Ladd & Lass Brewing arrived in Seattle in 2021 wearing a friendly name and carrying an absolutely serious work ethic. Founded in the University District by Nick Ladd — aka The Ladd — and Jessie Quan — aka The Lass — the operation feels less like a business than a beautifully coordinated act of devotion. Nick is brewer, cellar dweller, delivery driver, nationally ranked BJCP judge, fermentation obsessive, former architect, and pug enthusiast, while Jessie handles marketing, design, labels, social media, taproom flow, canine greetings, and the quiet magic of making a space feel human, all while celebrating her birthday on National Beer Day because of course she does. Precision, curiosity, and a refusal to outsource care sit at the center of everything here, producing beers that feel thoughtful rather than loud, intentional rather than trend-chasing, where classic styles and process-forward brewing are treated as creative tools, not constraints.
That philosophy crystallized last weekend, when the brewery crossed the four-year mark and marked its Fourth Anniversary the only way that truly fits: with barleywine and patience. Each year has been logged in barleywine form — Year One as an opening statement, Year Two shaped by barrel time, Year Three settling into reflection and depth, and now Year Four arriving as both celebration and checkpoint.
So Peaks & Pints built this flight as both snapshot and timeline in honor of Ladd & Lass’ Fourth Anniversary. It opens with the crisp intelligence of Mash Exposition, nods to everyday approachability with Howdy, Friend, then eases into the slow, resonant rhythm of Barrel-Aged Year Two and Year Three before landing on the composed confidence of Year Four. Less a greatest-hits reel than a narrative arc, this flight traces how Ladd & Lass Brewing thinks about time, intention, and the quiet satisfaction of letting beer become exactly what it wants to be.
Peaks & Pints Ladd & Lass 4th Anniversary Flight
Ladd & Lass Mash Exposition
5.4% ABV | German Pilsner
This pilsner arrives with a quiet smirk, all fresh bread crust, soft floral snap, and a mineral-clean finish engineered for lingering rather than flexing. Decoction nuance and flipped mash logic give the beer its subtle depth, building character without weight or noise. Mash Exposition drinks crisp but thoughtful, a lager that rewards attention without demanding it, proof that precision, curiosity, and a little rule-bending can still feel effortlessly refreshing.
Ladd & Lass Howdy, Friend
6.4% ABV | West Coast IPA
Friendly doesn’t mean timid here, as pine snap and bright citrus peel lead the way, followed by a soft blackberry-tropical undercurrent that keeps bitterness crisp but conversational. This is approachability with backbone, clean and modern, equally at home beside dinner, a half-mowed lawn, or the couch as daylight fades. Howdy, Friend reads like a handshake of a beer, easygoing up front; quietly layered once you slow down.
Ladd & Lass Barrel-Aged Year Two
13.0% ABV | Barrel-Aged English Barleywine
Here the clock slows and the malt speaks in paragraphs, caramelized toffee and dark dried fruit easing into vanilla-laced oak and a bourbon warmth that hums rather than burns. Time in Woodinville barrels coaxes bread crust, nutty depth, and gentle spirit heat into a cohesive, contemplative whole.
Ladd & Lass Barrel-Aged Year Three
13.0% ABV | Barrel-Aged English Barleywine
Barrel-Aged Year Three moves at the speed of memory, all toffee-dark malt, toasted bread crust, and dried fruit warmth carried on a slow bourbon echo that lingers without raising its voice. Oak, time, and restraint blur together into something reflective, where whiskey heat softens into caramel, vanilla, and a subtle shadow of roast.
Ladd & Lass Year Four
11.8% ABV | English Barleywine
This barleywine carries itself like a well-worn novel, pages heavy with caramelized toffee, nutty bread crust, and dark fruit warmth that deepens the longer you linger. Youthful energy meets thoughtful structure here, with sweetness kept in check by a steady malt backbone and a sense of composure. Year Four feels celebratory without being reckless, a patient, generous pour that rewards slow sipping with layers that are festive, reflective, and quietly confident.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
