Monthly Archive for March, 2016

Beer Is Good – Ballast Point Longfin Lager

Does this mean if it’s NOT an IPA I’ll buy it? Almost. This pours a clear yellow with medium head that dissipates. Touch of mango in the aroma, but not too citrusy. The hops are there, but being in a can, no danger of light struck skunk. Bitterness of the hops carries through the middle, hint of grain, then a pretty clean finish. Light mouthfeel.

Perhaps a bit hops forward, but a pleasant beer. This makes it to 3 longfinned monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Ginga Kogen Beer

Saw this once before but was too scared to buy it. Why? It looks dangerously like a beer I had in Sapporo which ranked as such a suck beer that I could not finish it. There have been very few beers like that. So how is this one? Pours cloudy yellow with small head. Bit of citrus and hop aroma, touch of funk. A sweet and syrupy feel mitigated by carbonation. Small bitter lingers in the finish.

Can’t say I really like this beer, but it doesn’t totally suck. I could do without the skunk, then it would be a decent heffe. I’ll give it a 2 out 4 ginga monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Mt. Begbie Tall Timber Ale

The other selection from the Revelstoke’s brewery, Mt. Begbie, available in cans for easier transport. Pours a dark amber with small head. Fairly forward hops aroma, Dark roasted malt. Medium thick mouthfeel.

3 of 4 monkeys

Beer Is Good – Balast Point Pale Ale

Usually all you find at stores here from Balast Point are variations of IPAs so when I saw this pale labels as Kolsch style had to do it. Pours clear bright yellow, medium head. Fairly strong hop aroma, unfortunately this third bottle I’m having I think has suffered from light struck. I don’t recall the first two being as skunky and they also had a nice grain finish. How unfortunate, if I were to judge on this bottle I’d go with a 2 out 4 monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Mt. Begbie High Mountain Kolsch

Mt. Begbie is the craft brewery located in Revelstoke, and this is their kolsch. Pours clear bright yellow with moderate head. Moderate hops aroma, Clean crisp and dry. Ends with a very nice grainy finish.

Solid 3 bordering on 4 easy drinking monkeys

Beer Is Good – Sam Adams Chocolate Bock

From winter variety pack, pours opaque black with moderately strong head that dissipates. Chocolate and roast malt aroma. Surprisingly mellow bitter. Mediun mouthfeel, not as heavy as might be expected of a bock. Quite smooth really.

Solid 3 out 4 chocolatey monkeys

Beer Is Good – Hitachino Nest Saison Du Japon

Saisons seem to have a reputation of being funky, literally. I was a little worried when I pour it and could detect some of that skunky odor that I often find in pilsners, but oddly enough when I actually drank it did not detect the funk. Pours a cloudy light yellow with fairly strong head. Strong citrus and fruit aroma, the fruitiness making an almost li hing note. A lot like a Heffe, but not as heavy on wheat. There’s a sweet, but the middle and end is dry. Crispness from strong carbonation.

A pleasant beer, although with the rice koji and yuzu it technically wouldn’t be a beer.

3 out 4 Japon monkeys.