The Fourth Tree, Felled; and a happy birthday to you, Kim!

Folks, this is the fourth and final beer from Tree Brewing that I have selected for the blog.

It is the Limited Edition Hefeweizen (Wheat Ale)! ABV 5.0%

NOTICE! This post is dedicated to my brother in-law Kim; devourer of all things meaty and delicious! Happy birthday, Kim! I know that you don't particularly enjoy beer, and that you are also quite allergic to it; so I'm going to enjoy this nice tall Hefeweizen in your honour!

Appearance: This is a very cloudy brew, and a great example of an unfiltered Hefe. Light shines through it like it would through a fog, or a frosted glass; except it's a wonderful yellow gold colour!

Aroma: Lots going on in this one! immediately I'm getting some cloves, and yeast..with a little bit of a sour tinge to it. Pretty interesting all around, I'd say.

Initial Taste: what can I say...initially it tastes like beer. It doesn't have a lot of flavour up front, a little bitterness and some clove flavour which is mostly what you are getting from the aroma. Not much else.

After Taste: This may sound like an odd combination to you, but here it is: BANANAS! I know that bananas all in caps, probably drew your eyes to the word and spoiled the surprised I'd hoped for but what else could I do?) there are faint banana flavours at the tail end of each sip, very pleasant! Not over powering at all though, very slight.

Thoughts/Conclusions: This is what I would call a Subtle and enjoyable beer. Since it's a wheat ale it is much less overt than a traditional brew that uses a toasted barley malt, and hopps. What it's lacking up front though is welcome when enjoying this beer with a meal, and does not distract from the food; but is also nice on it's own because of it's subtle yet unusual combination of clean finishing wheat malt, clove, and banana flavours.

How to impress when pouring a true Hefeweizen:

First of all the "hefe" in hefeweizen is German for "yeast. In fact yeast is added to the bottle of many true German wheat beers. Here are a few tips to show off a great hefeweizen when pouring at home for your friends!

- Pour the hefe into the glass as you normally would any beer, but stop when there is enough left in the bottle to lay it on it's side without spilling.

- rest the bottle on the table or counter on it's side, then roll the bottle back and fourth a few times to wash the yeast from the sides of the bottle into the dregs of the beer.

- pour those last few millilitres in the bottle in a circular fashion over the foamy head of the beer to bring that yeasty flavour to the forefront!

Here we have a fine example of a Weissbier "Vase"


How do you know when a style of beer is popular? When it has it's very own style of serving vessel, of course! The narrow inward taper that makes up the bottom half of the glass shows off the pale colour of the beer. It also concentrates the carbonation and supports the big foamy head that is held in that bulbous upper half.

That's all from me! Have a great long weekend, everyone. I hope you enjoy the holiday and any beer you may consume.

- The Parched Paige

P.S: Kim's birthday is actually september 5th...I posted a day later than I intended.

Beer #8, Tree #3

Hi All!
On the menu for today is Tree Brewing Co's "Thirsty Beaver" Amber Ale, ABV 5.0%.

Appearance: Since it's an amber ale, this ale is amber coloured! Having compared this brew to some real amber, I'd say it's spot on.


Aroma: A little toasty, and it smells a little bit sweet too. I assume that would be the malt.


Initial Taste/mouth feel: A very smooth ale, with a bit of fizz to keep things interesting. along with the light carbonation it's also mildly sweet on the tongue to begin with.

After Taste: This ale has a nice clear bitter finish. Not much else to say really, pretty straightforward!


Thoughts/Conclusions: Is it possible for things to be bitter and sweet at the same time? I suppose semi-sweet chocolate falls into that category. Another one I'd stick in there would be a Thirsty Beaver, though maybe it isn't quite as obvious ans the aforementioned chocolate (and in no way does this ale taste like chocolate, don't let this confuse you). What I like about this brew is that although it's flavours aren't complex or numerous, it's still a great session beer because it's both slightly sweet on the intake and mildly bitter yet fairly full bodied on the finish. Nice one, Tree ;)



That's all for now, next week will be my 4th and final Tree brew (at least for a while). Since I am actively searching for my absolute favourite brews and beers, Once I have found one I would like to signify it by awarding that particular brew some type of symbol. Have any of you got some ideas about what I could use? If you do, please comment and let me know. Also, this will not be a rating system. Just a way to let everyone know I love said beer in a special way.

thanks for reading!

- The Parched Paige

B No. 7

Greetings! Today I have the second of four brews By Tree Brewing from Kelowna B.C.!

