Showing posts with label Black. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Swans double review Master Blaster and Black Cygnet

It is already April and I have fallen behind in my reviews. Life is rough as Victoria's premier beer blogger. I might also mention only, beer blogger. This makes the premier part easy to claim

Andrew was busy for Victoria Beer Week, which was a great time. He released two beers: the Master Blaster Brett Saison and the Black Cygnet session black IPA. These are on tap and growler releases only. No preamble just review.

Master Blaster = 8/10


It is hard to go wrong with a fruity, spicy saison with the addition of brettanomyces. The nose was floral and tropical fruity from the hops and the brett character just dried that out and added a bit of funky orange peel. One can never have too much mango, dried pineapple or horse blanket. The Blaster was a little hoppy for a saison; I suppose the Northwest Style disclaimer in the name was enough of a warning. A spicy and tropical hop blast harmonized with the earthy and brett tart tang. There were some apricot and cracker malts along for the ride. It tasted a little thin but this was expected from the brett influence. The ending was short with cooling mangos. Very, very nice.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1
Value +1
Appearance +1

Glassware: Tulip

Food Pairings: Breaded or poached light seafood with a fruity sauce. I would choose a wild mushroom and risotto with lemon drizzle. The cheese would have to be something fresh goat.

Cellar: Can you cellar a growler?

Black Cygnet = 7/10

I really liked this beer, but I tend to like low ABV beers with lots of flavour. My growler still smells of powdered Nestle Quick and mixed citrus. The Cygnet was a very drinkable mix of weak coffee, dry chocolate, grapefruit, oranges and geraniums all in perfect balance.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0
Value +1
Appearance +1

Glassware: Whatever is clean

Food Pairings: Definitely something grilled and fatty. The cheese would be something cheddar and aged.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Category 12 first two beers

Most of us have heard rumblings of this new brewery in town called Category 12. They are on Keating Cross Road with a little tasting room and growler fill station. You can read all about them in Eat Magazine. There are currently two beers available, a saison and a black IPA. You can find kegs around Victoria, including this cool place called The Drake. So how do they taste?

Unsanctioned Saison = 6/10


It started off great. There was a slight spiciness that came from both hop and yeast. You could also detect a funky earth aroma with ginger. It was surprisingly hoppy with more of that spicy floral and earthiness. The malts got a little funny, perhaps a bit underattenuated. It tasted grainy, mushy and chewy, not crisp and dry as expected. Perhaps I was hoping for local Saison Dupont. Still, I would order another.

Taste +2
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 6.9%
Value +1
Appearance +1 good description of beer flavour, not keen on the word sessionable for a 6.9% beer

Glassware: Something clean. I would use a pokal tulip.

Food Pairings: Cheese would be a wash rind goat. Something light and spicy would go well. Perhaps lamb chops with a mildly spicy pepper glaze.

Cellar: nope

Disruption Black IPA = 9/10

I was getting a little worried until I tasted the Black IPA. This dark brew hits all the marks. A grapefruit citrus and piney hop aroma can be smelled one table over. It has a griping astringency that is partially kilned malts and partially hops. Imagine what a black IPA should taste like and this is it. Balanced parts of bittersweet chocolate, espresso, over done toast with marmalade and sweet grapefruit rind. Not over the top, but just right.


Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 6.7%
Value +1 delicious
Appearance +1 (a fitting description of flavour)

Glassware: A nice, big pint glass thank you.

Food Pairings: Something bold and roasted. A grilled portobello mushroom burger with blue cheese. As for the cheese, make it a well aged cheddar.

Cellar: Nope

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Cabin Fever BIPA (Phillips)

What are these kids at Phillips doing? The new releases keep coming, or do they? Today it is a Black IPA. No one these days will dare use the 'C' word, but I won't go there. Next week Vancouver Island is releasing an India Dark Ale. Someone might steal the name, but no one can steal our lust for dark, hoppy beers. So is this beer actually new? Well.. check the ABV compared the Phillips Amnesiac: same. Smell compared to Amnesiac: same. The taste is well.. similar. Could this be the Amnesiac with dark malts added? Who knows? Irregardless, it is hoppy and fault free: hence, everyone will love it. I did, but is it actually new?


