Perry didn't lie.
It was the first beer that I ever reviewed, was the ale that made me create Beer O'Clock. And it was the best Imperial stout I ever had. When I was told that it could last 10 years, I put it to the test. And this year, it was time to say goodbye.
Months ago, when I told my friend that I only had one bottle of his stellar creation, he told me, in that calm, soft, nonchalant voice of his, "that's one more than I have." For all I know, it was the last bottle in existence. If you have any, I'd love to hear from you.
Also, if you do have a bottle, drink it now or forever keep it sealed.
Because, on this Imperial stout's tenth anniversary, it's reached its end.
Tsarina Katarina 2005 Imperial Stout (9% ABV)
Scotch-Irish Brewing Company
Fitzroy Harbour, ON
Appearance: deep, deep walnut, with a dark-taupe head that needed coaxing. In fact, I poured the bottle into a glass and then quickly poured that glass into another, to bring it to life. It raised a thick, foamy head that settled to a solid cap.
Nose: dark chocolate, licorice, and prunes.
Palate: sweet prunes and mild coffee. The liquid was mostly flat but not dead: there was a faint pulse that stimulated the tongue. But as I drank more, I could tell that the fizz was this beer's final breath. The flavour carried through to a tangy finish that was slightly sour.
As I continued to drink this old stout, I could taste it change, become more acidic, as though it was burning out. I have experienced this mouth change in some very old wines, but never in a beer. The air was taking the life out of the glass.
Overall impression: if this had been a new beer, I would have said that it was slightly off, that there might have been a flaw in the bottling. At 10 years, it was still drinkable, though the final sips told me that not only was my glass finished, this majestic brew was, too.
Knowing this beer's history, this final bottle was still enjoyable. My friend didn't lie: this ale lasted 10 years. No more.
I tip my hat to you, Perry: you were true to your word. You made a classic Imperial stout and you made it legendary. Your brewery is gone, and now what may have been the final bottle has been consumed. Be proud that it happened.
The queen is dead: rather, the tsarina is gone, but not forgotten.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
Cheers!
A beer festival is an expensive way to get drunk.
If you factor in the price of admission and what it costs for tickets to sample, the price adds up. Even if you only take advantage of the tickets that are included in the cost of admission, it can be some of the most expensive beer you've ever had.
And yet, every time, at every festival, there are one or two people who do just that. And then they try to chum up with you, and ask you to take a picture of them for your "magazine."
Take this weekend's beer festival at The Brooklyn, in Kingston. All in, the tickets, with taxes and surcharges, cost a little more than $30. With admission, I received a 6-ounce glass and 10 tickets for samples. Assuming I drink all 10 samples with a 5-ounce pour, in a three-hour session I will have consumed 50 oz, or two-and-a-half standard pints.
I don't like to think that I would pay more than $12 for a pint of anything.
(I did have 10 samples, but two of them were poured out after a sip and one was a repeat.)
Luckily, the majority of the samples were great, the people behind the taps were friendly and knowledgeable, and I had the opportunity to try some one-off selections that made the whole experience worthwhile.
And, I shared the experience with one of my good friends and beer mavens, Perry Mason, former brewmaster and owner of the Scotch-Irish Brewing Company.
There were some new breweries at the event, such as Bobcaygeon Brewing, who had a nice pale ale (Bitter Warrior), and Stone City Ales, with their extremely hoppy Kauzmonaught black session ale. Other great offerings included Detroit's Atwater Brewery, who had a lovely Vanilla Java Porter, and Junction Craft Brewery had a tasty black lager.
But by far, the winner of the event, in my opinion, was a one-off, tenth-anniversary cinnamon Dopplebock, brewed by Tia and Jon of Muskoka Brewery. If I had tried that beer at the start of the session, I would have stayed there and spent all of my tickets.
It would have been a very expensive session. As it was, it was money well-spent.
Here are some memories of the event.
Cheers!