I am Happy to say: Welcome Pilsner, you are the first Lager in the blog!
officially this brew is called Kelowna Pilsner. Winner of the Silver Medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards in 2007, this Brew is weighing in at a spritely 4.8% ABV!



Pilsner being one of 4/5 styles of Lager. Also it is the most widely brewed and consumed style on Earth! Most mega breweries feature several versions of the pilsner style and...nothing else, haha.

You may get confused at this point since Indian Pale ales, Pale ales, Pilsners can all look virtually the same at times. Also, there are lagers that are black as the night and as heavy as a dark ale. Here is the predominant difference: Lagers are "bottom fermenting" beers, and are brewed in colder temperatures for a longer period of time than most ales.The reason they are called bottom fermenting is, because of the colder temperatures(usually around 6 degrees Celsius compared to temperatures as high at 20 degrees at times for ales), the type of yeast used to ferment the beer does do at the bottom of the fermentation tank. simple!

Whats it lookin' like?: Like a pilsner should! Super Clear, very pale and with a little head of foam. This pilsner is nearly the colour of straw, or even a yummy glass of apple juice. But don't fool yourself when staring down a glass of "pil". When this baby hits your tongue, you will NOT be tasting apples.

Aroma: Some yeast, right away and a little bit of the flowery smell of hopps. Even further down on that ladder of aromas, I smell a faint toasty malt. Having this sit on my desk while I type and smell, I notice that the longer it sits the less yeast you can smell and the more the hopps come through.

Initial Taste/mouthfeel: It is indeed very light. The first thing I notice is that it really feels like i'm drinking water. Not it doesn't taste like water, I must be very clear on this haha; but it does feel as light and ...free and a cool glass of water, it's very refreshing. other tastes and flavours are again mild hops but the malt is more in the drivers seat here.

After Tastes: Since this is such a clean drinking lager there isn't a whole lot to speak of other than the nice simple flavors of the hops, you get a soft bitterness and a faint taste of yeast as it fades from your pallet.


Thoughts and conclusions: I do like a pilsner, and I do like this pilsner. What sets this apart from others I have tried, is the aroma. Though this is a European style pil (meaning it's just water/hops/malt...a touch of yeast. No "adjunct malts" such as rice or wheat or rye for filler), you don't get the little bit of funk attributed to long bouts on the shelf and in a shipping container and UV pollution through those popular green bottles. It doesn't sock you in the face with hopps, it blossoms with them. Also, it really isn't overly bitter which is something I don't really care for in Pilsners either. I'll be havin' this one again.


thanks for readin'!



- The Parched Paige

Beer#6 : presenting TREE BREWING

Hiya Reader(s),

As Promised, today I will be starting a new trend for my blog. I am now blogging my beers per brewery instead of hitting random beers from all over the shop. I hope this will help me keep things more organized and a little more focused. Now, since some breweries around here (B.C.) don't bottle everything they brew so to speak, I will be doing a sampling of beer from each brewery hopefully around 4 beers, but absolutely more than that if I can get my hands on a bottle/can/pint; then moving on to the next brewery (exceptions are: finding a seasonal beer form an already visited brewery or a discovery of a new brew that peaks my interest). Also, since discovering CAMRA Vancouver I have found that there are "Cask Nights" at some brew pubs and tap houses 'round here that I would really like to try. This "real ale" thing i've heard of sounds marvelous!


Onto Tree Brewing Co.'s...Brews
Today from tree brewing I have for my own consumption is: Cutthroat Pale Ale - "A classic pale ale, perfectly balanced". so says the bottle. This beer' is a standard 5% ABV by the way.
Let's have at it!

I know it looks cloudy, but that is because of the temperatures of my apt/beer. I assure you, you could read a book while looking through it, it is so crystal clear.

Appearance: Looks a tiny bit darker than most pale ales that i've seen/had (though i'm no expert) It didn't have much of a head either. HOWEVER, it is VERY hot in my apartment and I cooled the ale a little too much in order to compensate...at the expense of the head, I suppose.


Aroma: A hint of hops, and an almost "woodsy" smell. It is enchanting...there's a some citrus as well.


Initial Taste: Really Light, and smooth on the tongue!



After Taste: A soft, bitter finish. Not too bitter, still crisp and clean.


Thoughts and Conclusions: This is honestly the best pale ale I have ever tasted. I know that I really didn't write paragraphs of text up there in my tasting categories. This may make the ale seem too simple or unremarkable; but it isn't! The flavours are there whether subtle or not. Whats great about this ale is that it's light enough for lager lovers, and has enough body for those amber and dark enthusiasts. I think the bottle had it right. though, it said "perfectly"...I can't say at this juncture whether something is perfect, but this is a very very well balanced ale. As I said before, by far my favorite to date!
I recommend this to everyone!



