Saturday, April 7, 2018

Lagunitas Seattle Taproom - Round 2

Lagunitas Seattle TapRoom
Location: Seattle, WA
Date: Mar. 24, 2018
Tag Team Partners: Ren Perry

(Blogger's Note: It's been a long few weeks at my day job.  I've been working lots of hours for multiple days in a row.  The next few posts will be subsequent, but were from 1-2 months ago.  I apologize for the delay, but sleep and bills need to happen/get paid.)

Round 2 came on a Saturday night after Ren and I attended a wedding in Issaquah.  The place was pretty packed, and made full use of the expanded Taproom.

I attempted to do "Round the World" but the bartender decided all that beer might be a little too much for me to handle.  She may be right, but I'm always down for a challenge.  This means there will be additional rounds for the Lagunitas Seattle TapRoom.


Click the link to read the original Lagunitas Seattle Taproom Review.

Click on the link for more information about Lagunitas.
Or click this one for more on their Seattle Taproom.


On my Tap for the Night was:

- Pils
Style: Pilsner - Czech
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Night light Pilsner, smooth."
Comments: Pretty good Pilsner to start off the next round.  This had a nice light taste, very smooth to drink, and is a nice go-to beer if you're looking for something relaxing and not something "Out-There".  Recommended.

Style: IPA
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Bitter, hoppy, citrusy IPA."
Comments: This one was another good IPA.  It was bitter, had hops, and a nice citrus flavor.  Not anything out of the ordinary, but a good beer.

Style: Pale Wheat Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Light, hoppy, Pale Ale."
Comments: Decent Pale Ale.  It was light, it was hoppy, and enjoyable.  As the name suggests, it's something easy to sip on, and enjoy with friends.  Recommended.

Style: Sour Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Very tart, dry beer.  Not bad for a sour, but very tart in flavor."
Comments: Sour Ales are hit or miss with me, and this one bites a little.  You have to expect the tart flavor or you'll take a surprising sip that may not be the beer you were looking for.  If sour is your thing, then by all means, try this one!  You'll love it.

***Bonus Beer***
Penny's Porter (Originally reviewed in Round 1)
- This is possibly my favorite Lagunita's beer.  I enjoyed it so much the first time, I had to get a 2nd one this time as well.
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Dirty Bucket Brewing

Dirty Bucket Brewery
Location: Woodinville, WA
Date: Mar. 21, 2018
Tag Team Partners: Ren Perry

(Blogger's Note: It's been a long few weeks at my day job.  I've been working lots of hours for multiple days in a row.  The next few posts will be subsequent, but were from 1-2 months ago.  I apologize for the delay, but sleep and bills need to happen/get paid.)


I was over in Woodinville one day looking for new Breweries, and I saw this place.  I passed by it on my way to try Triplehorn Brewery, and decided that I would have to make this a stop at some point.  I had always been telling Ren that I wanted to try it, but we never had a reason to go down that way.  Ren eventually wanted to try the burger place next door, and as a result, I saw it and made it happen.  (P.S. the burger place is a great place to fill up an empty stomach prior to Brewery Sampling).


From the outside, the first thought is the garage setting.  This is the classic brewery look and many carry this trend when designing their Breweries/Taphouses.  Nice atmosphere, I liked it.


 As soon as you go inside, there is a wall displaying various art work of Disney characters consuming Dirty Bucket Beer.  These are visually appealing, and really stand out as something neat and different.


 If you want to make a social activity of it, grab your beer, and grab a board game to have a night of fun out with friends.  This reminded me something of Mox Boarding House, or AFK Tavern but in a smaller, more intimate setting.


 Overall, a pretty solid brewery.  This one may tend to fly under the radar, but it's a nice small location right next to a good burger place.  If you combine the two, you'll have a very pleasant night with variety of beer, and food that is enjoyable.  Recommended.

Click on the link for more information on Dirty Bucket Brewing.


No hat for this one, instead rocked my lumberjack look.  If you notice behind me, they have "movie posters" of all their beers.  I thought this was really neat as it gave the feeling of looking forward to something visually much like see a poster for an upcoming movie at the Cinema.


