Beer Review #8: Labatt Wildcat Strong

Picked this one up as part of a special offer at the BC Liquor Store opposite waterfront. It was cheap, but I still think I might have been robbed.

It may be true that I was drawn to this beer because it had a picture of some mountain lion-y thing on the front and I like cats.

It may also be true that the SKY SPORTS ACTION NEWS style font made me associate this beer with getting drunk while something exciting is going on, rather than watching a re-run of mission impossible on a damp sunday evening.

And it may even be true that I held out a faint hope that it would make the Sex-Panther roar when I opened the can.

But none of these things can make up for what I find inside the can.

I've had reasonable experiences with this company before; Labatt's Blue is a bit of a staple out here in Canada and as an inoffensive lager it certainly gets the job done. While I'm naturally wary of extra-strong beers that aren't Belgian I thought I would give the Labatt's boys a break and see if they can impress me with WildCat.

On the pour it actually looks ok. Nice colour, plenty of carbonation and actually retains some head after the initial fizz dies down.

It doesn't have much of a smell - some sweet malt and corn but nothing especially offensive. Trouble is, there's nothing good going on either.

Taste is worse - there's the same lack of any kind of flavour but it's got a rank metal aftertaste that doesn't hit for about 4 seconds, then hangs around for far too long. The aftertaste would be bearable if there's was some during-taste to make up for it, but there's not much of anything going on here.

The brewers are very keen to boast that WildCat contains 'No Additives'. Frankly, if people are drinking 6.1% beer they probably aren't doing it for the health benefits, and if chucking a shitload of E-Numbers, artificial flavourings or asbestos powder into this stuff would improve the flavour (or at least get rid of that sodding aftertaste, which is still with me as I type this, a good 30 seconds after my last sip) then I say go for it!

This beer has low price and high ABV content going for it if that's your thing. If not, avoid, avoid, avoid!

Verdict: 3/10

Beer Review #7: Vertical Winter Ale

As the weather turns colder and the days grow short I'm left with a choice: construct a cocoon from pillows and retreat beneath the ground for the winter, or go on a hunt for warming winter ales. Since I only have 2 pillows and my housemates aren't happy with my building a larger fort out of sofa cushions, it looks like I'm off to the liquor store.

Enter 'Tree Brewing Company'. Established in 1996 (so says the bottle) this is another Canadian brew. The bottle is a pretty plan affair - company name embossed on the glass and a label around the neck. They have at least gone to the trouble of personalising their own bottle caps but at first glance this isn't an eye catching affair.

Still, I'm freezing and this stuff claims to be 'Winter Ale' so I'll give it a go. There's a mention of a 'vanilla finish' on the beer which sounds interesting too.

Beer Review #6: Rising Sun Pale Ale

Turned this up at the BC Liquor Store on Cambie. I've crossed Japan off my list for the Beers Around the World Challenge months ago (Ah, for the days when a simple bottle of Kirin Ichiban could still get my heart racing. It was a simpler time, was March of 2011) but this is something I've never heard of before.

The label tells me it's from Baird's brewery and from the name 'Rising Sun' I make the assumption that it's Japanese. I'm slightly concerned that thinking like that might be racist.

The rest of the bottle doesn't give me any clues - there's plenty of writing on the back but it's all in some kind of crazy foreign script that could be a desperate plea for help from a slave labourer in the bottling plant for all I know. Some light googling later and my suspicions are confirmed - Baird's is a brewery in Japan , there's no mention of slave labour being used in their factories and I'm probably not racist for not recognising Japanese script.

There's some cool artwork happening on the label. The red sun brings back childhood memories of beating the shit out of E-Honda on Street Fighter, the whole thing has got a lot of colour and Baird have got their craft-beer bases covered with a customised bottle cap with a picture of some barley on it. I've got high hopes for this one.

I’m a little concerned on the pour - Rising Sun doesn’t look as delicious as I was hoping. There’s some yeasty cloudiness and some specs of sediment floating about.

But lo and behold, it smells great! Piney and grassy with some fruity hop smells in there as well. There’s less of the fruit and more of the pine when it hits the mouth but there’s still some citrus going on there too. There’s a bitterness on the finish which might scare off some drinkers but, frankly, they’d be wrong and I hate them. It tastes awesome.

Since I haven’t learned to read Japanese between starting this article and writing this sentence I’ve no idea what strength this stuff is, but based on taste I’d put it around 5%. The only drawback for rising sun is price; this bottle was 360ml and set me back $7. It’s bloody delicious but I couldn’t justify this as anything other than a one off treat.

