Lagunitas Brewing Seattle

Lagunitas Brewing Seattle 14Jan2018

Lagunitas has conveniently located themselves in Ballard near Peddler Brewing and the Bergschrund. I walked down there of a Sunday afternoon to sample some beer, especially those brewed on site.

Lagunitas front entrance and a good look at all the window space

Lagunitas is located in that semi-industrial area of Ballard near Leary Way. They have taken over the former Hilliard’s space. Hilliard’s sold themselves to Odin, abandoned their building, and put it up for sale with most of the brewing equipment intact. The idea was for the buyer to have a turnkey system ready to commence brewing as soon as possible. Lagunitas put a lot of effort into fixing up the taproom space, opened in January of 2017, and produced their first brew in July of 2017. At the time I visited they had two locally produced beers, a coffee stout, which I avoided, and a brown ale. As you enter Lagunitas you see the entire taproom in an attractive open space arrangement with the bar right in the middle.

A view from inside the door with the bar, brew kit, and way back seating

On the far wall is the beer menu with plenty of choice. 

The tap list

The greeting from behind the bar is friendly, energetic, and knowledgeable. Beer menus are also readily available at the bar. I studied the list, inquired as to what was brewed on site and ordered a flight of four 5-ounce tasters. 

l to r: Pils, Touch and Go Brown, 12th of Never, and Wet Hop Fusion 2000

Trial sips of various taps were offered freely.

Tasting Notes:

Pils (6%): Clear gold. Bready malt and Saaz hop aroma. Malt flavor is dry almost sour, balanced bitterness, and hop flavor of Saaz. Bitter dry finish.

Touch and Go Brown (6.5%): Slightly hazy brown. Esters and perhaps some peppery phenols. Toasted malt (not burnt) flavors, sweet, medium body. Low bitterness. Slightly sweet slightly bitter finish. This beer is in mild territory but is above the usual strength for that style.

12^th of Never (5.7%): Slightly hazy pale gold. Tropical, fruity hop aroma. Dry malt, medium body, tropical hop flavors and then moderate bitterness. Bitter finish.

Wet Hop Fusion 2000 (5.8%): Slightly hazy pale gold. Tropical fruit aroma. Leafy, vegetal flavor up front with basil and melon touches. Malt body and moderate bitterness. Bitter finish.

I sat at the bar and watched the bartender in frenetic motion. The taproom filled with youngish couples, groups and families. I should mention that since I am ancient, most people look young to me. The beers brewed by Lagunitas off site (Pils, 12^th of Never, and Wet Hop) were all well made as might be expected from a mature brewery. The brown ale was good but lacked something in the middle of the journey from sip to swallow. Initially sweet and finishing sweet, the in between was thin and the sweetness gave out for just a blink.

Sunday was bright and clear and the windows in the taproom made for a bright cheery room. The seating areas were well occupied if not full and the pool table was in use.

I finished my flight and cleared out. Lagunitas Seattle is a place in which I feel uncomfortable. Even if they weren’t owned by Heineken, I wouldn’t find myself in this taproom very often. Lagunitas reached for national distribution early in its lifetime and has been trying to establish a national footprint even before they were bought out. Expanding that footprint is a model I call world domination and it fits into the AB InBev, Molson Coors, and SAB Miller business models. Having ranted all that nonsense I must say that if you are a fan of Lagunitas beer, you should visit to taste your favorites on draft.

On the walk back home I stopped at the Bergschrund for a black saison before climbing the hill back to my house. Along the way I helped out a couple who were looking for the Ballard Farmers’ Market. Of course, I steered them in the wrong direction. Never take direction from a slightly inebriated old guy.

Flying Lion Brewing

Flying Lion Brewing 31Dec2017

New Year’s Eve day was sunny, so hopped the D-Line as is usual for most of my trips. Downtown in the tunnel I caught the LINK light rail to the Columbia City Station, which put me in a half mile walking distance from Flying Lion Brewing. Flying Lion is on Rainier Avenue South.

