Follow Us:

Blog

New beers March 12, 2015

Posted on March 13, 2015

Less than a week away from St. Patrick's day, and we had little choice but to keep bringing in great Irish craft beers to prepare for the festivities. Hunter and I have some amazing things lined up for our upcoming tasting "The Irish are Coming!" on Tuesday March 17th, and we're excited to see you there. In case you missed it before, there are 11 tickets left as of this posting. The tasting is stand up format and we'll sample both beer and whisky. Enough of that though, there is a lot more than Irish beers to peruse through in shop. Some new fair from Scotland, Japan, America, and BC also made its way into the store. You may want to grab a bucket to catch the drool as you read through these delicious offerings.



Black IPA from Stewart Brewing
This north American style hails from Edinburgh Scotland, and was originally brewed in 2012 for a competition. Filled with coffee and roasted grain notes, this is an easy drinking dark ale with great balance and floral/herbal hop notes. ($8.19 for a 500mL bottle)

Dai-Dai IPA from Hitachino Brewing
Japan's largest craft brewery sends us this IPA brewed with a rare type of orange called "Fukure Mikan". It provides lovely mandarin orange characteristics and compliments the bitterness with an essence of orange pith. A very unique take on an IPA! ($4.59 for a 350mL bottle)

Roundhouse Kick from Crew Republic Brewing
One of the more modern breweries to come out of Germany, Crew Republic gives us one of the few German Imperial Stouts we've seen in the province. Ripe with notes of red berries and cocoa along with light roasted coffee and a hefty roasted quality.  The medium carbonation makes it silky, and almost oily on the palate.($4.49 for a 350mL bottle)

Devil Went Down to Oregon by Ninkasi Brewing
Yet another seasonal to come up from the champions of Eugene Oregon, this rye dark ale shows just how spicy rye can get. Poured cold, it gives warming spice along with hints of cocoa, caramel and earth. As it warms up, an almost Belgian characteristic comes out as an estery yeastiness takes over. Pretty ideal for a burger I'd say!($9.39 for a 650mL bottle)

Oyster Stout by Porterhouse Brewing
This Irish beer is not appropriate for vegetarians, as fresh oysters are shucked right into the conditioning tank. The result is a sweet stout that is superbly smooth with a well rounded character that is balanced with classic European hops. Don't worry, it doesn't taste like oysters!  ($13.69 for a 4 pack of bottles)

Brainblasta! by Porterhouse Brewing
A classic strong ale must be deep and complex in order to be exciting. This Irish ale certainly fits the bill with generous helpings of black malts and flaked barley. The rich malt base is complimented with lovely floral hop notes and a smooth bitterness that could only come with the longer fermentation times.  ($...

Continue Reading →




The New California tasting - March 5, 2015

Posted on March 10, 2015

So what is the “new California?”  What IS balance?  These are some of the questions we tried to tackle at this tasting, and I’m sorry to report that we couldn’t solve any of the world’s controversies, including the debate over style within California’s wine industry.  Alcohol levels, and the use of oak – or the proper use of new oak, to be specific – continue to stir up debate among wine writers, on social media, and on the blogosphere.  But, one thing seems clear: balance, ultimately, is subjective.  After all the talk, there was only one thing to do: drink some good wine and eat some good food!


As we always do at the Kensington Wine Market, we ask the group to choose their favorites of the evening, and tonight we it was a tight race.  The Passenger Cabernet Sauvignon made by Master Sommelier Chris Blanchard came in first place, with the Rivers Marie Pinot Noir close behind in 2nd place.  It made me ecstatic to see that the group loved the Zeitgeist Trousseau Gris, and voted it into the bronze medal position.  Thanks again to all who came.


Here are some notes on the wines we tasted:

1.    2013 Zeitgeist Trousseau Gris (Russian River Valley) - $32.99
Sold out at the winery! Zeitgeist is a German word that refers to the spirit of the times, appropriate for such a great wine. "A native of the Jura region, Trousseau Gris is a true 'grey' grape and can make either white wines or slightly colored wines," according to the winery website. "Tropical notes of lychee and stone fruits are accented by lemon zest and ginger." Try with a range of foods, including seafood, vegetable dishes, even pork belly and frites!

