Tag Archives: BC Craft Beer

Beer of the Week #17 – Phillips Dazed & Co-Brewed East Coast IPA

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Mrs. Sip and I recently met members of the Sip Syndicate at Tap & Barrel in Vancouver’s Olympic Village. There, we enjoyed a couple drinks, with this Phillips Brewing menu item popping off the page for the Sip Advisor.

The Phillips Dazed & Co-Brewed East Coast IPA was really good with tropical notes and a sweeter profile. The 6.2% ABV beverage had me reconsidering my steadfast support of West Coast IPAs. I think there’s plenty of room for all styles under my umbrella.

Phillips Dazed & Co-Brewed East Coast IPA

The Co-Brewed portion of this beer’s name refers to Tap & Barrel’s involvement with the collaboration. Launched in March, this is the first of five beers that will be released at the restaurant’s locations to commemorate their fifth anniversary.

I hope Phillips plans on having this beer on hand when they do their Movies Under the Maltworks on May 27. After all, they will be featuring Dazed & Confused as their first film of the 2017 viewing season.

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Beer of the Week #16 – Whistler Function Junction Northwest Pale Ale

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While on a recent beer shopping expedition, looking for new and interesting products, I picked up a tall can of this Whistler Brewing release. The latest from the brewery piqued my interest with its lightness and typically enticing artwork.

The Function Junction Northwest Pale Ale was a solid drink, featuring seven different hop varieties, as well as four different malts. The 4.8% ABV (a number I’ve come across a few times lately), 38 IBUs beverage was fairly balanced and certainly refreshing.

Whistler Function Junction Northwest Pale Ale

Available exclusively at BC Liquor Stores in 500ml tall can form, the beer is priced at only $1.99 (before tax and deposit), for a limited time. If you’re looking for something that’s easy to have a few of, without losing your senses, this would be an ideal choice.

Function Junction is the area of Whistler that is home to the company’s brewery and tasting room. Whistler was recently joined by Coast Mountain Brewing in the neighbourhood, which suggests that a crawl should be organized shortly.

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Beer of the Week #15 – Steamworks Salted Chocolate Porter

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Dessert in a bottle is how this Steamworks Brewing new product can best be described. A friend recently grabbed it for me, as a little gift for our recent Gender Reveal party and I got a chance to sit back and enjoy it this weekend.

The Salted Chocolate Porter uses hand-harvested Pacific Ocean Fleur de Sel from the Vancouver Island Salt Co. The 6% ABV, 25 IBUs beverage features flavours and aromas of chocolate and vanilla to complete its experience.

Steamworks Salted Chocolate Porter

This limited release is available in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores and private locations. It is the first to come from Steamworks new Illumination Series and I can’t wait to see what follows from the experimental line.

Of the series, Steamworks says the beers will be comprised of: “specialized ingredients, cutting-edge brewing techniques and the spirit of invention.” Next up, is the Umeboshi Sour, infused with Japanese plums.

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Beer of the Week #14 – Townsite Shiny Penny Belgian IPA

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As someone who likes my beers to be strong, when I came across this Townsite Brewing product on a recent liquor shopping trip, I had to have it. I’m glad I picked it up and understand why it was the last remaining on the shelf.

Thankfully, the Shiny Penny Belgian IPA doesn’t take like copper and is instead highlighted by flavours of robust hops, grapefruit and passion fruit. At 8.5% ABV and 80 IBUs, the beverage can be cellared for up to five years, according to the brewery.

Townsite Shiny Penny Belgian IPA

Shiny Penny is derived from the pub name that brewmaster Cédric Dauchot – along with his wife and brewery manager Chloe Smith – planned to open in Saskatoon. When those plans fell through, the couple moved to Powell River to lead Townsite’s efforts.

The seasonal release is available in bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores. The price (double digits) may not be right for some, but the beer is totally worth it for those who don’t mind shelling out a little extra for a good drink.

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Beer of the Week #13 – Red Truck Blackberry Bourbon Ale

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The moment I saw this Red Truck Brewing product on the One20 Public House tap list, I knew I’d have to order a pint. The drink was unique enough to stand out on the bar’s impressive and diverse menu.

The Blackberry Bourbon Ale was tart and fruity, with a warm bourbon finish. At 5.8% ABV and 25 IBUs, the beverage was easy to drink and very refreshing. I was impressed that it wasn’t as light as other fruit beers.

Red Truck Blackberry Bourbon Ale

It looks like this seasonal limited release is only available on tap at various locations. If you do come across it in your travels, I would definitely recommend trying it, preferably as part of a tasting flight.

It’s been a little while since I last popped into Red Truck’s Vancouver location. When you’re there, you have quite a bit more variety than the brewery offers in their wares available for purchase at stores.

