Cariboo at Hillside Liquor Store

Due to popular request, Cariboo beer from Pacific Western Brewing of Prince George BC is now available at Hillside Liquor Store. Available in 6 pack only, this beer is available both cold and warm, and is currently selling for $7.61 for 6 cans, making it the cheapest 6 pack in the store.

Cariboo Genuine Draft is a testament to Pacific Western brewery’s ties to B.C. history. It was the company’s pioneering brand and today it celebrates the original name of the brewery and the land that produces the pure spring water that makes each bottle special. That’s why they give something back with each case of Cariboo Genuine Draft sold.

Cariboo Genuine Draft is a smooth, mild beer that’s perfect for watching the game or sharing good times with friends. Straw-coloured, light on the palate, a frosty mug of this brew is perfect for a summer afternoon or after a steaming winter sauna, or even on a typical gray Victoria 'winter' day.

Help for Haiti

By now, everyone has heard of the devastating earthquake and its large aftershock that have destroyed Haiti. Many are wondering how or where to donate, and it has been decided that the best method is to place donation bins in places that people frequent.
Hillside Liquor Store has Red Cross direct "Help for Haiti" donation bins at each till. Please give what you can- every cent helps!

Anchor Porter

Anchor Brewing is from San Francisco, and has been around (in various incarnations) since about 1854. It has been closed down completely on two separate occasions (once due to Prohibition, and once due to Americans choosing to drink mass-brewed lagers), and has moved locations multiple times due to fires, other calamities and out-growing its capacity. For more information on the history of Anchor Brewing, click here: http://www.anchorbrewing.com/brewery/ourhistory.htm

Anchor Porter might very well be the best Porter currently available at Hillside Liquor Store. While it definitely isn't an inexpensive 6 pack, it certainly over-delivers for the price!

Anchor Porter is a unique dark brew, which was introduced by Anchor in the early 1970s. Anchor Porter, like all of Anchor Brewing Company's products, is brewed with only natural ingredients. Specially roasted dark malts are used, along with a top-fermenting yeast. The brew is hopped at a very high rate, and is naturally carbonated to produce an intensely rich flavor and thick creamy head.
The rich flavor of Anchor Porter has earned this delicious and unique brew a worldwide reputation for outstanding quality.

Anchor uses specially roasted malts, a top-fermenting yeast, and only fresh whole hops, which are added liberally. All this combines to produce a rich and intense flavor with subtle notes of chocolate, toffee, and coffee.

Seriously, this beer is delicious. It has to be tried to be believed. Once you have the 6 pack, don't go home and put it in the fridge. Hillside Liquor Store's fridges are set to 2 degrees Celcius, which is too cold for some beer.  Let the Anchor Porter sit out on your counter for awhile, so it can come closer to room temperature and all the wonderful rich flavours can be enjoyed. Pour it into a clean glass, and watch it disappear. Mmmmmm.

Aha Toro!

It's still Tequila time at Hillside Liquor Store, and today we want to introduce you to some of the best tequila currently available in BC- Aha Toro. One of the most interesting aspects of tequila are the unique bottles, and Aha Toro is no different. Aha Toro is available in hand-blown glass bottles with labels that are embossed by Mexican artisans. The colour of the bottle is different for each type of tequila produced.
Hillside Liquor Store has the three-pack of 200 ml bottles: Blanco, Reposado and Anejo.
 The Reposado and Anejo are also available in the 750 ml bottles.

Aha Toro is produced in the state of Jalisco, approximately 6300 ft above sea-level. This region is optimal for the agave plant as it is cold and semi-arid, with 6-10 overcast weeks each year which keeps the plant fresh and favours the sugars. There is a 100 km radius plantation of agave, surrounding the town of Jesus Maria, where the Aha Toro hacienda is located. The cultivation of the weber agave, used for Aha Toro, takes up to ten years from the time of plantation to harvest. The 'pineapples' (as the centre of the agave plant are called) are roasted in a hand-made brick oven for 2 days, and then left to rest for a considerable amount of time before the amber-coloured honey and pulp is collected. the liquid and pulp is then ground and left to ferment with the natural agave sugars and juices, and a special wild yeast strain.
After carefully controlled distillation in the copper-pot stills, a blanco tequila is mad, which is then either bottled, or placed in oak barrels, destined to become reposado, anejo or extra-anejo tequila.

Aha Toro Blanco is a tequila that has been bottled within 60 days of being distilled. The flavours of the un-aged tequila are stronger and with more pepper than those that are aged in oak barrels. many experts are of the opinion that Blanco tequila is the only true tequila. Blanco tequila is popular in mixed drinks such as the Margarita, but it can also be consumed neat, as a sipping beverage.  Red apples are dominant with a hint of minerals and honey. Soft and fruity opening, followed by minerals and honey, with a sweet fruit and peppery finish.

Aha Toro Reposado has been aged in oak barrels for at least 2 months, and up to a year. The more time the tequila spends in barrels, the moer flavours it acquires from the oak. The Aha Toro Reposado is more mellow than the Blanco, with a light amber colour and a softer, more flowery flavour. A fresh bite of fruit, honey and a surprisingly light oaky flavour are characteristics of this Reposado tequila. Opens softly with a fresh, relatively sour bite, followed by fruit, red apples and honey. Finishes with pepper, chocolate and cedar wood. While it could be used in mixed drinks, the Aha Toro Reposado is better enjoyed neat.

