Pike Brewing - "Heirloom Amber" Pale Ale

Creamy Smoke.

Another one from Pike Brewing, this time a Pale Ale. The "Heirloom Amber" tastes as redolent of character as its evocative name suggests. This brew pours a ruby amber with just a tad of lacy foam. The first flavor to assault the tongue is rich, smokey malt that's neither too sweet nor overbearing. This maltyness is balanced by the merest hint of rosemary provided by the idiosyncratic blend of Magnum, Willamette and East Kent Goldings hops. The finish is all cream with just a touch of burnt vanilla and hazelnut. Certainly not a run-of-the-mill amber but unique and very flavorful! I'd pair this up with mom's chicken and dumplings and some steamed, buttered broccoli.

Pike Brewing - India Pale Ale

Well-mannered yet feisty.

Pike Brewing is Seattle Washington's own downtown-market brewery with a nice selection of micros of which this India Pale Ale is a standout. This brew pours a hazy golden-orange in the glass with just the slightest bit of cream for a head. On the tongue it's surprisingly effervescent despite the weak head and I notice it has a complex balance of sweet and bitter happening - very nice! The bread-and-pie-crust flavor of the malt vies with the citrus-apricot tang of hops but neither side triumphs - this is a nice, flavorful ale that hits the IPA middle ground squarely. The finish is slightly sweet with a lingering bitter overtone of pine. I'd pair this up with peppered steak fries and a steamed spicy-hot Italian sausage.