Half-Pints Burly Wine, Not Just A Winter Warmer

It may be the end of August but it's never to soon to anticipate the many winter warmers that will grace the fridges of the beer loving people soon enough. Even break out the ones you stashed from years past.
Today just seemed like a great day to drink something a little different than the many pale beers that gracefully sit on patios and quench the thirst of the people. My table proudly props up a fine glass of Burly Wine (blue wax, 2009) from Half Pints Brewing Company located in Winnipeg, MB.

I'll just start by saying this is one hell of a beautiful looking beer. A murky bog water caramel brown body, rusty golden hues and a tanned head that remains small but full (and laces right to the very bottom of the drinking vessel).

The aroma is earthy, oak-like qualities drenched in a boozy dried fruit cake. Treacle soaked currents, raisins, dates, and lighter apricot notes with a sweet grain bill that comes out like heavy caramel and sugared cereal (Sugar Crisp anyone?!). The hops have a great noble appeal, herbal and almost that of spruce trees.

The flavour is very syrupy/ treacle-like. There is a wood like earthiness on the tongue, but on further sips that flavour appears more nutty than anything else. Big sweet yeast bread flavours, a touch of grain which is dominated by the stewed fruit flavours. Sweet cherries seem to come out more on the tongue than the lighter apricot notes in the nose. The alcohol is well hidden for what is supposedly 10.5%ABV (I will note the outside of the case it came in is marked at 8.5%ABV). I'll assume the latter. There are some bourbon qualities that linger on the tongue with a semi-dry finish. The raisins, plums, and currents are strong in sweetness, while the hops really keep this balanced. 75IBU's and still sweet will give you a good idea of how huge this grain bill must be.

The body is rich and full with a decent carbonation for the style. There is a heavy kick in this one. This is a satisfying mouthful. Granted, this sucker is still a little hot even eight months later.

This is going to be a great beer to age and watch develop over the months and years (if they last that long). It is amazing to have a brewery like this in Canada. Everything I've tried has had amazing quality, standard and consistency while remaining to be very unique on their own within the brewery's line up of beers.

Does anyone else get excited about beer in the cellar? What do you wait for to open one (or two… or three… or…)?

New Holland: Imperial Hatter

First off, I have to apologize for not keeping up on my posts. Things are a little crazy this time of year while I am preparing to tour Canada next week with one of my 3 (4?) bands, while the other bands are still very active in rehearsing, recording, and playing shows.


I'll admit i was drawn in by the label, or scuffs on the label. This afternoon I thought it would be appropriate to finally get to try the Imperial Hatter India Pale Ale from New Holland Brewing Company. The bottle was in a fridge full of brightly labeled beer (a lot of generic American macro-brews) and a bomber with an off green print on it stood tall amongst the rest (most likely misplaced in the wrong fridge). Some scuffs were off the label giving it a bit more character, and then reading Imperial and India Pale Ale on the label just had me sold on this bottle.

This is apart of the High Gravity Series that New Holland released. It's 20 P, and 9.4%ABV… the perfect patio summer beer. The description reads:

"A robust renovation of the India Pale Ale. Assertive dry-hopping provides an aromatic telltale nose, indicative of the bitter symphony to follow. Bold hop character with lively grapefruit and citrus notes."

Well, what am I waiting for? Doesn't that sound inviting to you?

It pours a beautiful dark orange, clear, with a slight copper note to it, while a nice fluffy white head sits on op. The nose brings out a lot of… pine!? and then some clementines and pink grapefruit follows with the heavy caramel from the malt. There is a touch of biscuit and even a hit of tartness from the alcohol. I will admit I was struck by how pine forward this was on the nose. Pretty different from a lot of the American I-IPA's.
The flavour again is huge on pine and big malt sweetness. There is a little grapefruit bitter on the end, but the lingering flavour is pine, a touch of alcohol that translates into a slight tart cherry behind the malt and yeast character. This is still pretty bitter. To add to the bitterness is how dry this sucker is. This snaps off the tongue and leaves a nice pine aftertaste (I haven't been chasing this with gin, just to let you know). The medium to fairly high carbonation, light (for style) body, and dryness make this unbelievably drinkable. If you like a wallop of hops, this beer is for you. Don't forget that there are a load of balancing malts that give it an initial sweetness, that will quickly turn around and bite you bitter.

I am shocked in a great manner that this is pine forward and not citrus. I love citrus hops, but getting that evergreen bitter lingering on the tongue is quite nice. I know what the discretion says, but my palate and/or this bottle say otherwise. Not a complaint, just an observation.


What draws you to to pick up a mystery bottle?

Hockey Parents Gone Wrong

Remember back when you were ten years old and you were getting pumped up for a good game of hockey? What motivated you? Was it the love of the game? Pizza afterwards? "Fine beer"?

Win or lose it's how you play the game. However, I am familiar with hockey parents who would damn near punish their kids if they lost a game (remember, it's a team sport!). If the team won, then maybe you'd get pizza, a pat on the back or "you'll still have to work harder next time, you just got lucky."

Well, a youth hockey league in Saskatchewan seemed to have hockey parents who thought Coors Light was a "fine beer" worthy of celebration after a hard game. On top of that being slightly inappropriate and illegal, this coach and treasurer, figured it would be great to get this on film and post in on YouTube (this video has now been removed for obvious reasons). You can find one news article here.

