Justintoxicated. - Vancouver, BC

Crooked Tooth - Phillips Brewing , 5% ABV, (Victoria, BC, Canada)

“brewed with pumpkin and spices”

My notes:

• My Rating: C+
  
• Why I like: nice spices
• Where I got it: BC Liquor Stores
• How much: $6 , 650ml, Halloween, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Tasting notes: pours clear orange with a shade of brown, almost zero head, a few slow-moving CO2 streams. Baked pumpkin pie on the nose. Tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, light caramel up front, tingly-creamy mouthfeel, but body fizzles in the mids to the finish. Finishes watery, malty, and leaves a roughness on the tongue. Medium complexity, medium depth, good transitions, okay carry, good drinkability. A decent pumpkin ale, not the best, but worthy of trying once.

Con-Fusion 2009 - Stag’s Hollow, 13.2% ABV, (Okanagan, BC, Canada)

On the back label:

“A heady nose of lycee [sic], melons and the perfume of Spring blossoms, leads to a delightful palate of ripe melons, grapefruit, Asian pears and Turkish Delight candy. Best enjoyed well chilled on the patio with sunshine and good friends. Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Muscat.”

My notes:

• My Rating: C+
  
• Why it’s okay: fruity sweet but cloying
• Where I got it: VQA Kensington
• How much: ~$20 , 750ml, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to wine aficionados: nah

Tasting notes: pours clear light golden yellow. Alcohol and bright green melon on the nose. Drinks very fruity up front, notes of lychee, stone fruit, melon, all the while mixed with the alcoholic backdrop. Medium-cloying sugars in the mid and finishes slightly salty. Can’t say it’s super-refreshing but at least it is quite drinkable.

Raspberry Wheat Ale - Granville Island Brewing, 5% ABV, (Vancouver, Canada)

One the front label:

“Raspberry Wheat Ale combines malt, water, hops, yeast and raspberries to create a light wheat ale with a crisp and distinctive raspberry finish. Raspberry wheat ale can be enjoyed on its own or paired with a variety of fresh fruit dishes, fresh salads, chicken or a light meat. It is a must have for summer evenings or a picnic in the park.”

My notes:

• My Rating: C
  
• Why I don’t like it: thin-bodied, watery
• Where I got it: BC Liquor Stores
• How much: $6 , 650ml, Summer, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: not really

Tasting notes: pours clear pinkish-orange with minimal head, a plethora of fast-moving CO2 streams. Aromatic juicy raspberries on the nose. Starts of very promising with flavours of fresh raspberries, strawberries, jam, but ends abruptly with a water mid-palate and flat light malt finish. Low-medium complexity, low-medium depth, below average transitions, crappy carry, good drinkability. While drinkable and refreshing with an outdoor bbq’d meal, I can’t say it’s a good session beer.

L’Affriolante - Brasserie Bilboquet, 7% ABV, (Quebec, Canada)

On the side of the label:

“Sometimes it teases you, sometimes it charms you. One does not know how to approach it. A beer which is both strong and mild, slightly sweet, with a touch of spice. L’Affriolante will enrapture your evenings and enliven your days. All you ever wanted to do is to touch it with your lips and let yourself tucked in. Cheers!”

My notes:

• My Rating: C+
  
• Why I like it: drinkable, but that’s it
• Where I got it: Keg n Cork
• How much: $8, 50cl, May/2012
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: no
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: nah

Tasting notes: pours dark brown with minimal head, ringed retention, micro CO2. A rather muted nose. Tastes of demerara sugar, medium malts, caramel, cola, 8/10-level sweetness, half-creamy/half-watery, sharp aggressive bitterness in the transition to the finish. Honey is difficult to detect, mildly peppery. Medium depth, medium complexity, okay transitions, good carry, okay drinkability. Not terribly special or exciting.

Dominus vobiscum Brut Sainte-Reserve 2010 - Microbrasserie Charlevoix, 11% ABV, (Quebec, Canada)

On the back label:

“Our Sainte-Reserve refers to the sacred receptacle where sacramental bread is stored, or reserved. It is also the name of our special series of Dominus Vobiscum vintages, all brewed in limited quantities. Disciples of divine beers should be delighted by this communion of otherworldly flavors.

This Saint-Reserve Brut is an exceptional beer inspired by the grandest of sparkling wines. Brewed according to the “Method-Charlevoise”, which includes the careful riddling and disgorging of each bottle, this sumptuous strong ale pushes the flavor envelope, challenging the world of traditional brewing. Purity, liveliness and refinement abound in this exquisite elixir.”

