Bin 4 Burger Lounge – Langford BC

52 words seems so inadequate.

I come in mid afternoon and am greeted by friendly smiling faces. I’m seated right away and served water and a bowl of what looks like homemade potato chips. I order a red truck IPA. It has a nice sweet floral and fruity aroma. The bitterness hits early and fades into a sweeter, balanced aftertaste. Hints of apple and rose. Red onion rings are thick and fat. Cooked to perfection. A little bit of crunch in the onion, and a crispy breading. Not too greasy. Finally, I ate a blackened chicken salad, their April feature.   It’s a pile of fresh greens, juicy chicken, cheese and avocado. The flavours mingle well with a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious! 8/10

Screaming Banshee – Irish Cream Stout

Old Yale Brewing Co. – Screaming Banshee– Irish Cream Stout 7.5% ABV

Topped by a caramel chocolate head, this beer is dark as night.  A strong smell of coffee greets the nose.  The first sip tastes of intense chocolate and coffee, with light hints of vanilla.  Dark chocolate bitterness rounds out the aftertaste, which mellows slowly.  A definite hit on a chilly winters night.  7/10

Wildrose Brewery Double Header

Wildrose Brewery – White Shadow – White IPA 6% ABV

Damn, that’s good. A citrus & spice white meets a bold and bitter IPA. It’s a match made in heaven. Orange, coriander and spices hit the tongue and mellows into a mildy hoppy bitter aftertaste. Well worth drinking…again. 8/10

Wildrose Brewery – IPA – North American India Pale Ale 6% ABV

This is a fantastically balanced IPA.  There’s enough bitterness at 69IBU to satisfy any hop-head.  Pairs well with a steak sandwich, which you can get on Thursdays with a pint for $10 at the Bear and Kilt Freehouse.  This beer is a frequent grab at Alberta liquor stores.  7/10

Phillips Brewing Co – Apteryx

 

Phillips Brewing Co – Apteryx IPA – 6.5% ABV

Victoria BC brewery Phillips has proven their ability to brew.  This IPA uses Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand.  The nose is a wonderful fruity bouquet, with sweet grapes and an underlying hint of bitterness.  First sip is akin to the smell, fruity to start but leads into a wonderful bitter taste. 7/10

Beervent – December 24

BONUS! I must have forgotten a day, because there’s two left in the case… so today you get two entries… along with the last three that I haven’t posted yet, so it’s a big’un.  Enjoy!  Merry Holidays and Happy Christmas!

December 21

DuClaw Brewing – Sweet Baby Jesus! – 6.2% ABV

Chocolate, peanut butter, and beer are three of my favourite things.  This brew is sure to please any porter fan.  A strong peanut butter smell hits the nose.  First sip is like biting into a dark chocolate peanut butter cup.  Mmmmmm.  8/10

December 22

West six brewing – Christmas Ale – 9% ABV

Muddy reddish in colour, topped with a thick off white head. Christmas spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice dominate the nose.  Dark, sweet malty flavour. Balances the spices well leaving a nice well rounded flavour. 7/10

December 23

Sound Brewery – Old Yonder Ale – 7.3%ABV

Coloured brown, with light reddish tints. Mild nutty flavour. Good tasting, but no remarkable flavours. 5/10

December 24

Black Market Brewing Co – Cherry Sour – 3.8% ABV

It’s red, like Cranberry juice, topped with a light head of pink.  Sour smell on the nose.  First taste is very sour, but it fades quickly into a lightly sweet, cherry aftertaste.  A little bit like a sour-patch kid.  Great crossover beer, or those looking for something a little different.  4/10

Yukon Brewing – Longest Night – 6% ABV

A dark amber ale, coloured like strongly brewed tea.  Dark and nutty on the nose, with hints of vanilla.  Strong hops powered bitterness hits the tongue with floral notes rounding out the flavour.  A satisfying brew.  7/10

Beervent – December 19

Back Forty Beer Company – Trade Day – 6.2%

A Cuban Black Coffee Stout, it’s very dark and has a rich black coffee nose.  First sip is great.  Coffee flavours dominate, with hints of caramel, molasses and brown sugar.  It tastes like expertly crafted coffee, brewed with freshly roasted beans.  I feel like I should be waking up to drink this. 7/10

Beervent December 18

Black Oak Brewing Co – Neck of the Woods – 8.5%ABV

An oddly coloured ale, slightly muddy.  It has a pleasant odour, sweet and nutty.  Very sweet flavour, also very nutty.  Very mild aftertaste.  This is a pretty good brew.  6/10

Beervent December 17

Clown Shoes Beer – Bombay Berserker – 10% ABV

India-Style Chocolate Stout is definitely has me intrigued.  It smells minty, like mouthwash, but doesn’t smell like mouthwash, you know?  Rich chocolate overtones mingle with an oddly spiced medley consisting of vanilla and cardamon.  It’s pretty…wow.  Oh ya, it’s 10%, it’ll knock you on your ass.  9/10

December 16

Ok, be forewarned.  Remember how I mentioned my case was dropped on its head?  Well, catastrophic failure has occurred and now everything is just sitting on the bottom.  So, I am now reaching in and grabbing at random.

December 16

The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery – Baltic Porter – 9% ABV

This is a spectacularly coloured dark beer.  Very red, akin to a cherry coke.  Sweet fruity nose with cherry overtones.  A glossy smooth sweet aftertaste begins early and mellows out well.  Hints of dark bitter chocolate.  Dark beer lovers will rave for this beer. 7/10sd

December 15

Hello WordPress, I am trying you out now.  I haven’t had the time to tweak settings much or customize, but it will get there eventually maybe.

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Evil Twin Brewing – The Cowboy – 5.5% ABV

It’s an interesting twist on a pilsner, smoking it.  This beer has a wonderful smooth body, with a complex, layered aftertaste.  Mild bitterness is accompanied by a taste I can describe as sitting beside a campfire on a cool summers eve, the fullmoon high in the sky and your friends surrounding you.  7/10