# Trent In Canada



## Trent (26/12/06)

Gday, and a merry chrissy from my "other" home, Canadia.
Figured that I might aswell start a thread on my next 3 weeks in Canadia (and a few days in Southern Germany). I am over here for chrissy with my (soon to be) in-laws, and my wedding on New Years Eve, in a town called Vernon, in the central interior of BC. They make some pretty good wine here, it is in the Okanagan Valley, which is very similar to the Hunter Valley, but has about 200 lakes. Gets to 45C+ sometimes in summer, and last week was -25C. This thread will be a way of keeping my brewing mates up to date with my trip, though I will keep my stories to a minimum to avoid it becoming a bit of a wank about my holiday. This thread has been put in beer reviews for the sole reason I would like to write as much as I can about as many beers as I can taste, that way anyone that ever wants to go to canada will have a reasonable idea of what beers they will want to try first. So, on top of wine, this area makes some pretty good beer too.
So, all is well, there is snow outside, I am heading up the mountain to board tomorrow (boxing day), and will make sure to try as many beers as possible. I will try and include as many pics as possible aswell, but my camera is currently not downloading onto the computer, so it may be a day or two till I can get some pics up, but they will be up.
Hope ya like the reviews, and get some info out of em for any trip ya may be planning. 
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (26/12/06)

Here are some pics of the first lot of beers I bought. Couple of ring ins in there (like the oud bruin), but most are canadian. First up are the beers I bought, and then there is the good old back yard fridge. Not limited to canada, I am pretty sure everywhere with a cold winter utilises this procedure, but I figured it was pretty funny, so I had to include the pics. You just have to be careful not to leave em too long, or they will get too cold, and make sure to leave the beers not in the snow, but next to the house, overnight. If it is gonna get below about -5C overnight, though we did hit a low of -15C on night and had left all the beers outside next to the house, but none of em popped, thank god.
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (26/12/06)

PHILLIP'S OATMEAL STOUT
Didnt get a pic of it in the glasss, fair to say though, it was black as the ace of spades. 
As far as the flavour goes, it had all the elements of a good stout, plenty of roast flavour, and plenty of mouthfeel. I dont recall any hop aroma or flavour, but it was very clean and well made (like all matt Phillip's beers). If you like stouts, then obviously hit this one up.
It was about $4.30 for a 640mL bottle


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## Trent (26/12/06)

UNIBROUE'S La MAUDITE (The Damned, according to Les)
750mL bottle, all corked and caged, for $4.95. 8% alcohol, and I believe it is a dubbel (this is the brewery where Wyeast gets it Canadian-Belgian yeast from.)
Well, it is a deep, cloudy, burnished copper in colour, and the head quickly disspiates to a ring around the glass, though it's quite likely the glassware. The aroma is of fruity esters, plums(?), and spicy phenols. As a matter of fact, it smells quite similar to chimay red or any of the other belgian ales like that. There is also alcohol evident in the nose, though it is not hot. The fruitiness and phenols translate into the flavour, and the alcohol gives a good warming, without being hot. There is plenty of malt there, though the body is med-light, and the carbonation is fairly spritzy. Something you could drink a whole bottle of qiute easily, and not know it was 8% until you tried to stand up. Highly recommended, and perfect as a heart starter on xmas day. Them frenchies certainly know how to brew


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## hockadays (26/12/06)

If you get to vancouver try the steamboat brewery. very cool....

hockers


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## tipsy_mcstagger (26/12/06)

Try to get to Jasper, I was there xmas 05 and they have a great micro brewery. I had been in Cologne a few months before and the Kolche in Jasper was identical to colgne. They were both fantastic by the way. We tried a few other beers there and they were all great.

Tipsy


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## Trent (26/12/06)

Dont have time to head to Jasper, or van, unfortunately, I am gonna be pushing to get in 6 days of boarding in the next couple of weeks! I will keep me eye out for steamboat beers in the booze shops here, and also anything from jasper. But I know there are heaps of good micro's here, so will try my best to cover em all :beerbang: 
Trent


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## Screwtop (26/12/06)

Great idea Trent, appreciate the updates. Have a look at 2006 Canada Cup Of Beer for some of the lesser known breweries. We need something like this here is OZ. What a holiday mate good on ya!

Even some VB in this shot Cup of beer stall


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## Ross (26/12/06)

Hi Trent,

With family having recently migrated to Canada, I'm hoping to visit either this year or next, so look forward you reviews with added interest...

P.S. Sounds a lovely setting for a wedding, hope it turns out perfect for you both...

cheers Ross


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## Trent (27/12/06)

Thanks guys
Currently sipping away on a very anticipated beer, PHILLIP'S BURLEY WINE (barley wine style, Christmas seasonal release). IMO this guy is one of the most talented brewers in Canada, and this beer certainly doesnt disappoint. It isnt the usual american style barleywine with a 100+ IBU level, and hopping to burn your nostrils, it is much more subdued, and very well balanced. The blurb on the bottle only says is is as "subtle as a brick to the face, this beer is red in colour and low on carbonation". It appears almost black or dark brown, low head, and held up the the light it is a beautiful crystal clear ruby red. The aroma is of a very subdued alcohol aroma, and a really firm malty sweetness, with hints of raisins and prunes, There are no real fruity esters, and no real hop aroma. The flavour is fairly similar to the flavour, malty and sweet, but not too sweet. Nice and chewy, yet reasonably thin bodied for a barleywine. the alsohol lends a slight warming in the belly, but is so well hidden in the beer that I dont think anybody could pick it for its 11.5% boot in the teeth. The bitterness is quite low, I couldnt even hazard a guess (oh, maybe 35?), but just enough to keep the beer from being too sweet. Everyhting comes into play and bounces off each other, making this one of the best barleywines I have had (considering what a difficualt style it really is). Doesnt have the "WOW" factor you will find in some barleywines, but extremely well crafted. 
I have a few other reviews to type, but have to head to the pub now.  
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (28/12/06)

