From Mike Hess Brewing in San Diego California comes their “Habitus Double IPA”. The beer pours a copper colour with a tan head. The aroma consists of tropical fruit, citrus, rye spice, herbal hops with a floral finish. The flavour is of rye spice, pine, resin, citrus, tropical fruit, orange peel, bready malts, earth and bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 8% with an IBU of 100. I always enjoy a good Rye IPA and this one does not disappoint at all.
Commercial Description: Habitus, winner of the 2014 World Beer Cup℠ in the Rye category, is a spicy, crisp, and extremely drinkable double IPA. We use loads of Sterling and Chinook hops in the kettle and hopback (and even more during the dry hop) for intense pine aromatics accentuated by a rye and 2-row malt base for a truly great IPA experience.
From Oceanside California’s Belching Beaver Brewery in Collaboration with the rock group Deftones comes there “Phantom Bride IPA”. The beer pours a cloudy orange colour with a white head. The aroma consists of tropical fruit, citrus, sweetness, pine, resin and floral hops. The flavour is of tropical fruits, citrus, melon, basically juicy hops, pine, resin, mild malts and a bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 7.1% with an IBU of 70. I was a big fan of the Deftones in my past and I have heard great things of Belching Beaver Brewery and this beer delivered.
Commercial Description: Named after the ethereal song by the one and only Deftones, Phantom Bride IPA is a blend of Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops delicately balanced for the perfectly drinkable mix of citrus and hoppy goodness. A truly original Deftones/ Belching Beaver collaboration envisioned by Chino Moreno and skillfully crafted by Thomas Peters. Sit back, put on your headphones and drink away.
From Yellow Dog Brewing in Port Moody in collaboration with AleSmith Brewing out of San Diego California comes their “Seeking Asylum Belgian Double IPA”. The beer pours an amber colour with a white head. The aroma consists of Belgian yeast, tropical fruit, sweetness and floral hops. The flavour is of Belgian yeast, tropical fruit, pineapple, citrus rind, low malt presence, dankness and bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 8% with an IBU of 90. Its no surprise to me that these two breweries would come together and make an awesome Double IPA! Its probably almost gone off the market now but it was really tasty.
Commercial Description: Seeking Asylum is a 8% abv and 90 IBU Belgian-style Double IPA co-created with San Diego’s Alesmith Brewing, described as “smooth and full-bodied with a west-coast twist. Imagine a west-coast DIPA mixed with a Belgian style triple!”
From San Diego California’s AleSmith Brewing comes their “Speedway Stout”. The beer pours an opaque black colour with a brown head. The aroma consists of chocolate, molasses, toffee, coffee and ash. The flavour is of chocolate, toffee, molasses, ash, roasted coffee, burnt malts, brown sugar, earth, dark fruit and bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 12% with an IBU of 70. Well my first experience with AleSmith Brewing went really well. This beer is really tasty and I look forward to trying more beer from them. Its a good thing they are available in British Columbia now!
Commercial Description: Speedway Stout’s ominous, pitch-black appearance has become a hallmark of this modern-day classic. Chocolate and roasted malts dominate the flavor, supported by notes of dark fruit, toffee, and caramel. A healthy dose of locally-roasted coffee from Ryan Bros. Coffee, Inc. added to each batch brings out the beer’s dark chocolate flavors and enhances its drinkability. Despite its intensity, Speedway Stout’s fine carbonation and creamy mouthfeel make it very smooth and surprisingly easy to drink. This beer ages very well and will continue to mature for many years to come.
Food Pairing as per brewery: This beer’s great balance makes it a very food-friendly Imperial Stout. Pair its roasty flavors and robust mouthfeel with rich beef dishes and char-grilled foods. Both chocolate and vanilla desserts also pair well, as do salty blue cheeses like Stilton or hard nutty cheeses like aged Gouda and cloth-bound cheddars.
Brews Brothers was born two years ago as a 12 case collaboration mixed pack. The first two packs were collaborations within the province of British Columbia. Volume One was a Blues inspired pack and year two was a Rock and Roll theme. This year things have changed as it is now a 4 bomber pack in Collaboration with American breweries.
This year the theme is Old School Rap and the entire West Coast of Canada and the USA has been involved. It is almost like an Extended Cascadia colab.
This years Brews include from North to South:
49th State Brewing (Anchorage, AK) – Gettin’ It, a Northern Farmhouse Style Beer
Scuttlebutt Brewing Company (Everett, WA) – Baby Got Back, a Hoppy Hefeweizen
Gigantic Brewing Company (Portland, OR) – Blazing Arrow, a Tawny IPA
Green Flash Brewing (San Diego, CA) – What’s Golden, an “East Meets West” IPA
What’s Golden, an “East Meets West” IPA
This creation of Parallel 49 Brewing and Green Flash Brewing out of San Diego California pours an orange colour with a white head. The aroma consists of mango, citrus, very fruity, caramel and a floral finish. The flavour is of caramel, resin, citrus, grapefruit, tropical fruit, pine and bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 6.5%. This is a really juicy beer and has everything you like from East Coast and West Coast Beers.
Beers Namesake
Blazing Arrow, a Tawny IPA
This creation of Parallel 49 Brewing and Gigantic Brewing out of Portland Oregon pours a cloudy copper colour with a tan head. The aroma consists of pineapple, tropical fruit, juicy fruits, caramel and floral hops. The flavour is of pineapple, tropical fruit, melon, juicy, caramel, mild dank hops and mild bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 6%. I really enjoyed this beer and I would drink it again if I found it!
Beers Namesake
Baby Got Back, a Hoppy Hefeweizen
This creation of Parallel 49 Brewing and Scuttlebutt Brewing from Everett Washington pours a golden colour with a slightly white head. The aroma consists of banana, bubblegum, citrus, wheat and floral hops. The flavour is of banana, citrus, bubblegum, earth, herbal hops and mild bitterness. The alcohol content comes in at 6.5%. This was a tasty beer but my least favourite beer of the 4 but mostly as I am not a fan of Hefeweizen’s as a rule.
Beers Namesake
Gettin’ It, a Northern Farmhouse Style Beer
This creation of Parallel 49 Brewing and 49th State Brewing from Anchorage Alaska pours a slightly cloudy golden colour with a white head. The aroma consists of yeast, lemon, candied pears and grain. The flavour is of bready malts, grain, yeast, lemon, pear and grassy hops. The alcohol content comes in at 7%. This is more of a sweet saison than a farmhouse ale but that does not change the fact that it is a well made ale.
Beers Namesake
I have tried all three Brews Brothers collaboration boxes and reviewed two now. This one was just as good as the others and well worth picking up in the liquor stores now!
Mike's Craft Beer 