Apparently the kid seemed uncomfortable accepting the idea of posing with a bottle of Coors Light. I don't blame the kid, even at ten years old I'm sure he knew the difference.

My mind is simply blown by this concept of posing children with beer in a locker room after a game and posting it publicly over the internet. It's not just the coaches that suffer from this but the kids as well.

After all, it's still just a game.

Keep your stick on the ice, and drink a real fine beer... when you're old enough to do so.

Making the Most of Dark Lord Day 2010

There is a certain energy that fills the air for those attending a good tail gate party. Well, those who have attended the Three Floyd's Dark Lord Day in Munster, Indiana know that this event is like Christmas for beer geeks. It's the birthday of the Dark Lord Imperial Stout.

You get this crazy ticket weeks before, you eye it, check out the cool graphics, and some take pictures of it. Then you wonder what colour the wax on the bottle will be, will it be any different in flavour, alcohol percentage, etc. Along with this, you know there will be the eve of Dark Lord Day where people travel from all over, stop at every b

rewery, brew-pub and beer store along the way to sample and collect as many tasty beverages as possible. When you arrive, you know there is going to be a pre-party in all the anxiousness. Then the morning of, the line ups, the beer, the sharing, the line ups, the porta-potties, the line ups, the guest taps, the beer, the beer, the beer, the line ups, snacks, beer, the line ups, beer, line ups, and the after party, snacks, beer, check time, and it's sleepy time. Did I mention line ups and beer? There are a lot of them. Prepare yourself.

And what a Time!

Personally there is no better way to start a trip than the night before (Thursday) drinking the previous years batch of Dark Lord while watching South Park's Woodland Critter Christmas episode. Some ho

w the two just go hand in hand. Thanks too Grub (Russ) and Viggo (Eric) for providing the brew.

We were up early in the morning, packed the car with some Canadian beer to trade and set out for Champagnes, a Michigan wine and beer store with a fairly large selection of beers from around the world at a great price. Personally, I felt like a kid in a candy store and picked up a few treats that I wanted to try and then just grabbed whatever I could because it looked like it could be delicious.

After that, off to Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. Which was very near by. This place rules. The beer is pretty tasty, and for the stingy... free popcorn. Awesome. Sampled some of the brews and grabbed a very large box full of growlers (The growler of Aldebaran Belgian Imperial IPA went over very well at the tasting tables at Dark Lord Day).

Now that we had a car full of goodies to share, we were hungry, so we dropped into Jolly Pumpkin Brew Pub for an amazing lunch. I had the Red Chili Tofu (I just drooled a little), and it was a gnarly sandwich. Kimchee on a sammich is always key, at least it will be after this one. I noticed someone order pizza and some other sandwich. I can't recall, I was pretty focused on mine and a tasty Vicious hoppy wheat farmhouse cask ale.

Then it was off to Bell's Brewery in Kalmazoo, MI. Well, in fact it was the Eccentric Cafe and General Store. Okay, I love this brewery. This was the brewery that made beers that just totally smacked me in the face and said "Respect us, because we are delicious and we own your taste buds forever more." Two Hearted Ale was the first to knock my socks off. It may not be the most complex beer in the world, but it's rockin' and could be my "lawnmower" beer, breakfast beer, lunch beer, supper beer, any day beer. Okay, I'd brush my teeth with this one.

Well we popped in a weird time as a band was just about to play and we were really just running in so the non-drivers could grab a pint of something and a few things at the store for the road. Unfortunately they didn't have Two Hearted on tap, bu

t they did have what seemed to be a new "French inspired brown ale" that was super tasty.

And in the blink of an eye we are off again into the setting Sun. Next stop, Munster, Indiana. After dropping our bags off at the Hampton we were off to FFF's Brewery and Brew Pub for some brews and food. Needless to say we were not the only ones with this idea and there was a line up outside. We got in, fish n' chips and a grilled cheese later (American's seem to love large portions) and some tasty victory lap beers, we had hit last call. We hitched a ride back to the hotel and met with some other road trippers looking for someone to drink with in the hotel. Well, who can turn down someone looking for a friend to share their local pride.

The friendly conversation ended in yawns and anticipation for the big day about to come. We said good night, and awaited Christmas, I mean Dark Lord Day.

There are a few things you need for Dark Lord Day:

-Rest

-Water (lots of water, I cannot stress this enough)

-A drinking glass (sturdy, thick rimmed, don't bring your favourite because it might not survive... mine didn't... goodbye Volo Cask Day's glass).

-A liver.

-A big breakfast...even if it's from The Hampton (Seriously, what was the deal with the cheezewiz omlette thing?)

-Snacks. Chips, bread, crackers, cheese. Nothing too strong in flavour, it messes up the palate, you do want to actually taste the beer. Avoid things that might upset your stomach when mixed with beer. Hummus might not be your best choice.

-Water.

-Beer.

-Beer.

-Beer.

-Patients. There are a lot of line-ups. A lot. For just about everything. 7,000 people in a parking lot waiting for different things. It's confusing, so keep your wits about you.

-Rain gear. It can happen.

- A Cooler. Holds beer, keeps it cold, and you can sit on it.

