While is not really a beer, but a bottled cocktail, this shall be an short review. The snakebite is a beverage that is equal parts cider and lager. Presumably Spinnakers mixes the Kolsch and their house cider.

Snakebite = 4/10


The low score does not really indicate a bad beer, negative numbers would show that. This beer is just, well... bland. Green apple tartness from the cider blends equally with the cereal tastes of the lager. With a tart and dry finish, the Snakebite is certain to be a patio sipper. Some will sip for refreshment, I kept sipping to find flavours. Not many were noticed.


Taste +2
After taste +1
Alcohol +1 6%
Value 0

label 0

Just a real quick review to keep my backlog from getting too long. Not much to say about this beer anyways, it is a pale ale in a tall can.

ShortWave = 4/10

The nose started promisingly with a pronounced whiff of pine, cedar and bitter oranges. Sadly once this pleasant aroma dissipated there was a noticeable aroma of diacetyl. This was confirmed by the slick mouthfeel that was best described as medium to full. Building on the citrus, pine thing was the usual honey and biscuit malts. The Shortwave is a oddly sweet beer despite the initial hop bitter aroma. Overall, the best thing in a can for under 2 bucks. I think the description is aggressively popular.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5.2%
Value 0
Appearance 0

Glassware: Right from the can is fine.

Food Pairings: Would go with anything, honest.

Cellar: Nope

This beer was created for two up island music festivals: Vancouver Island Music Fest and VicFest. The different labels contain the same lightly dry hopped Pilsner-like beer with ale yeast. Before you all start rolling your eyes, just wait a minute. Not every beer needs to be a palate challenging, imperial, wood aged and exotic yeast gastronomic masterpiece. These beers have their place; like at a beer gathering where you debate whether you are tasting are Thompson, Flame or sultana raisins. Beers like the Festival ale are perfect for hot days listening to outdoor music. That being said, I enjoyed this beer. It was simple yet tasty. There was no flavour wheel thought involved.

Festival Ale (Vancouver Island) = 4/10

Straight off the nose draws you in with light citrus and floral aromas. The malts are clean with a little bit of honey and  vegetal chewiness. Lots of carbonation cleanses the tongue and leaves a barely discernible spicy and citrus hop snap. That is it, very Kolsch like. Lots of people will like this beer.

Glassware: Fluted Pilsner or stange. The pictured glass is the wrong choice for this and any other beer. I was too lazy to go downstairs and get the proper glass.

Food Pairings: early dinner course options like salad or cheese and crackers. Lobster, pasta and seafoods are other good options.

Taste +3
Aftertaste 0
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value +1
Appearance 0

I admit it; this was an impulse buy. Rarely do I succumb to point of purchase marketing hijinks. How bad could a $2 can of beer be? Recently more money left my hands to purchase sugar water in a phallic shaped bottle. 

Thirsty Beaver = 4/10

Yup, it's an amber ale alright. The vague nose of buttered toast, caramel cubes is there. Each sip is mediocre with caramel malts, faint citrus and luckily low vegetal. Every creamy sip goes down real easy. For a $2 tall boy can, I was impressed. Sure better than those Holsten offerings.

Taste +3
Aftertaste 0
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value +1
Appearance 0 (almost got a +1 for the beaver)

This beer produces thought of the brewer referred to as Deebs at Phillips Brewing. It's a very obscure inside joke. Does he still own that Red Wings jersey? Nevermind. Life us rough for an obsessive beer ticker; gotta get thru these 33beer journals. This is 3 of 16!

Cameron Dark 266 = 4/10
Ratebeer 2.91 40th percentile
Beer Advocate 76%

The nose is unimpressive with light straw and roast chocolate. We all know what a well done dark lager tastes like. There is lightly astringent chocolate upfront mixed with toast. Then there is this herbal and citrus hop bite at the end; vary the hop bite a little bit. The Cameron had more hops throughout the sip than expected. You can guess the ending. Wait I will spoil it for you: lightly roasted, toast with Nutella and weak marmalade. It was simple and tasty.


Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 4.5%
Value 0
Appearance 0

Other dark lager reviews
Midnight Sessions Dark Lager YES!
Jacobsen Dark Lager Maybe
Okanagan Spring Dark Lager NO

I hate doing reviews like this. They equate me to some basement dwelling beer hater. Well.. I am in a basement but I do not hate this beer. However, I have had a few brews and a full dose of Battlefield Field 3 video game adrenaline rush: here it goes.
This beer lacks focus. It has too much flavour to be an American Pilsner. It was too sweet and unattenuated to be a German Pils. It is more in the Bohemian range. Perhaps it is just my West Coast palate crying out for more hops. There is a Victory Prima Pils in my fridge calling my name; perhaps the greatest beer I have ever tasted. My soul was crying for a local Prima Pils that could be obtained by the growler full. Forevermore contentment would fill my heart- and stomach. However I am being unfair; this is a tasty beer.


