Friday, December 31, 2010

New Years Resolutions

Every year I make resolutions and every year they linger. I have still yet to enter a triathlon. The same for digitizing my old records. This year will be different! No really. This years resolutions will only involve drinking beer.
So what does a professional (Yes, I have been paid) beer blogger resolve to do:
1. I plan to drink, and review, every beer produced on Vancouver Island!* If I could get some brewery sponsorship that would be great.
2. I plan to enhance to content of www.beerontherock.com - Vancouver Island's premier craft beer site. I know that Dave and Dan can be counted on.
3. There will be a least one Vancouver Island craft brewery bus tour.
4. More attention will focused on the quality of my posts. There is nowhere to go but up.
5. There will be a stack of rejection letters from beer magazines.
Wish me luck
* I might not get to Tofino. Campbell River and Comox might be out also. I suffer from Victoriaitis and therefore hate driving long distances. Perhaps I will focus on the bottled stuff that reaches Victoria.

Witte Noire

This was one my finds from Bottleworks in Seattle. I wonder what an imperial amber wheat ale tastes like. Anything with a cork attracts my attention like a crow to tin foil.

Witte Noire = 9/10
Ratebeer 3.4 81st percentile
Beer Advocate B+

The nose did not make a good impression; it was too faint of roast and chocolate. A medium-full, creamy mouthfeel and alcohol warmth is making things a little better. Finally! This brew is very assertive with its carbonation. The flavours of creamy milk chocolate start off and are followed closely by a slight bitterness/tartness with molasses. There is also a mix a dart fruity esters floating around. The slight citrus hops lingers along with the bitter milk chocolate and wheat. Another very interesting brew. I really like beers that do not conform to a specific style.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 7.4%
Value +1
Appearance +1 (I'm a sucker for corked beers)

Dunkel Weiss (Great Divide)

Vicardin (Tripel-Gueuze)

A big thanks goes out to Dave from beerinBC.com for calling my attention to this brew. I love ordering random beers; it's like a Forest Gump kinda thing. You all can quietly recite that famous line to yourselves.

Vicardin = 10/10
Ratebeer 3.52 94th percentile
Beer Advocate B

This is a new one to me. It is a mix of gueuze lambic and Belgian triple - I like it! I feel like singing a Hannah Montana song. The nose was unmistakably lambic, but the yeast, apricots sweetness added by the triple gave it a new twist. At the start you were graced with a very creamy, medium-full and highly carbonated mouthfeel. Anyone who have tried a gueuze and a lambic can probably guess the flavours. They were almost overwhelming: tart lemons, apricots, peaches, leather glove, barnyard and a spicy/sweet hop finish. The wet blanket and herbal hops never really went away. One of the most unique beers so far.

Taste +5
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 7%
Value +1
Appearance +1

Mort Subite Gueuze
St. Bernardus Tripel
Augustijn

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Double Trouble IPA (Lost Coast)

Never before have I felt like I was cheating while drinking. This was the only time. One expensive pint was enjoyed at Veneto Lounge in secret. Normally I am a Clive's regular; drinking here almost felt like I was betraying my friends. At least the beer was tasty.

Double Trouble IPA = 7/10
Ratebeer 3.48 93th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

This was certainly a big WCIPA; the nose was bang on with pink grapefruit and cotton candy. Again the taste was big and sweet. Double Trouble slapped your tongue with pine, cotton candy and sweet pink grapefruit. The malts from this chewy, medium-full mouthfeel brew carried a mild caramel character. On the way out, only a light lingering of ruby red grapefruit and pine was left. It was not astringent at all - only smooth. A good, sweet WCIPA with flavour to spare.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 8.5%
Value 0 ($9 a pint!)
Appearance +1

Stone IPA
60min IPA
Torpedo Extra IPA

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Tusker Lager

I picked up this beer because I wanted to try a beer from my bosses home: Kenya. He knew the brand right away; apparently it is the dominant brand of beer in Kenya.

Tusker Lager (Kenya) = 4/10

Ratebeer 2.12 8th percentile
Beer Advocate C+

This is a lager like all others. It has a nose like grass and straw with slight vegetal and floral hops. The taste is very clean, yet slightly fruity with minimal vegetal. A floral and sweet hops gave a slight blast above the grassy malts. All these flavours faded quickly away. I've had lots of lagers and this one was pretty descent.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value 0
Appearance 0 (boring label, unless you like elephants)

Red Stripe Lager
Tennent's Lager
I cannot believe it has come to this: Milwaukee's Best

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Phillips Double Barrel

I like the wood. Wait.. that sounded really wrong.

Phillips Double Barrel Scotch Ale = 9/10

Ratebeer 3.64 89th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Yup, this fluid hit the wood. There I go again. I meant the nose was oaky with vanilla and cherries. It was smooth on the tongue with good alcohol warmth (not burn) and a medium-full mouthfeel. The flavours of wood, vanilla, sherry and peat are very long lasting. Did I mention the alcohol warmth than morphs into a burn at the end?

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 7.7%
Value +1
Appearance +1

Swan's Scotch Ale and Comedy Writing
Brooklyn Winter Ale and Historic Events
MacPelican's Scottish Ale

Naramata Nut Brown Ale (Cannery)

I bought this at my local BC Liquor Store for $3. WOOT, I love cheap craft beer.

Naramata Nut Brown Ale (Cannery) = 7/10

Ratebeer 3.04 50th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Wow the nose was bigger than I expected: mild biscuits, toffee and toast. There was good alcohol warmth up front and a medium mouthfeel. It was a nice caramel malty shot, with mild roasted chocolate and dark fruits. This alcohol warmth doesn't go away. Not sure where the "amazingly smooth finish" on the label came from; this brew drinks like a doppelbock. Did I get a mislabeled or an infected bottle?

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5.5%
Value +1
Appearance +1

Howe Sound Nut Brown
Beaver Brown Ale (Canoe)
Brooklyn Brown Ale

Friday, December 17, 2010

Russell Pale Ale

Just culling the extras in my beer fridge. Didn't even take a photo; but you know what a pale ale looks like.

Russell Pale Ale = 3/10

Ratebeer 2.28 0 percentile
Beer Advocate C+

The nose was all pale ale: grassy, honey. Even the flavours were standard/boring with sweet grass and honey. Hops were a bit floral and vague with no fruit. At least the aftertaste was not bad; just a bit of clean flowery hops.

