To be great doesn’t make you good; to be good, however, requires greatness. So that’s my paradoxical aphorism for the month of May, inspired by a company that, to look at the box and the bottles within, already has greatness written all over it. And I mean really impressive greatness. This is a six pack…
“Amber Ale” (Amber Ale), Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Change is inevitable and good can certainly come of bad. Such is my experience with Ontario’s Beer Store which I had previously panned for not only its disappointing selection but its poor selection of local craft brews. Apparently they’re listening to their customers. Or perhaps they’ve been taking a page out of Flying Monkeys pages…
“Magouille” (Pumpkin Ale), Brasseurs Illimités
Drinking a seasonal beer is a bit like going for a swim in waters where sharks have been seen. That’s not to say you’re going to lose a limb, but you’re always worried you’re going feel a nibble on your big toe just before it happens. Perhaps Jaws made a big impression in my childhood…
“Hennepin” (Saison aka Farmhouse Ale), Brewery Ommegang
So now for something completely different…. My last foray into American brews salvaged what was becoming a dubious relationship. Don’t get me wrong, and contrary to a historic Canadian disdain for the brewing ability of our southern brethren, a disdain tied as much to our own Canadian inferiority complex as it is to a pre-craft-brewing…
“Founders Centennial IPA” (India Pale Ale), Founders Brewing Company
For centuries theologians and philosophers have debated how many angels you fit on the head of a needle … but I’m thinking the debate should be whether archangels are big beer drinkers? Do you or I care? Well, I’m guessing the folks at Founders Brewing Company do … at least based on the Raphael’esque label…
“10 Bitter Years” (Imperial IPA), Black Oak Brewing Company
I had a lot of choices in my house as to what would be my last drink at home before heading to the very dry terroir of Saudi Arabia – and, yet, for a few weeks, I’ve instinctively known it was going to be this bottle. This anniversary beer from Black Oak Brewing has celebration…
“BIA” (India Pale Ale), Birrificio Del Ducato
Seeking a great west-coast IPA? Go west … I mean, go east. I mean, get on a plane, cross the Atlantic and head for the middle of the Mediterranean. I know … it’s counter intuitive. I know … I’m from Western Canada. I should know which direction is west. So you’ve read in the past…
“Hoptical Illusions, Almost Pale Ale” (Pale Ale), Flying Monkeys
Barrie ◊ Ontario ◊ Canada ◊ Milky Way ◊ Universe ◊ Infinity With an address like that, you’re sort of expecting something out of this world from this beer from Flying Monkeys Brewery. Near the beginning of this blog, I reviewed one of my favourite IPAs (Smashbomb Atomic) from this brewery that should win the award for most imaginative and…
“Joseph Bellarmin” ( Double IPA), Microbrasserie de L’Île d’Orléans
It is truly remarkable how much the essential same ingredients can continually play out different surprises on the palette. It is probably one of the things that is fascinating me so much about this beer portion of the blog. Who is Joseph Bellarmin? Well, according to the words on the side of the bottle, he…
“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…