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Beer of the Week #12 – Vancouver Island Carmanah Ale

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Vancouver Island Brewing seems to be going through a bit of a rebranding, featuring a few old favourites with new names. Of those included in the new campaign is this product, which I picked up a six-pack of recently.

The Carmanah Ale is of the amber ale variety, featuring flavours of pine “as deep as a forest of Sitka spruces”. The 4.8% ABV easy drinking beverage was perfect for a long day of sipping, including drinking games, providing longevity and durability.

Vancouver Island Carmanah Ale

Joining the Carmanah Ale (aka Sea Dog Amber Ale) with new packaging is the Piper’s Pale Ale and 48 Dark Lager (formerly Hermann’s Dark Lager). The movement is using geographic coordinates, along with the tagline: “Where’s Next?”

The brewery did change ownership last summer, thus the company reboot. This particular release is named for Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, located on Vancouver Island. The park features numerous hiking trails.

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Beer of the Week #11 – Postmark Sevens IPA

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When selecting a beer to feature for this week’s article, one option jumped straight to the top of the list, given I had a handful of them at the World Rugby Sevens Series at BC Place on Saturday. That honour (and my drinking dollar) went to Postmark Brewing.

The Sevens IPA was brewed specifically for the World Rugby Sevens Series coming to Vancouver in 2016. I really enjoyed the product, going so far as to walk an extra distance to purchase it and returning multiple times over this year’s day-long event.

Postmark Sevens IPA

The 6% ABV, 52 IBUs beverage was hoppy and dry with a tasty bouquet of tropical fruit flavour. Available in both canned form and bomber-sized bottles at BC Liquor Stores and other private retailers, you don’t have to be a rugby spectator to enjoy it.

Providing the rugby tournament with its feature beer had to have been a huge score for Postmark. I like their East Vancouver tasting room, but didn’t get to feature them much in last year’s BC Beer Baron project. Hopefully, I’m making amends now.

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Beer of the Week #10 – Russell Root Beer Milk Stout

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With my trusty BC Liquor Stores gift card in hand (thanks again Ma and Pa Sip) I recently grabbed this Russell Brewing new release. Always a root beer fan, since I was a wee little sipper, how could I pass the opportunity up?

The Root Beer Milk Stout instantly caught my eye as a unique and must-try beverage. I was not to be disappointed, as the drink has just the right level of root beer (sassafras) flavour, mixed with the chocolate taste you’d expect from a milk stout.

Russell Root Beer Milk Stout

With the recent explosion of hard root beer drinks, why shouldn’t the brewing game get in on the action? The 6.5% ABV, 30 IBUs beverage is available in bomber-sized bottles at the aforementioned BC Liquor Stores, for a decent price.

Russell believes this product is perfect to “Celebrate the winter months… with the best, feet-up-by-the-fire-job-well-done feeling a brewer could dream up.” I tested that theory while we were recently away and they nailed it!

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Beer of the Week #9 – Barkerville Demi-Mondaine Dunkelweizen

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For Christmas, Mrs. Sip picked up this Barkerville Brewing beer for me, as a stocking stuffer. We only recently got around to drinking it, though, and I wish I had cracked it open and enjoyed it long ago.

The Demi-Mondaine Dunkelweizen features flavours of banana, clove, vanilla and biscuit. A slightly tart finish gives the 5.2% ABV, 12 IBUs beverage a bit of complexity, while still remaining very refreshing.

barkerville-demi-mondaine-dunkelweizen

Demi-mondaine refers to a woman supported by a wealthy lover or a woman of the demi-monde, which translates to a group of people who live obviously indulgent lifestyles. Sounds like Mrs. Sip to me!

This dark, yet mild beer is available in bomber-sized bottles at private liquor stores. The Dunkelweizen earned Barkerville a gold medal at the 2016 BC Beer Awards, in the German Wheat Beer category.

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Beer of the Week #8 – Stanley Park Foghorn India Brown Ale

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In need of a case of beer for my hosting duties as part of a surprise birthday gathering for Mrs. Sip, I returned to an old favourite. Picking up Stanley Park Brewing’s Lord Stanley’s Pick (Winter Edition) case allowed me another opportunity to enjoy this product.

The Foghorn India Brown Ale was a hit with my guests who tried it, thanks to its roasted nuts and toasted malts. The somewhat rare IBA beverage comes with stats of 6% ABV and 50 IBUs and the beer has a great colour profile that is perfect for the fall/winter season.

stanley-park-foghorn-india-brown-ale

Suggested food pairings include turkey dinner with all the fixings, including gravy, sweet potatoes, pecan pie, or Camembert cheese. As is always the case with Stanley Park beers, the name is incorporated into the logo, with a drift of fog encompassing the famous lion.

I’m really looking forward to the brewery’s prospective restaurant and tasting room to be located in the former Fish House Restaurant in Stanley Park. Plans include producing “park inspired beer that is innovative and unique to the park location only”.

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