There are a lot of beers out there, and one will never find the time to consume all of them (though, I do try). When I see a particular style of beer, I have certain expectations and, if that style is one of my favourites, those expectations are particularly high.
If my expectations aren't met, I can get a bit surly. You might even say I act like a curmudgeon.
Take the IPA by Cambridge, Ontario, brewery, Grand River. The label drew my eye to it as I shopped the shelves at the LCBO. The name amused me and, as IPAs are among my favourite ales, I picked up a couple of bottles.
With an IPA, I expect some bitterness, nice, aromatic hops, some grapefruit or other citrus flavours, a full body, and a clean but bitter finish. Not too bitter, mind you, unless the bitterness is balanced with other flavours.
Let's see how this ale did.
Curmudgeon IPA (6.5% ABV)
Grand River Brewing
Cambridge ON
Appearance: a clear, deep amber with an off-white head that quickly settles to a thin but solid cap.
Nose: bitter hops and a touch of caramel.
Palate: my initial impression was that I had bitten into an orange peel--lots of bitterness but not the best part of citrus fruit. The flavours balance in the finish but I would have liked to have felt that balance while the ale was still in my mouth. The alcohol is apparent but not overpowering: it lingers, however, in the finish.
As I continued to drink the IPA, the bitterness turned sour, and my appreciation for the ale waned.
Overall impression: this is a good beer but I felt the emphasis was placed on bitterness and booze, rather than an overall balanced flavour. With the vast number of great IPAs out there, I thing I would give this one a pass the next time I saw it on the shelf.
It simply didn't live up to my expectations.
Beer O'Clock rating: 2
Though this IPA left me feeling somewhat curmudgeony, I would still be interested in trying more beer from Grand River. I have already reviewed their Imperial stout (I didn't like) and their pumpkin ale (I liked), so I hope I can find something else to please my palate.
Cheers!
With patio season approaching, I'm looking for the perfect beer to have outdoors on a hot, sunny day. (I'm also looking for the best patios in Ottawa, to come in an upcoming post.) Often, I find an easy-drinking, thirst-quenching brew to be my go-to ale through the summer.
I think I found mine when it was still winter.
I enjoyed it in one of my favourite pubs in Ottawa, the Arrow & Loon, and remarked at how full-flavoured it was for a beer with such a low alcohol level. It's a great session ale.
It's a smart beer.
I was thoroughly disappointed, a couple of weeks ago, when the man behind the bar told me that the kegs of this ale were gone, that it was a seasonal. Being denied another pint made me want it more.
And then I saw it, in the LCBO, in a six pack. And I was happy beyond belief.
Genius of Suburbia (3.8% ABV)
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Barrie, ON
Appearance: rich, golden-yellow, with a foamy, white head that stays solid for most of the ride to the bottom of the glass.
Nose: lemon citrus and straw. Over time, a touch of honey and melon.
Palate: lush hops, with a delicate bitterness and a seemingly full body--you sip this and you find it easy to swallow, but hard to swallow the fact that it's only 3.8 percent alcohol. It has a refreshing finish.
Overall impression: as I said, in the late winter, I picked this ale as my go-to summer beer. It's incredibly drinkable and I could while the day away on a patio, easily consuming this, enjoying the flavours and the fact that I won't get wasted.
Flying Monkeys is quickly becoming one of my favourite Ontario breweries. If you haven't familiarized yourself with them, Genius of Suburbia is a great introduction. And, with all Flying Monkeys packaging, it's easy to spot.
Picking up a six pack would be smart: genius, even.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4
Cheers!
When I first saw the bottle in the LCBO, I thought, great: Beau's has yet another brew out. I saw the shape of the 600ml bottle, the artwork, and the tag strung with rough twine around the neck, and threw two bottles into my shopping cart.
It's nice to see new offerings from the greater-Ottawa area's largest craft brewery. They are always experimenting, always trying something new. Yet, I find it hard to keep up with all of the brews that they put out. If I drank every new beer from the Vankleek Hill brewery, I doubt I would have time to try all the beer by all the other breweries, Beer O'Clock would become Beau's O'Clock.
I'm sure that the brewery would be fine with that, as long as I gave glowing reviews of everything I drank. But I don't like everything they brew, although I find that I like the majority of what hits the LCBO shelves or the taps around town.
I'm not, of course, going to be able to review every Beau's beer, and with this bottle, I'm not sure that I am reviewing Beau's, anyway.
When I brought those two bottles home, I set them down in my cellar, next to the other Beau's bottles on my wine rack that now holds more beer than wine. It wasn't until I opened one of the bottles, poured it into my Beau's glass, began sipping it, and making notes, that I actually read the label.
And saw that there were two words below Gigantic: Brewing and Company. I try not to read any information that is written on a label or on any card that accompanies the bottle, because I don't want any tasting notes to interfere with my own.
