Best of Hands Brewery and Barrelhouse

Best of Hands Brewery and Barrelhouse 28Dec2019


The D-Line took me down to 3^rd and Bell where I picked up the 21 to Westwood Village. I jumped off the bus at 35^th Avenue SW and SW Webster Street where Best of Hands is in the building formerly housing John’s Corner Deli.


As I stepped off the bus, I could see the brewery, diagonally across the intersection,

The view from the corner of 35th SW and Webster

A better view of the steer

The view of the brewery from across the street featuring the outdoor seating area

made conspicuous by the steer statue on the roof. As you enter the front door from the street corner you see the seating area to your right 

The view to the right as you enter the door

and the bar immediately in front of you.

The bar. Note the beer list to the upper left

The interior is inviting with low lighting, wood on the table tops, plenty of windows, and art on the wall. The beer list is chalked up on a reader board behind the bar and is available on lists at the bar.

The front page of the beer list

The second page of the beer list

They had plenty of their own beers on tap plus a guest beer and guest ciders. Flights of 4 or 6 by 5 oz samples, various size pours (10 to 16 oz), and growlers are available. One beer was available in 16-ounce cans. With some guidance form the bar tender I picked out a flight of 6 beers

L to R: Mild Animals, Additional Crispy, and Ghost in the Shell

L to R: Family Influence, Doomsday Song, and Gin BBL Aged Satellite Years.

and sat at the bar sipping and chomping on the sandwich I brought from home. No food is available in the taproom except some Tim’s Cascade and no eateries are close by.

Later I went back for a 5-ounce taste of a seventh beer and a 10-ounce pour of the mild.

Mild Animals and a taster of Citra Spruce

Tasting Notes:


Mild Animals (4%): Clear red-brown appearance with red highlights. Roast and fruity aroma. The taste is medium silky body with roast, subtle hops, and some esters. The finish is dry and roasty. Outstanding. After I made these notes the bartender told me they use some flaked oats in the grist which would explain some of the silkiness.


Additional Crispy (4.5%): Clear yellow. Fruity, tropical hop aroma with some lactic. The flavor starts with a thin to medium body, a slight sourness, peppery phenol giving way to tropical hop flavors and a noticeable dryness. Finishes dry and bitter. A very complex beer in spite of the low ABV.


Ghost in the Shell (6%): Opaque black with red highlights at the bottom of the glass. Roast, fruit and coconut aroma. Roast, medium body with malt sweetness and a solid bitterness. For me coconut is an elusive flavor and in this beer I didn’t notice an overwhelming coconut presence. Bitter-sweet finish.


Family Influence (6.7%): Hazy yellow but not quite opaque. Phenolic yeast and tropical hop aromas. Rich malt, sweet medium body with firm hop bitterness, fruity (pineapple) hop flavor, and yeast phenols (pepper and hint of rubber). Finishes dry and bitter.


Doomsday Song 8%): Opaque black with slight red highlights struggling to escape the bottom of the glass. Roast and fruit aroma. Roast malt, dry body, with firm hop bitter flavor followed by sweet malt. Finishes bitter sweet and slightly smokey.


Gin BBL Aged Satellite Years (6.5%): Slightly hazy red-gold. Piney hops and phenols. Tastes of dry malt, bitter hops, fruity hops, and piney hops. Full body and wood present. Finishes bitter, medium dry and pine.


Citra Spruce (6.3%): Full haze yellow. Piney and meaty aroma. Full body, umami, pine and balanced bitterness with citrus overtones. Finishes dry and bitter.


Each beer I tried was well made – complex and nuanced and the mild would vie for one of the best in Seattle. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would come back often and try all the beers. Seemingly, many of the people in the taproom were from the neighborhood with some travelers from remote parts like myself. Some people came in because they knew one of the owners (who was behind the bar this Saturday) from his bartending days at a previous West Seattle location, The Beer Junction.


The greeting from behind the bar was friendly and knowledgeable. The place was sparsely occupied when I arrived near opening time but gradually filled with an energetic and friendly crowd. While the owners have thoroughly remodeled the building from its previous life as a meat market, they retained and restored the Hereford bull statue – a smart move as it is a well-known landmark. The owners may not have felt so smart when the bull was kidnapped as a senior prank. Restoring the damage and getting it back on the roof was probably no small expense. As you can see from the pictures the statue looks good atop its perch on the roof.


