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New beer arrivals - September 27, 2015

Posted on September 29, 2015

Shawn Young
Sunday September 27, 2015


Hello fellow beer geeks, and beer fans alike!

I have a small but concise update for you on what we've received this week. They are all of the Pale ale variety, and each are very enjoyable.



Copper Cone Pale Ale by Epic Brewing
There isn't a whole lot to say about this beer other than it's part of their "Elevated" series, and is made differently each time, and as of writing there are no specifics on their website (which means it's pretty darn fresh!). ($10.79 for a 650mL bottle)

Hopulent IPA by Epic Brewing
Another in the ever so evolving "Elevated" series, this one is also changing constantly. Medium body, with a lightly bready, grainy malt character with Plenty of tropical fruits and pine sap. Makes me look forward to all the future releases and their unique recipes! ($10.79 for a 650mL bottle)

Breaking Bud by KneeDeep Brewing
This is a beer meant to join the mellow and bitter English IPA with a powerful and robust American IPA. The lighter pale malts are complimented with a fair amount of flaked wheat, and the bitterness is kept to a soft 50 IBU (ok... soft to some?). There is also plenty of tropical fruit notes and more citrus from the use of Simcoe and Mosaic hops. As much as I can't stand the name or label, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this beer is! ($11.49 for a 650mL bottle)

These all served as the perfect fuel for hoppy hour around the shop this week! I was a little surprised at the pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers that didn't come in, but this was no fault of our own, there simply wasn't any for us to order! Don't worry though, I'm keeping my eye out every day to see what comes out when, and before you know it you'll be in pumpkin spice country (Starbucks ain't got nothin' on us!). In the meantime though, remember we still have the pumpkin beers from Howe Sound, and Alley Kat, along with the Marzens from Alley Kat, Sam Adams, and Hofbrau! Definitely no lack of choice at the moment!

I want to mention, once more, my upcoming class "Learning to Love Craft Beer" on October 6, where I'll be giving a little crash course on the beer making process, and going through 7 different styles from different regions, and demystifying any terminology (and answering any and all questions). It should be a fun night! Don't wait too long, the class is already half full!

So I will leave you all with that. Stay tuned for more seasonals in the coming weeks, and remember to drink your IPA fresh!

Shawn...

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New beer arrivals - September 18, 2015

Posted on September 18, 2015

Shawn Young
New Brews
Friday September 18
Another big week (or two) has come and gone and wait until you see what that time has brought! Before that though I want to give people a heads up on a couple of great tastings that are coming up in the next few weeks. Firstly, this coming Tuesday (Sept. 22) we have our Calgary Craft Brews which focuses on - you guessed it - local brews! We'll highlight the best of what our fine city (and it's even finer brewers) have to offer! After that, on Tuesday October 6, is the Learning to Love Craft Beers which is perfect for any of your friends who might not know where to begin in this crazy world of craft beer (or maybe you just want to taste awesome beer and learn a couple things?). I'll go through the beer making process, and go through any terms/styles people might find confusing. You all should totally come and geek out with me on this one.

One more quick note before the good stuff. This weekend we’re holding a Surprise Sale with all in stock wine discounted at least 15%, along with select whisky discounted 10-25%, and select beers 10-15%! It's pretty much the perfect time to stock up for the coming fall. Buy in-store or online only.

So that's all for all that news and plugs. Here's the meat……all the wonderful new things this week:



Jardinier by The Bruery
This is a surprisingly light, crisp and refreshing beer from a brewery(or bruery) normally known for big and bold styles. Jardinier is a Belgian-style pale ale that falls under the session ale category. Fruity, grassy and yeasty characters are just perfect in this light table beer. ($12.59 for a 750mL bottle)

Autumn Maple by The Bruery
This is a unique take on the typical autumn seasonal we've all come to love. However, instead of pumpkin, they use yams in this malty, spicy brew. Made with pumpkin style spices, molasses and maple syrup, this beer still brings pie to the mind, but in a new way. It's in the province in limited quantities, so make sure to grab one along-side your favorite pumpkin beers! ($17.19 for a 750mL bottle)

Cuivre by The Bruery
This beer follows their last anniversary ale to grace the province "Bois", and brings a somewhat similar style in a beer that is all aged in bourbon barrels, and goes through the solera system with previous vintages all blended together in the barrel. This will most definitely improve with age, and if you hope to maintain a vertical of their anniversary beers, don't wait too long to grab this limited beer. ($53.69 for a 750mL bottle)

Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Cognac Barrel Edition by Mikkeller
The original Beer Geek Brunch Weasel was at one point the highest rated imperial stout around, and with good reason! This edition takes it to the barrel aging level with cognac barrels, giving this already oily stout an oaky, cognac kick with soy saucy el...

