A Fuller's Flight of Ale (and the Joys of Recreationist Brewing!)

This little rascal is nearly always in my fridge.
There are two there right now.  But not for long.

It's been a good couple of weeks of beer sampling (in-between schoolwork and all that), and so I thought I'd check in with the blog to keep all you informed.  My big milestone recently was the fact that I managed to reach the 500-review plateau at BA this past month by indulging in a surprisingly delicious can of Central City Red Racer IPA - which is now available in a few LCBOs, so make sure you seek it out before it's gone!  Then, just last week, I managed to have my first beer from New Zealand - well, my first beer from New Zealand that didn't taste like cardboard and meat (I'm looking at you, NZ Pure Lager...).  Renaissance Brewing's Stonecutter Ale was a delightful scotch ale/wee heavy, with a bold peat flavor and mild smokiness.  Good enough brew to keep the metric system down and rob cavefish of their sight.  Very solid brew indeed.  To cap things off, the LCBO has brought out a great lineup of ales from one of my very favorite breweries, Fuller's of London - just the ticket as the weather starts to turn foul.

Fuller's is one of those rare 'large' English brewies whose reputation has not been killed by their high growth and ubiquitous presence.  Unlike many a large-scale brewery (Greene-King and Shephard Neame being two examples), Fuller's has maintained good standing with the ale-drinking community despite its large production numbers and popularity at home (London, specifically) and abroad.  I have long since been a huge fan of Fuller's canned ales, especially their Extra Special Bitter and London Porter, but have also been fortunate to be able to sample many of their brews on cask-draught around Waterloo.  Fuller's brews consistently rate highly as being among the best of their craft - their London Porter in particular has been cited as being one of the most authentic and delicious porters to be had.  And the great thing is, I can invariably find their Porter, ESB, and London Pride Pale Ale at pretty much every LCBO in the province, and they rarely cost more than a couple of bucks a can.  Iwas speaking to an English acquaintance of mine, who observed that Fuller's is really a London brewery, and you're often hard pressed to find it elsewhere in the UK, so count yourselves lucky, Ontario! Although I'm more than satisfied to have these great English ales available year-round, I've always on the lookout for more of the Fuller's lineup, and boy did they deliver:

A handsome lineup indeed, with some truly excellent brews in time for the season.   The emphasis this time around is upon tradition, with a classic English-style IPA, a strong barleywine ale (Golden Pride), and a festive winter ale all representing the old English method of brewing that has made Fuller's famous.  This year, however, Fuller's has gone one further with their "Past Masters" series of ales, whose recipes are taken straight from the annals of history, and has got me all a tizzy.

According to head brewer John Keeling: "Our brew books are very old, very thick and there are lots of them. We found fascinating insights into the work of my brewing predecessors. For instance, there were brews that used no English malt at all - in the 19th century. There are brewers doing that today and calling it innovation. I call it a rediscovering of the past."  In an interview with the Toronto Star this week, Keeling admits that while he lacks the "nimble" nature of a small craft brewery, his brewery boasts a truly impressive history worth delving into.  Many of the ales in Fuller's history have changed or been forgotten, but their brewing notes remain kept within the company - just waiting to be retested.  Should be amazing, and hell, if they screw up, they can always blame Past Brewington and his lackeys - win win!

The first such brew, Past Masters XX Strong ale, is based upon a long-forgotten 1891 recipe for a 7.5% ABV hearty ale, which according to the recipe utilizes a malting barley called Plumage Archer that probably hasn't been used since!  In addition to using bygone ingredients, part of the problem with these old recipes is that Past Brewington didn't bother or wasn't able to write down certain key details - in this case, the variety of hops used - for this ale, so Keeling and his team had to make some "educated guesses."  How will things turn out?  Let's drink...historically!

Beer: Past Masters XX Strong Ale
Type: English Strong Ale
ABV: 7.5%

Poured into a nonic. Light copper-tawny, with a slight haziness to it. Big bubbled inch of head, some lacing, a thin ring survives.

Nose is boozy and sweet, with notes of fruit, caramel and bread.  Indeed, this one has a bit of a barleywine feel to it due to its strength

Tastes pretty nice actually, though certainly quite sweet. Nice and fruity - I get peach and plum - caramel, and a fine bready character. The hops are tart and pure Goldings. Body is like a thin barleywine, slightly oily, and lower carbonation.

Not as robust as I would have hoped, but I prefer my ales a bit sweeter than most, so I quite enjoyed this. Perfect for a gross cold rainy day in Ontario. Great start to this nifty winter release! (Grade: B+)

The second feature in Fuller's Past Masters is a stronger, heartier version of their classic London Porter, a Double Stout based on a recipe from 1893.  Porters and stouts were the official beer of London town, at least until the classier pale ale or the exotic India pale began to subplant dark beer's hegemony.  Porters are called porters because they were consumed by, well, porters - guys who had to spend most of their day lifting and carrying other people's crap and probably needed a stiff drink or eight at the end of the day.  These early porters were thus usually strong as holy hell, pushing as high as 9.5%, although changing social attitudes and a war or two managed to sneak the ABV down to more respectable levels.  A stout is virtually identical to a porter, except they tend to be richer and heartier than regular porters (a "stouter" porter, if you will); modern tastes have tended to favor the drier stouts that are often associated with Ireland.  This brew thus hearkens back to a simpler, cholera-ier time where porters and stouts were strong and sweet as fuck.  I applaud this.

Beer: Past Masters Double Stout
Type: Export Stout (meaning suitable for export because of the high ABV)
ABV: 7.4%

Poured into a nonic. Dark coffee in colour, with a tan head about an inch high with decent retention and patchy lacing.  Looks as close to the London Porter as you're gonna get.

Nose is roasty malt, nuts, chocolate, coffee, caramel and a mild booziness.  There's an extra booziness in the back of this, which immediately makes me thing of Christmas and its associated drinking. Can't wait.