I finished up, popped across Webster, and caught the 21. I picked up the D-line in downtown and realized I had consumed too much liquid. I made a quick stop at Chez Richard (Dicks) on lower Queen Anne for a gut bomb and a pit stop, and then skedaddled to Ballard.

Jellyfish Brewing

Jellyfish Brewing 04Dec2019


I took the D-Line downtown to catch the 124 to Georgetown. Jellyfish is at 917 South Nebraska Street near Corson Avenue South.


The warehouse space in the light industrial area of Georgetown is neat, newly painted and has limited parking in front of the entrance. I approached on Nebraska Street walking from Airport Way South, and the place was readily recognizable by the word Jellyfish painted on the side of the building.

Approaching the brewery from Airport Way along S Nebraska St

As you enter the doors you see in front of you, and to the right, the bar and an open seating area with tables and chairs.

Initial view as you enter the taproom

The liberal use of wood on the tables, chairs, bar and back bar lends a warmth to the space and the art on the walls adds interest to the surroundings.

The bar and open seating area

The beer list is presented on a reader board behind the bar and is available on laminated lists at the bar.

The beer list

Besides their own beers a guest cider from Chatter Creek was on offer. Flights of 4 by 5 oz samples, various size pours (12 to 16 oz), and growlers are available. With the guidance of the bar tender I picked out a flight of 4 beers and sat at the bar sipping and nibbling on the snacks from a Four Banger Board. Later I went back for a half pint of porter.

From L to R: Smack IPA, Hydra Pils, Birra Chiara, and Cerveza de los Muertos.

Cannonball Oatmeal Porter

Tasting Notes:

Hydra Pils (5.4%, 26 IBU): Clear yellow in appearance. Pils malt and noble hop aroma. The taste is pils malt sweetness and body with subtle hops. The finish is dry and bitter.

Birra Chiara (6%, 16 IBU): Clear red-gold. Malt and lactic aroma. The flavor is sour and fruity with a full sweet, body. Rich and a fruity, sour finish.


Smack IPA (7%, 70 IBU): Clear red-gold. Piney and citrus hop aroma with a touch of malt. Malt body, malt sweetness, with bitter hops – piney and fruity. Dry bitter finish.


Cerveza de los Muertos (8%, 20 IBU): Slightly hazy red-brown. Slightly fruity aroma. Rich malt, sweet medium body with restrained chocolate and spices; this is a complex strong ale. Finishes sweet.


Cannonball Oatmeal Porter (6.2%, 31 IBU): Opaque black with red highlights in color. Roast and malt aroma. Roast malt, almost coffee (brewer insists no coffee went into the beer) flavor followed by sweet malt and bitterness segueing to dryness. Finishes roast and bitter.


Seemingly Jellyfish has swerved, at least on this day, on the hazy IPAs leaving room for plenty of variation still. The beers were all well-made and showed a clear separation in flavor profiles indicating an attention to detail in each style.


The taproom was much like Georgetown in that it was humble and comfortable in its own self-worth. The art work on the walls referenced the Georgetown Art Attack. The place was nearly deserted on a Wednesday afternoon with just one other patron in the place and the bartender at his station. Later I was joined at the bar by a couple of the brewers before they headed out. I should mention that the bartender is also a brewer. Once the brewers joined us at the bar the atmosphere was congenial and the conversation flowed easily although I can’t recall what we discussed.


If I had more time, I would have stopped at one of the famous nearby eateries and brought some food in with me. The long bus rides on either side of my visit put a crimp in that plan and I was happy to see the very limited food offerings.


I finished up and headed back to Airport Way to catch the 124. I picked up the D-line in downtown and skedaddled to Ballard.

Dirty Couch Brewing

Dirty Couch Brewing 24Nov2019


I took the D-Line down to the south end of the Ballard Bridge, and then walked past Fisherman’s Terminal to Dirty Couch Brewing. I got my steps on.


The office or retail-like space housing Dirty Couch Brewing looks unkempt as you approach and the low-lit interior seems vacant.

The "Open" sign looks promising

But the open sign says otherwise, so I popped on in. As you enter the doors and turn to your left you see the bar

The scene as you enter the taproom

and to the right of that an open seating area with an entrance set into the wall, presumably, to the brewery.

