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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Sea Level Brewing: Blue Heron Extra Special Bitter

My fiancee and I have been spending the day going over last minute wedding details and at the end of the day I was ready for a beer. The first bottle I saw upon opening the fridge was a Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch, but I didn't feel like it tonight. Hiding behind it however was a beer from Nova Scotia - Sea Level Brewing's Blue Heron Extra Special Bitter, a nice beer from the lovely Port Williams.

The beer pours a dirty amber into the pint glass and produces a nice billowy layer of white foam that sticks around for five minutes or so before reducing to a thin protector atop the liquid. Each sip leaves behind thick lacing reminding me how many times I've raised the glass to my mouth. The aroma is a mix of dried fruits, apricot, apple and a slight hop nose of kiwi skin. There is a touch of sweet malt in the first sip that gives way to a subtle hop punch from the last minute dry hopping the beer goes through, and I'm picking up a touch of slightly charred wood. It's a nice balance between malt and hop that produces a medium body, making for a quality sessionable product that I'd continue to reach for if it were available around here.

The beer is produced by Randy Lawrence at the tiny brewery attached to the Port Pub, a gastropub that opened back in March of 2008. Bottles can be purchased at select Nova Scotia private liquor stores like Bishop's Cellar and Premier Wine and Spirits.

It did just the trick I was hoping it would due tonight.

Sea Level Brewing
980 Terry's Creek Road
Port Williams, NS
902-542-5544
www.theportpub.com/


Blue Heron Extra Special Bitter
5.5% alcohol
650ml bottle

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