Granville Island Cloak and Dagger
Well, here we are. GIB has finally let loose with the 2013 version of their Cascadian Dark Ale, the 2012 version of which started the whole CascadiaGate issue. Or, at least, that’s Steamworks’ story and they’re sticking with it.
For their part, Steamworks has since announced that everything is fine, and they realized the errors of their ways. Anyone can use “Cascadia” in the style of a beer, just so long as they don’t use it as the name (then they’ll have to pay $1). But I digress, this is not a story anyone even remotely familiar with beer in BC is not completely sick of. Kind of like our overly restrictive beer laws. What? Those are still here? Crap.
Pictured: Great beer in Costco. This is a thing that happens elsewhere in the world.
GIB also took the opportunity to relaunch their Limited Release Series as the Black Book Series. The beers themselves will be familiar versions of Brewmaster Vern Lambourne’s brews of years past, but they will have funky new labels and, for the first time, names.
Naming the beers is a concession to the “style but not name” requirement from Steamworks above, but also overdue. Good beers deserve names. The branding, though, is curious, as it de-emphasizes the “Granville Island Brewing” aspect so prevalent on GIB’s Molson-brewed beers, and instead highlights the specific beer. Frankly, the difference in quality between Molson’s “Granville Island” and Vern’s “Granville Island” has long been ill-served by the similar-looking bottles, so I say “well played, GIB.”
Anyway, back to the beer. What was the point of everyone turning towards Steamworks last fall and muttered “The fuck?” if not to protect a brewery’s right to make a fantastic hoppy beer and rightfully–truthfully–call it “Cascadian.” Sadly, that hypothetical beer is not this one (although Parallel 49 just released a Cascadian Dark Lager…)
Cloak and Dagger is a Cascadian Dark Ale, and all CDAs tend to be good, but it lacks that massive hop punch that trademarks the style. In fact, this is somewhat of a sweet ale… with an approachable taste, and that’s my main issue. CDAs are a beer nerd’s nerdy beer, and this just isn’t that. Sure, it has some of the toasted malt we all like in our CDAs, but that’s about it.
Tasting notes:
NOSE Dark malt, some roast coffee, and a mild punch of hops
APPEARANCE Black as night with light tan head
TASTE Sweet malt, although some bitterness from the roasting, not a lot of hops to back it up
SHOULD I BUY IT? Depends. Do you like sweeter, maltier IPAs? Then yes. Otherwise, give it a skip.
Coles notes:
| Brewery | Granville Island |
| From | Vancouver |
| Name | Cloak and Dagger |
| Style | Cascadian Dark Ale |
| SOA Now | None Awarded |
| SOA Potential | Not a cellaring ale |
| Drink | Now. |
| Lawsuit odds | I’ll give you 4:1. I just don’t see them doing it. |
| Availability | Widely available at LRS |
| Cost | $? per 650ml bottle (free sample). |
| Similar BC Beers | Howe Sound Gathering Storm |
Most American girls are fat, slutty feminists who dress like slobs. Men should boycott them to encourage them to improve and start putting them in their place.
Here are some ways to insult American girls:
1. If she is fat, say:
“Are you pregnant?”
OR
“Are you sure you should be eating that?”
OR
“Have you looked in the mirror recently?”
2. When you are near a fat chick, use your mobile phone by pretending that you are talking to a friend and complain loudly about how disgusting fatties are.
3. If she has a tattoo, make a disgusted face, and say:
“Is that a bug or dirt on your skin?”
OR
“I thought tattoos were only for bikers, criminals, or whores.”
OR
“Girls who get tattoos because everyone else has one are like lemmings. Would you jump off a bridge because everybody else did?”
OR
“I hear that there are laser tattoo removal clinics. You should go to one.”
OR
“I thought you looked pretty hot until I saw that tattoo.”
OR
“That tattoo will look really good when you are 70.”
4. If she smokes, say:
“Gross! Smoking is such a turn-off. Lung cancer is not sexy.”
5. If she wears flip-flops, say:
“Wow, girls in other countries like Russia and Brazil care about their appearance and dress like women.”
6. If she has short hair, say:
“Excuse me, are you a man?”
Pat Lee
30 Apr 13 at 21:42
Thank you Pat Lee. That has to be comment of the year.
Matt
1 May 13 at 02:51
@Pat Lee
Um…. anyone else wanna take a stab at this one? Cuz, honestly, I’m at a loss.
I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s spam, but I have no idea what they’re selling.
chuck
1 May 13 at 18:06