Leapbeer Presents – Cellar Raid Beer Tasting!

I’ve been fortunate to be allowed to host a tasting event at the Courtenay Cascadia Liquor Store coming up next week. On Monday, January 20th from 7-8pm Cascadia and their guests will be helping me raid into my beer cellar and share some classic beers. Not only will we be sampling from a couple of classic ‘cellar’ styles, but hopefully we will share in a leapbeer experiment. There’s going to be all sorts of information about cellaring beers and examples and tips. Plus a special guest. I hope to see my readers there if you can.

Don’t Expect Anything Quite This Dusty img via http://www.kathryn.info

Here is a link to the Facebook Event https://www.facebook.com/events/1396355917283125/ if you wanted to RSVP that way. Otherwise you can call the store at 250-871-8171 to get your name put on the list or come by the store.

When: January 20th, from 7 til 8pm
Where: Cascadia Liquor Store, Courtenay BC. Unit 200 – 444 Lerwick Rd, Courtenay BC, V9N 0A9
How Much: $5 charitable donation.

PS: If you’re a reader not in my area, I apologize for sending this to you. I can’t find in wordpress where I limit who these posts go out to.

Whatever Happened to that Leapbeer Guy?

So December 31st hit us last year, and with it the final leapbeer post. But after that he just disappeared. Honestly how could I guy that passionate about beer just spontaneously shut up.

Well, because I was such a lazy blogger earlier in the year it left me with quite a lot of work to do at the end of the year. I posted information about close to 90 beers in December alone. It was way more writing than I was expecting. I told myself that I’d take a week off to give my brain a breather. That week turned into a month, then 2, then 3 and so on. Now its almost a year later and I’m finally getting back to writing.

I have been busy doing other things though. First and foremost is my family grew by one this year. On April 4th my wife gave birth to a beautiful lil girl.

Little Baby Burrito Sleeping Nicely

Leapbeer #366 – All Good Things …

So here I am, a complete year of beer drinking in and I’m getting ready to put the wraps on this whole endeavor. I thought it would be fitting for me to end with a beer synonymous with Vancouver Island. Not far from where I grew up in a town called Cumberland, they hold a rather dubious distinction. They consume the most Lucky Lager per capita than anywhere else. It is also a staple up in my current home town of Campbell River. Because it is so synonymous with my area and the beer culture here, I felt it would be the right beer to close things on.

Lucky is a purely golden coloured beer with very little head to speak of, in fact it dissipated within minutes of pouring. The aroma is kind of strange, its a mix between sour cream and stale bread. It tastes overly sweet for a lager, with a really unpleasant ‘sour milk’ bitter aftertaste. I’m drinking it at maybe 7c so maybe I need to freeze it to make it a bit more palatable. Can says the beer was established in 1934. I’m not sure if thats when this can was made, but it kind of tastes like it.

Leapbeer #366 is Lucky Lager

Lucky Lager engineered in a Labatt Laboratory somewhere.

Brewery: Labatt brewed in a sewer somewhere
Size/ABV: 355ml Can/5.0% ABV
Purchased: Gift from @jonbrophy
Website: http://www.labatt.com/brands/regionalbrands.php
Other Reviews: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

Who am I kidding? I can’t end this wonderful journey drinking this swill. I’m going to put this the only place suitable for this putrescence.

Putting this crap where it belongs.

Now on to a beer worthy of being on the top of this list.

Leapbeer Reports – The Isle of Misfit Beers

So I wanted to do this post to showcase all the pictures of beers that I didn’t get onto the master list (some beers got in, but the pictures didn’t). Either I took pictures of them and lost their notes, or I just plum forgot to take notes. I didn’t want the pics to go to waste, so here they are. I’m still planning to do a compilation of what beers I had and where they were from etc etc, so keep on the watch for that.

Cuvee de Troll

Kolsch by Double Mountain Brewery

Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter by Midnight Sun Brewing

Duvel by Duvel Moortgat

Ambre de la Chaudiere by Mill St Brewery

Rifflandabrau by Phillips Brewing Company

Creemore Springs Premium Lager

Raspberry Porter by Tree Brewing Company

Tempelier by Brouwerij Corsendonk

Oktoberfest Marzen by Mill St Brewery

Persnickity Pale Ale by Two Beers Brewing Co

Bridge Burner by Lakefront Brewery

Seedspitter Watermelon Wit by Parallel 49 Brewing

Old Rasputin Russina Imperial Stout by North Coast Brewing Company

5A.M. Saint Amber Ale by Brewdog

The Immortal IPA by Elysian Brewing Company

NatureLand Organic Amber Ale by Pacific Western Brewing

Ginger Beer by Granville Island Brewing

2012 Symposium Double IPA (San Diego Pale Ale) by Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Inversion IPA by Deschutes Brewery

