For a long time, the Capitol Hill neighborhood was home to only two breweries, Elysian’s original brewpub and McMenamins Six Arms (which I always seem to forget about). So I was happy to hear that two new ones were planning to open in 2015. The smaller of the two, Outer Planet Brewing, opened first, and holds the distinction of being the closest brewery to where I live. It’s an eight minute walk uphill from my place to Outer Planet. Not bad. The brewer’s been making a few Brett beers, which is cool, but since he has a small system in a small space, is a bit risky. Hopefully he has the quality control all dialed in.

Sampler flight at Capitol Hill’s Outer Planet Brewing — Seattle, WA

Rob’s Picks
• IPA – 7% – Fairly big piney and citrus hops, caramel malt. Light earthiness.
• Utopia Planitia – 6.5% – Farmhouse ale. Bubblegum, clove, some spiciness, with decent body. Bit of underlying caramel and coriander.
• The Brett Pumpkin – 6% – Pumpkin spice aroma. Somewhat muted nutmeg, cinnamon, clove flavors. Bit of funk balances it out. Good solid body. Brewer said he might bottle a little of it to see how it develops.
• Ghost of Jupiter – 7.5% – Wet hop ale. Citrusy, fruity aroma and flavor. Pretty juicy. Some piney hops, as well. Underlying caramel.
• Oats and Rye Saison – 5.5% – Some sweetness, some rye, some straw, some spiciness, some coriander. Nice balance.

The Rest
• The Bohemian – 4.5% – I liked this when I first had it but on my October 2015 visit something was off. Light, bit of honey, hint of lemon. Light biscuit on the finish, as well as a bit of oxidation or cross-contamination Brett funk.
• ESB – 6% – Light floral aroma. Caramel, biscuit malts. Strong bubblegum-like sweetness. Light floral hop flavor.
• American Pale Ale – 6% – Some caramel, light honey, light herbal hops. Medium body. Some bitterness on the finish.
• Oatmeal Brown – 6% – Chocolate, coffee aroma and flavor. Brown sugar. Some citrus and floral hops lurking about. Medium-light body.
• Clementine Wit – 4% – Light, a bit watery. Light orange, light coriander, a touch spicy/peppery, hint of floral.

With Outer Planet’s convenient location, I’m sure I’ll be dropping in on a fairly regular basis to see what they’re up to.