Author Archives: Daniel Wilson

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About Daniel Wilson

I love making drinks for my friends and family, and, of course, sampling my concoctions myself! Finding and playing around with recipes is a favourite past time of mine and I hope to share that passion with all my readers.

BC Beer Baron #308 – Boombox/Machine Ales Pablo Esco Gnar IPA

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One of the friends I attended the BC Beer Awards with had a simple game plan going in, with sampling this Boombox Brewing and Machine Ales beverage at the top of his list. After having a taste myself, I can totally understand why.

The Pablo Esco Gnar IPA (awesome name!) is a northeastern version of the India Pale Ale. The 7.2% ABV drink is produced using oats and lactose and has instantly become a hit on the BC craft beer scene, thanks to being available at various Lower Mainland pubs.

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Boombox Brewing is currently working out of the Callister Brewing location, Canada’s first collaborative brewery. Machine Ales is a graduate of this system, where upstart operations can use the space for a year, before moving forward with their development.

The Pablo Esco Gnar IPA earned the two breweries some hard-earned recognition at those very BC Beer Awards, taking home the coveted CBC People’s Choice Award. That award was voted on by attendees of the event.

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BC Beer Baron #307 – Townsite Blackberry Festivale

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While the true fruit and wheat beer season may have passed, that doesn’t mean these drinks can’t be found anymore. The summer treats are perfect year-round, as far as the Sip Advisor is concerned (patio season can’t return faster!) and here’s an example from Townsite Brewing.

The Blackberry Festivale is brewed with what I can only assume are locally-sourced blackberries. The berries give the beverage a purplish hue and a tart finish, which is evened out by the unfiltered wheat content. The beer comes with stats of 5.2% ABV and 14 IBUs.

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I was able to try the Blackberry Festivale at last month’s BC Beer Awards. This was thanks to the group behind the BC Ale Trail, who had set up a spin-the-wheel game where you got a sample from the region of the province you landed on.

The Awards was a perfect event for the Ale Trail to showcase this beer, as in 2012, it took home first place in the Fruit Beer category. What a way to pay homage to Powell River’s favourite fruit, which even gets its own festival and street party.

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BC Beer Baron #306 – Stanley Park Smoked Baltic Porter

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Right in time for the coming season, Stanley Park Brewing has brought out a winter warmer that may be hard to track down. After sampling it at the recent BC Beer Awards, I hope it’s eventually released en masse.

The Smoked Baltic Porter pays tribute to brewing traditions of the past. It features flavours of roasted and caramelized malts with its smoke content being reminiscent of bacon. The 7.8% ABV, 28 IBUs drink is potent, while also soothing.

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A special release cask, you unfortunately won’t see this beer on store shelves (at least for the time being). You may luck out however and get to experience the brew on tap at various locations around the province.

The term ‘Baltic Porter’ refers to a brewing style that originated in regions such as Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, among others. It’s kind of a hybrid between British Porters and Russian Imperial Stouts… dark and boozy!

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BC Beer Baron #305 – Tin Whistle Black Widow English Dark Ale

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Spider decorations are synonymous with Halloween, so why not partake in this Tin Whistle Brewing product on what’s supposed to be the scariest day of the year?

The Black Widow English Dark Ale is light, but flavourful, featuring tastes of roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. The 5% ABV beverage has a very low hop content, making it pretty accessible for all types of drinkers.

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The beer was formerly known as a Mild Ale, but I prefer the English Dark Ale designation better. It can be found in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores and other private locations around the province.

Mrs. Sip is deathly afraid of spiders, which has given the Sip Advisor ample opportunity to be her hero, stomping on and disposing of the eight-legged terrors. I simply hate walking into their sticky webs.

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BC Beer Baron #304 – Main Street Red Back Amber Ale

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Perfect for the Halloween season and with today being Devil’s Night, why not review this Main Street Brewing product, which features a red-backed spider as part of its logo? After all, the red back arachnid is both poisonous and into sexual cannibalism.

The Red Back Amber Ale comes from the American Amber/Red Ale family and features four different hop varieties, which deliver a punch of tropical fruit flavours and bitterness. Like a spider’s web, Main Street warns that the brew “is easy to get ensnared in” and that’s one trap I’d be happy to have in my face.

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This 7% ABV, 60 IBUs seasonal release is available in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores, as well as on tap at Main Street, through the winter months. It first debuted in cask form in October 2014, before moving to bottles in January 2015.

