savant ipa – Beck's Beer Blog

i think the elysian brewing tap take over at st. augustine’s on monday was the largest i have been to
25 taps of elysian were available (out of the 60 taps at st. a’s)
so big in fact that st. a’s kept running out of taster glasses because everyone was ordering paddles in a vain attempt to try all of the offerings
the place was packed and kudos must go to the servers who were run off their feet trying to get us all our beers

i made it through eight tasters
(and a lobster sandwich) before i tapped out

first paddle contained:
woo-tang kettle sour
mortis persimmon sour ale
barrel aged savant ipa
zombo experimental ipa

second paddle contained:
barrel aged loser pale ale
cowabunga ipa
bombo experimental pale ale
huy five pale ale

as usual, i didn’t take very good notes
but here they are regardless
and please note that i really quite liked all eight of my beer choices, despite how my notes may sound:

woo-tang kettle sour: yup, that’s a sour. tasty, but just not the sour i was craving. flanders reds have spoiled me for anything more subtle!
mortis persimmon sour ale: i recall the mortis being fruitier last year. not very sour, but quite light and refreshing.
barrel aged savant ipa – just a hint of bourbon, which is they way i like my barrel aged beers. this one is a real winner. agreement from my table mates that this is one fabulous beer.
zombo experimental ipa – initially the finish was too crisp. however as soon as i started eating my sandwich, this beer became absolutely perfect
barrel aged loser pale ale – ooooh, sorachi ace, nice touch! again, not too heavy on the bourbon which pleased me immensely. the rest of the beer shone through. definite winner.
cowabunga ipa – i think this one was my favourite. so citrusy, it was just what i was in the mood for.
bombo experimental pale ale – i quite liked this one. i want to know what the “new” yakima valley hop they were using is though…
huy five pale ale – i think this was my least favourite. a very decent belgiany pale ale, i just wasn’t in the mood for belgiany

and pauline described the dread imperial stout as “angels singing” if that gives you any idea of how she felt about it

if you’re interested in what others had to say about the event and the beers, search the hash-tag #elysiantto2014

new and exciting beers at legacy liquor store in vancouver:

Brasserie Ellezelloise – Hercule Stout – $5.35

Hercules! Hercules! Hercules! This deep dark Belgian stout pours a dark mahogany while nuts, raisins and toffee play on the nose. Dark malt, chocolate and coffee make this Belgian stout a true contender for the title of Herculean.

Elysian Brewing – Savant IPA – $8.95

Part of Elysian Brewing’s Manic IPA series, this beer is the definition of a fabulous India Pale Ale. Pouring almost bronze in colour, with orange and pine on the nose, Savant is a true west coast IPA in both flavour and style.

Omission Brewing – Gluten-Free Pale Ale – $17.90

Celiacs rejoice! From the heartland of beer – Portland, Oregon – comes a gluten free American Pale Ale that fits the bill when it comes to quenching thirst. Amber in colour with notes of citrus and malt, with more of the same dancing on the palate, it’s a great start to brewing a better gluten-free beer.