The Golden Dragon of Beer

Absolutely not for the faint of heart, I decided to embark once again on a delicious trek to where my taste buds have gone before. I first received this beer as a gift from an awesome co-worker, as she said it was recommended to her by friends.

You can probably tell by reading already, I've purchased it again, so it must be decent. What is this Golden Dragon of beer? I decided to purchase Gulden Draak (Alc. 10.5%) from Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. in Belgium.

As you can already see, it's 10.5%. This baby packs a punch, a delicious one at that. On first pour, there is a slight bit of head that dissipates very quickly. This brew is a strong ale, and smells like it too. On first sniff, I get some dried fruit hints I don't normally smell. I think I smell figs, and I can't honestly tell what the rest is, but it smells like it'll bite me in the face. It's got some acidity to the smell, that's for sure.

On first sip, the beer is gently carbonated, and it forms a thick flavour, along with a solid punch. The flavour is so complex, between dried fruits, perhaps a banana even, and caramel? I don't know, there's so much going on it's hard to pin-point. Either way, it doesn't taste as strong as it is. If I didn't know the 10.5% beforehand, I would have guessed something closer to 6.5%.

Beginners beware, this is for the more experienced brew-lover. If you're feeling adventurous however, then by all means, dive in! Just don't chug this one. It's definitely a sipper, seeing as it matches the strength of some wines on the market.

For the package it's in, the taste it delivers, and the satisfaction left after downing the brew, there's not much to dock away from the score of this beer. For me personally, I would have preferred a little more concreteness in knowing what flavours I was tasting, but that's just personal preference. The Belgians sure got it right this time around, and I definitely recommend this purchase.

This brew is available at most BC Liquor Stores, at $3.51 for a 330mL bottle.

Cheers!

Gulden Draak gets a golden 8.5 / 10

Limited Release! - Chocolate Imperial Stout

Well, Santa was awesome this year and dropped a bottle of Granville Island Brewing Chocolate Imperial Stout (Alc. 8.4%) down my chimney! Never has he ever brought me beer, let alone not broken the bottle dropping it from his sleigh!

First off, I didn't even get a picture with the beer in my glass. This should set up how the brew tastes. This isn't your ordinary chocolate stout. Most chocolate stouts or porters have an overbearing chocolate or sweetness to it that destroys the bitterness or strength of the stout-like flavours. This one? Oh, you taste it. You taste every bit of that 8.4% stout. But you also get a hint of semi-sweet dark chocolate (I'd guess 70%, not the darkest) in every sip as well.

The beer pours dark as night with a solid inch of head if you pour it right. It smells like a strong stout, almost like a strong Russian/imperial stout with a bit of coffee, chocolate, and roasted cocoa malts. After one good whiff of this brew, I couldn't wait to dive in. I took my first sip and looked at my bro, and we both got the same feeling - wow.

I was expecting a chocolate-y overpowering taste, but it was more stout than chocolate, which was a great change! The way the roasted cocoa tastes blend with the dark stout and the extra strong 8.4% just flowed in a way that strong stouts normally don't flow.

The texture was a bit more carbonated than the chocolate porters that I've had. This brew ventures towards more carbonation in this stout, versus other stouts like the Red Racer stout, which are a bit creamier. I quite liked the change-up, and I don't think I've downed a beer over 8% as fast as I downed this one.

This is probably my favourite beer that the G.I.B. has ever released, hands down.

If you're a stout-drinker, you'll love it. If you prefer your beers non-flavoured, you'll still enjoy it. Imagine the best imperial stout you've had (if you've had any), with a bit more carbonation and a hint of roasted cocoa, and a twist only the folks at G.I.B. can brew.

What could make this brew better? I'm not sure, to be honest. I don't think I can go to any other stouts this season, so long as this one is available. This is definitely not a beginner's beer though. It's a very dark stout, it's thicker than most types of beer out there, and it packs a kick. This is a sipper beer - do not chug, please.

Now, this beer is a limited release. So try to pick some up before the new year and see if you can bring in the new year with the best brew from G.I.B. on your taste buds!

