All posts tagged washington

Flying Lion Brewing

The latest brewery to open in Seattle’s south end is Flying Lion Brewing in the Columbia City neighborhood, not too far north of Spinnaker Bay in Hillman City. It’s great to have another place to stop when I do the south Lake Washington loop ride (and in case I haven’t gotten enough exercise when I get there, Flying Lion has a bicycle-powered grain grinder – good to have an option available for burning a couple more calories…). From recent pictures I’ve seen, it looks like they’ve added a few more taps since I took the picture below. Guess I’ll have re-visit sooner rather than later to check out the new set-up.

little cubs at Flying Lion

Sampler flight at Flying Lion — Seattle, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Single Hop Pale Ale – 6.2% – Citrus aroma. Citrus and earthy hop flavors with underlying biscuit maltiness. Forgot to ask which hop, but a little research points to Centennial.
  • Another IPA – 6.1% – Similar to the Single Hop but bigger hop presence. Touch of caramel malt, too. Earthy bitterness on finish that blends back in well.
  • CDA – 5.3% – Roasty malt with light chocolate/coffee. Citrus and floral hops. Some dark chocolate bitterness on the finish. Pretty good.
  • Baltic Porter – 5.6% – Dry, with roasty malt and underlying citrus.
  • Chocolate Milk Stout – 5% – Smooth and chocolatey. Good amount of sweetness with some dark chocolate bitterness and a lightly dry finish.

And I’m finally done with new 2014 brewery (and cidery) visits! Perhaps I should reward myself with a bike ride around the south end of Lake Washington. Yeah, sounds like a fine idea. [In case anyone is wondering, only 15 more posts and I’ll be up-to-date with the backlog (so far) of 2015 breweries. Sigh.]

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by brewerytreks on July 13, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on July 13, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/07/13/flying-lion-brewing/

Blue Lightning Brew

An auspicious confluence of events occurred on November 8, 2014. Two old friends of mine came into town, in part to visit another old friend’s relatively new food truck, which happened to be at the Grand Opening celebration for Blue Lightning Brew. It was all very convenient. Old friends, a sampler flight from a new brewery, and some grilled cheese sandwiches from The Ultimate Melt. Pretty awesome. Blue Lightning is an interesting spot. They’re in the same warehouse space with a winery, but their equipment is separate and distinct down in the open area below the shared taproom.

blue lightning in a glass

Samplers on the scenic parking lot table at Blue Lightning — Woodinville, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Papa Gay Gay IPA – 6.9% – Big tropical fruit blast, as well as some earthy hops. Caramel malt support and good lingering flavors.
  • Double Ott Stout – 6.8% – Big roasty aroma and flavor. Light coffee/chocolate and brown sugar sweetness, with some dark chocolate bitterness.
  • IPA Ratticus – 6.5% – Big tropical fruit aroma and flavor. Underlying caramel. Light piney and earthy hops, too, with good lingering flavors.
  • Just the Tip ISA – 4.7% – Light but still has a good mouthfeel. Floral, earthy, and herbal hop flavors with light breadiness.
    The Rest

  • Horny Blonde – 4.5% – Sweet bubblegum start to bready finish, with some light honey sweetness. Some herbal and spicy hops, as well.
  • BP-A – 6.7% – Pale Ale. Biscuity, bready, and some honey, with floral hops.
  • Hopped Scottish – 7.2% – I think this is now called “Scotchie Scotchie Scotch” or “Scotchie Scotch Scotch” or some other silly repetitive thing. Anyway. Big biscuit, caramel, and bready malts. Some floral, herbal, and earthy hops. Underlying smokiness. (The grain is home-smoked in a BBQ rig with apple wood.)
  • Oktoberfest – 5.7% – Light, crisp, with lots of malt flavor – caramel, graham cracker, light toffee. Light floral and herbal hops with some bitter zing on the finish.

Blue Lightning is a few doors down from Dirty Bucket and almost across the street from Triplehorn. Seems like Woodinville has its own confluence going on these days.