Well this is all kinds of awesome. Coffee, chocolate, cream, roasted malt grain, and a touch of oak make for one damned tasty stout. Roasted coffee provides a lingering finish. The extra booze is well contained, giving this brew a hearty, winter stout feel.  Creamy, moderate carbonation, mild bodied. Very drinkable.

Happy with this one as well - felt like an amped up London Porter, which is a very, very nice thing to say.  Clearly, those 1890s folks knew their porters and stouts - I could drink this stuff all winter, and just might do so. (Grade: A)

Beer: Fuller's Old Winter Ale
Type: Winter Warmer/English Pale Ale
ABV: 5.3%

I just put up the Christmas lights and got the decorations out of storage out of storage. There's snow on the ground and it's time for a winter ale, and I taught myself how to play Christmas Time is Here on the saxophone.  I need a winter ale....post haste.  Hey! Here's one now!

Poured into a nonic glass. Light amber-copper in colour, with a nice fluffy head. Good bit of lacing and some nice retention on this.
Nose is delightfully wintery. Caramel, chocolate, a bit of toffee, plum, currant and spice, with a mild leafy hops backing.

Rather than being the in-your-face style of winter ale that you see around the liquor store that try a bit too hard to seem 'Christmassy', this ale just naturally comes across as being seasonal and didn't have to smack me in the face to do it. All the hearty ale flavors are there in the foreground, which are dominated by a lovely sweet fruity spiciness.  It's all swept then clean with leafy, bittering hops that leave a lingering finish. Nice carbonation, pale ale body.

While not so overtly Christmassy as some other brews out there, this one is - first and foremost - a terrific pale ale, full of flavor and texture.  If it doesn't feel Christmassy enough for you, drink five in front of the tree and you'll see what I mean.  You heard me - drink seven.  (Grade: B+)

Though I could certainly keep going, I will stop it there - the post is getting a bit too verbose, even for my standards.  The other two brews you'll just have to try yourselves!  But I will leave you by saying that both the Fuller's IPA and Golden Pride are excellent ales for this winter season, the former being a classically brewed English India Pale, and the latter being a strong barleywine of a beer, perfect for cold evenings when only liquor will take away the pain of winter.  

This was an exceptional release that truly validates my love of Fuller's.  Not only do they regularly pump out quality English pale ales and porters for my enjoyment, they also have shown their skills at experimentation by channeling in to their brewery's robust history.  I've been to the LCBO recently enough to say that there aren't a whole lot of these brews left; there's not a dud in the bunch, so enjoy whichever one you can find!   Cheers!

The Other Great Lakes Brewery

It's amazing that things like this are allowed to happen. 


I've talked many times before about Great Lakes Brewing of Toronto, with its seasonal flavored ales like their Orange Peel Ale and Green Tea Ale.  Yet just a short hop away in Cleveland, Ohio there is another brewery with essentially the same name, with only the finishing word "Company" to distinguish the two from one another.  What gives?


Both cities can lay a rightful claim to the moniker, given their location on two of the massive freshwater lakes, as well as their unique history in relation to the Great Lakes region.  A little bit of internet hunting seems to confirm that the Cleveland brewery was founded first, and that Toronto may have been blissfully unaware of its brewing neighbour to the southwest, and went ahead with its own naming scheme.  Considering the fact that, for much of either brewery's history their respective markets were isolated from one another, there was unlikely any reason for a naming switch.  But with more and more American and Canadian craft brews being exported across the border, the possibility of having two breweries with almost the same name being sold in the same beer store seems very unlikely, especially at the LCBO.  So it looks like if you want to try Great Lakes Cleveland brews, you'll have to make a trip to the States to do so, as I did. 


And man, do I wish our situations were reversed.  Although I try my very best to support Ontario breweries whenever I can, when it comes to the two "Great Lakes" breweries, there really is no comparison between the two.  Based on the offerings found in this great sampler pack (along with a couple I managed to try on draught, I can definitely say that Great Lakes Cleveland is one amazing brewery.  I mean seriously: these brews were fantastic.  Nothing gimmicky or half-assed about it - every brew was flavorful, exciting, well-crafted and among the top of its class.  Let's dive right in.


Beer: Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Type: Dortmunder Lager
ABV: 5.8%


Dortmunder Lagers are essentially export lagers, which were originally very popular around the German city of Dortmund.  They are a little stronger, and tend to have a nice biscuity profile with a good deal of complexity.  Great Lakes takes a lot of pride in this brew, considering the label sports their gold medal from the American Beer Festival.  Not too many breweries would do that on the bottle - overly boastful, or a portend of great things to come?

Poured into a Czechvar fluted pilsner glass. A lovely, rich amber golden hue, with a couple inches of fluffy head. Great retention on this, with scads of sticky lacing. Top notch.

The nose is quite malty, with notes of fresh grain, honey, biscuit/bread, and some light citrus/tea hops. 

Wow - this is a fantastic brew. Rich and malty, with a lovely taste of crispy bread and cracker, lemon, honey, and a slight hop bitterness to the finish. Perhaps the fullest flavor of any pale/golden lager I've ever encountered. Balanced enough for every day quaffing or slow, contemplated sipping. Medium bodied for a lager, good carbonation. Having trouble slowing myself down. I dare anyone who likes beer not to enjoy this. Dare them, I say!  You win this round, Great Lakes. Your gold medal label is fully justified. Just a stellar lager, loads of fun to drink, that is complex enough to satisfy the most discerning beer geek, but accessible enough that it could be used to bring those who normally avoid craft beer to the fold. (Grade: A)

Beer: Great Lakes Eliot Ness
Type: Red Lager
ABV: 6.2%


Gotta love a little jab at Prohibition, especially when your beer is named after the man responsible for cleaning up Chicago's speakeasies with his "Untouchables".  In all seriousness, it seems like this brew is more named in respect of Eliot Ness than in jest of his anti-liquor operations; according to the bottle, Ness was originally a Safety Director for the City of Cleveland who "frequented the original bar that is now the Great Lakes Brewpub."  Here was a man who certainly did his duty, even though he probably would rather have drank the stuff than combat its production.  I'll drink to that.


