Easy-sipping whiskey-barreled Scottish barleywine with hearty 12% alcohol projectile needs a smidgen more up-front character for ‘big beer’ connoisseurs. Ripe black cherry overtones relinquished by candied apple, bruised orange, pear syrup, and spiced fig illusions gliding through chewy brown-sugared caramel malt creaminess and slim bourbon-sherry drift. Toasted marshmallow, fruitcake and vanilla nuances find tertiary solace.

Respectable ‘predictably random ale’ best suited as greenhorn crossover than rapturous hophead delight since medium-bodied IPA never distorts piney-fruited bitterness. Musk-y lacquer appropriation saddles spice-tingled red cherry, candied apple, cantaloupe, melon, peach, and pineapple sweetness as well as honey-sugared biscuit-y malting. Bittersweet orange and grapefruit zest plus diminutive floral bouquet round out busy Scot.

Advertised as ‘the original sorghum malt beer’ and brought east from San Jose brewery with subtle name change and less interesting character. Not far removed from Flying Bison’s negligible gluten-free version, its cloying honeyed sorghum motif sacrifices earthen mineral graining for compost-informed rice cake, white grape, sour orange, and sugar beet usurpation. Phenol-hopped coarseness seeps into wet clay glaze, augmenting tepid superficiality.

PORTLAND, OREGON

At the hilly southwest outskirts of Portland in Beaverton’s Raleigh Hills section lies freestanding hunter green stable-like restaurant-brewery, RACCOON LODGE, which conveniently houses CASCADE BREWERY’s enthusiastically experimental beers. Going from the covered backyard patio into the side door, patrons experience ‘The Den,’ a downstairs pool hall sportsbar with full bar service, billiard tables, dart games, and TV screens opposing left side glass-encased brewery set-up full of fermenting wood barrels storing mostly lactic oak-aged ales. Brewers Ron Gansberg and…

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Opened in 1997 and one-half mile up the hill from Six Arms on Pike Street, renowned ELYSIAN BREWING COMPANY (with two more Seattle locations known as Tangle Town and Elysian Fields) truly sets the bar for all Northwest brewpubs.

Visited December ’09, Elysian’s gray-maroon building, a former warehouse, sits on the corner of 13^th Avenue and features wraparound windows, old concrete floors, exposed ducts, high ceilings, and rear brew tanks. High profile pub not only has great beers…

PORTLAND, OREGON

Sojourned to northwest Quimby section of Portland, December ’09, perusing environmentally friendly green-powered LUCKY LABRADOR BEER HALL (with two more locations nearby on Hawthorne Boulevard and Capitol Highway). Using a solar thermal closed loop glycol system to power up, this former warehouse with gray frontage, maroon awnings, back patio, and spacious concrete-floored interior serves some terrific house pizzas from an open kitchen to go along with its wide array of brews. Operating since 1994, Lucky Labrador also bottles…

PORTLAND, OREGON

Opened 2005, East Portland’s ROOTS ORGANIC BREWING COMPANY brings a loose Caribbean theme to dingy baby blue-tanned warehouse, visited December ‘09. Salvaged material, cement floors, and a dusty beer bottle collection match the rustic setting of many likeminded Jamaican watering holes. Stickers and pictures line interior walls and the L-shaped bar featured fine Belgian beer bottled selection (Bosteels; LA Chouffe; Maredsous; St, Feuillien) to go along with simple American cuisine and snacks such as Roots Black Bean Nachos.…

PORTLAND, OREGON

In Portland’s historic northwest Mississippi District within walking distance to Widmer Brauhaus, AMNESIA BREWERY occupies a freestanding converted warehouse with old cement floors, exposed pipes, and covered side deck (with picnic benches). Its aluminum-sided green-walled interior had tickers, posters, and pictures strewn about. The atmosphere was laid-back this early December ’09 afternoon and brewer Kevin King’s delectable brews were tried alongside a meaty burger (smoked sausages are also available).

As I entered Amnesia, famed Rogue brewer, John Maier,…

PORTLAND, OREGON

Open for business, March ’07, Portland’s ‘first eco-friendly’ brewpub, HOPWORKS URBAN BREWERY (a.k.a ‘the Hub’), occupies a freestanding industrial building in the southeast city corridor. Owner-brewer Christian Ettinger’s ‘green’ brewery takes recycling and energy conservation as serious as brewing, providing cool-fit insulated cold water and compressed air systems for the cause. The large dining area had booths surrounding centralized stainless steel bar, exposed pipes, and wood ceiling. Beer can collection lined walls above bar and build-your-own pizzas dominated…

PORTLAND, OREGON

In early December ’09, took 20-minute uphill walk from downtown Portland to Northwest corridor, discovering street-cornered RAM’S HEAD, one of sixty MC MENAMIN’S-affiliated pubs in Oregon-Washington area. An up-front antique wood-furnished dining area led to 10-seated L-shaped copper-top bar with low ceiling at rear. Light food was served with adequate, if not mind-blowing, brew fare.

Soapy light-bodied grapefruit-soured raspberry-cranberry-tart Ruby Ale, honey-roasted corn-sugared crystal-malted Cascade-hopped Hammerhead Ale, floral-spiced grapefruit-peeled apricot-peach-induced India Pale Ale, brown chocolate-y vanilla-spiced pecan-macadamia-hazelnut-roasted Sleepy…

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Up the road and over the hill two miles East of Puget Sound’s Pike Street Market lies corner bar, SIX ARMS, one of approximately sixty Mc Menamin’s affiliates in Seattle-Portland vicinity, visited December ’09. Inside a beige brick building with carpeted floors, maroon walls, high ceilings, small loft, and wooden pews was right side bar with brassy stainless steel counters.

Salad, sandwiches, and burgers go well with lighter fare such as Cascade-hopped dry-spiced yellow-fruit-soured caramelized crystal-malted Hammerhead Pale…

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Along Puget Sound lies this rainy northwest maritime port affectionately nicknamed ‘Emerald City.’ After superb dinner and Alaskan Pale Ale at world famous Space Needle’s revolving restaurant, toured dank underground Pioneer Village, busy waterfront Pike Place Market, and Pyramid Brewery, as well as Red Hook’s Trolleyman, Duwamps, and Big Time brewpubs March ‘03.

Bought several Big Sky, Elysian, Full Sail, Pike, and Pyramid brews at different grocery stores. Seattle’s interesting Von’s Grand City Café featured hundreds of brewers’…