Doubly so.
On Monday, on my other blog, I talked about my fear of waiting too long to open a bottle of beer. I purchased some beer last July and didn't actually open it until this past Saturday.
The beer was great, but the building sediment in the glass made me fear it was past its prime and was coming apart, much the way old wine can.
I decided to take no chances and delved into the other bottle I stashed.
Double Naked Fish
Imperial Chocolate Raspberry Stout (7.6% ABV)
DuClaw Brewing Company
Abingdon, MD, U.S.A.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4.5
Colour: dark, light-absorbing walnut with possible red highlights; a foamy, taupe to deep beige head.
Nose: Dark chocolate, coffee, malt, and a hint of fruit.
Palate: Fresh raspberries and dark chocolate with a dry, rich coffee finish; some hops come through (54 IBUs) and the chocolate returns in the lingering finish.
Overall impression: this is perhaps a nearly perfect stout. There is a great balance between the chocolate, the coffee, and the fruit. The amount of raspberry is perfect: not too tart, not too sweet. It's distinct without overpowering.
What would make this stout perfect? It took me a while to figure that out. I like stouts with a dry finish, like my favourite oatmeal stout, St-Ambroise. But I'm not sure I like a dry finish in a chocolate stout; particularly, a raspberry-chocolate stout. I think this beer deserves something more decadent, creamy, slightly cloying. I think my nose and taste buds anticipated something sweeter while the beer rolled about my mouth.
Don't get me wrong: this is an amazing stout. I'm now anxious to get my hands on more (I wish I lived closer to Maryland). I loved it from the first few mouthfuls to the end, but as I drank I wished the finish was as rich as the start. It starts full and ends with a cliffhanger-like ending.
But that suspense leaves you wanting more.
And as for the aging? It wasn't an issue at all. This is a beer that held up easily over the seven months.
Cheers!
Yes!
When HogsBack Brewing announced that they would be collaborating with another local brewery, Broadhead, to release a bacon-flavoured stout, I got all tingly in my nether regions. I love stout. I love bacon. I firmly believe that life would be less exciting without them.
But the more I thought about this combination, the more I started thinking: do I really want bacon in my stout?
The tingly feelings stopped.
What if I didn't like bacon-flavoured stout? What if trying it turned me off of stout, turned me against bacon?
Highly unlikely.
Aporkalypse Now Oatmeal Bacon Stout
Hogsback Brewing Company (with Broadhead Brewing Company), Ottawa ON
ABV: 5.5%
Beer O'Clock rating: 4.5/5
Colour: deep, dark walnut brown that lets no light pass through; the pale, beige head is creamy and dissipates quickly but leaves a fine lace.
Nose: smoky, toasted malts and rich, roasted coffee; as it opens, the bacon comes through and makes me salivate.
Palate: charred wood and smoke that projected images of crispy bacon in my mind. The beer coats the tongue and the toasted malts follow to the finish and lingers. The smoke, at the back of my throat, reminds me of an Islay malt.
Overall impression: this is a great oatmeal stout. I am somewhat reminded of McAuslin's St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, but there is something more to it. And in a way, a little too much more.
As I said, this is a great stout. But when I first tasted it, I thought that something was missing: food. This is a great beer to enjoy with food; on its own, I felt the smokiness was a little overwhelming.
But because I was reviewing the beer over lunch, that solution was quickly put into place. And because I was working from home yesterday, I had many lunch resources at my disposal.
I decided to make a sandwich that I refer to as my Borg sandwich: a Borgwich. It is perfection and it is unbelievable with Aporkalypse (aBorgalyptic).
Ross' Borgwich consists of the following:
- a handful of baby spinach, raw and washed
- fresh tomato, thinly sliced
- extra-old cheddar cheese (I use a brick of Black Diamond, cut about 2 mm thick and enough to cover a slice of bread
- multigrain bread (the more grains and seeds, the better)
- 2 eggs, fried in lots of butter, over easy (but not too runny; just enough to drizzle without running all over the place)
- 3 strips of bacon, cooked to taste (I prefer medium to crispy)
- dried dill and pepper, to taste
- spicy barbecue sauce, to taste
In a skillet, cook the bacon. Do this step so that the bacon is essentially finished cooking before you fry the eggs.