Poured into a tall pilsner tulip.  A brilliant ruby-amber colour, clear, nice frothy head, a bit of lacing.  A fantastic looking brew. 

Nose is quite malty, with notes of grain, caramel, sugar and earthy hops.

A malty extravaganza, this brew is full of flavor and a real pleasure to drink. Caramel, earth, a hearty grain taste, and a clean hopped finish.  Reminded me of a Scottish Wee Heavy somewhat in terms of its flavor and robustness. Very tasty brew. Carbonation is a bit high for my liking, but it has a nice crisp feel.

Another solid brew from Great Lakes. As hearty as a non-bock lager as you're ever going to find! (Grade: B+)

Beer: Great Lakes Burning River
Type: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6%


One thing (of many) that Great Lakes does particularly well is its commitment to enviromental causes.  The brewery is a huge promoter of efforts to maintain local water quality and to reduce pollution into Lake Erie and the nearby Cuyahoga River.  Great Lakes also regularly contributes to the Burning River Fest, a beer n' music festival held to promote sustainable resource usage and clean water initiatives.  The name Burning River refers to a horrifying incident in 1969 when the  Cuyahoga River literally caught on fire because of industrial pollution.  This bizarre event acted as a catalyst for many of the United States' environmental protection acts, including the Clean Water Act of 1972.  Feeling good inside about purchasing this brew, it's time to jump right in!


Poured into a nonic. Nice, bright amber-golden in colour, leaves about a 3/4 inch head, nice lacing, good retention. Solid ring remains long after the pour.

Nose is sweet caramel malt coupled with crisp, piney-citrus hops.  Classic American pale.

A solid pale ale, full of flavor, nicely balanced.  Caramel malts, mild citrus hops to cleanse the palate. A bit of earth, resin and chocolate kicking around.  Not overly complex, just a great tasting brew. 

Medium bodied, slightly creamy. 

Though not as mind-explodingly good as the Dortmunder, this is nevertheless a great tasting pale, that is light and crisp enough to quench a thirst on a humid afternoon, yet tasty enough to sit and ponder over.  (B+)

Beer: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Type: Porter
ABV: 5.8%


Now its time to close things off with the big gun, the crown jewel of the Great Lakes beer lineup, the legendary Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.  Easily one of the most reviewed and most beloved beers on Rate Beer and BeerAdvocate, and certainly one I've been looking forward to trying for quite some time.  Brewed in honour of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank with all hands lost in 1975 while caught in a Lake Superior winter's storm.  The ship, one of the largest ever to traverse the Great Lakes, made regular stops in Cleveland, and was due to spend the rest of the winter docked in Cleveland's harbor.


 Poured in to a Duvel chalice. Lovely pitch black brew, slight chestnut when held to the light. My aggressive little pour created about an inch and a half of coffee foam-coloured head, which descended slowly into a thick ring with some patches of lace. Brilliant looking porter.

Nose is rich coffee, chocolate, marshmallow, toasted bread, biscuit. Very pleasant. 

After a string of various brews whose nose proved far more complex than their taste, Great Lakes is completely the opposite.  Dark, roasty, and complex - everything I like in a porter. Subtle notes of peat and leather occasionally break through. Dry coffee finish.

Mild, but zippy carbonation, slick mouthfeel coats the tongue well, thin bodied and creamy.

Textbook porter - rich, hearty, flavorful, yet thin and smooth enough for easy drinking. Totally worth seeking out.  Now if I could only get that damned Gordon Lightfoot song out of my head... (Grade: A)



Great Lakes is a brewery that is committed to the three tenets of craft brewing: they make fantastic, diverse and interesting brews; they are committed to the local community; and they make the local environment and history of the region a part of their brewmaking processs by paying tribute to Cleveland's maritime history.   Though it seems unlikely that we will ever see these brews make their way across the Canadian border, I strongly urge anyone who makes the journey to the northern United States to seek these brews out. 

Going Rogue: The LCBO's Rogue Brewery June Release

Every once in a great while, a release happens at the LCBO that more or less makes up for all the annoyances and stupidity we've had to endure over the previous several months.   I sometimes see the LCBO as being the dopey, lazy husband sitcom character - means well, generally is a good person, but nevertheless is incredibly stubborn and prone to colossal fuck-ups.   But, thanks to some sage advice from its rarely-seen neighbour, he will inevitably produce some sort of well-meaning make-up gesture that saves the relationship for at least another week.   In the past few months, we the beer-sloshing masses have had to endure the same basic beer lineup with minimal changes, and when it looks like things are changing for the better, what follows is the kind of tragic dumb-fuckery such as what was seen with the "Smashbomb Affair." (which looks like it has finally been resolved!)  At this point I was ready to go full on Tea Party and campaign for the abolishment of this governmental interference in our private lives. The market will fix itself, and all that. Fortunately, the stars did align and the LCBO graced us with a lovely little bonus release from on the United States' classic craft breweries, and all was forgiven. That is, at least, until the next time the LCBO forgets our anniversary and goes drinking with his buddies.

Rogue Brewery from Newport Oregon is, as I have said, one of the big names in the American West Coast craft brewing scene.  One of the first biggies out of the gate (brewing ales since 1988, and their waterfront brewpub opening a year later), Rogue has always been a major player in the craft brew revolution with its bold flavored brews utilizing West Coast hops and local barley and yeast.  So far, it has been quite the success story, as its products are available across the country, and occasionally, if it's okay with Mom and Dad, in Canada as well.  Their bottles are certainly hipster-friendly, usually sporting some variation of the image of long-time Rogue drinker Justin Fisch, who I must say looks a great deal like the boss from Weekend at Bernies except if he wore thick-rimmed glasses and was only interested in underground indie bands "you've probably never heard of."  Other important folks in the Rogue/Oregon family will also find their way onto their bottles, a trend that helps give the brewery a real community-oriented feel.  Although the "we're different, zany and a little bit out-there" company ethos is nothing new to the craft brewing scene, from the looks of things I really get the sense that Rogue is a brewery that doesn't force attitude as an advertising gimmick - it's just the way they are.