On my Tap for the Evening was:


- Dirty Blonde Kolsch Ale
Style: Blonde/Kolsch Ale
Brewery: Dirty Bucket Brewing
Untapped Rating: 2.75/5
Description: "Smooth, light, almost lager taste."
Comments: This one tasted more like a light beer than a true blonde ale.  it may be some of the Kolsch that causes it to be that way, but it was just super light, and nothing that really stood out.  Good for some, it wasn't the Blonde for me.


- Naughty Autie ESB
Style: Extra Strong Bitter
Brewery: Dirty Bucket Brewing
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Nice, smooth, almost oily taste, light, malty, fruit flavor."
Comments: This one had an odd sensation to it.  It taste different when you drink it than most beers.  I felt like it had an oily taste to it.  It's like as it passed my mouth, I still felt it with my tongue.  It was light, and had a malty fruit flavor to it.  I liked it, just unique and interesting compared to what I've had at other places. Recommended.


- Bilge Rat
Style: Porter
Brewery: Dirty Bucket Brewing
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Thick taste, and super roasty coffee flavor.  Like drinking fermented coffee, but very well done.  More on the bitter side of Porter."
Comments: If you're looking for that sweet roasty porter, you've picked the wrong beer.  This one is pretty strong in taste, and is extra roasty.  Imagine drinking solid black coffee in beer form.  It's not bad, but just strong, and don't let the porter make you think this is something sweet.  It's a bitter porter.  Try if you like strong and bitter coffee.


- Dirty Confessions (4-Year Anniversary)
Style: Belgian Quad
Brewery: Dirty Bucket Brewing
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Very rich, smooth, creamy, strong, boozy, deep flavor."
Comments: This one will hit you.  It's very rich, has a nice cream flavor, with a boozy aroma and taste.  There are some deep flavors that resonate as you drink it, with a Belgian aftertaste that's different but good.  The beer has a nice feeling to it.  This was my favorite out of the flight.  Recommended, but strong in taste.


- Sicyne
Style: IPA
Brewery: Dirty Bucket Brewing
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Very bitter IPA, hoppy citrus aftertaste that lingers.  Good, fluid, smooth."
Comments: Hoppy bitter IPA.  This one hung around the tastebuds after the first sip.  It was very fluid, smooth, but the citrus flavor, and hoppy taste are most notable right off the bat.  Pretty good IPA.
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Lagunitas Seattle TapRoom

Lagunitas Seattle TapRoom
Location: Seattle, WA
Date: Feb. 28, 2018
Tag Team Partners: None

(Blogger's Note: It's been a long few weeks at my day job.  I've been working lots of hours for multiple days in a row.  The next few posts will be subsequent, but were from 1-2 months ago.  I apologize for the delay, but sleep and bills need to happen/get paid.)


I'm sure by now you're curious about the above post.  Why did I put it here in the blog?  It goes with the brewery.  But why this?  This post, brought me to this brewery.  I saw this post about 1,000 times, and told myself 1,000 times I would go in and try it.  Today, I made that happen.  #SocialMediaWorks  (Blogger's Note: Written Feb. 28, 2018):

I checked this place out the same day as the Gordon Biersch review.  It was very cool, and the inside is so much bigger than one would expect from a Brewery/Taproom (especially one that isn't the original location).  Lagunitas is pretty prominent out here, and the Taproom in Seattle was built to be a big thing.  I have been here on weekdays when it's not so busy, and you can relax and enjoy them, and I've been here at 8pm on a Saturday night when it is hopping!  Great place, Great Space.

They have a lounge room, a room with billiards and of course the tanks set up around the place.  I don't have the pictures for this round, but will have more in my next review of Lagunitas coming soon.

Overall, the beer was exceptionally good, and that's why you'll see some higher ratings.  I see how they have expanded into the Pacific Northwest.  Kudos to them, and I also heard they have some new people coming in to add their talents to the brewery team.  I cannot wait to see what great creations are coming in next!  Highly Recommended!

Click on the link for more information about Lagunitas.