My notes:

• My Rating: A-
• Why I like it: strong, smooth, and balanced honey-fruit
• Where I got it: Sherbrooke
• How much: $28 (after 10%), 75cl, May/2012
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: yes with friends
• Would I recommend this to beer aficionados: yes

Tasting notes: pours dark golden yellow, with a massive thick pillowy head, long lasting retention, micro CO2. Light malts on the nose. Drinks with sharp 8/10-level sweetness, silky mouthfeel with burp, tastes of apple cider, cinnamon, chamomile, honey, light malts with alcohol detection creeping up in the background. Finishes aggresively alcoholic and 4/10-level soft bitterness. Medium-high complexity, medium depth, good transitions, good carry, great drinkability for the ABV.

Ehrenfelser 2009 - Lake Breeze, 13.8% ABV, (Naramata, BC)

On the back label:

“A Lake Breeze ‘customer favourite’. Flavours and aromas of apricot and peach define this off-dry aromatic wine.”

• My Rating: B
• Why I like it: good body and balance of fruit and sweetness
• Where I got it: Lake Breeze Winery
• How much:  $19, 750ml,  Summer 2010
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: nah
• Would I recommend this to wine aficionados: sure

Tasting notes: pours golden yellow/orange, clear and clean. A bit of red apple juice on the nose. Solid depth and richness of up front, 7/10-level sticky sweetness, transitions into flavours of red apple, apricot, and yellow peach. Finishes soft but sugary. Medium complexity, medium depth, good carry, good transitions, very good drinkability. It gets a bit heavy after a multiple sips but very good nonetheless.

T.O Bevy Blacur - Totally Organic Beverages, 5% ABV, (Winnipeg, MB)

Ingredients: filtered water, organic conc pear juice, organic alcohol, organic conc black currant juice, organic natural black currant flavor

• My Rating: B+
• Why I like it: 0.1% trace of alcohol, ‘that smooth
• Where I got it: Cat and Fiddle (Poco)
• How much: $5 (after 10%), 330ml, Dec/2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: yep cause I bought them all
• Would I recommend this to chix: yes definitely

Tasting notes: pours super dark purple, zero CO2. Black currant on the nose. Drinks like a spiked Ribena (black currant juice) but with zero alcohol nastiness. Slight pear flavour, rich dark black currant depth. Super easy drinking. Also 100% organic, which is nice.

St-Ambroise Framboise (Summer Seasonal) - Brasserie McAuslan, 5% ABV, (Montreal, Quebec)

On the back label:

“Behind the magnificent ruby-red colour, St-Ambroise Raspberry Ale reveals its refreshing charm from the moment you encounter its bouquet and flavour. Its delicate fruit aromas marry perfectly with the pleasant hop character typical of all St-Ambroise ales. Brewed just once a year - it’s a unique summertime treat!”

(Ingredients: water, malt, hops, red raspberry juice concentrate)

• My Rating: B-
• Why I like it: real raspberry flavour
• Where I got it: W. 16th (?)
• How much: ~$12, 6x341ml, Summer 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: perhaps with friends
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: Yes

Tasting notes: pours cloudy brownish/red with a decent dissipating head, layer of retention, some sticky lacing, some slow-moving CO2 streams near the surface. Fruity red raspberries on the nose. Burst of 4/10 sweet aromatic red raspberries initially, transitions into 5/10-level sourness that isn’t overpowering but balanced with brown sugar malts, a silky creamy mouthfeel in the mids, finishing with a minor tartness and 6/10-level caramel sweetness & bitterness. Medium complexity, medium depth, good transitions, good carry, good drinkability. The finish ends a little rough in the mouth.

Blueberry Pail Ale - Phillips Brewing, 5% ABV, (Victoria, BC)

On the side of the front label:

“Blueberries blueberries it’s that time of year, to grab them by the handfuls and throw them in beer. It’s crisp and refreshing a summertime treat, straight from our magical beer factory. So if you are looking for fun from an ale, try popping the cap on this blueberry pail.”

• My Rating: C
• Why it’s decent: solid drinkability and crispness
• Where I got it: Brewery Creek (?)
• How much: ~$7, 650ml, 2011
• Do I love this enough to drink it again: No
• Would I recommend this to beer afficianados: If you’ve tried everything else

Tasting notes: pours purplish/red/brown, minimal head, ringed retention with micro CO2, lots of fast-moving CO2 streams. Fruity fieldberries on the nose. Burst of blueberry fruit up front, 5/10-level sweetness, creamy mouthfeel, medium sourness, medium malts, hints of caramel, crisp finish with an off-dry tart finish. Low-medium complexity, medium depth, okay transitions, okay carry, medium bodied. Decent drinkability and okay to try once.