This is kind of a 2 part review...
Anyone ever heard of this company located in Kent?
I happened to go into Kirkland this weekend (very rare for me to be in that scene) but it was a place called 212 Bistro. I would like to mention that this bar has a great atmosphere with live music 6 days a week and the bartender was VERY knowledgeable and fun to chat with. Tuesdays are "10 thousand Tuesdays" referring to the dice game. They only have 6 taps and a limited bottle list but the bartender seemed to be an incredible mixologist(sp?). I would highly recommend at least checking it out.
Of the 3 taps they had, 3 of them were from a company called Airways Brewing Company, I had never heard of them before. They are located in Kent and are not a large enough scale to sell in stores or to bars but this place (212) is one of the very few places that serves them. Airways had a Stout, IIPA, and an ESB.
IIPA - No detectable hop aroma and hardly and hop flavor left a lot to be desired. The bitterness at 99 IBUs made it an enjoyable drink but definitely not a great representation of the style.
ESB - Very smooth and balanced with a gorgeous burgundy color, the malts sat nicely on the palate without letting anything stand out too much.
Stout - This was by far the easiest drinking stout I have had. I love thick and dark beers but this was a stout that you could drink all night. Delicious and almost creamy this beer had a hint of coffee with a strong taste of chocolate. The finish on this beer tasted like a very dark chocolate and the bitterness did not come until the after taste which lingered just long enough.
All in all, the bar is a place to check out for the music, bartender, and interesting flavor combinations from the kitchen. I would also recommend giving Airways Brewing Company a chance if you have the opportunity. If you didn't guess, the stout was my favorite.
Anyone ever heard of this company located in Kent?
I happened to go into Kirkland this weekend (very rare for me to be in that scene) but it was a place called 212 Bistro. I would like to mention that this bar has a great atmosphere with live music 6 days a week and the bartender was VERY knowledgeable and fun to chat with. Tuesdays are "10 thousand Tuesdays" referring to the dice game. They only have 6 taps and a limited bottle list but the bartender seemed to be an incredible mixologist(sp?). I would highly recommend at least checking it out.
Of the 3 taps they had, 3 of them were from a company called Airways Brewing Company, I had never heard of them before. They are located in Kent and are not a large enough scale to sell in stores or to bars but this place (212) is one of the very few places that serves them. Airways had a Stout, IIPA, and an ESB.
IIPA - No detectable hop aroma and hardly and hop flavor left a lot to be desired. The bitterness at 99 IBUs made it an enjoyable drink but definitely not a great representation of the style.
ESB - Very smooth and balanced with a gorgeous burgundy color, the malts sat nicely on the palate without letting anything stand out too much.
Stout - This was by far the easiest drinking stout I have had. I love thick and dark beers but this was a stout that you could drink all night. Delicious and almost creamy this beer had a hint of coffee with a strong taste of chocolate. The finish on this beer tasted like a very dark chocolate and the bitterness did not come until the after taste which lingered just long enough.
All in all, the bar is a place to check out for the music, bartender, and interesting flavor combinations from the kitchen. I would also recommend giving Airways Brewing Company a chance if you have the opportunity. If you didn't guess, the stout was my favorite.