Australian Brews! - My Favorite Beers From My Trip Down Under

Sorry for the long delay in posting, but even I get to have a vacation every once in a while.

So as most of you probably know, I got back Wednesday last from a fantastic trip to Australia.  It was a truly wonderful experience.  Australia is certainly a beautiful country filled with lovely, genial people, many of whom expressed deep admiration for our delightful accents (good to know that the shoe fits on the other foot as well!) and insufferable politeness.  I found Australians to be a very cheerful, unassuming bunch, whose nation's history shares some striking similarities with that of Canada, so I found we were able to fit in quite easily - once we figured out their baffling coffee drinking system ("Flat white? What the hell is that?").  Unfortunately, my likelihood of visiting that lovely country again in the near future is not very likely at all, as the fates have conspired to stick Australia as far as humanly possible from me to prevent regular travel.  Such unique beauty and ecodiversity diversity comes at a price, it seems.  It's been over a week since I returned and I am only just now starting to recover from the jet lag.  Seriously, that long flight and time difference really cuts into one's beer drinking.  Fortunately, I'm more or less back to my usual dynamic self and am ready to regale you all with tales of beergettery and beerdrinkery!  Let's get right to it!

"Let the booting begin!"

First, a word about drinking beer in Australia.

Unlike the Socialist Republic of Ontario, Australians have privatized liquor stores, which would be cool if it weren't for the fact that - as the LCBO correctly reminds us - the selections at the corner store booze chains tend to be pretty lousy.  We went in to about seven different stores and generally found the same beers in each one, and none of them were particularly inspiring.  Well, I shouldn't say that, as there were a few places that seemed to have a better variety of brews than others.  But almost nowhere had the kind of selection of craft brew bottles that we come to expect in Ontario and demand in the United States.  Not that I was expecting some sort of craft beer mecca on every block, but an occasional thrown bone would have been nice.  I asked a fellow beer-lover from Australia about it, and he seemed to suggest that distribution is quite a problem, not just for imported crafts (which is understandable - Christ, that was a long flight...) but even from breweries within Australia.  Other than a few of the bigger craft breweries like Fat Yak, James Squire (Malt Shovel) or Barons, you were hard pressed to find more than a few other out-of-staters, in your local shops, if they carried them at all.  Strangely enough, the best locations to get craft brews - at least, from what I could find - were the grocery stores, which had pretty solid selections of single bottles and six packs.  I managed to get most of my initial haul, seen here, from a Supabarn grocery store in Canberra (a few are courtesy of an in-country trade with my aforementioned beer-loving friend), but could find almost none of them anywhere else.  Neither the Gold Coast nor downtown Sydney seemed to have any bottle shops that carried anything other than the usual Australian big brand stuff.  Clearly, privatization doesn't necessarily equal better selection.  For the rest of the trip, tracking down craft brews proved to be exceedingly difficult.

Yet one positive to Australia's global isolation was that I couldn't find Budweiser or Coors Light on tap or in bottles anywhere!  I couldn't believe it!  It was so glorious to be far very away from these American brewing behemoths, because I'm so sick and tired of going to bars and restaurants in North America and finding these flavorless poor excuses for beer clogging up the taps.  To be fair, the stuff that was on the taps wasn't that much better (all Australian macros, like VB, Toohey's, Hahn Extra Dry and Carlton Draught), but at least they were Australian.  It truly was very refreshing to have such a reprieve.   

A half-pint (middy) of James Squire Amber Ale,
and a witbier schooner of Hahn White.

Most pubs tended to have the same general lineup on tap, although there are many great brewpubs to be found, and the two I managed to snag a pint or two at will be explored in the next posting.  Aside from featuring VB, Toohey's and the other usual Australian lineup (no Fosters, that's an export brew), fortunately nearly ever pub I encountered had at least one or two brews that worked well as standbys.  Almost every place I went to had either Fat Yak Pale Ale or one of the James Squire line of brews.  I think it helped a great deal that Australians love their beer - more so, I would argue, than Canadians do.  Pints, pints, pints, everywhere you went.  Even at the trendier, clubbier pubs, men and women alike were still almost exclusively slugging back brews.  Only a few folks were sipping wine (which seemed to be more of the with-meals beverage), and only the loudest and most obnoxious girls were having cocktails - and at an average of $15 for a mixed drink, I'm not really sure how well they (or the prospective males) can afford it.  Perhaps this love affair with beer means that more places are capable of carrying more than just the lowest common denominator brews, and could offer a few alternatives to the non-lager drinking folk.  And with only Guinness, Stella and Heineken as imports, you can easily have an enjoyable night drinking nothing but Australian-made stuff. 

