Brewery #3: Gordon Biersch

To be honest, this brewery didn't have a lot going for it from the start. For one, it's inside a mall, which completely ruins the atmosphere, and two, they only brew lagers, which really aren't my favorite. We showed up for happy hour on a Friday night to save some money.

Before I get to the beer, which really wasn't very impressive, I want to talk about the food. Happy hour food was $5 appetizers and normally that means not too much food to fit the smaller price. This brewery was different. The food was good size portions and was absolutely delicious. I almost forgot to drink the beer because I was too busy stuffing my face with tasty sesame buffalo wings and garlic fries and southwestern egg rolls. If you need a reason to go to Gordon Biersch, go for the food, not the beer.

Anyway, here's the five beers they have on tap. I'm not good with German and I tried to copy the names from the menu, but they aren't perfect. Good luck pronouncing some of these if you ever go to order your own.

Czech Pilsner

This beer was pretty sour, but it was ok for a pilsner. I've had some great pilsners in my beer tasting lifetime and this wouldn't rank high on the list.

Hefeweizen

This hef has a strange after taste. I don't know why this doesn't take like your every day hef, but maybe it has something to do with being a lager. I didn't like the taste and had trouble finishing it.

Marzen

This was definitely their best beer. It's an amber ale with a smooth, mild taste. If I could have stopped at this one I would've only had this beer to drink all night.

Schwarzbier

This was a solid dark lager. I liked the smokey taste to it and there wasn't any over the top coffee or chocolate flavors. It's simple, but in a good way.

Seasonal (Winter Bock)

Kyle described this beer as tasting like water. It was dark and smooth but really didn't have any flavors that stood out. I've had some bad seasonals and some great ones, but they all had one thing in common, a very strong, distinct flavor. This beer had nothing. I agree with Kyle.

If it seems like I'm less than excited about this brewery it's because I am. There isn't much to write about because there isn't much to the beer. I'm not sure if it's a lager thing or if this brewery is just too watered down, but I really wasn't impressed. Like I said, building your brewery in a mall just doesn't make a great first impression.

Brewery #2: Issaquah Brewhouse (Rogue Brewery)

Issaquah Brewhouse is one of those little, sweet surprises. Like putting your hand in the pocket of a jacket you haven't worn in a long time and finding $5. It's a good twenty minute drive east of Seattle, but aside from being a little out of the way, the bar is a blast. When you walk in you see an enormous bar with three sides in the center of the room. All three of the back walls are lined with taps of tasty beer. We had a big group with us this time so we sat in the second room which, as it turns out, has shuffleboard! The bar wasn't too crowded for a Saturday night, I'm guessing because it's pretty far out of Seattle, so everyone got to play as much shuffleboard as they wanted. Our waitress was a really laid back girl who knew her beer and gave helpful advice when people struggled to decide what to order.

Rogue beer is some of the most delicious beer I've had on tap. Typically you can find their "Dead Guy Ale" at most bars in Seattle but beyond that you'd have to go to a specialty beer store to buy any of their other delicious beers in a bottle.

This brewhouse was great because the sampler they offer is 4 small glasses of any beer they have on tap. This was a very long list. I tried the first four out and then decided that another sampler with four more beers would be a perfect idea, so I got a second sampler. The waitress was so nice, that when I asked last minute to change one of my beers she just brought me an extra. So below are the nine beers that I got to sample at Issaquah Brewery. Here goes...

Shakespeare Stout

This beer is like drinking coffee. I love that in beers. The difference between this beer and most other stouts is that it's incredibly smooth like a Guinness. I didn't notice if it was a nitro, but if not, I'm very impressed with this one.

Kells Irish Lager

This is the lightest beer they had. I thought it was delicious. It didn't have anything very special about it, but it's simplicity was refreshing.

Juniper Pale Ale

I didn't really like this one. Kelsey made the comment that it tasted "metally" and I agree. The after taste was almost like leaving a coin in your mouth.

Captain Sig's Deadliest Ale

The name of this one made me think it would be something really dark and heavy, but instead it was a lighter amber ale. It was a little too hoppy for my taste and I didn't really enjoy it.

Brewer

This is a really hoppy beer. The waitress described it as "very complex". I however, think it's too complex for my taste and I definitely didn't love it.

Glen Ale

This is a malty, sweet amber. It has a good taste and was by far the best of the ambers I tasted.

