Brewery #12: Big E Ales (Ellersick Brewing Co.)

This bar was awesome! It's a fairly new brewery in Lynnwood with a fun, laid-back atmosphere. They had 12 beers on tap and we sat right up front along the tiny little bar and spent most of the night talking with the brewer. Kyle ordered these delicious pork rib tips and got the last order for the week! It seemed like everyone else at this bar was a regular, which normally would be a little intimidating but everyone here was really nice and you could tell they were really into the beer.

Big E had the most interesting range of beers I've seen since we went to Rogue a couple of months ago. They had fruity beers and dark beers and wheat beers and nitros and on and on and on. They had this fun sampler with a little whiteboard along the front where you could write in the 6 beers you wanted to try. I thought the whole experience was great. Plus I picked more winners than Kyle did for the UFC fights they were showing on tv which made me even happier.

Lawnmower Lager (3)

This beer had a similar sour taste to a lot of lagers I've tried. I enjoyed the smoothness of the beer and overall thought it was pretty good.

Merry Cranberry (2.5)

This was their cranberry beer. I haven't seen cranberry beer yet on this tour so the thought of it intrigued me. It had a very sharp, fruity taste to it that reminded me of cranberry juice spiked with vodka. I didn't really like this one.

Belgian Wheat (3.5)

This one had a very strong, citrus, wheaty flavor. It was pretty thick for a wheat beer and I liked the flavor.

Blackberry (4)

Another fruity beer that I just had to try. This one was much better than the cranberry. It tasted like a sour porter with just a hint of blackberry flavor. Yum.

Copper Ale (3)

Whenever I see copper ales I immediately think of Redhook. This one didn't quite measure up in terms of flavor. It might've had to do with being sick but if I had to choose I would pick Redhook's copper over this one.

Cream Stout (2)

This beer was warmer than all the others and kind of tasted like milk. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be at this temperature but it kind of ruined the taste for me. I wasn't into this one.

I'd like to go back and try the other 6 beers they have on tap. If I buy a house in Lynnwood I have a feeling I'll join the other regulars at this place. I'd give the six beers I tried a 3 and a 5 for the atmosphere. Big E deserves the 8 score and I think I could raise the beer score if I went back when I wasn't sick and tried all the other beers.

Brewery #11: Diamond Knot

Diamond Knot wasn't anything special. We made about 5 U-turns trying to find the place, which is right on the water in Mukilteo. I'm not sure if it was where we were sitting or if it was because we went to this brewery right after Scuttlebutt, but I really wasn't impressed with this place at all. The service was really slow and the food wasn't anything to write home about. The sampler only had 4 beers in it so I didn't get to try a good range of their flavors. The bar seemed like it had potential if we hadn't had to scrunch around a tiny table in the back and Kelsey and Lacey hadn't waited for 30 minutes just to get a quesadilla.

The four beers that I had were actually pretty good with one exception. I would totally by this beer again, especially if it was from a different bar.

Hefeweizen (2.5)

This is a cloudy hef with a rather off-putting taste. It was very sour and really could've used a little more citrus flavor. This one was a flop.

Golden Ale (4)

Light and refreshing. Great, crisp taste that I really enjoyed.

Possession Porter (4)

This porter had a really great chocolate flavor. The blurb about it on the menu said they used flaked barley as one of the ingredients. I've never heard of this before but it made for a great flavor and it's worth researching.

Lighthouse Ale (4)

This beer can best be described as a thick, light ale. It had a good, rich flavor and I thought it was delicious.

So that's it for the beer. Short and simple this time. I give the beer a 4 at this place and the atmosphere and food a 2 for an overall of 6. I think I'll try this brewery again in the summer and see if it leaves a better impression. The beer is definitely good enough to not give up on the brewery just yet.

Brewery #10: Scuttlebutt Brewing

Ahhh Scuttlebutt. This bar had all kinds of hype around it. Jenn's boyfriend Ian apparently visits this place regularly and thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread. It's also near my office so everyone I work with also visits this place regularly. This was my first time and oh boy was it just peachy. The actual bar looks like a cafeteria with some sailing stuff on the walls and ceiling. There were tvs on the wall so we got to watch the Husky game, which made Kyle very happy.

Even though the bar wasn't much to look at, the beer really made up for it. I think we all had a really good time even without the fancy things like pool tables and dart boards and normal restaurant lighting like you see in most bars.

I have to warn you that I was sick for this trip so every beer I tasted was mild and kind of tasted the same as the next one. I did my best to write other people's comments and tried not to judge too harshly based on my own deceiving taste buds.

Homeport Blonde (3)

Kind of a sour blond. I thought it had a good taste and I think Jenn really enjoyed it. I gave it an average score.

