Tag Archives: victoria bc breweries

Driftwood The Heretic Tripel

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driftwoodDue to the sheer volume of good beer and great limited releases they’ve produced over the years, I think it’s safe to say that Driftwood has become one of my favorite breweries of all time. In addition to their Fat Tug IPA, Naughty Hildegarde, Twenty Pounder IPA, and many Flanders-style sour ales (the epitome of brewing perfection!), they’ve also been known to produce some excellent Belgian-style ales as well.

???????????????????????????????The lastest is known as The Heretic, a Belgian-style Tripel that is the second in a series made using locally grown, Saanich peninsula barley. And since the last one was a Dubbel (the Clodhopper), it only made sense to up the ante with this one! In addition, Heretic is brewed using candy sugar, a tradition that is employed in several strong Belgian ales to increase their alcohol content, the most renowned being Duvel. The end result is a beer that is light in color, heavy on alcohol (8% alc/vol), and boasts some strong, coarse, and spicy malts with an infusion of herbal hops. And I can honestly say, as a man who’s not normally a fan of this type of beer, that this one was most inoffensive and actually quite appealing.

Appearance: Light blonde, clear, good foam retention and carbonation
Nose: Mild yeast culture, distinctly Belgian malt, mild sweetness
Taste: Strong, accented malts, coarse and spicy
Aftertaste: Lingering yeasts and coarse malts, mild bitterness
Overall: 8/10

In truth, and with all due respect to the venerable brewery, Duvel was never a favorite of mine. In fact, I’ve never been much of a fan of the particular style of Belgian strong ale that involves added sugar. Though I am a big fan of powerful ale, somehow, beers made in this fashion always seemed too light and too coarse for me. And yet, this Driftwood product managed to not only nail the recipe but still remain appealing to my palate. Good job, guys! Looking forward to the next limited release!

Moon Under Water The Victorious Weizenbock

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Finally, at long last and after months of stalling, I have managed to procure the the fourth and final beer in the new Moon Under Water lineup. I can remember long ago, back when the brewery underwent a change and released its four newest brews, how I had managed to obtain a bottle of each. But for reasons I prefer to keep to myself, the Weizenbock was lost and did not get its due!

Luckily, I managed to get a fresh bottle during my latest visit to one of my favorite beer stores and have sat down to give it a comprehensive tasting and review. And let me tell you, this fourth and final installment in their new lineup may very well be the best of the lot! It’s up against some stiff competition, but after sampling this beer and assessing its characteristics, I have to give it top marks for ingenuity and taste.

Appearance: Amber-brown, very cloudy, good foam and carbonation
Nose: Gentle notes of wheat malt, toasted sugary malt, clove spice
Taste: Bursts of banana, chocolate, cloves, spice, wheat malts and yeast
Aftertaste: Lingering tang, dance of spice and fruit notes on the tongue
Overall: 9.5/10

In short, the label claims its a combination hefeweizen/bock, and when you taste it, that’s exactly what you experience. In addition to dark, rich malts that are smooth, tawny and delicious, you also get a heaping of banana, clove spice, and the yeasty effervescence that wheat beers are famous for. And at 8.2% alc/vol, its also packs a pretty good punch, but concealed within a velvety glove. And as this beer snob will tell you, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of that!

Yes, I think I have a new favorite from this Victoria-based brewery, and possibly a contender for a best wheat as well. Only time will tell…

Phillips Cabin Fever Imperial Black IPA

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Cabin-Fever-Black-IPAIt’s a good thing when you and a major craft-brewery find yourself on the same page/ It seems that happened twice to me today, once with Driftwood’s latest release and again with Phillips. All this convergence which makes me wonder if some people in the local brewing industry have been reading my blog. I doubt it, but it’s nice to pretend. In any case, the second convergence between my thoughts and a brewers’ product came in the form of Phillips latest limited release, known as Cabin Fever Imperial Black IPA.

Brewed in honor of the change of the seasons, and consistent with Phillips time-tested philosophy of combining two or more styles together, this beer combines the deep roasted malt character of a black ale with the bitter, hoppy kick of an IPA. And to top it all off, they fermented it for an extended period of time to make it especially strong. Yes, on top of its  stout-like profile and heavily hopped character, it also weighs in at a hefty 8.5% alc/vol. And in the end, the flavors accent it each other very well, with the coffee notes of the dark ale playing well with the herbal, citrus bite of an IPA’s worth of hops.

Appearance: Black as tar, opaque, good foam retention and carbonationNose: Deep roasted malts, discernible bitter hop presence
Taste: Immediate burst of citrus malts, tawny malt flavor, herbal notes
Aftertaste: Lingering bitterness of coffee-like malts and citrus rind
Overall: 8.5/10

All in all, this beer was quite the interesting combination, and certainly made for a good all around drinking experience. Though definitely not for the faint of heart or the delicate of palette, it was one of the best dark IPA’s I’ve had of late. As I’m sure I’ve said before, this sort of combination has become quite popular in recent years, but this has to be the first time that it was so thematically consistent with the time of its release. Strong dark ale, citrusy IPA, it’s like winter and spring all rolled into one!

