justintoxicate 4:03 am on January 31, 2016
Tags: bc ( 467 ), bc beer ( 356 ), Beer ( 468 ), canada ( 619 ), fernie ( 7 ), fernie brewing ( 6 ), pumpkin brown ale, spiced brown ale

Pumpkin Head – Fernie Brewing (BC, Canada) (re-tasting)

My Rating: [C+, same as before], I gave it a (3.0 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Pumpkin Head (Pumpkin Brown Ale) – Fernie Brewing, 5% ABV, 650ml, (Fernie, BC, Canada)

-I found this one in the back of the cellar, been sitting in there for over 3 years. Pretty random re-tasting, just though I’d finish it.

Style: (pumpkin) Spiced Brown Ale
Taste: Tingly cinnamon/nutmeg/clove spiced root beer cola malty sweet
Where I got it : BC Liquor Stores
How much: $6 – 650ml., October 2012
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: no

(initially tasted October 2013):

Visual: Their label has undergone a transformation since the last time I had this, which made me wonder if they changed their recipe. Wth, label changing DOES work… Pours beer bottle brown without much head or retention, a few slow streams surfacing along the side of the glass.

Nose: brown sugar caramel malts with hints of cinnamon. (5)-aromatic strength.

Attack: light fizzy-tingly

Mid-palate: cola medium (6)-sweetness, (MAIN) cola, brown sugar malts, (HINT) sarsaparilla,

Finish: coriander dryness, traces of (2)-clove, crisp sweet-toffee malt finish.

Summary: The spices are definitely there in this quite drinkable brew. It tastes mainly like a cola but with a creeper alcoholic kick and detectable pumpkin-seasonal spice notes. Overall decent but not addictive. (Note: all numbers above are on a 10-point scale, with 1 being weak and 10 being the strongest)

January 29, 2016 tasting notes:

Visual: (old label). Pours cola brown without much of a head, thin ringed retention, lots and lots of steady streams.

Nose: Huge spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, toasted caramel malty background. (lvl-8)-pungency

Attack: crisp, half fizzy-tingly

Mid-palate: cola sticky, (lvl-6)-sweetness, more tingly, (MAIN) cinnamon, root beer, cola caramel malty, nutmeg

Finish: clove, mild palate roughness, thin body residual malty finish

Summary: Very engaging nose filled with a wholesome spiced aroma. Drinks like a spiced cola/root beer with a touch of hops and barley, finishing too thin bodied.

justintoxicate 1:02 am on January 31, 2016
Tags: Beer ( 468 ), belgian strong ale ( 33 ), belgium ( 96 ), Brouwerij Huyghe ( 3 ), melle ( 4 )

Delirium Nocturnum – Brouwerij Huyghe (Belgium)

My Rating: [B], I gave it a (3.8 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Delirium Nocturnum – Brouwerij Huyghe, 8.5% ABV, 330ml., (Melle, Belgium)

Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Taste: Cream-fizzy sweet red apple roast barley malt dark fruity
Where I got it : BC Liquor Stores
How much: $20 – 4x330ml. + 1 glassware, November 2014
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes, more than the Tremens

Visual: Pours dirty mocha brown with a very large lasting ultra foamy head, 3mm layer of retention, half sticky lacing, lots of active streams.

Nose: unfiltered red apple juice, thick sweet barley malt. (lvl-6)-pungency

Attack: incoming tangy-sour, fizzy-bubbly

Mid-palate: more fizzy-tingly, (lvl-7)-sweetness, (MAIN) woody red apple juice, soft tangy-barnyard sour, light cola/brown sugar roasted barley malt

Finish: burpy, stealth hops, dark fruit/plum tangy with alcohol zing.

Summary: Same fizzy-bubbly texture as the Noel and Tremens with the flavour being somewhere in between.

justintoxicate 1:14 am on January 30, 2016

The Craft BeerAdvent 2014 Calendar Summary

-It’s a shame British Columbians were not able purchase the 2015 calendar anywhere in the province since the 2014 had a very nice range of international beers and styles. They will in all likelyhood get things sorted out this year though; It’s something I’m looking forward to as the Phillips and CC/P49 calendars tend to reuse about 50% of their brews from the previous year (I checked).

For the 2014 calendar, there was only 1 Notable, many good showings (B’s), and thankfully no stinkers.

[ 1 x A- ], [ 4 x B+], [ 4 x B], [ 2 x B-], [ 6 x C+], [ 7 x C]

justintoxicate 6:44 am on January 29, 2016
Tags: Beer ( 468 ), belgian strong ale ( 33 ), belgium ( 96 ), Brouwerij Huyghe ( 3 )

Delirium Tremens – Brouwerij Huyghe (Belgium) (re-tasting)

My Rating: [B-, again], I gave it a (3.3 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Delirium Tremens – Brouwerij Huyghe, 8.7% ABV, 330ml., (Melle, Belgium)

Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Taste: Fizzy-bubbly sweet alcoholic red apple chamomile Belgian candi barley malt
Where I got it : BC Liquor Stores
How much: $20 – 4x330ml. + 1 glassware, November 2014
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: nah, better tripels out there

(initially tasted June 2012): Tasting notes: pours pale golden yellow with a decent foamy head, microish CO2. Bright chamomile on the nose. Drinks creamy-fizzy, alcohol mixed with chamomile, honey, lemon, heaviness in the form of alcohol and sweetness(8/10), finishes alcoholic and mildly hoppy bitter (4/10). Medium complexity, medium-high depth, good transitions, good carry, okay drinkability. Too aggressive alcohol and sweetness make it hard for me to love.

