Release The Hounds

If there's one thing that you can say about Lon Ladell of Big Rig, he doesn't do things half-way.

The Ottawa brewery's brewmaster tends to aim for big flavours, be it his IPA, his chocolate milk stout, his one-offs and seasonals, and even his radler-style beverage, Bongo, Lon likes flavourful ales.

Who doesn't?

Late last summer, I found a Big Rig ale, sitting among the chilled cans in the LCBO, and I picked it up. I hadn't seen it before and the name intrigued me, and it was a style that liked. And, although I wrote this review way back then, I decided to hold onto it, to save it for a rainy day, for when I found myself in a position where I was unable to drink beer, whatever reason it may be.

I didn't intend to hang onto this review for this long, but here we are and here it is.

Release The Hounds Black IPA (6.2% ABV)
Big Rig Brewery
Ottawa ON

Appearance: coffee-black with a creamy, taupe head that pours foamy but settles to a thin but solid cap.

Nose: dark-roasted coffee and sweet prunes and a touch of black licorice.

Palate: bitter hops and coffee. It's clean and light, with a full but short-lived finish. I found a slight sourness at the back of the throat.

Overall impression: was this a sheep in wolf's clothing? Not really. While the "hounds" on the can look menacing, and while I found the body light for an IPA, the hops and coffee give this ale a bite that is not easily forgotten. At the same time, it's an easy-drinking IPA that should appeal to a wide audience.

It's a hound dog, all right. Release it from it's container.

Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5

Cheers!

Bongo

Last month, when I was reviewing radlers, I always imagined these fruity, low-alcohol beers being served on sunny pub patios, umbrellas shading the sun-glasses-clad, beautiful people who were enjoying the heat of the day.

I almost exclusively sipped these cold, refreshing brews on my patio, taking refuge in shade, admiring the shimmering sunlight coming through my neighbour's small-leafed tree; sometimes, watching the glowing sky of the setting sun.

Radlers are for summer.

There's a new radler that I tried this week: nowhere on the can is the word radler written on it, but there's no doubt that this is exactly what it is. It's name does not make me think of summer patios: rather, it makes me think of beaches, at sunset, with a bonfire burning on the shoreline, women in bikinis and men in swim shorts, playing volleyball or singing along with someone who is strumming an acoustic guitar, another paddling a percussion instrument that goes by the name of this beverage.

Bongo Grapefruit Ginger Lager (2.9% ABV)
Big Rig Brewery
Ottawa ON

Appearance: a murky, pinkish-orange, like ruby-red grapefruit juice, with a foamy, white head that settles to an effervescent lace and a lingering collar.

Nose: candied citrus with barley overtones.

Palate: sweet, sparkling grapefruit juice with distinct barley flavour. Although ginger is used, it's not discernible in the mouth: only after you're more than halfway through your glass can you taste a trace of ginger in the throat. This fruit-flavoured lager, with its barley flavour, actually tastes like a beer. There is a good, well-balanced finish.

Overall impression: this is a really good radler (yes, I'm going to insist on calling it what it is). There is a sweetness, but it's subtle and is no sweeter than my favourite radler, Stiegl. I like the barley, which lets you know that you are drinking a beer, not a summer pop.

Big Rig hasn't been one of my favourite breweries, as I find it to be hit-and-miss, with more misses than hits, and with hits that seem to come rarely. Bongo, fortunately, is a solid hit. Of the radlers that I've enjoyed this summer, this one comes a very close second.

Unfortunately, if you live outside Ottawa, Bongo is out of your reach: it's only available at Big Rig, which is a shame because it's perfectly packaged for transport, with its shiny copper-and-black cans.

Brewmaster Lon Ladell told me that he's hoping to get them in the LCBO for next summer, and if it does get there, you would do yourself a favour to grab it.

And then, hit the beach.

Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Cheers!

'Tis The Season

Okay, the Christmas Season can officially begin.

When I think of the Christmas holidays, I think of spending time away from the office and of spending quality time with family and friends. When I think of Christmas, I think of gently falling snow, of fireplaces, of lights and music, and of the smell of festive trees and fresh-baked treats.

