Machine House Brewery

Machine House Brewery  19Feb2017

A long bus ride, including a transfer downtown in the damp and cold, deposited me at Machine House Brewery. I nearly turned back home while waiting but rallied myself with, “What kind of beer hunter are you?” The stalwart kind, I hope. Machine House is located in Georgetown in a complex that was once part of Seattle Brewing and Malting Company. 

When you de-bus from the 124 at Doris St, the brewery is right across the street. You might be tempted to jay-walk across Airport Way. Take care.

The specialty here is cask-conditioned ale or as CAMRA would call it, Real Ale. No food is offered but it is available to go at nearby restaurants.

The entrance is easier to find when the photographer doesn't jerk the camera

The entrance to Machine House is set back from Airport Way through a side door that is easily missed. As you enter you see the bar and seating to your left and right. The beer list is clearly visible chalked up behind the bar. 

The bar behind which you can see the beer list

The seven cask engines are clearly visible and well-marked at the bar. The ambiance is converted industrial space with the high windows adding a lot of much needed daylight. No flights are offered so I ordered four half-pints (10 ounces) with no intention of finishing all of them. I chose low ABV beers to minimize the discomfort of the long bus ride back home.

Tasting Notes: 

Dark Mild (3.7% 20 IBU): In the 18^th and 19^th century mild meant beer that was not aged. Now it means a low ABV thirst quencher. This one is dark brown to black with red highlights and clear. Fruit and roast malt aroma. Bitterness, roast malt (almost coffee like), and dry with late bitterness. Slight malt sweetness. Bitter finish. Good body for such low alcohol.

Dark Mild

Winter Sun Pale Ale (4.0% 40 IBU): Clear pale yellow. New hop aroma, citrus. Sweet malt, heady hop flavor with late bitterness and a slight astringency. Thin body. Bitter-sweet finish.

Winter Sun Pale Ale

Porter (5.4% 20 IBU): Clear reddish-black. Roast malt and fruit aroma. Slightly smoky roast malt and sweet. Low bitterness and fruit. Smokey finish. According to the brewery no smoked malt was added.

Porter on the right next to the Dark Mild for comparison. Both are suitably dark and the Porter has reddish highlights

Elm Hill Bitter (4.3% 24 IBU): Clear reddish gold. Citrus and piney hop aroma. Sweet malt, bitter hops and citrus hop flavor. Medium body. Bitter finish.

Elm Hill Bitter taken at a low angle to capture the clarity

Machine House understands cask-conditioned ales better than any other brewery in the city. Their beer is as fine as any I have had in England. Many drinkers find cask ale to be too warm and under carbonated. The ideal serving temperature for real ale is 55 °F with carbonation levels of 1.1 to 1.8 volumes. Cask ale balances the interplay of malt, hops, and yeast and the warmer temperature combined with low CO₂ allow the drinker to taste all components. The balance can be shifted to highlight any particular one, but all flavors should be present. And, Machine House does this very well – their dark mild is the best in Seattle, in my opinion. If you go, please, approach the beer with an open mind and don’t expect the hop and malt assault of West Coast IPAs – although you can find that here if you want. The IPA, which I didn’t sample, is hopped to 66 IBU.

I didn’t over-partake and the bus ride home was anxiety free. For the most part.