Saturday, April 24, 2010

Driftwood Belle Royal


Driftwood Belle Royal
Strong Belgian Ale

Taste +5

It pours cloudy with red and no head; this either means glory or my bad homebrew. Luckily I grabbed the right bottle and glory hits the tastebuds. The nose was all pale malts, yeast, alcohol and sour cherries. The persistent alcohol warmth blends wells well with the medium effervescent mouthfeel. There is light fruit esters (apricots), but the big winner is the sour cherries. Their dominance is subtle and lasts from start to finish.

Aftertaste +2

The alcohol warmth and sour cherries had a kirsch-like quality.

Alcohol Content +1 9%

You could not taste it, only feel it.

Value +1

I think this one will do well with aging. The first stock wave vanished from Victoria within hours.

Ingame Enhancement +1

The new map for L4D is short but sweet. The Passing was great; I missed Francis. I hate pessimistic guys with tattoos.

Overall 10/10

Everything Driftwood touches turn to gold. Their output may not be voluminous, but the quality is sure there. Take a good, strong Belgian Ale and add sour cherries; not the syrupy kind. This is the Driftwood Belle Royal: well done.

Dicks Grand Cru and Loss
Delirium Tremens
Augustijn

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Russell IP'eh


Russell IP'eh
India Pale Ale

Ratebeer 3.22 58th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +2

This is a standard IPA with a sweet citrus and pine hop nose with caramel malts. The taste is pretty standard also with caramel/biscuit malts and a mild chaser of citrus/pine hops. Oddly the hops did not bite; it was a creamy and dry mouthfeel . This beer won the bronze medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup in the English IPA category.

Aftertaste +1

It was dry and clean with just a hint of citrus.

Alcohol Content +1 6.5%

Just as an IPA should be.

Value 0

I thought this was an ordinarily mild IPA.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Nope, I'm done.

Overall 4/10

I thought it was a little malty for an IPA made on the West Coast. It is a good thing I'm not a World Beer Cup judge. Hopheads would not approve.

Paddywack IPA
Stone IPA
Yellow Snow IPA and New Years Resolutions

Pyramid Snow Cap


Pyramid Snow Cap

Ratebeer 3.35 89th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +3

The nose was standard for a winter warmer: vineous, cherries, hit of chocolate and dark fruits. It was heavier on the malt side with biscuits, caramel and minor cherries. The hops were hidden but piny and spicy. There was a good kick of alcohol warmth at the end also.

Aftertaste 0

It was a slippery and silky ending, but it just vanished.

Alcohol Content +1 7%

This is where the word 'warmer' comes from.

Value +1

I thought this was a pretty decent warmer; couldn't drink too many of these though.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This brew was enjoyed in Gord's basement. There was no gaming, but it was drank in good company.

Overall 6/10

The Snow Cap was everything a winter warmer should be; rich, dark, mildly fruity, malty with a good alcohol kick. Looking forward to next years version.

Lighthouse Winter Ale
Rogue Mogul Madness
MacPelican's Scottish Style Ale

Monday, April 19, 2010

Phillips Hop Circle


Phillips Hop Circle

I take back all the bad things said about Phillips beers; this beer is uber-delicious.

Taste +4

For the love of cascades, this brew is about as balanced as CNN. The nose was shocking with the sweet cascades; pine, grapefruit citrus and cotton candy. It is also a pleasure to look at with its clear and golden/amber hues. Malts are hard to find but you can barely make out the grassy and pale straw. The hop circle is all about the hops. Normally the Phillips IPA are a little bit astringent and mouth puckering; not this one. They are glorious, sweet with grapefruits, pine and cotton candy. Ever sip is pleasant and not overpowering. Imagine Red Racer IPA but more cascades.

Aftertaste +2

It was long lasting, but subtle amounts of pine and grapefruit remained. The burps brought the grapefruits back with a vengeance.

Alcohol Content +1 6.5%

As a good IPA should be.

Value +1

I plan to go out and buy another six pack. This is something I rarely do.
Ingame Enhancement +1

My father and I enjoyed this beer in the backyard after a hard day of gardening. It was a Norman Rockwell moment.

Overall 9/10

This IPA was perfect with the grassy/straw pale malts barely containing the smooth and creamy cascades. Phillips Hop Circle is now the current IPA champion of BC.