Or click this one for more on their Seattle Taproom



On my Tap for the Day was:

550. Touch And Go
Style: Brown Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Smooth, malty, honey, refreshing, sweet."
Comments: This was an exceptionally fine Brown Ale.  It was very smooth, malty, and had hints of sweet honey, and was refreshing.  Drink up!

551. A.M. Grind
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Wow...light coffee beer."
Comments: Picture light beer...but coffee flavored.  I was shocked to see this was coffee flavored given the color and the taste, but they both work better than expected.  You're in for a real treat especially if you like both wake up and knock out juice (though less knocked out, and more feeling good, Cheers!)



Style: Imperial Porter
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 4.25/5
Description: "Very sweet vanilla porter, well worth the wait."
Comments: Here it is, the entire reason I came to the Taphouse.  This is the one they had advertised, and I now know why.  This porter is amazing.  It's very much on the sweet side, very strong in taste, and amazing rich porter flavor.  If you're looking for a porter to satisfy, drink this one first! (Or save it for last so that you go home happy!)

Style: Stout
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Strong Coffee Stout."
Comments: This certainly had the stout element to it, but it packs a punch, and felt a long stronger in coffee flavor.  If you're looking to go deep and dark in coffee flavor (vs. A.M. Grind) this is the one for you.

***BONUS TASTER***
Style: Strong Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Smooth, malty, hoppy Ale."
Comments: This was another amazing beer.  It went down smooth, it had a malty taste all the way through, and the hops were perfectly blended in for a nice and refreshing ale.  Go undercover at Lagunitas.
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Thursday, March 1, 2018

Gordon Biersch Brewing

Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA
Date: Feb. 28, 2018
Tag Team Partners: None, however the bartender was awesome (See below)

 Intro: Getting pumped up for Emerald City Comic-Con 2018, I ventured into the city today to do a ShadesExpress delivery for Rich Bernatovech, one of our artist friends who flew in from New York.  If you're in for the con, check him out and pick up some excellent artwork in Artist Alley at Booth W2.


Located high up on the 4th floor of Pacific Place sits Gordon Biersch Brewing's Seattle Restaurant.  Personally, I love Pacific Place in terms of how it is set up, and I love the feeling of being way up in the skylines of the city doing the things you love (drinking, eating, movie theaters, etc.)


Gordon Biersch presents itself as a classy restaurant on a top floor of a higher-end shopping mall.  I had already eaten, so I did not get a chance to taste the food there, but I was able to grab a Flight of brews before heading into AMC to see a 12:20 showing of The Post.  

SOTR1989 Shoutout Moment: The bartender Sarah is new to the Seattle area (Welcome to the Northwest!)  She was very kind, awesome to talk to about beer, and various things to do around Seattle, and overall added to the experience.  Thank you Sarah for your awesome service!  Keep up the Great Work!  You get my #SOTR1989 shout-out for "Spreading Awesomeness Worldwide."

The beer was pretty good, and gave a nice variety of the different styles and flavors that they offer.  As stated before, the staff was amazing.  Even the guy sitting next to me was pretty cool to talk to about different beers and breweries.  Even talked about On-Demand TV, and the wintery conditions in London for the Soccer match.  I definitely recommend this place, and will have to return to try the food as well.  Recommended.



On my Tap for the Evening was: 

- Golden Export
Style: Lager
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Very nice and smooth for a lager, Golden, crisp, fluid, hint of ginger."
Comments: Nice lager, golden and fluid, but crisp enough to give it a nice effect.  There are hints of ginger mixed in to add some extra flavor to the mix.  Good beer.

- Märzen
Style: Märzen
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Nice malty smooth and clean Oktoberfest beer, almost caramel-like."
Comments: This malty brew was very smooth and clean.  The flavor came across as almost caramel in taste, and was very refreshing.  It went down light, and was a good selection.

- Festbier
Style: Festbier
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Smooth fest beer, crisp, golden lager taste, sweet."
Comments: Nice and smooth beer.  The golden taste is immediately noticed, and it finishes in a crisp and sweet lager aftertaste.  These aren't your typical boring lagers, this is another good choice.