FAT CAT BREWING'S OLD BAD CAT (barleywine - Christmas seasonal)
12% alcohol, apparently aged in bourbon barrles for a while. Poured a deep ruby amber with a low hed, from the low carbonation, and it had a very malty smell to it. there wasnt too much hop aroma going on, but it had a fair malty smell to it. The maltiness wasnt as big as I would usually expect in a barleywine, though the bitterness is fairly low to allow it to shine through more. It is certainly a big beer, though there was a funny sharpness to the taste that I found a little off putting, as opposed to clean maltiness. Not to say it was bad, but I dont think it was quite to my tastes. The only thing I could think of after the alcohol leaked out of my brain is the oak bourbon barrels it was aged in may have added a slight tartness. I couldnt relly pick up any bourbon notes in it, but I still have another bottle up my sleeve, and will try it out again with some beer savvy friends.
Trent


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## Trent (28/12/06)

CRANNOG BREWING'S BACK HAND OF GOD (stout)
After 4 hours of hurtling down the runs at silver star, lunch at the pub was in order. All the beers they had were lagers and pale's, except the one the waitress described as a "really dark stout". Maybe she had done the BJCP course  Anyway, it looked exactly like a stout, pitch black, and a nice tan head. No hop aroma, just roast barley, along with other malty smells, and coffee with some hints of chocolate. Perfect. Suspected a dry stout, which was confirmed with my first sip, plenty of body, heaps of flavours dancing around in there, not too over the top roasty, kinda offset with the coffee/chocolate notes, and dry enough in the finish to make you want another mouthful. Bitterness was there in good balance, allowing the bitterness of the roasted malts to take up the slack. My first 400mL glass was gone before I knew it, and I needed to order another to have with my lunch. Excellent stout, I think, perfect to warm you up on a winters day. I couldnt really feel any alcohol, so figured it was around the 4% mark. Actually reminded me alot of Gough's dry stout offering in the xmas in July case, extremely drinkable, full of flavour and well balanced. I have since found out it is only avaialable on draught, and in certain pubs in the BC province (state). The stout is actually 5.2% alc (well hidden), only 18IBU, and all their beers are certified organic, so no-one will ever be able to tell me you cant make a great beer with organic products!. They have 3 regular beers, and a few seasonals. Well worth a drink.
Trent


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## Trent (28/12/06)

OKANAGON SPRINGS IPA
OK spring is the local brewery here in Vernon, it USED to be a micro, but is now more of a macro, and makes beers accordingly (much lower in flavour, bitterness, etc... than the style demands) Anyway, their IPA isnt a bad offering, though brewed to take advantage of the widest market possible. The hop aroma is fairly subdued, so I am not quite convinced it is dry hopped. It is very pale, kinda in the way LCPA is very pale compared to most hombrewed (and alot of commercial) pales. The hop flavour is the first thing that hits you, it is quite lively and fruity, so I can only assume a large dose of hops late in the kettle. It is a hard flavour to pin down, though I would take a punt on a mix of cascade and amarillo. The bitterness just isnt there, unfortunately, it is more like a decent pale ale, but the bitterness is probably even a touch low for that. It was a very clean beer, it reminded me alot of LCPA, but with amarillo thrown in for some hop complexity. By the end of the beer, as it was warming, I found it was getting a bit "old" on my palate, so I didnt go back for another. But then again, what can I expect after starting the night out on a barleywine!
Certainly worth a crack if there isnt much else in the pub, and for mine, it is probably "spring's" best offering.
Trent


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## Trent (28/12/06)

BIG ROCK'S GRASSHOPPER (wheat beer)
After my IPA, I decided to try this wheat beer, seeings as it was the only other beer on the menu in this pub that was of any real interest (except the coors light of course!). They served it with a slice of lemon, so I was expecting a hefeweizen, but I am still not too sure what it actually was! I tried it with the lemon to start with, and all I could taste was lemon, like when you squeeze lime into a corona. The beer itself is filtered and crystal clear, so it didnt even look like a hefe. I tried another bottle with no lemon, and that was better, it had a low wheat taste, reallly, it had a low bitterness (obviously) and no real hop flavour or aroma. It was a clean tasting beer, light in body and went down way to quickly. I could probably describe it as a little watery, but it would be perfect for a summers arvo. Nothing too spectacular, but quite easy to drink, something even the non beer drinking missus would be happay to share.
All the best
Trent


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## T.D. (28/12/06)

Trent said:


> BIG ROCK'S GRASSHOPPER (wheat beer)
> After my IPA, I decided to try this wheat beer, seeings as it was the only other beer on the menu in this pub that was of any real interest (except the coors light of course!). They served it with a slice of lemon, so I was expecting a hefeweizen, but I am still not too sure what it actually was! I tried it with the lemon to start with, and all I could taste was lemon, like when you squeeze lime into a corona. The beer itself is filtered and crystal clear, so it didnt even look like a hefe. I tried another bottle with no lemon, and that was better, it had a low wheat taste, reallly, it had a low bitterness (obviously) and no real hop flavour or aroma. It was a clean tasting beer, light in body and went down way to quickly. I could probably describe it as a little watery, but it would be perfect for a summers arvo. Nothing too spectacular, but quite easy to drink, something even the non beer drinking missus would be happay to share.
> All the best
> Trent



G'day Trent. I go to Calgary quite a bit where Big Rock is brewed. The Grasshopper is definitely not a traditional wheat beer - I find it to be more like a slightly more wheaty version of Coopers pale ale. I have been known to knock a few of these back, but I reckon the pick of the Bigrock range is good old "Traditional Ale". This is exactly the kind of beer I likened your case swap entry to (although your beer was a tad darker). Great beer for the cold Canada winters!

