Reuben’s Brews Nordic Haze

Reuben’s Brews

Reuben’s is one of the few Ballard breweries I know well. We drink their beers all the time at home. I blogged our first visit to their taproom on 14th Ave. over three years ago. We timed this visit to coincide with the opening of food service on the day they introduced their new beer, Nordic Haze.

The Vibe

Like the day we visited Trailbend Taproom, we arrived around 1pm on a sunny Saturday in early spring. But unlike the relaxed atmosphere at the Trailbend, Reuben’s was hopping. If it weren’t for the sunshine, you’d think it was 1am on a Saturday morning instead of lunchtime.

There were kids and dogs, but they were literally getting stepped on and it was too loud to have a conversation. I love Reuben’s, but I’ll stick to weekday afternoons or Saturday mornings in the future.

Nordic Haze

Our opinions of Reuben’s brews are already well formed. The focus of our visit on this day was the new beer, Nordic Haze. Reuben’s describes the beer thusly:

This 6.4% hazy was brewed with an interesting strain of kveik, a historic Norwegian yeast that we are experimenting with for the first time, which adds depth and complexity to the profile of this beer. Layered with notes of stone fruits and green mango coming from the yeast are the orange citrus flavors accentuated by Comet and Citra hops.

It’s not really surprising that we liked it. Chris picked up on the mango note, but the grapefruit flavor of the the hops was more forward than whatever complexity the yeast gave it. The overall impression was a satisfying IPA with light carbonation.

Food Truck

Like a lot of the Ballard breweries, Reuben’s doesn’t have a kitchen. They have a weekly rotation of food trucks. On Saturdays, it’s Cheese Wizards. I love cheese even more than I love beer.

We got one of each of the four sandwiches on the menu, tried one of each of the sauces from their Ark of the Covenant-styled sauce udders, and chowed down.

The Conclusion

We forgot to bring our Ballard Brewery passport to get it stamped. But we know we’ll be back. Or maybe we’ll try the new Reuben’s Brewtap on 46th next time.