Every week we post tasting notes from our Friday Staff Tasting, providing you with our take on all the latest craft beer arrivals. They may be easy to overlook, because of their unusual labels and names, but don’t miss out on the the trio of new brews we received from Danish brewer To Øl. These beers tend to fly under the radar due to the “artsy” labels, but what’s inside is consistently excellent. Also, if you love sours, be sure to grab the new Townsite 7800 Saison Sour. We have a limited amount and once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
Steel & Oak Dark Lager 5% 650ml (Vancouver)
Pours a chestnut brown colour. Bock-like notes of caramel and chocolatey malt on the nose. Similarly robust and flavorful on the palate with bitter chocolate and caramel notes and a touch of sweetness.
Steamworks Saison 6.3% 650ml (Vancouver)
Pours a clear lemon yellow colour. Delicious white wine notes mingle with a bit of funk and Belgian yeast spice on the nose. Ripe stone fruit, funk and spice on the palate. Complex & tasty! Two Rufus Paws Up from: Megan
Townsite 7800 Saison Sour 5.8% 500ml (Powell River)
Pours a deep, rich yellow colour. Summery notes of tart stone fruit and sour candy on the nose. Notes of sour apricot and lemon herbal tea on the palate. Incredibly complex. Two Rufus Paws Up from: Ian, Ayja, David & Brent
To Øl Garden of Eden IPA 6.4% 330ml (Denmark)
Pours a hazy yellow colour. Funky notes of ripe papaya and passionfruit on the nose. On the palate it offers big, resiny mosaic hop notes that mesh with tart tropical juice notes.
To Øl Shamelessly Barrel Aged 10% 330ml (Denmark)
Pours a burnt amber orange colour. Notes of brown sugar, coconut and vanilla on the nose. On the palate it’s a deliciously strong malt bomb with dark fruit notes and a strong bitter finish.
To Øl Dangerously Close to Stupid Imp. IPA 9.3% 330ml (Denmark)
Pours a cloudy orange-yellow orange colour. Sweet malt and hops notes of cotton candy and citrus fruit on the nose. Big, sweet and boozy on the palate with fruity bubblegum & spice notes. Two Rufus Paws Up from: Adem