The smell of gingerbread is intoxicating.

Big Rig Brewery gets that.

Jeff O'Reilly (left) and Brewmaster Lon Ladell

On Friday, the local brewery released a festive ale that is a collaboration with Brewmaster Lon Ladell and beer aficionado, Jeff O'Reilly. And they released this ale in two versions.

Gingerbread Porter (5.6% ABV)
Big Rig Brewery
Ottawa ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Appearance: caramel brown with red highlights and a creamy taupe head that dissipates quickly.

Nose: while the ale was closed at first (it pours too cold for this style of beer: best to let it warm up), I was able to discern molasses and spice. When the beer nears room temperature, it has a definite bouquet of fresh-baked gingerbread cookies.

Palate: ginger, cinnamon, and molasses, that culminates in a warm, malty beverage. It is well-balanced, with lots of rich flavour and comes to a good, solid finish.

Overall impression: while this is a flavoured porter, it does not display the characteristics of a traditional porter. Rather, the porter is more of a template from which the gingerbread was designed. With vanilla pods, sticks of cinnamon, and organic ginger added during the conditioning process, the resulting flavours make this beverage an instant holiday classic. It's a heart-warming, palate-pleasing ale that I will enjoy for as long as it lasts.

Lon and Jeff brewed 1,100 litres of Gingerbread Porter, so expect it to be gone by Christmas.

One beer that did not last was a one-off, cask-conditioned version of the Gingerbread Porter. On steroids. Jeff added crème de menthe, cherry brandy, Kahlua, and Goldschlager to the mix. What resulted was a gingerbread cookie in a glass, with candy cane sprinkled on top. There was a distinct, candied nose and lots of mint on the palate, making this sweet version (clocked in at an estimated 7.5% ABV) an extra treat.

Lon pours the cask-conditioned version.

While the cask-conditioned porter didn't make it through the night, you can enjoy the regular Gingerbread Porter at Big Rig. It's also available in growlers, which you can purchase at the brew pub or you can have it delivered to your door, using Ottawa's newest service, Brew Donkey. This company is dedicated to bringing the best Ottawa-area craft beer to your door. They also organize tours, so you can get to the breweries.

Beer life in Ottawa gets better all the time.

In Other Beer News

Interested in craft beer and want to become a certified aficionado? The next level-1 Prud'homme Beer Certification course will be held at The Clocktower Brew Pub, on Bank Street, for four evenings, starting January 20. For more information and to register, go here.

Cheers!

Got Milk Stout?

In Ottawa, we're lucky to have a couple of good brew pubs in the area. We have The Clocktower, Ashton Brew Pub, and, in Gatineau, BDT. And, of course, there's my favourite brew pub, Mill Street.

But the closest brew pub to my place, which offers some great suds, is Big Rig Brewery, near the IKEA at Pinecrest and Iris. For months, my Twitter friends and I would meet at Big Rig for Thursday Pints, a weekly gathering, but of late we've moved around a bit. I think that's a good idea, as we always look for locations that have good craft beer, and by moving around we can mix it up a bit.

And, while I think Big Rig's IPA is one of the best in the city, I find the majority of their other selections to be good, but nothing to get excited about. Sure, last fall's pumpkin stout was interesting, but it didn't leave me craving it. I didn't even add it to my review of the season's pumpkin ales.

So, when the brewery announced last week that it was releasing another seasonal, a milk stout, I immediately looked forward to it, but had some reservations. I approached the pub, hopeful, but was determined not to set myself up for disappointment.

You see, I love milk stouts. My favourite milk stout, by The Duck Rabbit, is not only my favourite milk stout but is also my favourite beer. Ever.

I also love the milk stout by Québec microbrewers, Charlevoix, so I have expectations when it comes to milk stout. Big Rig had some pretty big boots to fill.

Double-Chocolate Milk Stout (6.5% ABV)
Big Rig Brewery
Ottawa ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 3

Appearance: deep walnut with a taupe head that dissipates to a fine lace.

Nose: because the beer was served cold... far too cold for a stout... the nose was closed, but I could, over time, detect faint traces of chocolate.