Bud Light with Lime by Horrible Dreck

Whiskey Jack Ale by Whistler Brewing Company

Carling Black Label Extra Old Stock by Horrible Dreck

Islander Lager by Vancouver Island Brewery

1516 Bavarian Lager by Okanagan Springs Brewery

Fraoch Heather Ale

Naughty & Spiced Porter by Russell Brewery

Cuvee Chapeau – Brouwerij De Troch

Saison du Buff by Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Brewing

Pranqster Belgian Style Pale Ale by North Coast Brewing Co

Galactic Imperial Red Ale by Hopworks Urban Brewery

Trip Series – Imperial Fresh Hop IIPA by New Belgium and Elysian Brewing

Noble Pilsner by Stanley Park Brewery

Maximus India Pale Ale by Lagunitas Brewing Company

Pliny the Elder – India Pale Ale by Russian River

The Leapbeer PDX beer haul

Consecration Sour Dark Ale by Russian River Brewing Company

Leapbeer #365 Megadestroyer by Howe Sound Brewing Company

Today’s beer came highly recommended by Vancouver based beer geek, Jonny Beers. Howe Sound Brewing Company makes their Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout by taking their already potent Pothole Filler imperial stout, and jack it up by adding massive amounts of licorice and anise. It was originally brewed to commemorate the 200th tap at Alibi Room, one of Vancouver’s go-to beer geek watering holes.

It is not for the faint of heart. This beer is very bold. Add to that the fact that you have an entire litre of it to enjoy. Thankfully Howe Sound Brewing Co uses the 1l pop stopper bottles making storage for a few days a very viable opportunity. Personally I chose to go a different way. I wanted to enjoy this stout in more than one way. In honor to their summer seasonal, the 4 way fruit ale, I’m enjoying Megadestroyer four ways.

First application, Chocolate Stout Cake. I have to thank @BGCanary and @MikesCraftBeer for sharing this recipe. It is a fairly easy to follow recipe that yielded an extremely moist chocolate cake. I didn’t add the ganache to mine because I needed the bowls and cleaning utensils to prepare the other goodness. The cake itself is very good and moist, but it doesn’t taste too stout-y to me. I had hoped with a bold flavoured stout like Megadestroyer it would shine through, but it didn’t.

Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake made with Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout

Second way to enjoy the stout I chose to make a chocolate stout mousse. Originally I had plans to try a straight stout mousse, but the device that I wanted to make it with wasn’t available. Instead I found a recipe at Brew Nation NZ. It is very chocolatey as well, and even though the stout wasn’t cooked the chocolate overpowered the stout and only part of its licorice and anise goodness could be tasted through the mousse. It is also of note that I could have mixed mine better. I took the whole ‘folding’ thing too literally and could have blended the final integration better. The recipe yielded 8 nice sized servings.

Chocolate Stout Mousse made with Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout

In my opinion both of these recipes would benefit by the addition of at least 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. When I make my hot chocolate mix (the good eats recipe BTW) it calls for the addition of cayenne. I find that the spice really adds something special. It almost sets your mouth up in a way that it can enjoy the chocolate more.

Finished Product, Chocolate Stout Cake & Mousse

Third way to enjoy Megadestroyer, was straight up. This is a jet black stout with a tall brown head on it. As you would imagine the omnipresent theme with this beer is licorice. Anise and licorice rip up your nostrils when you smell this bold and unapologetic beer. There is a touch of coffee on the nose as well. Drinking it is heavenly. It is remarkably smooth. All the big RIS tastes are there, coffee and cocoa, along with a generous dose of licorice. Despite it’s 10% ABV this beer is deceptively drinkable. Not that I would quaff it like it was a kolsch on a hot day, but enough that I don’t have to pause every few sips.

Leapbeer #365 is Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout

Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout by Howe Sound Brewery

Brewery: Howe Sound Brewing Company of Squamish BC
Size/ABV/IBU: 1L Bottle/10.0% ABV/73 IBUs
Purchased: Cascadia Courtenay
Website: http://www.howesound.com/Brewery/Beers/Beer_Megadestroyer_Licorice_Stout.aspx
Other Reviews: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

Lastly I decided to do something I’d read about in other blogs and tweets. Megadestroyer’s fourth way of enjoyment is in a beer float. I wasn’t sure how this would be. Not only was I very excited to try it, but I was honestly a little bit scared. I took a chalice, poured it half way up with Megadestroyer, and added a nice dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Stout Float with Megadestroyer

The way the ice cream came off in this beer was really good. It actually attenuated the sugars of the ice cream and accentuated the licorice in the stout. When I mixed it up together into a froth it made for an excellent tasting light treat.