- A Golden Ticket... it's anything but golden.

- Cash. Cash only place... Only!

- A friendly smile and a generous heart.

Enjoy.

This event may even take some training. Not quite Beer Fest style, but tolerance is needed, especially if you don't have will power. Also, forget that fad diet you were on before because you know someone is going home with a Double Down at some point (who was in the elevator with those things?!). Now that I think of it, there is probably someone out there with a survival guide to the Double Down.

This is a huge party where (some) people start drinking in the early hours of the morning if they ever stopped the night before. Eat a big breakfast. It will do you good. Even if there is food at the event, the bbq options tend to be pricy and not that filling. Also, the line up for the pub is crazy long and it could take you hours to get food if you ever get i

n the door. This is also where chips may come in handy if you are set on getting the pub food.

Be patient, talk to people, take your time drinking, and have a bit of will power. You may see a load of beer you want to try and very friendly people willing to share every ounce. For each sample of beer you might as well have that much or more of water. Just think of someone lining up a Westy 8, Westy 12, Pliny the Younger, Vanilla Bean Dark Lord, The Bruery beers, etc . Some people wait a life time to try each one of these, some people are willing to share very openly at one moment. You know it won't last long, so small samples (be generous, offer something back, and save some for everyone) and drink water in between. This also helps you rinse your glass and

get ready for the next brew. The first beer of the day was Denison's Weissbier. I'm sure that would make Mr. Handcock proud.

Also, make sure you bring your own local brewers beer with you. People are interested even if it seems over done where you are from, others are willing to try and you'd be surprised what others like. Also, picking up growlers along the way is perfectly acceptable to offer up. Again, this is a very civil event where people share. A great way to make friends.

Conversation is also a good way to keep your mind in tact and judge your alcohol intake. If you are slurring words and can't remember your last sentence, you may want to chill out for a while, grab food, drink water, and relax. It's a long day and a longer life, and you know the event will happen again next year.

Also, don't forget to stand in line to buy your bottles. This year everyone was supposed to get 4 per ticket, which then got reduced to 3 later in the day. Which is a drag for those who waited too long. Oh! When you get your bottles, hold them by the bottom. Not worth risking dropping your limited share of very expensive beer. I let my glass fall out of my pocket and break rather than risk dropping the case of beer. When you get it, find somewhere to put it. Do not just lay it down anywhere. There are people lurking around everywhere who do not have tickets. As much as I'd like to think people will not do bad things, they do, no need to have your beer taken from you. Keep in mind, it cost you CASH!

While all of the madness is going on, awesome bands are playing. For example, Imperial Battle Snake and Pelican. They both rule! It wouldn't be Dark Lord Day without metal. Plus, Randy Mosher is more metal than you! Never forget that. The metal man of craft brewing was there to chat, sign books, drink, and enjoy the event.

It makes you wonder sometimes when you see large men passed out, cup in hand and they even miss their turn in line to buy Dark Lord. It's not all about Dark Lord, it's the event, the social gathering, the travel, all of the other local brews from all over being shared. Just make sure you get your tickets worth. The beer is well worth all of the hype. Yes, it's that good. Though if they bottled the Vanilla Bean Dark Lord, I might get in line a day earlier.

It's truly amazing to see the attention this brewery brings to the craft beer world. Not only do they make killer sales on one beer, they are making the beer world a smaller community. All brewers and beer geeks are in this game together. We might as well get along.

After the event we went to a restaurant across the street from our hotel that had Alpha King on for $3 bucks a pint. Now that's a deal! The lobby of the hotel was a tasting room for the survivors.

In the morning we made a line towards Dark Horse Brewing Co. in Marshall, MI. Man, this place is cool with the mug club. Mugs are everywhere on the wall and people take them to drink from whenever they are there. A great idea, a cool niche, cool vibe, and great brews in the place. Their Imperial Stout is crazy good, not to mention the Crooked Tree I.P.A and Double Crooked Tree. Well worth the visit.

Customs are not that fun, but be prepared to claim what you take back. Some people are lucky, some are not.

This is a lot to take in during one event. It's hard to make sense of it all as it quickly becomes a blur. Just remember, you can have the time of your life at this event. More so, I believe this event becomes more enjoyable if you take some time the day before to hit a few brew pubs along the way, go sight seeing, eat good food, and relax.

I look forward to next year.

Cheers!

I'm Back!

Dark Lord Day is the new Christmas. This is indeed a celebration, not to mention a total test of will power and liver function. I am still collecting notes, tasting notes on beer mats, recovering memory of the things I was drinking, sharing, etc. So, I'll be back a little later with more on my experience as a Canadian at Dark Lord Day!

BRB, DLD!!!

I'll be right back. I'm heading off to Munster, Indiana tomorrow with Eric (Viggo) and Russ (Grub) for a massive beer run. The idea is to hit a few breweries and end up at 3 Floyd's for Dark Lord Day on Saturday, April 24th.

Is it worth the hype? I'll let you know how the trip goes. Beer is always about the experience. Individual beers themselves sometimes stand out because of atmosphere, the glass, the company, lack of company, etc. It seems like if a quality beer is made without fault it is only the palate and a state of mind doing the rest of the judgements.