The Granville Island Brewing Chocolate Imperial Stout gets a spectacular 9.5 / 10

'Tis the season for Gingerbread Ale!

I was actually leaving the liquor store, on my way out the door when my girlfriend looked at a display case and pointed, asking "What's that?" If it weren't for her asking, I would have never picked up this beer. I found the Vancouver Island Brewery Dough Head Gingerbread Ale (Alc. 5.5%).

I was really excited to try this beer, mainly because I don't think I've had a gingerbread ale from anywhere that knows what they're doing. Let me tell you, the guys at V.I.B. are definitely brewing in the right direction.

It pours a dark amber colour, and has about a half-inch of head that dissipates quickly. When you raise that glass to your nose to give it a good whiff, you can pick up on all the smells that smell Christmas. If you're not into flavoured beers, well then this isn't for you. However, if you like gingerbread, or if you just love the smells of Christmas thrown into a beer -- you gotta try it. The smells consist of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, with a bit of something else. I'm not the best cook, nor do I work with these spices a lot, but there's something other than those three.

Taking the first sip, I surprisingly tasted cloves along with the ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The mix of the ingredients in this beer serves it well, as it almost tastes like I'm drinking a beer gingerbread house, minus the icing. This beer's taste immediately reminded me of baking, the holidays, and whatever other good memories I have associated with the holidays.

A tip for this beer is to let it warm up a little bit. I'm not talking room temperature, but once it's fully chilled in your fridge for a couple of hours, let it sit outside for about 20 minutes (8 to 12 degrees Celsius) before taking your first sip. It allows more of the flavours to come through, and overall the beer becomes more balanced and more delicious.

If you have that someone on your Christmas list and you don't know what to get them, try giving them the gift of the Dough Head Gingerbread Ale; it's available at BC Liquor Stores in a 650mL bottle for $5.50. I got mine at the Northgate location near Lougheed Town Centre.

Overall, this beer definitely has a well-balanced palate of Christmas blended spices, but if left too cold for too long, becomes slightly unbalanced and can lower the score a bit. When chilled too long, the spices can overpower the taste of the beer. However, serving it at just the right temperature will allow the flavours to work well together.

However, there may be something missing from it, but I can`t quite put my finger on it. Because I can't figure out what it is, nor does it bother me that much, this is still quite a respectable, flavourful, and solid brew.

It`s definitely a must-have for any beer-drinker who enjoys the holiday season. Even if you don`t enjoy the holiday season, and you like gingerbread, pick this one up! You won't regret it.

The Vancouver Island Brewery Dough Head Gingerbread Ale gets a festive 8.5 / 10

G.I. Island Lager (Cobblestone Lager)

Have you ever been tricked into trying a beer, then realize that you really wish you didn't try it? Well, that's kind of how I felt after receiving the Cobblestone Lager from the Old Spaghetti Factory. I figured I've tried almost every beer available in sit-down lower mainland restaurants, so I figured the house beer might be a little different. Well, I was wrong. It was the Granville Island "Island Lager" (Alc. 5.0%).

I don't mean to rag on the G.I. brewery, but they really have the generic lager, when it comes to North-American lagers.  A good mid-range lager would be the High Country Kolsch from Mt. Begbie, but this falls short of that by a lot and produces a very average, drinkable, chuggable taste.

It smells like a Molson Canadian / generic value-brand lager, and tastes like one too -- aside from the fact that this beer leaves no disgusting after-taste in your mouth. It does to a degree, but it's much more pleasant than a value-brand econo-lager.

As pictured, you can't tell whether I poured the G.I. Island Lager, a Molson, or if I urinated in the glass.

Do I even need to describe what a Molson Canadian tastes like? It's not great. You taste grain and grassy malts. If you don't mind the taste, slam six of these bad-ass waters and get drunk!

The plus to this Molson Canadian-like beer is that you can slam multiples because the after-taste isn't so disgusting.

The Granville Island "Island Lager" gets an average, drinkable-but-why-did-I-pay-for-this 5.5 / 10

Winnie the Pooh would like this Brooh.

