Ottawa's latest brewery is set to open its doors tomorrow, August 7, and it is taking on a theme that harkens to prohibition.
But it has no reason to hide.
Located in the dark depths under the Lunenburg Pub, where once veteran pub, Alfie's, crammed the booze faithful into its tight space, brewer Marc-André Chainey is seeing his two-year (plus) dream come true.
The suspenders-donning civil engineer, who has turned his love for beer, is opening Waller Street Brewing, starting at noon. There will be tasty treats, a live jazz band, and even an early Model A Ford.
And, of course, beer.
Marc-André has four brews on offer, for sampling or by the glass, but remember: this is a brewery and not a pub. If you want to drink it up, this is not the place. Pick up your half-growler and enjoy it at home.
The four mainstays of the brewery are as follows:
Bootleg Blonde (5% ABV)—an American blonde ale with good pepper notes and plenty of hops, this is one of the best blondes I've ever had, and I'm not into blondes (even though I married one). Easy-drinking, it reminded me of a session ale. (Beer O'Clock rating: 3)
Hideaway Hefe (5% ABV)—a German-style hefeweizen, this is my favourite of the Waller Street offerings. Big notes of banana on the nose and puréed pairs on the palate, this cloudy ale got me so excited that I drank the half-growler that I bought as soon as I got home. This hefe will be a hit for wheat-beer lovers. (Beer O'Clock rating: 4.5)
Speakeasy Red (4.4% ABV)—a complex, Belgian-American-red-rye-session-IPA. This is a mouthful, and your mouth will enjoy the many flavours that comprise this ale. "Everything is about balance and subtlety," said Marc-André, about his personal favourite of his creation. (Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5)
Moonlight Porter (6.3% ABV)—solid notes of coffee and chocolate nibs on the nose, with licorice and molasses on the palate, this substantial dark ale is full of hops and reminds me of an Imperial stout. I found this selection a bit lacking in carbonation, which may have made it a little silkier, like moonlight. Perhaps it was the condition of the growler from which we drank, but I'll be able to confirm that when I open my mini growler. (Beer O'Clock rating: 3)
At the brewery's grand opening, a special, unnamed, cask-condition ale will be opened.
I'm excited for Waller Street Brewing. They are off to a fine start with their beer offerings and their theme makes it a good attraction, given its location, outside the bustle of the Byward Market. Time will tell.
Cheers!
Ottawa's beer scene is thriving: sometimes, it's hard to keep count.
To date, I've counted about 18 breweries in the Ottawa region, from Pembroke in the west to Vankleek Hill in the east and from Gatineau to Merrickville—north to south, respectively.
It's a good thing we craft-beer lovers are so darned thirsty. There still seems to be plenty of room on our palates.
Enter the latest brewery to hit Ottawa, and I have two reasons to love them: one, they make good beer; two, the brewery is owned by cycling enthusiasts.
Bicycle Craft Brewery (12-850 Industrial Avenue) has been open for only two weeks, and seems to have both wheels firmly on the ground. Owners Fariborz Behzadi and his wife, Laura, took their love of travel to explore the world of craft beer, and they recently moved to Ottawa to make the capital richer with the knowledge that they gained.
The brewery currently offers four staples and two seasonals. While I visited their brewery a day early of their latest seasonal, a pumpkin ale, I did have the opportunity to try everything else. Some, I loved, others I liked. One, I did not care for.
Here's a quick rundown of my findings:
Isodore's Harvest Ale (4.9% ABV, 42 IBU)
I loved the richness of aroma on the nose and the balance of hops and malt in the body. This is a great autumn ale and my only regret is that I didn't leave the brewery with a growler of the stuff. It was my second-favourite beer that the brewery offers.
My Beer O'Clock rating: 4
Belle River Blonde (4.7% ABV, 22 IBU)
This is a light and refreshing ale, and while I myself don't care for this style of beer, I have to say that I appreciated it for what it was. If you like blonde ales, this is definitely one to try.
My Beer O'Clock rating: 3
Base Camp Oatmeal Porter (5.1% ABV, 30 IBU)
I liked this porter so much I brought some home to give a proper review, so let's do it:
Appearance: dark walnut to black, with red highlights and a creamy taupe head.
Nose: rich espresso coffee and tobacco.
Palate: dark-roasted coffee and cedar, with a higher bitterness than the IBUs would suggest. It all mellows in a medium-bodied finish.
Overall impression: while I don't get the relationship between this porter's name and cycling (sounds like a name that I'd associate with mountain climbing or hiking), I do get the easy-drinkingness (new word) of this porter. The flavours come off immediately as bold but then mellow out to an intensity that I associate with a classic porter—that is, not overpowering. This is a great ale.
My Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5
Abyss Chocolate Stout (5.7% ABV, 31 IBU)
When I learned that this brewery's pumpkin ale wasn't available on the day that I planned to visit, I was tempted to go to the LCBO to pick up my weekend beer. But when I learned that they made a chocolate stout, I had a change of heart. Stouts are my favourite beer style: chocolate is an added bonus.