Now that you've picked your brew (which is done and paid for at the bar, not by sitting lazily at your table), you have to pick your size.  Australians usually have three sizes of glass to pick from, with different names for each depending upon your region/upbringing.  In New South Wales, Canberra and Brisbane - the three cities I stayed in - a pint is, well, a pint, as it is throughout the country.  You could also order a half pint, or 'middy' (also known as a 'pot' in Victoria), just under bottle-size at 285mL, which was great for sampling multiple brews in a sitting.  I went with the middy-sized glasses at some of the brewpubs to maximize my tasting potential.  Slightly larger is the delightful schooner, which is great for those situations whereby a pint just is a bit too much.   I usually found myself in this camp, as drinking slightly smaller volumes allowed me to consume more varieties of beer at each establishment without getting full (we were touristing too...)  Another far less common option is the "seven" glass, which is...*drumroll*...exactly seven ounces, no bigger than a beer festival tasting glass, really.  Good I suppose if one is driving, or just has time for a quick whistle-whetting, but I didn't really see it that often.  Prices seem expensive at first, but when you consider that tipping is rare (their servers make a living wage, usually in the 20-25 $AUD range) and that taxes are included in the price, it actually ends up working out to the same amount you'd pay in Ontario.  Since the Aussie and Canuck dollars are pretty much identical, this was a good thing.

So, now that we've covered the basics, lets have a look at some of my favorite brews from Down Under.  As in Canada, I tended to find that most brews were pretty decent, a few stood out far above the rest, and some, well, you'll see. 

Beer: Little Creatures Pale Ale
Brewery: Little Creatures (Perth, Western Australia)
Type: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%

My first real Australian brew of the trip, picked up at that Canberra supermarket.  Apparently, for many Australian beer-lovers, Little Creatures is somewhat of a "back-up" or "fall-back" brew - something that is somewhat widely available and tastes better than most of the other dreck on tap (Creemore fulfils this role for me on most occasions, as does Sam Adams Boston Lager).  Sturdy and reliable.  I actually found this brew to be a cut above such definitions and was very satisfied with the end result. 

Little Creatures is a nice golden-amber brew - sitting firmly on the 'pale' end of the pale ale spectrum - and sporting a half inch of sturdy creamy head.  Good retention on that, and some great lacing streaks as well.

Nose is nutty malts, caramel, citrus (orange, lemon), mildly bitter hops. 

Since the definition of 'American' vs. 'English pale ale depends more upon the hops than of anything else, and since those lovely citrus American hops are more readily available for brewers to incorporate into their products, it's not uncommon to find both English and American hops in the same brew.  Thus it can be quite difficult to categorize a brew as one way or the other on taste alone.  Now I myself would place Little Creatures somewhere between the two styles, as it reminded of either a mild American pale, a or citrussy English pale.  But no matter how you categorize it, the bottom line is that this is a great-tasting brew: accessible and refreshing, yet full of flavor.  Opens with a nutty, caramel malt flavor, then transitions to a mild citrus/bitter hop finish.  Creamy, slightly watery, soft carbonation (though not flat by any means).

Great brew, something I'll certainly come back to again whenever I'm Down Under. Drinkability is very high - easy to quaff, flavorful enough to sip, several in one go would be ideal.  I would have gladly consumed bucket-loads of it had I found it in more of the pubs, but sadly, I never encountered it again.  But I know it's there! (Grade: A-)

Beer: Wild Thing Imperial Stout

Brewery: Murray 's Craft Brewing (Bobs Farm, New South Wales)

Type: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 10%

Thanks to the favorable position of Australia in the global time arrangement, the Royal Wedding mercifully took place at prime time, rather than at quarter-to-stink in the morning in Ontario, which meant that, unlike for all but the most dedicated Canadians back home, Michelle and I could drink during the ceremony.  Which we did.  Since the grand proceedings were such a throwback to the glory days of King and Empire, I felt that any brew worthy of celebrating such a momentous occasion should also be suitably imperious in nature.  Also, preferably, full of booze.   Wild Thing Imperial Stout fit the bill on both counts.