Heat a small fry pan at medium heat and melt about a tablespoon of butter (I use a cast-iron pan with a 6-inch diameter). Place the toast in the toaster on a light setting (enough to crisp the outer face of the bread but still soft on the inside—about 4 minutes, depending on your toaster). Crack the two eggs in the fry pan, carefully, not to break the yolks. Add dill and pepper.
When the egg whites have cooked but the yolks are still runny, carefully flip them (again, don't break the yolks). Leave the pan on the burner but turn off the heat.
Assemble the sandwich in the following order, from bottom to top: first slice of bread; bacon, cheese, eggs (you may need to fold edges of white to make it fit); barbecue sauce; spinach; tomato; second slice of bread.
Cut the sandwich so that both yolks break. If you've cooked them properly, the yolk will ooze, not run.
Eat and enjoy with a nice glass of Aporkalypse Now.
Yes, this is a decadent sandwich. I don't even want to think about how many calories it holds. But Aporkalypse is a decadent beer. I don't expect you'll have it often.
But have it as much as you can, while it's around. You can start by attending the stout's release, this Friday, February 8, from 5–7 pm at The Heart and Crown on Preston Street. Assuming it stays around, it will also be on tap at the WinterBrewed festival on Sparks Street, February 16–17.
Bacon and beer? Absolutely! Aporkalypse Now rekindles my love for both of them. And like my Borgwich, this stout strives to embody perfection.
Cheers!
Mill Street has many seasonal beers on tap at the moment. So many, I find, that it's hard to choose one to drink because of the fear of missing out on the others.
That said, there is one seasonal that you should not miss out on.
Father John Extra Special Bitter
Mill Street Brew Pub
Ottawa, ON
ABV: 6.3%
Beer O'Clock rating: 4.5
Appearance: clear, deep amber with a creamy, beige head that thins but lingers.
Nose: creamy malts with light, candied citrus and orange rind.
Palate: orange, full-bodied hops, spices (cumin?); a bitter, caramel finish.
Overall impression: this is a bold ESB. I first had it at the Ottawa Mill Street Brew Pub and I loved it right away (and not just because head brewer, Adam Rader, was sitting with me). This ale warms the soul on a cold winter's day.
It's available in growlers and 750 ml bottles from the brew pub's shop. Grab some to take home. That way, you can still enjoy the other seasonals at the bar.
Gruit: it sounds like "fruit" but with a G.
While the name might not sound pleasing to the hear, gruit is actually quite nice. It's a mixture of herbs that is added to beer to provide flavour and was used more commonly before hops were introduced to the beer-making process. Ivy, heather, juniper, and ginger are just some of the herbs that were traditionally added for flavouring.
A couple of weeks ago, I tried some Scottish ales that used such herbs, and they were delicious.
The first time I learned of and tried a gruit ale was more than a year ago, when I reviewed a wonderful brew called Bog Water from Beau's All Natural Brewing Company. I wasn't giving beer any ratings back then, but that gruit, which uses sweet gale, a wild bog myrtle, that grows naturally near the brewery, would have rated between 4 and 5 out of 5.
It was that good.
This year, for its feBREWary celebrations, Beau's started off with another gruit.
Oiseau de Nuit Pumpkin Gruit
Beau's All Natural Brewing Company
Vankleek Hill, ON
5.1% ABV
Beer O'Clock rating: 4/5
Colour: clear, deep apricot, copper; a white head that dissipates quickly
Nose: ginger, buckwheat honey, clove, light pumpkin
Taste: mild hops, light spice, light finish
Overall notes: this is an easy-drinking ale that I could sip all afternoon long. I had the pleasure of enjoying it on International Gruit Day, on Friday. I'm glad I didn't wait. But I would have liked to have tasted a little more body on this ale, a little more pumpkin. I loved Bog Water and I especially loved the Weiss O'Lantern Pumpkin Wheat Ale. I was hoping for a blend of the two: this fell slightly short.