I found that this beer was brewed by a Portland, Oregon, brewery. What a coincidence that they share a similar packaging to Beau's, I thought. And then I saw something on the label that got me scratching my head again: this beer was brewed in Vankleek Hill—the home of Beau's.
I had to finish my tasting notes before I delved further. So let's find out what went on, together, shall we?
La Formidable American Belgo IPA (6.9% ABV)
Gigantic Brewing Company, Portland OR
Brewed in Vankleek Hill ON
Appearance: not-quite-clear, amber-orange with an effervescence of steady, tiny pearls, and an off-white head that maintains a healthy cap.
Nose: orange citrus with hints of pine—almost as though you were standing in an Oregon forest. There's a wet earthiness about it.
Palate: pine resin and grapefruit, bitter hops, and an orange-rind finish.
Overall impression: I really like this beer and, if not for the formidable alcohol content (see what I did there?), I could drink this all afternoon. This is definitely something that I would enjoy on a hot day, under a shaded patio.
La Formidable is brewed under Beau's B-Side label, in which they share capacity with international brewers. Gigantic Brewing's brewmasters, Ben Love and Van Having, brought their recipe and brewed a batch of this delicious brew in Vankleek Hill, and the marketing folks from Beau's packaged it up and brought it to Ontario beer lovers.
La Formidable is... well... formidable!
Gigantic's brew is the second ale to run under the B-Side label. The first beer, Kissmeyer Beer's Nordic Pale Ale, was a tasty offering that I tried more than a year ago, but was also fooled into thinking that it was strictly a Beau's creation.
Maybe different bottles would help?
So, I accomplished two things in this tasting: I tried another brew that came out of Beau's brew house and I tried a beer from another brewery. I call that a win-win situation.
I don't know how long La Formidable is going to stay on store shelves, but stock up while you can.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4
Cheers!
Although spring is slow in taking hold, I am confident that it will be here soon, in full swing, and that means patio season.
And, in the coming weeks, I hope to compile a list of the best patios in the Ottawa area. My criteria is simple: the patio must have a great view, must have space for plenty of patrons, and—most importantly—the establishment must serve beer that is worthwhile: that is, there must be a reason to sit on the patio and stay.
If you know of a great patio in Ottawa, write to me at RossBrownfoot@live.com. Tell me where this patio is located and why you think it's worth visiting.
You know what would be a great beer to have on a patio? The beer that I reviewed this week, by an Ontario brewery that I didn't even hear of until a couple of months ago, nor really pay attention to until last week's Kingston Beer Festival.
They have my attention now.
Pale Ale (5.3% ABV)
Side Launch Brewing Company
Collingwood ON
Appearance: unfiltered, dried apricot, with a foamy head that's light beige with hints of orange. It pours well and settles to a thin cap.
Nose: candied orange and orange pekoe tea, with mild malts. I felt that the bouquet was only subtle and could use more aromas.
Palate: solid hops with mild grapefruit—it starts as a watery citrus that opens as you swish it in your mouth, and it ends in a nice balance of hops and malt, though the hops accumulate with subsequent sips. The finish is steady and strong without overpowering.
Overall impression: this is a good, well-rounded APA. While I would appreciate more in the nose, the flavour is a reliable constant, making for an ale that I could easily drink all night long.
Or during patio season, whenever that happens.
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!
Like a fine wine, some beer is meant to be stored, set down so that it can fully mature. And Imperial stouts fall firmly into that category.
Not all Imperial stouts require aging. I've been able to bring a bottle back from the store, open it up, and savour it. For example, in this series of reviews, I opened a Bolshevik Bastard shortly after I picked up the four-pack at the LCBO, and I enjoyed the flavours as they presented themselves. I also picked up another Imperial stout that is meant to be consumed straight away—a Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus, by Sawdust City Brewing Company—and savoured it that very night, and again, a couple of weeks later.
I liked it, but didn't include it in this series of reviews because I had already chosen my list. I'll review it some other time, perhaps.
But what has really struck me, over the past couple of months (has it been that long??), is that not all Imperial stouts are created equally, and while some can be polished off on the night they left the liquor store, some must not.
Some must be put away and forgotten.
To wrap up my series of Imperial stout reviews, I was going to compare two ales that have been in my cellar for at least a year. They were by the same brewery and I thought it would be good to compare how they had aged.
When I did the last review of this Imperial stout, I thought it would be a good idea to let them age. I didn't let them age long enough.
The beer was a Russian Imperial stout, by McAuslan.
I brought my bottle from 2012 and 2013 up from the cellar. I decided to try the 2012 first, figuring it would have mellowed a little more, and I didn't want the 2013 to overpower my taste buds.
St-Ambroise Special Reserve 2012
Bourbon Wood-Aged Russian Imperial Stout (9.2% ABV)
McAuslan Brewing, Inc.
