Sample Series – Townsite Brewing Quartz Blended Wild Ale

I was super stoked to see this beer arrive on my door step one day and wanted to feature it on my Sample Series reviews.

Sample Series – BC Craft Brewers Guild & Bomber Brewing Collaboration Oktoberfest Beer

Craft Oktoberfest, or festbiers, are styles that I typically avoid buying locally because they are usually poorly made (sorry, but that’s the truth). It also doesn’t help that you can get some pretty good German imports for a few bucks a can and most of those are pretty spot on. That being said, as someone…

Sample Series – Beau’s Full Time IPA, a West Coast Beer From the East

The local IPA scene lately has been littered with cloudy, New England or Eastern Style IPA’s, which has been a real treat for a while but it can be a bit overwhelming at times with all the fruit and lack of bitterness in the hopped up beers. Because of this, I’ve been craving more West…

IPA Review – Melvin Citradamus Imperial IPA

At a time when all the new IPA’s seem to be hazy, low on malt flavour and absent of any bitterness, this beer stands up amongst them and says FUCK YOU! Just when I thought I could no longer be shocked or impressed by relatively clear, strong chewy imperial IPA, Melvin brewing just goes ahead…

Sample Series – A Look At Moody’s Sublime Pineapple Hefeweizen

I’ve always been a little iffy about pineapple beers, never really finding one that I enjoyed. So the thought of a free sample to try out was perfect for my endeavor to finally find a pineapple beer I can appreciate.

BC Craft Beer Review – Four Winds Norwegian Wood Farmhouse Ale

Norwegian Wood is the name of a famous song by the Beatles written about an affair that John Lennon was involved in. It is also, apparently, the name of this beer. However, the similarities between the song name and the beer pretty much end there. Instead of a coy reference to cheap wall paneling, the…

Sample Series – Trading Post Brewing Starts A Bold New Bomber Bottle Program

Gavin Hamilton, a Scotsman who began his career as an apprentice clerk for the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Langley, apparently shot and killed not one, but three bears with a double barrel shotgun on a canoe trip while hunting for wild ducks.

Classic Series – A Review of Brooklyn Lager

One of the things I’ve committed to doing more often is visiting those classic, long lived beers that have been around for quite some time and likely have had a decent influence on shaping of the beer industry we know today. In my Classic Series of reviews I’ll be looking at beers that have existed…

IPA Review – Hearthstone IPA

It’s funny, this beer has been out locally for over a year now and I’ve always had a tough time finding it fresh enough to buy (I won’t buy a canned IPA older than 4 months, I won’t buy undated ones). Every time I found it, it was always a year old, eight months old,…

Sample Series – A Look At Steamworks & Dageraad East of East Van Saison

East of East Van comes in a large format 750mL bottle that retails for about $13 a piece and was co-brewed by Steamworks and Dageraad Breweries for a March 2017 release. This is a bottle conditioned Saison beer, where the carbonation is naturally derived from residual yeast interacting with sugars in the beer (usually topped…

IPA Review – Fuggles & Warlock Valis Imperial IPA

I’ve generally enjoyed most Fuggles & Warlock beers, but I have to admit I’m really partial to their IPA releases which are always great.

BC Craft Beer Review – Strange Fellows Goldilocks Belgian Golden Strong

Goldilocks is a seasonal limited release beer from Strange Fellows Brewing in Vancouver, BC that is brewed to a strength of 8.5% abv and sold in a 750mL bottle for around $15 a piece. Although I still found it to be a touch expensive (about the same price as a 4x16oz pack of their regular…

IPA Review – Four Winds & Powell Collaboration Farmhouse IPA

This beer is a unique collaboration effort between Powell Brewery and Four Winds Brewing which was released in 4 packs of 16 oz cans a couple of weeks ago into the market. It has a fairly low IBU of 31 with an ABV of 6.8% and is more of a hybrid style than either a…

Steel & Oak Puts the Wine Back Into Barleywine With En Blanc and En Rouge Winter Releases

Steel & Oak in New Westminster has been known for churning out some unique and interesting seasonal releases that help differentiate them from other BC breweries.

