Big Time Brewery

Sept. 16th, 2009

Located on the Ave in the U-District, The Big Time Brewery is a favorite among the UW's students. We'd both been there before but this was our first sampling visit.

Be forewarned, the service can be a bit slow and distracted but the food is damn tasty. I ordered a mini pizza with feta, sausage, red bell peppers, and red onions. So good! Si got a naked hot dog and a baked potato with cheese and bacon. Gotta love potato peel.

The Big Time Brewery has a nice sample policy in that they'll give you a 4oz. glass of any of their beers for a couple of bucks or any four beer samples for $5. We sampled all ten that they had on tap.

Barking Dog - "Scottish Ale." Description unavailable from Big Time online.
Si: Mild, flat, bland.
Ericka: Flat, mild, blah.

Dragonfly Pale Ale - "American Pale Ale. A sessionable, well-balanced Pale Ale brewed using Northwestern 2-row malt, Briess Cara-pils and 60L Crystal; bittered with Magnum and finished with Cascade hops. Fermented with (Elysian) American Ale yeast. This recipe, from AHA Member Ryan Hilliard of Seattle, was selected from a tasting of winning homebrews in the 2009 Puget Sound Pro-Am Competition, and scaled up to 14 barrels for entry into the Great American Beer Festival. O.G. 11.8 Plato, 30 BU, 4.7% ABV"
Si: Very malty for a pale ale. Better on second tasting after some food.
Ericka: Pretty bitter, perfumed, not my thing.

The Maine Thing - "East Coast Pale Ale. A collaborative brew with Kevin Watson from Allagash Brewing Co. in Portland, ME. A crisp, delicately balanced golden-straw colored pale ale that begins with a hit of Simcoe hops and ends with the smoothness of Liberty and Northern Brewer. O.G. 14.5 Plato, 5.5% ABV"
Si: Very malty.
Ericka: Simple, ok, good with food.

Prime Time Pale Ale - "A three time gold medal winner in previous Great American Beer Festivals, Prime Time's delicate malt flavor and gently balanced hoppiness make it approachable to those unfamiliar with microbrewed beers, yet still has a sophistication that pleases seasoned drinkers of real ales. Prime Time Pale is brewed with Northwestern 2-row pale malt and just a touch each of English crystal and light dextrin malts. It is hopped with Yakima Chinook and Cascade in addition to German Hersbruckers. OG12 Plato (1.048)"
Si: Really really malty too.
Ericka: Yes, really malty, not too hoppy.

Scarlet Fire IPA - "It's come to be known as our fifth regular beer. A little bit bolder than the Bhagwan, with a greater depth of hop character through extensive first wort hopping. It's got all the C hops stuff that we love, just more. O.G. 16.5, 6.4% ABV."
Si: Really malty as well.
Ericka: Very hoppy, bold flavor.

Bhagwan's Best IPA - "Building on a classic English style and adding some uniquely Northwest touches, Bhagwan's Best has developed fiercely loyal following wherever it is served. Bursting with local hop flavor, bitterness, and aroma, it is a particular treat when served dry-hopped and cask-conditioned on Big Time's beer engine. O.G. 16 Plato (1.064), alcohol is approximately 5% by weight.
Si: More bitter but still a lot of malt.
Ericka: More bitter, too hoppy for me.

Kolsh 45 - "German Pale Ale. A German syle pale ale brewed with Pilsner malt and a touch of wheat. Light and golden with a rich malt presence and the delicate flavor of Hallertau hops. Works every time. O.G. 1.045 4.2% ABV"
Si: After-taste is spicy, like it though.
Ericka: Fruity, goes very well with potato peal. Much better than Hale's Kolsh.

Atlas Amber Ale - "Atlas is Big Time's most popular beer. Its mixture of pale, crystal, Munich, and light dextrin malts, with just a few pounds of roasted barley, give it a rich, robust malt flavor, and three distinctive Northwestern hop varieties (Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial) impart an aggressive hop character. O.G. 14 Plato (1.056)"
Si: Pretty malty; it's good though.
Ericka: Sweet, mellow, tasty, hint of honey

Old RIP - "Oatmeal Stout. Old Rip is one of our most requested specialty beers. Generous portions of dark malts, a heavy hand with the hops and a secret ingredient combine to make this beer one that stout lovers shouldn't miss. Original gravity 14 plato, alcohol by weight 3.75%. "
Si: Very sweet. I like it but I don't know how much I could drink.
Ericka: Rich flavor! Chocolaty and smooth. Opaque with a hint of raisin. Like dessert with a dark foam head. This is a new favorite!

Coal Creek Porter - "Also a multiple medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival, Coal Creek Porter has a solid and loyal following among Big Time's customers. Impenetrably dark at first glance, Coal Creek shows rich red highlights when held to the light. Its blend of dark roasted malts combines with three other specialty malts and unmalted flaked barley to give Coal Creek a satisfying roasted flavor and smooth texture. It is heavily hopped in the finish with Yakima Centennial. Original gravity is approximately 15 degrees Plato (1.060 Specific Gravity), and alcohol content is 4.5% by weight. "
Si: I like this one; extremely milk chocolate. Could drink a lot of this.
Ericka: Good every day beer. Tasty good flavor but not overpowering.

Si: "For the record, I found the beers to be far too malty for my taste. And many not carbonated enough. But, the second time around, when I retried them, after eating a bit, they all tasted better."

Oh, and randomly, there were guys dressed in green body suits who wanted in for a bit. Si informed me that they're based off of character "Green Man" from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia which was premiering that night.

*Additional note. The Old RIP was so good that I talked Si into going back the next day for lunch so I could get a pint of it with a couple of slices of pizza. He got a pint of the Coal Creek Porter and another hotdog. :)