ok - so did anyone else know you can buy singles from open six packs at the lcbo? This changes everything. This only applies to open topped six packs, like Mad Tom. I just walked out with 2 Mad Toms, 2 Southern Tier IPAs and 2 Smashbomb Atomics. I. Get. to. make. my. own. six. pack. this is awesome, how did I not know this... I think I'll have myself a little IPOff this week, and write about it. What six pack will you make yourself?
Not much else to report, though there's a lot in the works. Probably won't post much until after the holidays, so happy hannukah and merry christmas to you all!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
About last night... St. Ambroise and Muskoka Mad Tom (again...)
Last night was an interesting night, beer wise. I had two beers, both of which I had definite pre-conceived notions about, and both of which blew those ill-conceived notions out of the water.
The first beer I tried was St. Ambroise Stout Imperiale Russe (9.2%). As you probably know, I'm not crazy about stouts. Right off the bat, this beer had that strike against it. As well, it's from St. Ambroise, a Monteal brewery that makes decent, fairly easy-drinking beers like their Pale Ale (good) and their Apricot Wheat (not my style, I guess, unless it's 400 degrees outside). I've heard their Oatmeal Stout is good too, but I've so far shied away from it due to my stout aversion. Or, should I say, my past stout aversion. Drinking this Imperial Stout was one of those rare transcendental beer experiences that you get once in awhile, that make this whole beer quest worth it. This beer shattered all my preconceived notions about stouts and St. Ambroise. This beer is one of the best beers I've ever tasted - certainly it's the best beer that's not from Belgium that I've ever tasted. And this is coming from a hop head who loves IPAs. And if I'd let those biases get in the way, I never would have had a chance to let this beer shatter them.
An imperial stout is essentially to stout what an ipa is to a pale ale. It's a "bigger" version. Just as an ipa was originally heavy in ABV and hops to withstand the voyage from England to the troops in India (India PAle Ale), an imperial stout was heavier in ABV to withstand the voyage all the way to the czar of Russia. (alcohol and hops act to preserve the beer.) This beer is expensive (nearly $6 for a regular sized bottle), but is worth ever penny. I bought two, one for last night, and one for the cellar since this beer is meant to age well. I'm considering buying more...
The other beer I tried last night was Muskoka's Mad Tom IPA. It wasn't my first time at this rodeo - I was pretty high on this beer this summer - but I decided to give it another shot. I had pretty much closed the books on this beer as a run of the mill IPA, to be had if Smashbomb Atomic isn't around. Pretty hoppy but one dimensional. A solid standby. I wanted to give it another try, since it was pretty new when I used to drink it, and I thought, maybe it's gotten better (And my palate has most certainly gotten better since then too...). I found that it HAD changed, it WAS much better. Far from being a second fiddle to other IPAs, I found that this beer had grown to even rival such big shots as Red Racer IPA. In the same way as Red Racer, this beer is cohesive, with a slight nectarine tinge to it up front. The bready malts form a subtle backbone to the intense hops. If I hadn't gone back to give it another try, I never would have realized how much it had improved. Brewers tinker, and brewers improve their processes and recipes, so (life lesson alert!) don't assume beers are static entities. They're alive, and they grow. And give beers a second, or third, chance.
Tasting Notes for St. Ambroise Stout Imperiale Russe, 9.2%
Expensive and not crazy about stouts, but this beer had a lot of buzz surrounding it, so let's see... HUGE head, coffee tinged. Nearly pitch black colour. Aroma of heavy smokiness and meatiness (charcuterie?). Tastes: very rich, super thick. This is quite something. Mouthfeel is unbelievable - so smooth and thick. Bitter afterbite, more hoppiness than I'd expected (sure enough, it has cascade hops! mmmm!) Not overwhelming, slight booziness, lot of complexity. chocolate, coffee, hops, vanilla... WOW!
The first beer I tried was St. Ambroise Stout Imperiale Russe (9.2%). As you probably know, I'm not crazy about stouts. Right off the bat, this beer had that strike against it. As well, it's from St. Ambroise, a Monteal brewery that makes decent, fairly easy-drinking beers like their Pale Ale (good) and their Apricot Wheat (not my style, I guess, unless it's 400 degrees outside). I've heard their Oatmeal Stout is good too, but I've so far shied away from it due to my stout aversion. Or, should I say, my past stout aversion. Drinking this Imperial Stout was one of those rare transcendental beer experiences that you get once in awhile, that make this whole beer quest worth it. This beer shattered all my preconceived notions about stouts and St. Ambroise. This beer is one of the best beers I've ever tasted - certainly it's the best beer that's not from Belgium that I've ever tasted. And this is coming from a hop head who loves IPAs. And if I'd let those biases get in the way, I never would have had a chance to let this beer shatter them.
