How's isolation going? Kids driving you bonkers? Do you even know what day of the week it is?! Ha. Well lucky for you, it's THURSDAY!
As mobile bartenders who specialize in beer, we typically have a few things stashed away in our fridge. Usually we say it's for a rainy day, now it's for the endless hours at home playing cards and, well, getting educated on BEER! In case you missed it, I'm working on my Cicerone, so while this downtime isn't ideal for our business, at least we're making the best of it.
In case you missed it: I love me a juicy IPA, so it should not surprise you that when Covid's got me down, I'm reaching for some of this magic juice.
This week, I grabbed some of Backcountry Brewing's Galaxy IPA. I was delighted when our friends at Blind Bay Village Grocer texted me to let me know they had added these guys to their roster.
I love me a good story, and Backcountry has it! Hop farmers, beer veterans and brewers all joined forces to create this award-winning brewery in Squamish. Sounds like a match made in heaven to us: definitely click on the link to read up on the whole story.
All right, let's dive in: Dead of Night, Galaxy IPA! WAHOOO! I don't know why it's called Dead of Night (that's a lie, it's cause it uses 2018 Galaxy hops...don't write me telling me I'm a noodle noggin): I found this IPA bright, tropical and fruity...it lit up my day!
Take a wiff and you'll pick up on the pineapple right away, along with apricot and melon...let's say cantaloup to be precise. Your first gulp will certainly delight with very similar fruit profiles on the tongue as on the nose. I loved the peach flavour profile tucked in there. The mouthfeel is soft, almost silky and yes, carbonated well. Mild bitterness, clocking in at a respectable 28IBU, this is a great IPA for those that are on the fence about the whole IPA-thing. You will not find overwhelming hoppy bitterness here: this is a beautifully well-balanced beer.
Guys, this is a beautiful pour. A stunning NE IPA, if I do say so myself! And with 6.6% ABV, it's a bit lighter than some other NE IPA's out there. This bad boy is definitely worth scoping out.
On to the next thing....
Truth bomb.
Initially, I set out to bring you a taste of Okanagan Spring's latest, Blackberry Ale. That was going to be the feature of the week. My hopes were high. Until they weren't. I cracked the can to pour a straw-coloured ale. Blonde. Not even a whisper of blackberry colour. My suspicions up, I went looking for the ingredients on the can. I couldn't find that but what I did find was this: "Living in a place bursting with fruit of all kinds, it's only natural that our beer would be inspired by it, like this easy-to-pick blackberry ale." ALARM BELLS, it reads "inspired." So I kept spinning the can to find what I had suspected: "Beer with blackberry flavour."
I was SO disappointed. Y'all Okanagan Springs is made in the Okanagan...home to some impressive fruit orchards and a bounty of berries. WHY OH WHY fruit FLAVOUR?! Take a sip, and it's ok. It's a blonde ale with blackberry flavour. Crushable? FOR SURE. If you like the fruity tang of cider, this make for a nice graduation into beer country. For me? I was definitely disappointed.
I wanted to include this, cause y'all always get the recommendations. I always seek out to find the best in every beer I try. I'm not here to tell you what's good and what's bad: everybody's flavour preferences and tastebuds are different. I guess in today's day and age of creative brewing and a movement to local goodness...well, I had just hoped for more out of this one.
All right...in more exciting news, we are going to be rolling out a NEW format for Thirsty Thursday next week. Think, homebased tasting party...with a brewer! Want in? Be sure to get your email on our list, and follow us on the socials!
Have a beer you want us to feature on a future Thirsty Thursday? Drop us a line? Try either of these beers? Let us know! We can't wait to hear from ya.