Taste +2
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0%
Value 0
Appearance 0 (boring can)

Blue Buck
Drifter Pale Ale
Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Firestone Robust Porter

Sigh. A robust porter for my sampling pleasure. The things I do for my loyal followers. Please note the sarcasm

Firestone Robust Porter = 5/10

Ratebeer
3.66 97th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Robust is a relative term; this one barely meets the mark. Sure, the nose is sweet and roasted with dark chocolate and pine. The medium-full body is creamy but oddly not that flavourful. It's all there: sweet, roasted chocolate, not-too-bitter-cocoa and slightly cooling hops. It was all just too drinkable. Even the ending was glycerin-like with roasted chocolate. Robust should be gripping, not easy drinking.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5.9%
Value 0
Appearance +1 (nice label though)

Granville Island Porter and Real Life
Samuel Adams Honey Porter
Snoqualmie Porter and New Parts

Capitvator Doppelbock (Tree Brewing)

I love a good dopplebock. Please be good, please be good, please be good

Capitvator Doppelbock (Tree Brewing) = 8/10

Ratebeer 3.39 77th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

This brew is through the uprights; it's good. The nose scores big with ubermalts, candied sugar, vineous toffee and alcohol. Ditto for the full mouthfeel with ample alcohol warmth/burn. It has all the right stuff: dark sugar, hits of chocolate, breads, toffee, cherries and more. It just keeps lasting with more dark sugar and slight bitter chocolate.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 8%
Value +1 (worth recommending)
Appearance 0 (boring label)



Paulaner Salvator and beer and wine are equally as good and bad for you
Doppel-Hirsch
Spaten Optimator

Upright Brewing Seven


I can never resist a saison. My only wish was for a larger bottle.

Upright Brewing Seven = 6/10

Ratebeer 3.58 95th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

This is what I need; a big nose of lemon, citrus and spicy grass. Every gulp gives lemon tartness, dry oranges, spicy coriander and fabulous effervescence. Don't forget the tart yeast and wheat. Sadly the ending was dry, clean but slightly yeasty. Upright brewing I love you! Your saison is a tad below Dupont but above Brooklyn Local 1.

Taste +4
Aftertaste 0
Alcohol Content +1 8%
Value +1
Appearance +1 (nice label)

Saison Du Buff
Farmhand Ale
Saison Dupont

Black Death Porter (Russell)

I love a good porter, but you can keep the flavoured ones to yourself. It might not be good PR to name beverages after pandemic diseases. Maybe there should be a swine-flu lager or a malaria lambic?

Black Death Porter (Russell) = 5/10

Ratebeer 2.88 37th percentile
Beer Advocate B

So far so good; the nose is full of sweet and roasted chocolate. A full mouthfeel of roasted, slightly burnt, malts accented with bitter chocolate and weak coffee is also a nice touch. The slight cola-like acidity was a slight drawback. But the noticeable resinous and menthol hops presence made it all better. There was minimal coating of roasted and bitter chocolate.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 6.5%
Value 0 (standard, but not exceptional)
Appearance 0 (average artwork)

Sleeman's Fine Porter 0/10
Spy Porter
Butte Creek Porter

Cherish Kriek Lambic


Whenever you dive into a fruit lambic, you know there will be some sweetness. This one was a little over-done.

Cherish Kriek Lambic 4/10

Ratebeer 3.12 61st percentile
Beer Advocate B

This was a syrupy sweet fruit lambic with a light-medium mouthfeel. The colour was clear and deep red. It was very bubbly and sweet like maraschino cherries. There was only the faintest of lambic tartness at the end. What was left over was a long, slick sweet coating of mildly tart cherry syrup. I thought it was too sweet for a lambic.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value 0 (too sweet)
Appearance 0 (boring label)

Storm Black Currant Lambic
Chapeau Kriek Lambic
Fruli Strawberry

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Weihenstephaner Dunkelweizen

This was a purchase from BottleWorks in Seattle. I only bought it because I don't think I have ever sampled a dark hefe.

Weihenstephaner Dunkelweizen 6/10

Ratebeer
3.54 94th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

The nose was standard, yet deliciously hefe: yeasty, bready with cloves. With the dark malts came the added roasted and chocolate aromas. A light-medium mouthfeel and high carbonation carried the smooth and creamy flavours everywhere. Let's start the tastes list, there was: roasted whole wheat toast, bitter yeast, mild milk chocolate, cloves, lemon and bananas. After it was all done, a creamy coating of toasted banana bread faded too quickly. If you want to try something different, this is the one brew for you.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5.3%
Value +1
Appearance 0 (boring bottle, boring label)

Longwood Dunkelweizen
Baron Bohemian
Dunkel Weiss Great Divide

Blackstone Porter (Driftwood)

Finally a real porter. Flavoured porters are OK, but I prefer the real thing.

Blackstone Porter (Driftwood) 7/10

Ratebeer 3.42 78th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

I had a nasty head cold while sampling this beer. It did not seem to matter; the aroma blew though the phlegm. The big roasted barley and bitter chocolate notes were everywhere. Bitter chocolate and dry, sweet barley flavours dominated the medium-full mouthfeel. Don't forget the added tastes of stale coffee, good stale coffee. At the end, there was long lingering of dry, roasted and bittersweet chocolate. Highly recommended.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content 0 5.1%
Value +1
Appearance +1

Black Boss Porter
Taddy Porter
London Porter (Fuller's)

Alcohol increases good cholesterol, but does it actually do anything

We all know that moderate alcohol consumption is good for cardiovascular health. At least that is what I keep telling myself. One of the theories is that alcohol consumption can increase HDL (good) cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is somehow able to entice cholesterol out of the cells. This is called cholesterol efflux (CHE). This is then transported away from cells of the body to the liver. This is referred to as reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). This the theory behind cardiovascular protective effects of HDL cholesterol.
In this study, healthy male subjects were either given 36g of alcohol daily or nothing. This alcohol was given in the form of 1 LITER OF BEER! Since the study was conducted in Prague, there is a good chance they got Pilsner Urquell. After four weeks, HDL concentration increased by 7.2%. However CHE did not change significantly. So what does this mean? Well, alcohol consumption can increase your good cholesterol, but it might not be doing you any good. It won't stop me though

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Top 10 Beers of 2010

I have sampled too many great beers for there to be only ten. So it will actually be top 10 with another 10 honourable mentions. I'm sure I have missed a few great releases, but my liver and budget can only handle so much.

