Phillips Double Dragon Imperial Red Ale 2010

Ratebeer 3.34 69th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

The nose is mostly hops: cascades, citrus, fresh and crisp with some light biscuit malts. The taste is a medium mouthfeel and juicy. There is soem caramel/toffee, cinnamon, biscuits and fruits. Quite well balanced despite the bigish hop nose. The end had a little spicy and alcohol ting.

Aftertaste +2

The after effects were slightly carbonic/minerally with an earthy yeast coating. Very similar to a fresh toffee scone.

Alcohol Content +1 8.2%

It only provided a warmth, not a burn.

Value +1

I picked this up for $6 for a bomber; a very good value for flavour. The label art is also very cool.

Ingame Enhancement +1

It was Monday so that meant Zombie Night in Canada. I managed to get a crazy 50% accuracy. Do they still count friendly fire as accurate?

Overall 8/10

A well done red ale. It was toffee juicy with biscuity yeast and a big citrus hop presence. I'm glad I bought two bottles; might cellar the other one.

Double Dragon 2008
Arrogant Bastard Ale
Fat Tire Amber

Moinettes Dupont

Moinettes Dupont

Ratebeer 3.74 96th percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +4
This is a glorious Belgian Strong Ale. The nose is big with tart lemons, yeast, spices and grass. The alcohol tingle hits the tongue and provides an almost effervescent feel. There is so much going on with the spicy hops, the lemons, grasses, tart yeast and ripe light fruits. I think there were pears and apricots amongst those flavours. At the end the tart spicy bitterness snaps the tongue dry.

Aftertaste +2

The lingering spice, ripe fruits and alcohol burn never went away.

Alcohol Content +1 8.5%

It burned at the start; it burned at the end. The burn never seemed out of place.

Value +1

This was a great, strong ale. If you like your saisons, as I do, this is make your palate happy.

Ingame Enhancement +1

I love it when gamers suffer from the dreaded syndrome known as TMSPS (Too Much Spare Time Syndrome). They use this free time to make beautiful maps for Left 4 Dead. The fire and ice map is visually stunning. I found myself staring at the details and not fighting zombies.
Overall 9/10

This is a beautiful Belgian strong ale/saison. As I write this review up my mouth is watering. It was all there;spices from the hops, alcohol burn, effervescence, lemons, tart yeast and light fruits. This would make a perfect pairing with any meal, including breakfast cereal.

La Moneuse
Ommegang Hennepin
Farmhand Ale (Driftwood)

Brew Dog Hardcore IPA

Brew Dog Hardcore IPA

Ratebeer 3.36 79th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +4

Wow, the nose was more than expected. It was big on everything: caramel malts, sweet, spicy, piny and citrus hops. With a big hoppy nose, the taste was oddly sweet with the caramel malts. But still, the hops overrode everything. I believe this is what they call hop soup. You could taste sweet grapefruit, pine, spices and tangerines. The mouthfeel was full with faint carbonation and a pleasant astringency.

Aftertaste +2

The mouth coating of sweet grapefruit lasted forever.

Alcohol Content +1 9%

It was an very drinkable beer despite the high ABV.

Value +1

File this beer under "must try" for any hophead.

Ingame Enhancement +1

It was a different sort of game today. I had this brew when I got home from the Canada vs. Sweden Olympic Women's hockey game. In case you were wondering, no they did not serve this beer at Thunderbird Stadium. I was also not going to pay $7 for a can of Molson Canadian.

Overall 9/10

This was a big, beautiful, hoppy IPA. I thought it was a little sweet, but the big hop-soup flavours were palate shattering.

Thunderhead IPA and raising funds
Pliny the Elder
Philips Crazy 8's

Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor Steam Beer

Ratebeer 3.3 75th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +4

This beer has so much history under the cap, I hoped the taste was as good. The nose is a glorious floral hops and grassy malts. At the front there was a refreshing hop bite (earthy and citrus), with only the caramel and grassy malts coming as an afterthought. Overall the mouthfeel was medium with good carbonation.

Aftertaste +1

The hops coat the mouth to leave a mild citrus bitterness, but it is not overpowering.