Driftwood Belle Royale Sour Cherry

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driftwood_logoI have always been a fan of sour cherries, ever since I was a boy and my family planted one in our backyard. Another thing I am quite fond of is Flanders’ Red Ales, which are renowned or their sour and complex character. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I found out that their is a beer that combines these two sources of greatness into one whole. It’s called Driftwood’s Belle Royale, the latest in their Bird of Prey series.

bellelogo-sourEver since Driftwood began producing these limited releases, which started in 2011 with the Flanders Red and then followed up by their Mad Bruin this past fall, I have been hooked. And now, with their Belle Royale Sour Cherry, they have managed to tap into the stuff of my dreams. Whenever I drank one of their sours in the past, I was reminded of my favorite fruit and kept thinking how awesome it would be if they came as one. And thanks to this latest installment, now they do!

And like all of their Bird of Prey beers, this one comes unfiltered, is quite strong (8% alc/vol) and is matured for months in oak barrels – in this case, a good 18 months. However, I can attest to the fact that the wait is well worth it.

Appearance: Dark red, translucent, low foam and high carbonation
Nose: Dry sour scent, heavy on the oak and lactic acid
Taste: Immediate burst of sour flavor, giving way to tart cherry fruit and yeasty accents
Aftertaste: Lingering sourness, notes of heavy oak
Overall: 10/10

My compliments Driftwood on your best sour ale yet, at least in my humble, heavily nostalgic and biased opinion. You’ve made me smile and given my first taste of sour cherries since I moved to the West Coast. I wish they were just a little bit easier to procure out this way. I would kill for some sour cherry pie right about now, definitely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! How perfect would that be with my current selection of beer?

Phillips Leviathan Milk Stout

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leviathanIt’s not secret that the folks at Phillips like to experiment with their beer. And with the new year now upon us, this Victoria-based brewery has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, three new limited release beers have made it out to the public since 2013 rolled around.

The first was their Bottle Rocket India Session Ale, which I have yet to try. Then came their Twisted Oak Scotch Ale, which I just finished sampling and reviewing the other night. Then came. And last, but certainly not least is their benefit brew, an annual beer that is made specifically for a local charity, where the brewery designs the label, the name, and the product in honor of the charity in question.

Leviathan-Milk-StoutThis year, they have partnered with the Cetus Conservation Society -  a Victoria-based charity dedicated to preserving marine habitats – to produce Leviathan Milk Stout. And, as I suspect, they were inspired by Parallel 49′s success with experimenting with lactic acid to produce what is known as Milk Stout, a variety of stout which is well rounded and creamy in addition to toasted and tawny. And, true to form, this experiment paid off.

Appearance: Black as tar, opaque and good foam retention
Nose: Rich, deep roasted malts
Taste: Immediate tang and roasted barley, slight smoke, cut by creamy mouthfeel
Aftertaste: Lingering smoke and toasted malts, slight creamy finish
Overall: 8.5/10

All in all, the beer possessed all that is good about a stout, but also managed to round out its roasted and smoky profile with a creamy, smooth texture. It’s quite enjoyable to drink, and offers beer drinkers a few things which they are likely to find appealing. For seasoned beer drinkers and fans of stout, it had the dark, tangy and roasted flavor of a real stout. And for people who like a refreshing brew, the beer is smooth, drinkable and has a good mouthfeel. I recommend getting some before it runs out of stock. And remember, all proceeds go towards preserving marine life!

Phillips Trainwreck Barley Wine

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Trainwreck-2012Next up in the winter beer series is a seasonal release by Phillips, one of their many, many limited releases that have graced the shelves of your local watering hole over the years! And it’s one that, I have to admit, this is one I have somehow neglected to sample thus far, in spite of the fact that it’s been available for what seems like a few years now.

And to boot, the 2012 vintage of the Trainwreck has the added surprise of being barrel-aged in bourbon casks, providing an extra layer of peat moss and whiskey flavor to what is already a dark and malty beverage.

*Sidenote: I should mention that they advise serving it at cellar temperatures, meaning just slightly chilled. However, I can tell you that served cold, the flavors of bourbon and barley still come through in spades, so decide for yourself how it will be served. I will be sure to procure a second bottle and be sure to indicate how that alters the overall profile.

Appearance: Dark brown/amber, transparent, good foam retention
Nose: Immediate notes of bourbon whiskey
Taste: Immediate burst of whiskey flavor, combined with slightly sweet malts
Aftertaste: Peaty finish, coarse malts, deep and lingering
Overall: 7.5/10

While I’m not a big fan of bourbon barrel-aged ales, I have to admit that this beer has some serious cajones! It might just be my imagination, but the alcoholic nature of the beer also seems just the slightest bit enhanced thanks to the infusion of bourbon flavor. Definitely a rib-tickler and heart warmer, and a winner if you love the taste of whiskey!