1. Belle Royal by Driftwood
Why is this beer on top? While most breweries have been focused on producing hop-bombs and malt monsters, Driftwood released this delicately fruity and spicy Belgian strong ale.

2. 9 Donkeys by Phillips
I know it seem contradictory to berate hop-bombs and give one a second place finish. I don't care. It is my blog and I can do what I want. It also happens to be a great beer; perhaps the best hop bomb yet. In a prior tweet it was compared to Pliny the Elder.

3. Ola Duha 16
An old ale aged in 16year Highland Park Scotch barrels; need I say more. Imagine the flavours in your head and then prepare to have them blown away.

4. Westvleteren 12
It is very hard to say anything bad about the rarest Trappist beer. The rich flavours of plum, candy sugar, peat, leather glove and currants will call to me forever. I still have a bottle in my cellar you know!

5. Sink the Bismark
Thanks Dave. This brew was unbelievably hoppy, yet unbelievably smooth. Imagine a uber-hopped Drambuie.

6. Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz and Kens Ale
This imperial stout is a collaboration between Fritz Maytag and Sierra Nevada. It is everything a good impy should be: thick, rich, roasted yet sweet and chocolaty.

7. Prima Pils (Victory)
I heard good things about this beer, but how good can a pils be? Light lemon meringue, fresh grass, straw, lavender and light green apples were flavours I never expected from this beer.

8. Pot Hole Filler (Howe Sound)
Yet another imperial stout that was right on the money. It was thick and chewy with roasted chocolate, fruit and the right touch of alcohol burn.

9. Ten-Fidy
All this flavour from a little can. Massive cocoa, bitter sweet chocolate, and citrus hops flavours completely coated your entire gastrointestinal tract.

10. Avery Imperial Oktoberfest
The Kaiser was unrelenting with its tart toffee and bready malts. Unexpected were the earthy and sparkling mouthfeel.

Now for the honourable mentions.

11. Prickly Pear Braggot (Widmer Bros)
The flavours were hard to express. They were syrupy with honey, crazy pears and alcohol warmth.

12. Hoppe Imperial Pale Ale
The sweet, floral and earthy hops dominated every sip, but still let some chewy lemongrass malts slip though.

13. Scullers IPA
A classic example of big West Coast IPA.

14. Jubelale 2010
The nose was massive and vineous. Every sip was a new taste discovery. One minute it was plums and dark fruits; another it was resinous and citrus hops.

15. Old Engine Oil (Harvieston)
Thick like motor oil. The taste was not surprising:molasses, stale coffee and bitter chocolate.

16. Mikkeller Black Hole
A great Russian imperial stout. Thick and chewy, yet sweet with oak, vanilla, coffee and bitter chocolate.

17. Baltika 6 Porter
It was roasted coffee beans with smoked chocolate; yet all these flavours were creamy and highly drinkable.

18. Green Flash Red Ale
All I need to say is three words: dryhopped with Amarillo.

19. Vicardin
Thanks to Dave for pointing this brew out. A blend of gueuze and Belgian triple; yes, it was that good.

20. Hop Stoopid
102 IBUs of citrus, cotton candy, pine, resinous glory. Who needs malts?

I can hardly wait for 2011!

Top Ten Beers for 2009

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cameron's Lager

This is one of the brews I brought back from Toronto. I am a sucker for small variety packs; Cameron's contained only four beers.

Cameron's Lager 4/10

Ratebeer 2.6 22nd percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Overall it was a decent lager; the nose was thin with straw, spinach and floral hops. The taste also provided no suprises. It was light-medium in body with ample and palate cleansing carbonation. Lots of tiny bubbles cleared the way for honey and straw malts with a faint floral and citrus hop presence. There was no aftertaste, just clean, dry and refreshing. Cameron's was a decent lager with little DMS or diacetyl.

Taste +3
Aftertaste 0
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value +1
Appearance 0 (average bottle art)

Granville Island Lager
Red Stripe
Grolsch

Friday, December 10, 2010

Red Racer Winter Warmer

I love a winter warmer beer, but I say this about every style of beer. The exception pale lagers. They heat the soul and coated the tongue with rich dark fruit flavours.

Red Racer Winter Warmer
SCORE = 8/10

Ratebeer 3.12 47th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

The nose is very caramelly with dark fruits and alcohol. I can hardly wait. Alcohol burns straight away and yields to a syrupy and medium/full mouthfeel. Evey sip is ripe with dark fruits in syrup (plum and raisins). There is no hop presence. The long alcohol warmth lingers with enhancements of rum cake. It was very tasty but I'm not sure I would buy it again. There was too much alcohol burning.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 7%
Value+1
Appearance +1

It was a nice addition to the Central City winter variety pack.

Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier

OK this is getting ridiculous, I gotta start doing more reviews. I fill up one 33 bottles of beer book per month and do about 10 reviews. Time to go short form.

Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier 7/10
Ratebeer 3.59 96th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

This is one of those beers that you hear about everywhere. It is claimed to be one of the great wheat beers in the world. At first sniff I have to agree. The nose is fragrant with yeast, cloves and wheat. Next the big banana, wheat and cloves slap a nice tang on the tongue. The mouthfeel is juicy and very refreshing. It is clean ending with a slow fading of yeast, wheat, lemons and cloves. It is easy to make a hefe beer, but hard to make it great.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value +1
Appearance +1

This is should be your next beer if you like a spicy, flavourful hefe.

Howe Sound Hangdog Hefe
Pyramid Imperial Hefe
Granville Island Hefe

Sunday, December 5, 2010

A Tale of Two Cities' Doppelbocks


It is rare that I get a head to head comparison of similar beer styles in Victoria. The exception is the IPA. This week both Phillips and Lighthouse released their yearly limited release doppelbocks. For Lighthouse it is only their second limited run brew. So how did these malty beers compare? Let's find out.







