Ravenna Brewing

Ravenna Brewing  05Mar2017

Ravenna Brewing is poorly served by Metro. I braved the rain and snow mix to catch the D-Line to Market Street and then caught the 44 to the U district. From there I walked 1.1 miles because the bus I thought I was going to take me to the brewery front door only runs at week day commute times. Even with the optimal bus route I would have wound up walking 0.6 miles. Ravenna Brewing is just a few blocks from the first apartment my wife and I rented as a young married couple. That building is now long gone.

The brewery entrance is off 26^th Ave NE and not really apparent from the street. 

The entrance tucked away from 26th Ave NE with the outdoor seating area to the right.

Just outside the door, slightly below grade, is the outdoor seating area, which is not much in use in the winter when days such as today are cool in the low 40s. As you walk in the door you see the seating area in front of you and the brew kit to the right. 

The view from just inside the front door. Brew kit to the right and bar to the back.

My feeling once inside was warm and cozy. The bar is in the back and the beer list is chalked above the bar. 

The beer list is extensive.

Flights of tasters are available as well as pints, crowlers and growlers. I picked six tastes and settled in to see what I liked.

From r to l Lion Tamer Bourbon Vanilla Porter, Sauvin Deadly Sins IPA, Farmhouse Saison, Cascadian Dark Ale, Triumph Mosaic Extra Pale Ale, Raspberry Wheat.

Tasting Notes:

Raspberry Wheat (5.6%): Yeast, malt and fruit aroma. Pale yellow, slightly pink appearance. Initial sip is fruity raspberry with some astringency. Dry. Some bubble gum. Dry finish. Adding raspberries to beer almost always turns out well.

Triumph Mosaic Extra Pale (5.8%): Fruity citrus hop aroma. Gold with a slight haze. Taste is sweet malt, late bitterness, citrus. Bitter-sweet finish.

Farmhouse Saison (7.2%): Fruity peppery aroma. Pale yellow gold and clear. Sweet, phenolic black pepper flavor with a very slight sourness. Sweet finish.

Lion Tamer Bourbon Vanilla Porter (9%): Roast malt, almost coffee aroma. Black with red highlights. Roast malt, low bitterness, some vanilla and bourbon. Sweet finish.

Sauvin Deadly Sins IPA (6.3%): Fruity hop aroma. Pale gold appearance with slight haze. Fruity sweet malt with hoppy flavor. Strong bitterness. Bitter finish that lingers.

Cascadian Dark Ale (6.5%): Roast malt aroma. Black with red highlights. Roast malt, bracing hop bitterness, very low hop aroma. Roast and bitter finish which lingers.

Ravenna Brewing is a cozy, neighborhood place. As my friend and I sipped our tasters the place filled up with young families with kids and dogs. The vibe is friendly and low key making for a good atmosphere in which to linger over a beer or three. The beers were well brewed with no clunkers in the lot. I could have drunk a lot more of the Raspberry Wheat or Lion Tamer Bourbon Vanilla Porter although the latter would quickly push me to my limit. The IPAs I tried were both well-made and good examples of the style. The saison was pretty good too.

I made the long hike – uphill - back to the U-district to catch the 44 home thinking how lucky I am to have so many breweries near me in Ballard. A long walk after a couple of beers should lead home not to a long bus ride.