- Belgian Pale Ale
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 3.5/5
Description: "Very nice pale ale.  Slight hop, hint of banana, pale with a great Belgian finish and a dash of spice."
Comments: This was an interesting, and the first one that really jumped out to me as one of their best.  It's a refreshing pale ale, with hints of banana that finishes with a great Belgian taste, and a bit of spice to add to the mix.  I recommend trying this one.  Very good!

- Got Your 6
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 2.75/5
Description: "Hoppy pale ale, bitter, roasty but light."
Comments: This wasn't bad, but I didn't care for it as much as the Belgian Pale Ale.  Perhaps drinking the former first spoiled this one for me, but this was just a regular pale ale with some hops and bitterness mixed in.  Credit for making it a light roast flavor, but almost too much going on at once.  I recommend trying it, and maybe I'll retry it someday and have different thoughts.

- Imperial Stout
Style: Beer
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 2.75/5
Description: "Good stout, full, rich."
Comments: This was a decent stout.  It's nothing out of the ordinary, but makes for a nice dessert beer.  The fullness and richness is certainly there.  You get what you expect.

- Hefeweizen
Style: Hefeweizen
Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Very sweet beer, almost like white wine, banana taste, clear, smooth, striking taste."
Comments: This was given as an extra sample as the gentleman sitting next to me enjoyed it.  It was actually very good.  Very much on the sweet side, gave off a taste of banana, and white wine flavors.  It was clear and smooth, and the taste strikes you.  At the time I could not remember the beer it reminded me of, but now that I recall, it is much like the Scuttlebutt Hefeweizen.  For some reason, when I am offered Hefeweizen, I can never recall the taste of the style.  Part of me believes this is due to my first Hefe being Widmer Brother's Hefeweizen which carries a stronger citrus taste as opposed to the sweeter more dessert-like versions. This has almost forced my opinion to think of the style as much more bitter like a Pale Ale, but my mistake.  Regardless, very nice beer, and much recommended.
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Guest Tapping: Special Brews featuring Alesong Brewing & Blending

Guest Tapping: Special Brews
Location: Lynnwood, WA
Date: Feb. 21, 2018
Tag Team Partners: Richard, Tonia and friends

After a long hard day of work, it's awesome to have a friend reach out and recommend a beer event to you.  In this case, Richard reached out and suggested Special Brews hosting Alesong for the night, and it was worth it.  I took him up on the offer, and despite the snow coming down, my thirst was quenched and satisfied.



While there, I received my "Explore the Store..." Badge.  I had heard about this place, but had never actually ventured out there.  It's a beer store with a taproom added in.  A great place to try and pick up a nice variety of different brews from all over the country.

For Alesong, I will say they turned in some fine brews, but one thing I caution is the strength.  These are true barrel-aged beers, and you can taste it in each one.  This by no means is calling it bad, but if you're looking for a simple beer, a few of these (*cough* *cough* Four Pirates) may overdo it for you, so recommend having a DD, or be prepared to hang out a bit and have some water handy to ensure safe passage after the experience.

Overall, pretty solid experience.  I will definitely return, especially if they have more guest taps.  I also at some point will have to make a special trip down to the Alesong Brewery in Oregon to sample a bigger selection of what they offer.  This sampling only gave me a very basic taste, and I feel a visit to the brewery itself, and more knowledge of Alesong and their craft will provide a better understanding of their vision.  Big thanks to Special Brews for holding this event, and for Alesong traveling up here to give us a nice taste of their craft.
Both Recommended.

For more information on Alesong Brewing and Blending, click here.

For more information on Special Brews click here.

On my Tap for the Evening was: 

- Vanilla Rhino Suit
Style: Stout
Brewery: Alesong Brewing
Untapped Rating: 3.5/5
Description: "Barrel-aged flavor, vanilla, very sweet, smooth."
Comments: When I got there, this is what everyone was sipping on.  I opted for the flight, and this was pretty good.  You can taste the flavor and strength of the barrel aging.  Vanilla aroma and taste abound, and goes down very sweet and smooth.  Good choice.

