It's not everyday you get to drink a beer brewed by a Maltster, it is a rare opportunity to see the full expression of a Malt House from finished malt to finished beer. WIll DeRemer, head Maltster at Skagit Valley Malting, takes pride in the SMSH beers (Single Malt Single Hop) he brews, not only is it a chance to taste a new batch of malt but a chance to share new flavors with brewers and distillers.

The goal of a SMSH beer is to let malt flavor stand out, we brew with American Ale yeast and Hallertau hops, together these ingredients make for a tasty beer with malt flavor at the forefront. Skagit Valley Malting currently works with four barley varieties, Talisman, Pilot, NZ- 151 and Copeland. There are more varieties to come this harvest, which means more SMSH beer and more unique flavors to choose from!

Drinking four SMSH beers made from four different barley varieties becomes a bit of a science project for Malt House visitors, the beers are all made from Pale malt but suddenly the terroir and nuances of each variety become apparent to the consumer. Just like a hop grower knows the importance of each variety and its importance for beer style, Will understands how each variety of finished barley is important in finished beer. Mouthfeel, clarity, sweetness, aroma and color all these factors make great beer and SMSH beers gives people insight into how their base malt will contribute to each.

Science experiments are held Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Stop on by!