It had been a long flight into Seattle, and I was ready for some rest and relaxation. My first stop (of course): a brewpub. But which one? Seattle has so many, after all, and they all have worthy reputations for great food and beer. I puzzled and puzzled over the dilemma, and in the end, decided to hit The Pike Pub and Brewery first.

And I think I made a great decision. After all, it would be very difficult indeed for any beer enthusiast not to find something he or she didn’t like at Pike. In addition to their own beers, Pike offers a selection of favorites from the Merchant du Vin collection of fine imported brews. You might know these better as Ayinger, Samuel Smith’s, and Lindeman’s.

That was 2005, and my trip to Seattle and Pike in particular remains one of my most memorable beer journeys ever. To be sure, I had already been enjoying Pike beers for 10 years by then, which was one of the reasons I wanted to visit Pike so badly in the first place. Pike isn’t always mentioned as one of the nation’s pioneering craft brewers, but they certainly are to me. I highly respect Charles Finkel and all he has done to honor Michael Jackson.

Anyway, one of my favorite Pike beers up to that point and one of the first that I tried was Pike XXXXX Extra Stout. Here are the motes I took back then:

This was my favorite beer by far amongst a number of great beers. It has the oily texture and rich licorice and chocolate flavors of an imperial stout, though it’s only about 6% alcohol by volume. Notes of creamy espresso too and a roasty finish.

Pike gives a history of the style on their info sheet for this beer:

Originally known as “porter” because the train porters sold it. Some “porters” were   called “stout” or “extra stout porters.”  In the 19th century, the biggest breweries dropped the word porter. London was the   most famous stout capital in the 18th century. In the 19th century, Dublin became famous for a light dry style that advertised its restorative and nutritional benefits. The craft beer movement re-introduced oatmeal, imperial and cream stouts in the early 1980s.

Ingredients from the website:

MALT VARIETIES: Pale, Crystal, Roasted

HOP VARIETIES: Chinook, Willamette, Goldings

Notice that the Pike XXXXX Extra Stout I had at the brewery was 6% alcohol by volume. In the bottle it has 7% ABV and 65 IBUs. Pike beers are sold exclusively at Total Wine here in Georgia, and at amazingly low prices. I paid just $4.99 for my bomber bottle.

Pike XXXXX Extra Stout pours to a deep jet black color with a thick creamy tan head and a luscious dark roasty nose of chocolate and licorice. Taking a sip, the beer has the most wonderful dark bittersweet chocolate notes up front followed by bold licorice, roasted espresso, cocoa powder, and dark fruity prunes. A long dry bitterness finishes this one off along with grassy hops.

This is without doubt one of the best American stouts I have ever come across, and I’ve come across a lot of them. And for a mere five bucks? Tiger, you just hit the jackpot.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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