This bottle was courtesy of a fellow beer-lover from Canberra, and the result of a terrific beer trade.  Cheers to David for such an excellent brew; I hope the Wellington Imperial Stout was just as enjoyable for you as this was for me. 

Poured into a red wine glass that just happened to be kicking around our hotel room in Gold Coast.  I brought it out of the fridge to warm around the time that William and Harry arrived at the Abbey, and finally opened around the time that Churchy McChurch got things going.  The brew poured a deep near-black, and left a thin mocha head that receded to a fine ring which made some nice sheets of lacing.

Nose is dark coffee malt, cream, currant.  All the best things I look for in an Imperial Stout.

Wild Thing is one rich, tasty stout, with big (and hearty) dark coffee, chocolate, cream, and dark fruit flavors, with a slightly boozy, sherry finish.  Just the right brew to make it through what it turning out to be a long, boring, churchy ceremony.  Very glad that I didn't have to get up early for this, because I couldn't watch this sober, no matter how hot Kate looked.  Creamy feel, thicker bodied, zippy carbonation.

A fine RIS, certainly worthy of special mention from OZ.  Had I been more patient, a few months of cellaring would have really done wonders for this brew, as it still came out a touch too hot.  Rich, flavorful, a great slow evening sipper.  (Grade: A)

From the highest high to the lowest low we go...

Beer: Melbourne Bitter

Brewery: Carlton and United (Melbourne, Victoria)

Type: Adjunct Lager

ABV: 4.9%

Those who follow the blog will know that I tend not to harbor any particular ill will towards any specific brewery, a stance I try to abide by with only a few notable exceptions.  Now there are many breweries that I don't really like, but this is just my personal opinion based on repeat sampling.  Though their beers might be bland, poorly-made or over-hyped (and sometimes all three), since I can't really say they've personally inconvenienced me or ruined my drinking experiences, I really don't care what they do - I just won't drink their beer.  And that's okay, as everyone has personal tastes and sometimes whole breweries will go against them.  But it takes a special kind of douchery for a brewery to warrant a personal hatred on my part, such that not only will I never drink their beer ever again but that I also will specifically wish their company to fail outright, and will attempt to facilitate this failing by deterring friends and associates from purchasing their wares.   Carlton and United, thanks to their deceptive advertizing and insultingly terrible products, have successfully added themselves to this unfortunate list, and I thus encourage everyone to avoid their brews at all possible costs.

Carlton and United brew many different beers, but they are mainly known for three of them - Foster's, Carlton Draught, and Victoria Bitter.  Foster's has been Australia's official representation on the international beer scene for years, but for some strange reason hardly anyone drinks it in Australia.  A true export beer, Foster's almost exclusively marketed for international consumption (it's one of the highest selling beers in Britain, so don't let anyone tell you they drink better beer there), and sure enough, I almost never saw it on tap or in cans.   Their real big domestic sellers are Carlton Draught, a fairly safe, bland and inoffensive lager (and the source of some pretty damned funny beer commercials, like this one), and Victoria Bitter, which is lovingly referred to by its detractors (like yours truly) as VD.  While Carlton Draught is somewhat drinkable, Victoria Bitter is one of the foulest beers I have ever consumed.  It's really something else.  I've had it in cans, bottled and on draught, and every time that I've done so I seriously regretted it.  Even 18 hours into my flight home, I could barely stomach the free can offered on the plane.  But there are certainly many other lagers out there that elicit the same response; VB is the target of my particularly potent ire because it has decided to call itself a "bitter."  When I first found Victoria Bitter in the LCBO, I was ignorant of the evin contained within.  I saw "bitter" and "Australia" and my tastebuds steadied themselves in anticipation of a delightful malted hoppy treat.  I was disappointed beyond consolation.   So let's make one thing clear: Victoria Bitter is as much a bitter as Alexander Keith's is an IPA.   Real bitters are pale ales, and contain malted barley, hops and flavor; VB is a pale lager that tastes of corn and tin and failure, wrapped in a label that would not feel out of place in the engine oil section at Canadian Tire. 

