So, Kiri purchased me another advent calendar of beer this year. And I’ve decided I’ll do some more beer reviews. But this year I’ve going to mix it up with some classic hockey games that you might want to watch while drinking some good beers. I’m going to piggyback off the Pass It To Bulis blog, who are showcasing 20 of the best games throughout the month of December.

I’m going to link directly to the videos, rather than their posts, as I think they give away a bit much in their posts. Given that most of my blog audience (meagre as they are) will be Australians and Australians living in Canada, they may not know how the games finish, and I want to preserve the mystery. If you have always wanted to watch some hockey, these games are probably are a great place to start.

After the month is over I’ll compare my beer ratings with the ratings of last year’s beers

 

Beer #1: Parallel 49 Rock the Bells 7% ABV 12 IBU.
Rated: 4 out of 10

In the 90’s in Australia there was an iconic ad for Cranberry juice that ended with the line “Where’s the cranny, granny?” Well, I finally found the cranny in this sour cranberry ale. I think I also found the granny (or at least the grannies old bath water). This beer is very sour, has a nice amount of cranberry, but also has a slightly skunky aftertaste. Not a favorite.

Beer #2: Central City Red Racer India Session Ale 4% ABV 12 IBU.
Rated: 8 out of 10

I’m pretty sure I had this beer for the first time in last year’s beer calendar, and it has since become a semi-regular for me. It is a good IPA by any standards, and becomes very good when you consider that it is only 4% ABV. The flavour to alcohol content is quite possibly the best of any beer out there — a good beer to have a couple of while you watch some hockey.

 

Hockey Game #1: Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames April 10 2010.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNQYtEwAabY

This game is the Canucks final game of the 2009-10 regular season. They have already qualified for the playoffs, having guaranteed themselves top spot in their division. So why are we watching a dead rubber? Because of the Sedins and, specifically, Henrik Sedin[1]. Henrik Sedin enters this game 1 point behind Alex Ovechkin in the Art Ross Trophy race, which is awarded to the player who leads the NHL in points (goals + assists) . Alex Ovechkin is playing his last game the next day, so Henrik needs to put a few points on the board. Can Henrik build a big enough lead? You’ve gotta watch the game to find out!

[1] The Sedins are absolute freaks. They are identical twins, born in Sweden, who both play for the Canucks. Henrik wears number 33, and Daniel wears number 22. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two sportsmen, in any sport, who have better chemistry than these two. Their instincts are amazing, and it leads to some incredible no-look passing.

 

Beer #3: Parallel 49 Jerkface 9000 5% ABV 37 IBU.
Rated: 7 out of 10

This beer has an ugly label, a stupid name and…. a surprisingly not bad taste. Maybe it’s even good. The only clue on the label as to it’s character is the ugly character (he is one disturbing dude) and the tagline “North West Wheat”. I usually associate the pacific north west with bold, heavily hopped beers, while the modal wheat beer seems to be a poor imitation of Hoegaarden. So I wasn’t expecting much — surely those things can’t work together? But this does seem to work, somehow. I can’t quite put my finger on it — perhaps a hint of grapefruit that ties it all together? In any case, if you are like me and have seen this one in the bottle shop before, but never bought it, I say give it a try. You might just be surprised.

 

Beer #4: Central City “The Dominator” Brett Saison 6.5% ABV
Rated: 7 out of 10

I’m often a little sceptical of saisons. They are a fairly trendy beer right now, and that means that a lot places are trying them, and they are often hit and miss. This one counts as a hit. The saison nature of the beer is more apparent in the nose than the flavour, although it does also have that distinctive sourish saison aftertaste. But it is the foretaste where this beer stands out – a good solid whack of flavour that is almost like a lager with a hit of citrus.

 

Beer #5: Parallel 49 Salty Scott 7.5% ABV 17 IBU
Rated: 8 out of 10

The Salty Scott is a sea salted caramel scotch ale. Again, the first time I had this beer was last year’s calendar and it is now in my regular beer rotation. The saltiness is understated, but noticeable, and the caramel is smooth and not overwhelming. But the highlight of this beer is the nose – a nice smooth hit of caramel. A great beer to drink on a cold and rainy night, like tonight. Plus there is a Canucks game on CBC at 7pm!

 

Beer #6: Red Racer Northwest Pale Ale 5% ABV
Rated: 8 out of 10

I poured tonight’s beer into an old Chimay glass that I have, and that was a good choice. The wide glass really helped bring out the fruity aromas of this pale ale. This beer sits somewhere in between a more traditional pale ale and an IPA – it starts fruity, and finishes with a strong kick of hops. It is a good beer, but not the type of beer that you would want to drink a lot of – the sharp taste seems like it might get overwhelming after a couple.

 

Beer #7: Parallel 49 Filthy Dirty IPA 7% ABV 70 IBU
Rated: 7 out of 10

I’m a little torn about this beer; I can’t quite decide if I think it is a good beer or just an average IPA. Perhaps it can be both? In any case, this is not really your standard IPA, being heavier on the fruit and lighter on the bitter than most. Which is somewhat surprising given that it clocks in at 70 IBUs. It also holds head very well for a north american beer, which is a positive in my books. It’s certainly a decent beer, but there are at least a few other north west style IPAs that get the nod ahead of this one.

 

Beer #8: Central City “The Fabulator” Rauch Bock 6.5% ABV
Rated: 6 out of 10

Rauchbier is German for smoked beer, and a bock is a strong lager. Naturally, this beer is a smoked, higher alcohol lager. This is the second Rauchbier that I’ve had, and it is by far the best of the two. But I’m not a fan of the style. The smokey flavours completely overwhelm the nose of the beer. For this particular beer, the initial taste is of a smooth well-built lager, but the after taste is a bit smoke heavy for my tastes and leaves a bit of an unfinished feel to the beer.