Since I was very impressed by the Valley Trail Chestnut Ale from Whistler Brewing Co., I decided to try another one of their brews. As I've said before, I'm not much of a lager person, particularly North American lagers. However, the Rickards Oakhouse helped to change my mind on that (along with the High Country Kolsch from Mt. Begbie), and thus I have begun my venture for more lagers that are enjoyable.

I ended up deciding on the Whistler Brewing Co. Bear Paw Honey Lager (alc. 5%). I found a six-pack of it at the BC Liquor Store for only $10.99!

When I poured the beer into the glass, the head was about half an inch, and dissipated right away. There was no way to time it. The smell was a split between sweetness and a hoppy smell. Not a good hoppy smell though, so already off to a mediocre start.

I took a sip and realized there is way more than just a hint of honey in this lager, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There is a strong honey presence, but a lack of carbonation. It felt like drinking a cold, half-flat lager with honey squeezed into it. If you think about it, that doesn't sound too bad now does it?

As you can see in the picture, it pours a delicious-looking coppery colour, and the bottle + the brew both blend in well with the background (this was an unfortunate coincidence). So it smells, tastes, and looks like honey...which means if Winnie the Pooh was stressed out from exams, this would take off the edge for sure!

It's a sipping beer, so hopefully you don't decide to buy it for a drinking game just because of the price.

Nonetheless, it isn't anything really special. It's your average honey lager with a bit more honey and a bit less carbonation. 

If you enjoy less carbonation, and like a sipping beer with a bit of sweetness to it, then this is the beer for you. However, this doesn't match my palate, and it just feels like someone over-did the honey taste to a generic honey lager and bottled it with a cool name.

I wouldn't refuse this beer at a bar, but it certainly wouldn't be my first choice.

The Whistler Brewing Co. Bear Paw Honey Lager gets a bitter-sweet 7.0 / 10

Steamworks Signature Pale Ale

Seeing as I've tried almost all of the Steamworks brews on tap, on location, I figured I'd give one of their bottled brews a try. From what I remember, the IPA and the stout were delicious at their pub. I thought I'd pick up a six pack of the Steamworks Signature Pale Ale (alc 5.2%) and knock a couple back.

I was expecting a standard pale ale. You know, something like a Granville Island pale ale. I sniffed the brew, and it smelled a bit stronger than normal, in terms of its malt content and it actually smelled a bit sour. I figured that was just me and my sense of smell was off after a day of work.

I poured it into a glass (as pictured), and there was originally about a half-inch of head before it dissipated in less than a minute. I took my first sip and immediately was smacked in the face with malt. There was an overpowering, overwhelming dank and strong malt taste, which was too much to carry the actual flavour of the beer. Does that make sense? It's like putting a 500 horsepower engine into a Toyota Yaris. You don't need all that malt! My first thought was "I can't believe I bought six of these."

After awhile though, the overpowering taste started to grow on me. It might just have been a weird batch, or maybe it tasted like that on purpose. Either way, the overwhelming malty flavour took away from the flavour of the actual greatness of pale ale. The beer itself tasted off, as if it'd been sitting in the fridge for a few months too long. Either way, it produced kind of a unique taste.

Halfway through the brew, I began to accept the taste of the malt, and as soon as I did that, it was acceptable and drinkable with ease. I'm sure if I knocked back more than a couple, I would have smelled like I was a walking, used keg tap.

What food would I pair this with?
Well, it's a pale ale, but it's a stronger pale ale. I'd pair this beer with food items similar to foods that I'd pair with a stronger amber ale, like a pasta with a heavy tomato-based meat sauce, or a meaty pizza.

Where did I find this brew?
I was at the Central City liquor store in Surrey, BC. You can find it in their Craft Beer section.

Overall, the beer tastes off, bringing it down by a bit. If the malt was brought down a bit, and I could actually taste the hops instead of just a hint, it would get a better rating. The overpowering malt taste isn't necessarily a horrid taste though, so it's still a drinkable beer. I wouldn't purchase it again, seeing as there are so many better options out there.

Oh also, beware as this brew has a heavy, lingering after-taste. It's a sipping beer for sure; don't chug it.

