Category Archives: Beer of the Week

Beer of the Week #47 – Old Yale West Coast IPA

Posted on by
Reply

In order to be prepared for any visitors over the holiday season (namely the Sip Advisor), Ma Sip picked up the Old Yale Brewing Winter Craft Cooler to stock the beer fridge. Last weekend, I happily partook in this offering.

Among the case was the West Coast IPA, which was hoppy and flavourful. The 6% ABV, 55 IBUs beverage was just what I was looking for to accompany my meal, even if it didn’t match the brews suggested pairings, including: coconut curry, samosas and strong cheeses.

Old Yale West Coast IPA

Also part of the Winter Craft Cooler are the BC Backyard Lager, Off Trail Pale Ale and Old Paddle Pilsner. The set is available at BC Liquor Stores, as well as Old Yale’s Chilliwack tasting room and private liquor stores. A seasonal selection would have complimented the pack.

One product from Old Yale I’d really like to get my hands on is the Himalayan Salted Caramel Porter. Released earlier this month, the beer is part of the brewery’s Trailblazer Series, which offers single batch, limited releases.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #46 – Persephone India Pale Ale

Posted on by
Reply

As Mrs. Sip and I travelled around the Vancouver Christmas Market, I was delighted to discover that Persephone Brewing was on hand, sampling five beers from their lineup. Of course, I tried them all and had a good chat with their people.

The India Pale Ale was my favourite of the bunch, with a balanced flavour experience, featuring tastes of citrus, hops and malt. The 6.5% ABV, 60 IBUs beverage hits all the numbers I like to see. The beer can be found in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores

Persephone India Pale Ale

Also available to try were the Black Lager, Persephone Pale Ale, Goddess Golden Ale, and Keller Pilsner. Of these, my second favourite was a close competiton between the Black Lager and Persephone Pale Ale, with the edge going to the Black Lager.

Mrs. Sip and I hope to get to Gibsons and the brewery’s tasting room in the near future. It was suggested we visit during the Sunshine Coast Beer Fest, which Persephone hosts each February, comprised of 17 BC craft creators.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #45 – Dogwood London Fog

Posted on by
1

On one of my many “research” jaunts to the liquor store, I came across this Dogwood Brewing release that instantly jumped out at me as unique. Upon checking out the product more thoroughly, I knew I had to at least try it.

The London Fog (the nickname of an Earl Grey Latte) is of the session ale variety. This seasonal/specialty brew is made with organic Earl Grey tea and French vanilla. When tasting it, my mind expected a chocolate finish to follow the flavours and was tricked when a beer aftertaste came instead.

Dogwood London Fog

My only complaint with the beer – other than the trickery it played with my mind – is its low alcohol content, but that’s merely a personal preference. As Mrs. Sip points out, the 4% ABV (15 IBUs) translates to less calories (approx. 120), which can be a big deal for some drinkers.

The beer is only available at select locations. Thankfully, Dogwood has provided a list of those spots on their website. I went straight to their tasting room for mine, my first visit to the South Vancouver location.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #44 – Steel & Oak Terra Saison

Posted on by
Reply

At Piva Modern Italian Restaurant in New Westminster to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s work Christmas party, I selected this Steel & Oak Brewing beverage from their menu. It paired quite well with my delicious Duck & Fig Pizza.

The Terra Saison was very tasty and just what I was hoping for with my first drink of the night. The 5.8% ABV brew is made with turmeric, ginger root, white peppercorns and star anise and comes in a 500ml bottle, good for two healthy servings of suds.

Steel & Oak Terra Saison

The Terra can be found at private liquor stores around Greater Vancouver. The release was the first of Steel & Oak’s Brewers Series. Next up is the Secretariat, a guava-conditioned saison, hitting store shelves and the brewery’s tasting room in 2018.

With Piva located in Steel & Oak’s neck of the woods (where the brewery is the only one New West has to offer), it was only natural their beers would show up on the menu. I also had the Red Pilsner during dinner.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #43 – Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPA

Posted on by
Reply

Looking for a beer to feature for this week’s article, I popped into a nearby BC Liquor Stores location to do some research. There, this Parallel 49 Brewing product caught my attention and was an easy choice for profiling.

The Trash Panda Hazy IPA is a northeast style IPA that is a definite hit with the Sip Advisor. Drinkers can expect flavours of melon, tropical fruit and pear from the 5.5% ABV, 55 IBUs beverage. The IPA is more juice-based and less bitter than it’s brethren.

Parallel 49 Trash Panda Hazy IPA.png

A trash panda, of course, is better known as a racoon. Parallel 49 has some of the best label art in the province and that tradition continues here with a great illustration of racoon rifling through garbage cans for whatever it can scavenge.