Also, keep your eye out for the "Hop Head IPA" by Tree Brewing - its a great American IPA!


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## Tseay (28/12/06)

Amen to the Hop Head Ale. Also look out for the Alley Cat Dopplebock (Seasonal) and Barley Wine.


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## Trent (28/12/06)

Gday all
Just went and picked up a new load of beers at the Kelowna store (second largest one in BC), but they were all out of Tree. I have previously preferred the regular Tree pale to the Hop Head, I think it has similar flavour and aroma levels, but is a bit more balanced. Will see soon enough though, and will definitely keep an eye out for the seasonals. T.D, I too like the Trad Ale, but for some reason, they didnt carry it, only about 30 megaswill types. Anyway, on to the next review (if you could call it that!)

CANNERY BREWING'S ANARCHIST AMBER ALE
Crystal clear light amber colour, even paler than some of the pale ale's around, funny how these 2 styles can overlap in colour. Fairly sweet and complex malt aroma, with definite notes of toffee and biscuit. Medium low hop aroma that is slightly citrusy, (but not like the traditional "C" hops) and fruity, that allows the malt aroma's to shine through, yet just adds to the overall complexity. The beer is very smoot, and has a caramelly/toffee flavour, and again, just enough fruitiness from the hops to add just a little something that goes very well. It is a fairly low bitternes, allows the malt sweetness to be at the forefront, yet balances it enough to not let it be cloying. The body is medium to full, but it doesnt give a filling sensation (in the one 650mL bottle I had), and I am left with a thirst for the next and the impression that you could happily drink this beer all night, without getting full or tiring your palate. Another excellent beer.
Brewed in Penticton, BC. 5.5%alc, 650mL bottle $4.50

Trent


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## Trent (28/12/06)

UNIBROUE'S BLANCHE DE CHAMBLY (Chambly white, cause they come from Chambly, quebec)

Bready wheat malt aroma competing with dried orange and coriander seed. Pale and cloudy in appearance, slight tartness in flavour with the same components as aroma. Med-low body, moderately high carbonation, low bitterness. This is pretty much the Canadian version of Hoegaarden, and it is very bloody good, though maybe a bit sweeter and less tart than the original. Quite looking forward to an evening on this, well worth the purchase.
6 pack of 341mL bottles $11.75


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## Trent (28/12/06)

UNIBROUE'S LA FIN DU MONDE (The end of the world)
I think that this beer is a belgian golden strong ale? It is slightly cloudt, possibly cause of the handling of the bottle, and a deep golden colour, with a thick white head that slowly dissipates. It smells of sweet pils malt, with honey and (possibly) light vanilla tones, along with a very faint spiciness. The flavour is of a subdued maltiness, and a very faint taste of honey and spicy phenols. There is a definite Belgian yeast taste in there, and the alcohol makes it presence known and felt, though it is not hot. The beer is very smooth, and quite highly carbonated, making it very effervescent in the mouth, and leaving some carbonic bite. the body is quite thin for a beer of this size at med-low, I guess cause of the carbonation, and the use of candi sugar? There isnt much that really sticks out about this beer except that all the flavours blend well, and it is stupidly easy to drink. And for a beer of 9.5% alc, that could be a dangerous thing :blink: Anyway, Les the Weizguy told me he loves this beer, and I can see why, especially as it warms. The word exceptional comes to mind, but maybe I am just easy to please  
Anyway, bottles are 650mL and cost $5.95.
Did I mention how much I am enjoying my holiday? :beerbang: :super: 
All the best (should be the last post from me for 18 hours or so..)
Trent


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## bigfridge (28/12/06)

Trent said:


> Did I mention how much I am enjoying my holiday? :beerbang: :super:



Trent,

Only once or twice !

But I must mention how much I am enjoying your descriptions - you certainly have been practising your beer vocabulary.

Makes it as good as being there ........ well almost.

Getting close to the big day !

Dave


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## sam (28/12/06)

Trent said:


> UNIBROUE'S LA FIN DU MONDE (The end of the world)
> 
> ...
> 
> ...



I think one of the best things in Canada is the abundant, cheap fresh Unibroue beer. La Fin Du Monde is a very tasty beer, maybe a little too tasty for all that alcohol.

Its a shame your not getting to Vancouver, as there are some great micros here that don't bottle, Storm Brewing and the Mark James Group brewpubs.

Thanks for the reviews, I'll check some of the good ones out.

Enjoy the snow, spent Christmas at Fernie, awesome snow in BC at the moment.

Sam

edit - For anyone going to Vancouver, Dix (a Mark James Group brewpub) has a cask ale night every Thursday, except when its a home Canucks game. All the micros show up, and theres a couple of casks on. Worth checking out. Also, The Whip, at 6th & Main, has a cask night every Sunday.