IPA Review – Superflux Colour & Shape

Superflux Colour & Shape IPA: Formerly known as Machine Brewing who operated out of Callister’s co-op model brewery, Superflux is the new operating name for these folks who made themselves known as masters of IPA’s and hop forward beers

BC Craft Beer Review – Four Winds Mona

Steamworks Flagship IPA: A recipe “4 years in the making” according to the brewery, this recent BC Beer Awards Gold Medal Winning IPA celebrates the invasion of the NE IPA (aka North East, aka New England) variety of IPA’s into British Columbia. Perhaps ignited by the likes of Heady Topper or other eastern USA breweries […]

IPA Review – Melvin Asterisk Double IPA

Melvin Asterisk DIPA: Described as the cousin of 2X4 on Melvin’s website this 9% abv Double IPA is my choice for IPA of the week for a few reasons.

BC Craft Beer Review – Steel & Oak Baltic Porter

These folks have been consistently brewing interesting and high quality seasonal releases since they opened up so I felt their recently release Baltic Porter was worth of being my inaugural Local Beer of the Week recommendation

IPA Review – Twin Sails Slam Dank

Twin Sails has been pumping out all kinds of unique and interesting IPA’s lately and I felt this one deserved to be called out as my first IPA of the week

BC Craft Beer Review – Steamworks Flagship IPA

So You Want To Take A Beer Tour? Vine & hops in Vancouver Has You Covered

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of being invited to a special beer tour put together for beer bloggers as an introduction to the Vine & hops Wine and Craft Beer Tour Company. From what I gathered, they are targeting clients who are interested in customizable private tours as well as running…

Craft Beer Review – Russian River Pliny the Elder

Russian River Pliny the Elder: This was another bucket list beer of mine that I was super excited to try, I have heard about it a lot and couldn’t wait to pop it open. Brewed in Santa Rosa, CA to a strength of 8% with 100 IBUs this beer is meant to be drank as fresh…

Craft Beer Review – Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Organic Farmhouse Ale

Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Organic Farmhouse Ale: Day 7 of my Beer Advent Calendar exchange with my father, this is a farmhouse ale brewed to a strength of 8% abv and uses a strain of Brettanomyces yeast to give it some extra funk. Funny enough, I have a 2013 bottle in my cellar that I totally forgot…

Craft Beer Review – Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2014

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2014: Brewed in Portland, Oregon by a brewery that introduced me to the wonderful world of Barleywine and Old Ales, this is a 2014 bottle of their Christmas release that is brewed to a strength of 11% abv. It was day 6 of my advent calendar exchange with my father,…

Craft Beer Review – Brewmaster Jack Hoppines Is A Warm Pun Double IPA

Brewmaster Jack Hoppines Is A Warm Pun Double IPA: Brewed in Northhampton Massachusetts, this beer comes in at a strength of 8.2% abv and contains 100 IBUs worth of Moteuka and Galaxy hops. I admit, I’ve never ever heard of Moteuka hops before, but some quick googling revealed that it’s a cross breed of Saaz and…

Craft Beer Review – Crooked Stave Surette Provision Saison

Crooked Stave Surette Provision Saison: Labelled batch 15 and born in 2014, this sour saison is brewed to a strength of 6.2% abv. Crooked Stave in Denver, CO is one of those breweries I’d heard of, but never had a chance to try their beer (other than in a collaboration format) until it recently appeared all…

Taster Tray Series – Callister Brewing in Vancouver, BC

Taster Tray Series – Callister Brewing in Vancouver, BC: Today’s feature is Callister Brewing which is located in Vancouver, BC in the East Van (or Yeast Van) brewing district. What makes this place particularly interesting is that it is a functional co-op style brewhouse, featuring Callister brewing and three other breweries under one roof. Specifically, Brewery Creek, Machine…

Craft Beer Review – Almanac Farmers Reserve Blackberry Ale

Almanac Farmers Reserve Blackberry Ale: This is a sour blonde ale that is infused with blackberries, aged in wine barrels and brewed to a strength of 7% abv. They use a blend of American and Belgian wild yeasts and a sourdough starter to ferment the beer in multiple barrels, eventually blending it together before bottling it.…

