Beer #85 - McAuslan St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat

 McAuslan St-Ambroise Brewing Apricot Wheat Ale
www.mcauslan.com/en

I reviewed Montreal, QC's McAuslan St-Ambroise Oatmeal Sttout a while back, here: Beer #7.  Their brewery started in 1989 and started with a pale ale, which was very well received.  This is one of four seasonal brews they offer, one for each season: in the summer, Raspberry Ale; in the fall, Spiced Pumpkin Ale; in the winter, Strong Ale; and in the spring, Apricot Wheat Ale..

It has a clear golden colour with an orange hue. A white head that dissipates quickly.

The apricot takes over the aroma with hints of malt and floral hoppy notes.

The malt comes in quickly at the start with the apricot comes with some hoppy bitterness with the floral notes mingling with the apricot at the finish.

A very nice and refreshing brew, sadly it is only available in the spring.  The flavours are quite complex and fairly subtle.  This is not a big beer like their Oatmeal Stout, but a perfect beer for the soming patio season.

Beer #84 - Chuckanut Kolsch

Chuckanut Brewing Kolsch

www.chuckanutbreweryandkitchen.com



Bellingham, WA's Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen is a brewpub with a serious pedigree, though only opening in 2008 it's principals have a wealth of experience.  Will Kemper, the brewmaster, has worked for breweries all over the US, generally in the set up and training of the first brewmaster.  He has gone to open a couple of brewpubs in Mexico, one in Istambul and a small craft brewery also in Istambul.  He's even taught brewing at the University of California, Davis Campus.  A whole lot of knowledge is packed into this little brew pub.

A little blurb from their website to show you their direction:
"Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen is passionate about being a sustainable member of our community and taking care of our environment. Since opening our doors in late July 2008 we have gone towards Zero Waste, recycle our spent grains with a local farmer, and with our computerized brewery system, conserve electricity, water, and people power! Chuckanut supports over 100 non profits in our region and continues to be a responsible neighbor to our enviroment and community. Supporting Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen is supporting our sustainable culture and excitement about serving the best Beer & Food we can make."

This Kolsch beer is a style typically brewed in Cologne, Germany and is a very light, yet subtly complex brew.   

It has a clear pale yellow colour with a thin white head which gives a little lacing.

A very light aroma with hints of citrus, floral, bitterness and a touch of malt.

It starts with malt followed by the floral of the hops, then quickly the light bitterness takes over and the citrus comes in at the finish.

It drinks extremely light, the flavours are quite complex yet subtle.  Do not drink this with strong flavoured or rich foods as the beer will likely be overpowered.  It is a very refreshing beer and would pair well with lighter fare such as salads and fish.  Give it a try at your next fish BBQ this summer.

Beer #83 - Skagit River Hemlet PA

Skagit River Brewery Helmet Pale Ale
www.skagitbrew.com

Mount Vernon, WA's Skagit River Brewery is a brewpub that focuses on serving the best brews they can produce, using local hops and grains.  They try to put a North-West twist on classic European classics, which partly is due to using the local hops which have distinct characteristics.  This particular brew doesn't appear on their list of regular brews, so I assume it's a seasonal or special brew.  They have six year-round brews and frequent additions to the seasonal lines.

It has a slightly cloudy deep golden colour with white head that provides nice lacing.

The hops take over the smell mainly thr bitterness and citrus with a hint of floral notes lingering.

Maltiness comes in at the start with bitterness quickly on its heels then floral notes take over and the hint of citrus is there on the finish. 

It's a nice balanced pale ale with a little North-West flavour, the hops used provide a much wider flavour profile of the bitterness, floral and citrus notes causing this brew to explode with flavour in comparison to most other pale ales.  Somehow all without crossing the line into IPA territory.  I strongly recommend trying this if you can find it.

Beer #82 - Anderson Valley Boont ESB

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Boont ESB
www.avbc.com

Boonville, CA's Anderson Valley Brewing has been brewing craft beer since 1987 with a ten barrel brewhouse underneath its brewpub.  The demand for their award winning brews has called for expansion twice, first to a 30 barrel facility and then further expanding with a 85 barrel and 100 barrel brew kettles.  They now have over ten beers in their line and a Bahl Hornin' line of specialty brews.  Boont ESB is not quite a typical ESB, but it has a higher malt profile to go with the heavy hit of hops.

It has a clear copper colour with a bit of a white head.

The aroma is filled with hops, the bitterness is the strongest scent. Undertones of malt and citrus are also present.

The hops also take the forefront of the taste. The malt comes in first and the bitterness comes in and takes over the show with the floral notes coming in and taking over near the finish with the citrus joining in at the end.

A very nice ESB, the citrus notes are a welcome addition that you won't find on many ESBs and the heavy malt start is also a nice change.  If you like ESBs you will like this, if you don't, give it a try anyways, it's still a great beer and different enough from other ESBs that you may like it.  

Beer #81 - Elysian Mens Room Red

Elysian Brewery The Mens Room Original Red Ale
www.elysianbrewing.com

Elysian Brewery and Public House opened in 1996 in Seattle, WA.  Since then they have expanded to three brewpubs in the Seattle area and a new production brewery in the Seattle area.  From 2008 to 2011 they had partnered with Fort Collins, CO's New Belgium Brewery and produced large batches in their facility and some small batch brews in their Trip series were and continue to be brewed at Elysian's brewpubs.  The new brewery in Seattle has brought back all their brewing to the Seattle area, though they still do collaborate with New Belgium.  They frequently have over 20 Elysian beers on tap at their brewpubs, plus other offerings.  This particular brew is brewed for The Mens Room, an afternoon radio show on Seattle radio station KISW, this is what it says on the bottle:

"Hello, we're The Mens Room.  We like to talk on the radio, we also like beer.  So we made this beer just for you.  It's a good beer and we hope you like it.  Plus, by purchasing this bottle you help support the families of our military vets through the Fisher house."

www.kisw.com

It has an almost clear amber colour with a nice white head which creates nice lacing.