January 29, 2016 tasting notes:

Visual: Pours translucent pale orange with a huge creamy head, 3mm layer of fine retention, half sticky lacing, suspended large bits of sediment, steady singular streams.

Nose: Belgian candi barley malt, alcohol detection. (lvl-6)-pungency

Attack: crisp-fizzy-tingly

Mid-palate: (lvl-8)-sweetness, (MAIN) red apple, honey barley malt, alcohol zing

Finish: yeasty, tongue numbness, sweet candi malt, light burpy, chamomile malt exhale.

Summary: Solid, but definitely inferior to the Delirium Noël I just had; this has less body in the mids and less carry in the finish.

justintoxicate 5:31 am on January 29, 2016
Tags: Beer ( 468 ), belgian strong ale ( 33 ), belgium ( 96 ), Brouwerij Huyghe ( 3 ), melle ( 4 )

Delirium Christmas / Delirium Noël – Brouwerij Huyghe (Melle, Belgium)

My Rating: [B, downgraded from A], I gave it a (3.7 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Delirium Christmas / Delirium Noël – Brouwerij Huyghe, 10% ABV, 330ml., (Melle, Belgium)

Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Taste: Start-to-finish clean toffee barley malt grape/berry subtle hops
Where I got it : BC Liquor Stores
How much: $20 – 4x330ml. + 1 glassware, November 2014
Do I love this enough to drink it again: yes
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Visual: Pours opaque brownish red with a massive lasting ultra creamy head, 2mm retention, a bit of lacing, fast singular streams.

Nose: yeasty honey, apple, banana wheaty candi barley malt (lvl-6)-pungency

Attack: crisp, micro tingly-creamy

Mid-palate: (lvl-7)-sweetness, micro-fizzy, (MAIN) toffee barley malt, caramel, grape/berry

Finish: alcohol zingy, soft bitter hops, alcohol detection, malty residual bubbly clean finish.

Summary: Supremely drinkable with expertly hidden 10% ABV; it’s incredible how smooth they made it. Great beer from start to finish.

(12/26/2016 re-tasting): Not as smooth as I remember; Quite alcohol forward and slightly too sour aggressive. Smoothness is noteworthy but the flavour isn’t particularly memorable. Score downgraded from [A to B]

justintoxicate 6:06 am on January 28, 2016
Tags: Beer ( 468 ), belgian strong ale ( 33 ), poulsbo ( 2 ), quadruple ( 5 ), sound brewery ( 2 ), usa ( 228 ), washington ( 22 )

The Craft BeerAdvent 2014 Calendar Day #24 – Entendez Noel Belgian Quad (USA)

The Craft BeerAdvent Calendar 2014 Day #24 – Last day

My Rating: [C], I gave it a (2.6 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Entendez Noel Belgian Style Pale Quadrupel – Sound Brewery, 11.5% ABV – 355ml., (Poulsbo, Washington, USA)

description at Ratebeer.com:

“Like most big Belgian holiday beers, Noel is bursting with subtly complex flavors and fits no particular beer style. Its explosion of sensations comes from just Belgian Pilsner malt, cane sugar, Motueka hops, Trappist yeast, water, and fermentation. Drink warm or cold in various glassware shapes and sizes to discover all its nuances. Entendez should age extremely well for years to come”

Style: Belgian Strong Ale / Quadrupel
Taste: Excessively alcoholic unbalanced sweet candi barley malt roughness
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: no

Visual: Pours copper orange-brown with no head, thin ringed retention, small clusters of slow streams.

Nose: candi toffee barley malt. (lvl-6)-pungency

Attack: thick viscosity, immediate (lvl-9)-sweetness w/ alcohol

Mid-palate: zingy alcohol, tangy gag-reflex inducing, (MAIN) apple, plum, Belgian candi barley malt, mild honey, ethanol

Finish: alcohol hit, lingering sweet malt, rough finish.

Summary: This one did not go down well at all, it was one of the rare beers that actually caused a gag reflex. The balance of alcohol, flavour and texture is not there. La Trappe is a quad I had recently that is certainly better than this.

justintoxicate 2:16 am on January 28, 2016
Tags: american strong ale ( 10 ), Beer ( 468 ), grimstad ( 8 ), Nøgne Ø ( 7 ), norway ( 12 )

The Craft BeerAdvent 2014 Calendar Day #23 – God Advent (Norway)

The Craft BeerAdvent Calendar 2014 Day #23

My Rating: [B+], I gave it a (3.7 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

God Advent – Nøgne Ø, 10% ABV – 250ml., (Netherlands)

on the front label:

“Advent is a season with mixed feelings for Norwegians. For starters is is all about getting prepared for Christmas. Gorgeous! But it is also a season where it gets darker day by day. Which indeed is a challenge for every individual. This beer is supposed to balance both these emotions. Let’s call it bitter sweet.”

