Rooftop Brewing

Rooftop Brewing  30Apr2017

I’ve been slacking on brewery trips and had some free time Sunday. So there I was riding the D Line again and headed toward the south end of the Ballard Bridge. Rooftop Brewing is on Nickerson a few blocks from the Emerson stop. Rooftop started a bit farther east on Nickerson and was apparently a garage size operation with the taproom on the roof. I never did visit the old location but I have been to the new place a few times now.

Rooftop from the street. The tiny taproom is behind the bike rack and the patio is to the right.

The brewery resides in a smallish retail building on Nickerson and has as a neighbor Zoka coffee roasters. Because of that location they naturally have collaborations for coffee beer and Rooftop vends Zoka coffee. Rooftop is fronted by a large parking lot, which is under-used for parking, and is easily visible from the street. The enclosed patio area is larger than the seating area inside. 

The taproom, bar, and beer list.

The interior taproom contains a small bar with the tap list above it, a couple of tables and the popcorn machine.

The beer list and the utility room toward the back.

I pulled up a stool at the small bar and ordered a half-dozen tasters.

The first six tasters: (l to r) Glorious Basker, Stargazer IPA, American Mosiac IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, C-Monster Imperial IPA, and Oatmeal Stout.

Tasting Notes:

Glorious Basker (5.0%, 11 IBU): Hazy orange. Aroma of yeast esters, phenols and orange. Wheat and orange flavor. Fruity esters leading to a medium dry finish and orange.

Stargazer IPA (6.8%, 76 IBU): Reddish amber appearance. Fruity and piney hops and sweet esters. Bitter hops, roasty malt, and esters. Malt rich. Lingering bitter finish.

American Mosaic IPA (6.8%, 76 IBU): Red-gold and hazy. Fruity and piney aroma. Sweet malt, then bitterness, and hop flavor. Bitter-sweet finish. Restrained bitterness for an IPA.

Cascadian Dark Ale (7.0%, 51 IBU): Brown-black with red highlights. Yeast esters, roast malt, and chocolate aroma. Bitterness up front with roast malt, then minty hops. Lingering bitter finish.

C-Monster Imperial IPA (8.6%, 78 IBU): Hazy orange-gold. Yeast and piney citrus hops but faint. Rich malt body and dry. This is a bitter hop forward beer. Sweet malt finish then lingering bitterness.

Oatmeal Stout (5.5%, 34 IBU): Red-black and clear. Roast malt and chocolate aroma. Light malt body, bitter hops, and roast malt. Bitter-sweet finish.

Pilsner Style Ale (4.8, 18): Hazy gold. No aroma. Beer flavor of malt and hops with malt forward balance. Noble hop flavor. Sweet finish. Needs more hop bitterness and aroma.

Pilsner Style Ale. I noted the previous beers seemed more bitter than the stated IBUs, so I thought this 18 IBU beer might have more perceived bitterness. I was disappointed.

I sat at the bar and talked with the bartenders about how brewery competition in Seattle has been forcing brewers to make their best beers. A steady stream of customers came to the bar to order beer and then return to the outdoor seating area (outdoor but completely enclosed and heated in winter). The beer menu was IPA heavy (much like Flying Bike) and IBU prominent. Bar patrons were known to the bartenders marking them as regulars. Hanging out in the taproom or on the patio is a pleasant way to sink a beer or two. My favorite IPA was the American Mosaic IPA. The only beer I would not order again was the Pisner Style Ale because it was so insipid.

The walk from the brewery to the north bound D Line stop is much shorter than the corresponding walk to the brewery. I was home in a jiffy.