The hops come to the forefront in the aroma, particularly the floral and citrus notes, followed by the bitterness and a hint of malt is also there.

It has big hop taste, it starts off with the malt and citrus notes, with bitterness that gradually builds until the finish where it is joined by the floral-hoppy notes which linger at the finish.

A good brew, for a good cause.  Well worth the try, it has a hop profile similar to an IPA, but with a lightness that isn't as typical.  It is a worthy session beer.

Beer #80 - Boundary Bay Inside Pasage Ale

Boundary Bay Brewery Inside Pasage Ale
www.bbaybrewery.com

Bellingham, WA's Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro is a brewpub that also bottles and sells kegs to other restaurants and pubs.  They have been brewing for over ten years and have won numerous awards over the years as well.  Inside Pasage Ale is a play on the India Pale Ale acronym as it is an IPA style.

It has a dark cloudy amber colour with a thick white head.

It smells of all the notes of the hops and a hint of malt.

The floral notes start followed by malt and bitterness at the same time. The citrus comes in at the end to join the bitterness to fade away.

A nicely balanced IPA, the hops are there in all their characteristics and it is a very refreshing brew.  A definite one to put on your list to try.

Beer #79 - Brooklyn Monster Ale

Brooklyn Brewery Barleywine Style Monster Ale
www.brooklynbrewery.com

I reviewed another Brooklyn Brew a while ago, Beer #20  Black Chocolate Stout.  They've been brewing fine brews since 1988, this Monster was born in 2007.

It has a cloudy brown colour with a thick tan coloured head.

The yeastiness is quite strong in the aroma, with a less strong note of roasted maltiness and some notes of floral and bitterness of the hops.

The malt comes in first with the yeastiness rolling into take over the forefront of the taste, with the maltiness still there but more subtle, the bitterness of the hops come in as the maltiness fades away.  The finish is yeastiness and the floral notes of the hops.

A stong brew at 10.1% but perhaps a little less potent than most other barleywines.  It has most of the flavour components of other barleywines however.  Worth a try, however not my favourite barleywine, but I can also see why many would like it.  So give it a shot and see what you think, afterall, it's not my taste that matters but yours!  Cheers!

Beer #78 - Dead Frog French Oaked Stiff Stout

Dead Frog Brewery Brewmaster Series: French Oaked Stiff Stout
www.deadfrog.ca

I've reviewed several other of Aldergrove, BC's Dead Frog brews, especially because they like to put out special release beers which I am an absolute sucker for.  Most recently I've reviewed Beer #68, Christmas Beeracle  and previously Beer #51 Nut Brown, Beer #25 Pale Ale & Beer #4 Mandarin Orange Amber Ale.

It has a deep brown colour with a very light brown head.

The oak is definitely present in the aroma, with coffee, malt and bitter notes as well.

The coffee comes through in the taste right from start to finish, the oakiness comes through at the start, with the bitterness coming in and taking over on the finish.  The oakiness does linger a little on the finish as well.

A very interesting brew, has a lot of sherry like flavour components.  Definitely very complex and the 6.5% alcohol content comes through in the taste.  A nice winter/spring warmer.

Beer #77 - Guinness Draught

Guinness Draught
www.guinness.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  In honout of this day I'm reviewing Guinness today and yesterday was Smithwick's.  The Guinness Brewing company has a long and distinguished history, not just in brewing either.  They've given us the Guinness Book of World Records, originally created to end pub arguments.  They financed the building of Vancouver, BC's land mark the Lions Gate Bridge (pictured below).

They are part of the Diageo Group.   I've reviewed a few other's from this brewing group, yesterday was Beer #76, Smithwick's, and previously was both Beer #50, Harp Lager and Beer #55, Kilkenny Cream Ale.

Deep balck in colour with a thick light brown head with great retention.

The smell is full of the maltiness, with coffee and chocolate notes, a hint of hops is also there, notably the bitterness.

The malt hits right away, with the coffee notes, the bitterness comes in and blends in with the coffee maltiness creating nice balance, then the coffee and bitterness are joined by a light chocolate note which lingers alone at the finish.

This beer is a classic and the first of it's style, it is an extra stout porter, merging the styles of the two together.  This has been copied and modified by other breweries over time but this is still the grand daddy.  If you have not had a Guinness before, today is the day to do it!  It drinks lighter than it looks, even a lot of people that don't much like stouts and porters quite enjoy Guinness.  Slainte!

Beer #76 - Smithwick's Draught

Smithwick's Draught
www.smithwicks.ie

In honour of Saint Patrick's day being tomorrow, today I am reviewing Smithwick's and tomorrow I will review the grand daddy of all Irish brews, Guinness, though not in age, certainly in fame.

I reviewed a couple of other brews from the Guinness group,  Beer #50, Harp Lager and Beer #55, Kilkenny Cream Ale.  Smithwicks, which is pronounced smithicks, the 'w' is silent. Smithwick's is actually the oldest ale in Ireland, beating out Guinness by over 40 years.  Yet still largely unknown outside of Ireland, at least in comparison to Guinness.

It has a clear amber colour with a thick white head.

It smells strongly of all the aspects of the hops, the floral and bitter notes coming on stronger than the citrus, the malt is quite apparent as well.

The floral and malt come in right at the beginning of the taste, while the malt stays present the floral is soon overtaken by the bitterness.  The malt fades away just leaving the bitterness to finish with a little citrus note coming in at the very end.

A truly classic ale, the flavour profile is complex yet easy to drink.  This is a favourite of mine if available on tap in pubs, but it's still just as good at home in cans.  

