Washington

Main Campaign: Washington

5/12-24/2023

Washington felt like a wild-fermented beer. What in the hell is a wild-fermented beer you ask? It is a style of brewing that has the fermentation tank open to the environment. This allows the yeast in the surrounding environment to ferment the beer. It results in a slightly different beer each batch. In my opinion it’s gambling, you never know what you’ll get.

I do admit Washington had the unfortunate fate of following Oregon. Just like my brothers had to follow in the shadow of a legend (yours truly), the bar was unnaturally high. Washington had a rough stumble out of the starting gate. The coast was tough to like. Just like a beer brewed in the open, I ended up with at least one bug in my mouth and a cockamouse.

Moving toward the Puget Sound, you get a taste of the potential it could be with amazing views and nice neighborhoods, but then you get the skunk aftertaste of a street/tent-dweller’s boot.

I see you’re getting frustrated. Why would you drink a beer like this? At best it may be slightly over average, at worst you’re choking on bugs. Because, just like Jake’s game of roulette, you may hit green.

Tucked in a quiet corner as close to Canada as you could get, you get a taste of something wonderful. It has flavors you recognize, but never in this combination. Yes, it took three batches, but this batch blows the rest away. It’s basically perfect, the Bellinghamster Batch.

Just like a winning streak, it doesn’t last. The next batch was an attempt at a popular Bavarian style and fell short. No bugs, but shockingly a taste of wild mushrooms. But that’s how it goes with wild-fermented beer. Chaos, gambling, luck.