Dageraad Anno 2014: This particular beer is a Belgian Strong Ale seasonal release from Burnaby, BC brewery Dageraad who specializes in brewing authentic Belgian beers. It is brewed to a strength of 8.3% abv and was infused with fully ripened Keremeos, BC pears as well as Indian coriander that all go together in this very interesting beer. As you can see in the photo, I had this as my New Years Eve ball drop beer, so it was actually the very first sip of beer and that I enjoyed in 2015.

Flavour: At first the cereal grains are apparent followed by the spicy coriander while the pears and some sweet fruity honey notes appear in the middle. It finishes with a clove, coriander and pear finish that warms the throat and leaves you wanting more and more of it.

Overall Impression: I have gone through three bottles of this release so far, it’s a good one! Interestingly, it seemed that the pear flavours were less intense as the bottles got even a month older.

Rating: Excellent at 8.5/10, I hope they make it again. This is so much better tasting than even a mid grade $50 bottle of champagne, but at a fraction of the price so it made a wonderful beer “bubbly” drink for the NYE countdown.

Food Pairing: Melted brie and pears would make this perfect, I think I’ll grab one more bottle and try this pairing before they are all sold out.

The pears used in this beer come from the Interior of British Columbia in an orchard town called Keremeos, which is close to popular the popular tourist town of Osoyoos as well as BC’s most popular wine region commonly referred to as the Golden Mile. Here’s an idea of what that area looks like as well as the pears that were used in the making of this beer. The pic is from their Facebook Page, be sure to check it out for more information on their brewery.