Tag Archives: Craft Beer

BC Beer Baron #140 – Mt. Begbie Cold Smoke Smoked Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

This may be the first Mt. Begbie Brewing product I’ve ever tried. If that is the case, this is a wonderful introduction and I apologize for not trying any sooner.

The Cold Smoke Smoked Porter features Beechwood smoke to go along with the maltiness one would expect from this style of brew. At 6.5% ABV and 20 IBUs, you have yourself a strong, yet smooth drinking beverage.

Mt. Begbie Cold Smoke Smoked Porter

The beer is named after “dry powder snow hanging in the air”, otherwise known as ‘Cold Smoke’. Suggested food pairings for this seasonal release include roasted and barbecue foods, soft cheeses and dark chocolate. That sounds like quite the feast to the Sip Advisor!

If you’re asking where Mt. Begbie is located, I don’t really blame you. Up until working on this article, I was also in the dark on that subject. Mt. Begbie can be found in Revelstoke, BC, which is home to great winter sports and activities. Fun fact about the brewery: Brewmaster Bart Larson has a degree in nuclear physics, but “prefers to make beer not war”!

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BC Beer Baron #139 – Fernie Sap Sucker Maple Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

As Porter Week continues to roll along, we get to this award winning product from Fernie Brewing, which I saved to review during this special time.

The Sap Sucker Maple Porter incorporates a touch of maple syrup to achieve a rich and unique drinking experience. This 5.5% ABV, 35 IBUs beverage is flavourful with a hint of smoke on the finish. The porter won gold and silver medals at the 2011 and 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards, respectively, in the Special Honey/Maple Lager or Ale category.

Fernie Sap Sucker Maple Porter

Suggested food pairings include dark meats and hearty dishes. The winter seasonal, first released in 2010, can be found on tap at some locations around the province, as well as in bomber-sized bottles in BC, Alberta and Manitoba, from September to March (I found bottles as late as mid-April).

I have never been to Fernie Brewing’s location in – you guessed it – Fernie, BC, but would love to visit and spend some time in their tap room. As their motto states: “Good Beer in a Good Town”.

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BC Beer Baron #138 – Okanagan Springs Chili Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

Always on the lookout for new and different beers, this Okanagan Springs Brewing release instantly caught my eye when it first hit the market last fall.

The Chili Porter is a winter seasonal limited release that I really enjoy thanks to its higher alcohol content (6.5% ABV) and spicy finish. This beer may not be for everyone, but it’s right up my alley. OK Springs dares drinkers to “Warm up your winter,” but they also have a more traditional porter option, if chili heat just isn’t your thing.

Okanagan Springs Chili Porter

I first tried this beer at the Grand Tasting Hall (beer only portion) of last year’s Hopscotch Festival. Luckily, I knew one of the reps running their booth and was able to score a few samples of this brew… for research purposes, of course.

The beer is available in its own six-pack, as well as part of Okanagan Springs Winter Craft Pack, which includes two bottles each of six different beer varieties. If you only want to sample the brew and are worried you may not like it, you may want to go with the latter option.

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BC Beer Baron #137 – Tin Whistle Killer Bee Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

With Porter Week in full swing, we take a look at this delicious entry from Tin Whistle Brewing.

Made with Keremeos caramelized honey, the Killer Bee Porter is one of a kind on the BC market. With tastes of chocolate, honey and spice, the beer is beautiful in its complexity. Don’t let the menacing looking bee on the bottle scare you off… this brew has to be experienced.

Tin Whistle Killer Bee Porter

BC Liquor Stores have this product listed as a dark honey ale, rather than a porter, but the bottle says otherwise. To be fair, Tin Whistle has also described the beer as a dark honey ale in some promotional material.

Tin Whistle also has a Chocolate Cherry Porter that is quite good. The company runs a smaller operation and doesn’t even have its own website – a social media crime in today’s world. That said, a highlight from our last couple visits to the Okanagan wine region, has been checking out the Penticton Farmer’s Market, where each time I’ve been able to sample Tin Whistle beers, as well as pick up a couple bombers for later. It sure helps in breaking up all the wine tasting over the stay!

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BC Beer Baron #136 – Yellow Dog Shake a Paw Smoked Porter

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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. I used to be hesitant about drinking porters, believing them to mostly be coffee-based in the flavour department. Once I realized that was only half true, a whole new world was opened to me and that’s a world I want to share with others.

There was a time when the Sip Advisor loathed porters. Luckily, I came to my senses and this Yellow Dog Brewing release was one of the brews that got me there.

I love my smoke-flavoured beers and the Shake a Paw Smoked Porter is high on that list. To bring out the most smokiness possible, the beer should be drank at a warmer temperature. If you – like the Sip Advisor – prefer your beers cold, you may have to wait a little for maximum flavour.

Yellow Dog Shake a Paw Smoked Porter

Originally, Shake a Paw was to be a limited release, but after winning the Best of Show award at the 2014 BC Beer Awards, it became a flagship beer for the company. I love Yellow Dog’s beer names, all of which have to do with puppy behaviour. There’s the Chase My Tail Pale Ale, Play Dead IPA, Stick Toss Saison, and Take a Walk Wit, among others.

Mrs. Sip and I were able to visit Yellow Dog’s Port Moody location once before and have been meaning to return. The place is one of the most dog friendly operations I’ve ever witnessed and I guess that naturally comes with the name.

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BC Beer Baron #135 – Parallel 49 Ugly Sweater Milk Stout

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Looking for a place to share a drink and celebrate the 14th anniversary of our first date, Mrs. Sip and I crossed paths with The Hemingway Public House, in White Rock, which was serving up this Parallel 49 Brewing release, as part of their rotating taps.

