Whistler Brewing Company Bear Paw Honey Lager

The weather in Whistler today was beautiful and clear, and -14 celsius. It was a balls-cold -22 at the roundhouse. Today ends what I would have to call a snowboarding “phase” and marks my return to skiing after a 14 year absence. My enthusiasm nearly nullifying the cold, my joy sure to send my snowboard into a deep hibernation.

Speaking of hibernation… this is my first post in a while. My wife and I had a little girl in July, and well, although the parenting juice still flows, I just didn’t have time to write.

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After an hour or two skiing solo, I went back to pick up my 3 year-old boy and we bundled up for his first trip up the gondola to the Roundhouse for lunch. Then I took him on the Peak to Peak Gondola (my first time as well), which, by the way, is absolutely terrifying!

When I got down the hill I reached for a Whistler Brewing Company Bear Paw Honey Lager. It has a clear amber colour, a good persistent head, and a mild aroma. The taste is smooth and just ever so slightly sweet. This beer has excellent drinkability, with an exceptionally clean taste.

4.25/5
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Ephemere Pomme, Unibroue

A beautiful summer day winds down. It was hot. Two Jamaicans ran really fast in London, (and one pulled up lame). I pressure washed my deck. My son threw some hockey balls over the fence. It was a very full day.

Now I can head down to the beer fridge and reach way in the back for an Ephemere Pomme, while getting ready to watch Newsroom on HBO. Seriously that show is awesome!

I hate flavoured beers, usually, but this one really wins me over. The just-right intensity of the granny smith apple taste is sweet yet not obnoxiously so, and is only to complement what is obviously a great-quality effort from Unibroue.

The corked bottle, a little hard to open, provided a satisfying pop after a few minutes of wriggling, and the head was lively but short-lived.

The body is light, like the taste, and it is perfect for days like today, which in Vancouver, can be few and far between.

4.25/5

Ephemere Pomme, Unibroue

Voyage of Beers, Heartland Brewery, Manhattan

I really wanted to visit Heartland Brewing while I was in town.  Having walked past them before, I assumed it was some kind of shitty tourist place. It’d we were one of those snobby beer connoisseurs I would probably poo poo this place, but I have to be honest, I loved it.  The waitress was great, and it was a family friendly place to have ribs and beer.

Since it is fleet week, it is also full of people in uniform getting their drink on, with a complement of hot sluts competing for their attention.  Good thing it is only 6pm, this place probably gets ugly late at night.

We started with the buffalo chicken spring rolls, an interesting twist on a Vancouver-Asian staple.  Then we had the “voyage of beer.”

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It is like a cup of hot chocolate on the peak of a powdery mountain after slaying hip-deep tracks into it’s virgin slopes against a blue spring sky.

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The beers are listed in the menu with number one starting at 6:00, and moving counterclockwise.
Indian River Light was light and fruity with a nice orangey finish, and slightly burnt aftertaste.
Cornhusker Lager has a more homegrown taste with a smooth finish. It’s a good ‘drinkin beer.
Harvest Wheat Beer… Well, I was stupid and squeezed the lemon into the little glass, so it just tastes like lemon… Which is good.
Red Rooster Ale: this is very flavourful with a toffee aroma and subtle aftertaste. It goes well with the Buffalo Chicken spring rolls.
Indiana Pale Ale (haha, I get it!) is different from an IPA, I guess. It tastes a lot like Lemon Pledge, with a bitter aftertaste. It’s a bit disappointing, but good for variety, I guess.
Farmer John’s Oatmeal Stout: OMG this is soo good. It is like a cup of hot chocolate on the peak of a powdery mountain after slaying hip-deep tracks into it’s virgin slopes against a blue spring sky. I have to admit though, it would be hard to finish a whole pint, it is just a little rich.
Buffalo Bock (in the middle) is meh!
Kelly’s Irish Red Ale (not shown), nope, tastes like river.

The member of this beer family worth remembering is (by far) the Farmer John’s Oatmeal Stout. I am not a stout expert, but I was really impressed.

Overall, there is plenty to choose from and a good laid back atmosphere so this is a really great experience.

Farmer John’s Oatmeal Stout 5/5 (G2)

Ribs at Heartland