Thursday, January 26, 2012
New beer/old beer: A plea
Dear lcbo: I would like new beer please. Thank you. Come to think of it, I would like old beer too. Your cupboards are still bare from the holidays, and thank you for providing for me then, but my cupboards at home are bare too. It's cold, and I need to be warmed by something delicious and beer-y. Otherwise, I'll dip into the bourbon. I swear I will, and that's not good for anybody. For the sake of my health, and my marriage, please don't make me dip into the bourbon. Please give me beer. New beer I haven't tried before. Old beer that I've tried before and really liked. New Ontario craft beers I hear about but can't get, old Belgian beers like Quebec gets but we never seem to. Please. lcbo? Are you there? Please..... [please]...
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
One little wish for 2012
If I had one little wish for 2012 (on the beer front), it would be this:
I wish I could go to a store that isn't the lcbo or the beer store and buy local craft beer.
I'd like to be able to buy some delicious local craft beer, like Spearhead or Lone Pine IPA from a central location in Toronto for home consumption, and not have to either:
a) have to trek all the way out to the brewery itself, or
b) wait for them to be able to make enough to make it econimically feasible to send their stuff to the lcbo or the beer store.
To be honest, there's so much interesting stuff going on in Ontario that I don't have access to, that's it's starting to get a little bit frustrating. Let's make it easier for these craft brewers to make money and to survive. Let's give them the breathing room to improve, make more beer, and be creative. Let's stop placing other countries' beers over our own. These things will only happen by making the product available to the consumer.
I'm hoping that this year, with the review of the liquor laws, we at least allow that to happen. Perhaps a "wine rack" equivalent for beer, owned by Ontario's craft brewers? That's what I want - and what I think Ontario's burgeoning craft beer scene needs to be sustainable and to thrive. With the way things are now, we can only get the big sellers from the craft brewers, and to be honest, the big sellers aren't necessarily the most interesting to those who really love craft beer. The little guy needs a leg up. And I want the good stuff.
I wish I could go to a store that isn't the lcbo or the beer store and buy local craft beer.
I'd like to be able to buy some delicious local craft beer, like Spearhead or Lone Pine IPA from a central location in Toronto for home consumption, and not have to either:
a) have to trek all the way out to the brewery itself, or
b) wait for them to be able to make enough to make it econimically feasible to send their stuff to the lcbo or the beer store.
To be honest, there's so much interesting stuff going on in Ontario that I don't have access to, that's it's starting to get a little bit frustrating. Let's make it easier for these craft brewers to make money and to survive. Let's give them the breathing room to improve, make more beer, and be creative. Let's stop placing other countries' beers over our own. These things will only happen by making the product available to the consumer.
I'm hoping that this year, with the review of the liquor laws, we at least allow that to happen. Perhaps a "wine rack" equivalent for beer, owned by Ontario's craft brewers? That's what I want - and what I think Ontario's burgeoning craft beer scene needs to be sustainable and to thrive. With the way things are now, we can only get the big sellers from the craft brewers, and to be honest, the big sellers aren't necessarily the most interesting to those who really love craft beer. The little guy needs a leg up. And I want the good stuff.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Wish I could be posting more...
...but I haven't been knocked to my keester by a new beer in awhile. In fact, the lcbo shelves are depressingly bare these days. I think they're still recovering from the christmas rush. And so, I await inspiration from the beer gods, or from the word gods, or from the life gods, to write something interesting. Until then, perhaps a few short blog blurts, like this one, to keep the juices flowing, and so that you know I'm still alive. And, by the way, while this has all been happening, I've rekindled my love affair with an old quest: Buddhism/mindfulness. And it's going great. It can be paired perfectly with a nice Belgian ale. And I'm also a few months into a kettlebell workout called "Enter the Kettlebell!" I'm well on my way to being a Russian superman. This workout regime goes very well with a nice Ontario craft brew. Might I suggest a Smashbomb Atomic or a Mad Tom IPA? Of course, to be enjoyed AFTER the workout. By the way, I read recently that the best post-workout drink to have - better than water - is beer. Sometimes, the good lord gets it right.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Game has Changed...
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!
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!
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!
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