Thirsty Farmer Saison - Granville Island Brewery

Hey all, this is the first time in my life where I've actually had a brewery send me their product for a review! I was so happy when I got this, that I even made a video! But, the video doesn't contain my review, it contains a weird experiment that I had to make an omelette. It didn't go as planned, because someone in the house ate all my ingredients.

Nonetheless, I am here today with the Granville Island Brewery (GIB) Thirsty Farmer Saison (6.2% ABV; 30 IBU). This is a limited edition brew from GIB, and it always in the past has saddened me to learn of a limited edition brew from them, because I've generally wanted their limited editions as regulars (such as the Chocolate Imperial Stout...mmm). Today, I opened my bottle, finally, and ran around the house looking for a bottle opener as I'd lost my regular opener.

Thirsty Farmer Saison by Granville Island Brewery @ Brewji's Home

Thirsty Farmer Saison by Granville Island Brewery @ Brewji's Home

In that time, the beer warmed up (from the fridge) to the recommended 7 to 12 degrees Celsius. I poured it in the glass and got a hazy light to golden yellow with a quarter inch of head. It looked beautiful. It looked quite similar to the Driftwood White Bark, actually, and smelled just like it too. The nose offered me some malt, bitterness, and hints of orange and/or grapefruit peels. Mainly orange peel I guess, since it has no resemblance whatsoever to a west coast IPA.

Then I dove in for my first sip, I got bready Belgian yeast and malt at first, then a hint of the orange peel and a touch of sweetness, and then a dry wheat beer after-taste. It was absolutely, surprisingly, delicious. I rated my previous favourite wheat beer as the White Bark from Driftwood, but this has to edge it out. I'm not quite sure why, but it might have something to do with the 6.2% ABV, or it might just be the flavour combinations put together. Either way, I was never really a fan of wheat beers until the White Bark came along, and never liked many except for that one. But I'm adding a new one to the favourites list today!

The Thirsty Farmer Saison is most definitely a sipper brew. Do not chug this, do not use it in a game of flip cup or kings or whatever the hell goes on in the summer time while I'm at work. This is a precious brew that needs the respect that it offers you as a brew-admirer.

Picture a small, neighbourhood pub with a patio and 3 to 4 good buddies sharing a pitcher of the best hefeweizen you've ever had. Get yourself a safe ride home and make this your beer. Done and done.

Now, before I go, I promised a video. It's not the best, but hey, I get to write about beer and get paid for it. How many people can say that?

Hurry to the liquor store as this is a limited brew!

The Granville Island Brewery Thirsty Farmer Saison gets a surprisingly incredible 9.0 / 10

4-Brew Taster!

Hey folks, it's been awhile! I just graduated from university, so I had to find a job in between my last blog post and now. Found one thanks to my buddy Danny! Climbing up the corporate ladder, one beer at a time.

So to celebrate the joyous occasion, I had a 4-brew taster down at the Hop and Vine Neighbourhood Pub in Burnaby. What did I taste?

- Four Winds Brewing Co. Saison (ABV unknown)
- Cannery Brewing Blackberry Porter (ABV 6%)
- Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears (ABV 6%)
- Granville Island Uncle Monty's Best Bitter (ABV 3.6%).

Four Winds Saison || Cannery Blackberry Porter || Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears || Granville Island Uncle Monty's
@ Hop and Vine Neighbourhood Pub, Burnaby BC

First off, we have the Four Winds Brewing Co. Saison. The smells to me have yeast, spices, and wheat. Being a saison, it's not supposed to be a strong brew. For those of you who don't know, the saison beer was brewed for seasonal farm workers; usually it brewed through the fall and winter, and was drinkable in summer. They were generally low ABV, as it was the closest thing to clean water that could keep the farmers hydrated and not die from water-borne illness. Pretty cool, huh?

Anyways, on first sip, I got a very nice, dry mouthfeel, and it stayed all the way through. It tasted like the smells, but also had a hint of fruit. Four Winds Brewing Co. is the newbie in town, and maybe it's just me, but I think they've notched the saison. It's usually not at the top of my list, but this brew just has a light to moderate taste, not offensive at all, and is very mellow. I'd recommend this to anyone -- it's one of those "good at any point of the summer" brews. Coming home from work, maybe at a lunch, or even a dinner. I don't know what other people would pair food-wise with this beer, but I feel it would pair well with yam fries or pecan pie. Just my personal preference.