And the view to your right upon entering

The austere minimalist interior is not so inviting on this cool to cold day and could use some homey touches. Beer list is presented on a plasma screen behind the bar

The beer list. Paper copies with expanded information available at the bar

with a chalked-up menu of beer currently available in bottles.

The view as you step up to the bar

A guest beer from Ravenna Brewing and guest ciders from Greenwood Cider were on offer today. Flights of 4 by 5 oz samples, various size pours (12 to 16 oz), growlers, as well as the aforementioned bottles are available. I picked out a flight of 4 beers (one hazy and 3 sours) and sat where I could look out the window.

First flight l to r: Herdsman Apricot Sour (4.6%); Hazy Pale Ale #1 (5.5%); Founder and Argumentist: Raspberry (4.4%); and Rampant Sour Red (6.8%).

 Later I went back for a second flight of 4 more sours.

Second flight l to r: Plausibility Whiskey Sour Porter (8.4%); Discount Therapist (7.2%); BBCM (9.8%); and Irregularity Blackberry (6%)

Tasting Notes:


Herdsman Apricot Sour (4.6%): Hazy orange yellow, almost – you could say – apricot colored. Fruity lactic aroma. Sour, full body for a low alcohol beer, apricot, and dry. Finishes dry and sour.


Hazy Pale Ale #1 (5.5%): Hazy (duh) dark yellow. Dusty, tropical and piney hop aroma. Sweet malt, very fruity hops – slightly dank with some dust. Finishes sweet and fruity with a hint of bitter.


Founder and Argumentist: Raspberry (4.4%): Very hazy pink. Funky butyric acid with some lactic aroma. Sour and buttery raspberry, full body yet moderately dry. Finishes sour, sweet, and berry. I couldn’t get past the filling buttery-ness and butyrate.


Rampant Sour Red (6.8%): Described as a Flanders style red it is, indeed, a clear dark red color. Fruity lactic with some roast aroma. Very sour and woody-astringent with sweet fruity lactic flavor. Finishes sweet and sour.


Plausibility Whiskey Sour Porter (8.4%): Clear dark brown to black color with dark red highlights. Alcohol and whiskey aroma with barrel and chocolate. The flavor is mildly sour with deep chocolate and it presents as sweet not hot. Finishes sweet and sour.


Discount Therapist (7.2%): Slightly hazy pinkish-red. Musty, grapey aroma with faint lactic presence - meaty. Grape, slightly sour, with a dry thin body. A real thirst quencher even at 7.2%. Disappears with a late sour and bitter finish.


BBCM (9.8%): A barrel aged sour including purple corn. Clear deep red. Aroma of pine and wood. The aroma comes through in the flavor and features spices, a slight sourness, and fruit (cherry, to me). Finishes clean, woody and winey.


Irregularity Blackberry (6%): Slightly hazy red. Aroma includes lactic, mustiness, and some phenolics (rubber). Very sour berry flavor of unripe blackberries and very dry. Finishes berry sour.


As the sign says Dirty Couch Brewing is dedicated to sour beers even though not everyone likes sour. A nod to those who don’t are the trio of hazies on tap. I thought the sours were well made, but not uniformly so – the raspberry sour for instance – while the hazy beers were well executed even though hazies don’t do much for me. If you like sour beers, you will find something on the tap list to suit your fancy. I particularly liked Herdsman, Rampant, Plausibility, and BBCM (despite the high ABV).  I asked about the time line and learned that the present taproom has been open six months. Previous to that the brewery was located in Ballard and was production only. Since I don’t get out much, I haven’t seen their beers on tap in the city.


I sat at the front window and looked out on the ship canal, the locks, and downtown Ballard.

My view out the window onto the ship canal and Ballard

I needed something to munch on but the snack food offerings were meager and no food truck was in sight. The taproom was moderately attended with younger (relative to me, an old man) couples and families. Despite the minimal décor the presence of patrons having fun made the place homey. The area of lower Magnolia near the locks is mixed residential, commercial, and light industrial. Dirty Couch is just a hop skip and a jump from Urban Family though it won’t be for long as Urban Family is moving to the Ballard Brewery District soon.


I walked back past Figurehead Brewing and Fisherman’s terminal to 15^th Ave NW and the D-Line for the short bus ride home.

