Stoup Brewing

Stoup Brewing  28Nov2016

I was scanning my brewery list to see who was open on a Monday and I was feeling lazy. I haven’t written about Stoup Brewing even though I have frequented it. I took a quick walk on a dry day in November, a rare occurrence. Stoup is in the Ballard brewery district in a mixed light industrial and residential neighborhood. They draw a lot of foot traffic.

 

The street view of the brewery

The day was partly cloudy and fine after all the rain we’ve had, so the front garage door was open. The temperature was in the 40s, which made the seating area a bit chilly. The greeting was Seattle cool, as well, polite but reserved.

The taproom can expand onto the front patio in warmer weather.

The taproom ambiance is industrial warehouse with the brew-house clearly visible from the inside sitting area. In warm weather the outdoor seating areas get a lot of use. As you enter the taproom the bar is clearly visible as is the expanding beer list. 

The information laden beer list with the brewery visible behind it

The top entries on the list are more regular brews while the lower entries are more limited beers. I ordered a taster of 5 four ounce samples of the beers from the bottom of the list.

Tasters l to r Hoppy Farmhouse, Dublin Down, Cashed Out Black IPA, Whisker Stout, and Russian Imperial Stout

Tasting Notes:

Hoppy Farmhouse (6.1%, 30 IBU): Pale gold with a slight haze. Hop aroma with a slight funk. Dry light body, bitterness with a slight sour tang. Some esters. A bit of pepper in the finish.

Dublin Down (10.0%, 48 IBU): An imperial red aged in Jameson barrels. Clear red with a slight haze. Whiskey and malt aroma. Sweet malt and bitter and barrel. Some vanilla from the oak and esters forming a pear flavor. No alcohol heat and no hop aroma. Sweet finish. Dangerously drinkable.

Cashed Out Black IPA (7.3%, 58 IBU): Black and opaque with reddish highlights. Hop aroma from unidentified hops. Very bitter, light body, roast in the finish. Bitter and roasted malt finish.

Whisker Stout (7.0%, 55 IBU): Opaque black with slight red highlights. Roast malt aroma with some alcohol in the nose. Thin body, bitter, and roast malt flavor. No hop aroma. Bitter roast malt finish.

Russian Imperial Stout (9.2%, 90 IBU): Absolutely black and opaque. Alcohol and sweet malt. Alcohol heat, bitter, full body, roast malt, and sweet. Bitter sweet finish. 

As the sun set on my brewery visit I snapped a picture of the residences across the street

As the weather temperatures were in the upper 40s and I was sitting in the open doorway, I am not sure my ales ever reached proper drinking temperature of around 55 °F. High gravity beers are usually much more flavorful as they warm up. I polished off my beers pretty quickly so I could warm up on the walk home. The beers were all well-made and interesting. Stoup is worth a visit.

Reuben’s Brews

Reuben’s Brews  18Nov2016

I had swung by Reuben’s last week to try a New England style IPA, but the place was packed by an event, which caused me to pass it by to go elsewhere. I don’t like standing in line for beer. Except at the ballpark. Reuben’s early on a Friday afternoon is only sparsely populated, I did not have to wait in line, and I easily found a place to sit and admire the brewery.

Your friendly neighborhood brewery with parking in front blocked off for the food truck yet to arrive

 As you enter the taproom the seating area surrounds you, the beer list is prominent in front of you, and the cylindroconicals are visible to the rear of the space. 

As you walk in the front door there is no doubt where the beer might be.

The ambience is industrial warehouse with a serious brewery vibe. The people behind the bar are knowledgeable and friendly.

The brewing equipment and brewers are not behind glass.

I checked the beer list and decided to do mostly IPAs including the latest New England style Citra Crush. A set of 6 by 4 oz. tasters seemed appropriate with so many (more than 20) choices.

So many beers, so little time. And a limited capacity. I'm a lightweight.

