Tag Archives: BC Craft Beer

BC Beer Baron #312 – Steamworks Flagship IPA

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With a Halloween party to attend last week, the Sip Advisor thought long and hard about what to bring to keep my thirst quenched. The answer was obvious, once this Steamworks Brewing product popped into my devious mind.

The Flagship IPA is very good, featuring Mosaic, Galaxy and Citra hops, for an explosive tropical fruit drinking experience. The northeast style India Pale Ale comes with stats of 6.7% ABV and 65 IBUs, making it perfect for all the hopheads out there… myself included.

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Released just last month, the brew is available in bottled six-packs, as well as the brewery’s Mash Up Tall Can Pack. The beer can also be had at Steamworks Brewpub in Downtown Vancouver and has already joined the company’s year-round lineup.

The Flagship IPA earned Steamworks the top prize at the 2016 BC Beer Awards, receiving the Best in Show accolade. All I know, is when I ended up sharing a couple bottles with friends at the party, it was a hit all around.

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BC Beer Baron #311 – Off the Rail Harvest IPA

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With Mrs. Sip and Cousin Sip desperately wanting one of the cheese twists that some BC craft breweries are famous for, we ended up at Off the Rail Brewing. This did, however, provide me an opportunity to grab this beer.

The Harvest IPA is made with 85 pounds of freshly-picked Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops from BC Hop Co. The 5.8% ABV beverage paired nicely with the aforementioned cheese twist, thanks to its balanced mix of citrus and bitter tastes.

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This was the 2016 version of the Harvest IPA, which typically is released in the fall to coincide with the fresh/wet hop harvest. The brew is available on tap and in bomber-sized bottles, from the Yeast Van brewery, for a limited time.

The fresh/wet hop season produces many great beers each year and has brought to mind some selections that I need to keep an eye out for in 2017. It may be the best time of the year for hop heads and breweries, alike.

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BC Beer Baron #310 – Old Abbey Ales Scottish Monk

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While out in the Abbotsford area recently, the Sip Alliance popped into Old Abbey Ales for a round of beers. There, we all agreed that this selection was perfect for the season and just right for our session of drinks.

The Scottish Monk is a nicely constructed Scotch Ale, with flavours of caramel, toasted malts and a hint of smoke. At 6.5% ABV and 22 IBUs, the beverage is strong and flavourful, resulting in a great winter warmer option.

Old Abbey Ales

Part of Old Abbey Ales Tavern Series, the brew is available in bomber-sized bottles from the brewery and at private liquor stores. It is only around for a limited time, so don’t delay if this type of beer is on your favourite list.

Every trip to the brewery’s Abbotsford tasting room has offered a whole new collection of beers to try. The choices range across the board and there’s something for everyone, regardless of preferences.

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BC Beer Baron #309 – East Van Downtown Honey Brown

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Following our evening at the BC Beer Awards, our group popped into Stateside Craft for a bite to eat and a beverage (or two). Along with a bevy of American craft beers, they also had a few East Van Brewing beverages available.

With my mind on this BC Beer Baron project, I ordered the brewery’s Downtown Honey Brown. This dark lager is light with a noticeable sweetness. At 5% ABV and 8 IBUs, the drink probably won’t set the craft brew world on fire, but it’s a serviceable refreshment.

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I believe the beer is only available on tap at select locations. As one description of the beer states: “Sometimes you gotta go downtown to find that honey!” I have come across one picture that shows a similarly titled brew in can form, but can’t verify its legitimacy.

Unfortunately, finding information about East Van Brewing is not very easy. I know, over time, I’ve drank a few of their products, such as at The Winking Judge Pub, but they don’t seem to have any online presence, which is too bad.

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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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