Vancouver Island Brewery – Hermann’s Dark Lager

Vancouver Island Brewery – Hermann’s Dark Lager: This local craft beer is a Bavarian Dark Lager that is brewed in Victoria, BC at a strength of 5.5% alcohol level and was poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass at home. Aroma and Appearance: It has a dark brown almost amber look to it, pouring with…

Great Divide – Yeti Imperial Stout

Great Divide – Yeti Imperial Stout:  Brewed in Denver, CO with a cool label and name this Imperial Stout comes in at an intimidating 9.5% alcohol level, 75 IBU’s and was poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter like glass at home. Aroma and Appearance: It has a very dark brown, almost black appearance…

I have leveled up in Beer Geekiness

I would say on a scale of 1-5, I have leveled up to a level 4 beer geek. How can that be, well I home brew, I blog about beer, I attend festivals, I have a respectable cellar, I have a Level 1 Beer Enthusiast Certification, I host the odd tasting party (I own 10…

Import Craft Beers – Kona Brewing Big Wave Golden Ale

  Kona Brewing Big Wave Golden Ale: brewed by Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii (or potentially somewhere else in the USA),  it comes in at a 4.4% alcohol level and was enjoyed at home from a 12 oz bottle poured into a glass at night. Aroma and Appearance: This pours a golden honey colour, with lots of rising…

Import Craft Beers – Evil Twin Ryan and the Beaster Bunny

Evil Twin – Ryan and the Beaster Bunny:  Brewed in Connecticut by Two Roads ala Evil Twin Brewing, this Easter farmhouse ale measures up at 7.0% alcohol and was poured from a 12 oz bottle at home to help celebrate Easter. I love a good theme, so it was great to find a fitting beer, even if it…

Import Craft Beers – 8 Wired Saison Sauvin

  8 Wired – Saison Sauvin:  From New Zealand, this saison measures up at 7.0% alcohol and was poured from a 16.9 oz bottle at home. We are getting access to a lot of their beer in Vancouver, BC which is pretty exciting because they offer pretty good stuff. Aroma and Appearance: Pours a clear gold colour with…

Local Craft Beer – Whistler Brewing Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale

Whistler Brewing’s Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale: Brewed in Whistler, BC with 5.0% alcohol level and poured at home from a can. This is a spring release and is generally only available for half the year, which is about right for a grapefruit ale. Aroma and Appearance: Pours a hazy copper with a half inch of foam and is dominated by an aroma of grapefruit.…

BC Craft Beer – Whistler Brewing Valley Trail Chestnut Ale

Whistler Brewing’s Valley Trail Chestnut Brown Ale: Brewed in Whistler, BC with 5.0% alcohol level and poured at home from a bottle. This is a fall release and is generally only available for half the year, which is too bad as it would make a great camping beer.  This brewery makes all round decent beer, nothing super risky but…

Things to do – A quick taster tray at Green Leaf Brewing

  I decided to get a quick taster tray at Green Leaf Brewing, sampling four of their beers on tap. I am big fan of taster trays as its a perfect way to try lots of beer, for less money, with less alcohol consumption (especially for places that only sell their offerings in 22oz bottles). I…

Local Craft Beer – Parallel 49 Nitrogen Series ESB

Brewed in craft central Vancouver, BC comes Parallel 49’s Nitrogen Series ESB (5.0% alc, vertically poured at home from a nitrogenated bottle). Aroma and Appearance: Pours a dark amber like colour with a decent, but not amazing nitro head of foam with the typical cascade effect and has an aroma of floral hops and malt. Flavour: Mild floral hops flavour and…

Import Craft Beers – 8 Wired Fresh Hopwired IPA

From my second favourite New Zealand brewery comes 8 Wired – Fresh Hopwired Wet Hopped IPA (7.3%, poured from a 16.9 oz bottle at home). Aroma and Appearance: Pours a hazy light amber with a butt load of foam and has a mild floral and tangerine hop aroma which is a bit hard to detect over the foam.…

Import Craft Beers – Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA

From a solar powered brewery in Boonville, CA comes Anderson Valleys Brewing’s Hop Ottin IPA (7.0%, poured from a 22oz bottle at home) Aroma and Appearance: Pours a darker cloudy amber with an inch of foam, nice and bubbly and contains a very, very mild floral and citrus hop aroma with malty toffee. Flavour: Very, very malt forward with heavy toffee,…

Import Craft Beers – Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

  From a solar powered brewery in Boonville, CA comes Anderson Valleys Brewing’s Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout (5.8%, poured from a bottle at home) Aroma and Appearance: Pours a dark brown with a bit of foam and the aroma is dominated by smokey oats. Flavour: Starts with a smokey and creamy coffee flavour with the distinctive oatmeal stout texture and…

