Elysian Capitol Hill Brewery

Elysian Capitol Hill Brewery 4Apr2018

Elysian on Capitol Hill is the original location opened before they embarked on a campaign of world domination. I walked there from McMenamins and I had reached McMenamins by walking up the hill from downtown.

Elysian is in an attractively updated three story building that may have once been retail or a warehouse. 

The brewery with the front door behind that car

The taproom is well lit by the surrounding windows which afford great view of street life from the restaurant seating. As you enter the front door you see bar in the middle of the room and seating areas to your right and left around the bar. 

Interior view as you enter the front door

Above the bar is a beer list with just the beer names and no further information. 

The beer list above the bar

A list of beers offered along with brewing details and tasting notes is available at the bar to aid in your beer selection. 

The detailed beer list with tasting notes

Tasters, pints, growler fills, and some bottles-to-go are available. I studied the beer list and selected five for a flight of tasters.

l t r: Zephyrus Pilsner, Tempus Fugit, Just a Cloud, Elysian of Boom, and Raspy Whisper

Tasting Notes:

Zephyrus Pilsner (4.7%, 38 IBU): Slightly hazy gold. Muddled, beery aroma. Sweet malt, drying to astringent bitterness, and no noticeable hop flavor. Bitter finish. Maybe the beer was off or my tasting apparatus was compromised by my visit to McMenamins.

Tempus Fugit (4.9%, 60 IBU): Slightly hazy yellow gold. Tropical fruit and piney hop aroma. Bitter hop, medium malt body, and cracker malt which is dry but with slight residual sweetness and a touch of sour flavors. Bitter finish. The hop flavors match the aromas.

Just a Cloud Belgian Wit (4.6%): Clear gold (where’s the typical haze for a wit beer?). Coriander and perhaps some pepper aromas. Coriander and orange flavor and light body. No bitterness. Sweet finish.

Elysian of Boom (7.7%): Cloudy gold. Tropical fruit hop aromas. Big fruity and piney hop flavor and bitterness. Full body. Sweet malt drying to a bitter finish.

Raspy Whisper (3.8%): Hazy pink. Dusty raspberry and chocolate aromas. Sour raspberry, chocolate, and salt flavors. Sour raspberry finish.

My trips to all four Elysian brewing locations included tastes of the Zephyrus Pilsner. The sample at this location was the only suboptimal one. The Tempus Fugit is supposed to be a lager hopped with American hops perhaps like an IPL. It tasted like an IPA and most of the fine malt and the lager character were covered by the big hop flavors. The Just a Cloud lacked the cloudiness of a Wit beer, and the Belgian yeast character I anticipated was missing or subdued. Elysian of Boom was a tasty IPA, well executed. When I saw the raspberry, chocolate gose, my first thought was, “Oh boy,“ and then I thought, “All those things together? What’s next?” But, when I tasted it, it all worked. 

The taproom on this cloudy rainy day had only a smattering of people scattered around the seating area and at the bar. I could have stayed longer and had a larger helping of that Raspy Whisper but I was beered out and I just wanted to go home to get dry.

But before I could dry out I had to walk back down the hill to 3^rd Avenue to catch the D-Line. The trip home was uneventful but I was disappointed that all my walking had not produced enough steps to reach my goal.

McMenamins Six Arms

McMenamins Six Arms 4Apr2018

McMenamins Six Arms is on Capitol Hill in a little ad hoc brewery district.

McMenamins front entrance on Pike

I walked within a block of Optimism Brewing, walked past Redhook Brewlab, and later walked a few blocks to the Elysian original location. The smell of brewing in the air brought home the proximity of these breweries.

McMenamins Six Arms is a small brewery among some small trendy businesses and fits right into the neighborhood. As you enter you can see the bar and main seating area, 

Bar and seating area to your left upon entry

and to your right is a stairway up to a second floor seating area. 

Seating area to your right and the stairway to upper level

No beer list is visible but a beer list (and a separate cider, wine, and spirits menu) and food menu are provided at each table. 

Beer menu at my table with a couple more selections on the ovreleaf

I studied the beer list and picked a couple of beers to wash down my lunch of chips and cheese dip. 

Bobcat Pale

Idahoan Double IPA

Beer is offered in tasters, 8 ounce glasses, pints, growlers, and some canned options.

Tasting Notes:

Bobcat Pale (5.2%, 41 IBU): Cloudy orange-gold. Malt with piney and slightly tropical fruit hop aromas. Flavor of piney and woody hops, malt richness, sweetness followed by drying bitterness. Malty bitter finish. Paired well with chili con queso dip scooped with taco chips.

Idahoan Double IPA (8.1%, 67 IBU): Hazy beige. Big tropical hop nose. Sweet and hop candy malt and restrained hop bitterness. Slightly minty. Bitter sweet finish. The aroma did not connect with the flavor. I wonder if a hazy DIPA is the best platform for a single hop (Idaho 7 in this case) beer.

Even though McMenimans Six Arms is located in a what’s-happening neighborhood, the inside is homely and quiet. It’s a great place to relax on a cool rainy day and enjoy some bad-for-you food and a beer or two. The greeting from at the door was laid back and friendly. The place was well occupied but not packed full on a Wednesday afternoon. Customers varied from individuals with their phones to young couples to small work groups. The décor is typical for a McMenamins with lots of wood and the usual 60s and 70s art on the walls. I could have stayed longer to dry out from my rain soaked walk up the hill from downtown, but I had another brewery to visit. After I finished my beers I walked to Elysian to sample whatever they had on offer.