- White
Style: Witbier
Brewery: Alesong Brewing
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Interesting, peppy mild-sour taste, light."
Comments: Bit of a mild sour taste to it, carries some pep to it, but sips lightly.  Good, but different.

- Pêche
Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: Alesong Brewing
Untapped Rating: 2.5/5
Description: "Sour Saison."
Comments: Decently sour saison, you can taste the fruits in it, not the greatest taste in the world, but you can tell what they were aiming for.

- Dubbel
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Brewery: Alesong Brewing
Untapped Rating: 2.75/5
Description: "Malty, sweet, light, strongish Belgian Ale."
Comments: Malty brew, carries a sweet taste that goes down light, but hits as a strong Belgian Ale.

- Four Pirates
Style: Belgian Quad
Brewery: Alesong Brewing
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Very strong beer, very strong aroma, almost to paint thinner level, flavorful, very boozy, barrel-aged."
Comments: Want to know why the rum's gone?  Drink this.  The aroma alone intoxicates you (bartender as well), and it hits strong.  If you've had a long day, and you're looking for a brew to do the trick, grab one of these.  As Richard pointed out, this drank almost to a paint thinner level.  For what it was, it's pretty good, but just the strength stands out.  Belgian flavors, with a very boozy barrel-aged flow to it.  Recommended...Matey! Arrgh!

- Terroir: Pinot Gris (Barrel-Aged)
Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: Alesong Brewing
Untapped Rating: 2.75/5
Description: "White wine/barrel aged flavor, light, sweet."
Comments: Sips like a white wine only with strength due to the barrel aging.  It's a lighter beer, and goes down sweet.
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Diamondknot Brewing

Brewery Review
Location: Mulkilteo, WA
Date: Feb. 13, 2018
Tag Team Partners: None


Next up on my great beer adventure is a place called Diamond Knot Brewery, beautifully located on the banks of the Possession Sound in Mulkilteo.  It's an awesome area to go and just relax, followed by hitting up the brewery/pub for some food, beer, and delicious ice cream afterwards.

This particular brewery experience will live on in my mind perpetually because the date I went there coincided with Shaun White's 3rd Gold Medal victory (and the 100th Overall for the United States).  The crowd was very lively and cheering for all of the snowboarders, and it really was an awesome moment to experience among other men and women.

Before                                    After

I did the flights in segments of 4.  After ordering the first flight, I got a bowl of their Stout Chili.  It was pretty good and to stand out a bit, instead of normal complimentary crackers, they give you Goldfish Crackers.  This was a really cool touch being so close to the water.  I do recommend the Stout Chili.  It's pretty good, and a bit on the warmer end of the scale, so if spice doesn't suit you, they have other great things as well.

Yes...I took a picture of the Urinal

I know what you're thinking, what would cause you to take a picture of the urinal in the bathroom for a review on drinking beer.  First of all, this was a very unique experience.  Out of all the things I've "sprayed the garden hose" with, this seemed like a pretty cool feature.  The even better part?  The bathroom designer's sense of humor.  It's extremely hard to pee straight when you casually glance over, and see that the keg you're "refilling" has the words "Anheuser" on the side. 😆  To all my Bud and Bud Light fans, I'm sorry to be a beer snob, but Anheuser does produce some beer that "tastes like piss."  I've had it, others have had it, and face it, whether you come to accept it or not, you have had it too.  When you become a Craft Beer Snob, you get a really big kick out of seeing this.


There were 16 beers on tap (Technically 15, if you don't count the non-alcoholic Root Beer, but I do.)  While the variety is there, the IPAs tend to be better, and the Brown ale and Root Beer are quite good.  The rest have their moments, but don't quite reach the same levels.


