Pacific Northwest Beer Chick

I’ve been to the “Motor City,” the “City of Angels,” the “City of Roses,” the “Crescent City,” even the “Emerald City.” But, I have found one of the best cities ever… Silver City.  Located in Silverdale, WA, Silver City Brewery has churned out some of the best beer in Western Washington. The food is great and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. But the beer is out of this world! I ordered the beer sampler and enjoyed every sip of it.

Bavarian Style Hefeweizen  (5% ABV): One of my favorite styles of beer is a Hefeweizen, and Silver City has crafted this one right. Brewed with 60% Washington wheat malt and 40% North American pale barley malt, this unfiltered beauty explodes with a gorgeous banana clove aroma and floral, sweet, banana flavor.  This beer was a favorite of the day.

Clear Creek Pale Ale (5.8% ABV):  Washington Centennial and Amarillo hops bring out a grapefruit aroma. Clear Creek is light caramel in color and has a nutty, caramel flavor with prominent hoppiness.

Big Daddy’s ESB (5.8% ABV):  Stronger in flavor than what one expects from an ESB, this beer is full of flavor and aroma. Brewed with Cascade hops, Big Daddy’s floral yet slightly hoppy Extra-Special Bitter is a great way to start spring. 

Ridgetop Red (6% ABV): Another of my favorites, Ridgetop Red is a wonderfully full-bodied brew.  Northwest Liberty hops and three select European specialty malts produce hints of sweet caramel that hit the palate immediately and finishes smooth and malty. This is a great year-round beer.

Panther Lake Porter (6% ABV):  This wonderful porter is ink black in color and the essence of chocolate and coffee perk up the senses (no pun intended).   The flavor is just as exciting. The porter started with dark chocolate, iced coffee and hints of vanilla bean and had a delicious malty finish.

Indianola Pale Ale (6.9% ABV): Surprisingly, this IPA is quite easy to drink.  Washington grown Cascade and Columbus hops create a floral, citrus aroma. Medium-bodied and hoppy, this is a great beer for spring and summer.

Whoop Pass Double India Pale Ale (9 % ABV): Silver City uses more than 50 lbs of Washington Cascade and Columbus hops in every batch of this IPA. Strong notes of grapefruit hit you in the face as soon as you raise your glass. Big citrus flavor with a caramel finish gives this IPA a nice balance. This beer really packs a hoppy punch!

Fat Scotch Ale (9.2% ABV): Heading into treacherous territory we have now come to one of my favorite beers brewed by Silver City. The Fat Scotch ale is treacherous for a few reasons: 1) the flavor and aroma are honey sweet and, thanks to the addition of peat malt, finishes slightly peaty reminiscent of a single-malt scotch and  2) The flavor is so heavenly; you may forget that the alcohol content is 9.2%. Fat Scotch is a truly beautiful beer in color, flavor and aroma. I defy anyone to stop at  just one!

Fat Woody Scotch Ale (9.2% ABV): Take my favorite Silver City beer (Fat Scotch Ale) and age it in American white oak barrels for 6 months. The barrel aging intensifies the smoky, peatyness of the Fat Scotch but kicks it up a bit adding a smooth, sweet, syrupy character. I also detected hints of chocolate and a slight saltiness found in a nice scotch-whiskey. Another dangerous beer!  Proceed with caution as it is also very high in alcohol content, but not in taste. Smooth and delicious!

Imperial Stout (9.2% ABV):  Nicely crafted, but has the highest alcohol content I have experienced in a stout. The Imperial Stout is definitely a great winter warmer with a wonderful coffee and dark chocolate aroma and flavor. Toasty, malty, and full-bodied, this beer finishes very nicely. Silver City uses Northwest Chinook hops in this nice, fireside sipper. Another beer to proceed with caution!

I enjoy each and every visit to Silver City. The only drawback is the size of the bar area. But, they have just completed the relocation of their brewing equipment to another location in Bremerton, WA and are in the process of expanding the restaurant and bar area. Thank goodness as the current seating in the bar area forces one to become a little too up close and personal with the person next to them.

Silver City Brewery distributes their brews to pubs all over Western Washington. They are also one of the few Washington brew pubs to distribute their beer in 22 oz bottles so if you can’t make it to the brewery, check out your locate grocery or farmer’s market and pick up a couple of bottles. You won’t be sorry!

Cheers!

Liz

www.silvercitybrewery.com