The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 3 Choqlette Porter Bomber Brewing Company

Beer # 503 Choqlette Porter

Brewery: Bomber Brewing Company


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  2015

Location: Vancouver, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured American Porter

ABV: 5.5%      IBU: 18

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: ?     Purchased At: Gift

bomberbrewing

    @bomberbrewing

So I had this can given to me as it is not sold in Ontario right now. I have tried to at least find a price online but to no avail. It is a regular seasonal at Bomber Brewing in East Vancouver. The beer is brewed with Chocolate malt and cocoa powder in the mash and then has cocoa nibs and Aramis hops added in for more flavour. It is brewed in the American Porter style which is quite wide-ranging and forgiving but is most notable for having either chocolate or coffee added to compliment the malt.

Onto our beer...

Pours a dark chestnut colour with a solid tan head made up of small to tiny bubbles. The aroma is very malt-forward with strong notes of chocolate red wine and hints of coffee. There are earthy tones with hints of bread and some mushrooms. The first sip is light-bodied full of cocoa powder lightly charred toast deep brown sugars and some caramels. Aeration gives us some rum notes and hints of coffee and fruit.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: -/6 N/A was gifted the beer
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

This is a pretty good beer; lots of flavour and a light body. It just doesn't wow me as much as I thought it would. Give it a try if you can find it.
CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 2 Blackstone Porter, Driftwood Brewery

Beer #502 Blackstone Porter

Brewery: Driftwood Brewery


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2008

Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Beer Style: Porter

ABV: 6.0 %      IBU: 25

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 650 ml

Cost: $4.80 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

driftwoodbrewery

    @driftwoodbeer

Our second beer for the #2-4beersofchristmas comes to us from Vancouver Island. Specifically the capital of B.C.: Victoria. Driftwood Brewery has been around since 2008 and brews a nice line up of tasty beers. Also, I would encourage you to check out their website. They have a cool, interactive 3D Walk-through of their brewery on their contacts page. Tonight's offering is Driftwood's porter, and without further ado, we should hop right into it.

Onto our beer... 

Pours a deep dark brown/black with a light tan head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is roasted malt chocolate nuts and coffee. The first sip gives us a light-bodied fruity beer, with notes of molasses brown sugar dried fruit with background hints of vanilla and caramel. builds into an earthy woody finish with a hint of smoke and ash near the end.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts: It always amazes me how such dark beers can taste so light and fruity in the mouth. This almost black beer has an airy mouthfeel. Certainly a great beer to sip by the fire or under the Christmas tree.



Cheers
CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 17: Trash Panda Hazy IPA by Parallel 49

Beer # 476 Trash Panda Hazy IPA

Brewery: Parallel 49 Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2015

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Beer Style: New England India Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%      IBU: 55

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

 parallel49beer

    @Parallel49Beer

Ok this beer wins the award for my favourite name for this #2-4BeersofChristmas. I'm a big Marvel fan and one of my favourite scenes from Guardians of the Galaxy part 2 Involves The lovable Rocket Raccoon being called a "Trash Panda" by Star-Lord... Which always brought up the question: If Star-Lord left Earth in the late 1980's How would he have known the term Trash Panda since it didn't get coined until the age of the Meme in the 2010's? Oh well... can be any more unbelievable than his Sony Walkman lasting for 25 years without breaking down...

The beer tonight is a "hazy IPA" but it is, in reality, a New England IPA which is an unfiltered Fruit Bomb of an IPA style.

Onto our beer...

Pours a hazy medium gold with a huge white fluffy head made up of medium bubbles (which has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I dropped the can on my foot before I opened it...) The aroma is grapey, grassy and full of spice. First sip gives us a light, airy, and spicy New England style IPA with caramel and malt. Tropical fruits dominate the middle with grapefruit being the star. Malt builds toward the finish with a lingering hint of grape. Aeration brings out the spicy hops.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This is a light, fresh, and tasty NEIPA. Very refined and balanced, maybe not worthy of it's "Trashy" title but it is a great addition to our list this year.


Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 298 Fat Tug India Pale Ale Driftwood Brewery

#298 Fat Tug India Pale Ale

Driftwood Brewery

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Independent Microbrewery Established: 2008
India Pale Ale
7.0 % ABV IBU: 80
650 ml Brown Glass Bottle
$6.00 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @Driftwoodbeer

It has been a while since I did a BC brewery and I feel bad about that. Not only are we doing amazing things with beer here in Ontario, The same is happening in BC. They have undergone the same rapid expansion of craft breweries, just like us. Maybe they started even sooner. Being as they are, close to Oregon where the feel for the West Coast Style of Beer seemingly originated. Driftwood Brewery is certainly one of the great breweries nestled in the middle of that rapid expansion. Founded in 2008 and delivering their first kegs in October of that year, owners Kevin and Jason have not looked back. They boast a stable of six core beers a few seasonals and over 20 speciality brews.

Tonight's beer is a flavourful India Pale ale rich in hoppy goodness, and tons of fruit.

Let's hop on the tug...