Overall, this is a pretty solid place.  They have some pretty great pub food, the atmosphere was very friendly, the beer was good, and the ice cream was amazing.  They have a sense of humor, and aren't afraid to express it.  The Olympic Snowboarding was an added bonus.  I recommend this place.  For more information, click here

On my Tap for the Evening was:


Style: Blonde Ale
Untapped Rating: 2.75/5
Description: "Goes down like a light beer, clean, smooth."
Comments: This isn't my favorite blonde in the world, and the reason is because it drinks less like a typical blonde, and more like a light beer.  It's still preferable to light beer, but it just gives a light taste that morphs into the light bitter flavor we all know.

Style: IPA
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Fruity, hoppy IPA, "Troptastic"."
Comments: Pretty decent IPA.  You can certainly taste the fruitiness mixed in with the hops and bitterness.  It does make you think tropical as you sip it, and is a pretty good take on IPA beer.

Style: IPA
Untapped Rating: 3.5/5
Description: "Nice refreshingly smooth hoppy IPA, quick hop to start, gives way to a forestry/cedar taste."
Comments: This was probably my favorite of their IPAs.  It makes me think of the Pacific Northwest when I drink it (and knowing my love for this area) and it hits all the right spots.  The hops are there, but are not over the top, the forestry/cedar taste is a nice different approach, and really sets a nice pace with each sip.  I recommend this beer!
Style: Imperial IPA
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Stronger IPA, still smooth, nice and pale hoppy but sweet vs bitter."
Comments: This one is certainly stronger, and hits a bit harder.  The hops are there, and it's bitter.  There's a big clash of tastes that swarm you mouth over sweetness and bitterness, and it's an interesting combination of the two.  I like it, but it's not as good at the regular IPA.
Style: Barley Wine
Untapped Rating: 3.5/5
Description: "Very strong fruity wine, almost like mead, smooth, malty."
Comments: You can feel the strength of this one.  It drinks like wine, but tastes and hits like a mead.  There are fruity flavors and elements to it, and it carries a nice maltiness to it.  Worth a shot, but very different.

Style: Brown Ale
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Sweet, malty, nice brown ale, sips light."
Comments: Nice light malty brown ale.  It sips smoothly, has a nice light taste to it, with malty flavors, and just an enjoyable experience.  This is one of the better beers, and I recommend getting one of these.

Style: Pale Ale
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Nice pale ale, extra bitter."
Comments: This was a different pale ale in that it was more on the bitter side.  It starts with a smooth pale ale flavor, but ends in a more bitter citrusy taste.  Not my favorite, but decent.
Style: Red Ale
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Good red ale, sips light and malty."
Comments: Pretty decent red ale.  It sips pretty lightly, and adds a nice malty taste to it.  Good for when you want a light smooth beer.
Style: Pale Ale
Untapped Rating: 3.5/5
Description: "Nice pale ale, citrusy and malty to finish."
Comments: This was a good pale ale.  Nice and citrusy, and the finish to it had a nice malty taste to it.  Recommended
Style: Red Ale
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Nice malty caramel red ale, slight hop, smooth finish."
Comments: Very nice red ale.  Malty with flavors of caramel and a nice hop to give it some boost.  The finish is super smooth for that refreshing aftertaste.
Style: Porter
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Nice porter, coffee taste, roasty, sweet, dark."
Comments: Dark coffee flavors, nice and roasty, and everything you would expect from a nice porter.
Style: Winter Ale
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Dark, very smooth, light hoppy winter ale."
Comments: Pretty decent for a Winter ale.  Normally I feel they are stronger and more bitter than what I like.  This one was very smooth with a lighter hop mixed in, and a darker taste.  Well done.
Style: Stout
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Smooth stout, coffee, creamy, slight bitter end."
Comments: Good stout, nice mix of coffee flavors and a creamy taste, that culminates in a bitter end to cap it off.
Style: Cider
Brewery: Atlas Cider Company
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Amazing blackberry cider, refreshing, tart taste."
Comments: Very fine blackberry cider, it goes down smooth, is very refreshing to taste, and leaves a nice tart flavor.
Style: Cream Ale
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Very smooth cream ale with honey tones, light and sweet."
Comments: Nice cream ale.  Hints of honey mixed into a light and sweet tasting beer.  Very refreshing, quick and easy for a nice light ale.
Style: Style
Untapped Rating: 4.5/5
Description: "Non-Alcoholic, but probably some of the best root beer ever!."
Comments: The only non-alcoholic "beer" on tap, and it's pretty amazing.  I've had lots of root beer over the years, but this one was exceptionally fine.  That's why it stands next to the others as one of their finest offerings.  Highly recommended.
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Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Georgetown Brewing

Brewery Review
Location: Seattle, WA
Date: Feb. 6, 2018
Tag Team Partners: None

They like beer...I like their beer!

