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PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:23 am 
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Let's try some new beers this summer.

Here's a good rating system: http://www.ehow.com/how_5027600_rate-beer.html

1. Pour your beer into a clean glass. The glass should be "beer clean", meaning no residue left on the glass from detergents or anything else that could effect the taste, body, or head of the beer. Don't be afraid to pour right down the center of the glass and get a nice head going - this releases the aromas of the beer and will enhance your experience.

2. Rate the beer using the five criteria of: appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, flavor, and overall impression. Use a notebook to jot down descriptive phrases:

3. First rate the beer on appearance. Does the beer look like something you would want to drink? Does it have a full, healthy head or does it look weak and watery? Hold the beer glass up to the light - is the beer the right color for the style? Can you see any floaties or particles that do not belong?

4. Rate the beer on aroma next. Take a nice whiff - what do you smell? Hop notes such as citrus or a grassy smell? Components of the grainbill such as caramel or biscuits? Coffee and chocolate notes in a rich stout? Note any flavors you can pick out and write down how the aroma makes you feel about drinking the beer. Make sure the beer is the correct temperature - most beer should be served in the 40ºF area, and as the beer warms slightly, more aromas will be released. A good idea is to make some aroma notes when you first get the pint, then again after you have let it sit a moment or two.

5. Take a sip of the beer. Note the mouthfeel - is the beer crisp and well-carbonated? Flat? Is it thick and chewy, or thin and watered down? Any unusual sensations, like oily slickness? Note any residue the beer leaves on your tongue or palate.

6. Here's the big one - rate the flavor of the beer. Take notes on the entire flavor experience - the beer first touching your mouth, what the predominant flavors are, and any aftertaste left when you swallow. Is the beer's flavor appropriate for the style? Any off-flavors? Does the beer seem skunked or sour at all? As beer ages, it can oxidize and develop off-flavors such as wet cardboard, vinegar, or sherry. Most importantly, do you like the taste? A beer might be exactly to style, but it is a style you don't care for! Note which flavors you like and which you do not - this will help you select beers you will enjoy down the line.

7. Finally, rate your overall impression of the beer. Was it brewed and served appropriately for the style? Did the experience of the beer change between first sip and last? What did you like about the beer, and what didn't you like? Were there small mistakes that could be overlooked, or was the beer a train wreck you wouldn't recommend to a man dying of thirst? Keep a journal of your beer experience, and soon you will have a great database of beer information you can use to plan food pairings, beer tastings, or just what six-pack to buy for the weekend.

8. If you like, assign a numerical rating to each category as well. Some people use a simple five point scale for each category. If you want to get more complex, weight the categories based on what is more important to you. For example, the official beer scorecard of the Beer Judge Certification Program is based on a 50 point scale. 12 points for aroma, 3 for appearance, 20 for flavor, 5 for mouthfeel, and 10 for the overall impression. - I don't think it matters if we have a standardized scoring system - do whatever you like as long as it gives everyone else an idea as to your opinion of the beer.

If you know which one you are going to do next post it! It doesn't matter if we get multiple reviews on the same beer but it might help someone pick something different for variety.

and hey,

Let's be safe out there. :rock:

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PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 10:05 am 
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Good idea, too complex for me though :P I'll put some of the more recent beers that I've had,

Good beers -> Seemingly anything by Mill Street Brewery in Toronto. The Organic, Stock Ale, and Belgian Wit. I haven't tried the Coffee Porter yet(I might have had it at the pub C'est What), and I think there are a couple more.

Sleeman Cream Ale. Wellington Special Pale Ale(Guelph Brewery).

Dos Equis is pretty good.


Meh beers -> Sleeman India Pale Ale. McAuslan Cream Ale(Quebec brewery).


Don't buy beers -> Some Dutch beer I had at West 50 in Mississauga.

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PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2010 11:43 am 
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A new craft beer store opened up in Saskatoon. It's ridiculously pretentious, but it's beer so it's not too pretentious. I stocked up on some brews that I won't be having until after my vacation. They cost like $4-$6 for an individual bottle, these aren't "let's get wasted" beers (cheaper=better for that). This is after work, sit in the backyard with a book beers. Watch a ball game on a Sunday afternoon beers. Invite your friends over for BBQ steak beers.

Bought some from Belgium, Denmark, and Oregon (from a place I was going to go to on the trip, but scrapped). Next time I go there I'll raid the Quebec beers and probably pick up some stuff from Central Europe.

As always, I'm enjoying stuff made from Paddock Wood here in Saskatoon. When I hit Seattle, I'll be ordering some Pike brews... and when I'm in Portland, I'll be testing the local brews as well.

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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 6:52 pm 
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Had a bunch of these last evening. Very good. :spin: I really like the white beers especially when it starts to get warmer. I'll probably do my first reviews on a variety of white beers.

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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 7:43 pm 
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Captain Chaos wrote:
Had a bunch of these last evening. Very good. :spin: I really like the white beers especially when it starts to get warmer. I'll probably do my first reviews on a variety of white beers.



I like the Whites as well. I started drinking Hoegaarden a few years ago, before everyone started coming out with the White beers.

Kawartha Lakes Brewery Raspberry Wheat isn't as white as the others, but it's good. The St. Ambroise(from the McAuslan brewery I mentioned earlier) Apricot Wheat is good.

The first Mill Street Belgian Wit was really good.

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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:29 pm 
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Ooh I like this. I make it a habit to try a different sixer with my obligatory surplus of beverages.

I can't formatively comment on this right now...I'll be back.

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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:37 pm 
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BoscUlrichIII wrote:
The St. Ambroise(from the McAuslan brewery I mentioned earlier) Apricot Wheat is good.


