New Finds for the fridge

The first group of 6 were picked up at a Kingston LCBO. The other 3, I found at a Belleville LCBO.

Here are the links so you can investigate further. If you have had any of these in your fridge or have sampled some let me know what you think. It may be a while before I get these sampled.

Samuel Adams Rebel IPA is a American IPA style beer brewed by Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Muskoka Cream Ale is a Cream Ale style beer brewed by Muskoka Brewery

Rock Cut Baysville Lager is a American Adjunct Lager style beer brewed by Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Amsterdam Oranje Weisse is a Witbier style beer brewed by Amsterdam Brewing Company

 Jubilee Amber is a American Amber / Red Ale style beer brewed by Thornbury Beverage Company

MacLean’s India Pale Ale a India Pale Ale (IPA) beer by MacLean’s Ales

Innis & Gunn Limited Edition Highland Cask is a English Strong Ale style beer brewed by Innis & Gunn in Edinburgh

Stone Cali-Belgique is a Belgian IPA style beer brewed by Stone Brewing Co.

Arrogant Bastard Ale is a American Strong Ale style beer brewed by Stone Brewing Co.

Review: 3 Pale Ales; Sierra Nevada, Maclean’s and The Publican House

These brews all seem to fit within BJCP (beer judge certificate program) categories 8A and 8B – English Pale Ale . The history of English Pale Ale or what is also referred to as “Bitter”, a draught ale served very fresh under no pressure (gravity or hand pump only) at cellar temperatures (i.e. “real ale”). Bitter was created as a draught alternative (i.e. running beer) to country-brewed pale ale around the start of the 20th century and became widespread once brewers understood how to “Burtonize” their water to successfully brew pale beers and to use crystal malts to add a fullness and roundness of palate. This is category 8. English Pale Ale, within the guide and is broken down to three subcategories; 8A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter, 8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter and 8C. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale). Differences between subcategories are minimal, increased alcohol content, slightly higher IBUs, increased malt character, with more significant bitterness in the final category.

First, a look at Sierra Nevada’s, 5.6% adv. Pale Ale. I purchased this as a 355 mL bottle 6-pack. Grabbing a Willybecher style glass (this is the standard beer glass in Germany, tapering at the top, holding 500 millilitres or 16.9 ounces of beer and typically used for German beer styles) I headed outside on a sunny afternoon. The afternoon sun brilliantly illuminated the light amber ale as it filled the glass, finishing on top with a fluffy warm white head. To my surprise, I found some sediment spill into the glass at the end of the pour. This pale ale has a moderately strong malt aroma. Lightly roasted cereal and notes of straw. The complexity of aroma from the hop bouquet was very pleasant, presenting a moderately strong perfume, with citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit that rose above the malt to dominate.  The initial flavour is lightly sweet that remains light throughout, however a moderate bitterness builds toward the finish and diminishes slowly. Mouth feel was creamy, with a lively carbonation. ♦♦♦◊◊

I had my 500 mL, 5.2% Maclean’s Pale Ale  in one of my favourite beer glasses, a short stemmed, tear drop pint glass from Riedel (look for info regarding glassware in Brew news coming soon).

I found this to be a very drinkable ale. It poured a large, fluffy warm white head, was clear with medium carbonation and medium amber in colour (as you would expect). I didn’t expect the hop bouquet to be so full of flowers and perfume notes followed by some citrus, that presented as orange rind. The malt was moderately rich with subtle notes of honey, cereal and bread. Maclean’s initial flavour was moderately  sweet with a light acidity. As it finishes the acidity disappears, leaving behind a light bitterness to balance the remaining sweetness. ♦♦♦♦◊

Last but not least, Square Nail Pale Ale from The Publican House Brewery, 5.5% abv. in a 473 mL can. Using the same Willybecher glass as I used with the Sierra Nevada brew.

A small, fluffy, warm white head sat atop the light amber coloured brew. I took in a deep sniff of malt and hops. Confronted by the malt first, it presented as moderately sweet with bread and straw, and a subtle caramel note that’s well hidden, but waiting to be unearthed. The perfumey bouquet was light, layered with spruce and grapefruit. The initial flavour was lightly sweet and bitter, with a lasting moderately bitter finish. ♦♦♦◊◊

Brewery Notes on the can state the following:

“At 5.5%, our west coast style pale ale has a huge citrus and caramel aroma on the nose. The special pale ale is full flavoured, with a bitter finish that is balanced out perfectly by the toffee malt character.”

I don’t believe there’s a huge citrus and caramel aroma, but it is present. They also refer to it as “special pale ale” on the back. Why not call it that? Special Pale Ale is category 8B in the BJCP.

All in all three good examples of pale ale, whatever category you put them in. I think my favorite was the Maclean’s. Happy sampling.

P.S.

The Willybecher style glass (just for reference) –    

New Finds: @ the LCBO

I found most of these at the 34 Barrack St, Kingston, LCBO,  about a week ago. Watch for reviews of these and others brews over the coming months.