Cheers to a fine weekend ahead. I'm sure I will not go thirsty and my liver will be suspended in bliss.

Also, check out the video for I'm A Canadian Craft Brewer for Vancouver Beer Week. This is great. Spread the word and be proud of your Canadian Brewers.

I am a Canadian Craft Brewer from VancouverCBW on Vimeo.

Beau's:Stout Beavers Get Sleepy in Belgium, Eh?

It appears to be a busy time of year for beer. All of these events are getting in the way of just sitting on a patio and enjoying beer... wait, never mind that.

First off I'd like to thank Beau's and Bar Volo for putting the feature together. There were plenty of beer fans hanging around to try a few new beers to the scene of Ontario. One being the Beaver River IP'Eh? and the other being Matt's Sleepy Time Belgian Imperial Stout. Now, The Beaver River had made an appearance last spring and I will now look forward to it every spring.

The Stout is a great release. I may have trouble thinking of it as a "stout", but as a beautiful Belgian Strong Dark Ale it seems to fit my palate more. Regardless of titles, which indeed mean very little, it is a tasty brew, I assure you.

Beaver River IP'Eh? from the cask poured a lovely glowing orange around the edges blending into the copper like body, a huge creamy head that settles amongst the hazy contents. Obviously a little over carbonated while being forced through the hand pump. I Don't complain about this due to the aroma that follows.

The nose is really floral, citrus grapefruits, a hint of mangos, clementines, followed by a slight pine note. You can really get a sent of caramel from the malts and a touch of biscuit. Very cool. The floral bouquet was a little different and interesting. It had a lot of very nice tropical fruit aromas. I enjoy the hops in this one.

The taste was much to follow from the nose. Very bitter and citrusy up front. All the zest and pine just seem to swirl into the caramel malt sweetness. There isn't much hop burn from this. A little sweeter than the tap version, which at first seemed a little hop forward (I ain't complaining on either parts... just a new ball game). The mango returns in the sweetness along with some nice biscuity flavours and returns with that satisfying hop residue on the tongue.

With the over carbonation and the hand pump, this is super thick and creamy. Very frothy, smooth, and totally clean.

I really do look forward to this beer. I get hop crazy sometimes, but this really had the best of both worlds. A fantastic offering from this brewery!

Matt's Sleepy Time Belgian Imperial Stout from the tap poured a dark black and surprisingly clear, there was a little mahogany hue around the edges of the glass, and an ever so slightly tanned head that sunk to a slight film. Not much retention for the head or lacing.

The nose is pretty interesting. The belgian yeast character gives it a nice kick . Front off there is a hefty amount of smoke, charcoal, a little chocolate and vanilla along with a herbal character that is similar of cola nut. The yeast brings out some ripe raspberry and strawberry qualities as if they are stewing in their own juices and just mingle with the roast and chocolate tones.

The taste leans away from the smoke and puts front a very rich roasted cocoa beans, coffee, chocolate and vanilla. There is a little herbal quality that floats over the tongue and is blended with bready notes from the yeast. The finish is very nice and dry and snaps quickly with cloves and pepper and leaves the berry-like sugars resting on the palate. It is fairly complex.

The mouthfeel does end up seeming a little thin with it's high carbonation and why I would lean away from wanting to place it with other imperial stouts, but what's in a name? It doesn't take away from the drinkability of this one.

It seems everyone wants to pair dark beers with the darkest chocolate, or smoked meat or really strong cheeses. Personally, due to the light and crisp body I'd lean more towards pairing it with something simple and light, for example strawberries and whipped cream, with chocolate sprinkles of course, or potentially something like a strawberry shortcake. Let the beer take the food to a new level. If my food is merely blending flavours of the beer, then I'll just stick with the beer and eat before or after. I'm not huge on pairing, but if deemed necessary I really think it should be a complete experience, it should take your taste buds to the next level that the food or the beer could not do alone.

I did not have any of the Lug Tread at the feature, however I did recently pick up a brand spankin' new 4-pack earlier in the week. I did a review of it, however I'll just chalk it up to the time of day, and the whole atmosphere: It really hit the spot on a nice sunny spring day. The packaging is awesome. The bottles look cool, the cardboard is pretty hippy-like, and it looks as good as the contents inside. Good work!

I had a great chat with Steve at the bar. It's really good to see people who are behind the beer 110%. Even if he isn't the brewer, he wants and needs to know everything about it. The idea of being small, independent, and family oriented is a beautiful thing. He seemed really excited about his product because you could tell he loved it himself.

It makes sense. Why brew beer you wouldn't want to drink yourself? If you have a beer for ever mood and season, brew more beer!

I'll finish off by saying there is nothing better than a bar full of people excited about beer. Some may be there just to tick another off the list, rub noses with the brewer, or just socialize, because that's why we drink at a pub.

Cheers!

B is For...

Ah, to be five years old (almost six) again. To wander through life driven only by curiosity of your surroundings seems a little too good to be true. Running in circles seemed like a great source of entertainment at that age (at least it did for me). To have a mind without filters between imagination and the real world. Thoughts are one with themselves, both dreams and the quick paced blur that the real world could be.

It appears that when five, turns to six and then you are soon "middle-aged" have experienced more than your fare share of the rat race, and what better way to relax and feel worry free at the end of the day but with a bubble beverage called "Beer!" The letter "B" is for a lot of things, but most commonly B is for Beer.