I think one of the marks of friendship is the ability to share not only interests but also aspirations. It's something special to have a friend confide in their hopes and dreams, and as their friend, your job is to listen and support his or her support of whatever that dream is.
I have two friends who told me of their aspirations for owning a brewery and creating some tasty craft beer, and I have supported them, if not in action, in spirit. It takes a special person to put themselves out there, to toil and sweat and make something to share with the public, and to have that public scrutinize that creation.
When I met Perry Mason, he was managing an Ontario wine boutique and teaching wine-appreciation courses on the side, but at heart he was a beer lover who had been making home brews for decades. He had forgotten more about beer than most people would learn over a lifetime, and he hadn't forgotten much.
When he opened the Scotch-Irish Brewing Company in 1998, four years after I had first heard of his dream to be a brewmaster, I was living in Korea and was unable to share in his success. It wasn't until April of 1999 that I was able to try his flagship beer, Session Ale.
And I knew that his years of hard work had paid off.
In December, 2005, Perry created his first Imperial stout, and when he delivered my first case to me, he said that he suspected that this creation would last 10 years. I kept him at his word.
I drank Tsarina Katarina regularly into the spring of 2006, but didn't have any again until December, 2011, on the brew's sixth anniversary. Since then, I've had it again in December of 2013 and this past December, and I'm happy to say that on its ninth anniversary, drinking it with Perry and some Ottawa beer aficionados, the Imperial stout was still holding strong.
And for my review of Imperial stouts, I thought I would give it another official review.
Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout, 2005 (9% ABV)
Scotch-Irish Brewing Company (no longer open)
Fitzroy Harbour ON
Appearance: deep walnut to black. No light comes through. A thick, foamy, dark taupe head still poured thick but quickly settled to a solid cap, and then a thin cap, and finally a full, tight lace.
Nose: sweet dates and ripe prunes, with a hint of licorice. The nose drops off after a few minutes but does not entirely go away.
Palate: bitter chocolate and rich malt, with some fruit. The beer has mellowed but all the elements are still there. There is a full, cedar and eucalyptus finish.
Overall impression: I am amazed at this beer, but not surprised: amazed, that a beer can hold on for so long and still run strong with a younger crowd; not surprise, that this beer met the expectations that my friend said it would fulfill.
I have only one bottle of this treasure left. I shall open it in December of this year, on its tenth anniversary. I look forward to finishing the end of a great era of a great brewmaster.
Beer O'Clock rating: 5
Another friend of mine, someone I have only know for a few years, also expressed his desire to own a brewing company before he actually brought his dream to fruition. And his beer is already off to a great start.
J.P. Fournier has made some interesting beers in less than two years with his brewery, Turtle Island. He has made a sour-cherry ale, a hibiscus ale, and the strongest dessert beer-liqueur I've ever had. But there is method in J.P.'s madness.
When J.P. created his Imperial stout, in 2013, he introduced it at a beer market in Manotick, and it won the distinction of best beer of the event. In 2014, and the same event, he presented a cask from the same vintage, and again, his Imperial stout was deemed the best of the show.
Being a good friend, he gave me a couple of bottled versions. This weekend, I opened one of them.
H.M.S Imperial Maple Stout (14% ABV)
Turtle Island Brewing Company
Ottawa ON
Appearance: black—I think light was getting sucked into the glass, as everything around it seemed to darken (I had to overexpose the photo by more than two stops to capture it properly). A creamy, mid-light-taupe head sustained good depth as I drank it.
Nose: I didn't get much off the nose. This baby was holding onto its secrets like family jewels.
Palate: BAM! Lots of alcohol with strong flavours of prunes and cedar. The maple comes through in the finish and tastes slightly burnt, like the caramelization in a crème brulée.
Overall impression: if you're at home and only want one beer, this one is it. The alcohol will hit you by the time you reach the end of your glass, and you ain't goin' nowhere. This is a royal stout that is a little to heady to quaff all night long. This ship fires all guns at will, and it will sink you.