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New beer arrivals - September 4, 2015

Posted on September 6, 2015

Shawn Young
Friday September 4
Wow, this was quite the week for beer! I arrived at work Wednesday around noon only to find stacks upon stacks of beer waiting to be put away. I certainly had my work cut out for me. Lots and lots of new product, but also lots of awesome returning product! I can't make this thing too, too long, and with all the stuff I need to announce and mention, I should keep this introduction short. Here are the fresh arrivals (in some cases very fresh!) from this week.



Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier by Hofbrauhaus Munchen
The second Marzen to arrive this season and this one is the lighter side of this style (it's color anyways).  Sweet bread and malt, along with mellow caramel notes and spice. I'd recommend grabbing this one quick before all the other Marzens start showing up and this gets lost in the shuffle. ($4.79 for a 500mL bottle)

C4 double Coffee Brown by 8-Wired Brewing
This beer is meant to be the perfect marriage of the two greatest beverages in the world, and the result is certainly impressive. Rich coffee from Ethiopian beans merged with a double brown ale, my mouth waters just thinking about it! It has the complexity of the stout, but with a lighter body. The coffee is quite pronounced, which is what I would expect with something that wants to be the "perfect marriage". ($10.69 for a 500mL bottle)

Hippy Berlinerweisse by 8-Wired Brewing
A fairly modern take on the old Berliner sour wheat ale. Generous amounts of vibrant fruity hops were likely used here, most of which I imagine from the southern hemisphere. Crisp, tart, lactic sour character with the typical cracker/bready malt notes. A great example of what a modern brewery can do to a classic style. ($10.29 for a 500mL bottle)

Flat white Coffee Milk Stout by 8-Wired Brewing
This is a sweet stout made with lactose and coffee. Rich coffee with mild roasty grains and chocolate notes. Mildly bitter, but balances out the sweet maltiness and lactose well enough. ($10.29 for a 500mL bottle)



Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point Brewing
This is one of the top rates IPAs in the world, and with good reason. Carefully crafted with huge fruity aromas including: mango, lemon, peach and apricot, along with some generous spice notes. The palate is very well balanced with a moderate malty sweetness and generous IBU's to balance it out. An oily, resiny finish emphasizes the style. ($10.69 for a 650mL bottle, and $25.99 for a 6-pack of bottles)

Grapefruit Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point Brewing
This matches almost all the notes from the Sculpin, but both the flavors and aromas are enhanced greatly by the addition of grapefruit zest into secondary. Huge ruby red style grapefruit notes are prominent on both the nose and the palate, and the whole beer ended up slightly oilier than the original! Both IPAs side by side is a mu...

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Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada September 2015 Outturn

Posted on September 5, 2015



Fall is nearly upon us, and we have an amazing September Outturn. Consensus from the tastings in Calgary is that all the whiskies showed well. Members had a hard time deciding what to buy! They were all solid contenders with the 127.43, G13.1 and 27.107 being the most in demand. For me it was all about subtlety, and the top performers taste-wise were the 26.105 and 53.210. The former was delicate and tropical with the beeswax notes one typically associates with the distillery. The latter showed a more nuanced side of heavily peated Islay whisky, with delicate layers. If I had to pick a third for my tastes it was the other Ileach, 127.43: Kissing a smoker, which was a proper sweet and smoky mess! The Japanese Grain whisky, G13.1, was just as the name implied a complete revelation. While there were hints of its age in some spirity top notes, it was mind-blowingly complex for just 4 years!

