Nothing much to quibble with, little to overthink. And yet, a leg up in quality from its predecessor, with a relatively round malt character, copper color, and legitimate hop bite. Still present are certain subtle flavor notes of mass production: poorish head retention, a faintly metallic aftertaste. Although Rainier was founded in 1884, the Seattle site had been brewing beer since 1878. (Though Rainier reps are quick to point out that the six-pack is composed of 16-ounce "pounder" bottles, meaning you get the equivalent of eight standard bottles for that close-to-craft brew price.)Ĭlose-to-craft-but not quite-is also how we'd describe the beer itself. Rainier Brewing Company was a Seattle, Washington company that brewed Rainier Beer, a popular brand in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Meanwhile, some Washingtonians are unsure how to feel about the brewery "homecoming." (Case in point, this from our sister publication Seattle Met.) Further complicating the reunion is price point: a six-pack of Pale Mountain Ale will retail for about $12. Reps hint that if it does well, more Rainier experiments could be in the hopper. Pale Mountain Ale hits Oregon shelves next week, and Pabst plans to also distribute in Montana, Idaho, and Northern California. And unlike your Rainier tallboy, this beer is produced not in Irwindale, California, but back in Washington, at Woodinville's Redhook facility. Meet Pale Mountain Ale: a "post-Prohibition" style with Yakima Valley Fuggle and Cascade hops, representing Rainier's first new beer in 20 years. (And do we detect, on the back end, just the faintest hint of real American rust?)Īlas, the beloved brew hasn’t been made here since 2003-taking some of the fizz out of the regal R's Cascadian cachet. We sipped, furrowed our brows, held the caramel-hued brew to the light, then drained our glasses. This is what your great-grandpa's go-to might have tasted like-gently hopped, generally malty, and medium-bodied. We rather diffidently cracked open a few of these brand-new 16-oz pounders (nostalgia size!) from Washington's homegrown macrobrewer.
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