But it does hold up an intense flavour that should balance it out as it ages. I'm going to set my second bottle down and try it again in a few years.
Maybe, with Perry.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4
When you love Imperial stout, like I do, it's good to have friends in the beer industry, who have followed their dreams and produced wonderful ales.
The beers are a good thing. The friendship is the true benefit.
Cheers!
The first session ale that I ever drank was from my friend's brewery.
The beer, Session Ale, was Perry Mason's first offering and flagship ale for the Scotch-Irish Brewing Company. I still remember the first time I had it: it was in the summer, and my wife and I were sitting on the patio at Wilfred's, in the Chateau Laurier.
I remember the bold flavours and the crisp, clean finish that filled my mouth with lush, wonderful hops. At the time, it was the hoppiest beer I had ever tried. And it was wonderful.
I was also amazed that such a full-tasting beer could be so low in alcohol: I believe it was either 4.2 or 4.3 percent ABV.
It was the perfect summer, patio-season brew.
More than a decade later, on a hot afternoon, I tried another session ale from an Ontario craft brewery, and the memories of that first experience came back.
Detour (4.3% ABV)
Muskoka Brewery
Bracebridge ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 5
Appearance: slightly cloudy (it's unfiltered); deep gold to pale apricot, with a white head that settles to a thin but complete cap.
Nose: grapefruit, honey, canteloupe.
Palate: citrus hops, orange-pekoe tea, and honeydew; full body in the mouth but settles to a light, flavourful finish.
I shared my first six-pack of this session ale with a couple of my fellow dance dads, when we were moving props for our kids' dance recital. On our first sip, we were all blown away by the incredible citrus flavours and solid body. Having worked up a sweat with moving props on and off the stage, this ale hit the spot perfectly.
Later, in the comfort of my front steps, sitting in my Muskoka chair (appropriate), I thought, this can easily be my go-to summer ale. And it is.
This is my early pick for summer beer. It has all the refreshing flavours and is low in alcohol, so it is perfect for enjoying on a hot summer day. It makes me think of happy times, drinking great beer, and reminds me of that first, great session ale by my friend.
Stock up on this brew, which is available at the LCBO. I have a feeling it's going to move fast when it gets on the shelves.
Cheers!
My first official foray into the world of craft beer happened when my friend, Perry Mason, introduced me to the first beer he made for his brewery, The Scotch-Irish Brewing Company. It was simply called Session Ale and was modeled after the British ales that where light in alcohol but still maintained a full flavour and good balance between malt and hops.
In Perry's words, his Session Ale was "the best beer the British never made."
I loved that ale and drank it every chance I got, which meant that I spent a lot of time at the Arrow & Loon pub.
I miss that beer.
As I became more and more familiar with various styles of beer, my preference leaned towards stouts and porters, one of my favourites again being Perry's porter (pee-pee, for short), Black Irish Porter.
While I've never wondered what a beer would taste like if a session ale and a stout were combined, I now never have to wonder, because I've now tried one.
Grognard Session Stout (3.8% ABV)
Bellwoods Brewery
Toronto ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5
Appearance: dark brown—almost black, with a lush, creamy taupe head that creates peaks as it settles.
Nose: coffee, tobacco, and is slightly herbal.
Palate: rich coffee and cedar; definite hops that come to a clean finish.
Overall impression: I'm surprised at the body, given the low alcohol level. It's a good, well-balanced session ale mixed with a light stout.
This is the first beer that I've had from Bellwoods. Sadly, it's not available in the LCBO. It's availability seems limited to the Toronto area: specifically, the brewery. Luckily, my wife was in TO last weekend and brought me back five different offerings from the brewery.
My first "session" was a success and I can't wait to try the others. And, if this brewery gets its ales in the LCBO, I will surely be a regular customer.
I also give points on it bringing my memories back to my early days of enjoying craft beer.
Cheers!