A Note about the brewery: Tree Brewing says they take brewing very seriously. Using no preservatives (other than some hops, perhaps). Their beer is also unpasteurized, and brewed as they say on a "small scale"...which is one of the main characteristics of a microbrewery. Tree Brewing Co. has a 20,000hl capacity, though I don't know if they are actually brewing to that scale.
They are located at 1083 Richter Street, Kelowna, B.C. 


- The Parched Paige

Tutti Fruli #5

Hey Readers!

It is time for One more random fruit beer before I kick this thing into a new format. Said format is beers by brewery. It seems easier to keep track, and focus if I tackle one brewery at a time and move through every beer they produce. Though, I'll have to double back for seasonal beers but that's fine.

I didn't take this photo...stole it from The CBC

OK! Today for you consideration and my satisfaction is Fruli!
Brewed in Belgium by the Van Diest Beer Company; this beer is a 4.1% ABV Belgian Wit beer brewed with the juice of strawberries. Before you scoff and pshaw at the mention of a strawberry flavoured beer, please note that this very beer claimed the 2009 WBA (World Beer Award) for World's Best Fruit Beer. I've got a really hard time not ingesting a fruit beer, so I hope I enjoy this.

Appearance: A very very light pink, so pink I initially mistook the colour as white.


Aroma: A very strong tangy sweet strawberry scent. That is all.


Initial Taste: Very light tasting on the tongue, it is also effervescent like a soda pop. It's also very sweet, but not overpoweringly sweet like say...maple syrup, but for beer I'd say it's at the top of the chart as far as sweetness goes. Of course it tastes like strawberries but it isn't as overpowering of a flavour as you would expect from the smell. It is slightly less overt that you would think. I do like that little bit of tang you get though, even though it is sweet. Along with a really short lived milde bitter taste,one more flavor comes through a bit...it's vanilla and it's pretty far in the background.


After Taste: Well if this was a blind and deaf test, I would assume I was drinking strawberry soda. that is until I get that unmistakable warmness in my throat that only an alcoholic beverage would bring. Um, I get a really clean smooth finish with strawberries.


Conclusions: I don't want this to sound insulting to any Fruli lovers or brewers (should they EVER read this); but I don't think I've ever had a beer that has tasted less like a beer. That's not to say I would consider it beer. I mean...if you use the same process what else can you call it? I like this beer, it's very tasty...there's enough to contemplate while drinking it. It isn't one dimensional at all which is nice, and it's also quite crisp and very very light. A perfect little appetizer, or even a desert beer...or just a treat on a hot day (like today: it is 32 degrees Celsius in my apartment as I'm writing this).




so there you have it! FRULI! Go try some, you might like it. If you see this on the shelf in your local beer store and you've got a few bucks changin' around in your pocket, don't turn your nose up and walk on. In the words of George Wendt:"What if it's good?" Take that beer in your hand, buy it, and get some place where you can open that beer and consume it legally.

By the way, a beer store is the only place you will find this beer in Canada. Except for ONE bar in Ottawa. According to frulibeer.com "Pub Italia" is the one place that serves the stuff. I don't know if that is on tap, or in the bottle, but by golly this stuff is hard to come by!

That's all for now! The following posts, I will be covering the Tree Brewing Co.
I'm off to get a white freezy.

  


Over and out,
The Parched Paige.

Beer #4 - Bring it on

Alright, this beer caught my eye while I was picking my beers for the week with it's interesting name.
It is "Kwak", Allegedly originally brewed by a man named Pauwels Kwak in 1791..and been in the family ever since. According to my book "Tasting Beer" it is brewed at the Bosteels brewery in Bruggenhout. (although, through google search I found out that the town is actually called Buggenhout. No "r"!) It is also what you would call a "strong" beer at 8%/Vol.


Aroma: a touch of hops, and their bitterness and some of that lovely "bready" smell I like so much. I don't know if it's right or wrong but I like it!!!

The Look: A great amber colour...um, a nice fine head and some great bubble action to boot.

Initial Taste:Very creamy, and a little bit of a caramel flavour but only a tiny bit, has a really soft feel to it.

Aftertaste: um...almost neutral? I taste the flavour of a high alcohol content haha and basically the same flavors I get initially, but the subtle caramel lingers.