An imperial stout is essentially to stout what an ipa is to a pale ale. It's a "bigger" version. Just as an ipa was originally heavy in ABV and hops to withstand the voyage from England to the troops in India (India PAle Ale), an imperial stout was heavier in ABV to withstand the voyage all the way to the czar of Russia. (alcohol and hops act to preserve the beer.) This beer is expensive (nearly $6 for a regular sized bottle), but is worth ever penny. I bought two, one for last night, and one for the cellar since this beer is meant to age well. I'm considering buying more...
The other beer I tried last night was Muskoka's Mad Tom IPA. It wasn't my first time at this rodeo - I was pretty high on this beer this summer - but I decided to give it another shot. I had pretty much closed the books on this beer as a run of the mill IPA, to be had if Smashbomb Atomic isn't around. Pretty hoppy but one dimensional. A solid standby. I wanted to give it another try, since it was pretty new when I used to drink it, and I thought, maybe it's gotten better (And my palate has most certainly gotten better since then too...). I found that it HAD changed, it WAS much better. Far from being a second fiddle to other IPAs, I found that this beer had grown to even rival such big shots as Red Racer IPA. In the same way as Red Racer, this beer is cohesive, with a slight nectarine tinge to it up front. The bready malts form a subtle backbone to the intense hops. If I hadn't gone back to give it another try, I never would have realized how much it had improved. Brewers tinker, and brewers improve their processes and recipes, so (life lesson alert!) don't assume beers are static entities. They're alive, and they grow. And give beers a second, or third, chance.
Tasting Notes for St. Ambroise Stout Imperiale Russe, 9.2%
Expensive and not crazy about stouts, but this beer had a lot of buzz surrounding it, so let's see... HUGE head, coffee tinged. Nearly pitch black colour. Aroma of heavy smokiness and meatiness (charcuterie?). Tastes: very rich, super thick. This is quite something. Mouthfeel is unbelievable - so smooth and thick. Bitter afterbite, more hoppiness than I'd expected (sure enough, it has cascade hops! mmmm!) Not overwhelming, slight booziness, lot of complexity. chocolate, coffee, hops, vanilla... WOW!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Ontario's Extreme Beer (EXTREME BEER PART 2)
As I mentioned in part I, extreme beer is beer with more of the traditional beer ingredients, or with ingredients outside of the traditional ingredients. The U.S. has a thriving extreme beer scene, with Dog Fish Head, etc. Quebec's scene is Belgium inspired - and the Belgians are kings of extreme beer. Ontario, unfortunately, is lagging behind. I'm not sure why it is, exactly-whether it's because we were founded by puritans, or because of our archaic liquor laws (it's not prohibition anymore!), or for whatever frustrating reason I don't pretend to be an expert in.
All I know is that our scene is behind the times. Fortunately, that's starting to change - our craft brewers are really starting to have some fun brewing some out there seasonals and one offs. This week, I had Great Lakes Saison with Citra Hops at Bar Volo (a Belgian style farm ale with American style hops) and it was great! But, generally, at the lcbo and Beer Store, I can only get, at the most extreme, a really hoppy IPA. Nobody here is doing Belgian well yet (on my same trip to Bar Volo, I also had a really terrible local Tripel from a brewery that will remain nameless.)
I can sense things the change is accelerating, too. Along with the local, established breweries that are venturing into extreme beer territory (I like Great Lakes (Toronto) and Flying Monkey (Barrie) a lot), there appears to be a mini-boom of new extreme breweries. I've mentioned Spearhead before. Their Hawaiian Pale Ale is wonderful. And I look forward to anything else they'll hopefully put out soon. In Toronto, there's also Indie Ale in the Junction (I tried their Belgian IPA at the same BarVolo trip (I don't get out that often, but when I do...) and it was very good - a hybrid extreme Belgian IPA. And there's Kensington whose Augusta Ale I've yet to find on tap, but have heard is good. This, I'm hoping, is just the tip of the iceberg we're heading right into.