Montreal QC
Appearance: a murky, coffee brown with a light, creamy, cocoa-brown head that settles to a thin cap.
Nose: bourbon and oak, burnt toffee and cocoa.
Palate: big-time, toasty bourbon, prunes, and alcohol, with a boozy, charred-wood finish.
Overall impression: an Imperial stout that is as intense as this needed time before I could properly form an opinion. My taste buds needed time to adjust, because at first, I didn't like it. It was too much, too strong, too harsh. But I nursed the glass for a couple of hours, and as it opened up, ever so slightly, I gained an appreciation for it. I saw its potential, saw what it could become, if only I had left it in my cellar longer. Much longer.
Enjoying such an Imperial stout is like enjoying a good single-malt scotch. It is meant to be sipped, to be savoured.
It's also meant to age, for far longer than two years.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3 (for now)
When my friend, Perry, first gave me a case of his Russian Imperial stout, he told me that he thought it could stand up for 10 years. I was surprised, but I learned in drinking it, nine years on, that he was right. And I will finish my last bottle on its tenth anniversary.
The McAuslan stout is the same. It could last 10 years. It certainly shouldn't be released from its bottle before it turns five. I regret opening this bottle too soon, but I can redeem myself.
I placed the bottle of 2013 back in the cellar, promising myself to hold onto it until at least 2018 or 2020.
Or longer.
This is my last Imperial stout review until my friend's beer hits 10. I probably won't have another Imperial stout until then, as my palate craves something different.
I'll have another review next week. Cheers!
The more I drink Imperial stouts, I have found in the weeks that I have been reviewing stored and aged bottles from my cellar, that I'm not as big a fan of Imperial stouts as I am of regular stouts and porters.
They're serious ales, and I'm not a serious guy.
An Imperial stout is something that should be enjoyed once in a while: I don't think it's something that you should drink on a regular basis, unless you enjoy having your taste buds blown away and like a lot of alcohol. For myself, it takes at least an hour to drink one of these bad boys, more, if the bottle is a big one.
But as I go through my cellar, I'm depleting my collection, all in the interest of seeing what it's like to age some heavy ales. This week, I opened two bottles: one, that I purchased late last fall; the other, that my wife brought home for me in the autumn of 2013. Let's see how they drank.
Dragonslayer Imperial Stout (9.5% ABV)
Middle Ages Brewing Company
Syracuse, NY
Appearance: cavernous black with a deep-taupe head that quickly forms to a full lace.
Nose: espresso and chocolate malt that is as rich as a dragon's lair; bits of cedar.
Palate: dark chocolate and rich, full-bodied coffee. The alcohol comes through in the finish and leaves you with a fire-breathing dragon's breath.
Overall impression: this is a classic Imperial stout—neither dull nor spell-binding. I enjoyed drinking it but wouldn't want it all the time. After all, a dragon is fascinating to see, but you wouldn't want one roaming your neighbourhood. I bought this bottle last fall, directly from the brewery. I tried a couple of their brews once I got them home: I'm glad I hung onto this one.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
The next beer is something that I almost forgot I had. When my wife went to Toronto, to enjoy a ladies' weekend with her closest friends, I asked her to visit one of the city's newest breweries (at the time). I had never been, and only knew of their beer by reputation, from the opinions of other Ottawa beer bloggers. I didn't know what would be available, but I asked my wife to grab a sample.
When she included an Imperial stout in the awesome mix, I thought I would lay it down for a year or so and see how it would fare. And over that year, as I enjoyed all of the other brews she had given me, I had great expectations.
I had a devil of a time with it.
Hellwoods Imperial Stout 2013 (10% ABV)
Bellwoods Brewery
Toronto, ON
Appearance: black as Hell with toffee-like sediment that sank to the bottom of the glass. A dark-taupe head quickly settled to a thin cap.
Nose: alcohol, chocolate, and a sinfully sweet caramel.
Palate: burnt wood, espresso beans (the beans, not the coffee), alcohol. The initial sipping experience had me feeling like I was being tormented, punished for the life I had lived so far. Perhaps, I had resisted the temptation of drinking it right away, and now I was paying for that sin. It went down as though I had swallowed a pitchfork: over time, however, the ale opened up and was more drinkable.
Overall impression: it's hard to tell if I was drinking this Imperial stout too early, too late, or during some awkward transitional phase. At one point, I was tempted to dump the remaining contents down the drain. But, because I was sipping it over several hours, I became accustomed to it's flavours. They lulled me—one sip called for another. I even swallowed the dregs.
This was the ale that made me think that perhaps an Imperial stout should be taken less regularly. Like, once a month. To be savoured for what it is, and then to move on to a pale ale, or a session ale.
Beer O'Clock rating: 1.5 (at first); 2.5 (overall)
I have two more of these beers to sample, and then I think I'll declare Imperial-stout season over.
For me, at least.
Cheers!
