Let’s start with a tongue twister, just for fun. This beer was brewed by Bale Breaker Brewing’s Ballard brewer Bobby Buckman. Fifty Decibels IPA is the first beer the company brewed at its facility in Seattle. You’ll find it on tap at the taproom in Ballard.
Fifty Decibels IPA is described as a crushable IPA made using two of Bale Beaker’s favorite hops exclusively: Simcoe and Citra, grown on the family’s hop farm in the Yakima Valley.
The brewery, which is based in Moxee, WA, opened its Seattle taproom in September of 2021, a joint venture with Yonder Cider. The plan always included brewing beer at the location, but there was one obstacle that Bale Breaker had to overcome. Though you may not realize it, there is a 50-decibel noise limit in the city.
One of the neighbors took exception to the noise created by a glycol chiller. If you’re familiar with the neighborhood you recognize that it is not exactly a peaceful and serene environment. There are plenty of other businesses making plenty of noise, lots of nearby traffic, boat horns, sirens, and more. It is, after all, a very urban environment.
Bale Breaker took the high road, which turned out to be the more expensive and slower road. Patience. Persistence. And now a beer to show for it. Swing by the Bale Breaker + Yonder taproom in Ballard and give the beer a try knowing there will be more beers to come. Just don’t make too much noise while you’re there.
For more news about recent beer releases, visit the Washington Beer Blog’s New Beer Releases page.