Hoyner Pilsner (Hoyne) = 4/10

This beer was sampled twice; in growler and bottle. Did I mention that I got growler #8? The aroma came across as faint with straw with some honey and a little lettuce (not DMS). Chewiness is not something I look for in a Pils, but the Hoyner had some. Each sip was a little on the honey/sweet side. There was enough honey, lettuce, spices and herbal goodness to keep the palate active. Normally Pils end like a door slam; this one lingered with a honey and straw slickness. Not unpleasant - just unexpected. People will like this beer, perhaps one of the best Pilsner styles produced in BC. Beer geeks might say: dry it out, add more late edition spicy hops and then call me.


Taste +2
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0
Value +1 (it is OK)
Appearance 0

Other Pilsner style reviews
Stanly Park Pilsner (chuck this beer at the wind mill)
Czech Mate (Paddock Wood)
Pilsner Urquell

As you all know, I'm a sucker for packaging. This one is the king; pine beetle denim wood box, 500ml swing-top bottle and elegant artwork. How could I say no? It would be easy, "Why the @$#@ is the beer prick buying something from Pacific Western?" I got suckered in by the packaging.

So anyways, I drank this beer and thought it was pretty good - for a Pacific. Many a Pacific product have passed by my lips; none have made me smile. A few have even made me grimace. This brew is by far their best tasting release. Then I was forced to rethink my opinion. If this was released by Driftwood, Lighthouse or Moon Under Water the words of disdain would be voluminous. No double standards, so lets get started..

The first thing I noticed was the Pacific Western website mentioned that, "No sooner did our new limited edition Schwarzbock hit the shelves than it’s receiving accolades from respected beer blogs." Their link to beergeeks.ca shows a copy of their press release. No accolades nor review. Non surprising considering beergeeks is in Ontario and Pacific Western is not carried by the LCBO. Lucky for them. Not to put down the 'respected beer blog' title but they have less than 100 beer reviews on their site. They also gave favourable reviews for two Okanagan Spring beers.

If you go by the styles, as I love to do, this beer would fall in the 'bock' BJCP category. This thing is not a bock, there is no malt depth. I'm no expert, but it tastes like a 8% TNT with some added chocolate malts. The nose is absent with barely a whiff of molasses, roasted peanuts and vegetal. Each sip is flat and slick with roast, molasses, cherries (juice), chocolate and a slight herbal and spicy hop snap. Luckily the aftertaste is short lived. Granted it is an easy drinking beer for 8% ABV, but it just seems a little lifeless. The best part about this beer was the wood box and the swing-top bottle for homebrewing.

Taste +1
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content +1 8%
Value 0
Appearance +1

I remember trying this beer in a can, it was terrible. On tap at Clive's Classic Lounge was a better experience.

Warsteiner Dunkel = 4/10

A 'vacancy' sign was hung on the edge of the glass to describe the nose. If you were to force an answer from me, I would say wood and vegetables. Every sip was dry with light caramel, roast, vegetal and slightly fruity. The roasted vegetables and caramel faded away slowly to leave a barely noticeable dry toast coating on the tongue. It was nice but not exciting.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0
Value 0
Appearance 0

Must make progress, must make progress. Need more homebrew...

Classic Pale Ale (Whistler) = 4/10

Most beer pricks, like myself, can describe the taste of a pale ale before the bottle is opened. Faint (but acceptable) nose of vegetal, floral and spicy hops with just enough caramel and bready malts to make you care. Yup, I called it. The mild, spicy and floral hops hit the tongue first with the caramel and bready malts taking up the rear. All this with a clean finish. This pale ale is OK, but not exciting. Props for nice bottles and inviting label.

Taste +3
Aftertaste 0
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value 0
Appearance +1 (very elegant bottle and label)

Thank goodness, this is the last entry in one of my 33beers books. Only 8 more to go.

Galt Knife Old Style Lager = 4/10 (Grand River)

Ratebeer 3.31 83rd percentile
Beer Advocate B

This is a pre-prohibition style lager. Basically it means it has flavour; this is in stark contrast to most lagers today. And flavour it has. The nose is shocking for a lager: caramel malty, floral hops and slight vegetal. This brew is big on the vegetal which gives it a creamy, yet thin, mouthfeel. After the mouth coating of butter fades off, you get lots of floral/resinous hops and straw, caramel and bready malts. This is not a fair review because I generally do not like lagers, especially old style ones. Galt knife is a good example of this style. If you like this style you will love this beer.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content -1 4.4%
Value 0
Appearance +1

Stiegl and is addiction really so bad?
Old Towne Bavarian Lager (Swan's)
Session Premium Lager

No preamble today, no education, just the facts. I actually might finish writing up a 33beers notebook soon. This is another Toronto special by Railway City Brewing.