Overall, the Four Winds Brewing Co. Saison gets a where-have-you-been-all-my-summers 8.5 / 10

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Secondly, I got a taster of the Cannery Brewing Blackberry Porter. Keep in mind, I've had this once before, but I wasn't doing reviews back then. Everything I've tried from Cannery so far has been stellar, especially their Maple Stout. If you haven't tried that, do it. That aside, this porter pours like any other, dark and rich. The smell is great, like a flavoured porter should be. It has sweet scents as if you're smelling part of a blackberry jam (wouldn't that have made an awesome phone name?).

The taste is just as it smells. I love my stouts and porters, and I hold the standards pretty high. Nonetheless, if you're new to the darker brews, and aren't a fan of maple or chocolate, then this is the brew for you! If you don't like maple or chocolate, you need new taste buds.

The Cannery Brewing Blackberry Porter gets a sweet 8.5 / 10

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My third brew is the Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale from Parallel 49. I had high hopes for this one, as I've tasted a few of their brews that I really loved. Their Hoparazzi and VCBW 2013 Altbier were incredible. I tried to dampen my hopes as I smelled this one. I didn't want to set the standards too high. I smelled malty notes, it kind of smelled just like a Rickard's Red. Not the best sign, but hey, smell isn't always 100% accurate.

I took the first sip and kind of cringed at the taste. I was just expecting more, it felt watered down. In fact, I think the first words that came out of my mouth at the table were "Watered down Rickard's Red". Don't get me wrong, I really like me a Rickard's Red, but one thing I don't like is watered down brews. Maybe it was the keg, but the Hop has been pretty stellar when it comes to the quality of their brews. Just not really a fan of this one. But hey, if you like really light-tasting red ales that might be disappointing, this one's for you!

The Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale gets a Molson-did-it-better 4.5 / 10

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Last one on the list is Uncle Monty's Best Bitter from Granville Island . You know what an ESB is, if you've read my blog (or perhaps you're Googling it now), but this is something different. You know how the econo-brands are releasing light beers for the summer? The ones with low ABV, some with low calories, and definitely low taste? Well, the fine folks at Granville Island have come up with the solution to all that mess. Meet Uncle Monty -- part light beer, part bitter.

It smells like an ESB would, malty and all. The kicker? It's 3.6% ABV, that's lighter than most light beers. Now keep in mind, it's not going to be mind-blowingly full of flavour like a full 6% bitter, but it has to be the most rock-solid light beer on the market. For all of us that want something lighter once in awhile, but don't want to have to turn to a garbage cup of urine, or sorry, Molson 67, we get to have something delicious instead!

What does it taste like? Well there's the most important question. It's got it's malty notes up front, followed by what would normally be a punch of flavour from a bitter, but instead a watered version of that. You can still notice some grapefruit, and something a bit sweeter like caramel. It almost reminds you that you're drinking a lighter beer, but it still feels good. And that's the best part, you still feel good because it tastes good and it's 3.6%. Pair this brew with BBQ or hot wings, even beef dip sandwiches and if you stretch it, maybe a poutine.

Because it's a light beer, I will rate it in terms of a light beer.
Oh yeah, this is a limited time brew. Go get some!

Uncle Monty's Best Bitter from GIB gets a holy-crap-I-can-enjoy-a-light-beer 9.0 / 10

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Hope you liked the 4-brew taster review!
Do you like the taster format, or the single brew posts?

Cheers!

Steamworks - Raspberry Frambozen

Hey everyone, it's getting close to summer time, and you know what that means? Summer seasonal brews are coming to town! Well actually, they've already arrived. I've had the chance to sample some of this year's best, and today, I have to let you know about the 2013 Steamworks Raspberry Frambozen (ABV 8.5%). I've been told about this one before, and always meant to try it. Last time I went to Steamworks, I had their Empress IPA, so I was excited to have their summer seasonal. I tried the Frambozën at the Hop and Vine in Burnaby.

I ordered this brew on tap, as it was on special that night. I thought I'd seen it before, but my buddy Danny ordered it and it looked completely different from when I was at Steamworks. This poured a deep reddish amber colour. Plus, I could smell the Raspberry from where I was sitting. When I got it, I realized it looks nothing like other fruit beers. So I took a sniff, and it smelled like a tart raspberry, mixed with a bit of a Belgian ale. If you're unfamiliar with the smell of a Belgian ale, imagine yeast-y scents. But the tart raspberry was en par with the Belgian ale smell. Deliciously tempting for that first sip.