 

Black Oak 10 Bitter Years a Imperial IPA beer by Black Oak Brewing

Electric Unicorn White IPA is a Belgian IPA style beer brewed by Phillips Brewing Company

Revenge Of The Ginger – Kickin’ Ginger Red IPA is a Herbed / Spiced Beer style beer brewed by Double Trouble Brewing Co.

BrewDog Punk IPA

Red Racer IPA (India Pale Ale) is a American IPA style beer brewed by Central City Brewers + Distillers

Muskoka Summer Weiss is a Hefeweizen style beer brewed by Muskoka Brewery

Westmalle Trappist Tripel is a Tripel style beer brewed by Brouwerij Westmalle

Blue Buck is a English Pale Ale style beer brewed by Phillips Brewing Company

St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout a Stout beer by McAuslan Brewing

Railway City Iron Spike – Blond Ale is a American Blonde Ale style beer brewed by Railway City Brewing Company

Great Lakes Brewing Limp Puppet a Session IPA beer by Great Lakes Brewing

St. Feuillien Saison is a Saison / Farmhouse Ale style beer brewed by Brasserie St. Feuillien

Review: Blue Buck from BC

I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting much from this can of beer when I picked it up from the LCBO shelf. Something about the label screamed, generic lager, at first glance. In fact, the label stated only that what was inside was “Beer”. No mention of ale or lager, just 5% abv “beer”. Could you get more generic than that. With a simple pub glass in hand, sitting outside on a lovely summer afternoon, I eased the 473mL can of “beer” out from it’s aluminum cylinder. To my surprise, a medium dark, amber coloured beer emerged. It’s interesting how package design can direct our expectations. I thought I was going to get some sort of flavourless hipster beer, perhaps akin to PBR. But this brews malt presented moderately robust complex notes of bread, a toasted nuttiness and a subtle, but sweet, hint of toffee, all gently hovering above the frothy, warm white head. A simple bouquet of grass and light spruce followed. The initial flavour had a light layering of sweet, acidic bitterness, but the acidic quality diminished out of sight in the finish, leaving only a pleasant bitter/sweet flavour lingering on the pallet. In the end, this can of beer, surpassed my expectations and reminded me to try not to judge a craft beer by it’s cover. ♦♦♦♦◊

Review: Fire in the Rye from Double Trouble Brewing Co.

Fire in the Rye from Double Trouble Brewing Co.

When it comes to rye beers I’m a little undecided. It’s not that I necessarily dislike the qualities that rye offers a brew, it’s just that the few I have had in the past tended to overwhelm the pallet. Because of this apprehension the 473mL/6.1% abv. can of Fire in the Rye from Double Trouble Brewing Co. sat in the fridge for 3 weeks before I got around to sampling it. To my surprise (relief really) this rye beer was more balanced and less rye intense than I had feared. It pours from the can with a slowly diminishing, fluffy, warm white head that sits atop a hazy, unfiltered, medium auburn beer. The initial flavour was slightly sweet and acidic, with a moderately strong malt character of roasted grain, cereal and brown sugar. The hop bouquet was light but complex, showing up as flowers and herbs. There was also fruit, to me it seemed as though it was a mixture of orange, lime and pear, these developed late and were very subtle. Fire in the Rye has a long finish that’s moderately bitter and slightly acidic with a mouth feel throughout that’s pleasantly soft, but ends moderately astringent and lightly alcoholic. ♦♦♦◊◊

ONE, that’s right, ONE craft beer on tap

It was a beautiful summer day, my family and I ventured to downtown Kingston, Ontario for lunch. I have heard, on the radio, that the Merchant Taphouse boasts more than 20 beers on tap. Time to check it out, I thought. So, we sat down at a shaded table outside. The waitress handed us the drink menu. To my surprise, no beer list. Confused I asked the waitress for a list. She said that there wasn’t a list because it changed to often. So I asked if she could tell me what was on tap. And I kid you not, her response was.

“We have 28 different beers on tap. I can’t list them all.”

Remember now, this place is called TAPHOUSE…lots of beer on tap, that’s part of their business model. And the waitress can’t list the beer on tap? I’ve been in similar style establishments and the staff can always recite the list. They may stumble or forget one or two, but always give the list verbally.

She asked what was I in the mood for and perhaps she could suggest something. I told her I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for. She proceeded to mention 4 or 5, all beers ultimate owned by the Big Beer Empires. I asked what they had in the way of craft beer. To my shock, she informed me that they only had 1, that’s right, 1 craft beer on tap (MacKinnon Brothers, Crosscut pale ale) and one in a bottle (Beau’s, Lug Tread). I have nothing against either craft breweries I just listed. I live a mere 20min from the village of Bath and MacKinnon Brothers brewery and I am a big fan of almost everything Beau’s brewery makes. But I was in search of something I haven’t had before, and I have no interest in making the Big Breweries richer. Not when there are small brewers that deserve the dollars for their hard work and quality products. Disappointed, we left the Merchant Taphouse.

