Three Skulls Brewing/a division of Baron Brewing

Three Skulls Brewing is a division of Baron Brewing, the fine Seattle German-​style brewer whose «Liberator» Dopplebock and Rauchbier are my hands-​down favorites of their styles made in this area. When they opened the Pillager’s Pub, the baron folks saw that Seattle beer lovers have expressed a clear preference for ales over lagers and decided to make their own versions. So far, their interpretations of the Pale, Red, and Porter styles show a lot of talent for ales in what is becoming an increasingly hard market to penetrate.
Their Pale is a beautiful straw color, with a bold aroma of Cascade hops and a wonderfully refreshing character, It’s a pale ale you can drink repeatedly without becoming bored with it and it has plenty of body to stand up to your pizza and burgers.
The «CutThroat» Red is a classic red ale, spicy and cleanly hopped but built into a gorgeous malt structure that gives it a smooth drinkability and crawling with little grace notes that pop up as you drink it. I love the strong caramel and dried fig aromas and the hint of something like jasmine rice on the finish.
And the «Black Bonney» Porter is maybe the most British-​styled Porter I’ve yet tasted in the Seattle area. It’s redolent of coffee/​toffee/​caramel/​currants/​mocha/​horehound flavors and aromas and tastes even better as it warms and broadens after pouring.
I’m just hoping that Three Skulls continues to produce ales as seductive, lush, and polished as this as they gain experience. And I hope they widen their roster so that I can enjoy their ales more often.