Palate: dark chocolate and coffee with a creaminess that doesn't particularly exude richness but is easy-drinking. A raisin finish, almost like sour hops, that is typical with the other milk stouts I've had. The finish ends somewhat watery.

Overall impression: I really had trouble tasting this stout and it all came down to the fact that it was too cold. I suppose that if I waited long enough, the warming would have brought out more in the nose and on the palate. But being that I was sharing company over just the one pint, as I assume many people will experience with visiting a brew pub, I didn't have the time to wait, nor did I feel that anyone should wait so long after receiving a drink to actually enjoy it.

It took me more than a half an hour to finish this pint, and with every sip I held it in my mouth, hoping it would warm enough to pull flavour. There is good chocolate and coffee, but I was disappointed about the thin finish.

It's a good effort, but I wanted more.

If you like stouts, chocolate stouts, or milk stouts, this seasonal is worth trying. If you drool at the prospect of a great milk stout, this one, while good, is a bit disappointing for the temperature and finish.

Cheers!

On WinterBrewed

Attention: residents of Ottawa and visitors.

If our city hosts a beer event—any beer event—and you want to go, do it early.

We Ottawans are a thirsty lot. We'll polish off the beer in good time and we'll go for the popular ones first.

A crowded Saturday

It's fair to say that the first WinterBrewed Festival on Sparks Street was an overwhelming success. Despite the frigid temperatures—Sunday saw wind chills in the minus 20s—the mall and booths were packed. On Saturday, unexpected crowds saw lots of long lineups at the ticket booths. One of my friends, who I saw on Saturday evening, told me it took her 40 minutes to get through the line and she had purchased advanced tickets.

More ticket booths were put in place on Sunday and lines were shorter. And the only challenge that the cold seemed to bring was freezing beer lines. The cold did not keep the beer fans away.

Pork Of Yore

There were some amazing foods and beers to try. Among my favourite dishes were the sausage from Pork of Yore and the ragout from Mill Street. And while I didn't try it, the Maple Floss (maple-flavoured candy floss) smelled extraordinary.

Maple was not only in the candy floss, but also at a sugar shack and in beer. My favourite beer of the show was the St-Ambroise Érable, a maple ale from McAuslin. The colour of light maple syrup, this special ale held strong flavours of maple sugar without the overpowering sweetness. It was about as Canadian as you can get at this time of year.

To have some of it, though, you had to be at the festival on Saturday. By that evening, it was gone.

Other favourite brews of the festival include (in no particular order) the following:

Hot beer

• from Muskoka Brewery—a cask-conditioned version of their Winter Beard Double-Chocolate Cranberry Stout; I even tried a hot version of this ale, which tasted like hot chocolate with a kick of rum.
• from Beau's All Natural Brewing Company—Dubbel Koyt Oatmeal Gruit, The Bog Father Imperial Gruit, Burnt Rock Vanilla Porter, and a black IPA whose name escapes me; I also had another hot beer, Butter Beer, which blended their Winterbrewed coffee ale with a concoction from the festival's president, J.P. Fournier. The result was a creamy beverage that tasted like a caramelized egg nog: delicious!
• from Cassel Brewery Company—a cask-conditioned IPA and their stout: wonderful.
• from HogsBack Brewing Company—the Aporkalypse Now Oatmeal Bacon Stout (which sold out on Saturday) and their Full Monty English Brown Ale.
• from Ashton Brewing Company—a beautiful coffee porter.
• from Spearhead Brewing Company—a Belgian stout that I will review when I get my hands on it again.

Am I missing anybody? Probably. As the event's official photographer, I wandered up and down the blocks of Sparks Street between Elgin and O'Connor for more than eight hours on Saturday and about five or six hours on Sunday. I passed all the tents and stopped at practically every single one. But I took no notes; I only locked the ones that blew me away in my head.

J.P. can feel proud that he did Ottawa proud with this Winterlude event. Ottawans can rest assured that their city has a seemingly insatiable love for craft beer.

A love that shows that it pays to get to an event early. 

Just a friendly reminder: if any vendors are interested in using any of my photos, please contact me. The photos are my property and require permission to be used. Thanks.