Mollusk Brewing

Mollusk Brewing  20Jan2017

Mollusk in its nice new building on Dexter Avenue

Mollusk is a pub and brewery near the heart of Amazonia. They started in a rather cramped space in SODO and moved recently into their new digs in South Lake Union. I hopped on the 40 (a route that is becoming the brewery bus) to ride the scenic route through Frellard down Westlake to South Lake Union. Mollusk is a couple of blocks off of Westlake on Dexter Ave.

When I stopped in on a Friday afternoon, the place was sparsely populated. The building is new and the restaurant is shiny and pristine and much roomier than the old space. As you walk in the front door you see the bar to the right 

The L-shaped bar with a view of the kitchen to the back

and the brewery behind glass to the left. 

The brew house is behind glass and visible from the central dining area

The center area is seating for the restaurant. The general feel of the place is and up to date restaurant as opposed to the standard urban warehouse so prominent in Seattle. I took a seat at the bar and was presented with a beer list and a beer information sheet plus a menu. I opted for a taster of 6 x 4 ounce samples.

Some of the beers on offer with ingredients and tasting notes

 Tasting Notes:

Artsy Pale Ale (4.7% ABV): Balanced malt and hop aroma. Yellow gold and murky appearance. Sweet, astringent and bitter flavor with balanced malt and hops. Bitter finish. A nice sessionable pale.

Winter Brown (6.3% ABV): Roasty chocolate malt aroma. Clear brown appearance. Sweet and malty with late bitterness. Some roast. Dry bitter finish. A straight ahead brown ale, well brewed.

Icarus Plunged Accidentally IPA (7.0% ABV): An IPA named by committee. A slight dank hop aroma. Pale gold with slight haze. Full body malt and bitter hops. Sweet and bitter, fruity citrus hops. Quick finish, dry and neutral.

Mollusk Critter (4.3% ABV): Perfumey, saison aroma, phenols and fruit. Reddish brown and clear. Sweet, fruity and slightly sour yeast character. Sweet, sour finish. I could drink this all day.

Saison du Mollusk (6.5% ABV): Sweet, estery and phenolic aroma. Clear pale gold. Malty and sweet flavor with a slight bitterness. Saison yeast presence. Dry bitter finish.

Pizzabier (6.5% ABV): Garlic and oregano aroma. Clear pale gold. Garlic and oregano flavor. A hint of tomato? Maybe. Balanced malt and bitterness. Garlic finish. Not my taste in beer.

The beers (l to r): Artsy Pale Ale, Winter Brown, Icarus Plunged Accidentally IPA, Mollusk Critter, Saison du Mollusk, Pizzabier (not shown)

 I had a dish of crispy Brussel sprouts with a lemon aioli on the side – it was good if you like Brussel sprouts like I do. 

Even though the place was sparsely populated the feeling in the room was friendly and I had a nice brief beer related conversation with one of my bar mates. From the bar a patron can see the continual activity in the kitchen – those guys were busy. I enjoyed all of my beers, they were all well brewed and unique in flavor. The Pizzabier was not to my taste because it turns out I don’t like garlic in beer. I took a short walk back to Westlake to catch the 40 back home.

Lantern Brewing

Lantern Brewing  15Jan2017

A small sign on the corner of the building announces Lantern Brewing's presence

 Lantern Brewing is a block off of Aurora on N 95^th, which makes all the difference in ambiance. The neighborhood transitions from semi-industrial to residential mid-block.

The front door is inviting even though utilitarian buildings such as this one are hard to dress up 

Lantern is, for the most part, a production brewery with limited taproom hours. I endangered the execution of my dinner duties by paying a late afternoon visit.

As you enter the front door the bar is on your immediate right and beyond is the brewing area

The brewery building is a pretty standard warehouse structure with only a sandwich board to guide you in. As you walk in the front door you can see the bar to your immediate right and the brewery proper beyond the seating area, also on your right. The taproom atmosphere is pretty standard industrial warehouse and a bit drafty in the winter. Behind the bar the beer list is plainly evident with short descriptions of each beer. Pints, schooners and taster flights are all available. I opted for 8 tastes of the 10 beers on offer.

The beer list

Tasting Notes:

Pumpkin Ale (5.9% ABV): Murky orange. Fruity, phenolic aroma. Subtle squash flavor and no spices. Sweet, Belgian yeast phenols. Full body. Sweet finish.

Dubbel (6.3% ABV): Murky reddish brown. Subdued Belgian character. Sweet and bitter. Bitter finish. Full body. A bit smokey.