The Red Back Amber Ale took home a silver medal from the 2015 Canadian Brewing Awards in the Best American Style Amber/Red Ale category. I can’t think of a better beverage (aside from absinthe) to pair with my and Mrs. Sip’s feast, honouring James Patrick March from American Horror Story: Hotel.

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BC Beer Baron #303 – R&B Enigma Kettle Sour

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One of the highlights of the BC Beer Awards was the broad spectrum of brewing styles that were on display. That included this tart offering from R&B Brewing.

The Enigma Kettle Sour is a dry-hopped sour ale, featuring the eponymous Enigma hops, in combination with Galaxy hops. The 6.5% ABV, 18 IBUs beverage is stronger than many sours on the market, which certainly catches the Sip Advisor’s eye.

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The latest release from R&B’s Mount Pleasant Series is available in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores. It can also be found on tap at R&B’s awesome new tasting room in the Brewery Creek area of Vancouver.

Also part of the Mount Pleasant Series are the Vienna Lager and White IPA. The series focuses on limited edition brews, offering “new and interesting flavours” for drinkers.

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BC Beer Baron #302 – Dageraad Dark Days Saison

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With the days growing darker and daylight hours being squeezed to a minimum, things can get pretty glum. At least the season inspired Dageraad Brewing to create this product.

The Dark Days Saison is brewed with spices and incorporates golden naked oats and fennel into the recipe. The 5.6% ABV beverage was right up my alley, as saisons are a favourite family for the Sip Advisor.

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This limited release can only be found on tap at Dageraad, so I’m lucky to have got the chance to sample the brew. It won’t stick around forever, so those curious should get out to Burnaby quickly.

As Mrs. Sip and I told the crew operating the Dageraad booth at the BC Beer Awards, they are one of the few Lower Mainland establishments we have yet to visit. For shame!

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BC Beer Baron #301 – Red Collar Doppelbock

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The 2016 BC Beer Awards may go down as the event where I discovered a true love for this style of beer. That was thanks in large part to a serving of this beverage from Red Collar Brewing.

The Doppelbock is clean and crisp, featuring roasted malts and a balanced amount of hops. At 7.7% and 32 IBUs, this may be the booziest lager the Sip Advisor has come across… and I loved it.

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A fall/winter seasonal release, the Dopplebock is available in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores. I’m willing to bet the drink will be perfect for Christmas gatherings.

It’s been many years since I was last in Kamloops, but I would love to do a swing through the region and hop around to the various breweries that have launched in the area. Now I just need the time off!

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BC Beer Baron #300 – Fuggles & Warlock Chrono Wet Hop IPA

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We are amidst wet hop beer season and for some, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Fuggles & Warlock Brewing have taken advantage of the bounty, releasing this amazing drink, which I was able to partake in at the BC Beer Awards.

The Chrono Wet Hop IPA features freshly-picked Cascade and Centennial hops from BC Hop Co, which were added to this beer’s recipe within hours of being plucked. The 6.9% ABV, 66 IBUs brew is not for the faint-hearted, as citrus and bitterness will explode through your taste buds and take hold of your senses.

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The beverage is available in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores, as well as from the Fuggles & Warlock tasting room in Richmond, where it is also on tap. I really enjoyed this IPA, so I should make some time to get a growler fill.

I believe the beer’s theming comes from the popular role-playing video game Chrono Trigger, originally for the Super Nintendo. While I never played this game, not being much of an RPG fan, I do know it’s a childhood favourite for many around the world.

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BC Beer Baron #299 – Moon Under Water Hip As Funk Farmhouse IPA

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What do you get when you combine two of my favourite beer styles – IPA and Saison? A very happy Sip Advisor, that’s what. It’s no surprise the folks at Moon Under Water Brewing were able to provide this treat at the recent BC Beer Awards.

The Hip As Funk Farmhouse IPA was very good. The brewery describes the 7% ABV, 35 IBU beverage as “Skittles in the attic,” thanks to the use of hops that provide flavours of tropical fruits and the mix of yeast and malts that round out the recipe.

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Released on International Women’s Day in 2015 and featuring the image of a strong lady on its label, Moon Under Water intended for the brew to represent the female beer drinker, who is often inaccurately depicted by the industry.

The drink’s label was designed by artist Bjauna Sorensen. “Female craft beer drinkers know what they like and unapologetically drink it,” said brewery co-owner Chelsea Walker. The IPA is available in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores.

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