I am a slacker. I have not reviewed a beer for weeks. That is it! I commit to review a local beer every weekend. Luckily it is the summer and new releases are scarce. Sometimes I wonder why I do it. It is not as though this blog has a great number of readers. There is little fame and even fewer fortunes derived from blogging. Perhaps it is the community (small) and the creative process. Kinda like brewing itself. You take raw ingredients, add knowledge and you produce a unique and desirable product. That is the theory.
But I digress. This is another Victoria area beer collaboration.  Salt Spring Island is a little far away, but they are close enough. I had some reservation about this beer. Both of these breweries are known for unleashing diacetyl (D-bomb) beers. Now you put them together...

Una Mas = -1/10


Ratebeer no ratings 
Beer Advocate no mention

Oh yes, there is the diacetyl and sulfur I was dreading. It is mixed in with a cracker aroma and slight lager character. There is a bit of lemon and cream corn in there too. The mouthfeel is light to moderate with medium carbonation. Chewiness is the best way to describe the sip. Add that to crackers, a slight lemon and mixed citrus flavours. It is the aftertaste that really gets me; quite slick and sticky. I don't think I finished the bomber. Lets not talk about the pint I had on Canoe's patio. This is not going to be posted on Twitter or anywhere else. Some people quite liked this beer.

Taste +1
Aftertaste -1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value -1
Appearance 0

Glassware: Standard lager glass

Food Pairings: Nope

Cellar: I'm sure this beer will see a lot of shelf time

Route Des Epices (Dieu Du Ciel - Quebec)

Ratebeer 3.37 75th percentile
Beer Advocate B


Taste +1

I'm sure this is a fabulously complex beer and has won awards somewhere, but I did not like it. It started off nice; standard red ale with a nose of malt sweetness and hint of spice. The first sip began with a nice opening malt sweetness with hints of dark fruits and chocolate; then came the spice. Have you ever dumped too much pepper in your chili? This was the same; a spicy pepper wave came out of nowhere and ruined everything.

Aftertaste -2

This god-awful peppery spice filled the mouth and would not go away. To make it even worse, there was this slight warmth that traveled around the mouth and headed down the throat. It felt like someone stuck a few peppercorns in my toothpaste.
Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value 0

It was not bad beer, just a style I did not care for.

Ingame Enhancement 0

I think I had to miss a few rounds, because this beer had to be poured down the sink.

Overall -1 EWWW

I am really trying hard to think of something nice to say about this beer. Ok. I tried. It might make a good marinate for a pepper steak?