Local Craft Beer – Parallel 49 Lost Souls Chocolate Pumpkin Porter – aged 6 months

  Brewed in craft central Vancouver, BC comes Parallel 49’s Lost Souls Chocolate Pumpkin Porter (6.5% alc, poured at home from a 22oz bottle aged for 6 months). Aroma and Appearance: Pours a dark brown colour with a half inch or so of foam and has an aroma of Chocolate, Coffee and of course pumpkin Flavour: Not surprising it…

Local Craft Beer – Hoyne Hoyner Pilsner

Brewed in craft central Victoria, BC comes Hoyne Brewing’s Hoyner Pilsner (5.3% alc, poured at home from a 22oz bottle in a tall glass). Aroma and Appearance: Pours a clear straw yellow with 2 inches of white foam in a tall skinny glass, full of fast rising bubbles with a grassy hay like aroma and the standard…

Import Craft Beers – Breakside Salted Caramel Stout

  To celebrate National Beer Day yesterday, I had a collaboration brew from Portland, OR called Salted Caramel Stout by Breakside Brewery (6.7% alc, collaboration brew with Salt & Straw, poured at home from a 22oz bottle). If you have ever been to Portland and walked by the Salt and Straw Ice Cream locations, they always have line…

Local Craft Beers – Central City Red Racer Imperial IPA for Autism

From Surrey, BC comes Central City’ Red Racer Imperial IPA 2014 (a serious 9% alc double IPA for charity, poured at home from a 22oz bottle). This is a 2000 case special release in 2014, they also did one last year. Aroma and Appearance: Pours a nice copper colour with two fingers of foam and has lots of grapefruity tangerine-like…

Import Craft Beers – Bridgeport Hop Czar

From Portland, OR comes Bridgeport’s Hop Czar Imperial IPA (7.5% alc imperial IPA, poured at home from a 12 oz bottle).  Aroma and Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber, with nice lacy foam and the aroma consists of tropical floral notes, a bit of citrus and mango. Flavour: First of all there is a real bitterness to this one that hits you…

Import Craft Beers – Caldera IPA

From Ashland, OR comes Caldera Brewing’s IPA (6.1% alc poured at home from a can).  Aroma and Appearance: This beer has a really pleasant tangerine, caramel and tropical aroma that makes you want to smell it all the time. It pours a medium honey colour with a bit of haze, lots of foam and quick rising bubbles. Flavour: Lots of…

Roadtrip to Seattle for Craft Beer and Comic Con

One of the great things about living in Vancouver is that you live pretty close to other cool cities like Seattle. I make an annual trek to the city for Comic Con because I can be a bit of a nerd and at the same time it make a great excuse to go beer shopping,…

Import Craft Beers – Oskar Blues Imperial IPA

From Denver, CO comes Oskar Blues Imperial IPA (a serious 10% alc double IPA, poured in Seattle from a can).  Aroma and Appearance: Pours a clear copper honey like colour, with medium foam and some tiny bubbles that make their way up the glass. The aroma is dominated by grapefruit, floral, tangerine like hops. Flavour: Lots of sweet bready…

Import Craft Beers – Anchor Old Foghorn Barleywine

From San Franciso, CA comes Anchor Brewing’s Old Foghorn Barleywine (8.8% alc poured from a bottle while visiting Seattle).  Aroma and Appearance: Pours a dark amber with some foam, lots of toffee and raisin aroma and some good bubbles rising from the bottom. Flavour: this one hits you nicely with loads of sweet toffee, malt with some nice fruitiness and floral hop notes…

Import Craft Beers – Uinta Anniversary Barleywine

From Salt Lake City, UT comes Uinta – Anniversary Barleywine (a hefty 10.4% alc Barleywine poured from a bottle while visiting Seattle).  Aroma and Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with minimal foam and is full of dark fruit, raisin and caramel aroma. Flavour: this barleywine hits you with sweet molasses malt and plum and finishes with bitter, piney hops and finally…

Import Craft Beers – AleSmith IPA

From San Diego, CA comes AleSmith IPA (a 7.25% IPA, poured from a bottle while visiting Seattle).  Aroma and Appearance: Pours a nice copper colour, very clear with some good foam and a mix of tangerine, grapefruit and piney aroma. Flavour: Smooth, piney and malty sweet citrus upfront with a bitter IPA finish and a grapefruit aftertaste. Well balanced,…

Things to do – A quick taster tray at Rogue Wetbar

It’s nice to had a place you can drop in, sample some beer and still be home on time for dinner – travel via transit of course, would not recommend driving immediately after even a pint of craft beer. Rogue Wetbar offers these sampler trays for a $7.99 which I think is a reasonable price for…