Because Beau's is planning a series of one-offs for this month, get to a pub to try some of the Pumpkin Gruit before it's gone. Beau's Web site provides a list of establishments that carries these beers.
Cheers!
Ottawa has a new brew pub in town, and after giving them a chance to settle in, I paid them a visit.
The new pub is not a new brewery. Founded in 1986 in France, les 3 Brasseurs has expanded in Europe and has made its way to Québec and Ontario. It's newest location is at Bank and Sparks, in the 240 Sparks building.
My first experience with The 3 Brewers, as they are known to les anglophones, was last summer in Old Montreal. And, I have to admit, I left the brew pub less than satisfied. The beer was okay, the food was so-so, and the service was downright awful. I left the Rue St.Paul location thinking I would never try them again.
But here we are in Ottawa, and I decided to give them another chance. The location is great, with large, floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides of the pub, with some glass looking into the mall. The pub is spacious, clean, and takes up two floors. Copper kettles and fermentation tanks are in several locations and are exposed to the patrons. The main-floor bar, where I sat, is huge and offers 12 taps.
Although, when I was there, only six brews were available.
When I visited the Montreal brew pub, I tried only the brown. I remember it being good, but not extraordinary. It was on tap at the Ottawa pub, so I ordered the six samplers. I wanted to refresh my memory of the brown and compare it with the remaining five ales.
The sampler consisted of four regular beers: the Blond, Amber, White, and Brown. A beer of the month, a special brew for the new pub, a Wit-style ale aptly called 240 Sparks was the fifth offering, and the final beer was a seasonal called The Winter Warmer.
Each of the beers offered a unique taste to its style, but when it came down to it I found that I only liked one of the beers. Most of them rated a 2 on my scale. They weren't to my liking, but if you like that style you should try them out for yourself.
I didn't like the seasonal at all. The colour was a deep copper with hints of red. The nose was closed and offered little more than traces of wood. On first sip, I was immediately hit with the 9-percent alcohol, and then I detected what I could only describe as pine resin. The Winter Warmer finishes like medicine. My rating: 1.
But there was one ale that I truly enjoyed and even ordered a full pint, and then another half-pint.
The winner of the evening was the beer of the month, the 240 Sparks.
I enjoy unusual ales, and this one was definitely not your ordinary brew. With creamy orange, murky colour and a white head, you could look at my glass and believe I was drinking orange juice. Seriously. But this was not orange juice. The nose presented distinct notes of grapefruit and intense spruce. Grapefruit carried through in the mouth and blended with a good balance of hops and a nice, lingering finish. The alcohol (6% ABV) did not come through in the flavours, which makes me think that this would be a dangerous beverage on a hot summer day. It made me long for patio season (especially since I was there on a frigid winter's night).
My rating for 240 Sparks: 4 out of 5. I hope they bring this beer back, because January is almost over.
While I didn't eat during my stay, my friend ordered the fish and chips, which smelled great and was endorsed by my buddy. Another gentleman ordered a cheeseburger with crispy, fried onions, and it made my mouth drool. The unnamed eater gave it his thumbs up.
And apart from the manager, who was initially surly with me (I asked permission before I came behind the bar to photograph the taps!), the service was prompt and friendly.
So I will return to The 3 Brewers. Check them out for yourselves, and make sure you get some of the beer of the month before it's gone.
This post is long-overdue.
I visited this Finger-Lakes brewery in October, drank this beer last week, and finally got around to writing this post on Sunday night.
And now you get it today.
But this beer was worth the wait.
Sunrise Coffee Stout
Cortland Brewing Company
Cortland, NY (U.S.A.)
6 fl. oz.; 6% ABV
Colour: deep walnut brown with a deep beige head.