So there you have it, 1 litre of stout enjoyed four ways. One application for stout I didn’t utilize is adding it to braising liquid for a pot roast, like I did with the Red Racer Stout. This one may not be the best for that as the licorice flavour may effect the other elements in an unwelcome way.

Big thank you to Mike, Lynn, Jonny for their suggestions, Howe Sound for the delicious beer.

And as always, thank you for reading.

365, just one left. Any guesses as to what it will be?

Leapbeer Review #364 Rayon Vert by Green Flash Brewing Company

My investigation into sour beers has led me into a deeper study of one of the sour yeast genus, Brettanomyces. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about that yet (still working on that one), but I will say one of the beers I had read about is this next one. Green Flash Brewing Company’s Rayon Vert is a Belgian style pale ale finished with brett (the common shortened version of Brettanomyces).  Because of this I think their whole “continuously evolving” tagline takes on a whole new meaning. Sour Beers, like all others, continue to change while aging. In fact a brett beer needs a minimum of 8 months in the beer before it does its thing. While my initial thoughts on this beer aren’t the greatest I do plan to try a bottle from the same batch in 6 months and then another in a year.

As far as how it is now, this is a cloudy orange/amber beer with a tall fluffy tan head on top. The aroma is all brett, tart orange, barnyard funk and agave nectar. Unfortunately that’s as far as the brett goes for me. Tasting has a very thick bitter note, a bit bready, some spices followed by a small note of sour. It basically tastes like a bitter Belgian pale ale with brett aromas. I do hope it ages well.

Leapbeer #364 is Rayon Vert

Rayon Vert Belgian Pale Ale with Brettanomyces by Green Flash Brewing Company

Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Company of San Diego California
Size/ABV/IBU: 650ml Bottle/7.0% ABV/32 IBUs
Availability: Select Private Liquor Stores
Purchased: Cascadia Liquor Store in Courtenay BC
Website: http://www.greenflashbrew.com/our-beers.php
Other Reviews: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

Thanks for reading (Only 2 more I promise)

Leapbeer Review #363 90 Minute IPA by Dogfish Head Brewery

A few years ago I watched a documentary called ‘Beer Wars’ that showed a few different smaller breweries in their efforts to crack in against the juggernauts like Anheuser-Busch. One of the brewing mavericks featured in that was Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. They have a trio of continiously hopped IPAs, the 60 Minute IPA, the 90 Minute IPA and the 120 Minute IPA. By that I mean that hops are added during the boil continuously. It is a concept somewhat similar to what Phillips did with their Pandamonium Anniversary IIPA. Phillips did 11 different hops additions in their beer. Dogfish Head did it differently. Originally they rigged a tabletop shaker football game to deliver the hops. Sam did the video below explaining the process.

This beer is regarded as one of the best imperial IPAs widely available in the states, and because of that I really really wanted to try it. I made sure that a 4 pack of this got made its way into the Leapbeer Portland beer haul.

I was expecting a gigantic hop bomb from this beer, but what I got was something very different. This is a cloudy dark amber beer  with a white head on it. The aromas are more malty with a hint of licorice. Their is only a lingering hop note on the nose. The real shocker for this beer is in how it tastes. It manages to dance this high wire balancing act between pungent bitter hops and smooth sweet malts. They even note on the bottle that they jack up the two-row barley to balance it out. Esquire magazine has called this “perhaps the best IPA in America”.

Sadly this isn’t currently available in Canada. I say currently because a conversation over twitter with AFIC (liquor importer) @beerzarre I learned that they are hoping to have DFH available in BC sometime next year. Here’s to hoping.

Leapbeer #363 is 90 Minute IPA

90 Minute IPA by Dogfish Head Brewery

Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, Delaware
Size/ABV/IBU: 355ml Bottle/9.0% ABV/ 90 IBUs
Purchased: Belmont Station in Portland
Website: http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/90-minute-ipa.htm
Other Reviews: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

Thanks for Reading

Leapbeer Review #362 Local 2 By Brooklyn Brewery

This next beer I bought on a bit of a whim. I was walking around in the Liquor Depot on the north end of Nanaimo just to check this place out, and this bottle seemed to hop out at me. There was a Local 1 and Local 2 side by side, I chose Local 2 because it has “honey and citrus peel” on the label. The notes from the Brooklyn website have this to say about it.

