Just a couple of homebrewing guys, leaving their day jobs to start a brewery in Georgetown. This is a Seattle success story that has been told before and Counterbalance Brewing Co. founders Frank Lawrence and Jeff Howell hope the tale tells the same for them. Although they said they wouldn’t name a beer after a dog (Lawrence’s pup snagged the namesake of the blonde ale), the duo has stood strong on their love of drinking IPA (and brewed one despite the saturated market) and steered clear of a hop-laden logo (they went with a one-legged, “pogo” duck). Counterbalance has commenced with a crack and healthy numbers of thirsty South Seattleites filling their taproom seats.
With their Bad Wolf Dark Ale (nerd alert: this is a Doctor Who reference), Counterbalance follows the lesser taken trend of the English strong ale in style, but also heeds the popular Northwest heavy-hopped version of a Cascadian dark ale. Clocking in at 61 IBUs and 6.7 percent ABV, roasted barley and malts with cocoa powder rip from the glass while the Chinook and Cascade hops grace the aromatic undertones and kick in on the palate. Flavors of toffee, malts, pine and citrus meld together for a savory and creamy finish that crisps up as it leave the mouth.
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