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by brewerytreks on July 7, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on July 7, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/07/07/blue-lightning-brew/

Wander Brewing

The second brewery I visited with my brother before he moved away from Bellingham was Wander Brewing. Located in a large, open-floor warehouse with a vaulted ceiling running the length, it kind of has a cathedral feeling to it, with the mash tun and kettle and the raised platform in between right where the altar would be. A good-sized seating area and a patio with food trucks give Wander a pretty cool overall vibe.

the view down to the Wander altar-- i mean, brewhouse

Hand-made taster boxes at Wander Brewing — Bellingham, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Warehouse Farmhouse – 5.7% – Saison. Light and smooth. Light on the funk. Some orange, some coriander, light lemon.
  • Belgian Brown – 6.9% – This might now be called Together Belgian Dubbel. Banana/clove start, then caramel and honey malts catch up.
  • Global Mutt – 7% – Coffee Baltic Porter. Coffee, some chocolate. Dry. Touch of citrus brightness.
  • Correspondent Foreign Extra Stout – 6.4% – Crisp citrus edge to roasty, chocolate, coffee malt mix. Touch of dryness. Very easy drinking.
    The Rest

  • Wanderale – 6.2% – Belgian Blonde. Banana/clove aroma and flavor, more on the clove side. Earthy hops and some bitterness. Slight rye spicy dryness.
  • Summertime Weizen – 5.2% – Some breadiness. Honey and lemon sweetness. Touch watery at the end.
  • Ramble On Roggenbier – 5.5% – Somewhat sweet, light banana/clove, caramel.
  • WA Uncommon – 5.5% – Smooth. Some caramel malt, some floral hops, and light lingering bitterness.
  • Belling-Hammer – 6.8% – Wee Heavy. Caramel malt and floral hops.
  • Shoe Toss – 7% – Rye IPA. Floral. Decent biscuit and caramel malts. Rye spice edge and some lingering bitterness.

They’ve been doing some barrel aging, but none of it was ready when I visited. Maybe next time I’m up there I’ll be able to get a taste of some of that. Just gotta have faith, right?

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by brewerytreks on June 8, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on June 8, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/06/08/wander-brewing/

Aslan Brewing

Two new breweries opened in Bellingham in 2014. While I was still in the idle speculation phase of planning another bike tour weekend to visit them, my brother decided to move out of Fairhaven and back to Oregon. So I drove up for one last weekend of hanging out with him, hitting breweries, and doing a little hiking. First up was Aslan Brewing. They’ve gone the start-big route, with lots of large stainless steel brewing equipment visible through windows behind the bar. Full kitchen, too, with options for pretty much any diet. In addition to the beer line up, they also have house-made root beer and soda options. They’re an organic establishment, too, which is always nice. Tried all 16 offerings they had on tap, so yeah, it was great to have my brother there to help me get through it all.

the lion, the bar, and the sampler flights

Aslan Brewing — Bellingham, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Batch 15 IPA – 7% – Pretty cool mix of melon and earthy hop flavors. Light underlying caramel malt and nice bitter finish.
  • Alpen Glow Summer Ale – 5.7% – Light and smooth, with some honey sweetness. Light herbal hops, and a little breadiness on the finish.
  • Cascadian Dark Lager – 6.5% – Big roasty malt aroma and flavor. Citrus hops. Caramel finish, and light bitterness.
  • Irie Eyes Red Ale – 6.7% – Pretty smooth and crisp with lots of malts. Light citrus hop edge, and some bitterness on the finish.
  • Bellingham Brown – 6% – Big malts, smooth. Roasty, chocolate, brown sugar. Light citrus hops. Easy drinking.
  • Stout-ly Man – 7% – Roasty aroma and flavor. Chocolate/coffee maltiness, too. Moderately thick mouthfeel. Good lingering flavors and dark chocolate bitterness.
  • Flagship IPA – 6.5% – Floral and citrus aroma and flavors. Piney hop flavor, too. Light malts. Good amount of complementary bitterness.
  • Megathrust Imperial IPA – 10.5% – Big citrus and tropical fruit hops. Solid malt backbone. Good bitter edge.
  • Disco Lemonade Berliner Weisse – 3.5% – Wheat/bready start, with good sour tang, to lemony finish.
  • Root Beer – 0% – Huge aroma: licorice, sassafras, molasses. Nice sweetness, balanced with other herbs. Lingering licorice.
  • Ginger Ale – 0% – Ginger and honey flavors. Light, sweet, and refreshing.
    The Rest

  • Oatmeal Pale Ale – 5.2% – Bready, light, with a bit of floral hops, and lingering bitterness.
  • Ginger Rye – 5.4% – Ginger aroma and flavor. Light rye spiciness, with some breadiness on the finish.
  • Amber – Usual malt forward beer but with some herbal and earthy hops.
  • Flagship Pils – 5% – Light, with some herbal and earthy hops. Touch of honey. Some bitterness, too.
  • Wild Buffalale ISA – 4.5% – Light but not watery. Some breadiness. Citrus and piney hops with a lingering bitterness.
  • Don’s Non-Alcoholic – 0% – Roasty, molasses, and licorice flavors to a tangy finish.