Instigator 2010 (Phillips)

This year's Instigator had an aroma that was oddly faint: sherry, toast, caramel and dark fruits. I would describe the mouthfeel as medium-full with low carbonation. There was just a hint of alcohol warmth from this strong brew (8.5% ABV). It was a very malty brew; lots of toasted sherry/port flavours. There was also a dash of caramel and white grapes in the mix. The aftertaste faded too quickly but left a pleasant sherry like warmth. This was a good doppelbock; my wife preferred this one.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 8.5%
Value +1
Ingame Enhancement +1

Total 7/10



Lighthouse Navigator


Lighthouse's version was just like Phillip's - only it was supercharged. The nose was boozier, richer with more malt, more sherry, more dark fruit and more of everything. With a darker coloured pour you knew it would yield more flavours. The alcohol warmth was more pronounced and the dark fruits were bigger. Ditto for caramel/toffee and port-like tastes. I have had many doppelbocks; this was among the best. Bonus points for a beautiful bottle.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +2
Alcohol Content +1 8.5%
Value +1
Ingame Enhacnement +1

Total 9/10

Drinking these brews brought me great happiness. No it was not because of the big alcohol content; it was because of the great flavours. Both were excellent doppelbocks, but Lighthouse's was better. The Navigator was richer, maltier, with a bigger nose and a longer linger. It fills my beer belly with joy to know that another brewery in Victoria can produce delicious limited edition beers. And that's just what Lighthouse's Navigator was: delicious. I plan to throw a few Navigators in my beer cellar to experiment with aging.

Paulaner Salvator plus beer and wine are equally and healthful and harmful
Winterbier Dopplebock and hops can save my prostate
Doppel-Hirsch

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Epic Beer Dinner #3 - Battle of the Trappists

Another cold night in Victoria was warmed over with the company of great beers and great friends. I have always wanted to try Westvleteren 12; so it was decided that a party should be build around this great Trappist ale. But you cannot have just one great Trappist ale, so I ordered a few bottles of Rochefort 10. Then I got to thinking: without great food there can be no Epic Beer Dinner. What greater challenge is there than finding great food pairings for great local craft brews. It has been done before.
Dates were set and emails flew. Several amateur Victoria chefs volunteered to prepare meals. The venue was perfect. Thank you Rod Phillips of Liquor Plus for allowing us the use of the beautiful tasting room at the Douglas Street location. It was truly a great canvas for the homegrown culinary creations we were about to create. Now, on to the food and beer..
The first featured beer was Spinnakers Kolsch style ale. This is truly a great delicate beverage and even better it is a fundraiser for the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. I like this beer and look forward to it every year. The light grains and faint spicy hops combined with a tart citrus hop snap which gave ideas for a perfect pairing. Sandwich chef Geoff prepared a Spinnakers focaccia bread sandwich with triple cream goat brie, green apples, tzatziki and onions caramelized in Storm's 13 year old blackcurrant lambic. The apple flavours of each item blended well and the fatty brie enhanced this delicate beers flavours. Thanks Geoff

The next course featured the ESB from Swan's/Buckerfields - thanks Andrew. This is a great brew in the English bitter style; ample caramel and nutty malts with floral/herbal hops. English bitters are the easiest beers to pair because they go with anything. Perhaps, the best options are all things roasted; such as grilled veggies. In this case Simon was kind enough to prepare Welch rarebit with Brandson pickles. The grilled cheese and maltiness of the Brandson pickles were a natural match for the ESB.

When I asked Michael Decker to cook something, I never imagined it would be sooooo spicy. Putanesca sauce with homemade pasta is usually not this spicy. The garlic, capers, tomatoes, anchovies and fresh basil barely peaked through the spicy pepper onslaught added by Mr. Decker. We tried to pair this dish with a beer from Moon Under Water. The added rye of the Lunar Pale Ale provided an effervescence that helped to cleanse the palate of this uber-spicy pasta. It is hard to imagine, but this low ABV brew has so much flavour. Normally pale ales are perfect for washing away intense, spicy or hot flavours from the mouth. Thanks to Bonnie and Ron, from Moon Under Water, for helping to wash away the burn.

Next was the main course: lentil curry. Thanks to Dave and Dan for a tasty dish. With this dish came the double beer pairing. We served the Driftwood Fat Tug IPA and VIBs Hermannator. The bold pine, citrus and spicy hops of the Fat Tug really accentuated the same flavours in the curry. But the surprise pairing of the night was the ice bock. With its uber-maltiness, the Hermannator was able to calm everyone's spicy tongue. It's a pity the Hermannator is only available once a year; luckily we can get a Fat Tug every day. Thanks to Jeff at Vancouver Island Brewery and Gary from Driftwood.

A palate cleansing dish was needed to scrape away the residual spiciness. What works best to cleanse the palate? A sorbet of course. And what pairs well with a fruit sorbet? It must be a lambic. So we had Saskatoon berry sorbet paired with Lindemans frambroise lambic. This is an easy pairing that anyone can use to impress people.

The last course of the night featured the "Battle of the Trappists". My wife made delicious plum and chocolate ganache tarts; this was paired with Rochefort 10 and Westvleteren 12. Both of these Epic ales were big and rich with plum, fig and chocolate flavours. Which of these two beers was the favourite? There were 7 votes for Rochefort, 6 votes for Westy and 2 abstainers. While not a concise victory, it looks like the Rochefort was the favourite.

It was truly a night of Epic beers (both local and imported), great food and great company. Look for the Epic Beer Dinner #4 in about six months. Maybe next time I will remember and ask someone to take photos. I almost forgot; this epic night was also the launch date for www.beerontherock.com. Beer on The Rock will focus on great beers and events on Vancouver Island.

Why do I keep mentioning casks?

I like casks. Why do I like casks? It is not just because they contain beer; although that helps. I like casks because they provide brewers with an opportunity to experiment. Everytime you drink cask beer, you sample a one of a kind beverage. This beverage was hand made by the brewer especially for your tasting pleasure. Well maybe for you and thirty of your friends. Hopefully this trend will continue in Victoria.

Speaking of casks; Clive's Classic lounge has a Salt Spring Island cask on Thursday. How about we spare me the typing and read from the press release:

Our Golden Ale is most definitely a session ale – actually it won Gold for ‘best session ale’ at Vancouver Craft Beer Week last year. It also has won 2 national gold medals for ‘best cream ale’ and ‘best Golden/Blonde ale’ at the Canadian Brewing Awards. It’s light and highly quaffable, but with a really good balance of biscuity malt & citrusy hops. The cask version is dry-hopped with a special edition of our own Salt Spring Nugget hops. If you already like our Golden Ale, you will LOVE this aromatic casked version.