But, still, I fear that these breweries, that are just starting to find their feet, will have to jump through such hoops to get their beer on the shelves, that it may curtail this boom. Lord I hope not. There's a great opportunity here, and I hope we seize it.. The Ontario beer drinker deserves it, and wants it. But let's get it on the store shelves, so that maybe next time I go to the lcbo, I can pick up a Spearhead rather than a B.C. Red Racer.
Thank you and good weekend.
I can sense great things happening in ONtario
All I know is that our scene is behind the times. Fortunately, that's starting to change - our craft brewers are really starting to have some fun brewing some out there seasonals and one offs. This week, I had Great Lakes Saison with Citra Hops at Bar Volo (a Belgian style farm ale with American style hops) and it was great! But, generally, at the lcbo and Beer Store, I can only get, at the most extreme, a really hoppy IPA. Nobody here is doing Belgian well yet (on my same trip to Bar Volo, I also had a really terrible local Tripel from a brewery that will remain nameless.)
I can sense things the change is accelerating, too. Along with the local, established breweries that are venturing into extreme beer territory (I like Great Lakes (Toronto) and Flying Monkey (Barrie) a lot), there appears to be a mini-boom of new extreme breweries. I've mentioned Spearhead before. Their Hawaiian Pale Ale is wonderful. And I look forward to anything else they'll hopefully put out soon. In Toronto, there's also Indie Ale in the Junction (I tried their Belgian IPA at the same BarVolo trip (I don't get out that often, but when I do...) and it was very good - a hybrid extreme Belgian IPA. And there's Kensington whose Augusta Ale I've yet to find on tap, but have heard is good. This, I'm hoping, is just the tip of the iceberg we're heading right into.
But, still, I fear that these breweries, that are just starting to find their feet, will have to jump through such hoops to get their beer on the shelves, that it may curtail this boom. Lord I hope not. There's a great opportunity here, and I hope we seize it.. The Ontario beer drinker deserves it, and wants it. But let's get it on the store shelves, so that maybe next time I go to the lcbo, I can pick up a Spearhead rather than a B.C. Red Racer.
Thank you and good weekend.
I can sense great things happening in ONtario
Friday, November 18, 2011
Dark Mistresses Part 2: Unibroue 17
I wrote in the past about my "dark mistresses," two beers I started drinking when the weather turned colder: Affligem Dubbel and Trois Pistoles. These are still my two standbyes, they've really stood up as great every day cold weather beers. Since writing that piece, though, I've tried many new beers, most of which I haven't written about here (yet).
And I've really realized that I love Belgian Dark Ales. I seem to have found a groove where I alternate between a nice and delicious American IPA (from Canada), and something Belgian and Strong, such as a Belgian Dark Ale, a dubbel or a Trippel. One is bitter and smooth and citrusy, the other is strong and warming and spicy. Two wonderfully different examples of the wide range of flavours you can get from beer. I'm planning a soon post about IPAs, so I'll write about that then, but for this post, I wanted to write about another Belgian Dark Ale I found that is delicious: Unibroue's 17. This is available in Ontario only for now, which is pretty cool. We got it even before Quebec did. Sometimes, the lcbo can be pretty cool. It comes in wine sized bottles, with beautiful packaging. It's aged in oak barrels. In fact, from what I hear, this is a beer you can keep in your cellar to ago, and it will get better over time. For that reason (and to justify buying a whole bunch), I bought a whole bunch and am trying that out.
This beer is fabulous. It's oaky and dark. 10% ABV with a slight rum taste. cloves and spices, complex and very nice. Some of the best beers I've ever had (Chimay Red and Rochefort 8) are Belgian Dark Ales in this style, and I don't hesitate to say that this beer rivals those. It's so good that monks could have brewed it. Unibroue is the maker of Trois Pistoles - If you like that one, you'll love this one. Same vein, massive step up. Very nice to see world class beer coming out of Canada.