Fast forward to the corner store in Canberra, three weeks ago.  I see a bottle on the shelf.  It says Melbourne Bitter.  My stupid brain doesn't remember, or chose to forget, the awfulness that transpired before.  You see where this is going....

"We didn't listen....*sob*...WE DIDN'T LISTEN!!!"

Poured into a small tumbler.  My first clue that I had horrifically erred in my purchasing decision was the colour and appearance of this brew, which is all macro lager, and as far away from a bitter as one could ever get.  Pale golden, loads of visible carbonation, thin soapy head.  To call it "uninspiring" is an understatement.   Even though it looks like a lager should, when a beer decides to call itself a 'Bitter' I can't help but be disappointed when it looks like pee. 

Nose is almost non-existent - pale malts, a bit of lemon, chemical.  Smells like Bad.

My first sip from the bottle reminded me of those first sips of beer from my dad's nearly empty bottles when I was a kid.  Not a good sign.  The taste of the poured out stuff was not much better, just a macro lager with a foul, chemical character that made me regret all the decisions in my life that had led me to this point.   Hard to finish.   Thin-bodied, harsh carbonation.  Yellow fizzy water.  Blegggggghhhh....(Grade: D-)

Alright, this depressed me - we need to end on a high note, we do! 

Beer: Coopers Best Extra Stout
Brewery: Coopers Brewery (Adelaide, South Australia)
Type: Extra Stout (higher ABV for export)
ABV: 6.3%

Coopers is an Australian beer name you might have seen before, as their Sparkling (Pale) Ale has graced the LCBO's shelves on occasion.  I was very happy with the Sparkling Ale, but wasn't too impressed with their standard Pale Ale when I had it on draught in Canberra, so I wasn't too sure what to think about this extra stout I picked up in Sydney.  All fears were allayed with my first sip of this flavorful gem, which proved to be a most enjoyable companion in the evenings when I settled down to watch some footy (that's Australian Rules Football to you!).

Poured into the tumbler the hotel room had kicking about. Deep chestnut, almost black, with a mocha head which recedes quickly with snappy bubble bursts. Some lacing sheets.

The nose is quite pleasant: coffee, cream, milk chocolate, toasted malt, a bit of booze. 
A pleasant stout that does what it sets out to do quite well. Begins nice and malty with that sweet chocolate creamy flavor, then transitions to a dry, bitter roasted coffee finish. Quite enjoyable.

Carbonation is a bit hot, but the body is slick n' thick - just right for the stout.

A solid brew and a pleasant evening sipper. Nothing out of the ordinary, but everything seems to be put together properly.  A stout you can order with security knowing you won't be disappointed.  Also, because it's quite a bit milder than the Wild Thing Imperial Stout, its probably something that will taste great in quantities (as good as Wild Thing was, I doubt I could handle more than a bottle in a single sitting).  Great work from Coopers!  (Grade: B+)

 *****

Still lots more to come from my Australian beer adventure, including a closer look at some more bottled Aussie brews, a spotlight on two great pub districts, and a damning indictment of New Zealand Pure Lager!  Stay tuned!

  

Another Mighty Quebec Beer Haul!

At a recent drinking-and-merriment event, myself and a few of the lads got into a deep conversation about craft beer.   Go figure.   Oddly enough, however, I was not the one to initiate said conversation, nor was I even drinking what could be called a 'craft beer' at the time.   Truth be told, I rarely drink the good stuff at parties, not because I'm cheap or afraid it might get taken by other drunken patrons.  It's mostly because I like to have most of my mental acuities in somewhat working order when drinking something new and exciting.  It's like a good scotch, not something you want to power through - you want to savor the experience.   So my beverage of choice on the evening was more of the Euro pilsner variety - Wernesgruener and Pilsner Urquell, to be specific - with a couple of cans of hard cider for later.   Still more than acceptable, just nothing special.  It wasn't until a sporting gentleman with a finely coiffed mustache arrived with a bottle of something that sounded a great deal like it should be fighting Russel Crowe in the Colisseum - "Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus" from Microbrasserie Charlevoix.   Now I've heard this brewery mentioned in awed tones before, but I'd never seen one before in Ontario, much less tasted one.   It's a small brewery with a small output, but Charlevoix has developed quite a reputation as being among Canada's finest brewhouses.  Fortunately, our good friend was the sharing type, and offered those interested a sampling or two of the Hibernus, a winter-themed Belgian pale ale, rich and hearty, with notes of caramel, cherry, clove and spices.  A delectable treat.