Our Golden Ale is a great beer with almost any kind of savoury food. It would be amazing with aged cheddar cheese, nuts, Italian food, pizza, beef sliders etc.
Sounds good to me. See you there

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Gordon Biersch Marzen



Ratebeer 2.98/5 46th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

The nose was truly clean with a lightly bready and caramel nose. Usually I am not a fan of lagers, but this was tasty. The taste was just like the nose with a noticeable floral and earthy hops backing.

Aftertaste 0

The ending was very clean, crisp and slighly effervescent. Maybe just a lingering kiss of roast and caramel.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

I wasn't expecting miracles.

Value +1

This one was really nice.

Ingame Enhancement +1

This brew was enjoyed on my patio with a good buddy; he even bought the beer. I think he bought it because his name was Gordon also.

Overall 6/10

I will never look the same was at their cheesy restaurants again. This was a great Oktoberfest style beer: easy drinking with just enough caramel and hop goodness to provide palate love.

Buckerfields Lederhosen Lager
Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen
Hofbrau Bock - Trader Joe's

Half Pints Humulus Ludicrous



Ratebeer 3.75/5 97th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +4

I picked up this bottle at Firefly quite a while ago. The nose was a virtual hop soup. All the aromas are available for your pleasure: floral, citrus, spices and cotton candy. The taste is a massive hop assault on the bitter side. Ludicrous has all the citrus and cotton candy your palate can handle. There is barely enough bread and caramel malts to hide this hop behemoth. There was no carbonation and the mouthfeel was slightly acidic. Oddly it was not astringent but creamy and silky.

Aftertaste +2

There was a long earthy and floral bitter ending. It coated everything and left an healthy alcohol warmth.

Alcohol Content +1 8%

Value +1

This is a must for hopheads. A special mention for great wax dipped packaging.

Ingame Enhancement +1

The zombies must not like hops; whenever I burped they just fell over.

Overall 9/10

This perhaps the best object to every come out of Winnipeg. Truly a great and massive IPA.

Dogfish Head 90min IPA
Unearthly Imperial IPA
Hop Stoopid Ale

Red Racer Craft Lager


Ratebeer 2.55/5 21st percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +2

Yup this was a lager; the nose was clean with faint grass and that standard lager smell. Luckily there was a faint floral hop accent at the start that was mixed in with the fizz. There were very faint grassy malts and slightly fruity - luckily to corn.

Aftertaste 0

The ending was clean, crisp with only the barest of grass

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value 0

It was slightly above average lager.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Meh

Overall 2/10

Don't get me wrong, this was a good lager. Lagers never score well with my rating scheme. It is flawed and I'm OK with that.

Granville Island Lager

Session Premium Lager
Paddock Wood Black Cat

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Alcohol and Psoriasis in Women

I know most of you read about this on the beer blogs a few months back; but you may not have heard the whole story. It read that beer can increase the risk of developing psoriasis in women compared to other alcoholic beverages. It is true that drinking any alcoholic beverage can increase one's risk of developing psoriasis. The article that appeared in the August 2010 issue of Archives of Dermatology was the first article to really break the information down about which alcoholic beverages were the real culprits. The results are not good for craft beer drinkers.

The researchers found that women who drank 5 more nonlight beers a week had a greater risk of developing psoriasis - about 1.8 times higher. And overall, women who drank more than 2.3 alcoholic beverages a week were also at risk. Nonlight beer was the only alcoholic beverage that specifically increased the risk for psoriasis.

Since only nonlight beer increased the risk, it was thought that ingredients unique to nonlight beer might be the cause. The finger pointed directly at barley. We all know that good craft beer uses more barley than light beer. We also know that barley contains a lot of gluten and is not kind to people with celiac disease and other gluten-sensitivities. The researchers noted that people with psoriasis may have "latent-gluten sensitivity". Gluten-free diets can sometimes lead to improved symptoms for patients with psoriasis.

So there you have it; only people with psoriasis should reduce their consumption of craft beer. If need be they could drink -shutter- light beer. On our side they also found that alcohol abstainers had a higher body mass index (BMI) and were less physically active. That is a polite was of saying fat and lazy.

Fat Tug IPA (Driftwood)

It must be hard to produce an IPA in Victoria. This is an IPA-centric place. Releasing an IPA in Victoria is like walking down Douglas Street naked. You had better have a good product and great packaging because everyone is watching and not afraid to give their opinions. Luckily Driftwood has covered their...uh.. assets and flashed us a great beer.

Ratebeer 3.64/5 (6 ratings)
Beer Advocate A+

Taste +4

Like all great IPA's, the nose is big with serious pine, cotton candy and citrus (lemon and mandarin). Every sip slaps you with a hoppy astringency followed by good carbonation and alcohol warmth. The taste is all hops; pick your favourite hop flavour and I'm sure you can find it. Let's see, there is: resin, pine, sight cotton candy, lemon and pineapple. There is just a bit of caramel and bready malts to hold this brew together. As the glass raises up, the piny vapours hits your tongue first. For those keeping score: 80 IBU's.

Aftertaste +2

There is a long coating of sweet, oily resinous hops.

Alcohol Content +1 7%

You can tell it is there from the warmth.

Value +1

A big IPA that stands out in VictorIPA.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I had problems shooting the zombies tonight. After every sip I just stared into my glass and went "mmmmmmm..."

Overall 9/10

If you like a big IPA, then this is the one for you. The Fat Tug (I giggle everytime I say that name) is just two notches above easy drinking; just the way a good IPA should be. It may be a bit premature but this might be the best IPA in Victoria.

The seven sips of the Hopocalypse
Brew Free or Die IPA
Ranger IPA

Monday, November 15, 2010

Spiced Reserve (Tree Brewing)

Sometimes procrastination can be a very handy way to solve problems. I have not found the time to write up the Spiced Reserve Ale by Tree Brewing. This beer was released in Fall 2009. Now is the perfect time to write it up since this year's version is going to be released soon.

Ratebeer 3.13 48 percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +4

Like most winter warmers, the nose is heavy on the caramel. There is also a bit of roasted grains in every sip. The real difference is the spices that warm the back of your tongue: cinnamon, cloves, ginger. It will remind you of a mulled spice drink. There isn't much of a hop presence; I think can taste a little banana in there.

Aftertaste +2

It had a long spicy finish that coated the tongue. There was a little bit of soapiness, but it worked.