Here in Brooklyn we’ve combined European malt and hops, Belgian dark sugar, and raw wildflower honey from a New York family farm to create Brooklyn Local 2. Our special Belgian yeast adds hints of spice to the dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate flavors. After 100% bottle re-fermentation, the beer reveals a marvelous dry complexity, enjoyable by itself or at the dinner table. (from their website)

This is a bottle conditioned beer, leading to the gigantic tan head on this beer. Its almost a 50/50 head to beer ratio. The beer itself is a cloudy brown colour. The aroma of it is very strange, a tinge of citrus mixed with caramel malts and a hint of saison-esque peppery yeast. It tastes very odd. As I imagined it is very carbonated. The sweetness is very delicately balanced with tart, both qualities of the raw wildflower honey. The beer tastes super light and easy to drink. It does not taste like a nine percent beer. The tastes is almost nondescript with only faint notes of chocolate, malt and citrus peel.

Leapbeer #362 is Local 2 by Brooklyn Brewing Company

Local 2 by Brooklyn Brewery

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery of New York NY
Size/ABV/IBU: 750ml Bottle/9.0% ABV/ 24 IBUs
Purchased: Liquor Depot Nanaimo
Website: http://brooklynbrewery.com/brooklyn-beers/big-bottles/brooklyn-local-2
Other Reviews: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

I’m not sure this is one I’d ever get again, or at least get again any time soon.

Thanks for Reading

Leapbeer Review #361 Duchesse de Bourgogne

Before I get into the information about this beer I want to thank Sean (@xaendovet) for recommending this beer. I was tweeting about my newly developed love of sour beers and lamenting the lack of availability in my area. He said that Duchesse de Bourgogne should be a readily available sour that I have to try.

Duchesse is a Flanders Red Ale, a sour beer brewed in West Flanders at Brouwerij Verhaeghe of Vichty Belgium. For more information about this beer style you can read about it this article by Michael Jackson and on wikipedia. It is very highly rated on both Beer Advocate and Rate Beer.

To say that I liked this beer is an understatement. Even the thought of this beer makes me salivate. It is a cloudy dark brown/reddish beer with a tan head. It smells of tart cherries, balsamic and malt vinegars balanced in a blend of sweetness, tart and a touch of funk. The bouquet of this beer is intoxicating. The taste of this beer is as complex as its aroma. I’ve described this beer as a thin carbonated balsamic reduction before, and I’m pretty certain that hits the nail on this one. It is light and airy with an almost champagne like carbonation. It tastes tart, like sour vinegar then it smooths out to delicious sweet fruit. It tastes almost wine like, delivering flavours of cherries, plums, apples, pears and a touch of smoke.

Leapbeer Review #361 is Duchesse de Bourgogne

Duchesse de Bourgogne by Brouwerij Verhaeghe of Vichty Belgium

Brewery: Brouwerij Verhaeghe of Vichte Belgium
Size/ABV: 330ml Bottle/6.2% ABV
Purchased: Liquor Plus Victoria
Website: http://www.proximedia.com/local/breweryverhaeghe/produkt1fr.htm
Other Reviews: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer , Video Review by Chris Steltz

I’m hoping to coerce a local liquor store to stock this beer. It is something I think everyone should try, at least once.

Thanks for reading.

Leapbeer Review #360 Chris’s Summer Delight Berliner Weiss by Full Sail Brewing Company

How could I say no with a name like that? (if you didn’t know already, my name is Chris).

This beer was part of a beer swap I did with Portland based beer blogger, ithinkaboutbeer. It is a cloudy golden beer with a thick white head on it. Its also of note that there is an almost champagne-like amount of carbonation to this beer. It smells tart and a bit skunky, think lemon drop meets wet barn (in a good way). The true blessing of this beer is in the taste. It is tart, refreshing and extremely light on the palate. I’m drinking it in the exact opposite season it is designed for, but it transports you back to the summer. Its sessionable ABV and low bitterness make this beer crave to be quaffed. I like how ithinkaboutbeer summed up the sourness of this beer. “Acidic enough to satisfy sour enthusiasts but approachable for the neophyte.” As a recent convert to sour beers I really enjoyed this.

Leapbeer #360 is Chris’s Summer Delight Berliner Weisse

Chris’s Summer Delight Berliner Weiss by Full Sail Brewing Company

Brewery: Full Sail Brewing Company of Hood River Oregon
Size/ABV/IBU: 650ml Bottle/4.0% ABV/9 IBUs
Purchased: Beer Swap with @ithinkaboutbeer
Website: http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/brewers-share.cfm
Other Reviews: ithinkaboutbeer, Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, Brooklyn Magazine

Big thank you to ithinkaboutbeer for the swap. And thank you for reading.