Pours a medium cloudy gold with an off white head, very fluffy made of small bubbles and a slight golden tinge.Aroma is very are with notes of rose water, lychee and other florals. First sip is warm and malty hints of caramel and spice touches of bitter greens spark through the middle while a mellow fruitiness takes over on the finish. Slightly sweet with deep malty profiles. Flashes of turbinado sugar and molasses entwined with a little licorice. Ripe melon and mango round out the flavours with some nutty hints and a touch of black tea. There is a definite roundness, and almost creaminess from being unfiltered that gives this beer a nice depth. Aeration warms up the nutty aromas with some vanilla, caramel, and macerated fruit.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6  PASS
Re-Order:  5/6  PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

A warm, fruity, and malty West Coast IPA with a good backbone and a nice alcohol level. I can imagine sitting down to one of these after a rough day at sea. Let out your inner sea captain to run down to your local and pick yourself out one of these.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 20: Tree Brewing Hop Head Black India Pale Ale

Beer # 268 Hop Head Black India Pale Ale

Tree Brewing Company

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Independent Brewery
Black India Pale Ale 8.0 % ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle Can 650 ml
$6.25 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @TreeBrewing

Tonight's offering we go back to British Columbia. This time to Kelowna, one of my favourite towns in the interior of the province. Situated on the southern end of Lake Okanagan, in the heart of BC wine country. We have been to Tree before, we sampled their Cutthroat West Coast Pale Ale, and found it to be a good beer. Let's see what they do with a black IPA. For those of you who have not heard of this style before, it is an American Pale ale style done with deeply malted barley.  alcohol range can be from 5% to 10% and this one clocks in at the higher side, at 8%.

Let's try one now...

Pours a opaque dark chestnut brown Bright herbal hop nose with a rich malty aroma. Deep caramel and some char. First sip is smoky malt and molasses, with some green bitter hops. some rum and wood through the middle. Aeration gives us some warm alcohol, hints of coffee finish is bitter green hops with hints of marijuana on the finish. 

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6  PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer: 5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

It's a good beer. I certainly enjoyed drinking it. It is a nice IPA and the rich malt flavours do something nice for the beer. But, it is still fairly average. Do try it for yourself though.


Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas: Day 3 Lion's Winter Ale

Beer # 166 Lion's Winter Ale

Granville Island Brewing Company

Vancouver and Kelowna British Columbia, Canada
Operated by Six Pints Speciality Brewing Company
Craft Division of MolsonCoors
Wet Hop Pale Ale 5.3 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$7.95 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @Itsgoodtobehere 

Our third instalment of the 2-4 Beers of Christmas is an offering from Granville Island which was a small craft brewery started in downtown Vancouver and later moved it's main production to Kelowna. It was then bought out by Molson (prior to the merger with Coors) and is now directed by it's subsidiary company Six Pints Speciality Brewing company which also manages Creemore Springs Brewery in Ontario.

Onto the Tasting...



Pours a clear chestnut brown with an off tan head made of tiny bubbles. The aroma is all about the cocoa and vanilla. The aroma is very intense and makes me worry that it is artificial. The malt is slightly sour and the flavour is very intense. The body is very thin and weak and the taste profile falls flat after the initial attack. The cocoa hangs on almost cloying, and dries the tongue. Aeration gives us more intense cocoa and vanilla and not much else.




Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 



Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  4/6 PASS
Christmas Spirit 4/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:


Not a fan of this beer it is too thin and the flavours are too intense making me think they are artificial (the can claims they are natural). 

Cheers And Beery Christmas


CJT


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Beer # 157 Sun of Hop Parallel 49 Brewing Company

Sun of Hop


Parallel 49 Brewing Company

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Belgian Golden Ale 5.1 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$5.00 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores
Twitter: @Parallel49Beer

I was struck at first with the interesting label of this beer. I have seen many gimmicky labels over time, some flashy some very plain, but this one intrigued me. The Label is an obvious riff on the classic "Son of Man" (1964) by famed Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte (below left). You have my attention Parallel 49. Belgian art with a Belgian Golden Ale, I am digging the connection. 

Enough Art for art's sake... Onto the beer.

Son of Man (1964)

Clear gold with a distinct green tinge. Soft white head made up of tiny bubbles disperses quickly. Baking spice on the nose, some starchy, fruity hints, light green hops some medicinal qualities. First sip is clove that gives over to banana very quickly, then to toasted wheat. Tart green hops mingle with the malted grain near the finish. Aeration whips the beer up into a bit of a froth, with a super creamy mouthfeel. Bitter green herbs come out in the aeration as does a slight nuttiness, with more fresh ground clove and banana.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Not the most thrilling Belgian Golden I have tried but definitely drinkable. It is a back porch chilling, or patio people watching beer. Perhaps you can discuss Rene Magritte or the state of modern art and surrealism in post World War 2 Europe.
Just a suggestion...

Cheers


CJT



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Beer # 153 Electric Unicorn White IPA

Electric Unicorn White IPA


Phillips Brewery

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
White India Pale Ale 6.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$5.50 (Canadian) At the BC Liquor Store
Twitter: @PhillipsBeer

Phillips Brewery has it's origins in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 2001. I would give you a long interpretation of their history but I would much rather direct you to their history page on their website, as some "cunning linguist" has written out their history in a series of Limericks.

Welcome back.

Tonight's beer is a "White IPA" so it is a citrusy hopped wheat beer.

Onto the tasting... After that unicorn...

Light gold in colour with a slight greenish hue and translucent . Head is bright white and made up of small bubbles. Aroma is bright green herbal, tropical fruit, slightly sulphurish and wet wool. First sip is banana, clove, apples. Attack is very short, middle is thin finish is non-existant. Leaves the mouth feeling slightly pasty. Aeration gives us a grainy caramel feel. Tartaric acid drys the mouth.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  1/6 FAIL
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO


Final Thoughts:

Very thin, watery and not at all what I expected. There was nothing in it to suggest an IPA and it was a very weak wheat beer, so I was unsure of what the beer was trying to accomplish. I was greatly disappointed as the bottle art and the marketing of the beer was fantastic, and I so wanted to like this beer but there was not much to enjoy. Do try it, especially if you are a fan of lighter tasting beers, however, it is not my cup of tea.


Cheers


CJT



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