2.    2011 Walter Hansel Chardonnay “Cuvee Alyce” (Russian River Valley) - $49.99
93+ points from Robert Parker! His review: "Hansel’s 2011 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce is gorgeous. Not as overt as in most years, the 2011 is nevertheless quite beautiful. Butter, smoke, apricots and orange blossoms come to life in the glass. The 2011 isn’t as tropical or buttery as it often is, but it is very, very pretty just the same. Sweet floral and spiced notes add lift on the hugely appealing finish."

3.    2012 Birichino Grenache Old Vines Besson Vineyard (Central Coast) - $30.99
Wine made from 102 year old vines.  10 months in neutral barrel, it was bottled unfiltered. Its vibrant yet delicate hue recalls pinot and cooler vintages, yet the flavors are more candied and expressive of brambly wild raspberry and kirsch. Highly aromatic --and ideally suited to a Burgundy glass-- the finish brings fine yet persistent ninja tan...

Continue Reading →




Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada March 2015 Outturn

Posted on March 8, 2015

 



Tonight's Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada range was superb, not a bad one in the bunch. The grain whisky G1.11 was a revelation for me, matured in a sherry butt this whisky was in my opinion the finest grain whisky we've had yet from the Society. It needed water, also a first for me, but it took it very well, and even with a drop or two it would still be over 60% at 21 years of age.



We had three Medal Winners in the range, from Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky 2015. 93.61, 10.76 and 53.184. My personal favourite of the night was a mature but very delicate 71.38, you don't often see whisky from this distillery, even from Independent Bottlers, and it was a gem! Here is March's full range:

71.38: A cheese-board in a library - 57% - 27 Year - Refill Hogshead - Speyside - Profile: "Sweet, fruity & mellow." - Outturn: 210 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "A tired bowl of fruit (including bruised apples and ripe peaches), backed by polished wood panelling, leather books and faded roses, then a scent of mild cheeses (Caboc, unripe brie, white stilton) and Melba toast. The taste reflects some of these scents: sweet, then ‘cheese on a Cream Cracker’. With water the cheese note shifts to fullfat creamy (Laughing Cow), with melon, green banana, peach skin and a hint of chestnut bath oil. Soft and sweet to taste, then faintly fizzy/peppery (Flying Saucers candies, spicy), with a long warming finish and a hint of banana    yogurt in the aftertaste. This distillery supplies the heart malt for Ballantine’s, so is uncommon." Drinking Tip: "With cheese and grapes after informal supper." - $215.99
35.87: Exuberant, confident, energetic, vivacious - 60.1% - 9 Year - First Fill Barrel - Speyside - Profile: "Young & spritely." Panel's Tasting Note: "The nose was lively, fresh, exuberant and confident with a full rainbow of colours – toffee, marshmallows, vanilla slice and brown sugar; also tart apple pie notes, spring blossoms, dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, linseed oil and polished antique furniture. The palate was sweet and Bourbon-like, with toffee sponge, candied angelica, dark chocolate and dates, all balanced by the citric zestiness of lemon cake and green apple. The reduced nose became sharper and more stimulating – cream soda,   apple skins, while the taste seemed amazingly energetic and vivacious; sweet and fruity, like Bakewell tart. From the distillery named after the county." Drinking tip:  "Would be a good ice-breaker, or the first dram at a picnic to enhance the excitement." - $114.99
G1.11: Iced mulled wine and Sorrento Limoncello - 65.1% - 21 Year - Refill Sherry Butt - Grain Whisky - Profile: "Spicy & sweet." - Outturn: 384 Bottles - Panel's Tasting Note: "The initial nose was a combination o...

Continue Reading →




New Beers March 5, 2015

Posted on March 7, 2015

As St. Patrick's Day gets closer and closer, it was about time to take a look at Irish beer. This is one of the most “alcohol heavy” holidays of the year, so it’s extra important to make sure we have the best of what's out there. Many of you are likely tired of the well known, tall canned beers that are usually associated with this green-clad day, so we've gone out of the way to find some Irish beers from off the beaten path. As well, we have some other amazing offerings (Ahem... Jerkface 9000)! Here are the new arrivals this week:


Knock Me Down Porter by Eight Degrees Brewing.
One of several Irish beers arriving for St. Patrick's day, this porter is mildly sweet with chocolate and espresso notes. It's a modern take on a Victorian era porter using classic dark malts and traditional English hops. For those who are growing tired of Guinness but still want to stay in Ireland, this would be the first stop I'd recommend. ($19.99 for a 6-pack of bottles.)