Here is the full September 2015 Outturn from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada:

26.105: Bumblebees by the sea - 57.6% - 29 Year - Refill Sherry Butt - Highland - Flavour profile: Light & delicate - Outturn: 548 bottles - Panel's tasting note: "The first aromas were predominantly dark runny honey over crackers, followed by salted lemon and fresh kiwi fruit. With time, camphor and citronella candles burning in a damp pine forest. Juicy Fruit gum emerged on the nose and in the taste. It retained a white peppery heat at full strength, with lemon zest and lime posset emerging. Aspen bark, cinnamon and spearmint all became easier to find with water as if they had all been washed up on a seashore. A muskiness reminiscent of coastal dunnage warehouses belied its age, but homemade lemonade and green Starbursts lifted any hint of heaviness." Drinking tip: " Have a light hand with water" - $259.99
123.14: Playful spices buzz the mouth - 57.4% - 12 Year - First Fill Barrel - Highland - Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet - Outturn: 225 bottles - Panel's tasting note: "Sweet but slightly assertive woody spices pervaded the nose – pepper, humbugs, ginger, cinnamon apple pie and Liquorice Allsorts; also some leather, dead leaves and furniture polish. The neat palate also had exotic spices (clove, liquorice, anise) and oriental wood; however; curious notes of After Eights, gin and fermented honey kept it from being one-dimensional. On the reduced nose, cinnamon glazed donuts and ginger snaps represented continuity, while spearmint, wet stones and very light coal-tar soap brought fresh suggestions into play. On the reduced palate chocolate, blackcurrant and toasty flavours appeared – while the spices still buzzed our mouths like playful hornets." - Drinking tip: "A dram to perk you up - maybe with coffee and chocolate mints after a meal" - $121.99
G13.1: A complete revalation - 58.3% - 4 Year - Virgin Oak Puncheon - Japanese Grain Whisky - Flavour profile: Juicy, oak &am...

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New beer arrivals - August 26, 2015

Posted on August 31, 2015

Shawn Young
August 26, 2015
Hey everyone!

I hope anyone who missed my sour tasting last week was able to come in and pick up all they need to have their own (If not, we still have nearly everything I poured!). If sours aren't your thing, then stay tuned for our fall tasting schedule. It should be released within the next week or so.

Now that we're almost entering Autumn, don't forget to get your name in if you are interested in the Craft beer advent calendar this year. I think I have an idea of a few of the beers coming in specifically for it, and it seems like it could be pretty exciting this year!

Onto business now, I know you all want to hear about all the sweet new things in this week, so I won't distract you too much longer. It's a pretty broad range of flavors this week, so there is something for everyone! At least 3 of them are new favorites of mine.



Bourbon Pale Ale by Innis & Gunn
This is I&G's tribute to the American pale ale. It's a light, refreshing summery ale made with cascade and amarillo hops, and matured in bourbon infused American oak. Citrusy and spicy on the nose. Flavors of mildly sweet chocolate, oak come through with a nice light bitterness. ($4.19 for a 330mL bottle)

Blackrock Irish Stout by Dungarvan
A pretty good example of a classic dry Irish stout. Generous roasted malts, complimenting bitterness, but smooth body with plenty of toast, vanilla and mild spice notes. ($8.49 for a 500mL bottle)

Super Cooper 14th anniversary ale by Phillips Brewing Co.
To celebrate their 14th birthday, Phillips planned ahead by making this beer last year and aging it in fresh bourbon oak, it was then dry hopped before release. Big malt and oak characteristics with a bright American hop kick. This is a very limited bottling! ($7.79 for a 650mL)

West coast pale ale by Postmark Brewing
The other week you may have caught the IPA from these guys,  this week we bring the counterpart. A wonderfully balanced pale ale with a medium body that is just packed with grainy, malty flavors. It's pretty easy to have more than one of these, so make sure to grab at least two (especially at this price)! $6.49 for a 650mL bottle)

Imperial Pilsner from Lagunitas Brewing
The magicians of Petaluma have wowed me again! This big beefy pilsner pours an amazing bright gold lemon color, and packs a bunch of citrusy aromas along with plenty of tropical notes. Lovely and moderate sweetness from the malt along with that crisp pilsner malt flavor. Surprisingly refreshing for such a big style. I can't get enough! ($7.79 for a 650mL bottle)

Gose-uh by Driftwood Brewing
A very limited release from Victoria's finest. This take on the classic Goslar style, this one boasts plenty of bready, tart lemons, and banana on the nose. Good herbal notes along with mild pep...

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