Taster Tray Series – Strange Fellows Brewing in Vancouver, BC

Taster Tray Series – Strange Fellows Brewing: Today’s feature is Strange Fellows Brewing which is located in East Vancouver, BC – an area we like to refer to as the Yeast Van district since it’s home to a host of great breweries like this one. This place is one of the more celebrated new breweries in BC, a brewery that…

BC Craft Beer Review – Four Winds Wildflower Saison

Four Winds Wildflower Saison: This variant from Delta, BC brewer Four Winds is brewed to a strength of 6.5% abv with 30 IBUs. It’s infused with both chamomile and elderflowers to give some unique botanical properties, being a seasonal release that is a part of their Eurus series (aka the really fricken good ones). These limited…

Craft Beer Review – Anderson Valley The Kimmie, The Yink and The Holy Gose Ale

Anderson Valley The Kimmie, The Yink and The Holy Gose Ale: Also known as Anderson Valley Gose, this sessionable beer is brewed to a strength of 4.2% abv with a good portion of malted wheat, added salt, coriander and it went through a kettle souring process prior to its fermentation. Aroma and Appearance: It pours a clear gold…

Taster Tray Series – One20 Public House in Delta, BC

Taster Tray Series – One20 Public House: Today’s feature is the One20 Public House which is located in Delta, BC on Scott Road (aka 120th street, hence the name). I recently attended a Steel & Oak Brewmaster’s dinner there and couldn’t resist ordering a taster tray off of their excellent local beer list once the dinner event finished.…

Craft Beer Review – pFriem Family Brewers Down Under IPA

pFriem Family Brewers Down Under IPA: Brewed in Hood River, OR this IPA comes in at a strength of 7.2% abv and 65 IBUs. pFriem is just starting to send more bottled product up to BC, but it can also be found in Washington State and they make some pretty stellar soured beers and saisons that I…

Taster Tray Series – Doan’s Craft Brewing in Vancouver, BC

Taster Tray Series – Doan’s Craft Brewing in Vancouver, BC: Today’s feature is Doan’s Craft Brewing which is located in Vancouver, BC near the center of the East Van brewing district. Mike and Evan, the owners of the brewery, were actually the little brothers of my childhood friend Jon so it was pretty interesting to see them…

Taster Tray Series – Howe Sound Devil’s Elbow Ale & Smokehouse in Vancouver, BC

Taster Tray Series – Howe Sound Devil’s Elbow Ale & Smokehouse: Today’s feature is the Devil’s Elbow Ale & Smokehouse which is in Vancouver, BC at a convenient location right next to the Stadium Skytrain station, which is core feature of our public transit system. I’ve been meaning to visit this place ever since it opened in 2014,…

Taster Tray Series – Big River Brewing Company in Richmond, BC

Taster Tray Series – Big River Brewing Company in Richmond, BC: One of my favourite things to do is sample beer, be it at a festival, at a bottle share, a bar or even better at the brewery where the beer is made. In this blog series I’ll be featuring different taster trays from mostly local…

Craft Beer Review – Huss Brewing That’ll Do IPA

Huss Brewing That’ll Do IPA: Hailing from Tempe, AZ this is an IPA in an unassuming can that is brewed to a strength of 7.1% abv with 91 IBUs of Simcoe, Columbus and Zythos Hops according to the brewer’s website. I didn’t go there recently, however Mike’s Craft Beer was happy to share one with me (thanks Mike)…

Craft Beer Review – Dieu Du Ciel & The Alchemist Moralité IPA

Dieu Du Ciel & The Alchemist Moralité IPA: Is an American IPA style beer collaboration with two great brewers, one known for Heady Topper which is one the most highly regarded IPA’s in North America and the other known for a great line up beers. I drank this within about 1 month of the bottling date,…

Craft Beer Review – Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2015

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2015: Brewed in Chico, CA, this is a Barleywine that they have been brewing since 1983, which was pretty brave for a microbrewery back in the day. One of the more readily available Barleywines, Bigfoot is brewed to a strength of 9.6% abv with 90 IBUs of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops in order…

Book Review – Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider’s Guide to BC Breweries