Cabin Fever BIPA = 6/10

This starts off with the classic, and glorious, Phillips hop nose. Once whiffed, a special set of brain cells is dedicated to its recall. You all know it: part sweet citrus, part floral pine with a hint of spun sugar. An oddly thin mouthfeel delivers the goods: a hop forward astringency with slightly chocolate and bready malts. The ending is smooth, sadly short lived with only an ounce of alcohol warmth. There is just enough grapefruit and pinesol to make the mouth happy. Is there anything wrong with being aggressively popular? Next year, perhaps more dark malts and a thicker mouthfeel please.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 8.5%
Value 0 It is good but not really new
Appearance +1 always great art.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Cascadian Dark Ale Beer School

Everyone has their own thoughts about the origins of the Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA/American Style Black Ale. The following is the story I told the left4beer beer school class last month. All were polite and didn't disagree; perhaps they were worried that I would not share the epic selection of beer.

The first appearance of the Black IPA is accredited to the Vermont Pub and Brewery with their Blackwatch IPA in 1994. Things really got rolling in 2003 at the Oregon Brewing Festival. This is when John Maier (Rogue) first released the Skull Splitter schwarzbier. In December of the following year, Phillips Brewing created the Black Toque India Dark Ale. The exact designation of the Cascadian Dark Ale is a bit of a mystery, but its thought that Matt Phillips first coined and really used the phrase. Until recently this was not an officially recognized beer style. In 2011, the Brewers Association added it to their beer style guidelines as the American Style Black Ale. Their guidelines are used to judge beers at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. At this moment there is not a BJCP beer style, but a proposed one is on facebook.

To start off a night of Black IPAs, you gotta go with the Skookum. The nose is hop forward with pine, citrus but there is added roast and light chocolate. Pine vapours hit the palate first before the liquids arrive. Your tongue is washed with large doses of citrus and pine with malts that are lightly roasted with chocolate. In case you were curious the mouth feel, it was medium to full, like most Phillips beers.


The next beer of the evening was canned. The Back in Black IPA is a perfect example of new ideas. A new beer style (Black IPA) and a newly rediscovered format, the aluminum can. Inside is a beer almost as black as the can. Overall it was very smooth with molasses, roasted pine and bitter dark chocolate flavours.
The invention of the two piece aluminum beer can was attributed to the Adolph Coors company in 1959. Maybe I will save this history lesson for another posting.




The beers just got better and better. Bump in the Night is a brewmasters reserve for 2011 by Full Sail. This was lighter than the rest but still had lots of flavours. Lots of roast, berries and slight honey on the rose. The taste was cool with menthol, bittersweet chocolate and hints of berries. At the end it was all dry cocoa and berries.







The great looking bottle of the Succession by HUB was the next in line. This thing delivered a wallop of hop goodness. Pick any PNW hop flavour and it was there: pine, citrus, floral and even cotton candy. All this and an ample dose of roasted chocolate and espresso; what is not to love about this beer.






An imposing gargoyle greeted us as we opened a bottle of Stone's Self-Righteous ale. The numbers on the side are massive: 90 IBUs and 8.7%ABV. We were not scared. Ouch, we should have been wary. The hops were very apparent and leaned towards the tropic fruit area with back up from citrus and cotton candy. This brew is teeming with flavours; all of them good. Nothing was left out: bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, berry esters, molasses, citrus and cotton candy. The Self-Righteous just tasted a lot bigger than the rest.

Everyone had a great time sampling great beers that originated from our part of the world. Not sure about the next beer school. The Pilsner edition did not go well. Hopefully the 'All About Wheat' edition will do better in July.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Skookum Cascadian Dark Ale

Ratebeer 3.54 94th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

The black IPA is currently not a BJCP recognized style. However this has not stopped brewers or homebrewers from exploring this wonderful style. Some beer writers have recognized Phillips as being the first real producer of this style.

Taste +4

The nose is hop forward with pine, citrus but there is added roast and light chocolate. Pine vapours hit the palate first before the liquids arrive. Your tongue is washed with a large doses of citrus and pine with malts that are lightly roasted with chocolate. In case you were curiousm the mouth feel was medium to full, like most Phillips beers.