The old: Rogue Brutal Bitter...

The LCBO Rogue release features six different brews, but so far only four seem to have made it out of the starting gate.  Nevertheless, these four are all interesting-looking characters to say the least.  Their flagship brew - Brutal IPA - has made it up to Canada before, but was marketed as "Brutal Bitter" back then and now has a slightly different bottle design.  It's a flavorful, strong IPA, although the website insists it's a bitter - if so, they really should call it an "American Imperial Bitter."  There is also a Chipotle Ale which looks all kinds of intriguing (no prize-money for guessing what the extra ingredient in that brew is); a well-hopped red ale called Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale, and finally Somer Orange Honey Ale, a pale wheat ale with local honey, orange peel and chamomile tea - should be great on a summer's day. 

Let's get right to it!

Beer: Rogue Brutal IPA
Type: American IPA* (see above)
ABV: 5.8%

Might as well start with the classic Rogue brew.  Though I've had this before, it's been about a year and a truly loved it the first time round - let's see if the new branding and a year of craft brew drinking have done some good!  Poured into a nonic glass.  A lovely apricot orange hue, slightly opaque, and with a good inch and a half of head, that receded into a sturdy, 1/4 inch head that creeps along the sides of the glass. Lots of lacing in patches. Brilliant.

...and the new: Rogue Brutal IPA.

Nose is a malty, earthy, hoppy affair, with notes of pineapple, apricot and grapefruit. About what I'd expected from a West Coast IPA.

Taste is superb, very enjoyable. Earthy and malty up front, with a touch of toffee or caramel. Not horrifically bitter; a good balance with a malty, fruit backing. The finish, in particular, is surprisingly citrussy, with notes of orange, pineapple and peach.  Finishes slightly dry, which certainly invites you back for more.

Mouthfeel is slightly creamy, with steady, thorough carbonation. The longevity of the head is doing wonders for this brew.

Wow; great stuff, highly enjoyed sipping on this one.  Not nearly as bitter as I'd expected, but I rarely go for brews whose sole marketing feature is their IBU count. Rogue's put together a fine product here; I'll certainly be back for more bottles of this, and whatever else I can get my hands on. A tip of the cap, and a great start to the Rogue lineup! (Grade: A)

Beer: Chipotle Ale
Type: Chili Beer (beer with peppers added to the boil; this one happens to be an ale, though the same process can also be done with lagers)
ABV: 5.5%

Poured into a nonic. A nice amber brew, slightly murky, a good frothy head that displays nice retention and makes some fine lacing. A good looking brew.

Nose is surprisingly mild. Malt, a bit of cascade hops, and what I assume to be the peppers, but had I not known what the beer's ingredients were beforehand, I would have just called it a 'astringent smokiness'. 


Chipotle Ale tastes...interesting - not in that patronizing sense of "that piece of modern art with its use of boiled panda spleen is...interesting", but that this beer is demanding my interest because there's a lot going on and I'm not sure what to make of it all. Starts off slightly malty and with a bit of an IPA feel to it, before the chili peppers rush in. The chipotles give the brew a nice peppery southwest character, with hints of smoke and leather, with the sweet malts and west coast hops cleansing the palate. Not a spicy brew; it just possesses a mix of flavors that seem to work fairly well together. As you get used to the taste, the chipotle becomes a little less predominant and it starts to taste a bit like a "southwestern rauchbier", in this observer's humble opinion.  Assertive carbonation, medium bodied, oily.

Do I like it?  I guess so.  I mean, it's not bad, but it's probably not something I'd have too often.  I tend to agree with another online reviewer that this might be a great cooking brew. While it mercifully didn't taste like someone dumped pepper juice into a beer tun and called it a day, the pepper flavor is only mild - I had expected a bit more zing to it.  Still, an fine effort. (Grade: a tentative 'B-')

Beer: Somer Orange Honey Ale
Type: Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 5.2%

I should mention one other thing that Rogue is doing that I really appreciate, and that's their listing of the beer's ingredients on the side of the bottle.  This isn't a simple "Ingredients: Barley, Hops, Water, Yeast" sort of pithy list.  I hate when breweries have to do that, because that's what beer is.  You might as well have a winery post their ingredients as "Crushed Grapes, Water, Time."  Rogue, on the other hand, goes into far more detail, telling you exactly what kind of malt, hops, yeast strains and additional spices and flavorings have gone into their brew.  A lot of this information is probably more than any but the most dedicated beer geek would need (Rogue, for example, goes so far as to post the beer's gravity in degrees Plato* - if you aren't a brewer or supreme beer nerd, this information is pretty useless) but it still is nice to see a brewer go the extra mile.  For instance, if you find that a brew has a particular hop flavor you like or don't like,  it would be good to know exactly what it is so you can adjust your future purchasing.  Rogue has you covered on that front.

According to the bottle, Somer Orange Honey Ale, in addition to the usual wheat malts and local yeast strains, contains what should be some pretty tasty flavorings: wildflower honey, chamomile tea, coriander and orange peel.  Should be quite enjoyable. 

Poured into a fluted pilsner glass, just cause that's what I'm rocking today.   While initally a pale golden brew, my secondary top-up pour yielded a great deal of sediment, which allowed for some golden-straw murky goodness.  Some sediment patches on the bottom of the glass, good frothy head and decent retention, some lacing.

Despite all I said before about the ingredients, the nose on this brew is, I'm sad to say, surprisingly tame.  Wheat malt, honey, a bit of citrus (grapefruit and lemon).  Mild, though still quite pleasant. 

A decent wheat malt backing with a bit of crisp cracker to the finish, and surprisingly subtle notes of of honey, flowers, lemon and tea.  To be honest, such bold and exciting brews as the Brutal IPA and Chipotle, I have to say I was a little let down by the Somer Orange.  Though, refreshing, tasty, and certainly enjoyable, the flavors were pretty underwhelming - I really expected a lot more from this brew.  All the flavor notes I so anticipated from the label were barely present, and involved some genuine hunting - and hopefully nothing imagined or made up - on my part to detect them.

