8Wired iStout

While the name appears to be a play on Apple product names, there’s no mention of such in the fine print.  It does exhibit a couple Apple type qualities though - it is expensive (over $10 for this 500mL bottle), the packaging is pretty slick with a meticulously engineered texture to the label, and the product is highly refined.   I think this is where the comparison stops, though.  

I was encouraged to buy this beer (which I had previously not heard of) by the fine folks at Legacy Liquor after casually mentioning I like stouts.  This was described as “one of the best stouts in the world.”  It is brewed in New Zealand and comes in at 10% ABV.  It is considered to be a bit of a unique take on the veritable Russian Imperial Stout.  

The iStout pours a thick, intense black.  The head is medium brown and doesn’t stick around - this isn’t a very carbonated beer.  The body is as thick as it looks from the pour, and the flavour is plentiful and complex.  Roasted coffee and chocolate are both present, along with a strong molasses flavour.  It is slightly sweet with an equally impressive hops presence that balances it fantastically.  The finish is clean and comes straight down the middle - not too sweet and not too bitter.  No doubt this is one of the best, if not the best stout I’ve ever had.  

I have since added another to my cellar, along with a couple other 8Wired brews to try in the near future.  I have a very good feeling about this particular brewery.  

Vancouver Island Brewing Absolute Darkness IDA

Absolute Darkness is a 'India Dark Ale'.  It looks like a stout, yet has much more in common with an IPA when it comes to flavour.  The hops used in this beer is much like that of an IPA, and it shows upon drinking - the bitter, floral, and earthy hops presence is number one on the palate.  However the malts used are roasted and chocolatey, creating a bitter cocoa flavour.  The body of this beer is still light like an IPA, however. 

A nice detail to the bottle I picked up only because I was recycling the bottle in my dark storage room - the logo glows in the dark. 

Parallel 49 From East Van With Love

From East Van With Love is a collaborative effort between P49 and Gigantic Brewing in Portland OR.  It is an imperial stout that has been matured in bourbon barrels, and has the addition of maple syrup to give it a sweet Canadian twist. 

I was very interested in this beer but a little concerned that it was going to be too sweet due to the maple syrup.  I shouldn't have doubted the folks at Parallel 49 and Gigantic Brewing - the maple is subtle and does really add to its character rather than become its character. 

The bourbon influence is huge in this beer, much moreso than the average bourbon barrel aged beer.  This is something that will change over time - as a young imperial, the bourbon is sharper than it will be after some cellaring.  It is a serious beer at 11.5% ABV, but is smooth and easy drinking.  Rich dark fruits and subtle peat is present from the bourbon influence, along with a spirit quality and of course the maple.  The roasted malts and earthy hops work in great unison.

It will be interesting to see how this beer develops over time - it has a “Best After Jan 31st 2015” stamp on the label, but it very good already.  I spent a small fortune building an inventory of these (they are available from the brewery for $12.60/bottle), but it was money well spent.

Westvleteren XII

In a stroke of brilliance, my girlfriend got me one of the very briefly available Westvleteren XII (Westy 12) gift packs that were released shortly before Christmas this past year as a Christmas present.  These exceedingly expensive 6-packs were sold to raise funds to repair the historic Abbey that the monks of Westvleteren call home.  The pack consisted of 6 beers plus 2 glasses packed in a "brick" cardboard box.  The significance of the brick is that the pack would fund one brick of the new construction I presume. 

Previously the availability of this beer was very limited - you had to be in Belgium to get a hold of them, or find them for big dollars on the grey market.  These gift packs sold out within days, and now we are back to this same limited availability.   As a result, drinking this beer is a bittersweet experience - I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to have one again once these run out.  

My solution to this is to spread out my consumption of these beers as much as possible.  Four months later I’ve still only had one of the six.  I plan to keep the final 2 for at least 5 years.   This is a Belgian Quad that will age very well - likely get better for many years to come.  I am only limited by my own patience. 

So, this beer has been rated #1 in the world by a couple of major beer sites.  It must be good.  What does it taste like?  Well… everything.  I neglected to take tasting notes when I drank this bottle so I’m now working off 4 month old memory, but I distinctly remember there being a lot of dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, everything you come to expect in a huge Belgian dark ale.  ABV is 10.2%.  It reminded me of Gulden Draak in its flavour profile, though fuller and more rounded.  It is absolutely a sipping beer, and even 100mL will last you some time.  It has a long and complex finish and is best approached like you would a nice single malt.   I look forward to opening bottle #2, which will happen before Spring’s end. 

Parallel 49 'Salty Scot' scotch ale

I love scotch.  I love bourbon.  I also love beer.  So it should be a slam dunk for me to love scotch ales, a style of dark (and strong) ale that uses smoked or peated malts and often a little aging in barrels similar to how whisky is aged. 

However, oddly enough I find I don't usually go crazy for scotch ales.  I like them okay, but they are generally far from my favourite style of beer.  Part of this is the smoked or peated malts often feel too heavy for me.   Parallel 49's Salty Scot is not a typical scotch ale, even calling it a scotch ale is a bit of a stretch.  However, it addresses my concerns perfectly by incorporating a stronger hops presence than I was used to in this style. 

Parallel 49 is a relatively new but prominent force in the Vancouver brewing scene.  Their seasonal expressions continue to impress (more on that later!).   This particular expression pours a dark and rich reddish brown with a healthy but not huge tan head.   The smell is sweet but crisp, dominated by the caramel advertised on the label.  Upon drinking, the caramel comes through as salty toffee, powerfully rich and sweet but still crisp enough thanks to the hops presence to not feel heavy.  This is a very drinkable beer without sacrificing any flavour.   

Echt Kriekenbier - Flemish Cherry Ale

My curiosity for Lambics, sours, and wild ales was born from a no-longer-available 12 year aged Lambic released by James at Storm Brewing a couple years ago.  It was intensely sour, nothing like I'd ever experienced in a beer.  From there I tried Storm's less extreme sour ale, their Flanders Red.  I was hooked.   Unfortunately, Storm Brewing does not bottle their beers so I was now on the hunt to find bottled sour ales that would appease my new-found palate. 

After a trip to Legacy Liquor, I had half a dozen different Lambics, sours, and related beers to try out.  First up was this - a flemish style ale brewed with cherries.

This beer pours a bright red with a fizzy pink head that dissipates pretty quickly.  The smell is sweet cherries all the way.  The taste follows suit - sweet yet tart cherries.  Very little else to report.  The beer is very carbonated, like drinking cherry syrup in club soda.  The 6.8% ABV is undetectable.  This is a very refreshing drink but nothing like any beer experience I have had previously.  This is not the beer to go to if you are looking for sour, there is some tartness but the sweetness dominates. 

Although not what I was looking for, this was a good beer that I look forward to revisiting on a hot day.