Steamworks Raspberry Frambozën - @ Hop and Vine Neighbourhood Pub, Burnaby B.C.

As I dove into this brew, the taste was impeccable. I initially got a hit of the tart raspberry, and the Belgian ale taste, but no one flavour overpowered any other flavour. It stayed in perfect balance all through the sip. It had a long finish, as the taste lingered, but at no point was the brew too bitter, too sweet, or too anything. The alcohol content in this beer is 8.5%, and it drinks like a 5.5% beer. It's so smooth, and goes well with anything summer. It's definitely a patio beer, and I'd rank it at the top of the charts. If you're a lager person, you'll like the Helles Lager that I reviewed from Central City. If you're a fruity beer or pale ale kind of person, you'll absolutely love this as your summer beer.

I ended up drinking almost half of the brew before Danny reminded me to take a picture. It's best to sip on this one, as the high alcohol content can deliver the buzz faster than normal. The most stand-out characteristic of this beer is that it's a Belgian Triple, at 8.5%, and the taste is just perfectly balanced. There is no way you can leave this one untapped, as it's probably one of the best summer brews you'll ever have.

The Steamworks Raspberry Frambozen gets a sweet, perfectly balanced 9.5 / 10

ALTBIERE from the VCBW (Vancouver Craft Beer Week) - Parallel 49

The holy grail of the Vancouver Craft Beer Week (VCBW) is the highly anticpated Altbiere (5.8% ABV, 50 IBU). Why? Because 14 different breweries had a hand in crafting this altbier, which is supposed to top the Crooked Coast from Driftwood Brewery. That's definitely a difficult task if any.

What am I waiting for? Let's do this!

ALTBIERE from Parallel 49 (& Collaborators) for Vancouver Craft Beer Week

There's a picture of the bottle, in case you want to skip the review and go grab one right away. (Hint: You might want to do that before it sells out).

ALTBIERE from Parallel 49 (& Collaborators) for Vancouver Craft Beer Week

Okay, so I poured this baby into my glass, and it's beautiful. It's a very dark brown/amber and has excellent carbonation. I can see it in the side of the glass. There's a quarter inch of head and it doesn't just dissipate like other beers. This is a solid contender from the get-go.

On first sniff, I get hints of breads, caramel malt, and some greenery like grass or flowers or some plant stuff. I'm not the best with flowers. Gotta ask my girlfriend for that kinda stuff. Anyways, it smells incredible.

The first sip is surprisingly good. This is a true Altbier done in every possible way to keep it completely real. I don't know how to explain it in a better way. Girls: It's like buying that real $3000 bag for the price of a fake. Guys: It's like ordering a Hyundai from a dealership and getting a Lamborghini instead.

There is no overwhelming flavour; everything is well-balanced. It's like all the breweries got together and put the best of everything they have into one beer. This is remarkable. This is most definitely a sipper beer, for those who don't know a lot about altbiers.

The texture of the beer is quite dry, not overwhelming at all, and has a moderate thickness. Not too thin like a lager, and not thick like a porter.

Would I buy another? OF COURSE! This is probably one of the best beers I've ever had. It's on my top five for sure.

What are you waiting for? Go and get one before they're all gone!


The ALTBIERE from Parallel 49 (& Collaborators) gets a deliciously perfect 10 / 10

Laid Back Lager? More like Low Budget Lager.

So Danny and I went to the Hop and Vine about a month ago, just before the Canucks golfing season began. We decided to watch the game, and grab a pitcher of what was on special. I thought, "Hey, Big Surf is a B.C. brewery, we should be good." We ordered a pitcher of the Big Surf Beer Co.'s Laid Back Lager (5% ABV).

The beer came in a bright yellow, almost a neon too-many-vitamins-in-my-urine yellow. There was some head that didn't stick around too long, and it smelled like a stale Molson Canadian. Danny and I just looked at each other, and we figured "Well, it's a lager, it should go down without much of a fight."

My first sip into this beer, and wow. Laid Back Lager should be changed to Cat Pee. The taste of this beer reminds me of the smell of cat pee, mixed with the smell of Molson 67. I'm sorry, Big Surf, but there is no way in hell I'm going to order anything from you guys without a taste test first.

Big Surf Beer Co. Laid Back Lager @ Hop and Vine, Burnaby B.C.