Hoping for better luck a few blocks away, the Red House was another craft beer and lunch possibility. The Red Houses craft selection was much better consisting of the following:

Mill St. Organic Lager, Mill St. Cobblestone Stout, St. Ambroise Cream Ale, Griffon Red, Nickle Brook Headstock IPA, Les Trois Mousquetaires Gose, Big Rig Hefeweizen, Steam Whistle Pilsner, Pilsner Urquell, Labatt 50, Wapoos Cider

(In the interest of fairness I have linked all the brands listed above all their respective websites)

I decided to begin with a glass of Les Trois Mousquetaires Gose while I waited for my lunch to arrive. It opens with a crisp, bright citrus notes upfront. The sour qualities emerge in the middle with a tart lemon quality. That tartness fills the palette momentarily, but diminishes rather quickly as it finishes dry with a thin and slightly tannic mouthfeel. A nice summer beer, when lager and IPA have overstayed their welcome. Though it’s not the type of flavour that lends itself to an entire afternoon of indulging, it is a great apéritif, opening up the palette and appetite.

For lunch I chose the Crispy Pork Belly Sandwich (soy glaze, daikon slaw, iceberg lettuce, spicy basil aioli, Navajo roll) with a glass of Big Rig Hefeweizen. This is a very nice example of Hefeweizen, carrying notes of citrus and subtle banana with a well-balanced hop character of spruce and herbs. A great pairing for the sweet/salty crispy pork sandwich, very tasty.

Episode IV: A NEW HOP

Not so long ago in a galaxy near,

and not that far away…

 

It is a period of beverage war. Craft brewers, striking from unique and varied manufacturing facilities, have struck and won a small market share victory over the evil Big Beer Empire.

The Brewers Association recently reported that craft beer sales have risen, from 5% of American beer sales in 2010, to 11% in 2014. A significant increase over 2013 sales of 7.8%.

So there you go. Rejoice craft beer drinkers. The “force is strong” and we are making gains. No need to worry, right?

Wrong!

It seems that the Dark Side is trying to buy back some of that market share that they have slowly been losing. Perhaps you’ve noticed some of the pathetic attempts by the Big Brewers to concoct and market new products in ways which suggest qualities that are innate to craft beer. Adding “the refreshing hint of lime” or “the crisp refreshing taste of apple” to light beer doesn’t make it better. But this is blatantly obvious to those of us that bother to look. The more insidious way that the Dark Side is trying to gain craft beer credibility is by simply buying up craft breweries. AB Inbev seems to be on a buying spree over recent years, Chicago brewer Goose Island was purchased in 2011. Blue Point Brewing Company was reportedly purchased for $24 million in 2014 and Oregon based craft brewer 10 Barrel Brewing Company was purchased for $10 million. We in Canada have seen this trend before of course, let us not forget that Molson Brewery purchased Creemore Springs Brewery in 2005.

There are two compelling perspectives on all of this money now flowing into the pockets of craft breweries. Firstly, there’s a case for simple capitalism. All the hard work, blood, sweat and tears pay off, and a nice pay day is enjoyed by those scrappy brewers that started the brewery. It’s always nice to see quality succeed in a difficult marketplace. With that comes the added bonus of big beer money supporting the continued production of quality craft beer. Right?

Well…maybe. Of course the Empire will insist that they are not going to interfere with the quality or integrity of the newly purchased craft brewery. I tend to find that harder to swallow than a bottle of Bud on a hot summer day. It’s the job of the Empire to improve shareholder profits. Invariably the pressure to cut costs will be pushed on to the craft brewery at some point. Which would lead to sourcing cheaper ingredients or reducing employees etc., there by leading to a degrading of a once fine product, and the end of the world as we know it!

Sorry. Got carried away.

The second perspective, is of course, outrage!

Yes, we could start screaming, yelling, throwing tantrums on the tear stained carpet.

“Why? Why oh why, did they do it?”

“Those greedy son of a bit%#’s”

Here’s where I plead for calm. I do think that there is a danger of something being lost when a craft brewery is beholden to the Empire. CEO, Carlos Brito, has a notorious “slash and burn” approach for improving profits at AB Inbev for shareholders. An article by Devin Leonard for Bloomberg Business titled, The Plot to Destroy America’s Beer, does a great job of exploring and explaining AB Inbev (I highly recommend it). So if you feel, as I do, that something is lost, then as a consumer, you should inform yourself as to who is owned by whom. Then make a choice to purchase craft beer produced by someone else. Yes I know, you’re saying,

“But Aaron, I love Goose Island IPA.”

I understand, but there are, according to The Brewers Association, more than 3400 craft brewers in the US and hundreds in Canada. I bet there are several if not dozens of brews to replace the loss of those few favorites that can’t help but be turned to the dark side.

P.S.

Episodes I, II and III will come after episode VI, but they will of course suck.