Beer #75 - Rogue Shakespeare Stout

Rogue Ales Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout
www.rogue.com

Newport, Oregon's Rogue Ales started operations in 1988 in Ashland, Oregon in the basement of their brewpub there.  The next year they expanded to a second brewpub in Newport, Oregon.  They started off with just two brews and have now expanded to over 20 and a selection of spirits and have won numerous awards.  Shakespeare has won several awards as well.

Deep dark black-brown colour with a thick light brown head.

The aroma is quite subtle and balanced, full of malt, coffee notes, chocolate notes and both floral and bitterness of the hops.

The taste starts off with coffee and the floral notes of the hops with the bitterness coming and taking over from the floral, but leaving the coffee notes.  The chocolate comes in just at the finish and mixes with the bitterness creating a dark bitter chocolate taste that lingers for a bit on the tongue.

This brew is definitely worth the try, the flavour profile is great and the creaminess of the malt from the oatmeal is silky on the tongue.  It is truly as complex as the bard from whence it derives its name.  It does come in the big 22 oz bottles, so either expect to share, limit your consumption, have a designated driver or be staying in.  It could be hard to only have one of these babies.

Beer #74 - Asahi Dry

Asahi Super Dry
www.asahibeer.co.jp/english/

Japan's Asahi Brewery was formed in 1889 and has over the years expanded and purchased shares in China's Tsigntao and Australia's Foster's Group.  They introduced Super Dry in 1987 and it ignited a crazy for dry beers in Japan.

Very clear and pale golden colour with a white head.

It smells of malt, citrus and hoppy bitterness.

The maltiness comes right to the forefront and stays through the taste, the bitterness comes in to join the maltiness then the citrus comes in and to finish you are just left with a little bitterness lingering.

Asahi Super Dry is an extremely refreshing, easy drinking beer that finishes clean.  This makes a perfect everyday beer.  It's uniqueness makes it worth a try, it is it's own style of beer and not like most North American dry beers.

Beer #73 - Steinlager Pure

Lion Steinlager Pure
www.steinlager.co.nz

Steinlager was introduced in 1958 by then New Zealand Breweries under urging from the New Zealand Minister of Finance to "come up with an international-style lager beer" as the government was limiting the import of international beers.  In 1977 the company became Lion Breweries and is now just known as Lion and has been purchased by Japanese brewing giant Kirin, which is owned by the mega-corpotation Mitsubishi.  In 2007 they introduced Steinalger Pure, the premium version of Steinlager Lager.  It is made with higher grade "pure" ingredients than it's sister beer.

It has a clear pale golden colour with a bright white head, with tiny carbonation bubbles rising to the top.

It smells of the floral and bitter notes of the hops as well as malt.

The taste starts with the bitterness and the malt which all fades towards a light floral note on the finish.

It is a similar style of lager to Heinenken, Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell and the like, but with a subtler and more complex flavour profile.  A great, easy drinking, everyday beer.

Beer #72 - Mill St ESB

Mill Street Brewery Extra Special Bitter
www.millstreetbrewery.com

I've sampled several other of Toronto, Ontario's Mill Street Brewery's offerings: Beer #32, Franconian Bock;  Beer #44, Tankhouse Ale; and Beer #60, Coffee Porter.  This ESB is just one of many more of their offerings to sample.

It has a clear amber-copper colour with a nice white head.

It smells of the bitterness, floral notes and citrus of the hops as well as the maltiness.

The bitterness comes in at the start before being joined by the malt and the whole joined by the citrus notes leaving just a little floral note on the finish.

A nice ESB with a mellower flavour profile than some but with a nice flavour profile. This is probably the nicest ESB I've had in quite some time, if you haven't tried it you really should.

Beer #71 - Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter

Phillips Brewing Longboat Chocolate Flavoured Porter
www.phillipsbeer.com

The story of Victoria, BC's Phillips Brewing is actually quite an inspiring tale of success against all the odds.  Matt Phillips had worked for many of the brew pubs and other micro breweries in BC , while he dreamt of opening his own artisanal brewery.  He wrote the business plan, the recipes and started looking for funding with the banks.  None of them bit, so he applied for every credit card he could and began buying brewing equipment and signed a lease for an upper floor warehouse.  For the first couple of years he had to live in that warehouse and work alone.  Fast forward to a little over ten years later and they've moved to newer & better facilities, hired employees, won awards and sponsored events.  An inspiring story and the best part is it results in some great beer.

This is what the Phillips Brewing website has to say about this beer:
"Classic Pairings in History: Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney; Super Dave Osborne & Mr. Fuji; Cheddar cheese & pickles; Bob & Doug McKenzie; Mork & Mindy; Bonnie & Clyde; Chocolate & Beer!!! We'd say that Longboat is a classic chocolate porter, but lets face it, who's ever heard of a chocolate porter? It is, however, a rich dark ale, with a distinctive chocolate finish."

Dark black in colour with a latte coloured head.

The chocolate smell is in the forefront with the malt and hops a little more subdued.  You smell the floral, bitter and citrus notes of the hops are all there.

The chocolate, malt and bitterness all come in at the start. The maltiness stays with the floral notes coming in before being supplanted by the citrus with the malt fading away leaving a lingering of the chocolate.

This double chocolate porter is surprsingly clean finishing and well balanced.  It is a great beer and very much worth a try.

Beer #70 - HUB Survival Stout

Hopworks Urban Brewery Survival 7 Grain Stout
www.hopworksbeer.com

I reviewed another Hopworks brew a little while ago, Beer #57, HUB Abominable Winter Ale.   This beer is made with 7 grains, barley, wheat, oats, amaranth, quinoa, spelt and kamut.  They also add cold pressed organic coffee to finish this stout.

A deep dark black colour with a coffee coloured head.

The aroma is filled with chocolate and coffee notes, with undertones of malt and bitterness of the hops.

The taste starts of coffee with a hint of the chocolate. The maltiness joins the fray and the espresso notes fade and the chocolate fills out the flavour as the hops come in it creates a bitter dark chocolate flavour and just fades away cleanly.