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## Weizguy (29/12/06)

Trent said:


> UNIBROUE'S BLANCHE DE CHAMBLY (Chambly white, cause they come from Chambly, quebec)
> 
> Bready wheat malt aroma competing with dried orange and coriander seed. Pale and cloudy in appearance, slight tartness in flavour with the same components as aroma. Med-low body, moderately high carbonation, low bitterness. This is pretty much the Canadian version of Hoegaarden, and it is very bloody good, though maybe a bit sweeter and less tart than the original. Quite looking forward to an evening on this, well worth the purchase.
> 6 pack of 341mL bottles $11.75


Trent,

I think this beer is a little more like Blanche de Bruge than Hoegaarden. A little sweeter and less phenolic, IIRC.

I like this beer, but I like La Fin du Monde a little more.

Just tasted your Nut Brown too. Was it tea-bagged?

Seth out


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## Randall the Enamel Animal (31/12/06)

Hi Trent

I have just returned from three weeks in Vancouver where I too became married to my Canadian partner. Good luck for _your_ big day! Be careful of the snow on the Coquihalla... http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/BCHighwaycam/index...False&cam=1

Went on a substantial IPA bender whilst there and was lucky enough to sneak across into Washington where I loaded up with American IPAs and DIPAs from Bottleworks in Seattle. Wrote notes on them all and I might post them if anyone is interested.

Mat Philips and his crew are making great beers, but the best BC IPA in pack at the moment is definitely HopHead from Tree in Kelowna. Fresh, balanced, clean and absolutely delicious. Best Sepo IPA I had was Big Daddy from Speakeasy in San Diego. Best brewpubs this visit were Yaletown (downtown Vancouver), Longwood (Nanaimo) and Diamond Knot (Mukilteo, WA).

Super trip. Lots of great ideas for our upcoming breweries.


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## Trent (1/1/07)

David
That BJCP course you took us through, certainly helped with my ability to taste and describe beer, but that comment you made must have jinxed me. The next few beers were tasted after several bottles of wine, and as such no notes were kept  
Sam
Thanks for the heads up on the mark james group and Storm, I will have to check them out
Les
I am glad that it was you who could taste the tea bagging, I only did it to one bottle, and it woulda been very embarrassing if someone I didnt know personally received it  You probably do recall correctly about Blanch de Chambly, but I have never tasted Blanch de Bruge. I liked it alot though.
Randall
Congrats on your wedding, I hope that it was great. We have gotten everyone to fly in to fly into Kelowna (home of Tree brewing) specifically to avoid the drive over the coquihalla. One couple drove in from Vancouver island, and said there were some horrendous accidents along the way, and they werent even sure they were going to make it. I can tell you from experience over the last week of driving, hitting sheet ice at 30k/h downhill is very little fun, so the coquihalla is one place I only drive over in summer! I found the Tree Hop Head wasnt so great last year, but it sounds as if it is now. I just tried last night teh phillips Amnesiac IIPA, and it wasnt as good as I remembered, still very smooth, but the hop character wasnt so flash. I guess they werent as fresh as they were in the summer.
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (1/1/07)

This is for more pics. 
A heap of the wedding party has just come to my place, so I will save my "reviews" until I get some more time. I will be saying my vows at 2pm new years day AEDT, (7pm new years eve here), so have a beer for me!
All the best
Trent
EDIT - The beer selection over here is great. I had to be sneaky in taking these pics (they have some wierd aversion to pics being taken in public places, bars, etc...), but needless to say, it is about the size of a Dan Murphy's, with heaps of beers from across canada, and germany, belgium, england, scotland, france, etc. The 2, 12 and 24 packs are generally from canada and the US.


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## Trent (4/1/07)

Happy New Year everyone
The wedding went off without a problem, everyone had a blast, especially me! I have been drinking quite a few beers lately, and havent been keeping hte best notes, but I will do my best. I actually took a 6 pack of Tree Hop Head for myself to drink at the reception, and I have to say that it is alot better than I remember, it was excellent actually. Not too over the top, and well balanced, perfect way to start a marriage and bring in the new year! Been into a few German, English and Scottish beers too, as they have a great selection at a pretty cheap price, but will just stick to telling you about the Canadian ones. At least the ones I remember!
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

MT. BEGBIE'S HIGH COUNTRY KOLSCH
I believe this mob are from Revelstoke from memory, the bottle has alredy been recycled. 
The aroma was of sweet pils malt, and there was a low, yet definite, aroma of pear. It was crystal clear and gold in colour, with a low white head. It was smooth with delicate malt flavours, and low levels of both DMS and pear/fruit notes. It finishes fairly dry, but maybe a little sweeter than what I remember of the style. It had a medium-low body, with a low carbonation, and was a very nice beer that could be drunk all night long. This would be a great beer to get mega swill mates onto craft beer with.
$4.95 for a 640mL bottle, about 5 point something % alcohol.
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

Unibroue's EAU BENITE
This beer is a Tripel, though it only weighs in at 7.7%, and costs $4.95 for a 750mL bottle. It is nice and pale in colour, and has all the phenols and esters and complexity that you would expect out of a strong belgian style ale. I didnt keep any notes, but it went down very easily, and was fairly light bodied from I assume additions of sugar of some description. Great way to end the day. I am starting to feel that Unibroue dont make any bad beers! Quite enjoyable.
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

OLD YALE BREWING CO'S PALE ALE
I was expecting alot from this beer, after they stated that they use 11 pounds of fresh cascade hops in every batch. I had just showed my friends here through a small selection of my own beers (including my IPA that came first in state and 3rd in nats), and it seemed to have a really harsh grassy flavour, rather than the traditional cascade citrus notes. I tried to get through it, but ended up deciding to tip it down the sink. thankfully, one of my groomsmen drank it down, not wanting to see any beer go to waste! The colour and bitterness were great, I just couldnt come at that grassy hop flavour, I assume the hops werent the freshest, or maybe a bad batch?
Will try and give it another go before I leave.
The brewery is from Chilliwack, and it was $4.95 for a 640mL bottle, about 5.2% (?)
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