For this special occasion, the Sip Advisor received a truly unique beer, as the Ugly Sweater Milk Stout was given the addition of coffee. According to the brewery, only a few kegs of this combo were produced. The stout was smooth with a light coffee flavour. I would have preferred some more carbonation to the brew, but it was modeled after English-style cask releases.

Parallel 49 Ugly Sweater Milk Stout

As for the traditional Ugly Sweater, this seasonal release comes in at 5% ABV and 30 IBUs. The beer is sweetened using milk sugar, resulting in an easy drinking, balanced beverage. The stout can be found in six-packs at various liquor stores.

This is a prime example of why Parallel 49 is such a popular craft brewery. They are very willing to play around and experiment with new beers and even already established ones. They have also worked diligently to get their wares into countless places across the province, growing their reputation and fan base.

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BC Beer Baron #134 – Dockside Railspur IPA

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On a recent quiet Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Sip and I ventured to Granville Island’s Dockside Restaurant, which houses their own brewery amongst one of Vancouver’s finest locations for patio enjoyment.

There, I ordered the Railspur IPA, which was a decent hop-forward brew with a nice amber colour to it. The 5.7% ABV, 55 IBUs beer is available on tap year round at the restaurant. Drinkers can even fill a growler with the beverage.

Dockside Railspur IPA

Railspur refers to a district of Granville Island that features a cobblestone street and is a hub for local artisans, whether they be creating alcohols at Liberty Distillery, jewellery at Hammered and Pickled, or even brooms at the Granville Island Broom Company. It is also home to the Arts Club Theatre Company.

My, how things have changed. Every time Mrs. Sip and I return to the Dockside Restaurant, we always reminisce about our very first visit there when we were still in our teens. Back then, we were money-conscientious students whose food preferences didn’t extend far beyond chicken strips and fries. A mutual friend of a visiting guest suggested the restaurant and upon our arrival promptly ordered appies for the entire table, without giving us a chance to decline. Nowadays, we sit back and laugh at our younger selves… over drinks and fine dining.

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BC Beer Baron #133 – Russell Angry Scotch Ale

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Out for dinner with Ma and Pa Sip the other night, we took our appetites to The Flying Pig in Vancouver’s Yaletown district. Amongst a meal of pulled pork poutine and Caesar salad, the Sip Advisor enjoyed this award-winning offering from Russell Brewing.

The Angry Scotch Ale (why do brewery’s always assume us Scots are so angry!?) is a dark and strong Scottish-style ale with a hint of smokiness, thanks to being made with Scottish peated malts. At 6.5% ABV and 30 IBUs, the beer will lift your kilt in no time.

Russell Angry Scotch Ale

From Russell’s ‘Brewmaster Series’ (small batch releases for the “unconventional beer drinker”), the beer has received numerous accolades, with 2010 being a very successful year for the brew. That year, it took home a bronze medal at both the World Beer Cup and BC Beer Awards and silver finish at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Not content to settle for silver, four years later, the Angry Scotch Ale grabbed the elusive gold at the Canadian Brewing Awards.

Available in bomber-sized bottles, as well as six-packs of regular bottles, the beer can be found at BC Liquor Stores and private retailers.

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BC Beer Baron #132 – Driftwood Entangled Hopfenweise

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One of my taster selections on our recent trip to St. Augustine’s Craft Brew House and Kitchen was this beauty of a beer from Driftwood Brewing – a company which seems to move up my list of top breweries with each release I try.

I’ve seen the Entangled Hopfenweise described as a merging of hefeweizens and IPAs (my two favourite styles) and Belgian and Northwest brewing styles. That sounds about right to me and it works really well with this beer. The Hopfenweise comes in at 7% ABV and can be found in bomber-sized bottles. I couldn’t find any IBU info for the ale, so never you worry about that.

Driftwood Entangled Hopfenweise

Drinkers can expect a number of different fruit flavours, such as banana, guava, passionfruit and mango. Aside from the great taste, I think Driftwood has some of funkiest artwork for its labels and this product is no different. Packaging isn’t everything, but when you start strong and deliver in the end, the entire experience is that much better.

The beer is part of Driftwood’s Special Release lineup, which means the brew is on no set schedule, but could pop up at any time and should be taken advantage of before it disappears again. Might I suggest enjoying the beer while watching Tangled? Sorry, that was the Disney geek in me peeking out for a brief moment!

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BC Beer Baron #131 – Tofino Hoppin’ Cretin IPA

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The Sip Advisor loves getting gifts from Mrs. Sip and Ma and Pa Sip, whenever they return from travelling… especially, when they’re of the booze variety. Therefore, when Ma and Pa Sip recently gifted me with a four-pack of Tofino Brewing bombers from their trip to Vancouver Island, I was thrilled.

Among that mixed pack was the Hoppin’ Cretin IPA, which was a very good India Pale Ale with very pleasing stats of a 7.5% ABV and 60 IBUs. This is the type of IPA that drinkers should try before they completely give up on this variety of beverage. They may come away pleasantly surprised.

Tofino Hoppin' Cretin IPA

I’m not entirely sure what’s behind the name of this beer, but one description I found for the brew states: “There’s no stoppin’ the cretins from hoppin’”. A cretin, of course is an idiot, so I guess the ol’ Sip Advisor would fall under that category!

I would love to visit Tofino Brewing at some point (as well as other Vancouver Island spots) and just have to find the time to get over there. One day, a bridge will unite the mainland and island, all in the name of fine beer!

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