So let me give a little preface here before I begin.  Georgetown is quite possibly my favorite brewery in all of Seattle.  They have never made a beer I didn't like, their well-known standards are amazing for their taste, and leave you wanting more, and the first time I ever came to Seattle, I had a Georgetown Beer (more on that below).  So as biased as I may be, I will do as best I can to remain objective, (I may overhype a bit, but it's truly from the heart) and not rate everything 5/5 and tell you this is God's gift to Seattle (Though sometimes after a few Manny's, 9lber's, Bodhizafas, and Johnny Utah Pale Ales, I begin to question myself.)

 Enter the Construction Zone of Amazing Beer

First thing you see is a big warehouse in the industrial part of Seattle.  When you get to the front door, it's big and striped in yellow and black caution lines, and the doors part just like in an episode of Star Trek.  From there it expands into a neat little tasting room where you can sample all the full-time and part-time beers, and get a glimpse into what is coming up on tap later on.

Around the walls are pictures of various Seattle sights, and a map of other breweries in the area.  On the far side, you can look in and see where they make the beer, and inquire about tours.  On the side closest to the door is a merchandise area with shirts, t-shirts, drinking glasses, etc.

Growler featuring their newest beer Tess IPA

The tasting room is pretty amazing.  All samples are free.  You pick the ones you want to try, and at the end, you can purchase a growler with the beer of your choice, and 6-packs of cans.  The bartenders, brewers, and other personnel are very friendly, knowledgable and supportive.  As an added bonus, you can watch them fill growlers right in front of you for an exciting few hours tasting and talking craft brew.

With this sign, you will never be lost looking for great beer

Overall, this place is awesome.  The only drawback is the place is just a tasting room, and nothing much in the way of Taproom with pints (you can get that most places in Seattle, but for here...maybe one day.)  I hope to see them continue to evolve into a bigger operation as time goes on.  If it turns out anywhere near where the level of their beer craftsmanship is, we're all in for a huge treat.  Georgetown carries my highest recommendation.  For more information about them, click here.



 ***Side Note***: Before I begin rating beers, I did something a little bit different this time.  Usually I link the beer list to Untappd Review, which I continued to do this time, but as an added bonus, I added the logos to the respective beers which lead you to the Brewery's full-on description of the beer, which is a real treat for beer nerds!  I will work to go back and do this for the previous Blog Entries as well!  Enjoy!

On my Tap for the Evening was:




ROGER'S
ROGER'S
ROGER'




ROGER'S

- Roger's Pilsner
Style: Pilsner
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Good pilsner, slightly bitter, dry aftertaste, malty, smooth, lager-like."
Comments: The was a fairly smooth beer.  it goes down almost like a lager, and has a really good malty taste to it with what feels like a dry aftertaste at the end.  There is a light hop that gives it a little kick, and makes for an enjoyable experience.
Style: Pale Ale
Untapped Rating: 4.25/5
Description: "Smooth, refreshing, light, go-to beer, keg-worthy."
Comments: I really want to say that a requirement of anyone drinking beer in the Northwest, should be to consume a pint of Manny's...or two...maybe 3.  I remember when my dad came in from Washington D.C., he tried Manny's, and that was it, the go-to for him most of the rest of the trip.  I even tried to send him some for his birthday, but there are these silly things known as Federal Regulations that prohibit shipping of some beer state-to-state.  This is very smooth, light, very refreshing, and is a go-to beer if you're not sure what you want.  It is very keg-worthy, and can happily be consumed in mass quantities by many people.  Go get some!
Style: Pale Ale
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Hoppy, citrusy, clean, smooth, amazing, light."
Comments: Remember how I said the first beer I ever had in Seattle was from Georgetown?  This was it.  I had a Johnny Utah Pale Ale at Doc Maynard's Public House prior to doing the Underground Tour, and I found a beer I loved!  While the effect doesn't ring quite as true today (because there are tons of other beer styles, flavors, tastes), it's still a great beer.  It's hoppy, with a citrus taste.  It's a clean light beer, that goes down smooth, and delivers everything a pale ale should.  As I always have to friends, and others, I recommend this one!
- 507. Tom Flanders
Style: Sour Red Ale
Untapped Rating: 3/5
Description: "Strong, almost cider-like, sour, tart, good, different."
Comments: The was a very strange beer at first.  When I read the style, it said "Red Ale", so in my mind, I prepared for what a Red Ale normally tastes like.  After the first sip, I was quite taken aback.  Not in disgust mind you, but because of just how different it is.  After speaking with the bartender, I learned it was infused with some red wine barrels, and mixture of 12 and 24 month old beer.  It is very complex, odd, and unique.  Try it.  Each sip makes you more and more curious.