PHILLIP'S AMNESIAC IIPA
This has always been my favourite commercially available double IPA anywhere. The bitterness is not over the top, everything is really big, including the hop aroma and flavour, yet it was all in total balance. I was so excited to try this one again, and cracked it for all my friends, and told them this was probably my fave beer in the world, and lo and behold, it had the same grassy harshness in it as the previous beer did. Everything else was spot on, it was just that rough flavour on the back palate. I can only assume, in light of 2 beers having the same funny flavour (especially as I have always loved this beer) that there was a batch of hops that wasnt the best quality being sold. I still have the Old Yale IPA to go, so will see if I find that same flavour in there. So, I was very disappointed with this particular bottle of a great beer, but if you are ever in BC, pick up this beer and give it a try. I will be sure to give it another crack before heading home.
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

GRANVILLE ISLAND'S MERRY MONKS DOPPELBOCK (seasonal)
At just under $5 a bottle, and 8.7%, I was very excited to get into this one. Never tried a commercial doppelbock before, and I was not disappointed in the least, as a matter of fact, I thought it was bloody sensational. I wrote notes, and have since lost them, but it was a deep ruby red colour, with a low white head. The beer itself had notes of sweet caramel and toffee, and some low levels of dark fruits. the maltiness was amazing for a lager! The flavour kinda blew me away, it was nice and chewy, really malty, with a low bitterness, and kinda sweet, but not in an under attenuted way. there were some deep malty flavours that could be described as dark fruit, but maybe not. Alcohol wasnt overly evident, but left yuo with some alcohol warming. Stood outside to enjoy it, cause the smokers were out there (though I dont smoke). 
When will Australia start to have beers like this available? Hey, does anybody know if it is doppelbock season in Germany at this time of year? I have 3 days in Bavaria, and have told my cousin that I am visiting that I would like to go brewery hopping, rather than skiing. :beerbang: 
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

Though not a canadian beer, I figured I would have to throw this one in. 
FULLER'S 2006 VINTAGE ALE
Fruity, malty sweet caramelly aromas, with dark fruits evident, and little hop aroma. Deep copper in colour with ruby tinges. Quite alcoholic with port like maltiness (if that makes sense), low hop flavour and dark fruit flavours, identifiable as raisins and plums, and a few others in there that I couldnt pick. Full body, with low carbonation, and a high bitterness that lingers into the aftertaste along with a spicy alcohol sensation. As it warms there is a slight harshness that appears. It is a very nice beer, but one that I think would benifit from a couple of years in the cellar, so if ya have a bottle from xmas, maybe think about keeping it until xmas 2008?
$6 for a 500mL bottle, 8.5%
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

UNIBROUE'S DON DE DIUE
Did not take any notes on this one, as I drank it at a friends house, but may I say WOW :excl: :super: I think that this is so far the best beer I have had in Canada, complex, a little spicy, estery, light phenols, just so belgian in flavour, really smooth, and super easy to drink. It was a very pale colour, and I had no idea what style it was, but Les enlightened me, that it is a wheat tripel. It weighs in at 9%, but there is NO way you could pick it. Smooth and full of character, this is the kind of beer I would love to be able to purchase whenever I wanted, to take out to BYO retsaurants, or (dare I even dream), brew myself. Delicious. I dunno how it would travel to Oz, (though it is on yeast), but if you see some available near you, grab a bottle. If it is half as good as it is here, you wont be disappointed.
Trent


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## Trent (4/1/07)

CANNERY BREWING'S BLACKBERRY PORTER
This is a beer that I had on tap last time, and I dont think it is as good in the bottle as it was on tap. It seemed a little bit rougher in the bottle. None the less, there was some nice roastiness in the nose, with clear blackberry notes. It had a reasonably high bitterness, so I guess that the base is a robust porter style, but the blackberry comes through in the flavour and compliments the roastiness (that isnt too high). The blackberry flavour comes through more as an undertone rather than an overtone, and it is tasted most in the aftertaste. This is a very enjoyable beer, and when faced with a line up of taps that are mostly mainstream style beers, this is a welcome sight. If you cant find it on tap, the bottled version is still very nice, and a great beer, certainly worth a try.
$4.50 a 640mL bottle, 5.5%(?)
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

Gday everyone
FINALLY got some pics downloaded onto the computer, so there are all the pics with beer reviews (if I managed to take a pic!). the weather has been a bit funny lately, it has been getting above zero during the day (and sometimes overnight) and then freezing again, making for some slippery walking and driving. The snow tends to pack down, and isnt too bad overall to walk or drive on, but once it melts, then re-freezes, the fun starts. Here are a couple of pics, though they maybe arent as impressive as it looks in real life (duh!)
So here are some of a very icy street, an icy footpath, and one taken from the car, where a real, aussie sized gutter is all completely filled with solid ice. Can make jay walking a little dodgier :lol: 
All the best
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

Made it into Tree Brewery today, and tasted a few beers.
First up was the HONEYCOMB PILSENER
Light pils malt, low DMS and a light honey aroma, along with a light fruitiness from hops. Mid gold in colour, and crystal clear, with a fluffy mousse like head that persists. Light in body, with a moderate bitterness and just a hint of honey (that adds a little complexity), with a moderate hop flavour. Very clean, and very nice - definitely a "starter" beer for those wanting to graduate from mega swill. It is a bit heavier than megaswill, with more malt, bitterness, hops and complexity. Definitely a session beer
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

