Outer Planet Craft Brewing

Outer Planet Craft Brewing 02Jul2017

The trusty D-Line once again hauled me out of Ballard and dropped me on lower Queen Ann so I could catch the number 8 to Capitol Hill. Outer Planet is on 12^th Avenue just a couple of blocks from John Street in an area that transitions between retail and residential.

Outer Planet store front dominated by aggregate and glass.

Outer Planet has a non-descript store front marked by a small but distinctive sign. As you enter the door you see a large seating area to your left 

A nice seating area where you can watch the neighbors stroll past the windows.

and to the back left is the bar. Behind the bar is the tap list and beyond the bar is the brew kit.

Looking back from the front entrance toward the bar and the brewing area behind.

The beer list is chalked up above the taps and clearly lists the beers, their ABV and bitterness units.

The informative tap list.

Tasters (4 ounce), schooners, pints and growler fills are available. I studied the beer list and ordered eight tasters and then retired to a tall stool at the bar to sip, note, and pester the bartender with inane questions.

First row l to r Speculoos Pale Ale, English Space Beer, and Beams of Light Belgian Wit. Second row l to r American Amber (Flying Lion guest beer) and Moon Shadow Dry Stout. Third row l to r Beeblebrox Bret Sour, Space Trucker Bourbon Brown, and Kumbaya Supernova IPA

Tasting Notes:

Speculoos Pale Ale (4.5%, 50 IBU): Clear red-gold. Bready malt aroma with spicy hops. The flavor leads with bitterness, then toasty malt with hop aroma. I was surprised that the hops were Cascade and Centennial. The brewer managed to coax a spicy English character from the hops. Some fruit from esters. Bitter-sweet finish.

English Space Beer (ESB) (6%, 35 IBU): Clear red. Caramel malt and fruity aroma. Sweet full malt body and fruit late hop bitterness and hop flavor (again with an English character). Sweet finish.

Beams of Light Belgian Wit (6.3%, 15IBU): Cloudy pale yellow almost white color. Peppery phenols and coriander aroma. Flavor is sweet malt with coriander and a hint of peppery phenols. Not much wheat bite. Sweet finish.

American Amber (Flying Lion guest beer) (5%, 36IBU): Clear red-brown. Caramel malt and fruit aroma. Sweet and bitter balance in the flavors with some lightly toasted malt. Bitter finish.

Moonshadow Dry Stout (5%, 18 IBU): Opaque black with no highlights. Roast to burnt malt aroma. The flavor is sweet and roast malt with balanced bitterness and the hops are integrated into the profile as more of a presence than a stand-out flavor. Bitter-sweet finish.

Beeblebrox Bret Sour (5.5%, 15 IBU): Clear dark red. Cherry Kool-Aid aroma. Fruit flavors (cherry and cranberry) up front with mild sourness. Full cherry richness. Sour finish. The brett is not a huge presence and adds a nice complexity. My favorite of the bunch.

Space Trucker Bourbon Brown (8.5%, 31 IBU): Dark brown with brown-red highlights. Buttery aroma. Very sweet and malty with some fruit. Full body. Sweet finish.

Kumbaya Supernova IPA (6.5%, 70 IBU): Clear red gold. Piney and citrus Northwest hop aroma. Bitter hop and hop flavor (piney and fruity). Bitter sweet finish.

Outer Planet is situated well to be a neighborhood establishment with a local clientele. The neighborhood has apartments and single family dwellings all around. A slow trickle of customers came in and out while I was there, which is good considering this is a holiday weekend and a lot of people seem to be out of town. The Sunday afternoon vibe was quiet and peaceful and the bartender gave everyone a friendly greeting. He was helpful in describing the beers and gave sips to those who were unsure of what they wanted. I last visited Outer Planet a year and a half ago and have only a dim memory of the beer with my notes not being much help. One of the beers I had back then was a wild beer, which leads me conclude that the brewer has a continuing history of using Brettanomyces. All of the beers I had were well brewed except for the Bourbon Brown, which tasted under pitched to me. I couldn’t detect the bourbon barrel character.

My reversal of the bus ride home on the 8 and the D-Line was uneventful to the point of almost being restful. When I got home, I immediately fired up the charcoal grill and cooked some salmon and corn on the cob for dinner.