Alcohol Content +1 7.5%


Value +1

I liked this one. It was nice change of pace from the usual hop bombs lofted out of brewery windows.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Writing up this review is only making me look forward to next years edition, or maybe next weeks?

Overall 9/10

For something completely different, pick this brew up. It was a great winter warmer with all the necessary spices and alcohol warmth.

Saison du Buff
Midas Touch and How Far Will You Drive for Cheap Beer.
Granville Island Ginger Beer

Friday, November 12, 2010

I can't believe it has come to this

I have sunk to a new low; I bought beer from a corner store. This was not the sort of Seattle corner store where you find a selection of Stone Vertical Epics. This corner store had a large selection of Spam and expired prepackaged sandwiches. The deed was done - I bought the cheapest can of beer on the shelf. So what does $1.25 per pint get you: not a whole lot.

Milwaukee's Premium Best

Ratebeer 1.05 0th percentile
Beer Advocate D-

Taste +1

It technically was beer. The nose was very, very light with straw and metal shavings. I sniffed so hard to try and get a scent, I actually snorted beer. The 'Bests' mouthfeel could be best described as absent. Luckily the white fluffy head did not last long; it reminded me of styrofoam packing peanuts. Your dominant flavours are straw, stale peanuts and metallic hops. There was a small hop bite at the end which had the odd taste of diluted mandarin oranges.

Aftertaste 0

It left a slight soapy residue in the mouth.

Alcohol Content -1 4.3%

This was not actually listed on the can. The low ABV actually makes this a true session beer. The 'session' you are after while drinking this crappy beer escapes my imagination.

Value 0

This beer has its place; its place is in a trailer park or beer pong tournament. You cannot go too wrong at $1.25 for a 500ml can.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Drinking this beer really set the mood for my weekly Hoarders fix. It also reset my overly developed beer palate to zero.

Overall 0/10

I may have been too harsh in my opinion of this beer. It was light, crisp, palate cleansing and refreshing. This could also describe the bottled water in the next cooler. This same bottled tap water cost up to three times as much as Milwaukee's Best.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

More Casks

Don't forget this November 11th at 5pm - hey that's tomorrow! - there will be a Salt Spring Island cask at Clive's Classic Lounge in the Chateau Victoria. This will be a cask version of their Pale Ale. I have tried this one before and liked it. It claims to be a session beer, i.e. a beer that is lower in alcohol. I tend to classify 'session' beers as something under 5%ABV, like the beers at Moon under Water. But the cask will be 5%ABV so it is close enough.

Lets see what their write up sounded like:
"light copper....double-hopped with East Kent Goldings... nutty-toffee malts... flowery hops..."
Yup, sounds good I'm in. I hope no one comes; that way there will be more beer for me!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Brooklyn Brown Ale

Ratebeer 3.41 89th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +3
  • nose is roasted and caramel malts
  • colour is deep brown with an off white/tan head
  • Nice effervescent carbonation up front
  • slightly earthy hops that barely contain the rich caramel and roasted mild chocolate malts
  • Very malt forward
Aftertaste +1
  • Clean and slightly dry with dry roasted caramel. The malt quickly fades away

Alcohol Content 0 5.6%

Value +1

It wasn't that exciting, but it was good and flavourful.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Meh, I need to rethink this blog I am over 100 beers behind in reviewing.

Overall 5/10

A good malty and roasted chocolate brew. Interesting enough to please the seasoned beer drinker, but not scary enough to repulse the light beer crowd.

HoweSound Nut Brown Ale
Beaver Brown Ale (Canoe)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Trade Route Infidel Lime IPA

Ratebeer 3.24 77th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +2
  • Nose of lime leaves and pine hops
  • Taste was bitter and astringent with citrus and pine, maybe a tad floral
  • every taste had a mild lime flavour and banana
  • Malts were of course caramel with a little bread
Aftertaste +1
  • The caramel malts and citrus/lime fades to leave an acidic tongue coating
Alcohol Content +1 7.5%

Couldn't really notice a burning nor warmth.

Value 0

It was a neat flavour but not worth a repeat purchase.

Ingame Enhancement 0

The aftertaste still haunts me.

Overall 4/10

It was a unique taste sensation that kinda worked. The tart lime cordial meshed well with the caramel and PNW hops.

Mango Weizen
24-mile Blueberry Pail Ale
Audacious Apricot Wheat

Stone Levitation Ale



Ratebeer 3.52 94th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +5
  • Glorious sweet grapefruit/citrus nose
  • colour is deep amber/red with light tan head
  • very hop assertive with good blast of citrus that fades to reveal a thin and thin lightly toasted bready malt
  • very cooling on tongue like menthol
Aftertaste +2
  • citrus hops leave a light/slick coating on tongue
  • long menthol coolness
Alcohol Content -1 4.4%

This should really be considered a plus

Value +1

Now this is a true session ale.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I really gotta change this category, but I must bump this beer's score up.

Overall 8/10

This is a great low alcohol ale with lots of the hop flavours we all crave.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

St. Ambrious Oatmeal Stout

Ratebeer 3.95 100th percentile
Beer Advocate A-


Taste +5
  • nose: slight berry, roasted malts with only the faintest hint of bitter chocolate.
  • very assertive roasted/burnt with bitter chocolate and espresso
  • slight hopiness shows through with earthy and flowery
  • at the end a slight hit of molasses
Aftertaste +2
  • long lingering of bitter roasted chocolate and watery coffee
Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value +1

The best mass produced stout around.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Every day is a good day when you drink this beer.

Overall 9/10

If you like dry chocolaty stouts, this is the one. If you like Guinness, try this one and you will never go back to the black can again.

Blackheart Oatmeal Stout
Hammer Imperial Stout and Get Rich Quick
Stone Bitter Oatmeal Stout and Failure

Double Wit by Great Divide

Ratebeer 3.43 90th percentile
Beer Advocate B+


Taste +5
  • nose: wheat, spicy, yeast and lemon citrus
  • very assertive yeast blast lots of citrus fruits
  • long upfront yeast and ample carbonation
  • slightly acidic but not very astringent
Aftertaste +1
  • alcohol warmth with yeast, citrus tartness that faded too quickly
Alcohol Content +1 8.1%

Value +1

This a great strong wit. Certainly puts Hoegaarden to shame.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I don't care but it deserves the extra point.

Overall 9/10

Whoever says witbiers are bland and tasteless need to step away from the Rickard's White and grab one of these.

