late-ish start on Day 2 of my weekend bike trip all turned out for the best. The early morning rain in Bellingham was still coming down in Arlington until I finished lunch in La Conner. By the time I made it up WA 534 to 9 to the four mile northern extension of the Centennial Trail, it was sunny and dry. I’d be spending the night in Arlington, but first I wanted to visit Skookum Brewery, which I’d heard good things about, although I had not yet tried any of their beer. I eventually found their new taproom, right across from the municipal airport (if I had a pilot license I could then fly to breweries — hmm…). They had not yet moved their brewing equipment to this space, but now it’s all there. I’ll have to make another trip to check it out.

First of two flights at Skookum Brewing — Arlington, WA

Rob’s Picks
• Olde Tom IPA – 6.1% – Citrus/piney aroma and flavor. Really smooth. Lovely citrus flavors and perfect malt balance. Flavors linger nicely.
• Mule – 7.2% – Strong Ale. Smooth, with a big malt forward start, to a floral and herbal hop kick at the end. Pretty different flavors but work well together.
• Jackass IPA – 6.6% – Tropical fruit aroma and flavor, including some passion fruit. Bready malt base. Pretty easy drinking.
• Mammoth Jack – 8.2% – Double IPA. Smooth and a little spicy. Good citrus hop flavor. Some bitterness on the finish that blends back in well. Some caramel malt if you look for it.
• Breakfast in the Hooskal – 7.5% – Russian Imperial Stout. Full flavored! Chocolate, coffee, some sweetness from maple syrup but not too much. Touch of smokiness as it warms up. Chewy but not too heavy. Big but balanced. Little dryness on the end.
• Woody’s Oak – 4.2% – Pale Ale. Bready malt with some honey sweetness. Nice dry finish. Pretty cool.
• Angel Ale – 4.2% – Very interesting. Definite rye flavors that give it almost a jalapeño flavor. Really really drinkable.
• B+H (Brown and Hairy) – 4.8% – Good dry chocolate and coffee flavors. Bit of tanginess on the tongue.
• Amber’s Hot Friend – 5.1% – Decent amber. Smooth maltiness with a bit of herbal and floral hops. Well balanced.

The Rest
• Chucklehead Imperial IPA – 8.6% – Mix of hop flavors, but nothing too prominent. Same thing with the malt. Bit of bitterness on the finish. Pretty good but nothing too interesting.

Not much of their beer makes it down to Seattle, unfortunately; most of it is consumed in and around Arlington. Chuck’s on 85th and in the CD get periodic kegs from them (that’s where I tried the Chucklehead), but that’s about it. Maybe with the new brewery space they’ll be able to increase their production. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Anyway, the Skookum visit was a nice way to wrap up Day 2 of the weekend bike trip. I slept very well that night.