B is for Beer by Tom Robbins is "A Children's Book for Grown-ups" or " A Grown-up Book for Children." A tale of a girl, Gracie at the age of five nearing her sixth birthday and her curiosity for that golden bubbly beverage that made her uncle Moe burp, giggle, piddle, and make sense of life.

It's true, everything I ever needed to know I learned in Kindergarten, except for one thing. I didn't know anything about beer. Thankfully, I have grown up. Thankfully there is a book like this that brings me back in time and describes beer in a way I first imagined it, even at a later age.

This may not be a land completely of sugar elves and yeast, but there is there is a substance that make everything alright. Eat your heart out Harry Potter. This book is more to my speed. I just want beer with my cookies now.

It's worth a read to bring yourself to a child like state about a substance requiring an adult age to consume legally.

Please enjoy responsibly.

Black and Blue: Smoke em' if you got em'

Please note the photo above. Do you notice anything? Here's a hint: I live in Ontario, and no one has underlined with a sharpie what they find offensive about the label.

Well, while everyone is sipping the St. Ambroise Stout Imperiale Russe, I am here feeling a little french as well. I have been looking at my stash of Aphrodisiaque from Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! and I couldn't take it any longer. It was screaming "drink me!" Who am I to say "no!" to such a seductive bottle?

Just today I had picked up a hunk of smoked blue raw cow cheese from Quebec (Blue Haze!) and knew this would fit just right.

The smoke hints amongst the cocoa, espresso, vanilla, ripe red fruits, molasses and touch of breadyness in the nose of the Aphrodisiaque would pair perfectly with the smokey, funky, ripe blue cheese that this beast is.

The body of the beer even pairs well. Both are rich and creamy. The ripe fruit and sweet malt tones of the beer compliment the funk of the blue. Both are buttery going down. Honestly, this is poetry in pairing cheese and beer. Both are complex, but neither are all that complicated.

A match made in heaven or up in smoke, cocoa, and vanilla!

By the by, check out one of my best friends in the world. Chris Newell A.K.A. Zen. Whether you like Hip-Hop or not, he's got some pretty gnarly rhymes and beats. Everything he touches is creative and catches your eyes or ears. Not a one trick pony by any means.

www.myspace.com/zenistheillest

Fast - Cask -Nation: Real or Not, Here it Comes!

This morning I awoke to some early morning news of a development in cask ale. Fast Cask by Marston's will be released in the form of Pedigree and Hobgoblin during Cask Ale Week, March 29th - April 5th).

The idea is that the yeast is taken late from Primary fermentation and then replaced in the secondary (cask) with "beads" of yeast that settle the beer bright and quickly without the use of finings. Live yeast is technically not in the cask itself like real traditional cask ales, yet it still undergoes a secondary fermentation due to the development in yeast "beads" that act like sponges and ferment the sugars still left in t

he beer.

Why you ask? Well, it seems this development will allow more bars and pubs to sell cask ale. It seems storage and tap space make it difficult to have a lot of horizontal casks lying around. These Fast Cask's can be stored upright, can deal with a lot movement or turbulence in transportation and still be served almost instantly due to the technology of the "beads". Normally the yeast needs time to settle if disrupted from it's happy settled state in the cellar and then moved to the serving station at the bar.

Another thing to note is that now the beer settles bright without the use of finings or isinglass (tropical fish bladders) which makes vegans happy campers. Now even the strictest vegetarian can enjoy cask ale.

You can read more about this on Pete Brown's Beer Blog, who had the exclusive release of this information.

My standing on this is that it is a good idea. Just think of all the cask ales over seas can now be transported to North America with ease, no worries of bursting, going stale, or questionable freshness. I'm sure all brewers in the Burton-on-Trent area came up with this before shipping those casks of Pale Ale to India. This is also great for bars and pubs with no real cellar space, for those vegans who were always curious about the idea of "real" beer.

Okay, the other side of the coin is that, no it's not traditional. It's not "real" yeast. It may have some different character differences. I am also a little bit of a purist in the inside. I don't mind waiting a little while longer for a good ale. Today, in a local organic grocery store I noticed a lot of instant "organic" products, such as instant microwaveable rice, instant dinners, instant hummus, mac n' cheese, microwave this and microwave that, and even an over priced form of Mr. Noodle, all with the "organic" title (also note a lot of these products will actually give a percentage of the ingredients that are actually organic). Nutritional value didn't sway to far from the big brands either. I see a cycle trend coming along with this. It's a trend for the working class, the busy folk who have too much time to sit in an office, work outside, do odd jobs, but no time to cook. Pre-made. Can we have a blast to the past of t.v. dinners of meatloaf, potatoes, mushy peas, and some gelatinous substance in the middle? Except, this time we have "organic" or in the case of our cask: "Real". Good things take time. To be appreciated they

take time. If everything in life was fast, quick and easy ( I see a "that's what she said" joke in there somewhere) we will form a fast-beer-nation. Big golden "C" everywhere Fast Cask or another big brand form of it is served.

Now that I mention it, it'd be nice to have some big flashing sign over bars serving cask when traveling. It's not always easy to find, if it's even there. Could save a lot of frustration, perhaps?