Iron Spike Blonde Ale = 4/10

Ratebeer 2.73 28th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

This has more flavour than one would expect from a blonde ale. The nose had quite a bit of toffee, fruit and was slightly spicy. There was DMS aroma also, but it worked. The creamy and slightly astringent mouthfeel was just like the nose. It only added a bit of chewy bread and subdued spiciness. The aftertaste was short but nicely spicy with caramel. From the describtion it is not really sounding like a blonde ale.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content -1 4.3%
Value +1
Appearance 0

Pinkus Munster Alt
Golden Ale Salt Spring
Saint-Martin Blond

WOOT! This was a sponsorship deal from the bar-keep and C'est What. A good pub should let you try a small sample of any beer. This was snagged on the way out; actually I think it was on the way to the washroom.

Mill Street Roggenbier =4/10

Ratebeer 3.28 80th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Massive nose from a small sample: match sticks and rye bread. The taste was creamy rye and bready hints. This is where the notes end.

Taste +3
Aftertaste 0 (not documented)
Alcohol Content 0 5.3%
Value +1
Appearance 0

I bought a six pack of Phillips Dr. Funk to watch the Superbowl. To those that know me, watching me buy beer in a @#$#@ing nightmare. The average person takes 3 minutes to buy beer at Cook Street CBAW. I was in there for 20 minutes! After much debate I decided to go local and buy some Phillips. My first impression was that this beer tasted metallic, overly roasted bitter and too much like cream corn. Perhaps I was being a little harsh so I decided to do a head to head with a known Bavarian/Munich Dark Lager. It doesn't end well.

Dr Funk Dunkel =4/10
Ratebeer 3.3/5 3 ratings
Beer Advocate C+

The nose on this one was slightly vegetally with roasted nuts, baseball mitt and whole grain toast. The mouthfeel was a little thin but do-able. Up front there is a pronounced metallic bitterness that I couldn't place. Once that left, a good wash of roasted malts took over: faint chocolate, toast and almonds. Aftertaste was clean with only a slight astringent snap of roast nuts remaining. Perhaps I was a little harsh on my first assessment, this was not too bad. As it warmed up the roasted vegetables got more pronounced.

Taste +2
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value 0
Appearance +1 (everyone likes a potential copyright infringement lawsuit).


Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel =7/10
Ratebeer 3.58 95th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

The nose was fainter, no vegetal, with whole wheat toast and weak coffee. There is a difference between whole wheat and whole grain toast; I can't believe I just said that. While lighter in colour it was smoother in taste. No bitterness up front, just a creamy wash of caramel, toasted almonds, cold coffee and cheap dry chocolate. Very smooth and creamy; truly a pleasure to drink. Little residual flavours, only an enjoyable warmth of caramel. The flavours changed little as the brew warmed up, maybe a little more roasted coffee. BTW if you spell this beer in Scrabble you instantly win.

Taste +4
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value +1
Appearance +1 (the colour of the pour is an amazing deep mahogany)

Needless to say I slammed the Funk back and savoured the remaining Ayinger.

I picked up this beer because I wanted to try a beer from my bosses home: Kenya. He knew the brand right away; apparently it is the dominant brand of beer in Kenya.

Tusker Lager (Kenya) = 4/10

Ratebeer 2.12 8th percentile
Beer Advocate C+

This is a lager like all others. It has a nose like grass and straw with slight vegetal and floral hops. The taste is very clean, yet slightly fruity with minimal vegetal. A floral and sweet hops gave a slight blast above the grassy malts. All these flavours faded quickly away. I've had lots of lagers and this one was pretty descent.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value 0
Appearance 0 (boring label, unless you like elephants)

Red Stripe Lager
Tennent's Lager
I cannot believe it has come to this: Milwaukee's Best

Whenever you dive into a fruit lambic, you know there will be some sweetness. This one was a little over-done.

Cherish Kriek Lambic 4/10

Ratebeer 3.12 61st percentile
Beer Advocate B

This was a syrupy sweet fruit lambic with a light-medium mouthfeel. The colour was clear and deep red. It was very bubbly and sweet like maraschino cherries. There was only the faintest of lambic tartness at the end. What was left over was a long, slick sweet coating of mildly tart cherry syrup. I thought it was too sweet for a lambic.

