Tag Archives: apricot

Dear James S.M.A.S.H. Saison – Trading Post Brewing

by Mike

From Trading Post Brewing in Langley comes their “Dear James S.M.A.S.H. Saison” a Single Malt and Single Hop beer.  The beer pours an cloudy orange gold colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of tropical fruit, sweetness, yeast and grassy hops.  The flavour is of tropical fruit, apricot, citrus, candied sugar, yeast and mild bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 6.5% with an IBU of 26.  Trading Post has a knack of making tasty beers and this one is no different.

Commercial Description:  Dear James refers to a letter written to HBC Chief Trader James Murray Yale, urging him not to marry a woman for whom he had been enamoured with during his first years at the fort. Ignoring the outrageous pleas, James married the woman he loved and fathered two daughters with her.  Known as the quintessential artisanal brew, this farmhouse style Saison, has notes of apricots, citrus and spice. Brewed using Bohemian pilsner malt and Mosaic hops, this complex and refreshing beer shimmers a golden straw colour and is perfect for farmers.

No 82 Amaretto Altbier – Doan’s Craft Brewing Company (Sons of Vancouver Distillery)

by Mike

From Doan’s Craft Brewing Company in East Vancouver in collaboration with Sons Of Vancouver Distillery in North Vancouver.  This beer is a blend of Doan’s Altbier and Sons of Vancouver’s No 82 Amaretto and called “No 82 Amaretto Altbier”.  The beer pours a deep amber colour with a tan head.  The aroma consists of honey, vanilla, caramel and apricots.  The flavour is of vanilla, honey, caramel, brown sugar and apricots.  The alcohol content comes in at 6% with an IBU of 25.  While Doan’s Craft Brewing makes a tasty Altbier adding the Amaretto from Sons of Vancouver takes it to the next level.  This is a crazy good dessert beer without being really sweet.

Commercial Description: The story goes that Evan met James Lester from SOV back when the two were homebrewing funky beers. Evan, then working at Dan’s Homebrewing on Hastings, struck up a conversation with James. A few years later the two now small business owners were cheersing one day and thought it might be nice to collaborate on something. The idea was to fortify one of the Doan’s darker beers with the No.82 Amaretto. And so the Altaretto was born.  Releasing a subtle nuttiness from the Amaretto, the new beer is surprisingly well balanced with a great base provided by the German style pale that finishes with a light honey sweetness. Buy a pint at either the Brewery or at the Distillery in North Van.

Common Winds Apricot Bret Ale – Four Winds Brewing (The Commons Brewery)

by Mike

Four Winds Brewing in Delta recently did a collaboration brew with The Commons Brewery from Oregon. The beer was called “Common Winds Apricot Bret Saison”. The beer pours a cloudy orange colour with a mildly explosive white head. The aroma consists of Apricot, Bret funk, fruity and a sweet finish. The flavour is of Apricot, yeast, citrus rind, tropical fruits, floral hops, oak and lots of Bret funk. The alcohol content comes in at 6.5% with an IBU of 15. With these two great breweries it is no surprise that this beer turned out really great.  Hopefully they can do more of these collaborations in the future.

IMG_20160211_1928586

Barrel Aged Apricot Ale – Mission Springs Brewing

by Mike

Mission Springs Brewing out of Mission BC have been quietly building up a brand new series of beers.  This series of beer is called the Stave Lake – Lost Barrel Series and this is one of the first beers in the series. The beer is aa called  “Barrel Aged Apricot Ale” but sadly with this beer they did not bother to number the bottles on this release like the last Barrel Aged Scotch Ale.  This golden ale was aged in a blend of white and red French Oak wine barrels.  The beer poured a deep orange colour with an off white head.  The aroma consists of apricots, sweetness and some wine.  The flavour is of apricots, sweetness, red and white wine, wood, lots of fruit and some oak and alcohol.  The alcohol content comes in at 8%.  Not as complex as their last barrel aged beer but this is really enjoyable and I would recommend you pick up a bottle if you can find it.

Commercial Description:  This golden ale has been aged to perfection for one full year in a blend of red & white French Oak wine barrels.  After careful selection the beer was moved on to farm fresh apricots for a month of infusion.  This bold ale has a beautiful balance of alcohol warming notes, oak and fruit leaving a pleasurable unique lasting impression of barrel aged intensity.  Open now or later, but always enjoy with friends and family.

IMG_20160107_2240262

Apricot Sour – Red Collar Brewing

by Mike

Red Collar Brewing in Kamloops has ventured into an area of brewing their brewmaster David has never gone.  Worried about infecting a brewery with wild yeasts a problem that can be very real with sour beers David had always avoided the style.  Working with the university in Kamloops in the lab he was able to find a yest strain that he could kettle sour his beers with that would pose little risk to the brewery overall.  From this has come his first ever sour beer their “Apricot Sour” a Berliner Weisse.  The beer pours a cloudy yellowy orange colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of apricot with a tart and yeasty finish.  The flavour is of a good tart hit up front with apricots, citrus, some mild earth and maybe a hint of wheat and yeast.  There is not much sweetness in this beer and it lets the tart notes take over.  The alcohol content comes in at 5% with an IBU of 10.  This is a pretty darn good sour and it is even more impressive as it is Davids first attempt at a sour.  I hope this beer is a success and we see more sours coming out of Red Collar Brewing especially if they could end up in bottles!

red collar apricot sour