The Steamworks Signature Pale Ale gets a generous, yet mediocre 6.0 / 10

Got Wood? Rickard's Oakhouse does.

As we see that winter is approaching, and I'm down to try the latest and greatest and all old favourites of Winter Ales, I stepped aside this past weekend. I stepped into a realm which I rarely cross into -- I got myself to try a new lager.

I saw a sign that said "Oakhouse", it's the Rickard's winter lager. Yep, Rickard's Oakhouse winter lager (5.5% Alc.). I know they already have their "Cardigan" winter ale, but since I've already put a winter ale on this blog, I decided to go for the winter lager. The questionable folks over at Molson decided to market their new creation, and it perked my taste buds enough to make me want to try it.

My hopes were that it would taste like a proper North American lager; don't get me wrong, I don't mean European lager (there's a difference). If you've ever had the Lion's Gate lager from Steamworks, you'll know what proper middle-ground North American-style lager tastes like. This is my chance to see if Rickard's can live up to its name.

I was really excited to try it, seeing as I do enjoy the traditional Rickard's line-up of Blonde/White/Red/Dark.

As pictured, I ordered the Oakhouse on tap. Honestly, it smelled like a regular lager; I wasn't expecting anything bad nor good. I took my first sip, and it felt like an 'oaked' (is that a verb?) lager, like it was brewed with wood chips from an oak tree. Macro-brews, with their cheap pricing, are not expensive enough to be brewed in an actual oak barrel.

Along with the wood-like taste, the bitterness of the beer was cancelled out by a bit of smoothness (best way I can put it), smoke, and a bit of sweetness, though just a very slight hint of sweet. My guess is they tried to put a faint bit of Christmas spices into this, and they don't stand out at all. However, it all works great with the oak taste, and the mild carbonation.

Overall, this is a lager with a bit of a twist. It'll definitely go down smooth, and it is chuggable just in case you lose another game of flip-cup.

I downed two pints in a matter of minutes, and if it weren't for my wallet, I would have had more. Even though this brew is pretty mainstream, Rickard's has a delicious reputation that it likes to live up to. If you ever get that "I don't know, I've never had it, should I?" feeling when you see this advertised at a restaurant, the answer is yes.

Contrary to most people's opinions on this Oakhouse winter lager, I quite liked it - even though I'm not a lager person. This is one of the top domestic lagers I've had.

The Rickard's Oakhouse gets a solid 8.0 / 10

Triple Threat >> Scottish Ale / IPA / Winter Ale

I'm not sure how many people actually venture beyond their comfort zone when they drink their beer, but I decided to try three new brews in the same night!  I was at a tap house in West Vancouver, when I found the Whistler Brewing Co. "Valley Trail Chestnut Ale", the Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Co. "Devil's Elbow IPA", and the Storm Brewing Ltd. "Highland Scottish Ale".

Here's a pic I snapped, realizing I should take a picture before I end up with a picture of 3 empty glasses.

Let's start off with that Highland Scottish Ale (5% Alc, far right in picture) :

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, seeing as I've never really had a local Scottish Ale before.  The smell caught me off guard as I detected what seemed to be ginger emerging from within the beer. It also smelled like yeast, so I wasn't eager to down it.

The first sip wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Immediately I was put off by its average body, taste, and bitterness. It had a bit of nutty flavour to it, but aside from that, this beer is as average as the top of the bell curve in an E.S.L. class.

The "Highland Scottish Ale" gets a mediocre 6 / 10.


Moving on to the Devil's Elbow IPA (5.7% Alc, centre in picture):

There was a little more to be excited about with a new Howe Sound brew getting a go at my taste buds. I've been thoroughly impressed at the quality of the brews that have come out of their brewery in Squamish, and this IPA is pretty solid.  Through the first sniff I could smell citrus-y scents and even a hint of caramel.

The flavour transforms in this one from bitter to a very slight hint of caramel. Then the hops dominate the flavour until the citrus and what appears to be pine (yeah, weird) take over.  It's a weird and new after-taste, but not weird in a good way. I'm sure it would appeal to others, but the after taste brings down the score by half a point.