Maybe it was old, near the end of the keg. Maybe it was a bad batch, maybe. There are a lot of possibilities, but the one I'm sticking with is that this beer is just plain garbage.

If you're looking for a North American-style lager that actually has some merit and would knock this one out of the park (faster than San Jose knocked the Canucks out of the first round), then try the Mt. Begbie "High Country Kolsch" -- it's a far superior beer.

The picture above might look okay, but I'd say look elsewhere, pretend you never drank this one, and move on.

The Big Surf Laid Back Lager gets a disappointing "who-mixed-my-Molson-with-cat-pee" 1.5 / 10

Perfect Patio Beer! Helles Lager from Red Racer.

I have discovered the beer of the summer! It's the perfect patio beer, goes down smooth, and has just enough flavour to satisfy your taste buds. Serve this baby ice cold, or head down to Central City Brew Pub in Surrey to grab one on tap! Okay okay, I won't spoil it. I went to White Rock with my girlfriend, and decided to stop over on our way home at the Central City Brew Pub for a beer. I hadn't seen the Helles Lager (ABV and IBU unavailable) there before, so I decided to give it a try.

I received my beer, and it looked pretty standard to me. Honestly, when I smelled it, it kind of just smelled like a normal lager, so I wasn't too excited to dive into it. Then I took my first sip. I looked up at my girlfriend and said "This is one you'll actually like."

She took a sip and was quite pleased with the taste. This, my friends, is my Summer 2013 patio beer of choice. It has lower carbonation, and a slightly different taste to it. By different, I mean it has an almost indescribable difference. The words that come to mind are "crustiness" and "rough". Not in a bad way, though. Serve this baby ice cold, sit on a patio in that perfect lawn chair, and enjoy the company of friends!

Red Racer Helles Lager @ Central City Brew Pub, Surrey B.C.

As you can see in the picture, it looks just like a normal lager. However, taste the difference and you'll be surprised just how enjoyable this brew really is.

What's the difference between a Helles Lager and a normal lager? Well, there was a point in time where German brewers were worried that new lagers that were being brewed by other countries of Europe (like the Czechs), would lure their German customers to drink the new brews. So they came up with the Munich Helles Lager, and saved themselves! Bet you didn't know that. Thank goodness they came up with this beer! Now we can all enjoy it. I hope this stays on tap for the rest of the summer.

The Red Racer Helles Lager gets a refreshing, "get-out-the-lawn-chairs" 8.5 / 10

Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA

Now I've never made a post about an IPA for people that are new to IPAs. But this one deserves the crown. I've been asked by a few people which IPA they want to get into, as their significant other, or some friends are getting into the beer scene. Keep in mind, a true IPA is usually packed with flavour. Keith's "IPA" is not an IPA.

If you think you really like the Alexander Keith's IPA, well, that's actually a lager. I don't know how they got away with it, but the Keith's IPA is just another macro-brew econo-lager. Keep in mind though, that the Keith's Red, White, and Dark are all worthy of a taste.

ANYWAY, I was at my local pub the other day, and decided to sit down and try the Whistler Brewing Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA (6.8%, 75 IBU). The beer itself, at 6.8% is stronger than your average brew, and packs some solid taste, while at the same time, not overpowering your taste buds.

The reason I say this is a great IPA for people that are wanting to try an IPA without being overwhelmed with nasty, bitter, undrinkable characteristics, is because this beer packs flavour. I mean, you'll get the bittnerness of the IPA, but at the same time, you'll get well-rounded characteristics which don't overpower each other. This is a true IPA, which means it's a sipper beer.

Whistler Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA (6.8%, 75 IBU)
Blame my iPhone 4 for the picture quality.

On first sniff (always make sure to sniff test...mmm hops), I get a nose of hops, citrus peels, and maybe a slight undertone of caramel malt. It's pretty much your standard west coast IPA smell.

On taking the first sip, it comes out strong at first. The bitterness is the first taste you get, followed by a mellowing out of the bitterness, being replaced by the citrus and malty flavours of the brew. The mellowing out of the flavours is the key to having this be a transition into liking IPAs. It still packs IPA flavour, but allows the taste buds to enjoy all of the flavours without packing too much punch.

The flavours are well balanced, and there is no disappointment in the craftsmanship put into this beer. It pours a great amber colour, exactly the right amount of head, and goes down smooth. I highly recommend this beer to both new IPA drinkers, and to seasoned beer geeks like myself.

The Whistler Brewing Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA gets a well rounded, give-me-another-one 8.5 / 10