Filthy Dirty

Guest Blogger: Damian the Great

Label: Dirty Filthy

Type: IPA    

ABV: 7.2

IBU: 55

Packaging: Growler fills and 341 ml bottles

Brewery: Parallel 49, Vancouver

Nose: Light, fruity. 

Head: minimal and lingering. 

Carbonation : Almost English. 

Colour : deep amber gold 

Kick: subtle yet strong 

Rating: 7/10 

Notes: this brew replaces P49's famed Lord of The Hops brought down by litigators of Tolkien. A Customers choice beer from 5 proposed recipes. Sure to be a future staple and the t-shirts are awesome. Growler fills and six 341 ml bottles.

Hopnotist

Guest Blogger: Damian the Great

Label: Hopnotist

Type: Imperial IPA    

ABV: 8.5 

Packaging: 650 ml bomber 

Brewery: Parallel 49, Vancouver

Smell: strong citrus floral (mosaic hops) Head: minimal 

Colour: slightly dark gold 

Carbonation : minimal 

Kick: potent Rating: 9/10 

Notes: Not a session beer. Two bomber max then it's bedtime. Great with BBQ Lamb.

Hopfen Weisse

Label: Hopfen Weisse

Type:  Weisse bock

ABV[%]: 8.2

Packaging: 500 ml Bottle
Brewery: Schneider Weisse

Smell: hops! Some fruit
Head: thin, no lacing
Color: cloudy pale
Carbonation: low
Kick: smooth motha... Jus talkin bout Shaft!
Rating: 7/10

Notes:

40 IBUs with 8.2 ABV. Lots of flavors, some of which seem caramelized juices. 

Remarkably smooth! Odd (good odd) aftertaste, but not outrageously hoppy. The sediments carry a lot of flavor... Probably too much for my liking though. 

Not that it's bad... It's good and not as nearly as sharp as I expected for such a high ABV. It's pale... Very much makes you think how beer was brewed in the early days. Old school beer. That's what I'm calling it.

Snap!

Science... It's hard.

Let it fly my brothers.

Maibock

Label: Maibock
Type: Strong Maibock 
ABV[%]: 6.75
Packaging: 750 ml Bottle
Brewery: Lighthouse Brewing, Victoria BCCA

Smell: Pilsener, malty
Head: thin, no lacing
Color: copper clean
Carbonation: medium
Kick: Migeri kick... SUH
Rating: 9/10

Notes:

Well, the name isn't very creative, but can't say that for the brew itself.

Light bubbles, not sweet, with a very clean finish. Wow. Delicious malts with a bitterness ... Not like grapefruit bitter but more mild at first... but then you get that other kind of bitter in the aftertaste. Cool. I'm biased towards Bocks so I'm obviously loving this stuff. Carbonation is just perfect.

It's almost not like a beer but a malty+hoppy beverage without much sweetness. So this would be perfect if the day was hotter (not like the evening when I'm normally "reviewing" beer.

This is a seasonal so I guess you won't find it on the shelf for long. And by the taste I'd also guess that it wasn't brewed yesterday. Snap it up.

Tall Poppy

Label: Tall Poppy
Type: Ale
ABV[%]: 7.0
Packaging: 500 ml Bottle
Brewery: 8 Wired Brewery, NZ

Smell: hops, citrus, Carmelo Anthony watermelon?
Head: thin, little lacing
Color: copper
Carbonation: medium high

Kick: Sweet home Alabama
Rating: 8/10

Their Big Smoke blew me away so I looked forward to trying out another brew from this New Zealand brewery. The label claims it to be an American style IPA plus Amber Ale. Could it be? The suspense is mind-numbing.

It's quite caramelish (more than I'd like)... So more leaning towards Amber Ale, but with a serious citrus hop blast. It starts quite sweet and the hop blast leaves a pleasant linger. You don't get too much of the alcohol-taste, but you can tell it's not like making love in a canoe (Monty Python joke there). Clean.

Normally I'd think it has a tad too much carbonation, but they work by revealing the hoppiness after your first swig. Clever (or just lucky with his batch).

It doesn't beat the Big Smoke but, hey, very little probably would.

Now, to watch the Final Four that I PVR'd.

I'm calling it "Will-I-Gad-Damn"

I'm calling it "Will-I-Gad-Damn"

Label: Little Willy
Type: Porter
ABV[%]: ? Guess 5.5
Packaging: 750 ml Bottle
Brewery: Manjy mash, WA

Smell: toasted oats, hint of red grapes, molasses, maybe touch of cilantro?
Head: thin, no lacing
Color: black/ brown opaque
Carbonation: medium
Kick: King Kong Balls
Rating: 8.5/10

Notes:
Just finished coaching an hour of U11 boys basketball and it is time to wind down.

What I've got here is a medium gravity porter than has the basics for a good, pub quality brew. The first thing I thought of when sipping this was how much it tastes like Backhand of God. Certainly not as refined and polished as that beer, but it has a good base. It has a bit if a sour taste up front, maybe from the grapes, and finishes quite bubbly. Maybe tad less carbonation would bring out the flavors a bit better. There is a bit of sweetness and some vanilla in the finish, but it doesn't leave a silky aftertaste.

It's got a bit if a dank taste, but that's likely from the gaminess of the beer.

I'm going to guess an ABV of about 5.5 ish.

Later Turbanator.

http://twitter.com/Psbasran/status/289600187175931904/photo/1

Mad Bruin Sour Ale

Label: Mad Bruin
Type: Sour Ale
ABV[%]: 7.0
Packaging: 750 ml Bottle
Brewery: Driftwood Brewery, Victoria BC

Smell: Red wine grapes/berries, vinegar
Head: thick and bubbly but settles very thin, no lacing
Color: brown bear brown
Carbonation: medium
Kick: Graawwllll, Rooaaaar...
Rating: 8.5/10

Notes:
I tried this stuff about a month ago but was too tired after my soccer game to write it up. I liked it then, but didn't have the energy to take notes.

The nose is interesting, almost industrial-like with a vinegary smell, but with a fruity/earthy punch. It hits your tongue all over the place: certainly sour, bit of saltiness and bitter, sweet and leaves a crispy aftertaste. It doesn't lack middle ground (that's an inside joke).

Again, like many good craft beers, you can't taste the rather high abv value except at the end of a swig, and even then it's pretty tame. Should age well.

I haven't got ahold of many sour beers but this has really perked my interest.

Port too?

I prepared some lasagna tonight, but something very gamey would go nicely with this: thinking a bison or venison burger.

Put the lotion in the basket.

@Psbasran: Lasagna is in the oven. Fireplace on. Cold outside. Time for @driftwoodbeer : Mad Bruin Sour Ale #craftbeer 7% ABV http://t.co/lkXbIZJA