For the final beer in the Ales Bells series, I reached deep into my fridge to pull out a bottle that has sat there for 20 months. Yes, 20 months! Trust me when I say that this wasn’t a mistake and I knew what I was doing … or at least I presumed that I knew…
Ale No. 6 ~ “Pale Ale Americaine” (APA) Brasserie Dunham
So for Ale No. 6 in the Ales Bells series, I’m turning my attention back to Ale No. 4, the English-styled pale ale. Why? Because if I’m going to write about one pale ale, the English version, then I really need to write about the other to make the comparison. Therefore, next up: a new American…
Ale No. 3 ~ “Houblon Frais” (Fresh Hopped Beer) Microbrasserie La Chouape
Third in my Ales Bells series is an intriguing offering. Hands up who wasn’t intrigued by the label of this beer and the promise of something “Fresh Hopped” or the tagline at the bottom “wet hopped”? With the yellow and spring green colours and the words of “fresh” I wasn’t expecting a beer that poured…
“Yakima I.P.A.” (American Pale Ale) Le Castor Brewing Company
A beer for the senses …. I know a great beer when I smell one … and I definitely know one to taste it. And, while a little tougher to discern, I often know one to see one. Here’s a beer that teaches you your own beer senses if you care to try them out….
“M.P.A.” (Imperial India Pale Ale), Renaissance Brewing Company
As evidenced by my last beer review, every risk does not bring with it a happy Discovery. So it is with some trepidation that I stepped off the cliff and prepared to sample the third of Renaissance’s beers that I had purchased, this one an imperial aka “double” India pale ale (DIPA). I love love…
“Discovery” (American Pale Ale), Renaissance Brewing Company
There seems no better way to start a new year or describe my own yearning in life than discovery …. So I pulled the second of the Renaissance trio I have in my fridge, intent to start the new year fresh and ready to explore what 2014 will bring me … and not so secretly…
“Perfection” (English Pale Ale), Renaissance Brewing Company
After watching Invictus the other night and then scoping out my fridge for what to taste next, the New Zealand trio seemed almost perfect given the how big the All-Blacks rugby team had figured in the film. As bold as Eastwood was to dive into a sacred moment in world history, Renaissance Brewing is equally…
“Ruine Papilles” (American IPA), À La Fût
So, as promised, here’s the second part of the review of the IPA duo from À La Fût – and it really was worthwhile drinking the two back-to-back to compare. The only thing fundamendally different about these beers is that the first was a blonde IPA relying on light malts and this one uses much…
“Ruine Papilles Blonde” (Blonde IPA), À La Fût
With the first skiff snow of the season on the ground providing a definitive layer over the landscape today, winter is indeed close and the IPA season will soon evolve into winter beers. Which means, I’ve got some work to do to do with some of the IPAs still in the house. First on my…
“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…