 A very complex, flavourful and original brew.  It is unlike most other coffee stouts I've had, the flavours are more complex and it finishes cleaner.  I would certainly recommend it for a try.

Beer #69 - La Binchoise Blonde

La Binchoise Blonde
www.brasserielabinchoise.com

La Brasserie Binchoise is located in Binche, Belgium and has been brewing since 1836.  This particular brew, Blonde, is a blond Belgian ale.

It has a slightly cloudy appearance with a straw-yellow colour with a nice white foamy head which goes down to about a half inch and retains quite well.

It smells strongly of yeast and citrus, with floral, malt and bitterness also there but a little more subdued.

The yeastiness comes right away, with floral and malt joining in at the same time, the bitterness overtakes the floral notes but leaves the yeastiness and malt, then the citrus joins in and all of it just fades away, the malt and bitterness fade a little faster than the citrus and yeast.

A nice complex blond ale, typical of other abbey style ales.  Great flavour profile and quite refreshing.  Certainly worth a try.

Beer #68 - Dead Frog Christmas Beeracle

 Dead Frog Brewery Christmas Beeracle
www.deadfrog.ca

One of many reviews I've done of Aldergrove, BC's Dead Frog Brewery.  My others are: Beer #51 Nut Brown, Beer #25 Pale Ale & Beer #4 Mandarin Orange Amber Ale. This is their Christmas offering, which comes in a 650 ml bottle and has a 5% ABV.  In keeping with their fun attitude this is what they say about their Christmas Beeracle:
"The story of the Christmas Beeracle
This is the Christmas Beeracle and it was crafted in honour of the holidays.
It was crafted in honour of kissing under the mistletoe.
It was crafted in honour of romping to and fro in the snow.
It was crafted in honour of tongues stuck on a pole.
It was crafted in honour of takin' the ol' toboggan for a roll.
It was crafted in honour of presents inside of socks.
It was crafted in honour of finally digging in to that glorious box.
It was crafted in honour of great beer.
It was crafter in honour of holiday cheer."

It has a clear coppery colour with a nice white head with good retention and some good lace.

It smells of malt and floral, citrus and bitter notes of the hops with a hint of vanilla.

The flavours are very well balanced, it starts with the malt with the floral notes coming in right away with the bitter and vanilla coming in next and the citrus peeks its head out for the finish.

A very well balanced, easy drinking Christmas offering.  It has many of the characteristics of other winter beers, but still drinks nice and easy.  When it comes out again next year, its very much worth the try.

Beer #67 - Central City Rauchbier

Central City Brewing Rauchbier
www.centralcitybrewing.com
www.redracerbeer.com

About a week ago I reviewed one from Surrey, BC's Central City Brewing and discussed a bit about them: Beer #61 Thor's Hammer.  This brew is another special offering only available on tap.  This Rauchbier is in the Bamberg Rauchbier style which is German in origin and very smoky in flavour.  It is still brewed in that region by a couple of brew pubs and several breweries.  The smoky flavour is created by drying the malt over open fires, traditionally using beechwood.

It has a golden red colour witg an ivory head that fades to leave some little bubbles which provide some decent lace.

Smokey scent with a little hint of yeast, malt and both the floral and bitter notes of the hops.

The smoke comes in and stays the course with the malt joining in and making the smoky taste seem bigger. The hops come in and the floral notes give the smoke an almost oaky character and then the bitterness comes in and mellows out the smoke to lightly linger and finish pretty clean.

This is certainly not an every day beer, but definitely worth a try if you want something different.  It pairs well with red meat and especially well with the beer battered fries they serve at Central City Brewing.  I intend on buying a growler of this to marinade some salmon in for a little grilling soon.  If you like smoky flavours and beer you will probably like it.

Beer #66 - Lindemans Framboise Lambic

Lindemans Framboise Lambic
www.lindemans.be

Lindemans has been brewing in the little town of Vlezenbeek, Belgium since 1811.  All of their beers are Lambic, a Belgian style of beer that uses wild yeasts or spontaneous fermentation.  I've done a review of another fruit infused Lambic, Beer #41, Chapeau Apricot Lambic.  For more information on Lambics, check out this Wikipedia Article.  This particular brew is made by first brewing the Lambic and then adding fresh raspberries which create a secondary fermentation from the sugars in the raspberries creating further depth of flavour.

Framboise has a very deep red/rose colour with a frothy pink head, with good retention and good lacing.

It smells strongly of raspberries with the yeastiness and maltiness just creating undertones of scent.

The raspberries are very noticeable in the taste and take centre stage, the yeasty and malty notes come in and mingle with the raspberry.  The maltiness comes in first and adds a depth and sweetness to the berries, when the yeastiness comes in it creates a fruit wine like taste as it bitters the raspberry a little.  It finishes with the lingering of raspberry.

A nice refreshing raspberry brew, if you like beer and raspberries you will like this beer.  It doesn't taste as sweet as a lot of the other fruit beers I've tried which is a nice change, it embraces the sour aspect of the raspberries which marries very well with the beer.

Beer #65 - Vancouver Island Double Decker IPA

Vancouver Island Brewery Double Decker IPA
www.vanislandbrewery.com

Vancouver Island Brewery opened in a tiny warehouse just outside of Victoria, BC in 1984. In 1995 they moved to larger facility located right in Victoria proper.  From a modest couple of beers in the first couple of years to seven regular beers now. This is more of a traditional British styled IPA rather than a Westcoast style.  

It has a clear golden colour with a tan coloured head, which dissipates quickly leaving nice lacing.

The hops are very apparent in the aroma, the floral, bitter and citrus notes all there.  A little maltiness is also there.

The citrus comes through at the start, with the maltiness and floral notes coming in next with the floral notes changing to bitter notes with the maltiness fading away and leaving the bitterness to linger with a touch of the citrus coming back on the finish.