Second off the taps came their most popular beer, THIRSTY BEAVER AMBER (5%)
Sweet caramel/toffee notes and low hop aroma. Mid gold, not too much darker than the pils, with a moussy head. There is a caramelly/toffee maltiness in the mouth, with moderate bitterness and moderate hop flavour. Medium-full body, and balanced towards the sweet end of the scale. Clean, beery and flavourful, yet still mild enough to cater to the average Joe.
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

Third cab off the rank was their SPY PORTER
Beautiful aroma, toffee, caramel, chocolate, coffee and a low roasty note. Dark brown in colour, yet still clear enough to see through, with an off white, persistent head. There is a moderate roast note, caramel (again!) and coffee notes, with more dominant chocolate, medium bitterness, and low hop flavour. A little thinner than the aroma would suggest, but easily drinkable, and plenty of character. Way better than any of the dark ales available in Oz.
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

Finally, their best beer (IMO), the HOP HEAD IPA
Low malty aroma, overwhelmed by a clean citrusy hop aroma that hits you before your nose gets to the glass. No hop stands out singularly to me, so I am assuming it is a mix of several, maybe cascade, centennial and another? High bitterness, hop flavour isnt as high as the bottled version, though the hop aroma is higher than in the bottled version. Moderate maltiness, with a med-low body, quite clean and flavourful. This is their flagship beer, and I can see why. It is an excellent AIPA. The bitterness and hop flavour persists into the aftertaste, and it probably adds something to be drinking it at the brewery!
Attached are also some pics of the "tree" sign, and a picture of the new mrs standing in the bar (we wre the only ones there.)
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

UNIBROUE'S CHAMBLY NOIRE
Picked up a mixed pack of Unibroue beers, and this one was next. 
It smells very much like a german wheat beer, though the cloves are much more dominant than the esters. Black, with ruby highlights when held to the light. Head disspatesquickly (could be glassware). Sharp, clovey phenols are the first thing you can taste, along with the dark malts, though it isnt roasty, maybe like a cross between a schwarzbier, and a schneider weiss? Faint banana comes in on the aftertaste. The bitterness is higher than usual in a wheat beer, maybe helped by the darker malts? It is also reasonably tart and acidic. Body is medium low, and carbonation is fairly high. It is very nice, and would probably be best drunk with some food. The bottle recommendsfish, strong cheeses and chocolate desserts.
Trent


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## Trent (7/1/07)

UNIBROUE'S EPHEMERE POMME (apple beer)
Wow, apple beer? Not too sure about this one. Wheaty breadiness, and granny smith apples in the aroma. Cloudy, gold in colour, head dissipates quickle, I am sure it is the glass. Sweet and tart flavour, the apple is definitely prominent, but mixed in with what I assume to be wheat, and wouldnt be overly identifiable unless you were told it was an apple beer. The bitterness is moderate, and the apple add a fair tartness to it. I think that the apple was added as juice, and is probably what I would expect if I ordered a half beer/half cider in a pub. Medium body, high carbonation, and um, not quite my cup of tea. I am sure that the raspberry verysion will sit better with me though  
Trent


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## Trent (10/1/07)

OLD YALE'S SEARGENTS IPA 5.5%
Equal parts maltiness and hoppiness, with a few esters thrown in for the aroma. It is a pale copper with a low white head. Toffee-like maltiness and a med-high hop aroma that is kinda earthy, leading me to believe it is an english IPA. There is a definite caramel note, with some faint honey, that may be oxidation? Bitterness and malt and hop flavour are well balanced and linger into the aftertaste. Oh, just read the bottle, and the hops are EKG, so it is english. Bitterness is med-high, med body. Excellent example of an egnglish IPA, though lower in alcohol than I would expect.
I think it was $5 for a 650mL bottle
Trent


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## Trent (10/1/07)

Well, I am in a hurry, and am about to put up a few pics of beer, and will review them when I get a chance. they are on this computer, and I leave for germany at sparrows fart, so the reviews will come, I promise!
The next few pics, though, are of our wierd weather lately. After all the snow and shit gets packed down by loads of driving on it, it gets a bit dicey to drive on, but no-one cares. Anyway, 2 days ago, it gets warm, and is 6C overnight, and raining, and I get up the next morning, and it is -5C, and just freaking sheet ice. Lara and I actually went into town for a drive, and managed to get out of the driveway in her apt complex with alot of sliding, then the street was a bit slippery, but all the main roads get anti freeze put on em, so we were all good. Coming home, however, we couldnt get up the driveway, and tried to sneak our way back our, but the van ended up sliding sideways out onto the (luckily empty) street! Here are some pics of the car park, and the one of me on the driveway, I slid most of the way down to where I am standing! look at my reflection. The final pic is of one of the dodgiest footpaths in town, especially after the rain. The guy at the top of the pic is a schoolkid, and he slid halfway down the hill like he was ice skating. Musta done it before :blink: 
Trent


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## Trent (10/1/07)

Just 2 quick pics of the local brewery, it used to be a micro, but is now more of a macro, having been purchased by Shaftebury, then purchased again by Sleeman (who I think is now a division of Coors). Unfortunately it shows in the beer, but it is still cool to have a brewery within cooee
Trent


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## Trent (10/1/07)

Well well, arent I a lazy bastard? Anyway, 6 months on, I have lost my review of this beer, but I can tell you all that it was quite a pale looking beer, none of the typical pinks that you get in some raspberry beers, and the raspberry flavour was more intense than I have ever come across. I can only assume that they have used a raspberry extract, but the raspberry added quite a tartness, that got a bit cloying after a while. Possibly real raspberries in secondary. Anyway, I was really impressed with the raspberry flavour at first, and thought I would love it, but by the end of the glass, I decided I couldnt drink more than that. Mind you, I had been drinking non stop for 3 weeks, so I was fairly well ready for a rest! Pretty much the same as the Apple Ephemere, but just with raspberry, and a little tarter.
Trent.


