Brewery #15: Salmon Creek Brewery

Kyle and I stopped at Salmon Creek on the way to a Blazers game in Portland. They opened at 4:00 and we got there at 3:59 so when they let us in we were the only people in the bar for at least the first half hour. Even with the place empty, I really enjoyed the feel of the bar and the waitress was really friendly. She was very proud of the brewery and told us all about the awards they had won and how their small town brewery from Vancouver that no one had heard of beat the popular Seattle brewery Pike Brewing Co. in some kind of brewing competition.

We met the owner's wife who had a bat that had different types of bad beer written on it like Bud Light, Coors and Miller Lite and apparently when people ask, "Can I have a Bud Light" she brings out the bat and says, "I'll give you a Bud Light". Yes, a little creepy, but she really is a charming old lady.

The sampler at this place was intense. There were lots of specialty beers with flavors I haven't tasted yet and everything was really pretty tasty. If, for some reason, you are ever in Vancouver, WA (not Canada) I would highly recommend stopping by. There's also a specialty beer store next door where we found the delicious Kona beer that I have been trying to track down for about a month. That made me very happy.

Golden Ale (4)
This beer is very sweet with a great flavor. The only thing a little off about this beer, and actually all of the beers, was that is wasn't cold enough. Another hour in the fridge and this beer would've been perfect.

Scottish Ale (4.5)
This one is a slightly sour amber. I really liked the malts in this one.

IPA (3)
This IPA has a hint of orange in it. Kyle did not like this one but I thought is was ok.

ESB (4.5)
I used to really not like ESBs but I have recently changed my mind. This one was delicious, I think even better than Redhook's. I, unfortunately, don't know beer well enough to describe these flavors but it's a really good beer.

Sweet Stout (3.5)
This one has a sweet, coffee flavor. I can really taste why they call it a "sweet" stout. I really like the little twist it gives to most stouts I've had.

Thunderbolt Porter (3)
Not my favorite porter. It was missing a lot of that flat coffee flavor I've come to appreciate in this type of beer.

Salmon Clause '06 (3?)
This one has the most distinct flavor I've noticed in a beer. There are all kinds of spices in this beer. I can taste coriander and maybe even some nutmeg. I give it a 3 because the flavor is so unusual I'm not sure if I like it or not.

German Alt Bier (2.5)
This one has a funky taste. There's a unique sourness to it that I can't describe adequately but it's really not my favorite.

Most of the beer at this place was delicious. I'd definitely give it an overall score of 4. I actually kind of surprised I haven't seen this brewery on tap in more bars around Seattle. I hope that they are given the opportunity to expand so that I don't have to drive 3 hours to Vancouver to enjoy it. The brewery food and character also gets a 4 for a total score of 8. This one was great!

Brewery #14: Pike Brewing Co.

I have to start this one with a disclaimer. I have been to Pike multiple times and I'm really not into it. The food is mediocre, the restaurant is too loud, and I really only like one of their beers. I know this brewery has a great reputation in Seattle because it's right on the waterfront and associated with Pike Place Market. Even so, there's really nothing at this brewery that I enjoy.

If you're visiting Seattle and want to do the touristy thing, it's probably a fun place to visit. There's lots of activity and they have some cool pictures on the walls, plus they have a whole lot of souvenirs. But, if you're from the Seattle area and are just looking for a good bar to hang out, relax and enjoy good beer, this really isn't it.

Pike Naughty Nellie (4)

Naughty Nellie is a golden organic. It's got a good balance of hops and a solid flavor. I haven't had a lot of organic beers but this one peeks my interest.

Pike Pale Ale (3)

Too hoppy. I thought it was just ok.

Pike IPA (3)

This one has a light, flowery smell and a hoppy, flowery taste. Goes down pretty smooth. Not bad.

Pike Kilt Lifter (4.5)

By far the most popular of Pike's beers. This is a sweet, delicious amber with a great blend of malts. This is the only one from this brewery that I would drink at another bar.

Pike Tandem (2.5)

Dark brown ale with a sweet, coriander flavor. Definitely not my favorite. It's that awful coriander taste that's ruined the beer once again.

Pike XXXXX (4)

A scotch ale with a good, chocolate taste. I wrote GOOD in caps for this one. (I should probably start taking more descriptive notes)

The beer at Pike is just average. I'd give it a 3.5 overall. The brewery, again not my favorite, will get a 3 out of me. If you want to add half a point for the tourist attraction go right ahead. Overall score of 6.5-7.0. I promise the next two get better.

Brewery #13: Twin Rivers Brewing

Unlucky #13 certainly didn't do anything to help this brewery out. Twin Rivers is located in Monroe, Washington, a small town about a half hour Northeast of Seattle. I don't know much about the town, and I've only driven through on my way to Leavenworth or to some lake/river that's way more fun than Monroe. What I've learned from the trip is it's a small town that's trying to be a bigger town so it lacks small town charm and stinks as a big town. The brewery is a perfect example.

Unfortunately, this bar is not set up for the mid-20's, fresh out of college, brewery hopping clientele. This brewery is better suited for the 80+, senior discount, have nothing better to do with my day type. ( I apologize if that offends anyone) The brewery is somehow connected with the Sailfish Bar and Grill, a fancy seafood restaurant that also sells beer. The wine list is longer than the beer list, and to be honest, they probably would be better off just sticking with the wine. The food is really expensive and not that spectacular and the whole place gave me a bad vibe. I'd avoid this one unless you're in Monroe for some other reason and really craving expensive seafood and beer.

The beer:

Pilsner (4)
This is a clean, crisp, refreshing pilsner. It reminds me of champagne but better because it's beer.

Copper Ale (3.5)
This one has a delicious blend of malts with a warm, amber taste. Kyle thinks it tastes bitter but I think it's supposed to.

Bock (4)
A think, amber lager. I really enjoyed this one.

India Pale Ale (3)
This one smells like flowers and tastes like flowers. Typical IPA with nothing that really makes it stand out.

Abbey Ale (2)
Sour, blond ale with a hint of coriander. I hate coriander in beer, it makes it taste bad.

Porter (3)
I could really taste more coffee than chocolate in this porter. It wasn't bad, but pretty light for a porter. I'm not sure this one was done correctly.

Imperial Stout (4)
Rich and creamy stout with great flavors. I can really taste the chocolate and coffee in this one.

I'd give the beer at this place a 3.5. At best, I would order the bock online, but I don't really plan on making a trip back for the beer. The ambiance of Twin Rivers deserves a 2 for an overall score of 5.5. Probably my worst one yet. Adios Twin Rivers!

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.