Tag Archives: grass

Renfrew Red Ale – Sooke Oceanside Brewery

by Mike

From Sooke Oceanside Brewery in Sooke on Vancouver Island comes their “Renfrew Red Ale”.  The beer pours a copper colour with a tan head.  The aroma consists of caramel, fruity with a floral finish.  The flavour is of caramel, mild roasted malts, resin, grassy, mild bitterness and some fruity notes.  The alcohol content comes in at 5.1%.  While fairly standard this is a good red ale and you will enjoy it.

Commercial Description:  Port Renfrew has many names. Some for love, as only the sea could be loved. Some for the ships she has taken, wrecked over rock and wave, where dangerous waters run red. This Red Ale is the namesake of that love and danger. I prefer to call her Renfrew.

Bayard Farmhouse Saison – Strange Fellows Brewing

by Mike

From Strange Fellows Brewing Company in East Vancouver comes their “Bayard Farmhouse Saison”.  Check out the tasting panel I was part of for this beer at Whats Brewing magazine.  The beer pours a golden colour with a white head with some retention.  The aroma consists of citrus, orange, pepper and a citrus find in the finish.  The flavour is of lots of citrus and tons of orange rind, pepper, herbal notes, crackery malts and a grassy and mild bitter finish.  The alcohol content comes in at 5.5% with an IBU of 25.  I enjoyed this beer but I found the citrus rind a little strong for my liking as it took on a bit of an odd bitterness.

Commercial Description:  He’s back and better than ever! – Hero of many a legend, Bayard the horse perpetually outwits any attempt to control him & fearlessly blazes his own path. He symbolizes the free spirit not to be tamed. Wild by nature, this Saison is the happenstance of unique yeasts & bottle-conditioning, & is just the thing for celebrating the things we cannot control.

Food pairing as per brewery:  Asian & Middle-Eastern cuisine, spicy, funky & creamy cheeses

Dry Hopped Kolsch – Twin Sails Brewing

by Mike

From Twin Sails Brewing in Port Moody comes their “Dry Hopped Kolsch”.  The beer pours a mild cloudy straw colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of citrus, grain and floral hops.  The flavour is of citrus, lemon, grain, bready, grassy, sweetness, mild bitterness and an almost herbal finish.  The alcohol content comes in at 5.1%.  Once again this brewery gives us a beer that will be a this summer.

Commercial Description:  Light bodied German Ale dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Haullertau Blanc hops. Subtle fruitiness from German ale yeast blends well with bright melon and berry notes from the hops.

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Goose Endless IPA – Goose Island Beer Company

by Mike

From Goose Island Beer Company out of Chicago Illinois comes their “Goose Endless IPA” a Session IPA is the latest seasonal to reach Canada.  The beer pours a golden colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of grassy hops, hay, grain, grapefruit and citrus.  The flavour is of biscuit malts, grain, grapefruit, orange, herbal, grassy and mildly bitter hops.  the alcohol content comes in at 5% with an IBU of 35.  While not a complex beer it is an enjoyable summer ale although probably closer to a golden ale than an ISA with a low bitterness.

Commercial Description:  Long days and warm nights awaken the city. The list of neighborhood festivals is endless. As is the great music that brings us together in parks and parking lots. We brewed our Session IPA to be easy drinking and endlessly refreshing, so you can enjoy every encore. Bright note of fresh oranges and other citrus fruit with a mild body that is crisp on the palate.

Food paring as per brewery:  Room temperature cows milk cheese, grilled chicken Caesar salad, seared port chop with orange marmalade sauce, oven-roasted white fish, creamy panna cotta with tangerine sauce.

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Super 8-Bit IPA 2016 – Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks

by Mike

From Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks in Richmond comes their “Super 8-Bit IPA” 2016 edition the first in their new Experimental IPA Series.  This IPA uses 8 different hops including Green Bullet, Vic Secret, Citra, Amarillo, Ella, Galaxy, Nugget and Columbus.  The beer pours an amber colour with an off white head.  The aroma consists of floral hops, citrus, grapefruit, tropical fruits, sweetness, grassy and some malts.  The flavour is of earth, bitterness, citrus, citrus rind, grapefruit, tropical fruits, grassy, herbal and caramel.  The alcohol content comes in at 7% with 68 IBU.  If you like a good IPA then I would have to recommend this beer.  Not only is it bitter but it is also a flavour bomb.

Commercial Description:  It’s back!  Version 2016.  To kick off our Experimental IPA Series, we have gone back to a classic, the Super 8-Bit.  This year’s 8 Legendary hops features Green Bullet, Vic Secret, Citra, Amarillo, Ella, Galaxy, Nugget, & Columbus hops!

Check out my 2014 review

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