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## Trent (10/1/07)

OK, here is my raftman review, though after 6 months, I cant remember TOO clearly. What I do remember though, is it was a little heavy to drink too many (see previous post about drinking for 3 weeks, and needing a rest), and had a spiciness to it similar to Stuster's American Rye beer in last years July Case Swap. It said on the bottle, that they use Whiskey malt, which may be a proprietary malt name for a maltster somewhere, OR, and that brings me to my theory, it is actually rye malt. Given that they make Rye Whisky (canadian club) over here, it isnt too much of a stretch. Anyway, I enjoyed it, and look forward to the day I can try it on a non alcohol abused tummy.
T.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

Anyway, my next stop was Germany. I went to visit my Auntie, Uncle and Cousin in a town called Pforzeim, not too far from Stuttgart. We had 4 days only, so I had informed my cousin previously that I wanted to try as many beers as I could (despite not feeling like ANY MORE drinking).
He had a few beers waiting for me when I got there, and the first was Hoepfner Edel-Weisse. It wasnt a bad beer, per-se, but for a weisse beer, it was a bit bland, kinda like a mega lager, to be quite honest. It is a filtered wheat beer, and I am thinking alot of the flavour gets filitered out with it. I was really looking forward to all the wheat beers in germany, this one was a bit of a disappointment  Many more to go, though.
T.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

After the ede-weisse, we cracked some Hoepfner krausen. I always spell krauesen like that, and discovered I spell it with an extra "e". Apparently I dont know much German (but I knew that a long time ago). This beer was a little bit better, but at the end of the day, not too much different to the filtered version. I was a little disappointed with the flavou of these beers, after a few weeks in Canada, but I was ready to take on the Dunkelwiezens when I got the chance, cause I love them. I was just surprised there was very little clove or banana in either of the weizens.
Trent.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

The next day, we all piled in the car, and went for a drive to freiburg. All of us, being me, my new mrs Lara, my mum (who had been over for the wedding, then came to germany, she was NOT along for the homeymoon part  ), my auntie margit, and my cousin Michael. 
SIDE STORY - Michale has this crazy Mercedes sports car than can take 4 people, which I was SOOOO looking forward to taking on the autobahn, but as my aunty wanted to come along, we were forced to take the Honda CRV of his mums/my auntie's. Anyone that owns a CRV, hold your heads high. We all jumped in the car, and cruised out onto the autobahn, and got it into 5th gear and were just cruising along at a leaisurely 180km/h  We were overtaking most cars on the road, but every now and then, when you were feeling like king of the road, you would hear this RRRROOOOWWWWW! as something like an audi or a porsche shot past at (best guess) 240-260km/h, making us look like we were standing still. It was really kinda funny, you would just hear the roar of an engine, and look to the left to see what it was, but it wasnt there - it was about 100m up the road, and disappearing quick. Driving along, though, there were alot of patches of the safety fence (that steel thing between directions that we get here) that were severely dented, or just missing and replaced with witches hats. Given the amount of missing sections we saw, I was very happy we didnt meet one of the people that came through at 200km/h  . Generally, there is no speed limit, but at areas where there are on and off ramps, the speed slows to 80-110, and everyone slows down so the cops dont pinch em. Then after the speed zone is over, it is back to breakneck speed. I have no idea what the road toll is like on the autobahns, but if you think of all the dickheads that try to drive to quick out here when it is illegal, I am sure a similar number drive outside their ability over there. Cruising along at 180 is a very fun feeling though :super: 

BACK TO BEER - For lunch in Freiburg, we went to a place called Martins Brau that had quite good food, and I had one of their Pilseners, which was absolutely delicious. For some reason, German Pilseners are very good in Germany! And, they had a criminal amount of fresh hallertauer hops just decorating the bar and restaurant. I believe they are not far from the hallertauer region (if zwickel reads this, he can correct me I am sure). Here is a pic of me with my head in the hops. And it was like this around the whole bar area.
Trent


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## Trent (27/6/07)

After the lunch, we jumped in the car and cruised throught he Black Forest (which is really nice) to a town that i cannot remember the name of, for a personally organised English speaking tour (thanks to my cousin michael) of the Alpirsbacher Klosterbrau brewery. It was a brewery originally started by monks (though not run by them anymore) and they have their own spring that spits out really soft water. They are a bit of a mega brewery, something like 15 million litres a year, but the tour guide was very knowledgable, and actually very humourous. He showed us through all their old stuff, like the cask bender and cask room, and then the old bottler.
T.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

Next up was the old beer filter, then the old kettle (at least if my memory serves me OK it was the old kettle.)I took a pic of an old hop bag, and what most of us wouldnt do to get a fresh bag of those hops, and a cask that had a tap in it, and looked old and decrepit, so I asked if I could take it off their hands, but the answer was no  
Trent.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