Gale Force IPA (3)

Good, floral aroma with a nice blend of hops. Maybe it was because I was sick but I thought it was pretty good.

Seasonal: Mia Bock (4.5)

This one was delicious! Sweet, honey flavor that almost made it taste like a cream ale. I ordered a pint of this one when I was done with the sampler.

Amber Ale (3)

Good blend of spices and caramel. Pleasant taste.

Porter (4)

Rich taste with a great coffee flavor. I also noticed a hint of chocolate and a little smokey flavor. Yum!

Hefeweizen (4)

Nice citrus blend and good flavor. Pretty tasty hef overall.

Sequoia Red (1)

Nobody liked this beer. It was too bitter and tasted like flowers. Even I could taste how bad this one was.

Nitro Tap (3)

Kind of tasted like an amber nitro. It was a little hoppy but not too bad. I thought it was an odd choice for a nitro.

The best part about this bar was the sweet growler I bought before we left (pictured at top). This is the coolest growler I've ever seen and I plan on taken it everywhere to get filled up. If you need any reason to go to this bar, go to buy the growler.

I give this one an overall rating of 8.5. A 4 for the bar and a 4.5 for the beer. I think this one lived up to its reputation.

Brewery #9: Elliot Bay Brewery

Elliot Bay is located in West Seattle and it was the first time I've ever been there. The bar was pretty full when we arrived but it only took a few minutes to seat us upstairs in the loft area. The loft wasn't too big and was pretty private, which I actually enjoyed. The downstairs is long and narrow and the bar takes up the whole length of the floor. They had all kinds of beers on tap, some that weren't there own, but the sampler they had was limited to 5 of their most popular beers. It was a fun bar with a good layout and according to Kelsey, really really good food. I, unfortunately, had already eaten and didn't order anything off the menu but everyone else seemed to rave about how good their meals were.

Luna Weizen (4.5)

This is a very light, refreshing hefeweizen. I wrote "yum" in my notes which typically means good things. It had great flavor and that foggy look to it that you find in some hefs.

Pale Ale (2)

This beer was pretty hoppy for a pale ale. I actually couldn't taste the difference between it and the IPA. I definitely didn't enjoy this one.

IPA (3)

All I could taste in this one was the hops, which, if you're an IPA fan, is probably a good thing. Wasn't my favorite but I wouldn't spit it out.

No Doubt Stout (5)

This is a crisp, nutty stout. Full of flavor and delicious. To be honest, probably one of the best stouts I've tasted on this little endeavour.

Riot Ale (3)

Another hoppy IPA. This beer really likes to use their hops. It was alright but nothing to really write home about.

I give this bar a 7.5 overall. The bar was probably at a 4 and the beer was at a 3.5 The No Doubt Stout really saved the beer. I think if they changed up the beers they put in the sampler I would like the place even more. I'd say it's worth a trip to West Seattle if you're ever in the mood.

Brewery #8: Rock Bottom Brewery

Rock Bottom has a year of beer too! Apparently they have a featured beer every month. We, however, went during the overlap period between when they ran out of one month and hadn't started the second month. Seems to be the story of my life.

Anyway, Rock Bottom was a pretty decent bar. They had a sweet upstairs level with a few big screen tvs and what looked like a dance floor. We got a table right in front of the big screen and watch the Arizona State vs. USC game up close and personal. The food was good and pretty cheap, at least during their Sunday happy hours. Some people started playing Rock Band on the dance floor in front of this projector screen toward the end of the night. It was rather entertaining and the guy that was singing actually had a really good voice.

The best part about this bar was the $2 mugs on Sunday night for any beer you want. It was amazing. The tab for 5 people was $60 dollars and that included a sampler, quite a few beers and food. You can't have that much to eat and drink for that cheap at McDonalds.

There beer here was really the only downside to the bar. I wouldn't say it was below average but it wasn't impressive by any means. But, they did have a couple of winners that could interest me in making a repeat appearance.

Liquid Sun (4)
This was a great pilsner. Light on the hops with a delicious flavor. It deserves a four.

Big Batch Wheat (4.5)
This was really good! It had a lot of flavors that really went well together. By far one of the better wheats I've had. I'm kind of into the unfiltered beers lately and this one really helped with that.

Humpback Pale Ale (1.5)
Yuck. This one was so full of hops for a pale ale that it took me by surprise and then left me with a kick in the teeth. It had a horrible before and after taste.

Hop Bomb (2)
If you really like the taste of flowers then you'll like this beer. Kelsey loved it but I didn't. I took one sip of this one and left it on the table.

Lumberjack Red Ale (3)
Not bad for a red ale. It tastes like a sharp, hoppy amber. I'm starting to think this brewery really likes their hops.

