Thursday 21st of April 2011 11:36:17 AM

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As a regular customer of Elk Head Brewing, I feel I need to reply to barley-Jim's review. First of all just because you don't care for the beer dosen't mean it's bad. I'm sure there's a brew or two that you think is great and I would think it's crap. Elk Head's brews are so bad that they opened a second location in Ocean Shores. The Beer is so bad they expanded the Ocean Shores operation. The beer is so bad that they recently doubled the size of the brewery location. The beer is so bad that they're shopping for more fermenters because they can't keep up with the demand of the Bad Beer Drinkers. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but it seems there's a lot of customers who dissagree with yours. The Korean

Friday 25th of February 2011 03:49:36 PM

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At first glance you notice that Elk Head Brewing is in an industrial garrage affair just off Hwy 410 and the space for the tap room is only about 12ft by 12ft. the beer selection 'looks' good... I mean they seem to try a lot of fun stuff. The problem is that none of the beer has any mouthfeel or pizazz. It's all thin as water. I have tried this place 10 or more times over the last few years or so. I keep hoping the beers will improve but they don't. The beers aren't 'bad' they just don't impress you. Easily forgotten. I think BMC types would like the beer here but beer lovers would be best off skipping it and keep driving down Hwy 410 east to Yakima or west to Puyallup/Tacoma.

Friday 20th of June 2008 07:02:58 AM

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Welcome to Buckley. That's what the sign said right after we turned on to 410. A few hundred feet later we dodge into one of these "industrial" zones -- a black top slab with a couple of parallel metal buildings encircled by chain-link fence. Not the most picturesque location for beer drinking, but I've seen some creative uses of these types of garage breweries, so I was still optimistic.

When we rounded the corner the garage door was open all the way and despite the fact that it was three o'clock in the afternoon, the party had clearly started. The brew day, evidently finished, had given way to relaxed standing around and drinking. Five or six guys in black Elkhead tee-shirts nodded at us as we pulled up and hopped out of the Blazer.

They have a blonde mild (Mowich, named after a nearby mountain lake) which tasted nice at the brewery, but didn't stand up in the growler the next day. I mention the mild since it's not a style you often see brewed commercially here in the US. The other interesting beers were the Elk Dandee made with dandelions (a tart blonde beer) and the Blast Zone made with smoked malt and hot peppers. Blast Zone by itself was a bit intense, but when blended with Black Stag Stout and Kilted Elk (a Scottish ale) it made a quite tasty brew.

They had something like 12 beers on tap the day I visited. An excellent range of styles, but some were of just an average quality (something reflected in my "beer selection" score). The guy working the taps was way friendly and attentive. Definitely a good experience.

There was a beer engine for pouring cask ale, but nothing was on that day.

There's not much seating in the taproom, so be prepared to stand. This isn't a problem for me since I like standing and drinking.

If you are under 21 don't bother coming. Washington seems to have some pretty strict laws about who is allowed around those super-dangerous tap handles. Evidently beer is deadly to the under 21, so the State has elected to protect you by banning your presence. This is unfortunate since I think the Elk Head would be a great place to bring your kids -- but don't even try unless they like sitting in the car.

Parking was not a problem.

I tried to get the ear of Rich Dirk, the brewer/owner, but he was much too busy with the larger Thursday afternoon crowd of beer enthusiasts in his tasting room. I passed him a card and annoyed the other patrons by taking pictures.

Friday 16th of May 2008 01:04:17 PM

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If you're the adventerous type, the kind that doesn't want to experience the place "where everybody knows your name" but would rather gather a bunch of new friends and try something completely new and different, have I got the place for you!

Buckley, Washington sits at the doorstep of Mt. Rainier on the edge of the National Park. On a clear day (and there are a lot of 'em, believe it or not) the mountain looks close enough to touch yet it's still 50 miles away.

Buckley is a country community that's growing. Many transplants are coveting the small-town community feel that exists here -- and that's causing it to lose some of the very reasons it's so appealing.

But Buckley still has Elkhead Brewing Company. A warehouse brewery on the main street into town, this place (like many) is the result of a hobby grown out of control. Rich, the owner, is also proprietor of the local septic tank business ("Where does he get his water?") while friends Al and Alan are friends and sometime bartenders.

There is no bar, per se nor seating area - just a waist-high counter separating the "bar" from the "brewery." But this is were the action happens. People stand around drinking, talking about the latest scandal ("Did ya hear about Mrs. _____? They caught her with ol' ______ in the bushes outside school." "Hmmm - musta needed extra help with homework.")
Or the results of the Little League game. Or the guy who just took a 2nd place trophy in the vintage car restoration event that took him completely by surprise and wanted to celebrate.

Fun, friendly people.

When wife Persimmon & I walked in on a Saturday afternoon, one woman offered to share her dark, foamy brew with us immediately. "You gotta try this. It is AMAZING!" The Silver-Medal winner proudly offered to buy us a beer if we would be so kind as to look over his 1941 bright yellow Mercury - the one that had been polished to such a sheen, it threatened to cast a hepatitis-like pall over us all.

12 samples were offered up that day - none of which we were allowed to pay for regardless of our insistance that we do so. "Nope. First time here. You get to taste cause we want you back."
Citron - a lemon/lime concoction they call an "un"-beer. Light, refreshing, almost like a ginger ale. A perfert summer drink
Elk Dandy - brewed w/ginseng, ginger, honey and dandelions. Incredible!
Hop Head Extra - the name says it all! For someone who is not a fan of IPA's, this I would drink again.
Elkhead Extra - flagship beer, amber - cloudy w/no discernible smell that went down smooth and easy
Skookum Cherry - roasted w/cherry wood that wasn't overly sweet
ESP (Extra Special Porter!) - w/hints of wood smoke and caramel. Delicious.
Liberty Cap IPA - one of the best IPA's I've ever had. Again, me - not an IPA fan.
Royal Black - crankcase oil color w/hints of vanilla and coffee. The one offered by the woman upon entering. Definitely a dessert beer - but good enough for us to buy and bring home a growler (which lasted more than 2 months w/o losing one iota of taste!)
Black Stag Stout - chocolate & smokey and slightly sweet. A standout stout!
Back Track - honey colored and tasting like something straight from a beehive
Coconut Grove - tea/colored & yes, coconutty
Blast Zone - a smoked, pepper ale that had a mean kick at the end and would have tasted even better with a plate of nachos or a burrito in front of it.

This was just the summer offering but we intend on going back this fall to see what's new and whether or not Mrs. ______ and Mr. ______ are still together. Really doesn't matter. Either way, we'll raise a glass and drink to their happiness.

Because we are.

I wonder if Steve won a Gold Medal? And can't forget the nachos!