Overall...conclusions/impressions:
A surprisingly gentle...full bodied beer. Gentle in that...for a relatively high alcohol content it doesn't kick you in the face the way you might expect.Though it IS definitely full of lovely flavor. It tastes a lot less fizzy than it looks, it's almost a flat beer. Overall though, I like it very much. It's a complex (but in an inviting and comfortable way) and elegant beer! I would recommend this beer to anyone, and also to myself.

I                                              Kwak!






   




-Sincerely, The Parched Paige.

Beer #3 !!!

SURPRIZE! It's a Raspberry lambic today!!!
the official title being "Framboise Lambic, Belgian Framboise Beer" from Brouwerij Lindemans in Vlezenbeek, Belgium!

                                           a lovely 750ml bottle of Framboise...mmmmm.


Here are some more facts about lambics:

- The Hops used in lambics are aged 2 or 3 years in order to remove nearly all of the bitterness and aroma, because the brewers only use the hops for their antibacterial properties.

- Many lambics are "Bottle Fermented" or "Bottle Conditioned" which is a secondary fermentation that occurs in the sealed bottle and carbonates the product naturally.



Also, before I begin I must state that I was incorrect in the previous entry where I described Gueuze as "straight up" lambic. It is actually a blended lambic that consists of younger and more aged brews (1 year mixed with 2 or 3 year old brews), it is still carbonated however. the "straight up" lambic does exist though, and is non-carbonated, and un-blended. I'm told it is very sour and I'd love to try it!
WARNING! Many bottles of lambic style beers are sealed with a wine cork as well as a bottle cap! So bring your "A" game when attempting to ingest a lambic beer; Bring a cork screw and a bottle opener!
alright! let's have a look, a whiff and a taste!

results: It has a beautiful deep, red colour, very nearly a burgundy. It also keeps a nice pink-ish head.
It smells of nothing but the heavenly aroma of wild raspberries. What does it taste like you ask? Well hang on and let me taste it!!!

...Alright, remember when I told you that Cassis was my favorite flavour? well...I think I'm going to have to re-evaluate that statement too because this is very very good to say the least. Might be stopping by the beer store tomorrow and do a comparison test. Anyway, the raspberry flavour you get is as intense as the colour. It has none of the sour/bitter battle that goes on in your mouth when you put gueuze inside it (the bitter lingering just a little bit longer). It is also much sweeter than expected. A really really great choice for raspberry lovers like myself, this is just a big red punch in the face. As the glass empties a bit more, i'm smelling a little more of the renowned "funk" that lambic bring to the table but only a little bit. It isn't up front and in my face.
To sum this up(though hopefully not over-simplifying this too much); It is a very strongly flavored brew, that looks like a mix between frothy juice and a glass of wine; and tastes almost like drinking an extract that's been topped up with seltzer and alcohol. I love a good lambic, they always brighten my day.

I hope this has convinced you to scour your local liquor or beer and wine store for some to try for yourself. A lambic is an adventure in it's own right.
Thanks for reading!!

- Beer's slightly satiated but still proverbially Parched Paige

P.S: Lambic beers do not typically have a very high alcohol content (usually 5% or thereabouts), but if you drink a bottle all to yourself they can really sneak up on you. although, is that really "sneaking" if you just down a 750ml bottle? probably not.

Goooooooooooose...or Gueuze

Alright! Beer #2 is (I hope) going to be brilliant! Tonight I'm going with a Lambic style beer called Gueuze; this particular Lambic being brewed by Cantillon, of the Brussels region of Belgium. I was first introduced to Lambic beer my a friend of mine roughly 9 months ago, and that is what really ignited my now burning interest in exploring beer. These beers are unlike any other style you will ever taste, and are instantly recognizable (in flavour). Now traditionally they are flavoured with orchard fruit or berries but Gueuze is straight up, no flavor added. I hear it's almost a lemon-lime flavour and typically sour tasting and i think in any other type of beer a sour taste would be repulsive but...in my books the lip smacking tang of a nice sour Lambic is a welcome drought.
the other types of Lambic you may see are Peach, Framboise(raspberry), Kreik(sour cherry), Pomme(apple), and my favourite Cassis(black currant).
on to the Gueuze!

 Another fun fact about Lambics: they are Spontaneously fermented with wild hops! Doesn't that sound mysterious and romantic to you?! well! let's taste it already.




What does the bottle tell me?: well...frankly, a whole lot of Belgian French, and though I speak french I'd rather just enjoy the beer.

It looks like a: white ale poured into a frosted glass mug. if Wit beers are cloudy and unfiltered...this is like a foggy amber snowstorm.

