What's The Dill?

Remember when I told you about the blue hearse full of stray dogs? If you missed it you can find it here. Anyway, the thing is following me… I left work the other night and it was parked in the lot behind my office. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap a few pictures as evidence that it exists. I even captured an image of one of the dogs (see below)!

In this photo: Hearse Dog #1

There’s a difference between crows and ravens but I won’t bore you with the technicalities. If you’re truly interested, this is one of the better explanations that popped up in the Google search results. Basically, ravens are much bigger than crows and they speak a different language. Crows say, “caw-caw” and Ravens say, “gronk-gronk” (according to Dr. Kevin J. McGowan). At any rate, for the sake of this review we’ll focus on the raven, though I’ll likely use the terms interchangeably like most of us do (my apologies to the National Audobon Society and to bird fanatics worldwide).

Side note: Both my mother and step-mother owned bird identification handbooks from the Audobon Society when I was a child. Needless to say, I can identify my fair share of birds. Big dork, I know. But every once in awhile it comes in handy and on occasion I sound impressive. Moving on...

A trip to Black Raven for the first time evokes skepticism. It’s a brand new establishment (opened April 2009) hidden within a business park making it easy to miss by the casual passerby. The signage on the front is unassuming and the brewery is housed in an off grey office building which looks identical to the half dozen that surround it. Fortunately, the corporate vibe is quickly alleviated upon entering the front door. The smell of hops and yeast awakens your senses and it is immediately apparent that this place is all about the beer. It’s important to note that Black Raven is a taproom, not a restaurant, so don’t arrive expecting to order food. However, they do provide nuts and pretzels to munch on and if you’re really hungry you can have food delivered from a local pizza and pasta joint.

From a design standpoint the tasting room is unique, clever, and subtle. The owners have successfully developed around the image of the raven, offering a dimly lit space with natural wood accents and a rustic feel. It’s a quiet and casual environment which is a welcomed relief from the hustle and bustle of your everyday restaurants and bars.

If you’ve read any of the previous editions of What’s on Tap you’d know that my palate is quite IPA-centric. I’ve tasted dozens of them over the years and Black Raven’s Trickster IPA is easily within my top five. It offers a “tricky” blend of a variety of hops which includes; Chinook, Magnum, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Cascade with an ABV of 6.8%. Yeah, it’s pretty much a party in your mouth. I asked the server how it’s selling and she replied that they’re barely able to keep up with the demand. Glancing around the room I noticed that nearly everyone had a pint of it in front of them. Apparently she was telling the truth…

Aside from the IPA they brew a small but diverse selection. All of their beers have clever names derived from a variety of mythologies. Each comes accompanied with an interesting story that coincides with the name and the beer’s characteristics. You can check them out here. Overall, the beer is outstanding and the atmosphere is cozy. If you're looking for a typical bar scene this isn't the place for you. If you're in search of a quaint neighborhood brewery and enjoy IPA's, it's a must.

Okay. Writing about their IPA is making me incredibly thirsty so I’m going to wrap this up. Lucky for me, Black Raven Brewing Company is only about two miles from my house as the crow flies. The plan is to fill up the growler and indulge this evening, my friends. TGIF.


Here’s my final assessment:
Atmosphere = 3.5 hops
Food = NA (given that Black Raven is a tasting room)
Beer = 4.5 hops
Service = 3.5 hops
Final Tally= 3.5 hops(Scale of 1-5 hops, 5 being the highest mark)

The Raven's Nest Taproom @
Black Raven Brewing Company
14679 NE 95th ST
Redmond, WA 98052
blackravenbrewing.com


Out of curiosity… What’s your favorite raven? I rank my top three as follows:
1) The Raven – Edgar Allen Poe
2) Black Raven IPA
3) Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens (totally dominating for my fantasy football team)

To the Counting Crows, so close.

I saw a commercial for the Freedom Tray the other night (see below) and found it kind of disturbing. Check out the website to get the full effect: http://www.freedomtray.com



Seriously? It’s just wrong on so many levels. Obesity is an epidemic in this country and we respond by creating portable food troughs in the name of freedom? Shouldn’t we be a little more selective about the things that we promote with patriotism? It doesn't even make sense...

The World Series kicks off tonight and for the 22nd consecutive year my beloved Seattle Mariners will not be participating. Winning championships just isn’t something that we do here in Seattle. We only have three under our belt: 1917 Seattle Metropolitans (Stanley Cup), 1978 Seattle SuperSonics (NBA Finals), and the 2004 Seattle Storm (WNBA Championship). Yes, I included the Storm, we need what we can get. Aside from that, nothing… The 1996 SuperSonics ran into Michael Jordan and the 2006 Seahawks ran into one sided officiating and Jerome Bettis propaganda. I could rant about the latter for hours but it’s not good for my blood pressure or my sanity. The NFL wanted the Steelers to win and that’s all that needs to be said. Cheaters. Okay, I’m getting depressed and need to move on…

Since the Series hasn’t started and the NBA is dead to me (OKC Thunder), I’m going to focus on NFL action this week. Here’s a few things that we learned last weekend: Adrian Peterson is a Purple Man Beast (see video), JaMarcus Russell did not get the memo that he is being paid to play football, Drew Brees doesn’t need his mole to shred a defense, and Larry Johnson is a douche bag (which we already knew but he proved it yet again following KC’s loss).

My Captain Obvious observation of the day is that the Colts and the Saints are really good. I mean, really good. They’re both undefeated and look like they can put up 40 on just about anyone. As for the other unbeaten team, the Denver Broncos, I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted. I have a feeling you’re going to end up with a little hoof in mouth after rumbling with the Ravens in Baltimore. Undefeated? Quoth the Raven, nevermore! Will the Colts and Saints remain perfect? My guess is that both the Colts (home against the Niners) and the Saints (home against the Falcons on MNF) improve to 7-0. The questions now becomes, who loses first? As much as it pains me to say, I think Tom Brady and the Patriots roll into Lucas Oil Stadium and deliver the Colts their first loss in Week 10. If the Saints defeat the Falcons this week their next three games are: Carolina, @St. Louis, @Tampa. I smell 10-0. After that, the Patriots come to town…

I can’t wrap up this post without commenting on the game of the week. Find a TV and make sure you watch the impressive display of football put on by the St. Louis Rams (0-7) at the Detroit Lions (1-5). I’m kidding. If you haven’t heard, Brett Favre is heading back to Lambeau to take on his former team. I’ll refrain from contributing too much to the excessive barrage of coverage surrounding this game and simply make my prediction. The ol’ man’s still got it. Vikes 27 Packers 24.

Go Hawks!

I went to Costco the other day to pick up some popcorn and noticed that the Christmas decorations have already made an appearance. Seriously? What about Halloween and Thanksgiving? Okay, I’m sure we all say this every year, but still… The fact of the matter is that the holiday season is right around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about preparing. Preparation for me means one thing… The Christmas Game.