Tasty, yes, but certainly nothing worth getting as excited about as the girl on the label seems to be (although based on the label, it looks more like she's drinking a stout or dark IPA, which I think would be much more worth celebrating).  Perhaps the pale wheat ale is a style that I don't really care for, or maybe my expectations were too high.  In either case, this was my least favorite of the four, but don't take this point too far - it still is a decent brew.   (Grade: B)

Beer: Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale
Type: American Red Ale
ABV: 6.2%

Finally, we come to Captain Sig's, a brew named after the Sig Hansen, the deep-sea crab fishermen whose exploits are the subject of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. 

Poured into a conical Flying Monkeys glass in honour of the hoppy communion I am about to receive. A sludgy, muddy coloured brew, not entirely unlike the underwater silt in which one might possibly sift for crawfish. Sandy sediment on the bottom of the glass. Not the most visually appealing beer, but certainly a quality head and excellent lacing and retention.

And thus end my criticisms of this beer.
The nose is a brilliant mix of juicy, leafy, citrussy West coast hops and delectable caramel malts.  Outstanding stuff.

Northwestern Ale tastes like a citrussy and bitter IPA, but possesses the earthiness and richness of a red ale; the dark murky colour firmly places this brew in the Red Ale camp.  Each sip yields caramel malts up front, transitioning to that lovely blend of earth and citrus, leaving a long, citrus and biscuit finish.  Lighter carbonation, thick bodied, slightly gritty or silty from the sediment.  A beer you can really gnash your teeth on.

A highly enjoyable brew, hearty and full of West Coast goodness. Will be back for more of this ere the release is complete. Great stuff! (Grade: A-)
-

All in all, an excellent lineup that provides a solid introduction to the Rogue brewing tradition.  Diverse as these brews might be, a look at the brewery website or the Beer Advocate listings shows that this is but a small fraction of the brews that are currently available from Rogue, though it is unlikely that we'll see too many others in Ontario, unless the ones that are part of this release start to fly off the shelves.   Definitely the price point might seem a bit daunting (around $6 for a bomber at the LCBO), these brews are certainly worth a try, especially if you're looking to satisfy your West Coast hop cravings until Smashbomb makes it onto the shelves - according to the Flying Monkey's facebook group, they are brewing their LCBO batches as we speak!

Matt Brewing Company Sampler Pack: Or, My Future Brewery Name Now Needs Some Revision

My Pa, on his way back from a trip to Florida, brought me back this sampler pack from something called The Matt Brewing Company in upstate (Utica) New York, which not only is among the worst brewery names I've ever seen (all their brews are called Saranac something-or-other, so why isn't the brewery called Saranac?), but also has the effect of ruining my future plans of starting a brewery named after yours truly.   After I got over my initial annoyance at the name, I have to say I instantly fell in love with the brewery's company image.  As an Ontarian who spent many a summer in cottage country, I have a soft spot for any brewery that appeals to the quiet solitude of the northern wilderness and the pleasures of a fine brew that is meant to be enjoyed on the dock.  My dad spend many hours at our family cottage sitting on the deck overlooking Georgian Bay reading a book and drinking a beer.  As a child, I wondered why on earth he would ever want to do something so boring; as an adult, there's few things in life I would rather do more.  This sampler pack of Adirondack-themed brews certainly does a marvelous job of capturing this lovely image; each beer label features a lovely painted wilderness scene that urges you to find a deck chair, sit down and enjoy the view.   As the days keep getting warmer and the promise of summer seems ever closer to reality, I can think of no better place for my mind to be - especially when I'm about to try a new beer!

The Saranac brews themselves are quite diverse, ranging from your traditional lager and now-standard American IPA to an English brown ale and German schwartzbier.  A good mix for a sampler pack, I have to say.  A quick check at the brewery website reveals that while these six are among their standard offerings, they are still but a tip of the iceberg.   The other brews in the mix - Adirondack Lager, Saranac IPA and Saranac Brown Ale - were decent brews, particularly the latter, but didn't really impress. 
Thus, rather than burden you with a huge sixpack review, I thought I'd whittle it down to the gems of the bunch, starting with their Black Forest brew!

Beer: Saranac Black Forest

Type: Schwartzbier

ABV: 5.5%

Schwartzbier ("black beer" auf Deutsch) is really more of a winter style of beer, but it can certainly be enjoyed into the spring - if one were to follow the so-called 'beer-calendar' to the letter.  Unlike the heavier bocks, doppelbocks and other black ales designed for cold-weather consumption, Schwartzbiers are noticeably lighter in body and alcohol content, making them far easier to drink in quantity, yet still have robust, malty flavors. 

Poured into a dimpled pint jug, and enjoyed on the first warm patio day of the spring!  A nice dark chestnut brew with a little ruby hints around the edges. Leaves a thin off-white head which survives as a thin ring.

The nose is quite delectable - caramel, cream, chocolate, a bit of brown bread. Sweet, but very pleasant.

A tasty brew, sweet and malty with notes of caramel and cream, but finishes with a slight grassy hop bitterness and pumpernickel character. Tastes dark enough, but is also sweet enough to work well together.  I'm quite enjoying this, actually.

Thin-bodied, reminds me in colour and texture of a bottle of rootbeer that was opened about 20 minutes ago. A bit syrupy - this was my only real complaint with the brew.