This is a nice big IPA while it is an English styled IPA the west coast flavour is apparent in the distinctive hop character of the local hops used.  This is a great IPA to try, if you like IPAs this is a winner. 

Beer #64 - Erdinger Weissbrau

Erdinger Weissbrau
www.erdinger.de/en.html

Erdinger has been brewing in Erding, Bavaria since 1886.  They are the largest wheat brewery in the world and brew according to traditional recipes with high tech equipment. 

This wheat beer has a slightly cloudy consistancy with a nice straw golden colour with a big white head which leaves nice lacing.

It smells fresh and light, with the floral and citrus notes of the hops quite apparent with the bitterness and yeastiness a little less apparent.

The flavour is extremely well balanced, with the floral notes coming in at the start with the yeastiness as well.  The bitterness then comes in and the citrus joins for both flavours to linger on the finish.

One of the best balanced wheat beers I've ever had. a definite must try.  As with most wheat beers, it is extremely refreshing and perfect for a nice summer day.

Beer #63 - Maredsous Brune

Maredsous Brune
www.duvel.be

Maredsous in named for a Fransiscan Abbey in Belgium, the line has been brewed by Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat since 1963 and includes Blonde (a blond ale), Brune (a dubbel) and Tripple (a trippel).  This brew, Brune is a strong 8% ABV.

It has a brown, slightly cloudy colour with a big white foamy head with good retention and provides nice lacing.

It smells of grape, yeast, malt and both floral and bitter notes of the hops can be just discerned.

The start is very yeasty and malty, with the bitterness of the hops peeking in, the grape and floral notes come in on the finish and linger.

This is a nice Abbey style dubbel with a little warming of the alcohol after the finish.  It isn't so apparent in the taste.  It's a nice beer to try, especially on a cold winter night sitting by the fire after dinner.

Beer #62 - Deschutes Red Chair NWPA

Deschutes Brewery Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale
www.deschutesbrewery.com

Deschutes Brewery is located in Bend, Oregon and has been brewing since 1988.  They've expanded over the years to include a brew pub in Portland as well.  This pale ale is styles as a west coast IPA, which is less hopped than a typical IPA.

It has a nice clear copper colour with a white head which fades fairly quickly but leaves nice lacing.

Its smell is quite subtle with notes of hoppy bitterness, floral notes, maltiness and citrus .

The hops take centre stage starting with the floral notes as the maltiness joins the fray the bitterness comes through and the citrus blends together with it all at the finish.

A very nice brew, somewhat more hoppy than some other west coast style IPAs, but still less hoppy than a traditional IPA.  A very nice brew for everyday drinking, great with friends, food and fun.

Beer #61 Central City Thor's Hammer

Central City Brewing Thor's Hammer Barley Wine
www.centralcitybrewing.com
www.redracerbeer.com

Central City Brewing is a brew pub and also the brewer of Red Racer beers located in Surrey, BC.   Central City has a good reputation and has been open for about 10 years.  They have a good selection of taps, all the regular Red Racer brews and some seasonals and special brews.  This is one of their special brews and is only served in 10 oz glasses as it is 11%, it is only available at the pub as far as I can tell.

It has a cloudy red brown colour with a thin white head with good lacing.

It has a very floral aroma with malty and yeasty undertones.

It starts with the yeastiness and floral notes of the hops which change to the hoppy bitterness as the malt comes in. The maltiness fades away leaving a little yeastiness and bitterness lingering on the finish.

This is a really nice brew, it drinks way smoother than anything with 11% should, it really does sneak up on you.  The flavour profile is really nice, it is the perfect brew for sipping after a nice meal.

Beer #60 - Mill St. Coffee Porter

Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter
www.millstreetbrewery.com

I have reviewed a couple of other Mill Street brews and discussed a little about the Toronto, Ontario brewery before.  Here, Beer #32 Franconian Bock and here, Beer #44 Tankhouse Ale  This Coffee Porter is brewed with fresh brewed Balzac's dark roasted coffee and blended with a traditional dark porter.

It has a deep black colour with a latte coloured head.

In the aroma both the coffee and the malts are very apparent with a touch of the floral and bitter characteristics of the hops as well.

The porter and coffee tastes blend perfectly, it starts with a coffee taste which never lets go, it simply gets changed by the other flavour components as they come into play.  First the maltiness comes in and makes the coffee almost taste like a latte, with a creamy taste, then as the floral notes come in it tastes as if something akin to nutmeg was added to the latte, then, once the bitterness of the hops come into play it finally tastes like drinking a black coffee with a slight bit of the floral notes still clinging to the taste.

Mill Street Coffee Porter is a very well balanced beer, if you like coffee and beer I can't see how you would not like this one.  It is not overpowering in any way, it drinks nice and smooth and gives the best of both worlds.

Beer #59 - Pyramid Audacious Apricot

Pyramid Brewing Audacious Apricot Ale
www.pyramidbrew.com

Pyramid Brewing out of Seattle, WA has been brewing since 1984 as Hart Brewing, in 1996 it was reborn as Pyramid Brewing.  They have expanded and now breweries and alehouses in California, Oregon and Washington.  Audacious Apricot is an unfiltered wheat ale blended with fresh apricot, creating a delectible fruit brew.

A cloudy, well, apricot colour with a thick white head that doesn't retain very well but with nice lacing.

It smells of apricot with a nice counterpoint of the bitterness of the hops and a yeasty wine character.

It starts with a mixture of the apricot and the hop bitterness with the yeasty wine flavour taking over the bitterness and mingling with the apricot to finish nice and clean.

It drinks very smooth and can sneak up on you, the alcohol is hardly apparent in the taste.  Certainly one of the nicest fruit beers I've tried recently and so very refreshing.  If you have any slight like of apricot and of beer you need to try this.

