BC Beer Baron #35 – Russell Farm Fresh IPA

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Located in Surrey, Russell Brewing is a larger operation than most craft breweries. I’ve enjoyed a few of their products before, so was eager to try this beer when the opportunity arose.

The Farm Fresh IPA uses Centennial, Cascade, and Chinook hops from Chilliwack Hop Farms. I had never tried or even seen this beer, prior to coming across it at Tapped Vancouver last month. Apparently, it is part of the brewery’s Specialty Series, which means it’s a limited release. The Specialty Series also features one of the Sip Advisor’s favourite brews, the Smokey the Beer Rauchbier.

Russell Farm Fresh IPA

As for the IPA, I found it to be pretty typical. That’s not to say it was bad or anything. It just didn’t wow me as I hoped it might. Given I only received a half-size tasting glass serving from the chintzy pourer at the Russell/Driftwood booth, I should probably still give the bomber a fair shot before completely moving away from this IPA. The beer has a 6.5% ABV and 48 IBU, which all seem like pretty fair numbers.

I wish the Russell establishment had a tasting room, but that is currently not the case. The brewery is located close enough to Ma and Pa Sip’s home that visiting would be a cinch. Apparently one is in development, but it can’t come soon enough!

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BC Beer Baron #34 – Steamworks Heroica Red Ale

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For Christmas, Mrs. Sip’s family gifted me Steamworks Brewing’s Mash-Up (Vol. 2) variety pack and I’m very glad they did as there are some solid beers in this collection.

Among them, is the Heroica Red Ale, which is a very tasty, albeit hoppy brew. The story of this beverage goes much deeper than just enjoying it, though.

Steamworks Heroica Red Ale

The beer is dedicated to BC Firefighters, who risk their lives on a daily basis to save others. Featuring a firefighter rescuing a damsel in distress on the bottle, the beer was originally released in September 2014 on a limited basis, but returned for the 2015 fall season.

Winning a gold medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards might have helped in that decision, but it should also be noted that proceeds from sales of the beer go to the BC Burn Fund, in partnership with the Burnaby Fire Department. The October 2014 campaign raised over $10,000, thanks to beer drinkers across the province.

I’m more than happy to drink to that!

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BC Beer Baron #33 – Moody Ales Hardy Brown Ale

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Myself, Cousin Sip and her husband recently returned to Romer’s Burger Bar (Yaletown location) for another round of their Craft Bowl competiton, which featured this beer from Moody Ales. To remind readers, the contest pits two to three beers against each other with diners getting to sample each option before picking their winner, which they then receive a full serving of.

While I chose the Hardy Brown Ale’s competitor for my full serving, it was a very tough choice and the stiff competition was evident by the nearly identical scores for both brews on the point’s board.

Moody Ales Hardy Brown Ale

The brown ale had a strong toffee-flavoured aftertaste, which I wasn’t fully sold on. Upon first sip, I had originally thought I would choose the Moody Ales option as my pick for the contest. The only reason I sided with the other Craft Bowl beer, in this case, was because I wasn’t sure how a full serving would pan out. Cousin Sip went with the Hardy Brown Ale and at the time we left the restaurant, the Moody Ales brew was holding a slight lead.

I have yet to visit this Port Moody-based brewery and have only sampled a couple of their beers. I really need to try more of the company’s wares before coming to any final conclusions on their product.

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BC Beer Baron #32 – Steel & Oak Tortuga Wild Ale

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If you had told me at the start of this 366-days of BC craft beer project that February would hit and I still wouldn’t have covered Steel & Oak Brewing (one of my and Mrs. Sip’s preferred breweries), I would have told you to lay off the sauce… and leave it for the Sip Advisor. That’s just a testament to all the good beer out there in this province.

The Tortuga Wild Ale is a special release, as part of Steel & Oak’s Oak-Aged Series. This brew was aged a full year in Caribbean rum barrels and then given a second fermentation to add notes of sour cherry. I’m not very familiar with wild ales and although I’m not a huge fan of sour beers, I did enjoy this beverage. The Tortuga has a strong rum finish following tart sour cherry beginnings and something about the combination of those two elements really worked for me.

Steel & Oak Tortuga Wild Ale

Mrs. Sip’s Take:

This wasn’t really for her. She liked how the beer was strong (7.3% ABV), being a Belgian Dubbel and Tripel fan (are there Beligan Singels?), but didn’t really enjoy the sour tastes. She would gravitate towards other Steel & Oak products.

Tortuga, of course, is an island in the Caribbean – belonging to Haiti to be exact – which was an epicenter of pirate activity in the 1600’s, including being heavily referenced in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. And where there are pirates, there will also be rum. For what it’s worth, a direct translation of the term means turtle or tortoise. The more you know [rainbow swipe]!

It may have taken us a while to get to our first beer from Steel & Oak, but it certainly won’t be our last… especially with a bottle of the company’s Smoked Dunkelweizen sitting in my fridge!