What my nose is sayin'?: It's smelling much like a white wine, it has almost a smell like a fermented grape. I don't know how else to describe it. It hasn't got that earthy kind of funk other fruit Lambics I've had. After letting Nicole have a sniff she agreed that it smelled much like a white wine, but with a sweetness to it as well.

As for my first taste of a Gueuze? GLORIOUS! I'm getting sour flavours, citrus and lots of lemon. I love the smell and taste of these so much i can't really stick to this format I'm trying out. Sip-smell, sniff-taste. Obviously I'm pretty excited and well...Lambics get my motor running. It is nice and tart all the way down, with a really slight bitterness to finish it off. Very nice indeed.
Well, I'm going to take the rest of my yummy glass'o'gueuze into the living room and calm down a bit while I savor the flavor. I expect I will thee the same way about it once I stare through the bottom of the glass so I won't bother with that.

So! If you'd like to find out more about Lambic beer, or any beer for that matter a great book to check out is:
"Tasting Beer; An insider's Guide to The World's Greatest Drink" by Randy Mosher. I picked up this dandy at a Chapters, while searching for some literature on the subject. There is a small but informative column about it inside the "Beers of Belgium" section. Other than that I'm sure there's info a'plenty on the Internet, as well as other books on the subject. If you give one of these little gems a try like I recommend, please drop a comment in my box and let me know how it went!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for my next beer (it will also be a Lambic....but what kind?!)

- Beer's Parched Paige

Let's get started already! I'm thirsty

I'll keep this short so i can get to the beer.

WELCOME TO THE FIRE SALE OF ALE! I'm not actually selling ale, I'm consuming it. Maybe not in unreasonable quantities, but over the course of the year to come I will be drinking as many different brands and types of "Beer" as I can. No fewer than 100 is my goal, and my wallet is the limit!

My Brother in-law Kim (http://thekimtowngazette.blogspot.com/ ...I'm sure I will learn to plug other blogs with more finesse as the year progresses) first gave me the idea by mentioning he was attempting to drink 100 beers in a year, and also my lovely girlfriend Nicole gave me a great book for my birthday this summer : Beers of British Columbia; A Guide to Micro/Macro Breweries, Brewpubs and Their Beers. which will be a massive aid to me, along with other books i will be reading in order to hone my tasting abilities. I also hope to learn to appreciate and enjoy beer more than I already do, as well as to gain knowledge by tasting. I also expect to become more proficient and accurate with my beer assessments. HOWEVER; everything stated in this blog is purely the result of my own opinion. The brewer of these beverages clearly know what they are doing, I'm just letting you know what my tongue and nose are telling my brain and fingers to relate to you!

let's begin the journey.

I will be covering a lot of lagers and ales this year, but I will be focusing mainly on Canadian Micro brews, and established European brews that are made available to me. Luckily I'm living smack in the middle of an area rich in microbreweries, brewpubs and some great beer specific stores!

Alright, now then. The first of many will be "White Bark" Wheat Ale by the Driftwood Brewery in Victoria B.C.

It is a classic example of what you would call a Wheat Beer, or more traditionally a "Wit" beer.

What the bottle is telling me:"As a traditional Belgian-style Wit, this beer is intended to be cloudy.Subtle malt allows the floral essence of coriander and Curacao orange peel from the West Indies to balance the profile of this distinguished ale.

The Look: It beautifully unfiltered light gold colour that makes me salivate at a glance.

The Scent: I'm picking up a bit of a spicy/peppery kind of smell on this. which i would assume is the coriander. As well a as a beautiful aroma of bread....or yeast at least. I love that! It reminds my of one of my favourite wines "Goldener Oktober".

The Feel, The Taste: Hmmmm, this doesn't often happen with food and drink; but it tastes the same as it smells more or less. The coriander really comes through, and though I'm not usually a fan of it, but it adds a really nice...texture and flavour(obviously) to this drink. I can taste the orange peel in intervals, first right away when it touches the tongue then again after the coriander fades away.

My Findings at the bottom of the glass: This is a very nice Wheat Ale, I have tried a few before and I haven't had one I didn't like. They are great in the summer, but I'd have one any time. This one has a unique flavour to it, more so than more I've had before which are more "citrusy". This one I think is more complex, and I appreciate that very much. Although, it isn't too good to gulp. Goes down smooth like a Wit Beer should. Now for the rest of the bottle!

(pssst! what did you think? I'd love to know! Also, please let me know of some great beers you've had and if I can get them I'll drink them!)