A nice brew - I was initially unimpressed with their IPA, so this was a nice pick-me-up for the second bottle of the pack.  Sweet, bready, but not oppressively so, meaning this would be a nice session brew for the evening (low ABV, good flavor).  Quite nice.  (Grade: B)

Beer: Saranac Black & Tan
Type: Black and Tan (in this case, Matt Brewing blended their stout and Adirondack lager recipe)
ABV: 5.4%

Black and Tan is a mixture of a heavy Irish stout and a pale ale, or in this case a red lager.  One of the tricks of the bartender trade is to be able to float the stout on top of the pale ale, creating two distinct layers of beer in the glass.  Guinness seems to be the standard stout used in a black and tan; not only is it the most popular Irish stout in the world, it also seems to have just the perfect density to float at the top of the glass without blending into the pale ale below.  The idea of the drink seems to be to reduce the heavy nature of the stout with a lighter brew; I was first introduced to Guinness stout when my dad made me a half and half with Bass Pale Ale.  The 'floating' effect is just for show, as well as to provide the illusion of drinking two pints at once (an illusion that can also be achieved by drinking two pints at once).  Obviously, bottled or canned "black and tans" won't have the same visual effect as the real thing, but nevertheless should display distinct characteristics of both stout and pale ale/lager. 

Saranac's version is deep chocolate in colour, but when held to the light it catches some ruby hues as well.  Thin, white head survives as a thin layer.  Some lacing.

Nose is roasted coffee, malt, cream, a bit of nut and milk chocolate.  Quite nice actually.

I think this was my favorite brew of the bunch, (although the Black Forest was certainly nice as well). The stout was of the dry Irish variety, nice and roasty, but with a soft sweetness as well. The lager character features in the mellowing finish, which also features some mild English hopped citric tang to it.  This is all overlain with a creamy, milk flavor, softening the different hues.   The beer is medium bodied, crisp, yet creamy as well.

This is certainly a flavorful brew, and good melding of two other brews in the Saranac lineup. Bottled or canned Black and Tans are a tough sell for me - the best kinds are the ones your pour yourself.  This, however, was not a bad stab at it.  However, I would have preferred to have tried their Irish Stout by itself... (Grade: B)

Beer: Saranac Pale Ale

Type: English Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

This brew's been available in the LCBO on occasion for the last several months, but I didn't get around to it for some reason.  No matter, here it is now!  Contrary to my expectations, this brew is an English style pale ale, rather than an American.  I suspected the difference when taking my first sips and later confirmed this by visiting the brewery website. 

Poured into a nonic. A slightly murky copper brew, the pour leaving a thick-bubbled head that seemed to survive quite well for itself. Some lacing streaks here and there.

Nose is pale malts, caramel, a bit of bread, citrus hop (cascade?), honey.

Tastes like an English pale ale - I was expecting an APA, so this was certainly a surprise. Starts with toffee, caramel, usual English suspects, then finishes with a mild citric hoppy bitterness.

Slightly creamy, drinks like a nitro-can of English ale.

Not a bad rendition of the English style. Tastes a lot like a toned town version of their IPA (or, more likely, vice versa), which is a good thing. The mild use of cascade hops actually pairs rather well with the English pale malts. Decent brew indeed. (Grade: B).

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That's all for a little while from the Den!  I'm heading Down Under for a few weeks - looking forward to checking out the Australian craft brewing scene!  Expect mucho posting on Aussie beers when I return.

 See you in three weeks!

Brewery Roundup: Brasseurs de Nord (a.k.a., Boréale)

Brasseurs du Nord is a small brewery from the town of Blainville, Quebec, which sits northwest of Montreal near the Laurentian mountains.  Most Quebeckers would probably recognize the brewery more by its alternate name, Boréale.  Founded by the Morin brothers, along with Laura Urtnowski, Brasseurs has been a presence in the Quebec microbrewing scene since the very beginning, with their first brews rolling off the shelves in 1988.   Like other breweries in the province, Brasseurs du Nord offered beers with pure barley malts and hops, eschewing the use of adjuncts.  Despite being among the initiators of the Quebec craft brewing industry, their portfolio is decidedly more conservative, and less innovative than their Montreal counterparts.   Still, the brews are pretty tasty, and offer a good introduction to the varieties of beer to the inquisitive consumer.  Their main brews - Blonde, Rousse, Blanche and Doree - are often available in a Selections mixed pack; however their distribution is generally restricted to Quebec proper, so getting your hands on some would involve a trip or trade of some kind. 

Here are my favorites from the mixed pack:

Beer: Boréale Blanche
Type: Wit
ABV: 4.2%

Nicholas Paschley, in Cheers! An Intemperate History of Beer in Canada, observes that Quebec beer labels can sometimes be a remarkably deceptive lot.  While many of them feature some of the most brilliant artwork in the craft beer world, their names are maddeningly non-specific.  For example, a beer named "rousse" can mean pretty much any kind of red beer, be it scotch ale, English Pale, American Red Lager - you name it.  "Blonde" is even worse, as it covers nearly every beer style in the 'golden-colour' spectrum.  Fortunately, "Blanche" almost always refers to wheat beers of some kind - by 'white' they mean light-coloured and unfiltered - so chances are, the brew will be a hefeweizen or Belgian witbier, this brew being an example of the latter. 

Poured into a Hoegaarden tumbler.  A straw-golden coloured brew, murky, with the pour leaving about an inch of head that seems to retain pretty well. Good lacing patches.

Nose is mild spices, coriander, citrus, and strangely, some lemon-and-herb poultry seasoning.  It's a bit off, but it's not altogether unpleasant.

As far as witbiers go, Boréale is a bit thin.  There isn't not much to this, save for an intriguing little ginger kick that's quite potent.  Not nearly as strong as in Brasseurs de Montreal's Chi Orientale, but certainly more noticeable than I have seen in other witbiers of the kind.  Since it's a witbier, the addition of extra spices, ginger included, is quite acceptable.  I also get some coriander, citrus, and some other spices as well.  Finishes dry.  The beer has a creamy, thicker-mouthfeel, with soft carbonation. Easy to quaff.

While this is certainly not a bad wheat beer, it's not altogether very good either. A cut above the usual mass-market "white" beers, and the additional ginger component is quite nice, but the rest of the flavors don't quite pop.  Still, a few of these in the summer would be welcome.  (Grade: B-)

Beer: Boréale Dorée ("golden" is the approximate translation, although I'm not sure!)