Aha Toro Anejo has been barrel-aged for at least one year, often up to three years. It has a much darker colour then the Reposado, and its flavours are more complex.Distinctively sweet aromas of brown sugar, fruit, light chocolate and nougat. This Añejo opens with a round taste and aromas from the barrel followed by cedar wood and nougat flavours. Long finish with chili, brown sugar and a hint of coffee.


 Aha Toro Anejo will appeal to the single-malt whisky drinker, or for those who enjoy fine cognacs. This is a fantastic sipping tequila!

Calling All Vina Montes Collectors!

Hillside Liquor Store has something very special in-store!  We have just received a large assortment of Chile's Montes winery, including two different verticals as well as some rare and hard-to-get vintages.

Vina Montes originally began in 1987, as a partnership dedicated to improving the quality of Chilean wines. In 1988, two more partners joined, and the venture known as Discover Wine LTD was officially formed. The partnership began producing wines of exceptional quality, and also exporting these wines to markets such as the United States,Canada, Mexico, Europe, etc. The 1987 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon was the first ever premium Chilean Cabernet exported. From that beginning came other wines in the Alpha series, as well as the celebrated Alpha M, Montes Folly and the Purple Angel.

Vina Montes also has its Classic Series and Limited Selection, which are widely available and have won numerous awards.

Hillside Liquor Store currently has a vertical of the Alpha Merlot- 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The Alpha Merlot is a handsome ruby-red color. Outstanding fruit, with a noseful of red berries, black cherry, black pepper, hints of tobacco. These elements come through on the palate, revealing a full-bodied wine. In mid palate is round and velvety with an added touch of vanilla and toast, followed by a long and smooth finish. Very, very elegant. WINE SPECTATOR selected it as both TOP-SCORING Merlots around the world and also one of the Best Values in Merlot.

Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows:

 2004 88 points

 2005 88 points

 2006 88 points

The other vertical that Hillside Liquor Store obtained is the Alpha Syrah- 2004, 2005, 2006.

The scarcest of the ALPHA line, it shows how promising the Apalta Valley slopes are. Yield is very low, only 6 tons per hectare. It has been aged in French oak barrels for one year and had only one soft filtering. In the purest of Rhône styles, Aurelio has added a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, also originating from Apalta, and some Viognier to the final mixture. Of intense ruby red color, it has a great aroma with floral, tobacco and leathery notes. Strong and full bodied to the palate, with soft and mature tannins. A very long, elegant and satisfying after taste. A superb Syrah.

Wine Spectator rated the vintages as following:

2004- 91 points
2005- 92 points

2006- 91 points

Hillside Liquor Store has also obtained four different vintages of the very special Alpha M series. These are the 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2006.
MONTES ALPHA"M" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80 %), Merlot (10 %), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (5 %). A powerful wine with very good level of soft and rounded tannins. Intense dark red colour. The wine is elegant and has a very well defined character. The 5% of Petit Verdot is adding an extra element of complexity. There is an pleasant and harmonious marriage of fruit and the French oak. The structure of this wine will keep it for at least 20 years. On the palate, it is perfectly balanced, full-bodied and superbly voluptuous on the mid-palate with a rewarding, lingering after taste of mature grapes and acidity that reflects its superb structure.

Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows:

1999- 92 points, highly recommended

2000- 93 points, highly recommended

2005- 95 points, highly recommended; best vintage yet of this flagship wine

2006- 94 points, highly recommended


Hillside Liquor Store has three different vintages of the Montes Folly: 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Aurelio Montes, our partner and gifted winemaker, knew it all along. Montes Folly was destined to shine by the hand of Aurelio, it was in his DNA since he was born. This sparked his intuition which, from his student days, became obsessed with the Apalta Valley and determined to prove it was the best terroir for reds in all of Chile, a fact few would dispute today.Aurelio’s intuition also led him to plant Syrah in the higher slopes of our Apalta Mountain Estate. Thus the Montes Folly name was born: The conventional wine growers and trade considered it "Folly" to plant Syrah, an untested variety in the region, and double "Folly" to do so in the higher slopes, extremely expensive to clear, plant and grow. The genius of Aurelio, however, had us all firmly believing from the start that Montes Folly would be the wild dream we sought, the perfect partner to our beloved Montes Alpha "M".

Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows:

2003- 93 points

2005- 94 points

2006- 94 points

There are two vintages of the Purple Angel in-store: 2005 and 2006.
Carmenère resurfaced in Chile only in 1993, after being believed extinct since phylloxera hit Bordeaux, its original home, around 1880. In Chile, its sole home at the moment, we consider it our "Chilean variety" and call it the "Jurassic Park" grape, returned from extinction. Aurelio Montes preferred to take his time and develop the Carmenère variety until he was satisfied that it could be a top contender, the very best Montes could possibly produce. It was worth the wait...this new beauty (a blend of 92% Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot, with 18 months in new French and American oak barrels) is touched by the wings of an angel... a PURPLE ANGEL.
There have only been 4 vintages of the Purple Angel produced so far. Some cellaring is recommended for the wine to reach its true potential.

Wine Spectator rated the vintages as follows:

2005- 91 points
2006- 91 points
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Montes wines that Hillside Liquor  received are very limited- the inventory on some of the wines is as few as 6 bottles! So, if you are a collector, or just love Vina Montes wines, call Hillside Liquor Store 250-370-1143 or email info@hillsideliquorstore.com  for more information, pricing or to reserve your wines today!

2010!

Happy 2010 to everyone!
Thanks to everyone who supported Hillside Liquor Store in 2009. All of your product suggestions and requests help make the store great, so please keep them coming in 2010 and we will do our best to fulfill them.

Please send any product requests to info@hillsideliquorstore.com
or call (250) 370-1143.