All in all, a nice addition to the Bellingham beer scene. It’s just too bad that I no longer have a free place to stay there. I know, I know, it’s a rough life I have. Thank you for your sympathy.

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by brewerytreks on June 6, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on June 6, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/06/06/aslan-brewing/

Bushnell Craft Brewing

I don’t remember how I first heard of Bushnell Craft Brewing, but I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them. Their website features cartoony high school/college/old-timey sports characters for each of their beers and, in general, has a kooky suburban family vibe to it. Not your usual brewery, but I did my best at keeping an open mind when I biked over to Redmond on a hot summer day. Ordered a sandwich and a sampler flight, and, well, was pleasantly surprised by the beer. Not quite so much with the food, though it was a large portion, but the beer is the main focus as far as this blog is concerned. And no, I did not try one of the pickled eggs in the background of the picture below.

Bushnell Craft Brewing

Sampler flight at Bushnell Craft Brewing — Redmond, WA

 

    Rob’s Picks

  • Dirty Shirley Blonde – 5.6% – Light. Lightly bready with light lemon flavor. Good summer post-ride beer.
  • Bofuss Amber – 5.2% – Light citrus and tropical hop start to big caramel finish. Smooth, easy drinking. Decent lingering flavors and a touch of bitterness.
  • Dunkadelic Milk Stout – 7.2% – Big coffee/chocolate aroma and flavor with sweet lactose edge. Roasty maltiness, too.
  • Pine Tar Porter – 8.3% – Coffee/chocolate flavor with subtle citrus edge. Very light smoke. Pretty light on the tongue.
    The Rest

  • Crack Back IPA – 7.6% – Fairly malty IPA with earthy, herbal hops and a bitter finish. Kinda muddled.

They have since hired a head brewer and added to their initial line-up of five beers, so I guess I’ll be re-visiting one of these days. I’m still not quite sure what to make of Bushnell, but as long as they make decent beer I’ll keep trying to figure them out.

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by brewerytreks on June 1, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on June 1, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/06/01/bushnell-craft-brewing/

Slaughter County Brewing

There’s a loop ride I like that passes through Port Orchard and involves three ferry rides. It has become even better since Slaughter County Brewing (they have their own domain, but it just redirects to their Facebook page) opened on the Port Orchard waterfront. I start off biking to West Seattle (if you want a 4th ferry ride, you can hop on the Elliott Bay Water Taxi), then around and down to the Fauntleroy-Southworth ferry. Mostly following the coastline takes you to Port Orchard, where you can stop at the only (as far as I know) pirate-themed, Irish pub and brewery. If you’re lucky the staff will be in full pirate costume. The tricky part of the ride is the foot ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton — it has a year-round schedule and an expanded summer schedule — check beforehand or else you might be re-tracing your route back to the Southworth ferry. Then it’s the Bremerton-Seattle ferry back home.

drink Slaughter County or I will keelhaul you, arr!

Arr, matey! Come swill some grog at Slaughter County Brewing — Port Orchard, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Gorst Pilsner – 5.6% – Lemony aroma and flavor. Bready malt with herbal, earthy hops. Bitter finish that blends back in well, but may be too bitter for some.
  • Ol’ One Eye IPA – 5.8% – Herbal, earthy hops with smooth caramel maltiness. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish.
  • O’Cairdubhain’s Stout – 6% – Chocolate/coffee aroma and flavor. Caramel, too. Quite dry and pretty solid.
    The Rest

  • Bondsman Bitter ESB – 6.2% – Smooth. Caramel maltiness. Light herbal hops. Okay, but not too interesting.

Now that summer’s starting, I’m going to have to do this ride again. Just typing up the route description made me want to hop on the bike. Maybe I can also find out how the name of their stout is pronounced…

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by brewerytreks on May 23, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on May 23, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/05/23/slaughter-county-brewing/

Salish Sea Brewing

I’ve biked to Salish Sea Brewing in Edmonds twice now (once from the Interurban trail, once on a return trip from Poulsbo via the Kingston-Edmonds ferry) and both times I’ve had trouble finding the magic route out of town that isn’t too steep and connects easily to the Interurban. Regardless, Salish Sea is a nice neighborhood spot, with free pretzels and various games available (family friendly options, as well as Cards Against Humanity). Just recently they expanded into the space next door, and the pictures I’ve seen of the bigger taproom look pretty great. So I guess another visit is in order.