Style: IPA
Untapped Rating: 4/5
Description: "Hoppy, but not in a kill-you sort of way, fruity, bitter, little aftertaste, refreshing."
Comments: The Award-Winning IPA is a very refreshing brew.  It brings hop, but doesn't let that fully consume the beer.  It's a nice brew, that bring aromas of fruit, sips bitterly, and leaves a little hoppy aftertaste following each sip.  Happily Recommended.  You won't go wrong.

Style: Porter
Untapped Rating: 3.75/5
Description: "Nice smooth porter, bitter coffee flavor."
Comments: The 9lb Porter is exactly what it sets out to be.  A nice refreshing coffee-style brew, that is sweet, smooth, and has a nice aroma to it.  It's dark, and bitter and might not be everyone's favorite, but it delivers.  Recommended.
- 508. Tess
Style: IPA
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Nice citrusy IPA, smooth, fruity, hoppy."
Comments: I'm actually sipping one of these as I write this.  Out of the 11 I sampled, this is the one I took home.  It was just released the day I was there, and it's quite good.  It's nice and citrusy in taste, aromas and flavors of fruit, and a nice hop.  It's well mixed, and is definitely recommended.






STOUT

- 509. Stout Stout
Style: Stout
Untapped Rating: 3.50/5
Description: "Stout.  Roasty, smooth, dark."
Comments: Stout.  Literally the best way to describe this beer.  It simply doesn't get any more stout than this, and that's all it will ever have to be.  It's roasty, very smooth, and dark.  The flavor is great, and will challenge you to find another Stout that is so...Stout.  Recommended!
- 510. Sunnyside Up
Style: Belgian Strong Golden Ale
Untapped Rating: 3.25/5
Description: "Strong, sour, Belgian aftertaste."
Comments: This one was interesting.  It's a strong Golden ale that is light in color and flavor, but packs a strong taste with sour elements.  It finishes off with a Belgian aftertaste that's interestingly mixed in.  At 8%, you'll feel golden after 1 or 2 of these.  Just don't drink it if the sun is just coming up.  Try it!
Style: IPA
Untapped Rating: 3.50/5
Description: "Good IPA, fluid, smooth, hoppy, fruity."
Comments: I've had Lucille several times now, and it's a good standard IPA.  It's a very fluid beer, that goes down smoothly, brings some hop, and mixes fruity flavors for a well-crafted taste.  Certainly recommended!
- 511. Harkin Banks
Style: Triple-IPA
Untapped Rating: 3.50/5
Description: "Nice triple IPA, bitter, hoppy, refreshing, citrusy, strong."
Comments: Harkin packs the punch when it comes to triple IPAs.  The bartender was saying how Triples have become a new trend in the Brewing scene, and this one puts it on display for the good of the cause.  It is nice and bitter, ample hops, and carries a refreshing strong boost with it's citrusy taste.  Perfect for one of those weeks that you're ready to put to rest with an ice cold brew.  Recommended. 
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