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.