Red Racer White Ale
Estrella Damm Inedit

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Beer and Pancreatic Cancer? Please say it isn't so.

I never miss an issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH). Normally these sorts of wishy washy articles never get mentioned; especially when the ending states "need to be further evaluated". So you are not actually going to give us an answer. I know science asks more questions but don't push it.

Anyways.. one of the big complications of alcoholism - along with loss of friends, money and life - is pancreatic cancer. However some studies have shown that alcohol alone does not cause pancreatic inflammation. Also not good news is that beer drinkers have a higher risk of developing pancreatitis when compared to wine or spirit drinkers. But don't worry the risk only really jumps up if you drink more than 14 beers a week. It is thought that the greater amounts antioxidants in wine may protect you from pancreatic damage.

Back to the IJERPH article, which states that beer also contains antioxidants that can help prevent pancreatitis. This article mentioned that beer and wine both contain resveratrol but they never provided referencing proof. This is not true, at least not yet. The super antioxidant resveratrol is primarily found in red wine. For the non cork dorks you can also find it in peanuts and most small dark berries. Sadly this factual oversight ruins about 1/2 of the IJERPH article. Beer does contain the strong antioxidants quercetin (so do apples), catechins (like but not the same as green tea) and ellagic acid (raspberries). In animal studies all of these antioxidants protected against pancreatitis. So good for beer.

In conclusion don't read the full IJERPH article it is not very good. It also has a crappy acronym; even if I did just make it up. While unknown non-alcoholic compounds in beer can cause pancreatitis; other antioxidant compounds in beer can protect against pancreatitis. Both real and imaginary. Oddly they never mentioned the uber antioxidant in xanthohumol from hops.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Shipwrecked Triple IPA and a Salty Attitude

I don't really think I'm a salty dog, but I feel a little bitter. After a wonderful night of cask beer at Clive's I picked up a bomber of the new Lighthouse Shipwrecked IPA. Reluctantly, a bottle of Phillips Grow hop also made its way into my fridge. As I was telling Dave (beerinbc), the last thing this town needs in another uber-IPA. There was much hope in my heart that this beer would change my mind. Sartori fresh hopped IPA was OK, but not as good as last year. It's not to say that Sartori was not good, it was delicious. Everything these days is so hoppy; Hop Donkey is a prime example. Hop Donkey was also excellent, but still; can we get something different please. The bottle art on the Shipwrecked was a plus; it is beautiful. It was done by local artist Ken Faulks and is worth a purchase just for the bottle. So how did it taste?

Taste +3

The nose was oddly faint, but you can pick out sweet citrus and pine. It worked well and added great hopes of things to come. The first sip was complicated, so I took another. Let's break this big beer down: the mouth-feel was full and creamy and it provided a warmth in the mouth, but a burning in the gut. If I were to describe the taste it would be unfocused bitterness. Your tongue tingles partly from the hops and partly from the alcohol. The hops were big, but not too big, and centered around the pine and citrus (tangerine). There was also a light dose of cotton candy and wood. Malts were there also but who cares about caramel in a big IPA.

Aftertaste +2

It was long with solvent and coating amounts of pine and tangerines.

Alcohol Content +1 10%

WOOT.

Value 0

I came to this bomber with hope, but left with tears in my eyes. I wanted to like this beer so much. It was Lighthouse's first bomber and was hoping it would be a winner.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Even thought there was Hoarders on TV, there was sadness in my heart.

Overall 6/10

It is so hard to release an IPA in this town, because there are so many good ones already. The Shipwreck is a must try for any hophead. It has all the standard features of an uber-IPA; citrus, pine, sweetness and a lot of them. I wanted so much to love this beer, but it just wasn't there. The number of saddened sighs in this article totaled 24.

What I am looking forward to is the fulfillment of rumors about dopple bocks and barley wines.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

I feel love..it is not what you think

I was sitting in my Las Vegas hotel room when the message came on my phone. The text message contained love; no it was not solicited. It was my main man Shawn from Clive's Classic lounge. He was saving me one of the last samples of his famous wood aged negroni. At this moment I learned that I was in Shawn's inner circle. I have this feeling Shawn's inner circle is like a Costco membership; not everyone one has one but lots do. Shawn is like that, he makes everyone feel welcome and special. This text was touching; I felt the love. Upon returning to Victoria I visited Clive's with gifts. Note to self: don't bring a famous bartender glassware. It is akin to bringing your carpenter a bag of nails.

I learned that there were to be more casks at Clive's. Thursday October 14th, there will be a cask from Salt Spring Island Brewery. To my knowledge this is the first cask done by Salt Spring Island Brewery. But I could be wrong; I often am. The style will be an alt style with estate grown hops. I'm looking forward to it. Also for all those glassware hoarders (myself included), ask about Oktoberfest. During the month of October, if you drink two glasses of everything on tap you get a box of various European/Belgian beer glassware. I would love to get my hands on a Delirium tulip glass.

Let the rumors fly. There might be a Left4Beer beer pairing dinner at Clive's in the new year. I have hosted a few before but this will be at a real restaurant. There may also be a few rare/aged beer tasting sessions in the back room. Dave from beerinbc will be helping with this one. Stay tuned. There is a lot of beer love out there.

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

Ranger IPA (New Belgium)

Ratebeer 3.54 94th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

With a big nose with pine, roast and a slight resin your know this in an IPA that means business. This is backed up by an assertive pine, toasted and resinous hop presence. This sweet hop lineup is supported by a continent of caramel and bready malts. It is mostly pine. The mouthfeel was sticky and left a gloriously sweet and bitter tongue coating. If you are keeping track; it has 70IBU.

Aftertaste +2

The mouth puckering and tongue coating aftertaste was all pine bitterness.

Alcohol Content +1 6.5%

6.5% seem to be the magic number for big IPAs

Value +1

Sure to be a hop-head favourite.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Still in Seattle loving the great beer selection

Overall 9/10

New Belgium has once again shown that there is no hop shortage with the flavours in this beer. It is big with pine and resin with just enough bready malts to make it enjoyable.

Brew Free or Die IPA
Broken Halo IPA
Diamond Knot IPA

For the love of a good lager



I have never been fanatical about lagers or other pale beers. Perhaps my memories are tainted by pale yellow liquids that were tasteless and had short names. This bias stayed with me for many years and was only recently called into question. The beer that changed my mind was Session Premium Lager by Full Sail. It was light, refreshing but did not lack in taste. The grassy, honey and vegetal were backed up by a crisp floral and spicy hop blast. This beer was best described with two words; delicious and more please!