Salish Sea Brewing

Salish Sea Brewing — Edmonds, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Session IPA – 4.7% – Not as light-bodied as other sessions IPAs, which is nice. Citrus and light tropical hops with a light caramel malt base. Bitterness that blends back in well.
  • Dayton Street Session ISA – 4.7% – Collaboration with American Brewing. Big citrus aroma and flavor balanced with plenty of caramel and biscuit malt. Quite nice. Surprisingly solid mouthfeel for a session.
  • Drop Anchor IPA – 6.7% – Citrus and earthy hops with a solid biscuit malt backbone. Decent bitterness.
  • Salish IPA – 6.5% – Citrus and herbal hops with some caramel and biscuity maltiness. Bit more subdued than the Drop Anchor.
  • Roasted Amber – 5.2% – Sweet start with pecan and caramel to nice roastiness. Hint of smoke. Very drinkable.
  • NW Red – 6% – Caramel maltiness, light nuttiness. Smooth. Some herbal, earthy hops.
  • Prior Porter – 5.2% – Big sweet coffee/chocolate flavors. Subtle citrus edge. Smooth and crisp.
    The Rest

  • Amber – 5.2% – Caramel, some biscuit malt, touch of honey. Some herbal hops and bitterness, but otherwise it’s an amber.
  • Honey Golden – 4% – Bitter, with biscuity maltiness. Pretty crisp, but not much honey flavor.
  • Pale Ale – 5.2% – Caramel, light breadiness, biscuit, and hint of honey. Some bitterness that builds up and lingers.

I hope on my next ride to Salish Sea I’m able to figure out a better way back to the Interurban. Three’s a charm, right?

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by brewerytreks on May 22, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on May 22, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/05/22/salish-sea-brewing/

Burdick Brewery

With Burdick Brewery, my posts on the trifecta of new South Park breweries is now complete. Burdick was the first to open in late 2013, but so far I’ve only managed to visit once. Their hours weren’t terribly regular at first, and then they ran out of beer for a few weeks, but I finally made it in for a visit in April 2014. Then that August (about ten months after they opened) they closed in order to upgrade their entire brewing system. From recent Facebook posts, they finally got that done about three weeks ago and have just started brewing again, with a projected mid-April re-opening of the taproom. So yeah, the beers I tried last year might just all taste different. Life’s like that.

the old Burdick Brewery set-up

Burdick Brewery — Seattle, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • ISA – 5.5% – Light and crisp. Subtle astringency, light smoke, and herbal hops. Great mix.
  • Blonde – 4.8% – Crisp and light with some breadiness and light smoke. Bit of herbal hops, too.
  • Red – 6.3% – Crisp. Caramel, with light floral and herbal hops, and a bit of an alcohol edge. Quite drinkable.
  • Nitro Stout – 5.9% – Coffee/chocolate aroma and flavor. Fairly dry and smooth, with dark chocolate bitterness. Very easy to drink.
    The Rest

  • Pale – 5.7% – Floral aroma and flavor. Strong caramel malt with some graham cracker, as well. Some astringency on the finish.

With Burdick’s upcoming re-opening, I might be able to accomplish what I wasn’t able to do last year: visit all three of the South Park breweries on one bike ride. (Okay, so technically Odin is also a South Park brewery, but they’re in the process of moving to Tukwila, so I’m not counting them.) Will keep my fingers crossed.