Chipotle Ale

When I asked the waitress about this one she said it was spicy but pretty good. I'm not sure I agree with her on the "pretty good" part. I've never had a beer like this before. It almost tasted peppery, and while it was a little spicy, I'm not sure it really had a taste that is generally liked in a beer. I passed this one around the table and no one liked it. In fact, most people disliked it much more than I did.

Mocha Porter
I couldn't really taste the mocha in this one. I'm not sure if my taste buds were shot by the time I got to it or if it's really just not that strong. The taste was decent but nothing special.

Double Dead Guy

I figured I couldn't go wrong since the single Dead Guy is wonderful. This one, I would way, was even better. It was sweet, and malty and delicious. In fact...it was double the delicious Dead Guy!

Overall, the bar was awesome, and aside from the experimental beers, the beer was awesome too. They had this great deal for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, so I left with two growlers full of their amber ale at 6 bucks a piece. You really can't beat that.

Brewery #1: Pyramid Breweries

Why not start off with a sure thing?

I've been to Pyramid more times than I can count. Working across the street from a brewery is always good for fun and never good for production.

So I decided to start the year off on a safe note and go with a brewery that I knew to be quality and wasn't likely to be damaged from any recent flood waters. Pyramid has a prime location next to Safeco and Qwest fields, so it's booming during the fall and summer but pretty mellow when the Seahawks don't make the playoffs. Finding a table for seven on a Saturday evening was no problem.

Two samplers were ordered and downed pretty quickly. The selection for the sampler was pretty typical, four year-round favorites and one delicious seasonal:

Apricot Ale

I've had this bottled beer before but surprisingly never on tap. It's a good fruity beer and a nice variation to the Hefeweizen. It's good but definitely not my favorite.

Hefeweizen

I really enjoy this hef. It's not too wheaty and not too hoppy. I would say it's just right, except when Kyle empties the entire contents of the lemon into the tiny 4oz. sample. Then it just tastes like lemon.

Crystal Wheat

I've had this once before in a keg for our last Halloween party. It's got this bite to it that gives it slightly more flavor than a typical light beer but once it gets warm it's not easily distinguishable from Bud Light. I'm surprised they call it a wheat because the wheat is hardly noticeable. That being said, if I favored lighter beers this one wouldn't be too bad.

Snow Cap

I love this beer. They call it a "winter warmer" that has a little bit of that chocolate flavor you'd associate with a stout or porter. It's great in a bottle and even more delicious on tap. If you like dark beers this is definitely one you should try out.

Thunderhead IPA

Ugh. I really hate IPAs. It's the hops that kill me. Some brews just really seem to overdo it. However, this one really isn't too hoppy. I kind of liked the flavor and really had no problem finishing the sample.

Overall, Pyramid brews some tasty beer. They have quite a few other options apart from the sampler and ones that I've had in the past have at the least been decent. They brew quality beer but they don't seem to take a lot of risks. I think the reason I didn't hate any of these, even the IPA, is because there really aren't any over the top, bold, extravagant flavors to turn me off.

I bought a pint at the gift store on the way out, so that took care of rule #3.

The picture makes it look like it's snowing, but don't be fooled. Kelsey just had some crap on her camera.

So, one in the bag, 85 or so to go. One thing's for sure, when people ask what I did in '09 my response will probably be "I don't remember, that was Year of Beer".

And So It Begins

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

The long awaited "Year of Beer" has begun.

The goal:

To visit every brewery in the state of Washington that is currently producing and selling their own beer during the year of 2009.

The rules:

1. Physically visit every brewery in Washington that is listed here: http://www.washingtonbeer.com/pdf/brewery_list-all-2008.pdf.
2. If a sampler is available, order and enjoy. If not, drink at least a pint of whatever is on tap.
3. Leave with a souvenir.
4. Provide proof with a picture.
5. Finish the list by December 31st, 2009.

The participants:

Me (Erin)
Kyle (My patient boyfriend who goes everywhere with me)
Jenn (My roommate who shares my love of beer)
Kelsey (My other roommate who will go to as many breweries as she can with her busy schedule)

This quest is by no means exclusive. I'll provide dates for major trips and anyone is welcome to attend any visit to any brewery. The more the merrier when beer is involved.

Check back here to read about our adventures and to hear my comments about each beer. I'm by no means an expert, but I consider my opinion to be pertinent and influential.

Cheers!