Thor’s Hammer Barley Wine Bourbon Barrel Aged (Vintage 2013) – Central City Brewing (Aged 1 Year) (Dec 22, 2014)

Jan1 by Mike

Beer Advent Calendar 2014

From Central City Brewers & Distillers (Red Racer Brewing) in Surrey comes their “Thor’s Hammer Barley Wine Bourbon Barrel Aged (Vintage 2013)” a beer that was released in December 2014 and thus aged for a full year. The beer pours a very dark brown colour with a tan head. The aroma consists of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, roasted malts and a sweet finish. The flavour is of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, brown sugar, oak, roasted malts, orange, cherry, chocolate, sweetness, mild bitterness and an overall alcohol warmth. The alcohol content comes in at 11%. The Thor’s Hammer is one of my favourite if not favourite beer of all time. This years Thor’s Hammer 2014 Vintage was already amazing but with the Bourbon Barrel Aging this is even better! I can only imagine how good this will be in a year or two!

Commercial Description: Matured for almost one year, mahogany in colour, this award-winning barley wine is crafted from fine barley malt exuding deep, rich notes of dried fruit, plum and candy with a walnut ester.

Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown 2014

Oatmeal Stout – Red Racer Brewing (Dec 6, 2014)

Dec6 by Mike

Beer Advent Calendar 2014

From Red Racer Brewing (Central City Brewing) out of Surrey BC comes there “Oatmeal Stout”. The beer pours a deep opaque black colour with a brown head. The aroma consists of huge roasted malts, burnt coffee, oatmeal and chocolate. The flavour is of caramel, roasted malts, chocolate, burnt coffee, earthy and a pretty big bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 4.2% and an IBU of 55. Some people may not like how bitter this stout is but I find it refreshing as there is a ton of flavour at a low alcohol point.

Commercial Description: Red Racer Oatmeal Stout is deep, dark, smooth, and creamy. The use of oatmeal in the mashtun adds silkiness to the texture and body of this ale.

Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown 2014

Belgian Style Wheat Ale – Red Racer Brewing (Dec 4, 2014)

Dec4 by Mike

Beer Advent Calendar 2014

From Red Racer Brewing (Central City Brewing) out of Surrey BC comes there “Belgian Style Wheat Ale”. The beer pours a lightly cloudy straw yellow colour with a big white head. The aroma consists of big citrus, yeast, coriander, orange peel and wheat. The flavour is of citrus, orange, orange peel, coriander, wheat and some hops bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 5% with an IBU of 16. This beer does not scream Belgian at all but it is a good wheat beer or White Ale and would be a great option for Summer drinking.

Commercial Description: Traditionally cloudy, our Belgian style Red Racer White Ale is brewed with coriander seed and dried orange peel producing a beer light in body with a refreshing citrus-spice aroma.

Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown 2014

Schwarzwald Porter- Parallel 49 Brewing (Central City Brewers & Distillers) (Dec 1, 2014)

Dec2 by Mike

Beer Advent Calendar 2014

The first beer in the Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown Craft Beer Advent Calendar happened to be a collaboration between Parallel 49 Brewing and Central City Brewers & Distillers. Brewed at Parallel 49’s location in East Vancouver comes the “Schwarzwald Chocolate Cherry Ale” basically an attempt at a black forest cake porter. The beer pours a deep black colour that gives way to some ruby red when held to a light and a small tan head. The aroma consists of sweet artificial cherries, chocolate syrup and some cough syrup. The flavour is of cherry syrup, tart cherries, chocolate syrup and cough syrup with some smoke and alcohol warmth. The alcohol content came in at 9% with an IBU of 22. I really enjoyed this at the launch party but it seems to have changed a bit to much and seems a bit artificial now for some reason.

Commercial Description: The Black Forest region of Germany is known for its clocks, cakes and tales of Hansel & Gretel giving a witch her “just desserts”. Here in East Van. Graham & Gary have teamed up to bring you this cake inspired brew filled with cocoa nibs and cherries. While you may not end up living happily ever after, it’s still a pretty sweet ending.

Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown 2014

Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown Launch at Craft Beer Market – Vancouver

Oct30 by Mike

Everyone remembers their chocolate advent calendars from their childhood but why should kids have all the fun? Two of the biggest craft breweries in BC have come together to create the ultimate Adult Advent Calendar in East Vancouver’s Parallel 49 and Surrey’s Central City Brewers & Distillers. It’s called the Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown ’24 Days of Exciting Surprises’. The pack is a mix of Parallel 49 and Central City brews with at least two tricks up its sleeve.

To celebrate the launch of this exciting product both breweries came together and hosted an invite only party at Craft Beer Market in the Olympic Village in Vancouver. The lucky people that attended the event were able to sample two unique beer that will be showing up in this advent calendar. Both are collaboration beers one brewed at Central City’s brewery and one brewed at Parallel 49’s facility.

Brewed at Parallel 49 Brewing was the “Schwarzward Porter” a black forest cake porter that was quite delicious. At Central City the “Dubbel Trubbel Belgian” was created by adding rum soaked raisins to a Belgian Dubbel.

At the event they had one of the Mystery Gift packs on display and it looks awesome. Not only does it look like a wrapped Christmas present but on the top of the box there is a numbered perforated door for each days beer. On the top of the box it also has a tag in the design so you can give it as a gift!

The entire crew from both breweries were on hand and chatted with the people in attendance about the product. It is very apparent that both breweries are very excited about this product and can not wait for it to be December 1st!