Import Craft Beers – Double Mountain Fa La La La La Winter Ale

From Hood River, OR comes Double Mountain Fa La La La La Winter Ale (7.5% alc, from a 500 mL bottle and poured at home). Aroma & Appearance – aroma of sweet malt, huge floral and citrus hops, pours a amber colour with a think head of foam that leaves a nice lacing as it disappears. Flavour – Starts…

Import Craft Beers – Brasserie d’Achouffe “Houblon Chouffe” Dobbelen IPA Tripel

From Belgium comes “Houblon Chouffe” Dobbelen IPA Tripel (9% alc, from a re-fermented bottle and poured at home) Aroma and Appearance: Pours a hazy pale copper, exploding with foam as soon as I popped the cap off and pours with a thick lacy head (that I slowed down so not to spill over). Loaded with clove and spicy…

Import Craft Beers – Goose Island Beer Pere Jacques (aged 3 years)

I had high anticipation for this three year old Pere Jacques Belgian Dubbel by Goose Island Beer (8% alc, from a 75 cL re-fermented bottle and poured at home) and it delivered. Aroma & Appearance – Lots of dark fruit, caramels and a bit of spice, pours fairly flat with minimal carbonation. Flavour – I didn’t takes notes on this…

Craft Beer Review – Half Pints Brewing Stir Stick Stout

Half Pints Brewing – Stir Stick Stout – Described as a Coffee Infused stout from Winnipeg, MB, this updated review of the 5% abv and 35 IBU bottle of beer was poured into the same snifter glass and enjoyed at home. Aroma and Appearance: This beer pours a coffee like dark brown colour with hardly any foam, and…

Big Ridge Brewing – Casks of March

Casks of March event at Big Ridge Brewery: Featuring 7 different casks from 7 unique breweries this even was held in the Surrey, BC Big Ridge Brewery Location. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but with no cover charge and 7 sampler tickets for $13 I was certainly interested in attending this event, and…

BC Craft Beer – Old Yale Brewing Screaming Banshee Irish Cream Stout

Old Yale Brewing Screaming Banshee Irish Cream Stout: Formerly know as Larry’s Irish Cream Stout, this 7.5% abv beer is brewed in Chilliwack, BC and is infused with Irish cream to give it some extra flavour and flair. Aroma and Appearance: Pours dark red with some decent lacing foam and carries an aroma of sweet dark coffee,…

Local Craft Beer – Granville Island Shamrocker Potato Stout

Brewed in Vancouver, BC comes Granville Island’s Shamrocker Potato Stout (4.8% alc, poured at home from a 22oz bottle), lately these small batch beers from this place have been pretty good. Aroma and Appearance: pours a very dark red and appears black in the glass, with a small dark head that dissipates quickly. Aroma consists of roasted…

Import Beers – Asahi Super Dry

All the way from Japan comes the commercial offering Asahi Super Dry (5% alc, from a tiny 4oz can in a teeny 4oz taster glass). Some days you don’t have room in your diet for a big beer, today was one of them so I drank a tiny beer. Aroma and Appearance: Light transparent honey colour, pours with…

Import Craft Beers – Brasserie Dieu du Ciel’s Derniere Volonte

From Quebec, comes Brasserie Dieu du Ciel’s Derniere Volonte (7% alc, from a re-fermented bottle and poured at home) Aroma and Appearance: pours a hazy honey colour, with very little foam and aggressive small bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Aroma is dominated by clovey spice and banana with a side of tropical hops. Flavour: heavy…

BC Craft Beer – Four Winds IPA

Four Winds IPA: Brewed locally in Delta, BC at a strength of 7% abv and 70 IBUs, this is one of my favourite local IPA’s because it has a good balance of malts and hoppy bitterness, while still managing to highlight both quite nicely. Aroma and Appearance: Pours a hazy pale amber with a thick lacy three…

Craft Beer Review – Muskoka Brewery Twice as Mad Tom Double IPA

Muskoka Brewery – Twice as Mad Tom Double IPA: Brewed in Bracebridge, Ontario at a strength 8.4% abv and 71 IBUs, this craft beer was enjoyed at home from a 12 oz bottle. Aroma and Appearance: Pours a copper orange gold colour with 1 finger of foam, some bubbles and a bit of sediment not uncommon to Double IPA’s.…

Import Craft Beers – Noel de Calabaza by Jolly Pumpkin

 My first Sour Beer review is “Noel de Calabaza” by Jolly Pumpkin (a whopping 9.0% alc, from a 75 cL re-fermented bottle and poured at home) Aroma and Appearance: This pours a very dark brown with a touch of foam and the aroma is dominated by tartness, grapefruit and a touch of funk. Flavour: Well, it’s a sour…

Import Craft Beers – “La Goudale de Noel” by Les Brasseurs De Gayant

All the way from France comes “La Goudale de Noel” by Les Brasseurs De Gayant (7.7% alc, from a 75 cL re-fermented bottle and poured at home) Aroma and Appearance: Pours a dark copper with a small 1/2 inch head of foam, almost no bubble action in the glass. I get notes of plum, dark fruit, raisin…

