Visit to Black Raven Brewing

The weather was incredible this weekend and to celebrate I went to Black Raven Brewing in Redmond.  The weather could have been horrible and I still would have gone, but any excuse to try great beer I guess.  I had visited Black Raven last year while my girlfriend was living up here and I wanted to see how they were doing.

Black Raven is located in Redmond, in an industrial area.  The tasting room is very cozy and clean and they just recently opened a beer garden in the back with grilled sausages.  We arrived around 1:00 and the place was packed.  I guess the word has got out and rightly so, the beer was great and well worth the 20 minute drive out there.

In the two years that Black Raven has been open they have really made an impact.  Already bringing home three World Beer Cup Awards,  including Gold for their Tamerlane Brown Porter, Silver for Barrel aged La Petite Mort and another Gold for Coco Jones Porter. 

I started out with the Tamerlane Brown Porter, I loved this beer the first time I tried it and enjoyed it just as much the second. 

Tamerlane is dark brown and has nice sweet malt aromas, chocolate, very reminiscent of a nut brown.  Flavor is roasted malt, chocolate, toffee, it had a great grain flavor that was clean and well balanced with the sweetness. Mouthfeel was light body, medium to high carbonation.  This is not a big porter, it is a great light hybrid, very easy to drink and super tasty. 


 Overall, I would have more than one.

Next up Trickster IPA

I am pretty sure Trickster was not on tap the first time I visited or I just passed it over, not too sure.  But they had it this time and being the hop head that I am, had to go for it.  Trickster pours out golden copper with a nice white head.  Aroma is a like sticking your head in a bag of hops, pineapple citrus.  Taste: good balance of sweet malt, hoppy pineapple, citrus, but not overwhelming.  I would have thought the 6.8% avb would have come through more, but it didn't.  Mouthfeel was light body with medium carbonation. 

Overall it is a super drinkable beer.  Well balanced and perfect for any hop head.

One thing that I am a fan of is having the malt and hops listed on the tasting menu, as Black Raven does and it allows the drinker to understand the flavors.  If you ever home brew and taste the malt prior to mashing in, it is a great way see how those flavors work together.  I also have to say it is great when a brewer doesn't mess up those flavors.  Beaux does a great job of creating clean drinkable beers that stay true to the ingredients.  Do yourself a favor, take a trip out to Black Raven and enjoy the offerings.