Mad Bruin Sour Brown Ale

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Driftwood is back with it’s second release in the “Bird of Prey” series! And this time around, its a sour brown ale made in the Belgian fashion of Oud Bruin (Old Brown) ale. Fans of this series, or those who have a very good memory and just happen follow this blog , will no doubt remember that last fall, they came out with their Flanders Red – a sour ale made in much the same fashion.

Suffice it to say, their Flanders Red was one of the best all around beers I have ever had, balancing authenticity with complexity of flavor and drinkability. Granted, your non-beer drinkers might find it somewhat inaccessible, but there is an awful lot there to appeal to the discerning beer drinker! Much the same is true of the Mad Bruin, which is also made using the same strain of Belgian yeast and aged in oak barrels for 16 months before being bottled and shipped.

The end result of all this is a complex, flavorful beer that has a high concentration of lactic acid, making it quite sour on the tongue. At the same time, the oak barrel aging process allows for notes of flavor that are not unlike a nice, dry red wine. Many different types of tart, sweet fruits are discernible in the nose and palate as well, contributing to a flavor that is both well suited to food pairing and enjoyable on its own.

Appearance: Deep brown/orange, translucent and low foam
Nose: Strong notes of dry red wine, oak and tart fruits
Taste: Immediate burst of sour cherry, plum, oaky, and earthy tones
Aftertaste: Lingering sourness, finishing with a slight touch of bitter
Overall: 9.5/10

Alongside your basic pumpkin ales, I would say sour ale is the perfect fall beer. Perhaps it’s just the deep, gratifying taste or the fact that it reminds me of fall fruit and autumn leaves, but the taste, smell and all around profile of it just feels conducive to autumn weather. Much like the Flanders Red, I plan to secure as many bottles of these as possible before the season is out, and look forward to 2014 when the wife and I will be making the trip to the Flanders region itself! But more on that later…

Hoyne’s Voltage Espresso Stout

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It’s here! The other limited release that Hoyne and company promised has been released! And as promised, it is an espresso stout, known by its full name Voltage Espresso Stout. And this time around, unlike that little misfire with the Wolf Vine Pale Ale, I arrived in time to get some fresh from the tap! No bottles for me… not until the growler is finished I mean.

And as usual, the beer is pretty fantastic. As I learned from the staff while getting my growlers filled, the espresso which gives Voltage Espresso it’s character comes from the local coffee shop known as Habit. As a Victorian, I can attest that it too is an awesome operation, and it’s good to see independent businesses coming together like this. The Espresso beans are also roasted right up the road from a brewery, and then infused into the beer on site. Talk about a local operation!

Oh, and the name, I imagine, requires some explanation. It goes without saying that the people at Hoyne like to give their beers meaningful monickers. Dark Matter Dark Lager, Devil’s Dream IPA, Summer Haze Hefeweizen, and now this. Apparently, the name is a tribute to the beer’s “polarity”, meaning it’s ranking on the color, hops and malt scales Hoyne employs with all their beers. On the one hand, it is at the far end of the spectrum when it comes color and malts, but at the other end when it comes to hop content. So basically this is a “bipolar” beer, kind of like an electrical current? Interesting…

Appearance: Very deep brown, clear and slightly transparent, mild foam
Nose: Strong notes of coffee and roasted malts
Taste: Slight tang and bitterness giving way to notes of real espresso coffee
Aftertaste: Lingering notes of espresso, mild bitterness
Overall: 9/10

You know, this kind of success rate is beginning to get annoying, Hoyne. If I keep doing reviews like this, people are going to think I’m getting kickbacks or something. Speaking of kickbacks, I wouldn’t be averse to being plied with plenty of free beer. But of course, that willingness might be interpreted as a sign of quality… Quite the conundrum! ;)

Spinnaker’s India Session Pale Ale

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Let the Summer Games begin! Hey all, the wife and I just got back from watching the Opening Ceremonies on our friend’s big-screen TV. And on the way home, we stopped by one of our favorite watering holes, Spinnakers Brewpub, for a little off-sale beer shopping. And it just so happens that they had some new arrivals to share…

The first is the India Session Pale Ale, a combination session/India Pale Ale that’s come just in time for the summer season. Combining a session’s drinkability with the long and venerated tradition of IPA’s here in the Pacific Northwest, this combination is one of many lighter ales that Spinnakers has been producing of late. Much like their Tour de Victoria and Discovery Ale, this beer is much lighter than their usual fare, but still manages to deliver flavor that will please the hop enthusiast.

Appearance: Light in color, golden and clear
Nose: Mild hop nose, very clean
Taste: Tangy, clean malts and mild but bitter hop delivery
Aftertaste: Slight, lingering hop bitterness
Overall: 8/10

Overall, this beer is light, refreshing, and highly drinkable, with just enough of a hop bite to avoid being classified as “close to water”. It seems well suited to hot weather and tilted beers on the patio with friends. Cheers, and hope the weekend finds you all well!