As we move into the coldest month of winter, I can't help but think about the summer and warmer weather. I also think of my 2015 summer vacation, when my family and I enjoyed a warm day on the beach, swimming in Lake Huron.
Because there are still several months before we can enjoy beach weather, the only thing I can do is reach for a beer and lose myself in warm thoughts.
That's not to say I drank myself into a stupor. I merely drank a session ale whose name brought me to thoughts of Sauble Beach.
Sawdust City Brewing Company became my favourite Ontario brewery in 2015, with its wide variety of standard and seasonal ales. I visited the brewery on my summer vacation and was blown away. And, as I begin a new year, my love for this Gravenhurst brewery will surely grow because I joined their beer club and will have their amazing brew arrive on my doorstep, every month, starting in February.
In the meantime, let's take a look at their pale ale.
Golden Beach Pale Ale (4.5% ABV)
Sawdust City Brewing Company
Gravenhurst ON
Appearance: a murky, wheaty, golden-yellow with a dense, creamy, off-white head that leaves a thick cap.
Nose: honeydew mellon, pineapple, with a pine-resin overtone that is mixed with grapefruit rind.
Palate: flinty grapefruit and lychee headline the mouth and carry through to a bitter, mineral finish.
Overall impression: the low alcohol is a strong contrast to the bold flavours of this session ale. On a cold winter's day, I was transported to the warmth of last summer on that beach. I was reminded that I could drink this ale year-round, which I would gladly do.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4
Cheers!
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!
Centuries ago, Vikings came to Canadian shores and set roots, and until April of next year, they're setting up shop at our museum of civilization, now named the Canadian Museum of History. And because December seems to also bring in the flavoured stouts, it's only fitting that I take a look at a dark ale from the land of Vikings.
This one has bite.
Megagrisk Viking Chili Stout (10% ABV)
Hornbeer
Hornsherredvej, Denmark
Appearance: deep walnut with a dark-taupe head that settles quickly to a dense lace.
Nose: dark chocolate with hints of coffee.
Palate: the hot peppers hit you from the start, followed closely by dark chocolate. The chili follows through, conquering you, all the way to the finish and is matched with a kiss of licorice. The finish is long-lasting, taking up roots, thanks to those chili peppers.
Overall impression: this is a spicy treat but I don't know if I could have more than one at a time. Don't get me wrong: I really like it but the cumulative heat on one beer may be too much in a second one.
Oh, plus the alcohol level. At 10 percent, you have to be careful.
I love spicy food, and spicy beer is good, but in limited amounts. Like Vikings, you may not want them to stick around. (The Vikings exhibit lasts until April 17, 2016.)
Beer O'Clock rating: 4
Cheers!
Who doesn't love a redhead?
Ever since I first saw a summer sampler of Red Racer beer, with that illustration of a tantalizing redhead on a bicycle, I've been impressed. And it has nothing to do with Central City's symbolic lady.
Almost every one of the many beers I've tried, I liked. A lot. Earlier, this summer, their ISA blew me away and was one of my summer picks.
Now, for December, the girl is back: and I'm in love.
Red Racer Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout (6% ABV)
Central City Brewers
Surrey, BC
Appearance: motor-oil black with walnut highlights, and a creamy, taupe head that settles to a thin cap.
Nose: rich chocolate, coffee, burnt caramel, and spice.
Palate: the gingerbread comes out at the gate, with full force. There's a slight sweetness that, when swirled in the mouth, releases tones of vanilla and a hint of root beer. Chocolate brings up the rear in what is a rich, decadent finish, without any "strong-beer" taste.
Overall impression: I love a good, full-bodied stout, and this one delivers. The added flavours of gingerbread and sweetness of chocolate make this not only a great stout, but a decadent holiday dessert. I am thoroughly impressed with this latest Red Racer offering, and this is perhaps one of the best stouts that I have had in a very long time.
That red head has got my motor racing.
Grab some while you can.
Beer O'Clock rating: 5
Cheers!
When I pick up a beer that I intend to review, I try not to read too much of the label. I avoid the sides or the back, and if I see paragraphs of text, I look away. I don't want to be influenced by what the brewer has to say about the flavours, colour, or aromas.
That's for me to work out.
When that can or bottle catches my eye, for whatever reason, I look to see what style of beer is contained within, who made the beer, and where the brewery is located. I don't want to know the alcohol content or what types of malts or hops were used.
I want to come by my opinion honestly.
A couple of weeks ago, when my family and I were in Toronto, I visited the LCBO that was around the corner from our hotel. I went in there, specifically looking for beer that was made in the GTA and that I haven't seen in any of the stores in Ottawa. I was looking for breweries that I didn't recognize, and with the explosion of craft brewers in Ontario, that isn't hard to do.
I found three breweries that fit my criteria. You can read my reviews of those ales from last week and the week before. The third brewery, from Brantford, rounds out these finds.
Bell City Brewing opened its doors in February of this year and currently has one of its ales in cans, in the LCBO. I presume that this beer is the company's flagship ale, as I also presume that the can shows Alexander Graham Bell, experimenting with one of his inventions. Bell lived, for some time, in Brantford.
What I saw, smelled, and tasted did not meet my expectations, and I'm glad that I didn't read the back of the can or visit the brewery's Web site until I finished my review. Here's why:
Eureka Cream Ale (5.8% ABV)
Bell City Brewing Company
Brantford, ON
Appearance: a clear, deep amber with red highlights and a beige head that forms a solid cap. I had to re-read the can to make sure that I was drinking a cream ale, and not a red.
Nose: caramel and rich malt. There was a sweetness in the aroma that I did not expect. It was at this point that I knew that I was in for something different, and I had to check once again that this was, indeed, a cream ale.