After the tour was over, we headed over to the tasting room, but on the way, I had to rub the little statue of a monk's belly for good luck! It supposedly gives you good luck or something, and it hasnt yet made me a good brewer, but I will give it more time to work its magic :lol: At the tasting room, we had a few beers, and the one I as keen as mustard to try was the Kellerbier. I had read a report on kellerbier in BYO, and was expecting (as BYO said) germany's answer to cask conditioned ale. I was SO psyched for it, so you can imagine how let down I was when it tasted not far from megaswill. The tour guide told me that it is their normal mega lager, with 15% hefewiezen added to get that cloudy appearance  Their hefe didnt have much of the typical hefe characteristics, so I could understand. I wasnt overly impressed with any of their beers, though their black pilsener wasnt too bad, but what can one expect from a major brewery. The tour was excellent though. IIRC, they actually brew the beer on premises where we did the tour, then pump it through 1.6km of underground lines down the road to be fermented at their fermenting plant. Yep, these guys are MUCH bigger than I would like to be (if I had a brewery).
So anyway, here are a few pics of me rubbing the monks belly (and dont laugh at the yellow jacket, it was cold, and I felt warmer in that!), and getting served by the tour guide in the tasting room.
Trent.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

Okay
The next day, Michael had understood I was disappointed by the fact that the kellerbier wasnt a cask served ale as the BYO had said, and felt for me after ordering a bock at the Alpirsbacher restaurant, and getting a beer that looked, and tasted, just like a pale lager. SO, he came home from work with these little puppies, 2 bottles of kellerbier. I was very stoked, only to discover, to my dismay, that they also tasted like a mega lager with a small portion of hefe added in to give the coludy appearance. At least he had a really finky glass to drink it out of! None of the beers I had tasted we BAD, its just that the lacked the clove and banana flavours you expect from a German wiezen, or had no real flavour that stood out, as with the German lagers, though the pilsener at martin's Brau was excellent, plenty of hops. So michael chucked me in his mercedes, and drove me about 30 mins to a town I dont remember, to a hotel who's name I dont recall, but I remember it seemed very upmarket, and was something like 150 years old, and hadnt been destroyed in WWII. The building was AMAZING, cannot describe how crazy it was to be in a building that old, and there was hardly anyone on any of the floors, so we went and sat in the restaurant upstairs, and drank beers. The beers there were brewed in Belgium, and all that I had were excellent. Trust the belgians to make really flavourful beers. I had a few semi sour beers, but the best beers were the lights! Michael was driving, so he had an apricot and a raspberry beer, both of which were 2.5%. the raspberry was the best, but they both tasted distinctly of the fruit they were supposed to, and had no tartness, or cloying to go with it. they were exceptionally well balanced, and possibly the best beers I tasted in Germany (and also the most expensive at 12 euro for a 750ml bottle of the light beer!)
In a country where they make beer with so few flaws that it is almost bland, I became convinced that the Belgians brew some of my favourite beers available on planet earth... And Mercedes sports cars go really, really fast.
T.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

Last full day, Michael, Lara and I went driving somewhere (cant remember where) and dropped into the supermarket on the way home to pick up a Jever Pils to start the night off with. The prices are ridiculous here, as is the selection! See pic attached. The price of my Jever pils? 79 euro cents. For a 500mL bottle. Anyway, I chose Jever cause I had read somewhere it was a sensational German Pils, but once again, I was to be disappointed. Not that it is a bad beer, it was just kinda "bland". Maybe my palate was shot from all the OTT beers in Canada, and maybe cause I so badly wanted a good dunkelweizen and it wasnt the season. Who knows? After that, though, we went out to a brewpub called Lindenbrau, in the town of Waldbronn. The beer was very good, they had a pilsener, a helles and a dunkel. I liked the dunkel the best, but it was a darker lager, rather than a weizen. Very clean beers all of them, and nary a fault to be found, and the place was packed, being a saturday night. It was an excellent night, but I was SO sick of drinking booze, I just wanted an alcohol free day  h34r: . BUT, in the name of fun, I plugged on, and drank my own body weight in very good quality German beer (it wasnt a chore, honest - no matter how much I make it sound like it was!). Jeez, I lead a terrible life, hey :lol: And they also sold excellent pretzels (on top of their excellent food) that arent as big as you imagine them, but are just the right size. Germany makes the best pretzels in the world. I reckon. Here is a pic of me and Michael with a dunkel groBe and a helles kliene, and then me and a pretzel. Dont I look healthy?
T.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

Last day, and off to Thailand we were bound. Michael took Lara and I to Frankfurt airport, and while we were waiting around for our plane, I grabbed us some drinks from the caefeteria, Michael had a coke, and I found my first dunkelweizen in germany! It was a sandwald dunkelweisse, and I must say, that I enjoyed it thoroughly, and it was probably the best German beer I had there. Next time I go there, it will be in summer, so I can get into the weizens in season, and I will also go to Berlin for the berliner wiesse!
T.


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## Trent (27/6/07)

Next stop was Thailand, and it will also be my last beer review post on here. If I hadda known that Germans were the larget number of touro's in Thailand, I woulda waited till I got there to drink good german beer! They had Erdinger Weisse on tap in quite a few spots, and also had Old Speckled Hen in one pub! Just about any good german beer is available in Bangkok and tourist islands. My friends Ben abd SJ took me and Lara around bangkok, and to the night markets, Suan Lum (sp?) that had SO MANY beers available, including aventinus weizenbock, and weizen eisbock. I even found some Alpirsbacher Klosterbrau (the brewery we toured) available. I had a few German beers there, but mainly stuck to the local stuff, which was quite nice in the hot climate. All up, it was an amazing holiday, full of good beer and fun, and one that saw me drinking very little in the weeks after getting home!
Hope my reviews didnt bore ya too much, but if they did, ya shouldnt have bothered reading em!  
I will put some more reviews on when I am in North America in 6 or so weeks.
All the best
Trent
PS In bangkok, they put ice in their beer, so we drank our chang with a handful of ice in each cup. Not as bad as you would think, but probably only do-able in thailand!


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