2020 Beer Advent Calendar Review: Phillips Space Case
Day 0: Phillips Brewing
I have managed to hold off starting this one even though my other advent calendar is turning out to be "very 2020" in that only about 25% is good. Recall that I bought two beer advent calendars this year because I couldn't find any for the longest time and when I did, I couldn't make up my mind, so I bought this Phillips one, as well. It only has 12 cans this year, but they are tall cans. So, I figured it shouldn't be started until (I suppose) December 13 so that the final one comes on Xmas Eve. I had to count that on my fingers, twice...
Here is a brief preamble about Phillips Brewing. They started in about 2001 right down the street (Government Street) from some True OG brewers called Vancouver Island Brewing who have been at it since 1984! This makes them "newer" to the industry but pushing a couple of decades, they have done extremely well.
Although West Coast, they understand that making beer isn't a like a hot sauce competition where hops are the active ingredient, and for that, I am grateful. They do still make some incredibly hoppy beer, but they are not a one-trick pony and I think that is how they have done so well. They are still very experimental and have always prided themselves on having neat artwork on their cans/packaging.
Do you remember the band Ween? I'll say that Phillips is like Ween in that they have an extreme cult following while remaining largely under the mainstream radar. People cream their jeans for their weird Electric Unicorn beer while many don't care for it. Blue Buck has been widely available across BC and Alberta, but still not crazy popular. Analog-78 is one of my favourite beers, ever. You see it from time to time and they keep making it; but, they are not about to become the next Okanagan Spring juggernaut of microbrew.
Their previous beer advent calendars have been legendary. They used to call them "Snow Case" and they would get snapped up instantly from stores. This year, they have called it a Space Case and it features 12 experiments that they made in extremely tiny batches throughout 2020 that were only available on tap in their facility (which fits maybe 10 people).
There is going to be some weird beer in here, but I am looking forward to it!I apologize in advance if some of my reviews are a little shorter as I need to do double duty in the final 12 days before Christmas.
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Originally Posted by killramos