Brio (5.5% ABV): Spicy bready aroma. Dark yellow color slightly hazy. Dry, hoppy but low bitterness, with fairly neutral yeast profile. Sessionable.

Au Brun (5.6% ABV): Light red and clear. Hoppy and phenolic aroma. Dry. Bitter finish. Moreish.

From l to r front row: Pumpkin, Stout; second row Bonneville, Au Brun; third row Dubbel, Trippel, Brio, Sombre

Bonneville (7.2% ABV, 73 IBU): Dark red and clear. Mostly hops and some phenols in the aroma. Dry, full body, bitter hop on the nose. Dry finish with lingering bitterness and hop aroma.

Trippel (10.1% ABV): Pale gold and clear. Fruity phenolic aroma. Full body, dry, low bitterness. Dry finish. Hides its alcohol well.

Sombre (11.0% ABV): Black with red highlights. House yeast aroma. Roast malt flavor - both sweet and dry. Dry finish.

Stout (5.5% ABV): Opaque Black. Roasted malt aroma. Burnt malt flavor with low bitterness. House yeast adds complexity.

Happiness is visiting a brewery when the brewer is behind the bar ready to answer questions from a pestering beer blagger. The brewer explained how he manipulates parameters of the yeast pitch to attenuate or amplify the profile of esters and phenols. In that way he can attain a more neutral profile for the stout or a more intense Belgian character for the Dubbel and Trippel. Even though the brewery is a block from Aurora the proximity to residential areas gives the clientele a neighborhood feel. The vibe is friendly and homey even in an industrial warehouse setting. Lantern does beer differently than many other local breweries and in that way is not another “me too” kind of place. The visit was worthwhile and I did make it back home in time to serve dinner.

Naked City Brewing

Naked City Brewing  12Jan2017

A couple of our “Annual Pub Crawls” have included Naked City even before they were known for their own beers. I first tasted Mirror Mirror there on tap before I waded into the local tap list. The brewpub is nominal walking distance from my home, a mere 2 miles, which gives me a chance to burn off a few of the excess calories gained by drinking there. The stagger home is probably a slightly longer distance. On a midweek afternoon, the time I like to drink, the greeting is prompt and friendly.

Getting a good look at the front door is tough with all of the on-street parking

As you approach the front door you can see the beer garden on the left hand (north) side of the building, not an attractive prospect in winter. Once inside you see the bar prominently on your right and restaurant seating to your left. On your extreme right is an opening to additional seating in the event room. The beer list is not plainly evident (I am not known for my keen powers of observation) but a printed beer list is available at every table and is presented promptly when you first sit at the bar. I passed up the tasters (6 x 5 oz.) because they were preset and opted for schooners of three different beers of my own choice. I was presented with a bonus sample as well.

The bar visible from the time you enter the front door with a good view of the wood chairs

Tasting Notes:

The Spy Who Came in for a Kölsch (4.8% ABV): Bready, malty aroma. Clear gold color. Low bitterness, light body, sweet flavor. Hop presence is subdued and is mixed in with the flavor profile. Sweet finish, then gone and ready for another sip. I have had batches with more prominent noble-hop character from the Mt. Hood hops.

The Spy Who Came in for a Kölsch (between the water and the hat). Note the clarity.

Genius Juice IPA (6.0% ABV): Big piney, fruity hop aroma. Murky reddish orange with a pure white head of foam. Sweet, malty, bitter hops matching the aroma. Full body with a bitter sweet finish and lingering hop aroma. The brewers jokingly call it their "Poorly Executed IPA." It’s delicious.

Genius Juice IPA. Note the murk.

Brother Orchid (8.0% ABV): My bonus sample. Tutty fruity aroma and cinnamon (!). Clear, reddish brown appearance. Sweet, smoky, very fruity, and light body all add up to make for an intriguing beer. A well-made beer but not my favorite style.

Brother Orchid sample in the front and Grapes of Wrath to the rear.

Grapes of Wrath (9.8% ABV): Big sour cherry aroma. Opaque black color. Big cherry flavor assaults the tongue with each sip and a pleasant, mild sourness washes it away. The beer is full bodied and the barrel aging has added complexity beyond my description. So good.

Naked City continues to use their small but versatile brew house to create a line-up of continuing beers (such as Kölsch and Orange Blossom Special) and a stream of innovative one-offs. The beers are always well made even if they are not my favorite styles. I can’t report on the food from the extensive menu, but I have enjoyed their soft pretzel many times because it never fails to satisfy. The two mile stagger home was enjoyable for the after taste of the Grapes of Wrath.