Available in canned six-packs at various liquor stores, this newest addition to Parallel 49’s year round lineup will delight like a racoon tipping over someone’s trash bins to find a bevy cornucopia of discarded leftovers.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #42 – Dageraad Entropy No. 5

Posted on by
Reply

Recently, Mrs. Sip and I – with Baby Sip in tow – finally made the trek out to Burnaby to visit Dageraad Brewing’s tasting room. There, after a flight of their Belgian-themed beers, I purchased a bottle of this unique release.

The Entropy No. 5 is a Gin Barrel-Aged Blonde IPA and was totally worth the $12 investment. At 8% ABV, this beverage is on the imperial/stronger side, but given it’s rarity and popularity, I was very lucky to get my hands on the very limited edition.

Dageraad Entropy No. 5.jpg

This beer is the fifth entry in the Entropy Series, which features barrel-aged brews of varying styles. Their Smoke & Wood-Aged Beer won a gold medal at the 2016 BC Beer Awards and earned an honourable mention at the 2017 event.

Mrs. Sip and I were under the impression that I snagged one of the few remaining bottles of this brew (only 19 cases were produced). I’m not sure if little sippers will be able to find the 750ml serving, but it’s worth a look.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #41 – Twa Dogs Drouthy Neibor IPA

Posted on by
Reply

My favourite part about the changing of the seasons is new seasonal beers and even better, fall and winter mixed cases. A new discovery for the Sip Advisor this autumn was the Twa Dogs Brewing Dog Pack case, featuring this beer.

The Drouthy Neibor IPA (aka Thirsty Neighbour) is a tasty, flavourful brew. At 7% ABV and 60 IBUs, the beverage is a hefty one, just the way the Sip Advisor likes ‘em. With that in mind, the product encourages drinkers to be part of their community and a good neighbour.

Twa Dogs Drouthy Neibor IPA

Each Twa Dogs release, as well as the brewery’s name, has a Robbie Burns theme to it. The IPA, inspired by Burns’ Tam O’ Shanter poem is named to “encourage you to ‘catch the moments’ and share your greatest tales with your own Drouthy Neibors.”

Also included in the Dog Pack is the Mistress of My Soul Saison, Keekin’ Glass Pilsner, and Jolly Beggar’s Pale Ale… and no, there are no spelling mistakes with any of the beer names. Twa Dog products can be found at BC Liquor Stores.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #40 –Doan’s Oktoberfest

Posted on by
Reply

While recently at Tap & Barrel in North Vancouver to meet with out-of-town friends, I ordered a pint of this Doan’s Brewing release. I’m so glad I did, as it was perfect for the type of grayish fall day we were experiencing.

The Oktoberfest had a nice blend of malt and hop flavours. At 6.5% ABV and 28 IBUs, the beverage falls right within the Sip Advisor’s preferred number ranges. This style has grown on lately, inspired by Cousin Sip’s husband’s love of the variety.

Doan's Oktoberfest.jpg

This beer is a Tap & Barrel exclusive and can also be found at the Doan’s tasting room in East Vancouver (aka Yeast Van). It’s been a while since I visited their location and with the new baby, I’m not sure when a crawl in the area will happen.

While I’ve never been able to get to Germany for the real Oktoberfest, I’m happy BC breweries can give me a little taste of the experience. Having been to German beer halls before, I can only imagine the party it would be.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #39 – Hoyne Voltage Espresso Stout

Posted on by
Reply

In need of a stout beer for a recent Mixer Mania cocktail, I picked up this release from Hoyne Brewing. Surprisingly, I had never tried this offering, despite the brew being on the market seasonally for a handful of years.

The Voltage Espresso Stout is a fantastic beer, full of the rich flavours you’d expect. Although I’m not a coffee and definitely not at espresso drinker, I do like the flavour in my ales and this 5.6% ABV beverage did not disappoint.

Hoyne Voltage Espresso Stout.jpg

Described by the brewery as a rich and electrifying breakfast beer, the stout is available in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores. Amongst other options, I went with Hoyne because they make some spectacular products.

The story behind this beer is that some of the Hoyne crew would alternate between stouts and espressos at beer events. So, they decided to combine the two into one magnificent concoction and Voltage was born.

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…

Beer of the Week #38 – Central City India Session Ale

Posted on by
Reply

As Mrs. Sip and I settle into nesting mode following the birth of our daughter, I’ve been doing a lot more drinking at home, rather than out and about. One notable beverage I enjoyed was this Central City Brewing product.

The India Session Ale (aka ISA) has quite a delicious Mosaic hops flavour, yet remains light. The 4% ABV, 40 IBUs beverage is one of a few of the ISA style to resonate with me recently and open my eyes to how good the variety can be.

Central City India Session Ale

I discovered the beer available in the Central City Reign of Hops Mixer Pack. It can also be found in both regular and tall-can formats. Suggested food pairings, according to Central City, include salads, pasta and pizza.

This style of beer seems to be perfect for summertime drinking. It can also provide a nice remembrance of the sunny season when you drink the brews during the fall and winter. Put your shades on and reminisce!

For more Beer of the Week articles, please visit our main page…