Smoked and then more smoked … there is nothing about this beer that is subtle. Rating → 83 points Stats: Barley Wine. 11% ABV. 50 IBUs. Grimstad, Norway. Size: 500mL bottle Colour: Dark brown with auburn undertones Mouth Feel: Low carbonation — sweet and soft on the tongue. Purchased: LCBO Price: $5.15 Pairings: On it’s own…
“The Darkness” (Oatmeal Stout) Beyond the Pale Brewing Company
Pour chocolate into me and lick me clean …. Rating → 84 points Stats: Oatmeal Stout. 5.6% ABV. 30 IBUs. Ottawa, Ontario. Size: Half-growler Colour: Dark, dark brown — impenetrable Mouth Feel: Medium, very natural carbonation; light in the mouth, creamy in the middle, clean finish Purchased: From Brewery Price: $7 (plus $3 bottle deposit) Pairing Notes:…
Winter Brewed (Coffee Amber) Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.
The Best of Beau’s — a mix pack you must get. Rating → 89 points Stats: Old Ale. 6% ABV. 25 IBUs. Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Size: 600mL bottle Colour: Dark amber — the colour of a well-steeped Earl Grey tea or a weak, reddish coffee Mouth Feel: Medium-low but tight carbonation, that fades quickly. Refreshing and…
Diable au Corps (Imperial IPA) Les Brasseurs du Temps (BDT)
“The Devil in the Flesh” … or in these malted waters at least. Rating: 83 points Stats: Double IPA. 10% ABV. Gatineau, Quebec. Size: 750 mL bottle Colour: Unfiltered orange-blonde Mouth Feel: Medium carbonation, creamy and smooth finish. Purchased: Brouehaha Price: $10.25 Pairing Notes: n/a So to all the red-headed women out there, no, this bottle is…
Ale No. 7 ~ “Corps Mort” (American Barley Wine) À l’abri de la Tempête Microbrasserie
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…
“Burnt Rock” (Vanilla Porter) Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company
Hmm … Yes, hmm… Not exactly the way one starts a great tasting. It’s taking many sips to figure this beer out. I’ll grant you, I was confused out of the gate by the incongruence of this being a porter that only weighs in at 4.9%. While I did drink a lot of Porters while…
“Doc’s Feet” (Dubbel) Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company
Ambition can be a dangerous thing. Doc’s Feet is going to challenge you as much as the label challenges convention. I’m not sure if this some homage to Hello Kitty fitted as a west coast totem (I fear to ask) holding I don’t know what (a beer cap? the sole of a Doc Marten?). I…
“St-Ambroise Double IPA” (DIPA), McAuslan Brewing
No, you don’t have to whistle the tune associated with Doublemint Gum to enjoy this beer … but I bet you are now, right? If IPAs have been en vogue in beer making for the past decade, then the past few years have seen the emergence of the DIPA (pronounced dee-PA). It seems every week,…
“Raccoon” (Imperial Black IPA), Microbrasserie Le Naufrageur
A cool, cloudy day with still lots of snow on the lawns seemed as good as any for a return to winter … and to Imperial Black IPAs. I grabbed this beautifully styled bottle Le Naufrageur’s Raccoon out of the fridge thinking at first this was an imperial stout. The capped popped, the smells immediately…
“Stout Imperiale” (Imperial Stout), Multi-Brasses microbrasserie
One of my most interesting discoveries this season of immersing myself in winter beers as a genre has been the “Imperial Stout” whose history is just as interesting a discovery (see Dunham’s “Imperial Black IPA”). While these are not beers for the faint of heart owing to their intense flavours and high alcohol levels (in this case…