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BC Beer Baron #31 – Black Kettle IPA

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The thing I like best about beer festivals is being introduced to breweries I haven’t yet had the chance to experience or in some cases, breweries I’m being reintroduced to. Such was the case at the recent Tapped Vancouver at the Yaletown Roundhouse, where the Sip Advisor was able to get reacquainted with Black Kettle Brewing, after last trying their wares at July’s Tip N’ Taste in Langley.

As myself, Cousin Sip, and her husband approached our first booth of the night at Tapped Vancouver, we each picked one of the company’s options. I went with the IPA and found it to be a great starting point to my evening. I later returned for their two other selections (the Pale Ale and Scottish Ale), which will be profiled here at later dates. Where was Mrs. Sip, you might be asking? Well, she was running late, as is typical for her and with beer available, we weren’t willing to wait.

Black Kettle IPA

The brew comes in at 6.4%, but is lighter than most IPAs, while still being joined by the hoppy taste we’ve all come to expect from this variety of beverage. As an IPA fan, I will look out for this product when buying beers and suggest it to friends who also like their brews to have a little more of an edge to them.

I named Black Kettle my choice for MVP of the Tapped Vancouver event (not that this was an actual competition there) and it has earned its way onto our list of must-visit breweries when the Sip Alliance finally gets their act together and tours North Vancouver’s burgeoning brewery region. This little exploration can’t happen soon enough!

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BC Beer Baron #30 – Central City Red Racer IPA

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. For the opening month of this project, I wanted to look at some of the flagship and original offerings from breweries around the province.

The Red Racer IPA from Central City Brewing may have been my first introduction to IPAs. Back at a time when I wasn’t into IPAs, I’m not sure I fully appreciated the 6.5% ABV, 80 IBU beverage. Thankfully, that has changed, as my tastes have evolved and I’ve become an IPA fan.

Central City Red Racer IPA

Central City started as a brew pub operation in 2003, before moving into canning their products and finally opening a brewery and tasting room location just a few years back. The company boasts that their Red Racer IPA can be found in 156 BC Government Liquor stores, as well as many private locations. The brew can also be found in 230 LCBO stores in Ontario. Heck, Red Racer products can also be found across the line in the U.S., under the Red Betty brand, thanks to legal action from California’s Bear Republic Brewing.

I’ve enjoyed a few trips to Central City’s Surrey hub (a perfect place to go when Mrs. Sip tells me she’s going to be late leaving work, as I’m already waiting at the Scott Road SkyTrain Station… and trust me, it’s happened a lot), as well as their brew pubs at both the Surrey Central Mall and in Downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver location is conveniently close to the Sip Advisor offices.

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BC Beer Baron #29 – Whistler Black Tusk Ale

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. For the opening month of this project, I wanted to look at some of the flagship and original offerings from breweries around the province.

Whistler Brewing has been around for over 25 years, established in 1989. For a time, the beers weren’t even produced in Whistler, but that changed for good in 2009 when the company opened a new facility. Located in the Function Junction area of the resort destination, Mrs. Sip and I visited the brewery a few years back and had a fantastic time.

One of the funnier getting sick from drinking stories I’ve witnessed came from that visit, as one of our fellow travelers fell in love with today’s feature beer a little too much, resulting in a not-so-happy ending to the evening for him.

Whistler Black Tusk Ale

Speaking of that beer, the Black Tusk Ale recipe has existed since the brewery first launched all those years ago. The dark, English-style mild ale is slightly bitter with flavours you’d expect from darker brews, such as chocolate and coffee.

The name of the beer is derived from a Whistler tourist attraction, the core of an extinct volcano that makes up the mountainous town. The brewery describes the experience of drinking their beers as “More flavor. More Character. More to Experience.” That statement pans out with this product.

We still haven’t had a chance to attend the Whistler Beer Festival (a Whistler Brewing initiative, which takes over the village every September), as we’ve been out of town the last couple years around that time, but it’s among the top of our list for festivals to experience.

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Sip Trips #56: Tapping and Tasting

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While many would hesitate to be out at an all-inclusive beer and cider event on a Thursday evening (especially one where you’re supposed to play Urban Rec volleyball that same night), that’s not a theory Mrs. Sip and I follow. Rather, along with members of the Sip Alliance, we checked out Tapped Vancouver at the Yaletown Roundhouse.

I probably would have balked at the event’s $66 regular entrance fee; however, when the activity came up on Groupon for $30, it was a pretty easy decision to make. For the price, we had unlimited access to all vendors and a souvenir tasting glass (which Mrs. Sip and I have a growing collection of). We did find it odd that this event would be taking place on a Thursday, rather than over the weekend, but the old “it’s for charity” argument won out.