I guess I worry that this development in secondary fermentation may lead to Quickie-Cask Cans (I should patent that) purchased at your local beer merchant, or cask vending machines for that matter (I think one part of my brain just said "cool!"). Will all of my favourite pubs become so crowded that I cannot get in? Or will slow cask take shadow to Fast Cask?

Okay, I am going a little far with this when in fact, I do support the idea. Honestly, this is good for business. Having cask ale available to more people around England and maybe even world wide will mean more cask ale for me, that will be less hard to find, traditional or fast. At least for those who don't not fully support the idea, Marston's will still produce regular real cask ale with real yeast, nice and slow, settled the good old fashioned way.

Though, there is nothing wrong with that little quite pub that serves a pint of fresh, real, traditional cask ale with no more than a handful of regulars chattering over a pint of glory.

It All Goes Under Your Nose

What do you think of when you think the word "beer"? Do you simply see a bottle, green or brown? Do you see a golden fizzy drink? Do you see mountains that turn blue when the time is just right? Do you see a pint of an black opaque molasses looking beverage? Do you see a creamy, hazy weissbier with that huge rocky white head? Do you see musical notes? Do you black out or go blind(if you do go blind, please reconsider drinking the blue stuff under the sink... it's not beer)?

I pose the questions above because at the end of it all, it simply goes under your nose. This week I had a bunch of friends from Newfoundland visit the city. Most had the weekend off and simply wanted to shop, party/drink, and eat at different restaurants. The idea of having a few drinks at a pub came up, and this got me kind of excited because I was put to the test to see if I could find them something different that they have never had before but might like. Well, I enjoy a good challenge.

So, we hit the pub. A few ladies claimed not to like beer and it only took a sleek looking glass of the famed Denison's Weissbier full of cloves, banana esters, lemon, bready notes, and with it's high carbonation, it was a quick win.

Some tend to think that if it's dark it's a stout, heavy, or just "gross." One one of the bunch claimed that he would drink anything as long as it wasn't a stout. You know, "for a laugh!" Durham's Hop Addict had an amusing tap handle and sealed the deal for the first round. Well, as I figured he was just going to get it past his tongue as quick as possible, because that is the custom of most drinkers unaware of what an IPA is or what hops actually contribute to a beer. I simply purposed he smell the beer before drinking and think of citrus and pine. "Grapefruit, it's grapefruit!" Followed by, "this is kind of bitter, but it's enjoyable. I just want to drink this slowly."

After a few drinks they were ready to head to their hotel, not before stopping into the LCBO for more alcoholic beverages for when they got thirsty again. Surprisingly I noticed quite a few go straight for the OCB's Discovery Pack #4. Some others went for Steam Whistle for it's green bottle that was local but looked similar enough to the European import brands that they were familiar with. Others just picked up the "coolest" looking cans they could find and a bottle of rum for good luck.

Most people don't care to pour a beer into a glass, appreciate the colour or aroma, and simply describe the appearance of the beer on the label itself. How sad for some fantastic brews lacking in the arts department. We all know of a few that need not go mentioned.

The one thing I did notice is that people never rejected a "dark" beer when they couldn't see the colour of it within the walls of a brown glass bottle. The idea was just to try something new, try something local. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Drink the beverages of Ontario because they don't frequent Newfoundland all that often. It has been nice to see Mill St. get the Organic Lager onto the rock. A safe brew to add to the small beer selection that exists on the island.

This weekend has proved that even the most stubborn people are willing to try something new. Baby steps, but they are willing, especially in a dare or party situation. As long as someone breaks out a guitar and sings celtic jingles revolving around the subject matter of booze, boats, and women, then someone will drink something as long as it's called alcohol. Preferably beer it seems.

The other issue to note here is the importance of a label. Should we all have labels of horses, dogs, or no images at all. Should there be swirls and bright colours, a cute brand name, or a commercial on the television that one person remembered?

As much as I'd like to be idealistic and fight for the idea of a label or name not mattering, it really does. The label will sell a beer to a stranger, and the product itself will keep them coming back. If the second time they come back and it's not consistent like the mainstream counter parts then that could also pose problems.

After reading Pete Brown's blog about comparing beer to wine, I too thought it may indeed be fruitless to compare beer to wine or compare beer to anything but that golden fizzy stuff. Though, it is not a lost hope to get people to try new things. Beer is still meant to be fun, drinkable and for most, a social beverage. Sometimes a small selection of craft beer is better than a big. I keep thinking "baby steps."

At least, at the end of all of this I know that people will indeed seek out new things, and some will never look at a mainstream "IPA" the same way again.

At the end of the day, I feel like I've done my part for craft beer. The movement is in the right direction. I think this calls for a drink.

Cheers!

Beer Olympics: Brew Dog vs. The World

BrewDog, I salute you! The Scottish boys have done it once again and reclaimed the title of strongest beer with a new bottle they are calling "Sink the Bismarck." This is apparently clocking in at about 41%ABV.

It makes you wonder if this is just going to go back and forth to see who can make beer flavoured moonshine. Could it be the next summer craze? Think this will come in a glass with a sliced lime on the rim?