A few days later, he messaged that he would be visiting in La Belle Province, and wondered if we wanted anything brought back.  Naturally, I leaped at the chance.   With the exception of Charlevoix, these are all from breweries whose wares I've sampled before; these are their more esoteric, smaller-release offerings rarely available outside of Quebec.

Here they are, in all their majesty!  Thanks Phil!  

They are, from L-R: Brasseurs RJ - Canon Doppelbock (since retired); Fin du Monde Trois Pistoles; Les Trois Mousquetaires Kellerbier, Rauchbier (smoked beer), 2010 Grand Cuvee Doppelbock, and their multi-award winning Baltic Porter.

All from Charlevoix. Unfortunately, none of the Dominus Vibiscum seasonal series was available yet, but am more than satisfied with what I managed to get.  The first four are part of a sample pack, which includes their Blonde, Tripel, Dubbel and Witbier.  "La Vache Folle" ('Mad Cow') is Charlevoix' other line that features brews more English in nature; I went with their Imperial Milk Stout.  Unfortunately the camera cut off the latter image, but rest assured, the cow is wearing a lamp for a hat.

A fantastic lineup.  But the question remains - when to consume it?  Some of these brews simply beg to be aged, the Doppelbock and the Baltic Porter in particular, while others can be consumed immediately.   It's very difficult not to drink them all right now....very difficult...but I think I can sate my curiosity by having one or two in the near future.     Don't worry - when I get around to each, you will be the first to know!

The Best of Matt's Florida Beer Haul!

As promised, here are some of my favorites from my Florida beer haul! I decided to whittle things down to the very best (and one notable dud) just to keep things interesting - after all, my total new brews added to my tally was 27 - and that would be one hell of a big post. Huge, even. And while almost everything I tried was good, only a few could be described as remarkably good. For example, I think I ended up trying 6 different IPAs (the US is nuts for IPAs right now), and though each brew was tasty and enjoyable, there wasn't a great deal of difference between them, at least not enough to warrant a massive review and write up for each.

With this in mind, I give you: the Great Florida Beer Haul Round-Up!


Beer: Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Brewery: Terrapin Beer Co. (Athens, GA)
Type: IPA
ABV: 7.3%



I selected this one among the many IPAs because, quite simply, the label is AWESOME. I mean look at it: it's Donatello brandishing a torturous instrument, executing beer hops with a guillotine. How cool is that? Even the lettering is Ninja Turtle Green, which will ideally be the colour of my next house. I also went with this IPA because it's fairly local to Florida, hailing from northern Georgia. It wasn't the best IPA on the trip - that distinction went with Jai Alai's White Oak Barrel - but this was the best I could easily find in shops.

Poured amber-copper, slightly opaque, leaving a thin head. Good lacing and retention.

The nose is typical American IPA - woodsy, with leafy, resin-flavored hops competing with citrussy notes, namely grapefruit and lemon. Binding the whole thing together is a sweet, bready malt character.

Goes down well. The hops aren't too potent, but provide a nice, balanced flavor. Earth meets citrus. With the hop content not so pronounced, the malty, caramel sweetness is given a chance to shine. For big hop-heads, this brew might seem a bit tame, but I found it to be quite flavorful and easy to drink. Cracking through a 6-pack of this would be a pleasure, not a challenge.

Hopsecutioner is by no means a unique IPA, but it's a good'un, and worth picking up if you come across it. I mean, how amazing would it be to show up at a party with a 6-pack of Ninja Turtle beer? (Grade: B+)




Beer: Ommegang Abbey Ale
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
Type: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 8.5%

A fantastic number from a brewery based in Cooperstown, NY, the Mecca of baseball fans everywhere. Ommegang specializes in replicating the traditional Belgian style of brewing - abbey ales, dubbels, tripels, Belgian pale and dark ales - and does it incredibly well. A New York version of Quebec's Unibroue, if you will. The kind of brewery I would return to again and again, based on this one brew alone. Of course, thanks to the LCBO and Ontario's oppressive liquor import rules, it's easier to find Ommegang in Florida than it is in New York's Canadian neighbour.