Verdict: 8/10

Beer Review #5: Red Horse

Ladies and gentlemen, hats off to the good people at Brewery Creek liquor store on Main.

After months of trawling the streets of London in search of the national beer of the Philippines here I find it, lurking in an unassuming Vancouver liquor store. In my twisted and disturbing world this is a bit like turning up an autographed copy of the bible.

Presumably Filipinos are game for getting lashed because it's a big bastard of a can - 500ml. It's scant on artwork but I feel damn manly holding it. It's coated in Testosterone Red. There are proud mustang heads rearing at me. There's not much writing (real beers don't need words!) but what it has is bold and rugged. If it was possible for a font to have a beard, this would probably have a waist length monstrosity with bits of bear meat stuck in it.

Its got its foreign credentials in order as well. There's the obligatory 'export only' sticker, and it's even got that ribbed bit at the top of the can which I've seen on foreign cans of coke you can pick up in dodgy newsagents in Peckham. This stuff might be made by San Miguel but it looks exotic enough to get me excited.

The marketing blurb promises a "full flavoured taste and extra satisfying strength". They are presumably getting at the fact that this stuff is 8% ABV. We're getting dangerously close to hobo-juice territory here. There are a few Belgian craft beers I've come across that can get away with this kind of strength without making a brew that tastes like angry petrol but Red Horse has set itself up for a challenge by brewing up something this strong.

On the pour it looks ok. Pale colour, clear, well carbonated and a clean looking head that leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

Unfortunately, that's where the fun stops. The smell has some grains lurking about in there somewhere but mostly I can smell booze - lots and lots of booze. I'm not opposed to a beer smelling like it has alcohol in it, but it would be nice if it smelt of something else.

I'm not mad keen on tasting it but I soldier on all the same.

Apparently, contrary to popular belief, he who dares does not always win.

It's boozy and harsh which is what I was expecting, but there's something else in there too. Lurking around as an aftertaste is something like soapy vomit. It's not overpowering - I don't feel compelled to retch all over my keyboard - but it's still there hanging around like a fearsome fart on a dancefloor ruining an otherwise tolerable experience.

Red Horse hasn't amazed me. Well chuffed at finding it - I can cross the Philippines off the list for my Beers Around the World Challenge - but I'll not be rushing out to stock up the fridge with it. I guess the 8% ABV content is a plus if you're trying to get ready for a night out sharpish, but if that's your aim there are better beers that will do the same job. Other than that, it's not got much to offer.

Verdict 3/10

The Beer Hunter reports:

Every good hearted beer hunter appreciates the importance of a good brew to go with a movie.

But the licensing laws of British Columbia make it mighty tough to enjoy a beer in front of the silver screen. One particularly handsome journalist has investigated the impact of these regulations on the Rio Theater in East Vancouver. 

TheBeerHunter encourages you to go along and show your support for the lovely people at the Rio and catch a movie there!

Beer Review #4: Innis and Gunn

At just $2.75 from the BC Liquor Store on Main this was a steal.

Innis and Gunn are a microbrewery in Edinburgh, Scotland, who seem to specialise in bottling a complex blend of liquid awesome. This beer is a favourite from back home and finding it out here makes me excited in a very nearly inappropriate way.

For such an amazing brew the bottle is pretty down to earth - no need for pretension when a beer with more sex appeal and charisma than an electric guitar playing Lamboughini lurks within. If you take the time to read the back there's some clue as to what you're in for. There's lots of talk of 'hand-selecting' and 'oak flavours' conjuring up the image of an old Scottish man in a castle somewhere showering these barrels with love and care, possibly (but understandably) at the expense of neglecting his wife and children. Well, if he is, screw them. The beer is awesome.

This stuff looks brilliant - when you hold it up to the light it's like looking at the side of a honey jar. I feel like I want to spread it on toast, but I'm dimly aware that kind of behaviour might be frowned upon by mainstream society.

The smell is oaky and malty and there's a lot of vanilla and honey in there too. And there are no nasty surprises when it gets into your mouth; you drink exactly what you smell. There's a lot going on here, and I'm happy about all of it.

It's possible that this beer would make the perfect man: strong and robust (6.6% ABV) yet sensitive. Able to embrace his feminine vanilla side while still being able to kick the crap out of some mouthy lager who's been getting handsy with his girlfriend.

Confusing metaphors aside, this is definitely not to be missed. It's different, it's delicious and it not got the bitterness that might put you off making a move away from your mainstream lagers. It's light enough that you can put a few of these away but you won't want to rush through it. This is definitely a beer to be savoured.

Verdict: 9/10