MUKILTEO, WASHINGTON
Inside a former bus garage-turned-pub, DIAMOND KNOT BREWING COMPANY became a brewpub during 1993. North of Seattle along the rustic Mukilteo waterfront, this tiny maroon-trimmed hole-in-the-wall alehouse opposite the marina is situated in a wood-beamed brick-floored parlor-styled dining hall with high ceilings and small loft.
The bantam bar space has a TV, as does the tucked-in front dining space across from the kitchen. A great neighborhood bar with beer trays and nautical paraphernalia lining walls, Diamond Knot’s menu included pizza, salad, or surf ‘n turf and its slogan was the brewpub-friendly ‘fermenting change in taste.’ There are also a few local Diamond Knot-related brewpubs (B2 Alehouse; Camano Lodge; Lincoln Avenue).
During late-morning December ’09 taste test, watched the locals (long-suffering local football team, the Seattle Seahawks) defeat horrid St. Louis Rams while sampling a few goodies.
Firstly, I decided to have liquid breakfast, sipping sweet pinkish opaque dessert treat, Wyder’s Raspberry Cider, an easygoing red apple-ripened cranberry-tart berry-soured winter warmer.
A well-rounded tap selection of homebrews made my stay highly memorable. Silken lemon meringue-y cinnamon-ginger-spiced gourd-daubed nitro-injected Stingy Jack’s Pumpkin and banana-fronted vanilla-backed cinnamon-spiced caramel-malted cherry-tinged Industrial Ho Ho Winter Warmer brought about Seasons Greetings.
For the semi-exotic Hefeweizen, perfumed banana-clove subtlety gets overrun by cinnamon-spiced apple-pumpkin sweetness and heather-softened chamomile-mint freshness.
Using a pre-Prohibition lager recipe, soft rye-influenced yellow-fruited corn-sugared Summer Blonde proved soothing.
Caramel-malted black tea-embittered pumpernickel-tinged phenol-spiced aspirin-wafted E.S.B. and nebulous hazelnut-spiced mocha-wavered herbal-honeyed Brown Ale whet my appetite for heartier servings.
Dry-roasted coffee-burnt hazelnut-teased Possession Porter and soft Irish-styled barley-flaked cream-sugared nitro-injected Steamer Glide Stout easily sufficed.
But hopheads were not to be denied, as there were three fine India Pale Ales available. Lighter thirsts will choose butterscotch-candied apple-sugared honey-spiced banana-pear-nectarine-cantaloupe-dangled Shipwreck XXX over richer hop-fueled tangerine-peach-spiced apple-ripened alcohol-burnt pine-finished Industrial X IPA and woody-hopped light-spiced yellow-fruited apple-candied pear-browned India Pale Ale.
Unafraid to give nearby competition an even chance, Gig Harbor’s 7 Seas British Pale Ale offered amiable orange-soured floral-spiced crystal-malted apple-grape fruiting.
Succulent perfume-spiced hop prickle absorbs fruit chocolate-y goodness. Molasses-like caramel malts and floral pineapple-peach-tangerine sweetness counter grapefruit peel bittering. Resinous pine lingers through lemon zest midst before slim nuttiness reaches biscuit-y spine.
Smoothly creamy chocolate-spiced winter seasonal reaches sublime heights. Sugar plum, fig, and date ride shotgun next to cinnamon-nutmeg-coriander-ginger spicing and macadamia-hazelnut-pecan propensity.
Luxuriant nut-roasted molasses-smoked mocha malt creaminess gives lactic tan-headed brown-bodied stout inviting opening. Brown chocolate, vanilla, and cocoa subdue mild bourbon-sherry-port whir as well as espresso-cappuccino-induced finish. Dark rum soaks ripened black cherry, raspberry puree, stewed prune, and raisin illusions at backend.
Amiable light-to-medium-bodied softie provides easygoing drinkability. Plaintive caramel malt setting highlights spiced apple modesty, mild orange-grapefruit tang, and dinky chestnut-almond nicety. Peat-y tea-like earthiness settles below thin mocha-fruited finish. Well-rounded, though needing to push standard ingredients forward a bit more.
Creamy Scotch sweetness and nutty brown chocolate-y center hold up well against dry fruited plain of formerly known Fat Bastard Ale (named after Austin Powers character). Praline, hazelnut, macadamia, and chestnut reinforce rum-soaked dried cherry resolve and sugar plum reminder. Smooth.
Creamy wintry weizenbock retains soft, fluffy texture for cinnamon-spiced brown chocolate theme. Prune, raisin, and cherry gird cocoa-dusted molasses malting as vanilla, cappuccino, and walnut illusions emerge. But seasonal clove and gingerbread spicing lacks stamina.
Similar to Scuttlebutt Amber Ale, though a slight bit better and more resilient. Still, for hop-notched India Pale Ale, proper yellow-orange-fruited tang and piney bitterness lack while toasted cereal graining takes the lead. Phenol walnut-charred dryness gets exhaustive. For contrast, nominal butterscotch, pecan and candy apple nuances simmer through sugary almond-pasted marzipan sweetness.
Wavering mocha-spiced sweetness fades into honeyed wheat spine. Nominal citric twang falters, leaving sugared date, dried fig, hazelnut, and tobacco illusions to wallow in the delicate caramel midst. Under-whelming and uninteresting.