Beer #58 - Carlsberg

Carlsberg Pale Lager
www.carlsberg.com

Carlsberg Brewery was founded in 1847 in Copenhagen, Denmark and begand brewing the flagship Carlsberg Lager.  Carlsberg has acquired many other breweries over the years, I've touched on some of them in the past, making them the 4th largest brewery group in the world.

It has a nice clear golden straw colour with a bright white foamy head with great retention.

It smells of both the floral and bitter notes of the hops and malt.

The malt comes strong at the forefront of the taste, with the bitter notes of the hops, as the taste goes on, the maltiness gets overtaken by the floral notes of the hops which fade away just leaving a crisp and pleasant lingering of the bitterness on the tongue.

A ncie crisp pale lager, with a slightly different flavour profile than most.  Certainly worth a try if you haven't had it and great on a warm day with some friends.

Beer #57 - Hopworks Abominable Winter Ale

Hopworks Urban Brewery Abominable Winter Ale
www.hopworksbeer.com

A little about the unique Hopworks Urban Brewery from their website:

"Hopworks Urban Brewery and Hopworks BikeBar are Portland’s first Eco-Brewpubs. We offer handcrafted organic beers and fresh, local ingredients, all served in sustainably-built and operated buildings with a relaxed, casual atmosphere.
Hopworks incorporates many aspects of sustainability.  From composting to rain barrels, and from pervious pavers to hand dryers, we have made every effort to protect “our” future with a thoughtful alternative.  Hopworks is 100% renewably powered and “cradle to gate” carbon neutral.
Our 20-barrel brewery produces 8,500 barrels a year and provides our restaurant with ten different HUB organic beers on tap and two cask ales at all times."


A nice clear dark copper colour with a nice white head with great lacing.

It has a nice spicy caramel nose with the maltiness and bitterness apparent but in the background and some citrus peaking out at the end .

The spiciness comes out right at the start with the caramel and maltiness joining in and mingling with the spice as the bitterness gradually overtakes the lead and is joined by a hint of citrus on the finish.

A nice seasonal brew, big and flavourful, yet still easy enough to drink. Quite a unique winter ale from quite a unique brewery.  Well worth a try if you can find it in your neck of the woods.

Beer #56 - Two Beers Sodo Brown

Two Bears Brewing Company SoDo Brown Ale
www.twobeersbrewery.com

Two Beers Breing began from very small roots in a Seattle garage in 2006, they have grown to producing 12 beers, 5 of which are available year round and 7 being seasonal, they also produce small batch blends and infusions.  Their new location, while still in Seattle has gorwn from the tiny garage to 4800 square feet.   SoDo is only brewed with 1 hop variety but 7 different grains creating some complex malt flavours.

A dark brown colour that seems clear but so dark you still cannot see through it. It has a bright white head with a little retention that provides nice lacing.

It smells strongly of roasted nuts and coffee with a little floral notes of the hops also apparent

It starts with some bitterness of the hops quickly followed by maltiness and then the coffee notes take over to be rejoined by the bitterness with a little raisin note coming in at the finish.

A nicely balanced brown ale with a nice malt profile, with enough bitterness to create a counterpoint to the sweetness of the malts.

Beer #55 - Kilkenny Irish Crem Ale

Guinness Brewery Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale
www.diageo.com

I recently reviewed Guinness' Harp Lager and covered a bit about the history of the brewery here, Beer #50

Kilkenny is similar to Smithwick's Ale (Which I will be reviewing soon as well) but, has less hop finish and Kilkenny is nitrogenated to produce the distinctive cream head, as Guinness is. The name 'Kilkenny' was originally used during the 1980s and 1990s to market a stronger version of Smithwick's in Europe and Canada due to a difficulty pronuncing 'Smithwick's.' Kilkenny is the result of brewing traditions started in the 14th century in the Abbey at Kilkenny where the monks were brewing ales which grew to become Smithwicks and Kilkenny.

Kilkenny has a nearly clear copper colour with a creamy ivory head.  As with Guinness it takes some time to pour and settle in to drink, creating that anticipation as you watch.

It smells quite distinctive as well, all the aspects of the hops used can be smelled.  At first whiff you notice the bitter aspect and the floral note, but the citrus aspect comes in a little too, all the while smelling the maltiness and a nutty, earthy aroma.

It starts off with a dry roasted nutty taste, with the bitterness of the hops slowly creeping in and continuing to grow right to the finish, the maltiness comes in along the way and the citrus notes join in at the finish.

Kilkenny is a classic, if you haven't tried it you must.  It is somewhat filling, but goes great with pub fare.  

Beer #54 - Williams Bros Fraoch

Heather Ale Ltd / Williams Bros Brewery Fraoch
www.heatherale.co.uk

From their website "The Williams Bros. Brewing Co. started life in the humble ‘Glenbrew’ homebrew shop in Glasgow. This was the family owned business that was both our occupation and passion. In 1988 a lady of Gaelic decent came into the shop with a translation of the recipe for ‘Leanne Fraoch’ that had been handed down through the generations. It was her simple goal to recreate a batch of this historic brew to share with her family."

The brewery began its life as Heather Ale Ltd and in 2004 they changed their name to Williams Brothers Brewery.  They are now located in Alloa, Scotland.  This style of heather ale has been brewed in Scotland since 2000 BC, and since 1988 they are the only brewery still to be producing this type of beer.

Froach has a very clear yellow colour with a bright white head with good lacing.  Tiny bubbles of carbonation rise to the top.

Froach has a very intriguing aroma, a blend of floral, spicy, citrus and malty notes.

It strars off clean with mostly the citrus notes coming through, with the maltiness coming in soon after with the floral notes, the maltiness stays as the spiciness comes in for the finish.  A little bitterness comes out to round out the taste profile and linger on the tongue at the finish.

Froach is a very interesting beer which I think is worth a try if for nothing else but the uniqueness.  I think it's a very well balanced ale with a great yet complex flavour profile while still drinking smoothly.

