Our thirsty Thursday was more like a freaky Friday. The day before Friday the 13th and this Crownsmen Show might as well have been the next day for all the luck we had. More technical issues than a ketamine fueled SpaceX launch, but thanks to our always on the ball ground crew we obtained lift-off. Eventually it turned into another not to be missed groundbreaking and earth shaking show. I think we talked about sleep deprivation again, or was I dreaming?
Marty the Marmot Miner
I also learned that Marty the miner is not a squirrel but a marmot. What the hell is a marmot you may well ask, as did I. Upon further research and at the risk of being accused of rodent body shaming, I find that a marmot is nothing more than a big fat ground squirrel. * And Rory’s mascot Lenny was being a little shit again.
But today’s focus is not on a rascally rodent or some feisty feces, but rather a saline maritime canine, a salty Sea Dog of a brew. Straight from the Strait of Georgia in Victoria is Vancouver Island Brewing, one of our cross Canada coast to coast toast brewers featured with their Island Lager. Courtesy of Crownsmen Rory we have their Sea Dog Amber Ale to sample and heaven knows (and anyone else that visits this website) I love me an Amber. Time to see if this Sea Dog can hunt.
A dark golden approaching brown toffee tone pour, no roiling (or is it rolling) surf ** of head on this one. A caramel aroma, hardcore amber on the nose. The taste is watery, full caramel flavour but nothing else. No salt, malt, lager sweet, pilsner crisp, ale bite or bitters. No desert dry or dessert sweet, not a pine bough slap in the face or any fruit fresco. No fizz in the bizz, no tiger in the tankard. Nada. A flat and unengaging finish. It needed something, anything to follow the caramel because without it the caramel gets a bit old, even in a stubby. VIB talks about a “clean roasted dry finish” but we couldn’t find it.
Jerrod was two thumbs down, Rory gave it some pity scoring. In general a bit of a let down from my high in the sky hopes for this west coast amber.
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