Beer column: A pair of strong beloved seasonal releases from Parallel 49

If you’ve checked out the selections at the front of any BC Liquor Store during the winter, you’ve likely spotted these two cans hanging out with other single tall cans of beer.

They’re both from Parallel 49, one of Vancouver’s biggest and most popular breweries, and they only come out to play during the fall and winter months.

Of course, I’m talking about the Salty Scot Sea Salted Caramel Scotch Ale and the Toques of Hazzard Double White IPA.

Both of these seasonal releases are the definition of “strong” beers and you won’t need more than a couple to start feeling all warm and fuzzy on a cold winter’s day.

Salty Scot Sea Salted Caramel Scotch Ale

Believe it or not, the Salty Scot is by far the less strong of these two beers with an ABV of 7.5%.

When you pour this one in your favourite pint glass, don’t get turned away by the powerful aroma.

Your nostrils will get a significant whiff of scotch combined with toffee and caramel, which may give you the sensation that you’re about to chomp down on a bar of homemade fudge.

There’s still plenty to the taste, but it’s a little more subtle than the smell and a nice balance of everything that goes into this creation.

If you’re not a scotch fan, you might want to pass this one over at the liquor store, but the salt compliments the rest of the flavours very nicely to produce a perfect winter beer.

Toques of Hazzard Double White IPA

If the Salty Scot is strong, this bad boy is extra strong, as the Toques of Hazzard Double White IPA comes in at a whopping 9.2% ABV.

“Just a good ol' beer, made with grains, yeast and hops. Beats all you ever drank, been a double IPA since the day it was born,” explains the brewery’s website.

“An Imperial IPA made with wheat to keep the beer light bodied and a hazy white. Big hop flavours and aromas of tropical fruit and gooseberries from the Citra and Hallertau Blanc hops.”

A beer that nears a double-digit ABV will understandably scare some people away, but it certainly doesn’t come across as boozy when you taste it.

While it has all the elements you’d typically expect from any IPA, the fact that it’s brewed as a white IPA gives it a bit of a witbier feel with a smooth taste when it hits your lips.

Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at [email protected]. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.