Sink the Bismarck! is beer, amplified. With the volume turned full up, it is important you that you be careful with this beer and show it the same amount of sceptical, tentative respect you would show an international chess superstar, clown or gypsy.

Even if you have no taste for extreme beer or eis/quad-IPA, you have to admit they are good at marketing. Well, we can see 2010 is off to a huge start, and huge IBU's and huge %ABV.

You can read more about the massive 41%ABV beer here. These bottles should run for about $65 and change, if not more by the time they are released for order online.

An early morning toast, Cheers!

EDIT: You can see here James from BrewDog's take on the video and the beer itself. These guys really do have a good solid head on their shoulders, love what they do, and have fun doing it.

Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.

McAuslan St-Ambroise Imperial Russian Stout

Thanks social networking programs!

I noticed a tweet this afternoon from Josh Rubin, the beer columnist from The Star that the purchase order has gone through this week and if all goes well, by mid-march the LCBO may be receiving the McAuslan Brewing limited release: St.-Ambroise Imperial Russian Stout.

According to Canadian Beer News:

"Only 9600 bottles have been produced"

It was assumed that the release was subject to Quebec only, though it's nice to know that things change over time.

Will this be another brew to quickly fly off the shelves? With the BA reviews we can see it will be something worth seeking out.

Cheers!

Play Nice!

Is the world becoming a giant playground? Craft brewers are on the same team! Right? The little guys, we are up against the big guys. The phrase "pick on someone you're own size!" was always meant for the larger('lager' was what I miss typed and probably did so correctly) picking on the smaller. Well, according to Beernews.org, Bear Republic Brewery is filing a lawsuit against Central City Brewing Co.

"

The Boston IP blog posted the details about the Bear Republic lawsuit over the weekend. California-based Bear Republic is suing British Columbia-based Central City over alleged trademark infringement on its “RACER 5 INDIA PALE ALE and BEAR REPUBLIC RICARDO’S RED ROCKET ALE” marks. Bear Republic takes issue with Central City’s Red Racer product line which hit cans and U.S. distribution for the first time last year. The brewery sent a cease and desist in mid-December to which Central City responded in early January, rejecting Bear Republic’s claims."

Okay, so when did this matter so much to small craft breweries? I'm also fresh after watching Beer Wars. So much effort and money goes into beating out the small guys, and craft brewers like Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, who after watching the movie, much reminds me of Keanu Reeves as Ted, in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (in the most respectful way possible!!!) still could care less about the Japanese brewery making Catfish Head 60 Minute IIPA. Granted, it's all in the way you tip your hat and adjust to the market.

I see Canada as a place that still believes that the United States of America will never find out about their beers. However, with sites like Beer Advocate it's easy to see word spread really quick. Especially when a beer like Red Racer is getting a lot of BA respect!!!

This simply makes me feel a whole lot of mixed feelings inside. Considering, we have Stone collaborating with Jolly Pumpkin, Brew Dog, etc, and we see 3 Floyd's with Half Acre Brewing Co. collaborating. Why can't we all just get along?

I just feel a little bizarre about beer marketing these days. Everyone wants success. No one wants to fail. But, after watching Beer Wars the movie, we have to work together. Healthy competition is fine, but as such a low percentage of the total beer market share, who cares if "Red" is used in a label or as a brand. Let it slide. It's not like you are all making mass produced Lime Soda-like "beer"... I digress.

Let the small stuff slide. Life is hard enough without fighting in the sandbox while wars are going on outside. I still believe in purity and that if you believe in what you do, and what you do holds craft and merit, it will succeed regardless of the B.S.

Please, craft beer will struggle for a while yet before we even start scratching the surface of the mass market, so let's be nice to each other while we reach for a higher ground together. The underdog can, and will eventually win.

Though, I will mention that after watching Beer Wars, I often feel like screaming inside and wondering why so many people are afraid to open up their taste-buds, but willing to let a television tell them what will look good going down (NOTE: no mention of flavour in commercials!).

I'm often sure this Rooster feels the same frustration every single morning ( please enjoy):

Ontario Get's Stone(d): Worthy?

So the story goes: a bunch of arrogant bastards walk into a particular Bar Volo on a sunny Superbowl Sunday afternoon and they get Stoned.

The regulars, total strangers, passers by, and most being beer geeks from far and wide stopped by to pay respect to a brewery that deserves it. This brewery is Stone Brewing Co. If you have followed any brewing news you can see that they are making waves, or flying straight over them. A craft brewery doing everything in its power to be seen, heard, and tasted.

Is Ontario worthy of such products? From the turn out of happy drinkers sharing bottles, thoughts, and company, it's obvious that we are truly worthy. Simply by the empties left on the table at the end of the night should give an example of how far beer fans will go for a good bottle of beer. This isn't to say that Canada doesn't have good breweries, in fact we have many that are top notch and can compete with the best of the best. Though, when you taste any of the Stone brews you know the quality that goes into it. It isn't a gamble to try the beer and wonder if you'll like it. It simply demands your respect.

On top of that I've never noticed any other bottle with so much text resembling short essays. Maybe it was just the sun shining through the window, the many people admiring one brewery, and one brewery only, the cases of stone, the dead solider (empty bottles) making their way to a table, but something felt right. Even as the sun began to set it was still a great atmosphere.