Aftertaste +2

The coating at the end was light with menthol. But the big winner was the long lingering of tart citrus with grapefruit, tangerine and slight resin. Oddly this is not a tongue coater.

Alcohol Content +1 6.5%

Value +1

This is a style all beer lovers should seek out.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This was enjoyed on tap at Fort Street cafe. Good beer is always better with good food.

Overall 9/10

The adds the pleasures of a big IPA with a light porter.

W10 Pitch Black IPA
Session Black Lager
Iniquity Black Ale

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Session Black Lager

Session Black Lager

Rate Beer
3.34 85th Percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

This was a most unsuspected surprise; I had heard good things about the 'Session' lagers. It carried more of a nose than one might expect: faint dark, whole wheat toast and a bit of cocoa. Even though the mouthfeel was a little watery and the first sip was a little grassy, the roasted bread and mild chocolate made it all better. There was medium carbonation and a caramel/coke-like acidity.

Aftertaste 0

It ended clean and dry with a quick slap of bitter chocolate.

Alcohol Content 0 5.4%

Not really session strength as the name might suggest.

Value +1

I wish I had bought a flat of this stuff; it was sure cheap enough.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Still in Seattle drinking great beer.

Overall 6/10

I am really liking the addition of dark/roasted malts to normally pale styles. Full Sail took a good lager and made it better with dark toast and light bitter chocolate.

Paddock Wood Black Cat
Asahi Black
Iniquity Black Ale

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Iniquity Black Ale


Iniquity Black Ale

Ratebeer 3.75 98th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

I am getting to be quite the Southern Tier fan. All of their beers have been epic.

Taste +4

Wow, the nose of sweet grapefruit mixed well with the slight roastiness. The mouthfeel was medium-full with a slight astringency and effervescence. Up front the hops hit you with a GLORIOUS sweet, ruby red grapefruit and slight pine. This was followed by a mild roasted chocolate from the dark malts. Take their unearthly and add chocolate malts.


Aftertaste +2

The slight astringency from the citrus hops teamed up with the faint chocolate to hang on and never let go.

Alcohol Content +1 9%

Oddly it was not that warming.

Value +1

Two words; Yum Yum.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Had this beer at my buddy Meterman's (Geoff) house. After this beer, one session lager and 1/2 bottle imperial homebrew, all I was good for was video games. Even that was a challenge.

Overall 9/10

Call it a black ale or call it a black IPA, just call me when you open one. I will be there.

Paddock Wood Black Cat
Asahi Black

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Paddock Wood Black Cat


Paddock Wood Black Cat
Schwarzbier from Saskatoon!!

Ratebeer 3.54 85th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

The nose is great with coffee and very light roast. Who knew such good beer could come from the frozen wasteland of the Prairies. The flavours are rich with burnt coffee, bitter chocolate and caramel. If this was an ale, you would call it a porter.

Aftertaste +1

A dry finish did not last long enough, but it was all bitter coffee/chocolate.

Alcohol Content 0 5.4%

Value +1

This was a great, rich dark lager.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Someone got the Arena L4D map ported over for L4D2. This could be the start of something beautiful. I even let Nightware get high score out of respect for this great Sask brew.

Overall 7/10

This is a great dark lager. The roasted and bitter bits did not overwhelm the palate.

Okanagan Black Lager and Fast Cars
Samuel Adams Black Lager
Asahi Black

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Asahi Black


Asahi Black

Ratebeer 3.0 44th percentile
Beer Advocate B
Taste +2

It pours with a minimal, thin head. ICYWW that is not a traditional style of beer glass. It came with a fancy Italian frozen desert. The colour is true, dark like coffee but not murky. The taste is as you would expect. There is roasted malt sweetness mixed with burnt toast and just the fainted of hops. It was actually very thin tasting; similar to a burnt Guinness. Only not as sweet.

Aftertaste +2

The brew provided a long lasting roasted malt and astringent hops coating. It seemed to hang around for hours.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value 0

You could liken this to a watery stout. Asahi dark was nice but not spectacular.

Ingame Enhancement 0

I tried the Grid Defence demo today. I think there may be a 12 step program in my near future

Overall 4/10

If I were in Japan and could not get anything else, I would have one again.