*Must...suppress....rant....*

Poured into a wine glass from a tall, 750mL corked bottle. Just like a Chimay. A tawny red brew, slightly opaque, ruby when held to the light. Thick, spritzy head that displays some fine lacing and retention. Looks like your classic dubbel.

Nose is comprised of bread, dark fruit (cherry, plums, black currant, pear) malt, brown sugar, and yeast notes.

A delicious, stand-up dubbel, among the world's very best. Boasts an incredible flavour, wonderful to sip. Similar tasting notes as in the nose and they work together brilliantly. Because it was such a big bottle and I had such a small wine glass, I decided to leave the bottle on the counter and compare how Abbey Ale tasted at different temperatures. Sure enough, this was textbook example of a brew whose flavor opens up tremendously with a bit of warmth - the taste just got better with every sip. First rate stuff.

Tart, aggressive carbonation, which helps the flavor notes really pop. Medium-bodied.

Certainly, one of the finest dubbels produced on this side of the Atlantic. I'll definitely be back for more of this, which might necessitate a trip to New York State. Well done Ommegang! (Grade A+)




Beer: Stone Imperial Russian Stout
Brewery: Stone Brewing (Escondito, CA)
Type: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.5%

One of the few bottles to make it home, I was able to sample this one in a proper glass. I would have drank it there, but at 750mL, it would have been a struggle to get through in one evening, especially after a hot day standing in line at Walt Disney World. Best to savor this one at home.

Stone is a giant among American craft brews; their massive slate of popular offerings are available in many areas of the United States and sometimes creep into BC. Aside from producing some quality brews, they feature some great beer names too; my personal favorite: "Arrogant Bastard Ale".

After letting the brew warm up a bit, I poured it into my favorite glass, a Duvel goblet. As an aside, I truly love the Soviet Cossack Gargoyle imagery. An inky black hue, hard to detect any other colour but black here. Leaves an inch-high mocha head, leaving some flecks of lacing. Survives well as a ring, with a few islands drifting about.

Nose is roasted dark coffee, cream, very dark chocolate (75% cocoa at least!), dark fruit. Rich and inviting.

Tastes like a terrific stout, wonderful to sip over the course of an evening. Brought to a proper temperature, this RIS achieves a wonderful balance of chocolate, toasted malt and caramel, finishing with a slightly bitter taste accentuated with warming alcohol. First rate. Almost syrupy, the mouthfeel of this viscous brew is greatly aided by its light, but ever present carbonation. Oily and velvety, with a slight warming alcohol burn that affects the back of the tongue. A terrific RIS, one of the best I've had the pleasure to enjoy. Surprisingly drinkable - the ABV is high, yes, but such a meaty stout is worthy of slow savouring.

Beer: J.W. Lees Harvest Ale, Port Cask (2008 Vintage)
Brewery: J.W. Lees (Manchester, UK)
Type: English barleywine
ABV: 11.5%

My lone pick-up in Knightly Spirits' barrel reserve section. You know you've got a fine liquor store when you have a "vintage" area for beer...

Poured into an ale glass. A brew such as this truly deserved better glassware, but when you're in a hotel, you work with what you have. Better this than a Shrek 4 mug though...

An amber, slightly opaque brew, with a dusting of sediment on the bottom. A thin white head, leaves a ring after a few moments. When settled, it looks a great deal like sherry, which is awesome, because I loves me a good sherry.

Nose is very potent and delicious: caramel, grapes, sugar, port, a touch of oak.

Like a proper barleywine, J.W. Lees tastes and feels just like a glass of sherry. The big caramel and fruit flavor is offset but a smoky, oak backing, which prevents the sweetness from running away with things. Alcohol is difficult to detect, balanced nicely within the flavors of the brew. Very tasty, and with only a slight alcoholic bite to the finish makes for an enjoyable sipper. Great stuff, one of the better barleywines I've come across. Would love to check out the older vintages.

And at last, we come to the dud...

Beer: Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic
Brewery: Cantillon (Brussels)
Type: Lambic-Fruit (Kriek)
ABV: 5%


Some tastes are acquired, taking years of practice and sampling to finally "get it." Michelle, for example, is a huge fan of super-dark chocolate, (90% cocoa or higher), a taste she developed by slowly working her way up the cocoa scale from the very low milk chocolates to the extremely bitter pure cocoa bars. I can't stomach the stuff, but I can see how a gradual progression of tasting would lead me to appreciate it better.