Red Racer IPA
Sergeant's IPA
Hop Head Double IPA

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

Saltspring Island Heather Ale


Saltspring Island Heather Ale

Ratebeer 2.42 too few ratings
Beer Advocate A 2 ratings

I thought this beer was only available on tap at Butchart Garden's. The local beer selection at Fort Street Cafe was much better than expected. They had four Salt Spring Islands and a few Phillips.

Taste +3

A delicate floral heather nose rose above the honey malts. The taste had a light carbonation and medium mouthfeel.
It was a suttle malty brew with honey, slight green apples and the flowery heather at the end. There was no hop bitterness.
I'm pretty sure this was made with their Golden Ale.

Aftertaste +1

The floral heather slowly faded away.

Alcohol Content ? 0

Probably 5%

Value +1

This was a very interesting beer; the Misses even liked it.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Our goal this year is to try every restaurant in Victoria. It is not that ambitious, as vegetarians our options are limited. The Fort Street Cafe rates a big YES for a great lunch at a great price.

Overall 6/10

This was an unique flavour enhancement on the golden ale. The light floral heathers balanced very well with honey malts and a mild hop presence.

Pyramid Audacious Apricot Wheat


Pyramid Audacious Apricot Wheat

Ratebeer 3.03 50th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +3

It was hard to get an aroma from the bottle, which was sad. But the taste made up for it. The sweet apricot syrup mixed very well with the tart wheat. A tongue grabbing firm yeast was very apparent at the end.

Aftertaste 0

It was very dry with only the mildest of yeast tartness.

Alcohol Content 0 5.1%

Value +1

I wish this beer had been in a glass so I could pick out more flavours.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This brew was enjoyed at Cyberdogs in Seattle with my family. It was lunchtime at the Seattle Comicon, so the place was a little busy. The vegatarian/vegan hot dogs were worth the 30min wait. Their great craftbeer selection also made the wait easier.

Overall 5/10

Straight from the bottle you could pick up the tart wheats and sweet, syrupy apricots. I'm sure the score would be higher if it was sampled from a glass.

Tangerine Wheat (Lost Coast)
Brussels Fruit Beer Apple
Mango Weizen

Archibald Ciboire IPA


Archibald Ciboire IPA

Ratebeer 2.85 25th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +1

This was not a great beer. Its nose was ripe with caramel and vegetal. The high carbonation gave a very mineral taste. It was creamy with a medium mouthfeel, but more like a amber ale. I never really noticed a hop presence.

Aftertaste -1

After the creaminess left the hop bite was minimal at best. The hops were a little soapy.

Alcohol Content 6% +1

Value 0

This was a very lackluster and uninspired beer. Very overpriced at $10 a 500ml can. I don't think I would pay $1 for this swill again.

Ingame Enhancement 0

I had this beer in the Quebec house at the 2010 Olypmic Games. At least the floor show was excellent.

Overall 1/10

I'm not sure if I got a bad can, or it got too warm, but this beer stank. For an IPA there was no hop bite and lame, tired malts. I would rate Alexander Keith's a better IPA than this.

Brew Free or Die IPA

Sergeant's IPA
Red Racer IPA

De Koninck


This is a speed review because I have too many backlogged beer notes. Get it while it is still on tap at Clive's Classic Lounge. They also have the Fruli Strawberry beer on tap.

Ratebeer 3.09 59th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +3

The nose was faintly vinous with plums, esters and light spice. This amber ale was medium-full bodied with good carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel. It was quite fruity with cherries, plums, grasses and a subdued spicy hop ending.

Aftertaste 0

The ending was quick and dry.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

No surprises here.

Value +1

I'm not sure how it would taste in a bottle, but on tap it was nice, flavourful and refreshing.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Nope none tonight.

Overall 4/10

De Koninck was a pretty good amber Belgian. It was fruity, creamy with a subdued spicy hop ending.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a Love of Dogs
Coopers Sparkling Ale
Drifter Pale Ale

Friday, April 9, 2010

Baltika 6 Porter


Baltika 6 Porter

Ratebeer 3.47 94th percentile
Beer Advocate B

It is sad that all we can get in BC is the Baltika #3 Pale Lager.

