West Seattle Brewing Company

West Seattle Brewing Company 09Aug2017

Metro used to run a bus from Ballard, through downtown, and then on to West Seattle. Now to get there I had to take two buses, the D Line and the C Line. On the plus side the transfers were quick - less than 5 minutes – and the C-Line stops quite near the brewery.

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West Seattle Brewing Company is on Fauntleroy, which runs on a diagonal, and the building is an odd shape, almost triangular a regular Seattle occurrence. The entrance is on the flattened apex of the triangle and leads you into the seating area and the bar. As soon as I step through the door I detect the delicious smell of hot beer wort. The bar is to the left of the entrance and the brew kit is straight back.

The bar with the cooler behind, the taps, and the beer list above

The brew kit in the back

The beer list is chalked up above the taps and lists the beers, their ABV and bitterness units. The cooler behind the bar holds kegs for the taps and some bright tanks.

A better look at the beer list and the available serving sizes

 Tasters (4 ounce), schooners, pints, Imperial pints, and growler fills are available. I studied the beer list and ordered two flights - one of the flights included Number 6 Cider Dry 99 - and then retired to a tall stool at the bar to sip, note, and pester the bartender with inane questions.

l to r: Weiting Pilsner, Wet Witty, Mosaic Pale Ale, and Sounder Stout

l to r: West Pale Ale, House IPA, Avalon Amber, Number 6 Cider Dry 99

Tasting Notes:

Weiting Pilsner (5.9%, 35 IBU): Yellow gold very slight chill haze. Malt and spicy hop aroma. Sweet malt leads the flavors with bitter noble hops right behind. The flavor is characteristic of a fine pilsner. Dry bitter finish.

Wet Witty (5.2%, 15 IBU): Yellow gold and hazy. Peppery Belgian yeast aroma with some orange and coriander. Coriander and Belgian yeast flavors mix with some orange. All of the flavors are well balanced. Dry finish.

Avalon Amber (6.0%, 30 IBU): Hazy red-brown. Sweet malt aroma with a hint of roast. Flavor is sweet malt with slight roast followed by a pleasant low bitterness. Bitter-sweet finish. This is an easy drinker but still interesting.

Mosaic Pale Ale (6.1%, 40 IBU): Pale yellow and cloudy. Sweaty hop aroma. Dry, bitter and hop (Mosaic) flavor. Not juicy. Dry bitter finish.

West Pale Ale (5.7, 45 IBU): Pale gold with slight haze. Lemony citrus aroma with some malt. Sweet, bitter, and hop citrus flavor. Bitter sweet finish.

House IPA (6.8%, 70 IBU): Deep red and clear. Malt and piney hop aroma. The flavor is hops up front, both aroma and bitterness followed by sweet biscuit malt. Bitter finish.

Sounder Stout (6.9%, 55 IBU): Opaque black with red highlights. Roast malt aroma with some citrus hop aroma. Sweet and burnt malt followed by hop bitterness. Bitter finish. A very pleasing stout.

West Seattle Brewing was lightly attended on a Wednesday afternoon and the pace picked up a little later when I left. I tried not to take it personally. I am not sure how widely they distribute their kegs but they seem to depend on neighborhood business. A handful of regulars dropped in as I sipped my beers and the atmosphere was casual and friendly. I have been in the place when a Seahawks game was on the TV and it was packed. Business seems good and I hope it stays that way because the beers are all so well made that I had trouble picking a favorite. I liked the Pilsner, the West Pale Ale and the Sounder Stout. The only beer I didn’t like was the Mosaic Pale, and that was just my taste not any problem with the brewing.

My reversal of the bus ride home on the C- and the D-Lines was uneventful to the point of almost being restful. I was able to read quite a bit of my latest book in air conditioned comfort on the ride - a blessing on this hot day.