But other times with food and drink, things are a great deal simpler: either you love it, or you hate it. Black licorice is a good example of this - I don't know anyone who "kind of" likes black licorice. You're either with us or against us, dammit! Authentic krieks are one of those styles.

As mentioned in an earlier post (St. Louis Gueze), lambics are brewed by yeast cultures that exist naturally in the brewer's local environment. As is more commonly done, fruit (usually cherry, raspberry or peach) is added to the brew to make the product more palatable and marketable - adding sugar or aging can also be done to smooth things out for the consumer. Sometimes, the product will taste a great deal like a fruit cooler, sweet and smooth with a big fresh fruit flavor. Other times, the brewer will opt for the traditional taste, which is a great deal more sour, acidic, musky and, believe it or not, "horse-blanket"-y. Cantillon's Kriek counts itself among the latter. Boasting an 'A' ranking at BeerAdvocate, this beer has developed quite a following, and I was excited to try my first authentic lambic.

Frankly, I thought it tasted disgusting.

Poured into a goblet. A lovely, sparkling light cherry-red brew. No real head presence, but this is common for the style.

Nose isn't too bad; actually, it was quite inviting. Sour cherries, sugar, citrus and cream with the strongest flavors I could detect.

Then came the tasting... Suffice to say, this was, without a doubt, the sourest drink I have ever tasted. It tasted like the love-child of Sourpatch Kids and vinegar, with the love-making having taken place in a hayloft. I thought I was prepared for such an astringent brew, but I was certainly mistaken. A real palate cleanser. Sour, sour cherries with vinegar and oakey, musky flavors. An absolute chore to get through. It's really amazing: some reviewers rave about the "delicious flavor of sour ripe cherries" and go on and on about how wonderfully tart it is. I think it tasted like vinegar beer. This was just too much...

Medium-bodied, with a light carbonation to deliver the oppressive sourness right to your door. The acidic quality provides a real burn that I'm not enjoying. Probably going to get heartburn from drinking this. (I did.)

As high a quality of lambic beer that this is (this was exactly how it was supposed to taste - it's not like I even got an old bottle), I have to say I really didn't understand it. Not an enjoyable experience whatsoever. This was just oppressively sour and was a chore to get through. Instead of sour, fresh cherries, I just got...well, sour. Well-made, but definitely not my thing. I might try it again in the future to see if a different batch works for me, but as for now, I'll have to count myself among those who just don't dig authentic lambics.



Other beer roundup highlights included:

St. Bernardus Abt 12 - one of the finest abbey ales I've had the pleasure to drink.
Orval - the tartest, driest of the Trappist ales, but still quite enjoyable. Like a dry cider.
Magic Hat #9 - From Burlington VT, the Ben and Jerry's of breweries. Goofy labeling, but a decent fruit beer.
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout - the new record-holder for the highest ABV% brew I've tried - a staggering 18%! Good thing I wasn't driving anywhere that day...

An exciting beer roundup to say the least - the trip really enhanced my understanding of American and Belgian brewing. I can't wait for my next visit to the States, hopefully to the northeast or West Coast for another grand beer haul!

Florida Beer Haul!

Well, I'm back, and it's been a wonderful two weeks!

I couldn't have asked for a better wedding day (Team Matt was unstoppable!), and the trip to Florida was fun from beginning to end. Michelle and I really enjoyed our trip to Orlando; it was her first trip to Disney World (my first since the Jays won the World Series), and our first look at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal, which was all kinds of awesome. On the days between park visits, we spent a lot of time relaxing around the hotel pools and exploring the area. And, naturally, I also spent a great deal of time beer hunting.

That's right; a significant portion of my honeymoon was devoted to tracking down new and exciting beers.

Fortunately, Michelle understands my passion and is actually quite supportive of it. If you think about it, being a beer geek isn't really a big deal: you never spend more than 20 bucks on any individual bottle so it's not a big strain on the ol' finances (compare this to prices for scotch, vintage wine or good-looking hookers - all expensive vices) ; it's educational and historical (beer of course being a cultural artifact); and it so happens that beer tastes good and is rich in our good friend, vitamin Alcohol. Also, like all things in a marriage, half of what I get is Michelle's too, so she got to try pretty much every beer I picked up - a win for her.