I could go on and describe every beer, but I'd love to just note the Vertical Epic 060606. For a four year old bottle, this was lively, aggressive, contemplative, complex, bold, brash, and of all things, Epic. Epic, indeed.

Once again, a huge thanks to Volo for putting this off. If we are not worthy, who really is?

Needless to say none of the Stone appreciators are worried about our bone density or mineral content today. As all the news today has been over the silicon content beer provides for strong and healthy bones.

I say more barley and hops please! Who would have thought a nice barley wine or doubleIPA could keep the doctor away.

On topic, I see these beer events and the supporters giving hope for the growing market for a much wider palate. It's not just marketing anymore, but individuals hunting down quality and specific tastes. 2010 is looking good. Well, it may be an epic year for beer in Canada.

I do indeed feel worthy.

Cheers.

When I Grow Older I Want to be Just Like...

Ola Dubh, you make life run smoothly. I must say, I feel fortunate to have tasted the Ola Dubh Special Reserve 12 and Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40 from Harviestoun Brewery, located in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland (Thanks Doug!). It truly is great to see these graze the shelves of the LCBO, if they even made it to the shelves.

Ola Dubh is based on the Old Engine Oil and aged in scotch whiskey casks from Highland Park Distillery. This is apparently a "nod to the classic Imperial Porters (and Stouts) of the 19th Century,".

It makes you wonder sometimes about how age really does affect scotch and beer in characteristics, quality, and even price. I felt like putting it to the test. I started with the Special Reserve 12.

Bottle from July 2009 : 59997

Just prying the cap off lifted a beautiful bouquet of pleasant aromas.

It has a rich molasses nose, oak, whiskey sweetness, some roasted malt characteristics, a little tobacco along with some other subtle grassy notes, moss-like. All of these aromas are very soft but enchanting as it brings the eyes to the opaque black body and a creamy tan head that lasts and laces beautifully.

Tastes of rich bittersweet chocolate, hints of black pepper, smoke, blackstrap molasses with warming alcohol bringing up some rich red fruits, plums, raisins, and currents. It tips to a dry and bitter ending of scotch whiskey, oak, and the grassy notes from the nose. This is very malt forward, no off sensations, just a very fine balanced beer.

The mouthfeel is silky and rich. A little oily, possibly from the oats. Full of warming, near hot sensations on the palate, with a nice dry finish in it's moderate carbonation. There is a mild astringency that I am linking to the hot alcohol and potentially the wheat.

This is very drinkable. Very calming.

I could have continuously put my nose in this beer. Very pleasant.

Then there was the Special Reserve 40.

Bottle # 00639 : August 2009

This pours a silky, oily, opaque black with slight burnt brown notes as it thins around the edges. Thin, fine bubble head, slightly tanned. Beautiful lacing. Markings of every sip.

The aroma is huge of cherries, chocolate, scotch, ripe plums, figs, hickory, oak, smoke and tabacco grassy notes. The roasted malt presence is very brilliant and spiked with the oak cask and scotch whiskey. Brilliant aroma.

A huge rush of vanilla, thick bitter blackstrap molasses, herbal, licorice, roasted malt, scotch, dry oats, and warming alcohol. Bold flavours of raisins, pete, and really dark stewed cherries. Each sip brings out other similar flavours, some peak more than others. The oak is ever present and really gives this beer a beautiful finish. The whiskey backing is defined very nicely and a 40 year old one at that.

This is oily, thick, somewhat chewy, medium to high carbonation for the style, a little edgy and brash, though I can only imagine how this will age. It still finishes very dry, yet milky on the end. This is complex and complete. This is a beautiful beer. It really does have a sparkle and shine that the 12 year old doesn't quite have.

Top notch.

The little medallion with the mouse is pretty awesome too.

The 40 was indeed beautiful and regardless of price, it would be well worth every penny. I hope to see more of this and look forward to when it hits the shelves again. The website actually fails to note the Special Reserve 40 is a part of the regular lineup.

(I meant to post this last night, but I was far too relaxed and caught up in the moment of great beer to write about it).

Cheers!

Ready, set...DRINK!

Out in the Franconian lake region of municipality Oberasbach, Germany lies a little brewery. This brewery is called Schorschbräu, yet there is nothing little about the beers in which they produce. "Home of the Strongest Beers on Earth." is their slogan and they appear to be correct. Their Schorschbok 40% has taken the lead in the race for highest ABV beer at 40%. Technically it is clocking in at 39.44%ABV. But, who's counting decimals and fractions?

They have knocked our BrewDog buddies over in Scotland from their perch with their 32%ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

Seems like the brewing community around the world is brewing up some healthy competition. The good thing about this is that they are both different styles of "beer." The Tactical Nuclear Penguin is an "Uber-Imperial Stout" while the Schorschbok is an Eisbock.

Not a lot of reviews of this puppy (in fact, only one that I can find), as this is an extremely limited release, and I'm sure it has corresponding price tag.

Are these extreme beers worth the price tag and hype or are they simply novelty items? Is "drinkability" still considered when these beers are produced or is the shock value that makes it worth seeking out and drinking? Granted the website likes to remake that these beers are brewed under the Reinheitsgebot. One way or another, this is indeed impressive and really pushes the idea of extreme brewing.

Drink up!