And I've really realized that I love Belgian Dark Ales. I seem to have found a groove where I alternate between a nice and delicious American IPA (from Canada), and something Belgian and Strong, such as a Belgian Dark Ale, a dubbel or a Trippel. One is bitter and smooth and citrusy, the other is strong and warming and spicy. Two wonderfully different examples of the wide range of flavours you can get from beer. I'm planning a soon post about IPAs, so I'll write about that then, but for this post, I wanted to write about another Belgian Dark Ale I found that is delicious: Unibroue's 17. This is available in Ontario only for now, which is pretty cool. We got it even before Quebec did. Sometimes, the lcbo can be pretty cool. It comes in wine sized bottles, with beautiful packaging. It's aged in oak barrels. In fact, from what I hear, this is a beer you can keep in your cellar to ago, and it will get better over time. For that reason (and to justify buying a whole bunch), I bought a whole bunch and am trying that out.
This beer is fabulous. It's oaky and dark. 10% ABV with a slight rum taste. cloves and spices, complex and very nice. Some of the best beers I've ever had (Chimay Red and Rochefort 8) are Belgian Dark Ales in this style, and I don't hesitate to say that this beer rivals those. It's so good that monks could have brewed it. Unibroue is the maker of Trois Pistoles - If you like that one, you'll love this one. Same vein, massive step up. Very nice to see world class beer coming out of Canada.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Biere de Garde: A milestone in the quest for Brau
I think if I was a craft brewer (and who knows, some day I might be...), I think I'd want to make biere de garde a mainstay at my brewery. I've been fixated on the style since I first heard about it. A farmhouse ale from france, to rival the saison style from belgium. Unfortunately, I couldn't ever find it-nor saison for that matter :(. But the mere idea of it made my mouth water. As a french canadian, the thought that there's a beer from my peeps, that maybe my old time peeps drank before coming to canada in the 17th century is pretty cool. And, even better, having the chance to pervert that style into some canadian hybrid (like me!) would be wonderful. Unfortunately, I can't brew beer (yet).
Anyway, about a month ago, my main man at the liquor store told me there was one coming - it's called Jenlain. According to the Oxford companion to beer, Jenlain is the standard bearer for the style. I looked it up on beer advocate and the review were only so-so. So I waited. and, finally, this week it had arrived. The winter beer selection had transformed the store into a winter wonderland of delicious. And I bought one. And I liked it. And I went back and bought more. Much more. (editor's note: just goes to show that you should take others' beer reviews with a grain of salt. I use them to give me an idea of flavours sometimes, what to expect, but never to gauge whether to like it or not. I've liked beers they hated, and vice versa, too many times.)
In fact, and this is a huge breakthrough, it's the first beer I've had on my quest that has even hinted at the Brau taste I mentioned in my first ever blog (or: web log) post. It brought back memories of childhood, even though the taste was a very subtle brau. I liked it very, very much. Sucks to everyone who doesn't like it.
Tasting notes:
Jenlain Or, 8%
Sold in a champagne bottle with cork. Golden colour, LOTS of fizz. average white head that dissipates disappointingly quickly. Bitter, grassy and spicy aroma. some alcohol smell.
taste: interesting, vagualy belgian, spicy, smooth, caramelly and warm booziness. I like this a lot. easy drinking. impressed and intrigued by this style. sweet, spicy, easy to drink, smooth. unique subtle flavours. Would probably rather drink this in the summer though...
Anyway, about a month ago, my main man at the liquor store told me there was one coming - it's called Jenlain. According to the Oxford companion to beer, Jenlain is the standard bearer for the style. I looked it up on beer advocate and the review were only so-so. So I waited. and, finally, this week it had arrived. The winter beer selection had transformed the store into a winter wonderland of delicious. And I bought one. And I liked it. And I went back and bought more. Much more. (editor's note: just goes to show that you should take others' beer reviews with a grain of salt. I use them to give me an idea of flavours sometimes, what to expect, but never to gauge whether to like it or not. I've liked beers they hated, and vice versa, too many times.)
In fact, and this is a huge breakthrough, it's the first beer I've had on my quest that has even hinted at the Brau taste I mentioned in my first ever blog (or: web log) post. It brought back memories of childhood, even though the taste was a very subtle brau. I liked it very, very much. Sucks to everyone who doesn't like it.
Tasting notes:
Jenlain Or, 8%
Sold in a champagne bottle with cork. Golden colour, LOTS of fizz. average white head that dissipates disappointingly quickly. Bitter, grassy and spicy aroma. some alcohol smell.
taste: interesting, vagualy belgian, spicy, smooth, caramelly and warm booziness. I like this a lot. easy drinking. impressed and intrigued by this style. sweet, spicy, easy to drink, smooth. unique subtle flavours. Would probably rather drink this in the summer though...
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