Alcohol Content -1 4.8%

This is a great season beer.

Value +1

This was a great and flavourful beer. It was a bit different from the rest.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Today I found out that I will be getting a real beer blog for a real website! Granted it is for a health care professional website and it will be in the back corner lifestyle section. It also does not pay, but it is a start. I'm sure Micheal Jackson started writing for a small community newspaper..

Overall 6/10

This is a great beer that most people will enjoy. There is a good balance between the grassy/caramel malts and the citrus/earthy hops. Think of it as a pale ale but much richer.

Pinkus Munster Alt

Pinkus Munster Alt

Ratebeer 3.11 57th percentile
Beer Advocate B

Taste +2

I picked this one up at Firefly because it boldly displayed an USDA organic sticker. I'm a sucker for organic beers. Apparently it is legit, they have the documentation to prove it. As for the beer, the nose is faint with caramel and light fruits. The nicely carbonated brew did give a residual fizzy mouthfeel, but not too much. It was a medium mouthfeel with grassy malts, faint fruits, ripe apricots, honey and lemons.

Aftertaste +1

The dry grassy malts faded slowly.

Alcohol Content 0 5.1%

Value 0

It was nice, but I wouldn't get it again.

Ingame Enhancement +1

Tonight was the first night of the BJCP study group. It was nice to be in a room full of people passionate about beer.

Overall 4/10

This was an another average golden/blonde ale. There was the vague fruits, grasses, and sweetness.

Saltspring Golden Ale
Saint-Martin Blond
Trappist Achel Blond

Fog Fighter (Spinnakers)

Fog Fighter (Spinnakers)
Belgian Blonde Ale

Ratebeer 3.29 58th percentile
Beer Advocate A- (2 reviews)

I went into Spinnakers to pick up my cask festival tickets and it didn't feel right to not try something. So I sat the downstairs bar and had a quick glass.

Taste +3

This brew had all the markers of a great Belgian blonde ale. The nose was very light of apricots, yeast and rock candy. After a strong snap of alcohol burn the flavours settled in. They were right on the money with canned peaches, apricots, rock candy and a faint spiciness.

Aftertaste +2

It was a sweet lingering that was barely on the good side, not sickly but almost there. This was nicely enhanced by the tart yeast spiciness.

Alcohol Content +1 8%

The ABV was not listed, but the friendly barkeep said it was over 8%.

Value 0

It was very nice, but I wouldn't get it again. This rating might be a little biased, I had tasted the Delirium earlier. The Delirium was a truly delicious Belgian blonde ale.

Ingame Enhancement 0

This category should be changed, I don't play that much anymore. Maybe I should just start gaming more.

Overall 6/10

This was a good, solid Belgian blonde ale. All the flavours were represented: rock candy, apricots, spicy yeasts and tart alcohol burn. I had not been fond of the beers from Spinnakers lately; all the styles just seemed lackluster and watery. This had recently changed. The Kolsch they had on tap was simply delicious, this Belgian was also good. I will have to visit this place more often.

Trappist Achel Blond
Saint-Martin Blond
Salt Spring Golden Ale

Delirium Tremens

Delirium Tremens

Ratebeer 3.57 91st percentile
Beer Advocate A-

Taste +5

I have had this bottle in the back of my fridge for some time. Today the pink elephant called to me quite loudly. The nose was big, the beer not the elephant, with yeast, sweet fruits (peaches and apricots) and alcohol. The sip was a glorious lightly tart with sweet fruits. The alcohol burns up from but warms at the end. You could pick out flavours of wheat, ripe apricots, canned peaches and sweet key limes.

Aftertaste +1

The pleasant alcohol warmth mixes well with the fruit sweetness, but vanished too quick.

Alcohol Content +1 8.5%

Value +1

This was a great Belgian strong Ale. It was more on the sweet side with not so much yeast.

Ingame Enhancement +1

No gaming but went down to Canoe Club to try the new Habit Espresso Stout. It was packed.

Overall 9/10

It was delicious with tart fruit sweetness backed with alcohol. It went well with the sweet curry I had for dinner

Augustijn
Brasserie Des Rocs Brune
Local 1