Type: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.8%

This beer is advertised as being brewed with honey, possibly during secondary fermentation or it could be much later.   I imagine this will be very sweet-tasting brew - how well the honey will be integrated into the product remains to be seen.

Poured into a nonic pint glass.  Appropriate to the name, Dorée is bright golden in colour.  The pour left a nice fluffy head that receded into a fine ring.  Some lacing, but not much.

Nose is honey, and malt.  Very one dimensional, but certainly pleasant.

Dorée does precisely what it sets out to do - its a beer that tastes like a standard pale lager brewed with honey - no more, no less.  In this regard, it has done very well for itself, and I can certainly see folks enjoying this in the summertime, especially those who enjoy 'honey brown' ales. Still, there isn't much else to this.  Honey beer, plain and simple.
Thin bodied, mild carbonation. Sweetness sticks on the tongue.

Not something I'd seek out, but certainly not something I'd turn down either. A decent-tasting beer brewed with honey. I really can't say much more about it.  Again, a few of these would be quite nice on the patio in the summer.  (Grade: C+)

Beer: Boréale Rousse
Type: Red Ale
ABV: 5%

The Rousse was Boréale's first successful brew, effectively launching the company's efforts in 1988. 

Poured into a conical Mill Street glass. Nice amber-red colour, very clear.  The pour leaves an inch of head that survives as a thin, but sturdy ring.  Some nice lacing.

Nose is caramel, malt, bread, tart hops.

A decent-tasting red ale. Certainly nothing innovative or exciting here, but what's there is tasty and easy to drink. Caramel malt, bready, nice and sweet.  Cream and caramel flavors are quite nice.   Finishes with a mild hop tang.

Moderate carbonation, slightly creamy, good mouthfeel. 

Not a bad red ale, certainly very drinkable, and a cut above some of their other stuff.  My favorite of the bunch (Grade: B-)

Decent beers all around.  Nothing scarily innovative or otherworldly, but a good variety from which to choose.  A mixed pack of Boréale would certainly be a good sampler to bring to the cottage or summer barbecue, as it gives your guests (or just yourself) some options.    Still, it would be nice for Brasseurs du Nord to expand their lineup a little bit, and to branch out into some different styles, something to differentiate their brewery somewhat. 

Brasseurs de Montreal - The Eyes Have It

"If you stare into the [beer bottles] long enough, the [beer bottles] stare back at you..."

       - Nietzsche, kinda.

Yet another successful Quebec beer haul brought back to me by friends of mine (thanks Mal and Lena!!) resulted in another sampler flight from a brewery I can't really say I know much about, nor am I likely to encounter it again in Ontario for quite some time.  The first thing you might notice about Brasseurs de Montreal is that they seem to have stumbled upon a labelling theme that is, well, kind of strange.  I mean, how often have you had a beer that looks back at you while you drink it?  A beer that is constantly staring at you, seducing you, judging you - sometimes all at once.  A very bizarre system, so naturally I think it's brilliant. 

Brasseurs de Montreal is a very new brewery (2008) on the scene, located on the main Island of Montreal, a few blocks away from campus of the University of Montreal and the Bell Centre.  Brasseurs de Montreal is really just in its infancy, offering just six main brews and a few one offs at its brewery-restaurant, none of which claiming more than eight or nine reviews on Rate Beer or Beer Advocate.  Clearly, to find Brasseurs de Montreal brews, one must either visit the brewpub itself or do some serious beer hunting.  But from such humble origins, great things can happen, and I definitely appreciate the playfulness of the brewery that can be seen in their lineup, which so far includes some pretty diverse beer styles.  

Here's my take on the main Brasseurs de Montreal lineup!

Beer: La Black Watch Écossaise

Type: Scottish Ale

ABV: 4.7%

There's nothing quite like drinking a beer with the eyes of a crazed old Scotsman glaring back at you.  These are the eyes of someone who probably disapproves of your clothes, your attitude, the way you chop firewood, your stupid ugly face - pretty much the whole of your existence causes his wrinkled brow to furrow with aggravation.  Let's hope the beer is good, because I have the sudden urge to straighten up and start flying right lest my backside get a tanning...



"Bonjourrr, you cheese eatin' surrender monkeys!!"

Poured into a nonic glass. Dark, hazy chestnut, a slight amber hue when held to the light. Leaves a generous inch of cream-coloured head that displays good retention. Lots of lacing.

Nose is caramel, slightly burnt brown sugar, a little bit of coffee and smoke.

A tasty Scottish ale, nothing too exciting, but the flavors are quite pleasant. Very rich caramel taste, malty, with notes of fried brown sugar, a bit of grain, cold coffee. Finishes slightly smoky. Very sweet, but its to my personal tastes.

Mouthfeel is thin, creamy, with very mild carbonation. Feels like an English nitro-poured ale, like Boddingtons or Tetley's does on draught.

Sweet to the point where I don't think more than a bottle will be necessary, but if you like malty brews that are rich in caramel flavor, as Scottish ales tend to be, this one would fit the bill nicely. The smoky character was on the right track, but this brew needed some more counterbalance to really set itself apart.  Still, she weren't bad.    (Grade: B)



"O-RLY???"



Beer: Griffontown Montrealaise

Type: English Pale Ale (though I'm not sure about this...)

ABV: 5%

Poured into a nonic glass. A nice slightly hazy golden colour, with the pour leaving behind a thick ring of head and many icicles of lacing. A nice looking beer, I must say, though this is probably the lightest English pale ale I've ever seen.

Nose is malts, a bit of lemon, hops. Nothing much there.

Tastes like a malty Euro lager with some extra notes of apple and peach kicking around. Slight hop bitterness and metallic tang to the finish. Boring, but very easy to power through.

Thicker mouthfeel, good carbonation, slightly creamy.