Style: American Strong Ale
Taste: Big brown sugar barley malt bomb
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Visual: Pours murky root beer brown with minimal dissipating head, thin ringed retention, steady scattered streams.

Nose: wet/dank barley malt. (lvl-3)-pungency

Attack: crisp, slick-thick, incoming malts

Mid-palate: (lvl-8)-sweetness, (MAIN) caramel, thick barley malt, tangy-soft sour, brown sugar, fig

Finish: residual malty sweet, alcohol heaviness.

Summary: Big brown sugar barley malt bomb – heavy flavour yet still very drinkable.

justintoxicate 1:24 am on January 28, 2016
Tags: netherlands ( 17 ), Rooie Dop, saison ( 13 ), smoked saison

The Craft BeerAdvent 2014 Calendar Day #22 – Rooie Dop Final Countdown Winter Saison (Netherlands)

The Craft BeerAdvent Calendar 2014 Day #22

My Rating: [B+], I gave it a (3.7 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Rooie Dop Final Countdown Winter Saison – Brewed at Brouwerij de Molen, 6.5% ABV – 330ml., (Netherlands)

Style: (smoked) Saison
Taste: Sweet crisp honey wheat malt subtle smoky pukey tangy sour
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes, but it’s retired

Visual: Pours cloudy marmalade orange with a largish dissipating head, 1mm layer of micro fine retention, lots of tight steady streams, large bits of sediment settled at the bottom of the glass.

Nose: honey, subtle smoked sweet malt (lvl-4)-pungency

Attack: very crisp-tingly, micro fizzy

Mid-palate: (lvl-7)-sweetness, (MAIN) banana wheat malt, light sour, honey, apricot, tangy pukiness, smokiness

Finish: residual barley malt sweetness, wood smoked exhale, light burpy, subtle hop bitter finish.

Summary: Interesting flavours held together nicely with crisp-fizzy texture and fullness in the body. I enjoyed the smoky twist to the saison, good balance.

justintoxicate 12:25 am on January 27, 2016
Tags: Beer ( 468 ), doppelbock ( 6 ), Fürst Wallerstein Brauhaus, germany ( 18 )

The Craft BeerAdvent 2014 Calendar Day #21 – Fürst Wallerstein Winter-Böckle (Germany)

The Craft BeerAdvent Calendar 2014 Day #21

My Rating: [C], I gave it a (2.8 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Fürst Wallerstein Winter-Böckle – Fürst Wallerstein Brauhaus, 7.5% ABV – 330ml., (Wallerstein, Germany)

Style: Doppelbock
Taste: Flat brown sugar toasted barley malt alcoholic
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: no

Visual: Pours muddy light brown with no head, very thin ringed micro retention, a few bubbles here and there.

Nose: sweet brown sugar malt, light roast (lvl-6)-pungency

Attack: silky-flat, thicker viscosity

Mid-palate: (lvl-7)-sweetness, (MAIN) brown sugar, caramel, toasted barley malt

Finish: alcohol tanginess, residual caramel, stealth hops, watery cola finish.

Summary: Decent thick malty flavour with hints of dark fruit, but the lack of carbonation and buttery mouthfeel killed it for me. Drinkable, though just an average experience.

justintoxicate 2:53 am on January 26, 2016
Tags: Beer ( 468 ), Brazil ( 2 ), ceres ( 2 ), IIPA ( 19 )

The Craft BeerAdvent 2014 Calendar Day #20 – Colorado Vixnu IIPA (Brazil)

The Craft BeerAdvent Calendar 2014 Day #20

My Rating: [C+], I gave it a (3.0 of 5) on Ratebeer.com

Colorado Vixnu Imperial IPA – Cervejaria Colorado, 9.5% ABV – 330ml., (Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil)

on the front-left label:

“Our Brazil double IPA is named for the Hindu god of creation. With aromatic hops, plenty of malt and some raw rapadura cane sugar cane juice, it is a uniquely delicious and drinkable beer.”

Style: Imperial IPA
Taste: Alcoholic sweet cane sugar toffee barley malt
Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: no

Visual: Pours translucent bring amber orange with lots of large bits of suspended sediment, barely any head, thin ringed retention, singular streams scattered about.

Nose: honey brown sugar barley malt. (lvl-4)-pungency

Attack: slick-thick-half crisp, micro fizzy, incoming alcohol heaviness

Mid-palate: alcoholic heat, (lvl-7)-sweetness, (MAIN) cane sugar, toffee barley malt, alcoholic bitterness & numbness

Finish: citrus hints, malty alcoholic finish.

Summary: Yikes there’s a whole lotta detectable alcohol in this one. Drinkable, but somewhat crude and unrefined.

Justintoxicated.

'cause life is too short to drink the same thing twice

Monthly Archives: January 2016