A relationship based on a mutual passion for drinking: what's not to love?

Now that I've entered into the brotherhood of beer geeks, I have a tendency to see vacations as new beer drinking opportunities. With the craft and import selection at the LCBO so stunted, I could otherwise potentially go many weeks without finding new brews to try, so I try to take full advantage of every trip outside the province.

And take advantage, I did.

For my first beer-venture, I managed to find several great brews at a little beer store just outside of the resort. You may have heard of it; it's called the fucking Wal-mart. That's right - I ticked off one of my all-time must-try's at the South Orlando 24-hr Wally World. Incredibly, they actually had a decent import and craft selection (Guinness Extra Stout, a fair sample from Sam Adams, Brooklyn, etc.) I ended up going with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which is one of the premier American pale ales to be had, or so I'm told (and it was!).

All this was about an aisle down from the Hanna Montana and Team Edward merchandise.

I was off to a great start.

Before leaving for Florida, I posted a question on the BA forums about my impending visit to the Sunshine State, asking those in the know where the best beer hunting could be had. And the result was unanimous. "Knightly Spirits" was the place to go: a small liquor store chain located across the Orlando area, but with a legendary craft selection. With this knowledge and poorly written directions in hand, on our first full day in Orlando, I bee-lined down Orange Blossom Trail to find this little gem tucked away next to a Spanish grocery store in an outlet mall. Didn't look like much from the outside. But upon first seeing their import selection, my reaction (as seen below), was quite genuine:

"A whole new world (don't you dare close your eyes!). A dazzling place I never knew..."

An entire wall's worth of some of the best beers available: single bottles of American craft breweries from Oregon and California to Delaware and Georgia; rare vintage barleywines from the UK; the ENTIRE Trappist lineup from both Belgium and Holland...it was simply overwhelming. I actually was almost saddened to see it, because I knew I wouldn't be down in Florida for long, and I wouldn't be able to try it all. Eventually, I would have to be separated from my beloved. As I continued muttering "Oh my God...oh...they even have-sweet Jesus!!", Michelle watched me with patient bemusement. I absentmindedly grabbed a dozen bottles or so, simply at a loss at where to begin.

"It's beautiful!!!"

After forking over about $98 USD, thus representing my all-time highest single-bottle beer haul, we headed back to the hotel room to put a few in the fridge. I managed to sample about two to three a night thereafter (with the lovely lady helping me along), writing notes for each. I was able to tick off some biggies on my list: Dogfish Head World Wide Stout; Ommegang Abbey Ale; Trappist Achel, Orval and Rochefort; Cantillon Lambic Kriek - to name a few.

But after a few days, I began to feel the itch again. Unlike herpes, there is a cure for this particular itch, and that's a trip to yet another beer store! This time I hit up ABC Liquors in Tampa. Actually, I hit up two of them... The first time, I was again blown away by their impressive selection of refrigerated craft 6-packs. I quickly struck up a conversation with the sales clerk - a fellow beer traveller - who told me that the "better" store was three blocks away, and that I should check it out. He also informed me that unlike the socialist, sternly disapproving province I hail from, Floridians were encouraged to remove single bottles from 6 packs if they didn't want to commit to a whole pack. At the LCBO, I get yelled at if I dare to bring up single bottles from the single AISLE, but here, they don't even blink. God-damned bless America...

I somehow managed to convince myself to by eight more bottles, including some localish fare from Red Brick and Terrapin (both Georgia). The last two days were a frantic race to properly sample the rest, but I managed to get things done.

And thus, here's the final lineup. Beer team, assemble!!

I also managed to snaggle a few on-site draught brews from Tampa's Cigar City Brewing (the source of the snifter glass in the foreground) as well as draught from a few spots across town, bringing my total for new beers to an impressive twenty-two. It was an excellent haul, and I managed to bring some of it back to Ontario to try later, so naturally I've been insufferably giddy for the past few days (on record, though, I should probably chalk that up to 'wedded bliss'...)

Coming soon: the best of the Florida haul, and a visit to Cigar City Brewing on Marshal Zhukov Imperial Stout release night!