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.

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.

Brewery #5: Hales Ales

If you haven't noticed, I've had to mess with the template a few times to get the comments option to work. Since I don't know much about html I had to resort back to a generic google template. It's not my favorite but at least people can tell me what they think.

As far as ambiance goes, Hales really isn't the best. If you're just going for dinner it feels too much like a bar and if you're going just to drink it feels too much like a restaurant. I wish we had gone on a different day when the brewery is open to take the tour. I think that would've been it's one redeeming quality.

The waiter at this place was really creepy. He accidentally spilled one of the samples on Kelsey and kept giving us free stuff for the rest of the night. Which, was pretty great, except that meant he kept coming by and getting awkwardly close and breathing really heavily. Not my favorite guy, but I gave him a little credit because he probably saved us $20 on his own dime for spilling a little beer. Thanks Kelsey for taking one for the team.

The sampler at this bar gives you a choice of any five beers they have on tap. We got two samplers for a total of 10 different types of beer. It was brought out on this big tray and the beer was set on top of a chart with the names on it. The only problem was, there were more beer names than beers on the tray and it was difficult to tell which was which. The waiter told us when he brought the beer but it was hard to remember. So I made my best guess as to what type of beer I was having, you guess is as good as mine as to whether or not I'm right.

It was brought to my attention during this meal, that I should be rating the beer on some type of scale. This would help with my lack of adjectives to describe the beer. There were multiple suggestions, some complex and some kind of kooky, but I think in the end I may just rate the beer on a scale of 1 to 5 and the bar on a scale of 1 to 10. The extra 5 points for the bar will include the ambiance and the food and the overall good time that was had.

Wee Heavy Winter Ale (4)

This was a decent winter ale with a little bit of spice. I would say this beer is good but not great. The most anyone could get out of me at the table was "pretty good".

Cream Stout (3)

This beer is a nitro and to be honest, it's a little weird. I don't think I like the mixture of the cream and the stout and making it a nitro unfortunately didn't help much.

Nut Brown Ale (4.5)

Great beer! This one has just the right about of nuttiness and tastes pretty smooth. I actually wrote "Not too nutty. Yummy yummy" on my notes.

Mongoose IPA (2)

Since I've been sampling beers I've had to try quite a few IPAs. I'm not really a fan of this type of beer, but I have come across a few that aren't too bad and even a little tasty. This is not one of those beers. This IPA tastes like flowers. So much so that I made a sour face after trying the beer, quite similar to that of biting into a lemon.

El Jefe (2.5)

This hef was too orangey. It also has that familiar taste that I have really grown to dislike in hefeweizens. I have no idea what that taste is, but I know it every time I taste it.

Kolsch (2)

Hale's german style beer. I'm guessing this is a lager because of the sour, unrefreshing taste. I didn't like this one at all.

Hales Cream Ale (2)

This was a nitro but it wasn't cold enough. Almost like they had poured the beer half an hour before bringing it out. It reminded me of flat bud light and pee. Maybe if it had been the appropriate temperature for a nitro I wouldn't have noticed the bad flavors.

Pale American Ale (4)

This one had a lot of good flavors and was pretty rich for a pale ale. No one else seemed to like it but I really enjoyed this one. It was a nice contrast to the horrid cream ale I'd had right before.

Hale's Special Bitter (4)

This one is also a nitro and actually the best of the three they have on tap. It had a good amount of hops and went down smooth.

Obrian's Harvest Ale (3)

The best I can give this beer is an alright. It reminds me of an ESB, which could be why I'm not a huge fan. Jenn really did like this one, so for anyone else who's an ESB fan, this beer might be good for you.

Overall, I'd say the beer at this bar deserves a 3 on the rating scale and a 3 for ambiance and food. It was a pretty average bar and really didn't impress me on any level, and for that, Hales Ales deserves an overall rating of 6.

Brewery #4: Dad Watson's (McMenamins)

McMenamin's was a blast. The beer was unique and the atmosphere was fun. The brewery is located in Fremont, which apparently is a pain to get to on a Friday night in traffic. However, it was worth the long wait and the long walk after we gave up on sitting in traffic and parked the car quite a few blocks away.

I really liked McMenamin's beer, especially the Ruby Ale. The sampler had 6 different beers and there were more on tap. Everyone had a lot to drink at this bar, so the pictures are a little goofy. I'm guessing this won't be the only time I get some hilarious pictures out of this little project.

Ruby Ale
This is McMenamin's raspberry ale. I've had cherry beer and apricot beer and even blueberry beer but this was the first time I've had raspberry beer. I found it rather delicious. It tastes like fruit juice and mixes really well with the Terminator Stout, which I'll get to later.

Hammerhead Ale

No one could decide if this was an IPA or not. The menu described it as a hoppy pale ale, so I guess you could call it an IPA if you really want. I thought this beer was really good. It had a rich flavor and the hops weren't overdone.

India Pale Ale

I thought this beer tasted like nail polish. I hated it. Everyone else at the table thought it was pretty good but no one could tell me why. I might be a little bit biased because I don't like IPA's but even if I did, I think this beer would still taste like toes.

Porter

This is your typical chocolate, coffee flavored porter but the blend seems to be a little off. It tasted a little funny but I can't put my finger on what was wrong. Overall, it was nothing impressive.

Terminator Stout

The Terminator is a good stout. It's a little watery but had good flavor and was easy to drink.

Seasonal Madness (Nut Brown)

I'm not sure if the nut brown is actually their seasonal or if they just ran out of the seasonal and gave me the nut brown. I could definitely taste the nuts in this one and I rather enjoyed it. I give this beer a thumbs up.

RUBINATOR

This was my favorite beer of the night and it's not even a real beer. This is the combination of the Ruby Ale and the Terminator Stout. It's not on the menu and I never would've thought of it without Kelsey mentioning it. I think there should be more raspberry stouts. The subtle fruit flavor is a good contrast to the typically thick, chocolaty beer. It's a great mix and if you ask for it the waitress will definitely know what you're talking about.

So there you have it, Dad Watson's was a fun brewery with some great beer. This will do it for the long list of McMenamin's breweries since the beer is the same at each location. If you ever want to check another one out they're in Queen Anne and Seattle too.

Cheers!

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!