Beer #53 - Bowen Island Irish Cream Ale

Bowen Island Brewing Company Irish Cream Ale
www.bowenislandbeer.com

Bowen Island Brewing is a British Columbia, Canada brewery located on, you guessed it, Bowen Island.  They concentrate on brewing quality beer at lower prices.  Generally their beers are nearly at the bottom of the price scale, but are on par with a lot of the other micro breweries at nearly double the price.  All of their beers are 100% natural and brewed with no adjuncts or fillers, all are brewed acording to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, stating that all beer is to be brewed using only barley, hops, yeast and water.  This particular beer is their take on an Irish cream ale,

It has a clear copper colour with a thin white head with very little retention.

It smells of citrus, bitterness, maltiness and nuttiness all in equal parts.

It starts off with the hops coming into play with its bitterness followed by the maltiness and the nuttiness, followed quickly after by the citrus for it to end quite dry with a little of the bitterness coming back into play.

It's not a typical Irish cream ale, it drinks a lot lighter but still packs in a lot of the flavour you would expect.  If you see it, I suggest picking it up and giving it a try, it's great bang for your buck.

Beer #52 - Courage Directors

Courage Directors Ale
www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk

Wells and Youngs Brewery has a great history as I've touched on briefly in Beer #40 Young's Double Chocolate Stout.  They acquired the Courage line in 2007, which includes this great beer, which was originally only brewed for the directors of the Alton brewery, but public demand was so great that they released it.

It has a nice amber colour with a great foamy white head, with great retention and forms a nice lace on the side of the glass.

In the smell the fragrance of the hops is very apparant, from floral notes, bitter notes and citrus notes all playing together with a nice malty smell making for a pleasant aroma.

In the taste all the aspects of the hops come out as well.  At the start the floral notes come into play, with the maltiness coming in quickly with the citrus notes taking over, to be joined by the bitterness which takes over momentarily and then fades back to be re-joined by the citrus notes and both just fade away leaving a nice light lingering of both on the tongue.

This is a very complex ale with a great flavour profile.  It finishes nice and clean, perfect to enjoy with some good friends.  If you haven't tried this one, I definitely suggest you give it a try, it is well worth it.  Don't be surprised if it becomes a regular brew for you.

Beer #51 - Dead Frog Nut Brown

Dead Frog Brewery Nut Brown Ale
www.deadfrog.ca

Aldergrove, BC's Dead Frog Brewery has only been brewing for a half-dozen years, but still manage to crank out great brews while keeping it fun.  This is the third of their beers that I've reviewed, #4 their Mandarin Orange Amber Ale and #25 their Pale Ale.  This is particular beers is one of their most popular and one of my favourites.  I expect that as they release new beers I'll be reviewing them as well and by their track record they should be worth a try at the very least.

It's clear with a dark brown colur with a little bit of a white head which leaves very little lacing.

It smells both earthy and floral with some bitter, espresso and hoppy notes.

It starts off with a nutty-chocolate note which soon gets overtaken by the maltiness and then joined by the bitterness of the hops to both fade away and finish clean with a little espresso note lingering on the tongue.

This is a really nice example of a nut brown, it is full of flavour, but finishes nice and clean, making it drinkable in any circumstance.

Beer #50 - Harp Lager

Guinness Brewery Harp Lager
www.diageo.com

Harp Lager has been brewed by the Guinness Brewery since 1960, it is named after the distinctive harp logo of the Guinness Brewery.  The Guinness Brewery merged with Grand Metropolitan in 1997 to become the Diageo Group, which is currently the largest producer of spirits worldwide, and a leader in beer and wine.  Harp Lager is a pale lager which began production as a response to the UK trend towards "Continental Lagers" and has become a major player in the lager market.

It is a pale golden colour, typical of the pale lager style, with a big foamy white head with a little bit of retention and creates nice lacing on the side of the glass.

It smells quite a bit of citrus, with a slight undertone of the floral notes of the hops.  There's a definite maltiness and a slight bit of a bitterness of the hops apparant in the nose as well.

It starts off with the maltiness and a touch of the floral note of the hops, with the maltiness staying but the hop character changing to the citrus notes and becomming bitter shortly after and fading away with the maltiness to end clean.

It's a nice light drinking lager, with enough flavour to keep it drinkable and not lost in the masses of other lagers out there.  Definitely a huge seller for a reason.

Beer #49 - Tuborg Pure Gold

Turk Tuborg SA Pure Gold
www.tuborg.com

Tuborg Lagers came onto the scene in 1880, yet the Tuborg brewery was founded in 1873 in the small port town of Hellerup, just north of Coppenhagen, Denmark.  In 1894 Tuborg merged with United Breweries, which then entered into a profit sharing agreement with Carlsberg before being acquired by Carlsberg in 1970.   This particular beer is a pale lager which is brewed at 5.5% ABV in Canada where I bought it, however apparently it's only 3.5% in the United States, which even with converting between the ABV and ABW methods would put it at only about 4.2%ABV in the US.

It has a very clear golden colour with a nice big white head which dissipates fairly quickly leaving a hint of lace on the side of the glass.

It smells very fragrant of the floral notes of the hops with a hint of citrus and malt.

The hops are very apparant the whole way through the taste, it starts with the floral notes then the bitterness comes into play, gradually incorporating the malt taste which fades away leaving just the bitterness of the hops which gets joined by a hint of citrus on the finish.

This is quite a complex and flavourful light lager, suitable for drinking at any occaision with or without food.  It's lightness belies it's 5.5% ABV strength.

Beer #48 - Stanley Park 1897 Amber

Stanley Park Brewery 1897 Belgian Amber
www.stanleyparkbrewery.ca

Stanley Park Brewery is located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC.  It is named afer a brewery that used to exist in Stanley Park which served its beers to the many visitors of the park.  They have decided to make their brewery 100% sustainable.  This Belgian style amber is unpasturized and made from a mixture of hops and malts.

It has a cloudy golden colour with a white head with tiny bubbles.