This lead me to try other lagers. I went out and bought an 8 pack of Vancouver Island Brewery Islander Lager. Rarely do I buy a six pack of anything, let alone an eight pack. There is not a review on my website; I decided to just enjoy the beer and not be critical by rating it.

So I decided to stay away from the IPA's that seem to dominate the Pacific Northwest beer palate and focus on trying lagers. Making a good lager is a hard thing; there is no hop blast to hide the off flavours.

This has lead me to try many lagers. This has also lead to some bad experiences; there are a lot of crappy lagers out there. There are also a lot of good lagers to be had. The risk of palate damage is worth the reward of a great refreshing lager. So bold beer drinkers, reign in your lust for the powerful hop slap. Reset your taste buds on low and enjoy a lager.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Brooklyn Lager


Brooklyn Lager

Ratebeer 3.43 90th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

The nose is cool with menthol and faint biscuity malts. A well done lager is an uneventful brew; luckily this is far from uneventful. The light citrus (lemon) and floral hops jumps out at you to grab your tongues attention. This fades off to reveal a bread and biscuit malt.

Aftertaste +1

The quickly fading hops leaves a floral hop ending. Then it is gone, clean.

Alcohol Content 0 5.2%

Value +1

An above average and flavourful lager.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Just bumping the score up.

Overall 7/10

It's a lager: clean, crisp and easy drinking. The enhanced citrus and bready flavours were a nice surprise.

Red Canoe Lager
Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Hard Science
Red Stripe Lager

Mirror Pond Pale Ale


Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Ratebeer 3.46 92nd percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

This is a go-to beer for a lot of people; I can understand why. The aroma says it all: glorious and hoppy with floral and citrus. This is well balanced with bready malts and a slight vegetable. The hops impart citrus, floral, banana and a cool menthol flavours.

Aftertaste +1

It was a wet finish with lingering bread malts and menthol. There was a slight herbal mouth coating.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value +1

This is unlike all other pale ales; it is the king. The flavour is above average but not overly challenging for the routine beer drinker.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I have this beer often and is always enjoyable. It goes will with everything.

Overall 7/10

A truly great pale ale. The bready malts are slightly shadowed by the sharp citrus and menthol hops

Phillips Blue Buck
Salt Spring Island Pale Ale
Deschutes Hop Trip

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Fish Tale Organic IPA


Fish Tale Organic IPA

Ratebeer 3.3 82nd percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +3

I never get tired of tasting good PNW IPAs. This one comes from the Fish Brewing company in Olympia, Washington. They also brew the Leavenworth beers for that uber-cute Bavarian town. The nose is sweet with citrus and subdued pine. Again the taste is smooth with citrus, resin and pine. You get most of the bitterness at the back of the mouth. The citrus is leaning more to the tangerine side of things. This IPA is brewed with organic Pacific Gem hops with 42IBUs for those keeping score. Malts were light with caramel

Aftertaste +1

There was a bare lingering of caramel and light tangerines

Alcohol Content +1 6.7%

Just as a good IPA should be.

Value 0

This was not an outstanding IPA. It must be tough to release an IPA in the PNW; they must be outstanding to rise above the others.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Still in Seattle, still drinking great beers.

Overall 6/10

This was a solid IPA, just not outstanding. The caramel malts were overshadowed by the citrus and pine hops. Props go out for being Organic.

Nine Donkeys of the Hopocalypse
Pliny the Elder and Adrenaline Shots
Green Flash Imperial IPA

Booze and Guns Really Don't Mix


This is the best study so far because it contains two awesome variables: booze and firearms. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine tested the effects of alcohol and firearm use. Both sauced and sober subjects were put through a number of training scenarios with realistic handguns. They were actually retrofitted to be air pistols. I wonder what the findings were? Intoxicated subjects were less accurate, slower to fire in reaction time scenarios, and quicker to fire in scenarios requiring judgement relative to the teetotalers. The researchers hypothesis was, "...alcohol consumption worsens accuracy and retards judgement about when to use a gun..."Shocking, but still awesome. Science can be fun and educational.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

La Chouffe


La Chouffe


Ratebeer 3.77 98th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +4

This is a Belgian strong ale so the golden colour and lots of carbonation are right on the mark. The large mousse head disipated quickly to form just a thin layer. Its nose is light of yeast, honey and spices(pepper). As the big carbonation tingles the throat, the alcohol warms the chest. This cleanses the way for yeast, bready, sweet light fruits (citrus) and honey flavours. The yeasty/wheat tartness imparts a full mouthfeel.

Aftertaste +1

It was very crisp and dry with just a little yeast tartness.

Alcohol Content +1 8%

Value +1

People rave about this beer and I now understand why. If you love a strong spicy Belgian ale, this is the one.

Ingame Enhancement +1

There is no memory of what I was doing or where I was. Yes, the score is being bumped up for selfish reasons.

Overall 8/10

A strong Belgian ale can be a beautiful thing, when done right. It can either be a zesty, bready, tart, fruity, spicy palate-loving brew. Or it can be a bland vehicle for high ABV and regrettable memories. Often recorded by the court stenographer. Luckily La Chouffe falls into the latter category.

Brooklyn Local 1
St. Bernardus Tripel
Saint-Martin Blond

After a heart attack, keep drinking you will live longer

Within moderation that is.
This bold statement is supported by evidence in the June 15, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology. The researchers followed 325 patients (men and women) recovering from a heart attack. 84% of these patients continued to be moderate drinkers and 16% decided to quit. Moderation was listed as a minimum of 2 to 4 times a month with 1-4 drinks per occasion. This works out to be about 1 drink a day; binge drinkers were not included in this study. It need not be repeated, but I have mentioned that binge drinking is bad for you. Oddly the quantity of alcohol consumed was not mentioned. 2-3 of these 1 liter mugs might not qualify as health promoting.


After three years, the moderate drinkers experienced better physical functioning than those that stopped drinking. Drinkers had fewer episodes of chest pain, fewer rehospitalizations, and felt better overall. Drinkers were less likely to die! 10% of non-drinkers died after 3 years compared to only 6% of moderate drinkers. Check out the cool graph that proves it.

So there you go; don't be a quitter. Just remember everything in moderation.