Yes, I’ve been on a bit of nostalgic bent this summer, I know. From my recipes, to travels, to the the articles I’ve written, everything seems to have a bit of a “re-visited” quality of late. Even many of the beers I’ve been reviewing are not new discoveries but rather undocumented experiences. As with my…
“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…
“Benedict Arnold” (IPA), Frampton Brasse
Traitors and oxymorons …. I won’t get into the debate about Benedict Arnold and whether he was a traitor or hero. Moreover, I’m not entirely sure whether this beer is an oxymoron, but it definitely pushes the boundaries of contradictions. It is a Quebec beer, brewed with English hops, in the style of an Indian…
“Hop Head” (IPA), Tree Brewing Company
There is something powerful about going home. In that homecoming, there is a sense of being completed, of filling a space that is at the foundation of who we are. Even if that space goes unrecognized, even while we build upon it, and while we take our lives to distant ramparts, the space remains. Last…
“Fearless” (IPA), Dead Frog Brewery
Collect Experiences. Not Things. You will read these words at the top of this 650ml bottle which on the front displays an extreme surfer and on the side proclaims “For fearlessly pursuing your passion no matter how many sharks stand in your way … You have earned the coveted SHARK BAIT BADGE.” Not that I…
“Phillips Hop Circle IPA” (IPA), Phillips Brewing Company
This past weekend I had the pleasure of drinking Rogue Ale’s IPA, which is an excellent example of a west-coast IPA made on the actual west-coast … go figure, they actually make IPAs on the west-coast. When the beer came to the table, one of my very good friends remarked that it looked “hoppy.” While…
“Déesse D’Ham-Sud” (Extra Pale Ale), Les Brasseurs du Hameau
If ever a beer looked poured as it does in the bottle, this is surely the one. And, yes, it is a beautiful label – thoughtful, modern, and not overly designed. The beer looks pale, even without pouring it, and with the “Zen” language on the label, you’re expecting calm – like some Aphrodisiac blonde…
“India Pale Ale” (American IPA), Microbrasserie La Chouape
Sooner or later, we were going to have to tackle the question of what the heck is sur lie (which translates as “on the lees” in English). You’ve undoubtedly seen in as I have on some European labels and it is an even more common description on the labels of Quebec beers. So, what does it…
“IPA Classique” (India Pale Ale), Brasseurs Illimités
Here’s a very good brewery from Quebec that has provided a number of interpretations on the “pale ale” and this is but one of their half-dozen creations. As such, it seemed right to start with their “Classique.” A first taste reveals a ton of carbonation which was only accented more by how relatively little carbonation…