Tasting Notes:

Back row (l to r) Roasted Rye IPA, Auld Heritage, Citra Crush; Front row (l to r) Hop Tropic, Triumvirate, Pilsner

Pilsner (5.5% ABV 35 IBU): Clear pale gold. Bready aroma. Full body with balanced sweetness and bitterness with an ever so slight sourness. Dry finish.

Triumvirate IPA (6.0% ABV 52 IBU): Slightly hazy gold. Sweaty hop aroma – some onion. Full body and hop oil richness with bitter and sweet flavor. The bitterness and sweetness linger into the finish.

Hop Tropic (6.2% ABV 48 IBU): Hazy pale gold. Mild hop aroma. Full body with good balance shaded toward bitter. Tropical hop flavor. Mostly bitter finish.

Citra Crush – Nitro (6.0% ABV 47 IBU): Very hazy pale yellow. Dank fruity hop aroma. Malty full body with fruity hops and a slight bitterness. Bitter finish.

Auld Heritage (8.7% ABV 58 IBU): Clear brown. Sweet malt aroma with some roast. Full body, sweet malt flavor with slight bitterness. Good balance. Bitter finish. A nice winter warmer.

Roasted Rye IPA (7.0% ABV 80 IBU): Reddish brown, slightly hazy. Not much aroma. Medium body and bitter. Integrated grain and hop flavor. Bitter finish. This an old school IPA with an emphasis on bitterness and malt body.

Reuben’s is an award winning brewery which has gained a reputation for good beer. They make well brewed beers, experiment constantly, and when they release bottled special beers, the lines are long. The place is often packed but can offer sanctuary on certain off times like Friday afternoon. I tasted my beers and then pulled out my book and finished off the set while reading and watching the workers operate the brewery. Once I finished home was just a quick walk away. I savored the bitterness still on my tongue - Reuben's is not afraid to pile on the hops.

NW Peaks Brewery

NW Peaks Brewery 13Nov2016

NW Peaks is a short walk from my house. It has been in the local brewing news because they have acquired Spinnaker Bay brewing in Columbia City. I dropped in because I wanted to find out if the local NW Peaks taproom would be continuing to brew and pour any of the Spinnaker Bay beers, especially the CDA, Black High Heel. The answer was that they haven’t decided yet. One can only hope.

The Bergschrund (crevasse) in a fairly old but refurbished building

The Bergschrund used to be the Bit Saloon before it was acquired by NW Peaks. NW Peaks was a very small brewery with a tiny taproom before the building got shot out from under them. They moved into the Saloon and contract brewed wherever they could get fermenter space. Now they will brew - beginning in December – in Columbia City. We will watch the news and taste the beer.

As you enter you see the bar and the beer list

As you enter the tap room you see booths on the left and the bar toward the back on the right. The beer list is on a monitor in the barroom and the greeting is NW friendly. The feel is tavern like and perfect for a rainy day. I opted to have a couple of schooners instead of a flight of samplers. I have had the regular beers, and they are all well made. I ordered Stuart Stout and Enchantment Ale.

More seating beyond the main room with the bar

Tasting Notes:

Stuart Stout (5%): Opaque black with a dark tan head. Roast malt aroma. Tastes of roasted malt with a medium body and good balance between malt and bitterness. Dry finish.

Stuart Stout

Enchantment Ale (6.3%): Enchantment Ale is a saison style ale brewed without Brettanomyces or lactobacillus – only saison yeast. It appears a pale gold color with only a slight haze. Vinous Belgian yeast aroma. Yeast flavor predominates with a slight pepper note from the phenols. Slightly sour with very low bitterness. Dry with a dry finish.

Enchantment Ale

I didn’t get a stamp in my Washington Beer Lovers passport because I have already been to NW Peaks a couple of times this year. Lately the beers have been good but not attention getting. I expect the experimentation to pick up once they put the brewery in Columbia City to work for themselves. I’ve had some amazing beers there when they had their own equipment. I keep going back due, as much as anything, to proximity.