It smells quite yeasty with a nice malty component with a hoppy undertone.

The yeastiness and maltiness comes out at the start and slowly fades as the hops slowly materialise and take over the flavours to fade to a clean finish.

It is a nice and mellow beer with a fair bit of complexity yet still drinks crisp and clean.

Beer #47 - Caracole Saxo

Caracole Saxo
www.brasserie-caracole.be

The "Brasserie Caracole" traces it's history back to 1766 when the brewery was called the Brasserie Moussoux and then changed it's name to the Brasserie Lamotte in 1941 until eventually being taken over in 1992 and the name changed to Brasserie Caracole.  They are based in Falmignoul, Belgium and are known to heat their water in a wood oven. 

It has a cloudy dark yellow colour with a big head filled with big bubbles.

The smell is filled with yeasty, malty, floral, citrus and spice notes all mingling together.

The taste starts clean with some bitterness of the hops apparent with the malt and yeast coming in the middle and the finish is all malt and hops with a little spice note.

It drinks lighter than you would expect with its cloudiness.

It's a really nice complex and flavourful beer that drinks far cleaner than it's 7.5% or 8% ABV would indicate.   I found it to be quite refreshing, it is defiintely worth a try.

Beer #46 - Salzburger Stiegl

Salzburger Stiegl
www.stiegl.at

Stiegl's been being brewed in Salzburg, Austria since 1492.   It is Austria's largest brewer.

It has a beautiful clear pale golden colour with a great big white foamy head, with great retention, it clings to the side of the glass creating a nice lace.

It smells of apples, citrus, malt and a little floral note.

The floral note comes to the forefront along with the maltiness.  The fruit notes come in as the bitterness from the hops also comes in.  It finishes nice and clean with a light lingering of the apple and bitterness.

It's a nice light yet distinctive and flavourful lager and prefect for summer and a nice day out on the patio.  It's flavour profile is quite different from most of the other lagers from the region and definitely worth a try.

Beer #45 - Innis & Gunn Original

Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged Beer
www.innisandgunn.com

This is the flagship brew of Innis & Gunn and put them on the map.  They've followed it up with many other great brews, but this one will always be their first, and will always be what I remember of this brewery.

It is a slightly darker colour than golden, but completely clear with a nice white foamy head.

The smell of the oak is quite apparant, though not overpoweringly so.  You can still smell the floral notes of the hops, and the malt is distinctly there as well.

The oakiness is right there at the beginning of the taste and stays right to the finish, being modified by the other flavour aspects as they come into play.  The hops are the first to join into the fray and add a nice floral and mildly bitter aspect to the oak, the malt follows and mellows out the flavours and the oak lingers lightly on the tongue at the finish.

This is a great and very unique beer with a great depth of character and complexity.  Great on its own or with food.  I just enjoyed one with some prime rib and it was perfect.

Beer #44 - Mill St. Tankhouse Ale

Mill Street Brewery Tankhouse Ale
www.millstreetbrewery.com

Toronto, Ontario's Mill Street Brewery has been brewing since 2002 and have won many awards.  They have a brew pub at their original Toronto location and have also opened one in Ottawa, Ontario.  This particular brew has won many awards, most of them golds.  This is a eropean style ale with loads of flavour.

It has a dark amber colour with a nice big foamy white head which clings to the side of the glass.

It smells of flowery notes of the hops and citrus with a little maltiness as well.

The bitterness of the hops, though not so apparent in the smell comes out right at the start with the flowery notes coming in with the maltiness with a nice citrus note at the end as it finishes nice and clean.

A nice fragrant ale with a nice complex flavour profile.  Perfect for enjoying year round and would go great with food of any sort, though it would pair especially well with fish.

Beer #43 - Okanagan Spring Brewmaster's Black Lager

Okanagan Spring Brewmaster's Black Lager
www.okspring.com

Okanagan Spring opened their doors in 1985 in Vernon, BC, Canada.  They've had a distinctive history and helped to popularize the microbrew movement in BC, opening just a year after the first microbrewery in BC.  They have expanded to the point where they are no longer considered to be a microbrewery, but have still managed to craft quality beers.

It has a very deep black colour with a light brown head.

It smells of espresso and malt with chocolate and hop undertones.

The espresso taste comes right to the start with the hops and malt coming in equally and together mingling with the espresso flavours. The chocolate peaks its head out just before the finish and all the flavours mingle and fade away and finish cleanly.

A beautifully flavourful and complex black lager.  The flavour isn't too big to overpower most foods, but the dark chocolate and espresso notes lend itself especially to rich foods and red meat.

Beer #42 - Bard's Gold

Bard's Tale Bard's Gold
www.bardsbeer.com

This one's for you Chris, both because of the beer number (it is the answer to life, the universe and everything, now to figure out the question) and of course, a Bard for a Bard...  Bard's is the first gluten-free beer in the US made with malted sorghum rather than barley, wheat, oats or rye.  The owners, both with an intolerance to gluten made it their mission to craft a fine beer that the over 2 million other adults in the US that can't handle gluten could enjoy.  You don't need to be intolerant to gluten to enjoy this beer.  Their motto is "discuss it over a bard's" and they are kind enough to supply discussion topics on the inside of each bottle cap, for instance in the one I'm sampling it says "Are we living in a computer simulation?"  It's a nice touch and sets them apart.

It has a crisp clear golden colour with a nice white foamy head.

It smells quite yeasty with a distinct hop smell as well with a note of spice.

It starts off pretty clean, with a touch of yeastiness coming in followed quickly by a light bitterness of the hops and some nice maltiness, which all fades away with a little spice note coming in at the finish to end cleanly.

It is a nice beer, something different, something unique, something to share with your friends and have discussions over.  It has a nice flavour profile, it finishes clean, it's perfect for enjoying on a hot day, having with any food and of course, sharing over some interesting discussions with friends.