Tag Archives: Craft Beer

BC Beer Baron #346 – Bridge The Grinch Winter 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. Already the best time of the year, the fact it’s Winter Ale season makes it that much better.

Just like the character of the Grinch experienced his heart growing three sizes thanks to the Whovillians, perhaps the same happened with Bridge Brewing, given their bevvy of seasonal releases for Christmas. Of course, that’s not to say the folks at the brewery were bad to begin with…

The Grinch Winter Ale is a limited edition beer, providing the elements one would expect in a winter warmer, such as flavours of caramel, plum pudding and spices. Bridge has created a great Seussian poem for the 6.5% ABV, 26 IBUs beverage that really should be read before enjoying the brew.

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There is also a barrel-aged version of The Grinch, which I have yet to try. This variation features the recipe being aged in bourbon and Sherry Wood Single Malt Whiskey barrels. Apricots also used by Sons of Vancouver in their amaretto have also been added to the mix.

As far as Christmas-themed beers go, Bridge also has the Sleigh Booster Imperial Red Ale, which comes with stats of 9% ABV and 71 IBUs. Mrs. Sip gave me both The Grinch and the Sleigh Booster in a self-made beer advent calendar last year and it resulted in a wonderful Christmas!

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BC Beer Baron #345 – Russell Naughty & Spiced Porter

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Things have become increasingly festive at the Sip Advisor headquarters and release such as this certainly help. This Russell Brewing small batch has been exchanged between Mrs. Sip and I a few times, over the years.

The Naughty & Spiced Porter is perfect for winter, with a strong alcohol content of 6.5% ABV to warm the soul and 30 IBUs to tantalize the taste buds. The beverage features spices such as cinnamon, all-spice, ginger and nutmeg, as well as vanilla beans.

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Available in bomber-sized bottles, if the beer itself doesn’t get your motor running, the product’s label surely will. I don’t know what it is about attractive women in Santa caps, but it definitely works for the Sip Advisor! The heels, nightie and sack of beers helps!

Although the brew is only around for a limited time each holiday season, for the Sip Advisor, it has become a sign that Christmas is upon us. It is often one of the first yuletide-themed treats I see pop up at liquor stores.

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BC Beer Baron #344 – Faculty 241 Minzeweizen

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Ever since I first heard about this Faculty Brewing beer, I wanted to experience it. That opportunity finally came recently, as a friend and I toured the Brewery Creek district of Vancouver and took the plunge into the unknown.

The 241 Minzeweizen basically combines a hefeweizen with peppermint. In this case, peppermint tea was added to the recipe to create this unique beverage. The brew comes with stats of 5.2% ABV and 22 IBUs and its recipe (like all Faculty beers) is available to the public.

faculty-241-minzeweizen

Our first sips were great, but the real test would come as we worked our way through our 500ml mugs. Would the beer hold up halfway through? Would it still be okay on the last sip? I’m happy to report it all checked out.

After talking with the brewery staff, we learned that Faculty has bought some space across the street and hopes to expand to bottling products soon. Their launch has been successful so far, with their beers showing up at many nearby locations.

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BC Beer Baron #343 – Whistler Valley Trail Chestnut Ale

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Nothing says Christmas like the smell of roasted chestnuts. While the Sip Advisor is not a fan of eating the holiday treat, I certainly don’t mind drinking a concoction based on it. Thankfully, Whistler Brewing came along with this seasonal specialty.

The Valley Trail Chestnut Ale is of the dark amber variety and features flavours of vanilla, nuts, caramel and spice. The 5% ABV beverage is lightly hopped and uses stone-milled chestnut flour from roasted and unroasted chestnuts, alike.

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While I see the beer as a dessert option, the brewery suggests pairing it with roasted chicken, Asian noodle dishes, and braised pork and beef. I will have to give those options a try and see how things come together.

First released in 2011, the brew is available from October to April in six-packs, bombers, and as part of the brewery’s Winter Party Pack. Either way, the Chestnut Ale has become a welcoming sign of the changing seasons.

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BC Beer Baron #342 – Steamworks Salty Caramel Ale

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On a recent visit to the Steamworks Brew Pub in Downtown Vancouver, the Sip Advisor was finally able to get his hands on this long sought after beverage. All I can say is that the wait was worth it and victory has never tasted so sweet (literally!).

The Salty Caramel Ale blends elements of an Amber Ale and a Scotch Ale with a nice and not overwhelming caramel sweetness, to boot. The 5.3% ABV, 16 IBUs drink also had a subtle salty bite to it, as one would expect, given the beer’s moniker.

steamworks-brewing

This is one of the few products Steamworks has that isn’t available in some form of packaging. To my knowledge, the brew can only be found at the company’s restaurant, appearing at various times throughout the year.

My harrowing tale pursuing this beer began with a Twitter post back in February. When I arrived at the brew pub, I was told the ale was not on tap, as advertised. Months later, it was listed on their ‘coming soon’ menu, but not yet available. Persistence pays off!