The McAuslan brewery along Lachine Canal is amazing during the summer. Gentle breeze, nice terrace, tasty brews live music. I'm heading there this weekend I reckon.

During the summer, they also make a raspberry beer. Never seen it in stores, though.

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PostPosted: Fri May 28, 2010 6:26 pm 
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I have a good friend who is totally addicted to that Apricot Wheat beer. Pretty sure he single-handedly keeps the supply high enough for them to keep it on the shelf down here. I've certainly mooched a few from him in my day- very crisp and tasty- though like most fruit beers, I'm never sure if the sixth beer is going to go down as easy as the first.

I will definately post a few beer reviews here when I get a chance, always nice to hear about a new brew to try.


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PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2010 9:21 pm 
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OK, first review- a quick, amateur review of one of my all-time favorites- Propeller’s IPA (India Pale Ale). Using Captian Chaos' beer testing guidelines, but I am no beer tasting expert, so please bear with me...

Quote:
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Not for the faint of heart. True India Pale Ales had to withstand long sea voyages before quenching the thirst of cranky British troops stationed in India. Our IPA is true to this style, it’s bracing, bitter and higher in alcohol (6.5%alc./vol) and made with the trademark Propeller quality. Its full-bodied ale for full throttle beer lovers!


Appearance: Nice, foamy head. Just slightly darker than standard beer, also very luminous and clear. 4/5

Aroma: Sharp, slightly grassy, almost acrid, but never-the-less strangely invigorating and refreshing. Like smelling your first cup of coffee in the morning, only your coffee is made from hops and will make chicks look hotter. 5/5

Mouth-feel: Sharpness continues here, but it is a crisp, bracing sort of sharp, not a painful one. Slightly thicker than “standard” beer, but definitely nothing like a stout. Well Carbonated. A slight bitter aftertaste, which can become a bit heavier towards the end of a six-pack, but not a deal-breaker. 4/5

Flavour: At the risk of sounding slightly beer-snooty, this is a beer-drinker’s beer. This is a beer that bites back, but it is the kind of kinky, sexy sort of bite that hints at a long, sweaty, wonderful night ahead. The bite is the first thing one experiences when the beer enters the beer-hole, followed by complex, bitter notes, finished by a refreshing crispness. A hard taste to describe, and one I imagine is less an acquired taste than a love-it or hate-it thing, but for me- wonderful. 5/5

Overall: This is definitely a beer of the seas, a kind of beer that would be drunk by hard men in a run-down tavern after a long day of terrible work. It is a beer one would drink to fortify oneself before a dangerous task. And each beer it is a wonderful, bracing, revitalizing experience that, when combined with an appropriate number of their fellows, really makes for a good, old-fashioned, rip-roaring wild-times drunk. Overall- awesome. 5/5

The Wife: The Wife™ hates this beer. Won’t even steal a sip. I buy six or twelve of this stuff, I get to drink six or twelve beers. Exquisite. 5/5

Total: 28/30, 93.33% Highly recommended to anyone who can get it in there area. Even if you don’t like this beer- I promise you, you will remember drinking it.


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PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2010 10:16 pm 
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Great Review! :beer:

I like a good IPA but I agree with the "bite back" factor that for me makes them an occasional enjoyment. :beer:

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PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2010 1:28 am 
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went to the EPIC expo yesterday for sustainability living, they had a few brewerys there showing off there sustainability beer, one that i really really like was called Stanley Park Brewery's Amber Ale
http://www.stanleyparkbrewery.ca/
as you can imagine, like all good bc beers, you can only get it in BC. highly recommend it.
its powered by a wind mill!!!

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PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2010 2:23 am 
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GrGekco's review on the IPA reminded me of this I had a couple of weeks ago: Red Racer IPA by Central City Brewing in Surrey. If you like a strong IPA with a distinct bite then I recommend this one. I enjoyed my first one, but switched to something lighter from Croatia after that, it was just a little too hoppy for me for more than one. I'm definitely going to try some of their other offerings - probably the Wheat Ale next.
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Nice graphics on the can btw: :beer:

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PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2010 3:20 am 
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i LOVE red racer! i have a 6 pack of the lager in my fridge right now! only good thing to come outta surrey!

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 11:52 pm 
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Finally tried the Red Racer White:

Image

Very good! If you like the Whites this is definitely worth the try.

Spent a couple of weeks last month in New Brunswick. Consumed a bit of

Image

a bit of

Image

and a lot of

Image

My preference is for the Keith's, but the others did in a pinch!

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:08 pm 
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beer makes the hurt go


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 10:19 pm 
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I've always liked Moosehead. I rarely buy it(I honestly can't remember the last time I bought it), but it's great on tap.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 10:30 pm 
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Just brought some Brooklyn Pennant Ale and Negra Modelo across the border. Declaring is for sissies.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:36 am 
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Captain Chaos wrote:
Finally tried the Red Racer White:

Image

Very good! If you like the Whites this is definitely worth the try.

:beer: :D

My brother-in-law owns a piece of that! He lives in Mukilteo, WA. It's quite good...


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:44 am 
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ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i love red racer! best and only good thing to come outta surrey!

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 3:10 pm 
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There's a dirt-cheap beer in Quebec called Taiga.

It's pretty awful. Only saw it in St-Henri at first (once brown bagged in that scuzzy part of town at 1 AM while unbeknown to me a dead body was lying in the park across the street), but now it seems to be everywhere, including fancy anglo parts of town.

The best beer in Montreal, and thus the World? Afrodisiac's bottled Black & Tan, brewed by the guy who owns Bieres du Monde on Laurier. 2.50 a bottle, but it's incredible.

You guys have Molson M yet? They just jacked up the price on it, they were selling it for 3 bucks for a tall boy, now it's almost 5. Fuck that I dare say.

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