Nose: intense coffee notes with a hint of cedar and tobacco.
Palate: rich, roasted coffee and toasted malts; a rich, lingering finish.
Additional notes: this is a great stout that tastes like an espresso. Made with locally roasted coffee beans, this ale is a great pick-me-up. My only wish is that I lived closer to Cortland. But at five hours, I'll be tempted to return.
Rating: 4/5
So, what is Santa leaving for you under the tree?
Winter is the time for dark, strong beer, but what about something a little sexy? A little brewery in St-Jérôme, Québec, has done a little of both, and you can feel a little naughty and nice with this strong and flavourful stout.
Aphrodisiaque Cocoa and Vanilla Strong Stout
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, St-Jérôme, QC
Broue Ha Ha: $12.99, 6 x 341 ml (approx); 6.5% ABV
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Deep walnut colour with a rich foam of dark beige that dissipates into a lasting, fine lace, this stout hit my nose with intense vanilla and sweet chocolate. On the palate, I was met with a light coffee and more vanilla, which was followed up with a rich, dark chocolate and alcohol finish that married nicely.
This is a deliciously decadent beer.
Over the holiday, whether you've been naughty or nice, or both, indulge a little. 'Tis the season, after all! There are lots of places in the Outaouais region that stock this beer, so get out and try some.
Or ask Santa.
This is my last beer review until after Christmas, so I want to wish everyone the best of the season. If you enjoy your pints, please do so responsibly.
Cheers!
Adam Rader has done it again.
On the heels of his highly regarded Double-Chocolate Imperial Stout, Ottawa's Mill Street Brew Pub head brewer has concocted another gem of a limited seasonal.
Tannenbaumer English Ale
Mill Street Brew Pub (Ottawa only)
$6.75, 14-oz glass; $16.50, 64-oz growler (incl. deposit)
7.2% ABV
My rating: 4.5
Toffee-amber in colour with a fine, white head that dissipates early, I found the nose similar to their Hallowe'en seasonal, Nightmare on Mill Street. But this ale offers more cinnamon and vanilla on the nose, and there is no nutmeg used. In the mouth, I found the ale creamy but dry, with a touch of honey and a slow-burning finish. The alcohol comes through in the aftertaste, but it's well-balanced.
Only nine kegs of this seasonal were made, so I'd recommend that you get to Mill Street and try it sooner rather than later. You might be sorry if you delay.
As if I don't blog enough, I've decided to create another blog that is dedicated exclusively to beer. Because life is too short to focus on only one beer a week.
If you've read my beer reviews before, this post will be a little different. The reviews will be brief, sticking merely to the facts about the beer. In other words, I won't ramble.
While most of the beer that I review will be from what I pick up at the LCBO or at Ottawa-area breweries, I'll also take a look at beer from wherever I can find it: be it across the border, in Québec, or across the other border, in the United States, I will focus on beer that is available to as big an audience as I can make it.
I will write a couple of reviews each week, as time allows. And, for now, I'll continue to write my regular weekly review for The Brown Knowser. We'll see how this experiment works.
To start, I want to look at one of my favourite styles of beer: stout. Imperial stout.
Mokah Imperial Blended Stout
Southern Tier Brewery, Lakewood NY
LCBO: $9.15; 11.2% ABV
Appearance: deep brown, with a creamy beige head that slowly dissipates.
Nose: intense chocolate malt with espresso undertones.
Palate: rich, sweet chocolate (I'm reminded of a chocolate malt shake) with subtle coffee in the finish; not so much a beer as it is a dessert--best shared.
Overall impression: someone at Southern Tier has a sweet tooth. This is only the third offering of this brewer that I've tried, and every one of them has been sweet. But because I don't drink them often, they are a treat. And with the considerable alcohol content, they aren't beers that you would drink many of in a single sitting. At a staggering 11.2% ABV, I was surprised at how the alcohol didn't come through like a sledgehammer. It was detectable, but not overpowering. This stout is complex but well-balanced. Delicious.
Rating: 4/5