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BC Beer Baron #341 – Off the Rail East Bound Nut Brown Ale

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On a recent visit to Off the Rail Brewing, Mrs. Sip grabbed this beer for me and her to try (although I didn’t share as much as I should have). This proves good things do come from the pursuit of cheese twist snacks.

The East Bound Nut Brown Ale features flavours of nuts, chocolate and caramel/toffee. At 5% ABV and 32 IBUs, the beer is lighter with a decent hop presence, which helps in balancing the sweeter tastes. The entire recipe results in a rich brew.

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The product is available in bomber-sized bottles at the brewery and private liquor stores. I’ve found, through this BC Beer Baron project, that Brown Ales rank highly among my favourite beverage styles, which wasn’t expected.

Mrs. Sip and I were in attendance the day Off the Rail first opened their doors and it’s nice to return on occasion. So long as they keep those addictive cheese twists in stock and continue to create good beers, we’ll be back.

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BC Beer Baron #340 – Tree Puck Drop Pilsner

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Tasked with picking up a case of beer for Ma and Pa Sip to offer guests over the holiday season, I picked up this winter-themed mixer from Tree Brewing. Would it live up to the brewery’s slogan: “The best things in life are Tree!”?

I’ve worked through some of the selections and chose to feature the Puck Drop Pilsner. After all, nothing say winter in Canada like hockey… and beer. At 5% ABV this “classic European style pilsner with a crisp finish” can be enjoyed by anyone.

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The Season Pass pack also includes the Backcountry Nut Brown Ale, Yard Sale Pale Ale and Bluebird Lager. The brews that comprise this collection can only be found in this case and will be available through the winter. Game on, indeed.

I still remember fondly the Sip Syndicate’s visit to the Tree Brewing Beer Institute in Kelowna last summer. There, we enjoyed a few beverages in the perfectly located tasting room, while playing some of the games available.

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BC Beer Baron #339 – Trading Post Dear James S.M.A.S.H. Saison

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Making great time with traffic on our way out to Langley’s wine region for an event recently, we decided to kill some time at Trading Post Brewing. There, I was able to try a pint of this beverage, which was unavailable the last time I visited the tasting room.

The Dear James S.M.A.S.H. Saison offers all the aspects you would expect from a farmhouse ale. There’s fruit (apricots and citrus) and there’s spice and it’s all tied up into one nice, neat package. The 6.5% ABV, 26 IBUs drink was refreshing and packed a bit of a punch, making for a great start to my evening.

Trading Post Brewing

I was curious about the brew’s name and thankfully, the company provides answers: Dear James refers to a disregarded letter sent to Hudson’s Bay Company chief trader James Murray Yale, advising him not to marry a particular woman. As for the S.M.A.S.H. portion, it stands for single malt and single hop brewing.

This was the first chance I’ve had to pop into Trading Post since their second day of operation, back in February. I was happy to see that they’ve bottled their What Cheer Brett IPA and I hope to see more of their products packaged soon.

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BC Beer Baron #338 – Bowen Island Reef Break Hemp Blonde Ale

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Always prepared for thirsty guests who may drop by the Sip Advisor headquarters, I recently picked up Bowen Island Brewing’s Adventure Pack. Within that variety case was this product, which may be the pick of the bunch.

The Reef Break Hemp Blonde Ale was a little sweet for my taste, but I still enjoyed the drink for its flavourful and refreshing qualities. The 5% ABV, 14 IBUs beverage contains “a gentle infusion of hemp,” which provides a bitter finish, similar to hops.

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The brew also comes with the tagline: “If it was anymore BC, it would be illegal!” This refers to the province’s budding marijuana industry (see what I did there), which BC has gained quite a reputation for.

Also included in the Adventure Pack are the Deep 6 Lager, Artisan IPA and Freestone Summer Ale. The recently released Winterlude version of the case contains the lager and IPA, joined by the Snug Cove ESB and Twisted Trail Extra Pale Ale.

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BC Beer Baron #337 – Bad Tattoo Midnight Hopmare Black IPA

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Recently, while looking for a beer case to stock the fridge of the Sip Advisor headquarters, this Bad Tattoo Brewing product caught my eye. Featured in the ‘Brewer’s Favourite’ slot of the Flash Pack, I decided to investigate.

The Midnight Hopmare Black IPA is a solid drink choice, using black malts to round out its flavour profile and colour. At 6.6% ABV (I’m a little surprised it’s not 6.66% ABV) and 80 IBUs, the beverage is boozy and hoppy, just the way I like ‘em.

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The beer is also available by itself, in bomber-sized bottles, at private liquor locations and at Bad Tattoo’s Penticton tasting room and pizza parlour. Mrs. Sip and I, along with friends, have enjoy this location a couple times in the past.

The brew’s label is pretty intense and perfect for Halloween. Tattooist Jeff White, an artist with the Kettle Valley Tattoo Co. created the label. He said: “I hope you enjoy drinking this beer as much as I enjoyed creating the label.”

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