Palate: more caramel, barley, and mild hops. The ale is full-bodied, with a rich mouth feel and a satisfying finish. But the flavours, although enjoyable, did not match with what I expected. The more I drank, the more I was reminded of a red ale.
Overall impression: while I was trying this beer, I was feeling chilled in my cooled house (I'm a little stingy with the thermostat and I'm fighting a cold that is aggressively trying to claim squatter's rights in my head), but after a couple of sips, I felt warmed, comforted. The alcohol content, though modest, was beginning to show itself more prominently, but not overpowering. In fact, the cream ale seemed to open my sinuses and give that cold a shot over the bow.
While this cream ale doesn't seem to have much of a creamy mouth feel, its richness made me feel like my tongue was receiving a warm hug.
After I recorded my impressions of this cream ale, I finally read the back of the can, which states that Bell City had crafted this ale according to a pre-prohibition style. As they put it, this offering "is NOT your typical lawnmower cream ale."
They have that right (though, in truth, I have no idea what a "lawnmower" cream ale is).
I had to think: was this ale what I expected? No. Was it what the brewer expected? Probably.
This was my eureka moment.
It is a good ale: it's not your traditional cream ale, and that's okay. It's more than okay.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
At the time of reviewing this ale, my house, cooled as it was, was also filled with the aroma of a slow-cooked, barbecue pulled pork, and all I could think of was how this beer and that meat would make a perfect combination. And so I enjoyed a second can at dinner.
If you can find this ale in your LCBO, pick it up and try something different.
Cheers!
You know that adage, if you say you're cool, you're not?
That saying can be applied to a brewery or a beer.
In all fairness, this Toronto brewery doesn't actually say that it's cool, but their busy can does try very hard to look cool, with it's picture of brewer, Jimmy Peat, and the claim that this "fun-loving" brewery has created a recipe that will remind you that "beer is awesome."
"... you'll be back!" they add. The play is on Arnold Schwarzenegger, as The Terminator, telling a police sergent, "I'll be back." The name of this IPA also comes from a play on another quip from that iconic movie.
But is this a killer beer? Is it even cool? Let's see.
Hopsta La Vista India Pale Ale (6.5% ABV)
Longslice Brewery
Toronto ON
Appearance: bright, clear, orange-amber with a creamy, off-white head that pours thick and collapses to a solid foam cap.
Nose: earthy caramel and a slightly citrus aroma, though I found most of the bouquet was closed.
Palate: some malt, some hops, and little else. There is balance to the two main ingredients, but I would have liked to find more flavour. Where was the grapefruit? The alcohol comes out in the finish but is more palate-cleansing than boozy (which is a good thing).
Overall impression: I drank this IPA while I worked from home, during a conference call. The meeting was dull, so I made my notes in between following my computer screen and listening to the conversations.
The meeting wasn't the only thing that I found dull.
This ale may appeal to those who want to break from the doldrums of Molson and Labatt products. It has more mouth feel and packs a bit of a punch. But for craft-beer enthusiasts, it may come off as being pretty bland (in my view, of course). As an IPA-lover, I find this one ho-hum.
My first impression, from the design of the can, is that Longslice is trying too hard to appear cool, which isn't cool. (Visiting their Web site, my suspicions were confirmed.)
As for the "... you'll be back!"? No, I won't.
Beer O'Clock rating: 2
Cheers!
I've never met a bitter waitress.
Sure, I have been served by an impatient waiter, a waitress who has had a bad day and isn't all smiles, but bitter? Never.
If you're going to have a bad attitude, serving the public is not your calling.
For the most part, I've had decent servers. I've been lucky enough to have outstanding servers. I even had a regular server, who knew my name, knew what I wanted, would bring me my first drink, already in hand, when she came to my table to greet me. She would always return with a fresh drink, just as I was finishing the last one. Her deliveries would continue until, on her latest visit, I would point to that newly arrived glass and say, "this is my last one."
I loved her.
Not that puppy love, the kind where you look desperate, longing for love and attention, to have those feelings requited. I loved her, but rarely thought of her outside of the context of the restaurant that I frequented.
I would ask her to marry me every time I showed up and took my usual table. She would say no, knowing that I wasn't serious, though she would occasionally respond with a, "careful: one of these days, I might say 'yes.'"
I loved her like a good friend. She was somebody with whom I cared, would watch out for. When I think of favourite servers, she has always been right at the top.
I also tipped her very well. She was worth it.
So no, I have never met a bitter waitress. Until now.
Bitter Waitress Black IPA (6.5% ABV)
Shillow Beer Company
Oakville, ON
Appearance: deep walnut-brown with a creamy, dark-taupe head that creates a solid cap. Only through bright light can you see this ale's colour.
Nose: coffee, dark chocolate, prunes, and black licorice.
Palate: the licorice carries through in the mouth and is dominant, with the prunes and strong coffee following along. There is a long finish that is balanced by malt and hops, though the hops win out in the end.
Overall impression: this black IPA is enjoyable, though it's not an ale that I could see myself drinking in abundance—rather, it is one that I can see myself having only one can of, in one sitting, perhaps to finish off the evening, and even then, not after having more than one or two lighter ales. Bitter Waitress is slightly heady, at 6.5% ABV, and is slightly filling.
At my old restaurant, as my favourite waitress brought me my second-last drink, I would have to say something like, "I'm wrapping up," which would be her cue to bring me a glass of this ale to finish the evening.
Not a bad way to end the night, for sure.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
Shillow is one of the beer companies that I discovered on a recent visit to Toronto, where I checked out the local craft breweries in a downtown LCBO. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll examine the other beers that I haven't seen in Ottawa.
Cheers!
