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.