Flying Lion is in a small old school shopping mall (it has a parking lot) in the middle of the retail area of Columbia City. 

The Flying Lion amid the shops of the tiny strip mall

The brewery is in a retail space, which makes for a very tight fit in the building. As you enter the front door you are smack in the middle of the seating area facing the bar. 

The view as you enter the front door. I am standing in the seating area, the bar is apparent, and part of the brew kit is visible in the back

The beer kit is in the back of the space and seems much too limited to produce the full range of beers on offer. The greeting from behind the bar is friendly and the bartenders I have encountered at Flying Lion are knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. 

The tap list is to the rear of and above the bar. Flights of 5 ounce pours, schooners, pints and growler fills are available. 

The tap list with the bottom rows washed out by the sunlight. I am out of the habit of shooting in sunlight

I picked four beers for my flight and later asked for a five ounce pour of the quad.  

From l to r: Call it a Day Pale Ale, Chocolate Milk Stout, Baby Boy Belgian Tripel (randal with grains of paradise and bitter orange peel), Doppelbock

Barrel Aged Belgian Quaddammit

I sat at the bar, sipped beer, watched the Seahawks, and talked to the bartender and other patrons.

Tasting Notes:

Call it a Day Pale (5.8%): Clear gold. Ester, malt, and piney hop aroma. Flavor of yeast esters, malt body but dry, soapy hop bitterness, but little hop flavor. Bitter finish with a touch of sweet. The bartender said that they use Centennial hops because they are readily available.

Chocolate Milk Stout (5.0%): Opaque black with red highlights. Roast malt and chocolate aroma. Roast malt and chocolate flavors, full body, bitter and sweet. Sweet finish with a drying bitterness.

Baby Boy Belgian Tripel (7.0%): Randal with grains of paradise and bitter orange peel. Slightly hazy yellow. Musty, fruity and phenolic aroma. Rich full body malt, musty spice and orange flavor, sweet and meaty with phenols. Sweet bitter finish.

Doppelbock (8.0%): Clear red brown with red highlights. Hint of roast malt aroma. Sweet malt, full body, low noble hop flavor with very low bitterness. Very smooth with a sweet finish.

Barrel Aged Belgian Quaddammit (12.4%): Clear red brown with red highlights. Sweet alcohol, ester, and barrel aroma. Flavors of barrel (vanilla and astringent wood), sweet malt, esters, and caramel. Sweet finish. Very smooth with the alcohol well-hidden, which makes it very dangerous.

Sunday the Seahawks were playing a must-win game against Arizona and I was expecting a crowd in the taproom. Indeed, as I approached the front door I saw bodies pressed against the door and through the front windows I saw a bunch of people. Once I got inside I saw that the people were all together and the people pressed against the door were actually active kids, not adults ready to overflow into the parking lot. Soon the kids reached the hyperactive stage of boredom, which forced the parents to bundle them up and clear out. Quickly and temporarily I was the lone customer – something I’m used to on my Sunday afternoon visits. Later some regulars came in to drink beer and converse, not showing much interest in the game. My observation after several visits is that like so many small Seattle breweries the Flying Lion serves a mostly local customer base.

I finished my flight and ordered a half pour, which was 5 ounces, of the Barrel Aged Belgian Quaddammit. I nursed it as is appropriate for a 12% beer and I thought about how good it was. I liked it as much as I like Fremont Kentucky Dark Star, another big beer at 14% but just as smooth and just as deceptive as to its true strength.

I inquired about any special one off beers that they might have bottled but they don’t bottle or can. I guess much of the beer goes out the door in customers’ bellies just like the beer in mine as I headed out into the sunny cold afternoon.

I had to run the last block to catch the light rail into downtown. The joke was on me because I waited about 15 minutes to catch the D-Line back home. I needn’t have run; I had plenty of time.