We regularly post tasting notes from our Friday Staff Tasting, providing you with our take on all the latest craft beer arrivals. We’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of new releases flowing into the shop, so this post will be a bit longer to accommodate everything that has arrived in the last few weeks.
We also want to mention that we have another Extreme Beer With the Beast tasting event coming up on Wed., June 15 at Swans (in the Penthouse!). Tickets are $30 and include samples of 10 beers paired with meaty morsels from Whole Beast and a deluxe doughnut from Yonni’s at the end. It’s the most unique craft beer event in Victoria. We have a limited number of tickets available both online and in-store.
Phillips Solaris White Peach Ale 4.3% 500ml (Victoria)
Aromas of fresh white peach, honey, light spice and flavours of sweet straw, white peach skin with a dry finish.
Phillips White Unicorn White IPA 6.5% 6pk (Victoria)
Pours a very pale, hazy witbier yellow colour. Hints of orange, spice and sweet malt on the nose. Plenty of classic witbier notes of citrus, coriander and banana on the palate with a dry, tannic finish thanks to a heap of hops.
Main Street Checkpoint Charlie Berliner-Weisse 4% 650ml (Vancouver)
Bright citrus aromas of lemon peel, lime and acidic, lemon candy sour notes on the palate, finishing dry.
Four Winds Featherweight IPA 4.5% 650ml (Delta, BC)
Townsite 7800 Saison 6.5% 650ml (Powell River)
Big, Belgian yeast notes followed by intense coriander, sweet wheat and boozy malt flavours.
De Molen Morellen Berliner-Weisse 6% 330ml (Netherlands)
Nose of strawberry felt marker, grapefruit and wet stone, hints of caramel on the palate with an intense level of sourness.
Powell Street/Fuggles & Warlock Yami Dark Sour Wheat w/ Saskatoon Berries 6.8% 650ml (Vancouver)
Full-bodied straw flavours with tart berries, red grape skin, layers of baking spice with a heavy, sour finish. Delicious.
Powell Street/Main Street The Streets Scottish Golden Ale 4% 650ml (Vancouver)
Medium bodied flavours of soggy cereal, roasted malt, smoked caramel and honeyed, grassy flavours.
Steel & Oak Marzen Bavarian Lager 5.4% 650ml (Vancouver)
Roasted malt, rich caramel, cooked cereal, classic lager notes with light hop aromas and a clean, dry finish. Quaffable.
Fours Winds Sovereign Super Saison 8.5% 750ml (Delta, BC)
Delicate spice aromas with incredibly complex flavours of green apple, honey, sweet straw and coriander followed by a round and boozy finish.
8 Wired Le Fût Flanders Red 6.7% 500ml (New Zealand)
Pours a chestnut brown colour. Classic Flanders red notes of balsamic vinegar, tart cherry and oak on the nose. Somewhat light-bodied, but with rich balsamic intensity and notes of oak, funk and sour cherry.
Dageraad Randoneur Saison 6.4% 650ml (Burnaby)
Pours a hazy golden yellow colour. Ginger, spice and grainy malt on the nose. Round and full-bodied on the palate with notes of sweet spice and bright citrus on the dry finish.
Dieu du Ciel Immoralité 9.2% 330ml (Quebec)
Pours a hazy orange colour. Big orange, pine and grapefruit notes on the nose. Sweet on the palate and loaded with big grapefruit, spice and booze notes with a big bitter finish.
Wolf Cerberus Imperial IPA 8.8% 650ml (Nanaimo)
Pours an orangey-amber colour. Sweet malt on the nose backed with some candied citrus notes. Very malt-forward and sweet with notes of caramel, hop spice and candied citrus.
8 Wired Batch 2.18 Oak Aged Imperial Stout 11% 500ml (New Zealand)
Pours a deep black-brown colour. Smoky and briney on the nose. Savoury and sweet on the palate with complex notes of smoke, spice, toasted marshmallow and dark fruit.
Widmer Bros. Raspberry Imperial Stout 2013 9.3% 650ml (Portland)
Pours a deep black-brown colour. Notes of dried berries and tart fruit on the nose. Rich, delicious notes of chocolate raspberry cake, smoke and a hit of booze on the finish.
Le Trou du Diable Albert 3 Space Monkey Universal Ale 5.5% 600ml (Quebec)
Pours a hazy pale lemon yellow. Notes of brett funk, barnyard and hay on the nose. The palate is dry and crisp with grapefruit and spice notes and a hint of funk.
Driftwood Drawn to Light Abbey Pale Ale 7% 650ml (Victoria)
Pours a rich yellow colour. Hint of brett funk on the nose, with notes of lemon and spice. Dry, funky & complex, with notes of spice and citrus. Bitter finish.
Longwood Independent Pilsner 6.5% 650ml (Nanaimo)
Pours a clear, rich orangish-yellow colour. Quite a robust hit of fruit on the nose. Very clean and fresh smelling, but a very assertive and enticing nose. This is a big lager, with slightly sweet grainy malt notes up front a it of floral fruitiness on the bitter finish.
Breakside India Golden Ale 8.1% 650ml (Portland)
Pours a very bright golden yellow colour. The nose offers a strong hit of mint, spice, resin and pine. Great hop aromas! There’s a definite sweetness up front followed by lots of exotic fruit, resin and pine notes and a well-balanced dry finish.