One of the things that I noticed straight away, when Fariborz poured me a sample, was that the stout appeared to be flat. Had the half-growler been open a long time, I asked? No, was the answer: this stout was made with little carbonation by design, Fariborz told me.
That was a shame. I found that the stout was not only flat in the glass, it felt lifeless in my mouth. While there were still good flavours of malt and chocolate, I feel that carbonation helps a stout feel creamier in the mouth, and I missed that in my sample.
I did not care for that design. Had the stout been infused with gas, I feel it had the potential to be so much better.
My Beer O'Clock rating: 2
Velocipede India Pale Ale (6% ABV, 70 IBU)
Of the brews that were available, this IPA, by far, was my favourite. Like the porter, I brought some home to conduct a full review (oh, what I do for my readers).
Appearance: an unfiltered, deep caramel, with a creamy beige head that had an orange tint.
Nose: orange citrus and lush hops.
Palate: creamy orange, almost like a Creamsicle from my childhood, but without any sweetness. There is rich fruit with intense hops that balance beautifully. There is bitterness without having that teabag feeling on the roof of your mouth. The long finish is incredibly satisfying.
Overall impression: this IPA is a definite keeper and should be Bicycle Craft Brewery's flagship ale. As a direct appeal to Fariborz and Laura—change nothing about this beer: it's a gem.
My Beer O'Clock rating: 5
Bicycle Craft Brewery is a welcome addition to the Ottawa brewing community. For myself, I especially like that they are well-situated (not exactly in my end of town, but not much of a detour from my commute between work and home). I am excited to try the pumpkin ale and I look forward to watching Fariborz and Laura grow their business.
Cheers!
After such a disappointing foray into gluten-free beer, I was ready to give up on this style of alcoholic beverage. I was about to tell my friends and acquaintances, who were looking to get gluten out of their bevvies, to drink wine.
Wine is great: it comes in different styles, such as sparkling, fortified, or dessert. It uses different varieties of grapes, each with a unique flavour. It is made world-wide, and the terroir comes through in the end product.
And wine is gluten-free. Always has been, always will be.
But what kind of beer reviewer would I be if I gave up after only one can of gluten-free brew? (Note to Stacey, who called me an "expert." That was very kind of you, but I'm not a beer expert. I'm just a guy who has tried a shit-load of beer, who likes to share his experiences on this blog. But thank you.)
The other night, as I sat on my front steps, anticipating rain as thunder storms passed overhead, I tried three more gluten-free offerings from a brewery that was recommended to me a while back. I have purchased these beers on two occasions for folks who must avoid gluten, based on that recommendation, without trying the beer for myself.
Let's look at them now.
Glutenberg Blonde Ale (4.5% ABV)
Brasseurs Sans Gluten
Montréal, QC
Beer O'Clock rating: 2
Appearance: pale straw with a creamy, white head that retained a thin cap.
Nose: slightly malty, with grass, a light, honey melon, and a faint hint of ginger ale.
Palate: sour ginger and creamed corn. The ginger lingers at the back of the throat in the finish.
Overall impression: not bad. Again, I'm reminded of a light, generic ale: not a lot of character, not much flavour. However, on a hot summer's day, it would quench your thirst, but it had me craving more flavour, more body.
Add a lime to it, however, and you're good to go. You might have a gluten-free version of Corona.
The second gluten-free ale piqued my interest as I poured it.
Glutenberg American Pale Ale (5.5% ABV)
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
Appearance: copper, with light-brown highlights, and an off-white, foamy head that dissipates to a full lace.
Nose: dark honey or light toffee.
Palate: burnt toffee and butter, sour hops, and a lingering herbal finish that tasted more and more like oregano as I drank it. The alcohol also coats the tongue in the finish.
Overall impression: of the gluten-free beers that I've tried so far, this was the best. It tasted the closest to conventional beer. This APA is made with quinoa, which would make my wife happy (she likes to feed it to me all the time), and displays the most body of the GF beer I've had.
The third choice was also promising.
Glutenberg Belgian Double (6.5% ABV)
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
Appearance: copper-red with a light beige head that dissipates to a thin lace.
Nose: cherry, backed by a chemical and candied aroma.
Palate: sharp apple and tart cherry that comes to a clean finish and lingering alcohol.
Overall impression: this Belgian-styled ale was by far the most flavourful of the bunch. There was quite a bit of body to this beer: had I not known that this was a gluten-free beer, I would not have guessed it.
But as I drank more (I didn't pour any of these beers down the drain), the strong fruitiness started to remind me of wine that came from a bottle that had been opened for a couple of days. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't what I would expect from a beer.
But maybe that could be a good thing. If my gluten-avoiding friends don't want to stick to wine, would like to try a beer-like alcoholic beverage, this is somewhere in between.
On Friday, I'll review one final gluten-free beer and will give my overall impression.
Cheers!
