The weather in Ottawa the past few months — indeed, dating back to last fall — has been akin to some kid flicking the weather “light switch” on and off repeatedly. On Monday, many people here still needed their furnaces — and a few days later summer suddenly has arrived and we are under a…
Archives for May 2013
Vine Land Sky (PEC)
“Hopkins Double I.P.A.” (Double IPA), Boquébière Microbrasserie de Sherbrooke
Hmm … so I’ve been waiting some time to try the big (BIG) bitter brother of Hopkins single IPA that I previously reviewed. There was the small distraction of some amazing food and a recent trip to Prince Edward County (and a lot of wine) that interceded between tastes, but we have finally arrived at…
Rooftop Sunset
The Transcendental Taste – the Foodgasm.
Life is replete with the banal and the ubiquitous. Everyday has the risk of being routine as we slip from slumber and onto the hamster wheel that would otherwise propel us in circles. However, it is the moments in life where we break free of this predictability where, in an instant, in a moment, we…
“Hopkins India Pale Ale” (West-Coast IPA), Boquébière Microbrasserie de Sherbrooke
Sometimes you just get a good feeling about a beer before you even open it. Hopkins, brewed out of the Eastern Townships (which is Western Quebec for those not from around these parts), is a good example of just that. The label says “funky” with its retro, throwback monochromatic portrait but what really impressed me…
“606 India Pale Ale” (IPA), Paddock Wood Brewing
I know I’ve had beer in Saskatchewan before … what I can’t say with any certainty is whether I’ve had a beer from Saskatchewan. So here’s another product of my impulse shopping at The Beer Store last month, a new beer I haven’t tasted before and from a new region. I have to admit, this…
“Rousse Bitter” (English Bitter), La Barberie
A Canadian spring is a fickle creature and just as changeable – so it makes sense to approach with caution. It’s nice to do a slow decompression from a longer than recently typical winter and instead of rushing into “summer” beers, an amber (or red) seemed an appropriate ‘next step.’ I have to say, one…