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by brewerytreks on March 31, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on March 31, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/03/31/burdick-brewery/

Tin Dog Brewing

The third new brewery that opened in South Park was Tin Dog Brewing, located a short ride away from the conjoined Lowercase and Burdick. Tin Dog is run by a husband and wife team, and they mostly do Belgian and Belgian-influenced beers. Nice folks, and they have their own bike rack they put out in front when they’re open. First time I visited they were doing samplers in little plastic cups (as pictured below), but when I returned several months later it was only schooners and pints.

this Tin Dog don't bite

Tin Dog Brewing — Seattle, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Saison – 6.6% – Crisp, with a nice mix of coriander, pepper, alcohol, and a bit of floral. Light funk towards the end and light bitterness.
  • Hoppe the Belgian – 6.5% – Good mix of caramel, alcohol, and banana/clove flavors, with a bit of astringency. Makes you think.
  • NW Pale – 5.5% – Bready, with some sweetness, some bitterness, some caramel, and a hint of astringency on the finish. Easy drinking.
  • White IPA – 4% – Light, crisp, with coriander and citrus peel flavors. Herbal hop and nice bitter finish.
  • Fresh Hop Pale Ale 2014 – 5.7% – West Seattle hops from brother’s backyard. Crisp, with an interesting mix of flavors: bubblegum, light grassiness, light herbal hops, and caramel. Touch of bitterness on the end.
    The Rest

  • Belgian Blonde – 5.6% – Smooth, sweet, light banana/clove, light bubblegum.
  • Too Wit – 5.7% – Smooth, with light rosewater flavor, touch of honey sweetness, and a bit of astringency on the finish.

I was meaning to go back a third time to try their Black Tripel and Pumpkin Saison, but for some reason that didn’t happen. Now that spring is here, though, I’ll have to get back on the bike and pay South Park another visit.

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by brewerytreks on March 23, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on March 23, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/03/23/tin-dog-brewing/

Geaux Brewing

I biked out to Geaux Brewing twice in 2014, once via the north end of Lake Washington and once via I-90 and up through downtown Bellevue. The former is kind of long but mostly trail, and can take a while, especially if you stop at some of the Woodinville and Redmond breweries en route (you may end up with a flight like the one pictured below with just 20 minutes before closing time). The latter is much shorter, but there was one section of busy road with no bike lane I wasn’t too thrilled about. I’ll stick with the quieter residential streets east of downtown next time I do the I-90 route. But when you get there, it’s a stark difference outside and inside. Bunch of low-rise business/industrial campuses and strip malls, and then from the asphalt parking lot you walk into this dark taproom all made up like a little slice of New Orleans. You really don’t want to leave once you sit down at the bar.

Who dat say dey gonna drink dem Geaux Brewing beers?

Who dat? Geaux Brewing — Bellevue, WA

    Rob’s Picks

  • Lafitte – 4.8% – Rye/wheat beer. Honey and light lemon start. Some underlying breadiness, with a touch of dry rye spice. Really nice after a hot bike ride.
  • Mud Bug – 6.5% – American brown. Sweet and warm, with chocolate/coffee, caramel, and bit of honey maltiness. Light underlying citrus edge.
  • Satchmo – 8% – Imperial oatmeal stout. Big, smooth, and creamy. Chocolate, with an alcohol edge. Bit of molasses sweetness and hint of licorice.
  • Rex – 7% – Saison with orange and coriander. Heavy on the orange and coriander, with a slightly thick mouthfeel. Not the usual saison, but tasty. Mosaic hop flavors come out as it warms up.
  • Tremé – 6.9% – IPA. Good tropical fruit and citrus hop flavors with well-balanced caramel and graham cracker malts. Little bit of spiciness on the finish. Light cattiness as it warms up.
  • Poydras – 6.5% – Porter with French and American oak. Interesting and cool coffee/chocolate flavors mixed with oakiness.
  • Sack – 9.5% – Imperial IPA. Big citrus and tropical fruit hop flavors. Crisp, with good light supporting graham cracker malt.
    The Rest

  • Parish Pale Ale – 5% – Bready, with light biscuit and honey. Earthy, herbal hops to bitter finish.
  • Dale – 5% – Orange wit from guest home brewer. Bit of orange flavor but not much. Light with some subtle fruitiness, but nothing too interesting.
  • BTR – 5.4% – Red rye. Some floral hops, some rye spice. Caramel and biscuity maltiness. Lingering floral and touch of bitterness.
  • Bayou – 8.3% – Belgian strong ale made with toasted Louisiana pecans. Some sweetness, some pecan aroma and flavor. Subtle amount of the usual Belgian flavors. Kinda cool, but not really my thing.

Second time I visited they were about to upgrade their brewing equipment, so I’ll have to go back this year and check out all their shiny new gear. Maybe with their increased capacity I’ll start seeing their beer showing up on the west side of the lake, as well.

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by brewerytreks on February 12, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by brewerytreks on February 12, 2015

https://brewerytreks.com/2015/02/12/geaux-brewing/

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