Taste +3
Aftertaste +1
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value 0 (too sweet)
Appearance 0 (boring label)

Storm Black Currant Lambic
Chapeau Kriek Lambic
Fruli Strawberry

This is one of the brews I brought back from Toronto. I am a sucker for small variety packs; Cameron's contained only four beers.

Cameron's Lager 4/10

Ratebeer 2.6 22nd percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Overall it was a decent lager; the nose was thin with straw, spinach and floral hops. The taste also provided no suprises. It was light-medium in body with ample and palate cleansing carbonation. Lots of tiny bubbles cleared the way for honey and straw malts with a faint floral and citrus hop presence. There was no aftertaste, just clean, dry and refreshing. Cameron's was a decent lager with little DMS or diacetyl.

Taste +3
Aftertaste 0
Alcohol Content 0 5%
Value +1
Appearance 0 (average bottle art)

Granville Island Lager
Red Stripe
Grolsch

Ratebeer 3.24 77th percentile
Beer Advocate B-

Taste +2

• Nose of lime leaves and pine hops
• Taste was bitter and astringent with citrus and pine, maybe a tad floral
• every taste had a mild lime flavour and banana
• Malts were of course caramel with a little bread

Aftertaste +1

• The caramel malts and citrus/lime fades to leave an acidic tongue coating
  

Alcohol Content +1 7.5%

Couldn't really notice a burning nor warmth.

Value 0

It was a neat flavour but not worth a repeat purchase.

Ingame Enhancement 0

The aftertaste still haunts me.

Overall 4/10

It was a unique taste sensation that kinda worked. The tart lime cordial meshed well with the caramel and PNW hops.

Mango Weizen
24-mile Blueberry Pail Ale
Audacious Apricot Wheat

Creemore Springs Lager

Ratebeer 3.3 82nd percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +3

To taste a well made lager is an uneventful thing. This one was no different. The nose was faint of grass, bread and light citrus. A clean medium hop snap at the start was resinous and slightly spicy. This was followed by the easly drinking grassy malts. All of this leading to a clean finish.

Aftertaste 0

Sorry did I not mention the clean finish?

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Don't we all know that 5 is the magic beer number

Value +1

To be fair, this was a well done lager.

Ingame Enhancement 0

This was another LCBO beer find. I will never make fun of the crappy beer selection at my local BCLS; it is excellent compared to any LCBO.

Overall 4/10

Lagers are not my favourite beer; hence my rating system is rigged so that they will fail. This was a good lager; pleasant hop snap, drinkable malts and a clean finish. That's just was a lager is.

Lucky Force 8 (100th review)
Steigl-Goldbrau bier and is addiction really so bad..
Swan's Old Town Bavarian Lager and beer hacking

Grolsch

Ratebeer 2.52/5 19th percentile
Beer Advocate C+

The need to include a photo is lacking; almost every beer drinker recognizes their distinctive bottle.

Taste +3

This infamous beer was sampled on tap at Clive's Lounge. I was not expecting much because the nose was barely noticeable, maybe a slight iceberg lettuce aroma. The very carbonated, light-medium mouthfeel brew gave a greater mineral flavour than expected. Luckily the grasses, straw and spicy hops came up strong to round out the taste.

Aftertaste +1

It was a clean ending, but a slightly soapy residue coating on the tongue. This was good for a lager.

Alcohol Content 0 5%

Value 0

This was a good beer, but not worth a repeat purchase.

Ingame Enhancement 0

On the walk home from Canoe Club I stopped into Clives for a quick pint.

Overall 4/10

This is a good lager and deserves to be tried once. I would try to avoid the green bottles; many reviews on ratebeer mention the word 'skunk'. Perhaps the can or on tap would be a better option.

Kells Irish Style Lager (Rogue)
Red Stripe
Stiegl

Russell IP'eh
India Pale Ale

Ratebeer 3.22 58th percentile
Beer Advocate B+

Taste +2

This is a standard IPA with a sweet citrus and pine hop nose with caramel malts. The taste is pretty standard also with caramel/biscuit malts and a mild chaser of citrus/pine hops. Oddly the hops did not bite; it was a creamy and dry mouthfeel . This beer won the bronze medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup in the English IPA category.

Aftertaste +1

It was dry and clean with just a hint of citrus.

Alcohol Content +1 6.5%

Just as an IPA should be.

Value 0

I thought this was an ordinarily mild IPA.

Ingame Enhancement 0

Nope, I'm done.

Overall 4/10

I thought it was a little malty for an IPA made on the West Coast. It is a good thing I'm not a World Beer Cup judge. Hopheads would not approve.

Paddywack IPA
Stone IPA
Yellow Snow IPA and New Years Resolutions