Taste +5

As the beverage warms up, you can pick out aromas of light roast, chocolate and alcohol. It was oddly faint for a big alcohol beer. The taste was a big bigger and sweeter than expected. Baltika was heavy on the chocolate malts, roast with a unique menthol cooling. The mouthfeel was medium-full and slightly acid like a coke. The alcohol warmth/burn came across as a cooling sensation. There was a slight metallic and earthiness to it also. I'm sure there were hops, but the sweetness hid everything.

Aftertaste +2

It was long with an alcohol burn and roasted chocolate.

Alcohol Content +1 7%

You would never know it. The sweetness hides all.

Value +1

I liked this porter; it was a little on the sweet side.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Now things are getting a little silly with the L4D maps. Last night we battled a spiked ball of mud with a laser-beam eyeball. At least the beer was good.

Overall 10/10

I admit that I like a good porter. This one was a little on the sweet side, but the abundance of chocolate, roast and alcohol cooling made it a winner for me.

Black Butte Porter
Granville Island Porter and Real Life
Black Boss Porter

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Hoppleganger - R&B


Hoppleganger - R&B

Ratebeer 3.05 51st percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +3

It certainly smells like a standard West Coast IPA: citrus, pine trees, bready/caramel malts. The nose was pretty light though. The big hop tingle up front was more than expected. All my favourites were there; the grapefruit, citrus, pine and all slightly sweet. It was medium-full bodied and had English like biscuit/caramel malts. For those watching the stats it had 45 IBUs.

Aftertaste +1

It ended cleanly, which was odd for a very assertive hoppy brew. The citrus hop soup faded too quickly.

Alcohol Content +1 6%

Value +1

I would recommend this to any hophead. It was a good value local IPA.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Today I sent off a letter to the Ontario craft brewers association asking for free beer to sample. Wish me luck. I'm not sure if this counts as a positive score, but it does boost this beers rating.

Overall 7/10

The Hoppelganger was a good West Coast IPA; lots of citrus and pine hops with biscuity malts. Sadly the nose was a little absent. A solid performer.

Hop Goblin IPA

Propeller IPA
Green Flash Imperial IPA

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Howe Sound - Pothole Filler Imperial Stout


Howe Sound - Pothole Filler Imperial Stout

Ratebeer 3.64 77nd percentile
Beer Advocate A- (1 review)

Taste +5

It pours with a large, long pillowy tan head. The colour is as black as a coal mine at night. Oddly the nose is faint but carried some roast, chocolate and fruit scents. The mouthfeel was thick, molasses with a right amount of alcohol burn. The burn wastes no time and hits the lips at the start. Bitterness is delivered 1/2 from earthy hops and other 1/2 from roasted malts and bitter chocolate flavours. The bitterness barely contains this sweet and dry stout. Did I mention about the coffee, big roasted and chocolate bits? For those keeping stats it was 21 Plato and 65 IBU.

Aftertaste +2

It was not as long as I would have liked. The finish was just like the first sip with no new surprises. Eventually the dry, roasted finish just vanished clean. It did take a while.

Alcohol Content +1 9%

It is a session beer as long as the session lasts about 3 hours per one liter bottle.

Value +1

A wonderful, wonderful imperial stout. Buy one if you can find it.

Ingame Enhancement +1

It really did a number on my reflexes. I was about as sharp as a wet paper bag. At least I had a good time whacking zombies, even if they were a bit blurry.

Overall 10/10

Yay, the second perfect 10 of the year. This is a must for those who like big, roasty, chocolaty stouts. Make sure you share it with a friend.

Longwood Imperial Stout
Rogue Shakespeare Stout
Cannery Maple Stout

Friday, April 2, 2010

Can drinking beer lead to malaria?

Apparently people that drink beer are more appealing to mosquitoes than people that drink water. This is the finding of a study that appeared in PLoS one. Subject either drank 1 litre of water or dolo. Dolo is a fermented sorghum beverage of about 3% ABV. Mosquitoes were more attracted to the body odour of dolo drinkers than water drinkers. This increased attractiveness of beer drinkers is apparently a new risk factor for contracting malaria.

The reason for this was not clear. It was thought that beer drinking increased certain odours that are attractive to mosquitoes. It was not due to increased body temperature or increased CO2 respiration. Apparently an increased body temperature also attracts bugs, that is why pregnant women tend get bit more.

The question for Canadians is whether a better bug catcher is a buddy sauced on Blue or some gadget from Canadian Tire? And will beer drinking increase your risk of becoming infected with the west nile virus? Maybe I will drink beer indoors.