The "Devil's Elbow IPA" gets a good 7.5 / 10


And now the grand finale -- the Valley Trail Chestnut Ale (5% Alc, far left in picture):

This was definitely the black sheep of the beer tastings. From the first sniff of this beer, I was taken aback. The scent of sweetness and caramel and all things involving caramel-like sweets filled my mind. If there was ever a smell of a dessert beer -- it's this one.

As I tilted my glass back and let the beer gift my taste buds with its taste, the look on my face was priceless (according to my girlfriend). She immediately wanted a sip after smelling it, and she looked like her jaw was going to hit the table if it dropped any lower! The beer tastes like "Brandy-filled chocolates", and no kidding about that.

There are hints of vanilla, chocolate, caramel, almonds, pecans, chestnuts (duh), and so much more, I don't even know how to describe it more in words! You taste a lot of caramel with this beer, along with vanilla, and roasted chestnuts. This is honestly a dessert beer that I could drink forever. Reminds me a little bit of those tootsie roll pops, but better.

This is the absolute best winter ale I've ever had.

The "Valley Trail Chestnut Ale" gets an exceptional 9.5 / 10.

Banana Bread? Yes please!

If I ever told you that Banana Bread + Beer would make an excellent combination, you'd probably look at me funny. It's exactly what I thought too, until I discovered the Banana Bread Beer from Wells & Young's Ltd. This beer is actually brewed with bananas, and comes straight from the UK. They might not know how to cook, but they can certainly brew!

At first glance, it even comes in a clear bottle and shows off it's pretty colours. I knew I had to try it. You know most beers like this are usually hit or miss, and everyone that tried this with me had positive reactions to it.

On first pour, the Banana Bread Beer had a crisp-looking texture to it, and had about 1/2 to 1 inch of head before it dissipated. I took the glass to my nose and sniffed it, and it really did have hints of bananas. I felt like one of those wine people, swirling it in the glass and sniffing away at the banana bread-y goodness.

My initial first sip gave immediate flavourings of a honey brown ale mixed with a hint of banana bread, and then the taste goes away until after you've swallowed your sip. Then you can taste the hint of banana and it is just brilliant! The banana taste is put into the beer in such a way that it's noticeable but not overwhelming by any means. It is not too carbonated, which works with the way that it's flavoured; there are a lot of delicate tastes that you can pick up.

It's priced at $3.50 for a 500mL bottle at BC Liquor Stores, and is definitely worth a try!

What food would go well with this beer?
Well, honestly I would prefer to drink this on its own. It would probably go well with breads, grains, and carbs. I might actually suggest good ol' cheddar and crackers.

How does it stack up?
The Wells and Young's Brewing Ltd. Banana Bread Beer gets a solid 8.5 / 10

-- It's not only something to experience once because of its unique taste, but I've had this on many occasions. This is a beer where you walk into the liquor store, see it across the aisle, and go "Oh yeah, definitely gotta pick up one of those."

As always, Cheers!

The Closest I'll Come to Wine.

So I paid a visit to the Central City Brew Pub in Surrey on Wednesday, and saw an interesting feature under their seasonal brews.

A brew so uncommon in mainstream liquor outlets, that I relied on the server going into the brewery to ask my question, and I relied on Google for my question "What kind of beer is it?"

"Thor's Hammer" American-style Barley Wine from Central City Brewing Co. in Surrey, B.C.
Alcohol content: estimated between 8.0 to 13%

An "American-style Barley Wine", which I'm learning for the first time, is a very strong, very alcoholic beer. It is by no means a wine, and can be anywhere from dark amber to extremely dark in colour. However, American styled barley wines have a much richer hops taste than a traditional English barley wine.

Nonetheless, lessons aside, this beer had a very dark amber colour. Seeing as it was only served in a 10oz glass, I felt a little frilly as it arrived in a wine glass (as pictured below).

As I dove into this beer, I was a little skeptical as to what it would be. The server told me it would be strong, but have a bit of a creamy taste to it. Google told me it would be strong as a kick to the tongue.