Howling Gale Pale by Eight Degrees Brewing.
The American pale ale (APA) is the main influence for this Irish pale ale. The golden colored ale houses the big citrus and grapefruit notes that you've come to expect from a hop bill of Chinook, Amarillo and Centennial. All of this is not to say that the hops are out of balance, but quite the contrary! The golden off-pale malts bring this beer into a beautiful balance. ($19.99 for a 6-pack of bottles.)

Irish Red Ale from Porterhouse Brewing.
With a dynamic mash bill including pale, crystal, wheat and chocolate malts, this traditional Irish red ale boasts wonderful caramel and slight fudge characteristics with low IBU's. At 4.2% abv, it is quite sessionable on a chilled day, but not heavy enough to be too filling! ($12.19 for a 4-pack of bottles.)

India Pale Ale from Green's Brewing.
With their lineup of award winning gluten-free beers, it was only natural that they try their hand at a more modern style. This amber-red colored IPA is full of floral, herbal and piney-hoppy deliciousness, but is backed up with a generous caramel malty character. Green's beers are brewed with gluten-free ingredients, so they are appropriate for even the most gluten sensitive out there! It's definitely nice to see new and modern offerings from the blockbuster Belgian gluten-free brewery! ($7.69 for a 500mL bottle.)

Sriracha Hot Stout by Rogue Brewing.
From the brewery that gave you such off-the-wall beers as the Beard Beer, and the Voodoo Doughnut series, Rogue teams up with the world's most popular hot sauce for this interesting stout. Cloaked in a bright red bottle with a green cap, the beer looks just like the iconic hot sauce. The stout houses a generous heat (but not too intense) that enhances the roasty, and coffee like malts, but is mellowed by the silky texture and mild malty sweetness. The heat also leaves th...

Continue Reading →




Raucous Rums tasting - March 3, 2015

Posted on March 7, 2015

To begin, I feel it's necessary to mention that Raucous Rums is not for the faint of heart. This is a tasting for the uninhibited. It’s for those ready to expose their wild sides; their personalities saved for the high seas, imagining ports of old and illicit liquors behind counters of dark and gloomy bars ready to rouse their untamable natures hidden from common society. And what are these liquors of old? Rum, the true essence of the Caribbean.

Rum is a true spirit of the people, with origins of the most humble kind. It's soft, sweet and supple characters are all easily admired by spirit enthusiasts everywhere eager to swallow rum’s purely enjoyable nature. Drinking and sharing rum is a ritual easily shared by all, no matter their disposition toward other hard liquors. This simple rite of kinship creates a camaraderie that is impossible to establish outside of the scenario. With all this considered, our tasting of 22 eager enthusiasts forged new found friendships over this series of seven rums.



 

1. Cadenhead Green Label Classic
Cadenhead is known as one of the Scotland’s oldest independent bottlers, offering all sorts of spirits ranging from single malts to rums. With that in mind, they have quite the eye for remarkable casks offering some of the most interesting and independently bottled liquors. This specific rum is over the top with spiced vanillas, almost like a scented candle spicing it up with allspice and cinnamon. Though simplistic on the nose, the rum showed off it's powerful stripes of candied green apple streaked with butterscotch and more spiced vanillas. Easy to enjoy but nothing out of the ordinary, just our classic rum, which the label indicates perfectly! $69.99

2. Plantation Grenada 2003
A unique release from a French independent bottler going by the name of Plantation who buy barrels of rum from all over the Caribbean and Latin America and finish them in cognac barrels. This release shows off the candy stand at the fairground in spades. If you haven't experienced said candy stand, imagine candy floss, jelly beans, candied fruit strips and anything else elegantly candied. The finish in the cognac barrel adds a fair amount of sweet fruitiness that can easily convert anyone into a rum drinker. $74.99

3. Plantation Nicaragua 2001
Now here comes the cavalry. The nose is boisterous and loud right from the start. Finished with cognac barrels in similar fashion to most barrels procured by the Plantation series, this release offers more dark fruits, spices and gingerbread. With all this character one might think this bottling passed up its subtleties to show off all its power, but the neat thing is the nuanced underbelly which I feel was overlooked in the tasting. Definitely one of my favorites of the night. $74.99

4. Rum Nation Panama 21
Si...

Continue Reading →




Newer Posts →

← Older Posts

Recent Posts
Archives

Categories