From Riot Brewing in Chemainus on Vancouver Island comes their “Working Class Hero Dark Mild”. The beer pours a deep copper colour with an off white head. The aroma consists of roasted malts, chocolate, nuts and sweetness. The flavour is of roasted malts, nuts, caramel, chocolate, mild earth, sweetness and a low bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 3.8% with an IBU of 14. You have to love a good mild ale that is full of flavour and this one is just that!
Andina Brewing Company in East Vancouver is well under way in their construction now and I was able to get a growler fill of their test batch of “Melcocha Andean Mild Ale”. This is the same beer that was served at the BC Beer Awards Recently. The beer pours a cloudy orange copper colour with an off white head. The aroma is of toffee, caramel and fruit. The flavour is of some bitterness up front, stone fruit, citrus rind, caramel and toffee. The alcohol content comes in at 4% with an IBU of 27. With the depth of flavour in this test batch mild ale you would never guess that it had an ABV below 5%!
From Real Cask Brewing in East Vancouver part of the Callister Brewing a co-operative brewery comes their “Figgy Puddin’ Mild”. The beer pours a cloudy copper/brown colour with a tan head. The aroma consists of figs, dark fruits, and sweet toffee. The flavour is of brown sugar, dark fruits, figgy pudding and sweetness. The alcohol content comes in at 3%. While not personally liking figgy pudding this beer is quite pleasing and well worth a pick up especially if you like a good figgy pudding.
From Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven inside the walls of the Koningshoeven Abbey in the Netherlands comes the Official Trappist Ale “La Trappe Quadrupel Oak Aged” from batch #21. The beer pours a brown colour with a very light brown head. The aroma consists of dark fruits, plums caramel, and bananas. The flavour is of dark fruits, plums, banana, caramel, yeast, bubblegum, caramel, oak, vanilla, sweetness and some mild alcohol. The alcohol content comes in at 11% with an IBU of 16. This is a great fully flavoured quad and I am glad that I came into possession of a bottle.
Commercial Description: This unique Trappist ale owes its balanced flavour and woody aroma to the aging on wooden barrels. The taste varies from batch to batch and depends on the type of barrel in which the ale has been matured. This beer can be stored for many years, continues to ferment after bottling and is a real treat for the true beer lover. Several different types of barriques are used for the oak-aging process, both new and used ones. New barrels impart the tannins that give the beer a flavour that is reminiscent of vanilla and almond. The use of different kinds of barrels leads to surprisingly interesting flavour combinations. These flavours depend on what drink these barriques contained before, such as port, whiskey, wine, cognac, or bourbon. And the type of oak also comes into it. This beer’s final taste therefore varies from one batch to another.
BATCH 21 (blended on 24 september 2015) was distributed as follows:
| Cognac | 80% |
| New Oak High Toast | 10% |
| New Oak Medium Toast | 5% |
| Acacia wood | 5% |
The Oak Aged Batch 21 has a dark brown mahogany colour and a beige brown head. The soft aroma immediately reminds you of walnuts. Accompanied by a slightly smoky aroma, you can detect oak, caramel malt, alcohol, vanilla and, of course, French brandy. The flavour, although balanced, is not particularly mellow. The brandy barrels have clearly left a lot of wood influences, which manifest themselves in vanilla and almond. Additionally, the Quadrupel has a caramel-like, slightly sweet flavour with a good, full body. The flavour ends with a slightly burnt tone and a hint of wood tannin. Due to the light tingling of the carbonic acid, combined with the wood flavour and sweetness of the beer, the sensation in the mouth is full and pleasant.
From Ravens Brewing Company in Abbotsford comes their “English Dark Mild”. The beer pours a deep chestnut brown colour with a brown head. The aroma consists of roasty malts, chestnuts and earth. The flavour is of roasted malts, caramel, nutty, earthy and mild bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 4% with an IBU of 20. I am very happy to see this style of beer pop up in British Columbia as the alcohol content comes in low but the flavour is high.
Commercial Description: Deep toffee and malt aromas, with hazelnut and dark roast undertones, our English Dark Mild is hardy yet sessionable. Delicate UK Fuggles hops add a hint of grassy earthiness, giving this brew a more traditional characteristic. With lunch or after work, the mild is a true everyday beer.
Food Pairing as Per the Brewery: Gouda, roasted pork, split pea soup, herb crusted lamb
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