Tag Archives: juniper berries

Gin & Lime Pilsner – Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks

by Mike

From Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks in Richmond comes their “Gin & Lime Pilsner” a tasting room favorite that is now in cans.  This Pilsner is infused with Unruly Gin from Wayward Distillation House in Courtenay BC.  The beer pours a mildly hazy straw colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of tons of lime, some grain and a mild gin finish.  The flavour is of lime, grain, mild juniper berries from the gin and basically no bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 5.3% with an IBU of 25.  Not being a Pilsner or lager fan in general let me say this beer is very smooth and refreshing and I could crush a ton of them.

 

Sahti Claws Finnish Sahti – Parallel 49 Brewing (Dec 17, 2014)

by Mike

Beer Advent Calendar 2014

From Parallel 49 brewing out of East Vancouver comes the “Sahti Claws Finnish Sahti”.  Traditionally a Sahti does not have hops added and uses Juniper Berries instead as well as usually using baking yeast instead of ale yeast.  This version does use Juniper Berries but has also been dry hopped and used ale yeast as it is a North West inspired ale.  This Sahti pours a deep brown colour with an off white head.  The aroma consists of sweet malts, wheat, rye,  juniper berries and floral hops.  The flavour is of malts such as rye, wheat, caramel, toffee, juniper berries, earthy and some hops bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 7.7% with an IBU of 35.  Graham has produced a great tribute to a Finnish style even if things have been changed.  This beer has everything you would want in a good ale and a little more.

Commercial Description:  A traditional Finnish style of beer brewed since the Viking era.  A strong, unfiltered ale made with rye, barley, wheat and notably Juniper.  It is dry hopped with Simcoe and Chinook hops for a piney flavour.

Food Pairing according to O’hare’s Beer Club notes are as follows:  Roasted Duck, Soft ripened cheeses

Click here to check out the December Box

Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown 2014

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Legendary Muskoka Oddity (Vintage 2013)- Muskoka brewery

by Mike

Spring Seasonal  Available: Feb 1st – June 30th on the East Coast

From Bracebridge, Ontario’s Muskoka Brewery comes their “the Legendary Muskoka Oddity (Vintage 2013)” considered a Belgian Strong Ale but tasting more like a Saison.  This interesting beer pours a cloudy straw yellow colour with a creamy off white head.  The aroma consists of Belgian yeast, fruity, citrus,  orange, spices.  The flavour consists of yeast, huge pepper, orange peel, juniper berries, citrus and some spices.  The alcohol content of this beer is 8% but you will not taste it one bit.  This is a beer you should pick up if you are able to find it in store.  If not, do what I did and hunt high and low and then when you cant find it have it brought into British Columbia other ways.

Commercial Description:  Each year the tempered thaw of Muskoka winter gives rise to new and strange creations. Legends date back to the 1800’s when lumberjacks and fur traders took to the woods and ecnountered the mysterious culture and wildlife in the unknown Northern region. Today, we echo our ancestors’ quest and have unearthed this season’s most distinct offerings. The culmination of these ingredients rests in the LEGENDARY MUSKOKA ODDITY brew.

We invite you to Release The Legend.

Ingredients: Pure Muskoka Water, Heather Tips, Juniper Berries, Sweet Orange Peel Shavings, North American Malts, Noble Hops, Belgian Yeast and Belgian Candi Sugar.

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Russian Imperial Stout – Rick August (Russell Brewing)

by Mike

Russell Brewing out of Surrey BC has begun holding a home brewers content annually called the “Golden Stag Home Brewing Contest”.  In 2011 Rick August won the grand prize which intitled him to have his beer brewed as a single batch beer and sold in stores locally.  The name of the winning beer was the “Rick August: Russian Imperial Stout”.  The beer pours a black opaque colour with a brown head.  The scent of the beer is of sweet malts and coffee.  The flavor of the beer is more complex with coffee, sweet malts and some peat flavoring with a bitter hops finish.  This beer uses 10 types of malts, 2 types of Hops and a special yeast strain, juniper berries and licorice root.  Not being a huge fan of peat in my beer this was not high on my list of beer.  The beer has an alcohol content of 10.8% well into the range of Imperial beer.

Congrats to Rick August though!  It would be a huge honor to win a contest like this!

Odin’s Gift – Odin Brewing

by Mike

From Seattle Washington USA’s Odin Brewing come “Odin’s Gift”.  This amber ale pours a browny red colour with an off white head.  The beer has the smell of malt, berries (Juniper Berries?) and earthy tones.  The beer has both berry flavor and earthy malts and hops flavors mixed in to make a very unique taste.  The beer comes in at a 5.4% alcohol content and and IBU of 28.  The uniqueness of this beer is only rivaled by how darn good this beer tastes!  I would recommend this beer to anyone.  I would also recommend all beer lovers try this breweries other beer.  Maybe you could even save some for me!