Better than most Euro lagers and macros, but certainly nothing special, Montrealaise is a solid brew.  Ridiculously easy to drink, certainly sessionable.  Calling this an EPA is a stretch, but whatever it is, I can drink a lot of it.  The symbolism of having the most overtly English beer of the bunch be the most boring and uncultured one is not lost on me, however.  You win this round, Quebeckers...(Grade B-)

Beer: La Rebelle Quebecoise

Type: Belgian Pale Ale (there's no way this is an American Red Ale, as BA calls it)

ABV: 6.5%



Turn-ons include: Lilies, "European" Cities,
Guy Lafleur, Socialism. 

Clearly, if there was ever a beer that votes OUI, it's this beer.  I mean come on, "The Quebec Rebellion?" Jeez, they could have saved themselves the trouble and just slapped Jacques Parizeau's mug on the label and the result would have been the same.  (Although, to be fair, it probably isn't in the brewery's interest to release a beer that would drunkenly blame its failures upon "money and the ethnic vote." Still...)

Poured into a nonic.  A caramel-coloured brew, slightly hazy, with a nice fluffy head that recedes into a fine little ring.  The picture of the beer itself didn't really turn out well, but picture in your mind a marmalade-coloured beer with a thin head on the top and you won't be far off.  No lacing to speak of.

Nose is very intriguing. Smells like a wheat beer more than anything else, with strong malt, yeast, fruit, banana, caramel and hazelnut, but it's also coupled with a strange scent that took me a good five minutes to figure out: sweet potato. Though it may sound weird, this smelled to me like a sweet potato in its finest form: fresh off the barbecue, slightly burnt, with melted brown sugar on top. Oddly enough, it works.

The flavor is similar to a wheat beer or Scottish ale, or maybe a bit of Belgian pale in there as well. Fruity, slightly tart, good malt kick, that same sugary yam flavor, and only a touch of hops. Spices to the finish.

Thin bodied, slick, pinprick carbonation. I agree with some others - this feels, and looks, like an English cask ale.

Huh. Really dug this, though the first sip was a bit of a struggle as my senses tried to take everything all in. A unique blending of styles that somehow worked together well. It doesn't really fit the Red Ale category at all, but then again, I'm not sure where it fits. The flavors, though nice, are a bit much for more than a bottle or two, but still I have to say this was one intriguing brew. (Grade: B+)

Beer: La Chi Orientale
Type: Fruit Beer/Witbier
ABV: 4.5%

To make this beer fit in to an "Oriental" theme, the brewers added rice, fresh citrus and loads of ginger into the mix.  Should be interesting.

Poured into a tall handled stange glass. The beer looks a great deal like white grapefruit juice - pale golden and opaque - and leaves about an inch of head that quickly settles into a ring. Some flecks of lacing.

Nose is undeniably that of fresh ginger, with a touch of wheat malt and citrus backing it up. Smells like real ginger of the kind that accompanies your platter of sushi. Refreshing, but potent.

I can describe this beer in two words - gingered weizenbier - but since this is a beer reviewing site I can go into more detail! Starts off with a powerful, but tasty blast of ginger, followed by citrus (lemon, orange peel) and spices. I find that if I don't sniff the beer as I sip it, the ginger taste isn't so dominant, so I'm betting that the ginger is mostly aromatic. Medium bodied, with good, consistent pinprick carbonation.

Some people might dislike this beer because it's "too gingery," and I can't really blame them for that - this beer is certainly gingered all to holy hell. Fortunately, I happen to love ginger so I thoroughly enjoyed this brew. Still, I think the ginger could have been turned down from 11 and the brew would have been better for it. It's not something I'd want more than one or two of, but this certainly a noble, fun effort and my favorite of the pack thus far.  Big points for experimentation.  (Grade: B+)

Now for a the final brew of the lineup, a Belgian Witbier.  Now, those who are skilled at counting will notice in the first picture that there were six beers in the sample pack, but I've only put together five reviews.  Sadly, there was another brew in the bunch - an English Mild Dark Ale - that seemed a bit off.  London Ruby Anglaise was overly sour and murky, and not something I was able to finish completely.  Perhaps this was the way the beer was supposed to taste - in which case it was damned near undrinkable - but rather than risk misrepresenting the brewer's efforts, I'll refrain from evaluating a beer that just might have gone south.  With craft brews, it sometimes happens.  If I come across it again, I'll give it another go, but for now, I'll pass. 

Beer: Van Der Bull Belge

Type: Belgian Witbier

ABV: 5%

Witbiers are one of my favorite styles of beer, so I tend to give fairly average scores for them - it takes a lot to impress me, but it doesn't take much to satisfy me, if that makes any sense.

Poured into a stange glass. A soft golden-amber brew, cloudy with yeast and some visual sediment, with about a two inch head that recedes into a thin ring. Lots of lacing on the glass.

The nose is candied fruit, banana, coriander, spices, orange peel. Marmalade is a subtle something else I'm getting here.

Not a bad witbier - the flavors are soft, too soft in fact, and there's a grainy vegetable character to it, but generally speaking it's going down pretty well. Spicy finish.

Easy drinking, carbonation enters the fray later in the sip and is quite tart.

While far from the best witbier in the province, and not my favorite of the Brasseurs de Montreal lineup, this still was a decent attempt on the witbier style. Worth a try, but probably not something I'll be back for. (Grade: B-)

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Certainly this was a diverse and interesting sampler pack.  Like many other Quebec breweries, I found their Belgian or wheat-based brews to be the better ones, with their ginger-spiced witbier being my favorite of the bunch.  But their English style brews proved to be decent as well, leading me to believe that this brewpub is certainly on the right track.  In terms of quality, I don't think the brews of Brasseurs de Montreal can yet compete with the big brewhouses of Montreal, but I certainly feel that their brews are well worth seeking out.  Indeed, I think that any one of these would be a welcome accompaniment to a meal, which really should be the aim of any brewery/restaurant.  While it's unlikely that we'll see these sorts of brews in Ontario any time soon, if you're down Montreal way, a pint or two at the Brasseurs de Montreal brewpub would be a fine way to spend an afternoon.   That is, of course, if you're able to deal with the eyes....the ever-watching eyes....