Mill Street Brewery – Seasonal 6 pack Sampler Review

  I wanted to do a quick write up on this 6 pack and show my admiration for Mill St. Brewery’s offering a sampler 6 pack with six unique beers. Now, nothing in here was overly unique in terms of what they offer, however allowing me to try 6 beers for the price of a…

Import Craft Beers – Mill Street Brewery Vanilla Porter

Beer 6 from Mill Street’s Seasonal 6 pack sampler is Mill Street Brewery’s Vanilla Porter (5.0% alc, poured at home from a widgetized can).  Aroma and Appearance: This beer pours a very dark reddish brown with a massive cascade and a gargantuan 2.5 inch head. Aroma is roasted coffee beans and vanilla, honestly it smells like a…

Import Craft Beers – Mill Street Brewery Organic Lager

Beer 5 from Mill Street’s Seasonal 6 pack sampler is Mill Street Brewery’s Organic Lager (a mere 4.2% alc, poured at home from a bottle).  Aroma and Appearance: Very soft grassy aromas, with an apple/pear like note. Pours a pale golden yellow, with a quickly dissipating 1 inch head of foam and a whole lot of bubble…

Import Craft Beers – Mill Street Brewery Cobblestone Stout

Beer 4 from Mill Street’s Seasonal 6 pack sampler is Mill Street Brewery’s Cobblestone Stout (4.2% alc, poured at home from a can with a nitrogen widget).  Aroma and Appearance: This beer pours a very dark reddish brown and appears black in the glass. It is nitrogenated, so pours with a decent cascading effect and an 3/4…

Import Craft Beers – Mill Street Brewery Weizenbock

Beer 3 from Mill Street’s Seasonal 6 pack sampler is Mill Street Brewery’s Weizenbock (a hefty 7.5% alc, poured at home from a bottle).  Aroma and Appearance: This beer pours a very dark almost red copper with just a touch of foam at the top (which stays the whole time) and carries aroma’s of toffee, raisin and…

Import Craft Beers – Mill Street Brewery Distillery Ale

Beer 2 from Mill St’s Seasonal 6 pack sampler is Mill Street Brewery’s Distillery Ale (5.8% alc, poured at home from a bottle). Aroma and Appearance: Aroma of caramel and some bits of dark fruit. Pours a copper colour with a small head of foam and very little visible carbonation. Flavour: Very bready malt flavour with a bit…

Import Craft Beers – Mill Street Brewery Tankhouse Ale

From Mill St’s Seasonal 6 pack sampler comes Mill Street Brewery’s Tankhouse Ale (5.2% alc, poured at home from a bottle). I love the idea of a 6 pack sampler, well done Mill Street. Aroma and Appearance: Floral, citrus and a bit of pine aroma. Pours a golden copper with a 1 inch head of foam with…

Import Craft Beers – St-Feuillien / Green Flash Belgium Coastal IPA

From St-Feuillien / Green Flash collaboration comes their Belgium Coastal IPA (7.5% alc, poured at home from a bottle). These collaboration beers are always fun to try, I often buy them on site. Aroma and Appearance: Banana and clove dominate the nose and it pours a hazy gold colour with a massive head of foam and fast rising…

BC Craft Beer Review – Four Winds Pale Ale

Brewed in Delta, BC comes Four Winds Pale Ale (5.2% alc, poured at home from a bottle) in my opinion the breakout brewery of the year last year. These are available in four packs. Aroma and Appearance: fresh floral, citrus and a bit of a tropical aroma, pours copper coloured with minimal foam and not a lot of…

Cannery Brewing Naramata Nut Brown Ale

Brewed in Penticton, BC comes Cannery Brewing’s Naramata Nut Brown Ale (5.5% alc, poured at home from a can). Despite the name, you can get these in bottles as well, however to stay true to the name I picked up a can to try it out. Aroma and Appearance: nose of nuts, earth and sweet molasses,…

Local Craft Beer – Bowen Island Artisan IPA

Bowen Island Artisan IPA (5.5% alc, poured at home from a can) ‎Aroma and Appearance: golden with small bubbles, very mild floral and grapefruit aroma and a nice foamy head that fades away Flavour: grapefruit hops, crisp with a bitter and dry finish, but not at all comparable to IPA kick from North Western IPA’s. In…

Local Craft Beer – Granville Island Brockton IPA

Granville Island Brockton IPA (6% alc, poured at home from a can) ‎Aroma and Appearance: golden with lots of bubbles, very mild tropical aroma and a nice foamy head Flavour: clean with small bitter finish, a bit bready‎ without the usual IPA kick from the hops I am used to. Overall: a bit underwhelming, bit…