Craft Beer Revolution – The Insider’s Guide to BC Breweries (Second Edition): Authored by Joe Wiebe, aka the Thirsty Writer, this is the quintessential guide to the world of craft beer in British Columbia which has been updated to include 40 new breweries that have opened up since the first edition came out in 2013.…

Craft Beer Review – Ninkasi Devil Went Down to Oregon Imperial Dark Rye Beer

Ninkasi Devil Went Down to Oregon Imperial Dark Rye Beer: Brewed in Eugene, Oregon in collaboration with Devil’s Backbone Brewing in Virginia, this beer was brewed to a strength of 7.2% abv with 72 IBUs worth of Chinook, Simcoe, Mt Hood, Tettnang and Willamette hops. It was fermented with an Altbier yeast and matured cooler than…

BC Craft Beer Review – Four Winds Vexillum Imperial IPA

Four Winds Vexillum Imperial IPA: Brewed in Delta, BC to a strength of 9% abv and 100 IBU’s, I managed to buy this directly at the brewery and consume it on its first day of release so this was about as fresh as it gets beyond drinking it straight from the tank. Aroma and Appearance: It pours…

Craft Beer Review – Russian River Blind Pig IPA

Russian River Blind Pig IPA: This was a bucket list beer of mine that I was super excited to try and it did really live up to its name. Brewed in Santa Rosa, CA to a strength of 6.1% with 70 IBUs this beer is meant to be drank as fresh as possible, my bottle was…

BC Craft Beer Review – Bomber Brewing Blood From A Stone Collaboration

Bomber Brewing Blood From A Stone Collaboration: In collaboration with Stone Brewing Compamy to celebrate their BC launch, Bomber Brewing released this 6.8% abv and 60 IBU Red Rye IPA in a screen printed bottle, keeping with the Stone Brewing tradition. Aroma and Appearance: It pours a clear amber colour with medium carbonation and two fingers of ivory…

Craft Beer Review – Coronado Blue Bridge Coffee Stout

View this post on Instagram Another solid coffee stout from the west coast #instabeer #beergeek A post shared by Terry Hickey (@westcoastbeergeek) on Feb 10, 2015 at 11:42am PST Craft Beer Review – Coronado Blue Bridge Coffee Stout: Brewed in Coronado, California to a strength of 5.4% abv using dark roast coffee from San Diego,…

BC Craft Beer Review – Bomber Brewing Apex Barleywine

Bomber Brewing Apex Barleywine: Brewed to a strength of 10% abv with apparently 15 different malts and 73 IBU’s, this barleywine was aged in french oak red wine barrels for 9 months before bottling and was released in January 2015. Aroma and Appearance: It pours a dark red amber colour with minimal foam and some centered carbonation.…

BC Craft Beer Review – Phillips Hammer Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Phillips Hammer Barrel Aged Imperial Stout: Likely the cheapest barrel aged Imperial Stout I have ever seen (like $7 for a 22 oz bottle), this beer is brewed to a strength of 8.3% abv and is aged in bourbon barrels for an undisclosed period of time. Aroma and Appearance: Pours with two fingers of foam, a dark…

BC Craft Beer Review – Central City / Four Winds Collaboration Maiden Voyage Cedar Aged Pale Ale

Central City / Four Winds Collaboration Maiden Voyage Cedar Aged Pale Ale: In conjunction with the BC Craft Brewers Guild, this is part of a collaboration series which should be continuing soon in the spring of 2015 with hopefully another release, perhaps with different brewers? Maiden Voyage was brewed to a strength of 6% abv, with…

Central City Winter Cask Festival 2015 – Where The Brewers Go To Drink

Central City Winter Cask Festival 2015: In BC I would say this is one of the larger cask events that is offered, this particular one featuring 39 casks from 37 breweries which is kind of crazy when you think about it. The Winter Cask Fest is held annually in January at the Central City Brewpub location in…

BC Craft Beer Review – Bridge Brewing Black Rye IPA

Bridge Brewing Black Rye IPA: A new release from this recently expanded North Vancouver, BC brewery, this darker Rye IPA is brewed to a strength of 5.8% abv and 68 IBUs. Aroma and Appearance: This beer pours a very dark brown with 3 huge fingers of foam (pour carefully) and no visible bubbles. Its aroma consists of…