So I took a sniff, and actually couldn't smell much.  I took a tiny sip to see if I would flinch in disgust, but I didn't!

Surprisingly, it tasted like an IPA had a baby with an Altbier mutt, having 1/4 Cream Ale in it. That would make this barley wine 4/8 IPA, 3/8 Altbier, and 1/8 Cream Ale. It has all the harshness that I expected, but was really smooth going down.

It had a very intense front taste, loaded with hops. The middle taste was similar but not as intense, as you can actually taste a slight hint of barley like from a barley soup. The end taste was crisp and to the point.  Likewise, I dove in for another sip, and another, and as it ends up, I was down for another beer!

Food pairings?
This beer was definitely released in time for American Thanksgiving -- it would go really well with dark meat poultry as Turkey or Chicken. As I said, this particular barley wine is a very dark amber-like ale texture. I would go for chicken as the base "meat", and add kicks to it with flavour or sauce (like spices or a BBQ sauce) in order to not overpower on either end. This beer would overpower honey-garlic wings, but may be suitable for a very salty meal (hence the American Thanksgiving timing).

What would I rate it?
It's solidly brewed, meaning that it has all the flavours that I expected something like this to have, but it didn't have the flow that I have had in other beers. It is a unique brew for sure. I didn't end up getting anything when I smelled it initially, aside from hops...and more like dank hops than anything else. Most noticeably, it had a smooth finish. If this beer did not have the creamy texture that it does, I think I would have just pushed it aside.


Would I recommend this to anyone else?
Definitely. It's a must-try in a category that rarely presents itself.

Would I order another one?
Maybe, depending on what I'm eating.


The Red Racer "Thor's Hammer" American-Style Barley Wine gets a good 7.0 out of 10.

Cheers!

More like BESTspresso Stout!

Welcome to Brewji!

I am a beer-drinking, beer-loving blogger from Vancouver, B.C. I aim to educate + entertain on the best of the best of beer, food + beer pairings, and anything else I find that may be of interest.

Seeing as I've recently returned from a trip to Victoria, B.C., I'm going to start off by introducing my new favourite Espresso Stout!


Voltage Espresso Stout by Hoyne Brewing Co., Victoria, B.C.
Alcohol content: 5.6%

The photo quality is always going to be blog-quality. This means that I was too busy having an awesome vacation to snap a photo-shoot photo.

On first pour, this espresso stout pours very dark, with tan coloured head. Immediately on the pour, I could smell the aroma of roasted malt, espresso (which is local to Victoria), and chocolate. I don't know how to describe the feeling I got, I remember a chill down my spine as I stared at my girlfriend in awe. I had a great feeling about this beer, and I was right. Even she liked this beer. She doesn't normally like beer. The only other two beers she has liked since she's met me are the Whistler Chestnut Ale, and the Red Racer ESB.

My bottle of this beer was not very much carbonated, but the blend between the bitter and the sweet was done so well, the formation of flavour on every taste bud in my mouth was like discovering a new wonder of the world. Mark my words, discovering a new wonder of the world. My mouth is watering just typing this article!

I was being ambitious when I realized I bought so much of this stout, that I was becoming full and decided it would be a good idea to cook with what was left of this stout. I began to make a video on YouTube about it, but I didn't get a chance to film the actual cooking or the eating because it smelled too good and tasted even better!

This is the 43 seconds of footage I was able to snap:

This is truly in my Top 3 Beers I have EVER tasted. Go out and get some, it's a limited brew!

What would I rate it?
This is honestly the best beer I've had since the Longboat Chocolate Porter, which was previously published as the #1 brewed beer within all of BC in an article I wrote for SFU's newspaper The Peak.  Along with that Longboat Chocolate Porter, this beer gets a solid 10!

Not only does the taste, texture, aroma, and everything else about it get me going, but it is so versatile.  You can cook with it, drink it, marinate with it, and it can be used in so many ways to add flavour to foods, sauces, and coffee (yes, I said coffee).

The Hoyne Brewing Co. Voltage Espresso Stout gets a PERFECT 10 / 10

Absolutely delicious.

Cheers!