Future Primitive Brewing

 Future Primitive Brewing 16Nov2019

The connection from the D-Line to the 120 was bang-bang as the 120 pulled into the 3^rd and Seneca stop right in front of my bus. I had to run for it even though the line-up delayed the inevitable departure. The trip to White Center featuring a long drive along scenic Delridge Way was survivable because I had a good book – William Gibson’s The Peripheral.

The warehouse-like building housing Future Primitive inspires little confidence. 

The approach from the south. The impression isn't helped by the neighboring business

As you approach from 100^th SW along SW 14^th Avenue you see an industrial scene with unkempt grounds and weeds. 

The view from directly in front of the brewery is a little more inspiring

The approach to the taproom takes you past the attractively appointed dining area for the permanent food wagon “Das Wagon.” 

The nicely woody interior of Das Wagon. The kitchen had yet to open

Once inside, the inviting bar area beckons to ply you with beer while windows into the brewing area present evidence of a serious brewing concern. 

Looking straight ahead as you enter the taproom

Looking right as you enter the taproom

A chalked-up tap list informs with the latest offerings including guest beers and cider. 

The tap list behind the bar

A flight of up to 6 tasters is available as well as full pours and growlers. I picked 6 and sat at the bar sipping my tasters while a health inspector checked out the operation.

From left to right: Pale Ale (4.6), Zwick’l Lager (5.9%), 1889 Smoked Lager (5.8%), Green River IPA (6%), Sunshine on My Porter (4.5%), Beautiful Terror Imperial Stout (8.8%). All well made. Not pictured is the Glamour Boy

Tasting Notes:

Pale Ale (4.6): Slightly hazy yellow. Tropical fruit (pineapple) aroma. Tropical and slightly savory hop flavor. Very dry and thin body with some minerality. Finishes dry, bitter, and tropical. Light and moreish.

Zwick’l Lager (5.9%): Clear gold. Pils malt and fruit aroma. Balanced sweet malt (pils) and bitterness. Full body and the fruit aroma did not carry through to the sip. Finishes malty and bitter.

1889 Smoked Lager (5.8%): Clear pale gold. Rich hardwood smoke and malt aroma. Smoke and sweet malt flavor with late bitterness and full body. Finishes bitter and smoke. Dedicated to the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

Green River IPA (6%): Orangish gold and clear. Citrus and piney hop aromas. Sweet malt and berry fruit up front followed by intense bitterness and perfumed hops. Full body. Bitter finish.

Sunshine on My Porter (4.5%): Coffee porter. Coffee black color; smells like coffee grounds; tastes like coffee. Dry finish. No thanks. I didn’t notice the coffee designation when I was ordering. My mistake.

Beautiful Terror Imperial Stout (8.8%): Opaque black, no highlights. Fruit ester aroma. Sweet malt, some esters, restrained roast, and some heat. Bitter sweet and roasty finish. The heat disappeared with warming.

Glamour Boy (8%): Slightly hazy dark gold. Tropical hops and fruit esters. Sweet malt, slightly sour, perfumed fruit and hops. Bitter finish. Dangerously drinkable. A black raspberry extra pale ale brewed in collaboration with Stillwater Artisanal Brewing.

While I sipped my beers, the health inspector checked the brewery and the food truck – two separate businesses. He had one small concern but otherwise gave them a thumbs up. The beers went down pretty easy since they were well made. The brewery is less than a year old and given time I think the beers can excel as the brewer dials in recipes and processes.

After I finished my flight of tasters I ordered some food and sat outside in the partially enclosed patio to eat and drink my full order of Zwick’l Lager. 

Sliced kielbasa on a bun with cream cheese. Onion and jalapeno peppers act as vegetables - for health

Something to wash the dog down

The view is not very impressive, so the wood planking and wood furniture are welcome and friendly to the eye. Just a hint if you decide to sit on the patio this time of year; wear warm shoes and socks. My feet required a bit of time to warm up after I got home.

White Center is yet another Seattle neighborhood that is gentrifying rapidly. The taproom and patio are dog and kid friendly and a lot of family types came in to enjoy the premises. The vibe is friendly and welcoming.

I reversed my bus routes to get home with the transfer from the 120 to the D-Line another matter of bang-bang timing that involved running and crossing against the light. I did get some more reading done and arrived home in time to prepare dinner, such as it was.