Nisqually Nut Brown (3.5)
Tastes like a tootsie roll. Very nutty, even for a nut brown. I guess if you like to drink tootsie rolls you'd like this one.

Black Diamond Stout(4)
This beer had a good, strong coffee flavor. I think it would taste great with ice cream.

I'm going to give the overall beer score a 3 for having a couple really great ones and a couple really awful ones. The ambience of the bar is definitely a 5. I would say go for the good times and get the Big Batch Wheat or the Black Diamond Stout and you'll have a perfect 10.

Brewery #7: Mac & Jack's Brewery

Mack & Jack's is the first Brewery I have gone to that doesn't actually have a taproom. This brewery gives tours once a week on Sundays at 3:00 and it's the only way to get a sampler of beer directly from the brewery. They also have a retail store that is open throughout the week where you can buy growlers and pints and other souvenirs.

I think because it was a Sunday before a Monday holiday that everyone and their mothers decided to show up to the tour. There were probably 50 people there and the brewery was short staffed for the day. The tour started about half an hour late and then once we finally got free beer I had finished it before the tour guide actually started talking. I think this would be a great free tour if you get lucky and go on a day when there's only about a dozen people. Because so many people were at our tour, the samples were small and you couldn't really hear what the tour guide was saying. I did get to see the inside of the brewery from right up close, which they don't let you do at the Redhook tour, so that was pretty cool. I'd also recommend going on a day when it's not cold and raining because you're standing outside or in an open warehouse for most of the tour.

One interesting tidbit that I picked up on the tour was that Mack & Jack's got their start selling to the Woodland Park Zoo. I thought that was pretty neat. There's a reason this beer is so popular in Washington, it's some of the most flavorful beer I've had on this tour so far.

Serengetti Wheat (4)

Good, solid wheat beer. A hint of orange and the wheat isn't overpowering. I wish I could've gotten a bigger sample of this one.

African Amber (4.5)

This is their most popular beer and you can find it in almost any bar in Seattle. It's a unique, malty amber with a great flavor. This is one of my favorite beers.

IPA (3)

For an IPA this one really isn't too bad. It's less hoppy than most IPAs and if I had to drink one, I would probably pick this one.

Porter (4)

This is a great porter. Not too watery like some of the ones I've had recently and it had a nice hint of coffee in it. I really enjoyed the combination of flavors in this beer.

The beer at this brewery is great quality and I'm honestly a little disappointed that they don't have a taproom. The tour was ok, but if I compare it to the Redhook tour it really needs some work. I'd say the beer is a 4 and the tour was a 3, giving Mac & Jack's a rating of 7. I bet if I went on this tour again in the summer with fewer people I'd raise the score quite a bit.

Brewery #6: Maritime Pacific (Jolly Roger)

The Jolly Roger fits it's name to a T. It's a tiny bar that's covered in pirate garb and smells like fish. The entire floor is one big painted pirate's map and there are skulls and treasure and parrots all over the ceiling and walls.

The place was packed, and because of it's size, it only took about 30 people to do the job. When we got there, there wasn't a single place to sit. We waited a while for the table and when one finally did come up and we went to sit down, we were told there was a waiting list for the tables. This meant people at the bar, who already had seats, got to move to a table. This freed up a couple of seats at the bar, but when I went to sit down, the waitress told me I couldn't sit there because it was a regular's seat. Rude! Just when I was about to say "screw it" and go somewhere else, a waiter finally cleared a table for us. Needless to say, the Jolly Roger was not off to a good start.

We finally got the beer and Kyle hated all of it because he thought it tasted like fish. Luckily, my smelling and tasting senses are not as easily linked, so I thought some of the beer was actually quite tasty. Aside from the bad service, this place was not too shabby.

Clipper Gold Hefeweizen (4.5)

This was a really great hef with just a hint of lemon in it, even without the addition of an actual lemon. It's a very smooth, cloudy beer. I'm not sure what makes it cloudy, but whatever it was, really added to the flavor.

Nightwatch Dark (4)

This was a good, malty, dark amber. The taste was just right.

Portage Bay Pilsner (3.5)

Good, solid pilsner. It was sour and dry just like a pilsner should be.

Old Seattle Lager (2)

This beer had a very mild flavor. I couldn't point out any good or bad tastes. To me, that means the beer isn't a very good one. This is the one Kyle was convinced tasted like fish.

Seasonal Dunkel (2)

Kyle described this one as going from good to bad to terrible. The aftertaste was pretty chalky and I had a hard time finishing this one off.

I didn't have any food at this bar, but the beer was pretty hit and miss. I'd say with the bad service, the serious need for expansion, and average beer, that the Jolly Roger deserves a 5 on the rating scale. A 3 for the beer and a 2 for the bar. I don't think I'll be going back to this place any time soon.