Hale's Ales

Hale’s Ales Brewery  04Nov2016

Hale’s is a long walk from Fremont Brewing, but I needed to get my steps. Hale’s is one of the oldest breweries in the state of Washington and was established in 1983 in Colville before it moved to Kirkland and finally settled in Frellard. I have visited Hale’s many times over the years, drinking beer and dining. I have even obtained one yeast start for my homebrew many years ago. The food is good pub fare and the beer has always been well made.

Hale's is visible from Leary Way

The entryway is an open waiting and seating area with a fine open view of the brewery on the right and doorways on the left lead to the bar and dining areas. The bar and dining areas have the nice homely feel of an English pub. The greeting is usually somewhat impartial and competent. Questions are answered knowledgeably and in a friendly way.

  

Entryway with brewery visible in the background and pub entrance on the left

The beer list is visible above the bar and is printed and available at every table and at the bar. Ask a server what seasonals are on tap and if anything is on cask.

Beers listed above the bar

I ordered a Red Menace (4.8% ABV, 9 IBU) and noted its clear red color. It has a big hop, beery aroma. It’s bitter up front seeming to present more than 9 IBU with some diacetyl but it’s also dry. It has a dry bitter finish.

The Red Menace is on the bar

We usually end up at Hale’s to finish the annual pub crawl and to get some food to help settle stomachs awash in beer. After settling up I made the long walk home. On the way I stopped at BevMo and picked up a bottle of Black Butte XXVIII. I’ll put that one away and drink the XXVI soon.

Fremont Brewing

Fremont Brewing  04Nov2016

I think we're in Fremont

I’ve been seeing pictures of Dark Star on my beer tasting themed Facebook pages, which pushed me to plan a trip to Fremont Brewing. Fremont has been building a well-deserved reputation for brewing prowess. I jumped aboard the 40, which dropped me in downtown Fremont to make a short walk to the brewery.

Another Fremont landmark difficult to miss

The brewery and tap room presents a prosperous looking face toward N 34^th Street. The taps and the beer list are readily apparent as you enter the building after passing the outdoor seating area. 

Stand back, pick your beer, and then step right up

Looking left from the entrance

I wanted to try the Dark Star but I hadn’t read the fine print on line, so when I saw it was 14.5% ABV I decided on a 4 oz. taster because I am a light weight. I also wanted to try the spice version and skip the coffee version. I ordered a couple of other tasters to make a flight.

Left to right: sour with lime, IIPA randal, Dark Star, and Dark Star Spice Wars

Tasting Notes:

Sour with Lime (4% ABV, 10 IBU): Cloudy pale yellow. Lime and sour aroma. Straight forward sour flavor of lime. Refreshing.

The Brother IIPA randaled with fruit (8.5% ABV, 90IBU): Dark gold, slightly hazy. Fruity and dank hop aroma. Fruity, hoppy flavor with a long, bitter finish.

Dark Star (14.5% ABV, 50 IBU): Labeled as an oatmeal stout. Opaque black color with a tan head. Rich roasty chocolate and biscuit aroma. All of those aromas are in the flavor and the alcohol is well hidden. Absolutely delicious.

Dark Star Spice Wars (14.5% ABV, 50 IBU): Opaque black color with a tan head. Some spice in the aroma – suppresses the biscuit aroma. Spicy flavor added to the flavors of Dark Star. The spices seemed to bring out the alcohol and decrease the smoothness of the base beer.

Looking right from the entrance

The indoor seating area has a lot of space for when the weather turns wet and cold. The outdoor seating area is pleasant in sunny weather, and it had more patrons seated enjoying beer than were seated inside on this clear day. I enjoyed my beer and book indoors in the quiet. If you are in the Fremont area, seek out Fremont Brewing to try some beer. Their everyday beers are well made and interesting, and they usually have some of their limited releases on tap. From here I set out to walk to Hale’s Ales.