A Canadian Beer Tasting

One of the perks of helping out with the Canadian Brewing Awards is getting to try all of the beers submitted from all parts of the country. While the judging is taking place I am behind the bar (on in this years case, in the kitchen)
sipping beers that I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to readily sample.

The other perk to assisting with the CBA's is the left over beer. I usually get to load up a couple of plastic bins with beers of my preference and take them home for personal consumption. In the three years I've been involved, I always plan a tasting with some buddies featuring all the beers and it is always a great day. This year we didn't get around to the actual tasting until last Saturday and I think I can safely say it was the best tasting to date.

Everyone conducts their tastings in their own way. I prefer to send out a list of all the beers being offered before-hand to all the participants so they can arrive at the tasting with an idea of what they'd prefer to sample. When everyone arrives to the house, they each get to take turns choosing what beer we will all taste. I find it keeps the tasting interesting, you never know what you'll be tasting next.

Anyways, last Saturday's tasting went over well. Between 7 of us we managed to kill over 30 beers from all over Canada, one from Belgium, and some Biergotter homebrew, which was very well done!

DDC's L'Aphrodisiaque
Black Oak Summer Saison
Bushwakker Trephination IPA
Bushwakker IPA
Bushwakker Chico Pale Ale
Bushwakker Palliser Porter
Garrison Oktoberfest Brau
Garrison Winter Warmer
Grand River Bumbleberry Wheat Ale
Grand River Hannenberg Pils
Old Yale Sasquatch Stout
Old Yale Sergeant's IPA
Phillips Accusation ESB
Phillips Double Barrel Scotch Ale
Phillips Surly Blonde Big Belgian Triple
Pump House Dementia Double IPA
Pump House Maltitude Russian Imperial Stout
R&B Hoppelganger IPA
Russell IP'eh
Saltspring Golden Ale
Saltspring Porter
Swan's Buckerfield's ESB
Swans Tessier's Witbier
Tree Hop Head
Tree Hop Head Double IPA
Wild Rose Barley Wine
Wild Rose Czechs Pilz
Wild Rose Crude Oatmeal Stout
Yukon Ice Fog IPA

And,
Belle Gueule 20 Years Anniversary Brew
Biergotter's Dunkel Rogen-Weizen

Winner's of the day? Well Pump House's Double Dementia was beautiful, Phillip's Double Barrel Scotch Ale always impresses, DDC's L'Aphrodisiaque (tried for the first time - stunning), and Tree's Hop Head Double IPA were my personal fav's, if I had to choose. Biggest letdown of the tasting was Yukon's Ice Fog IPA, which surprised us, as Yukon's beers are all very (normally) well done.