Donate-A-Quarter-To-Charity

The breweries and cideries featured at the gala included: Black Kettle, Parallel 49, Bomber, Driftwood, Howe Sound, Lonetree Cider, Phillips, Whistler, and Russell. To be honest, I think the $30 entrance is just barely justifiable and I feel for anyone who paid the full price. There was absolutely no food – save for one food cart outside – and some beer vendors only brought one option with them, while others gave half pours, even though the event was all-inclusive (ie. fill my damn glass, homey!).

The MVP of the night would have to be Black Kettle Brewing, which had numerous bombers of three different beers and never went stingy with their pouring. Whistler Brewing would have ranked highly too, but their selections were from the brewery’s Winter Party Pack, which I had just purchased days before. I can’t fault them for that… or can I!?

I have to say that I’ve enjoyed both booze events I’ve attended at the Yaletown Roundhouse, having also relished the 2014 Made with Love cocktail competition hosted there. It’s a fun venue and its close proximity to the Sip Advisor offices is much appreciated. Too bad volleyball at the Richmond Olympic Oval didn’t go nearly as well as Tapped Vancouver!

Volleyball Balloon

On Saturday, to celebrate Mrs. Sip’s recent birthday, we put together our own blind wine tasting. Each couple was tasked with bringing a bottle of wine (white or red), which would be concealed in a BC Liquor Store paper bag. Then, the group would sample at will until notes and scores had been entered on each selection, before the final reveal.

We ended up with five whites and three reds, which I think was the perfect balance. My favourite bottle of the tasting was the Pinotage Mrs. Sip and I brought home from South Africa’s Groot Constantia winery. The overall winner was Cappo Shiraz, which Mrs. Sip’s parents won in a raffle through their curling association, of all places.

Wine Tasting Today

The event was a lot of fun for all and gave typically white drinkers a chance to try some reds. If you have a wine lover in your close circle, I suggest doing this for a birthday event. They will love the effort you put into it, as well as getting everyone together to celebrate.

That about wraps January up for the ol’ Sip Advisor and it’s been one hell of a month. When you have a brewery complimenting ‘how you weekend’, you know you’re doing well! Next month doesn’t let up however, as we have a bunch of great activities already lined up, such as the Science of Cocktails and the Family Day long weekend will no doubt include some sort of hijinks!

BC Beer Baron #28 – Phillips Phoenix Gold Lager

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. For the opening month of this project, I wanted to look at some of the flagship and original offerings from breweries around the province.

The Phoenix Gold Lager literally rose from the ashes, as a collection of the bottles was rediscovered in 2003, two years after Phillips began making beers. It’s a solid brew that the brewery suggest pairing with spicy Asian foods, seafood, and medium cheeses.

Phillips Phoenix Lager

Originally located in Esquimalt, B.C., Phillips began creating beers in 2001. I love the story behind Phillips and if you visit the brewery’s website, you can read a poetic version of the tale. To sum up here, though, brewer Matt Phillips risked his financial future on the success of the brewery, maxing out numerous credit cards (no bank would give him a loan) in order to get the operation up and running.

Obviously, things worked out, as the brewery moved into their current facility, in Victoria, in 2008 and are regarded as one of the province’s most popular brewing companies. For example, their Blue Buck Pale Ale (which will eventually be featured as part of the BC Beer Baron project) has often been credited for successfully introducing drinkers to craft beer.

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BC Beer Baron #27 – Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale

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Each month, as part of this 366-day BC craft beer extravaganza that I will be sharing with you throughout 2016, I will highlight a specific style or theme of beers for a whole week of articles. For the opening month of this project, I wanted to look at some of the flagship and original offerings from breweries around the province.

While Parallel 49 Brewing has grown to have numerous beers on tap in their East Vancouver (affectionately known as ‘Yeast Van’ among beer aficionados) tasting room and available in stores across the province, my original experience with the company was through their Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale, which I still enjoy today.

Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears

“Of all the test batches we did, we found that Gypsy was a clear winner, and thus was part of the launch beers,” said Chris Bjerrisgaard, Marketing Manager of Parallel 49. “It remains popular to this day because it’s an incredibly versatile beer which can please the core craft beer nerd, as well as those who are not even into craft beer. It’s malt and hop balance allow you to drink a lot of them without getting tired of it. All in all, it’s the Swiss army knife of craft beers… it does it all!”

Started by a troupe of home brewers, Parallel 49 has evolved to become one of Vancouver’s most popular craft breweries, featuring an always expanding product line. The team opened a restaurant together in 2008, before focusing on their own brewery, launched in 2012. Over time, I’ve tried countless Parallel 49 beers and don’t know if I could name a favourite. Some have satisfied, a couple have disappointed. Gypsy Tears, a solid brew, may be up there among my favourites from the company.

Mrs. Sip and I have visited Parallel 49’s tasting room on a few separate occasions. Most recently, we went in with Sis-in-Law Sip and ordered one sample of everything they had on tap. While this worked in getting to try their entire menu at the time, we weren’t provided any kind of map or chart of what was what, so we had to play the “guess the beer” game. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, if you ask the Sip Advisor!

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