Niagara College Decadence Event - 3 New Student Beers

The following post was prepared by Mark Murphy from the Niagara College Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management course.
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This weekend the Niagara College Brewmaster program is taking part in the college's Decadence event - A celebration of chocolate and icewine (and beer!). Under the guidance of brewmaster Jon Downing, the students prepared three special beers, and some have offered their own tasting notes!

Black Forest Schwarzbier - 6.5% abv:
"Pours a rich black with mahogany hues and a wispy white head. The aroma is a lovely chocolate and tart cherry while the pilsner and munich malt (malz) still have the opportunity to shine through, giving it a true schwarz character. The taste of this beer is everything you'd find in a black forest cake without the heaviness. There is a great milk chocolate sweetness that catches the pocket of the tongue as the cherry and lactose sugars climb the sides of the tongue to the tip with a clean, yet sharp tartness. There is a lovely bitterness from the hops that sits nicely to balance out the sweetness of the beer. The lactose in this beer adds to a lovely silky mouthfeel that remains light yet covers the whole palate. This beer blends beautifully with a black forest cake or for those looking for something fat free, by itself!"
 - Andrew Bartle, Newf via Toronto

Icewine Wheat - 7% abv:
"Aromas are somewhat similar to a saison, in that it's dry, floral and reminiscent of a funky Belgian yeast. The icewine juice combined with the hallertau hops combine to give a very pleasant riesling like beer with heavy floral tastes and a slight drying bitterness. The beer is light bodied, has a medium carbonation and is a brilliant golden colour."
- Andrew Bullied, Calgary

Chocolate Bockbier - 6% abv:
"The chocobock features a nice sweet malt aroma with notes of alcohol warmth and chocolate. The
chocolate aroma becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. An initially sweet flavour gives way
to a pronounced drying cocoa presence with roasted notes and a nice lingering alcohol warmth. An
excellent accompaniment for any chocolate dessert."
- Austin Roach, Toronto

Two decadence events specifically highlight these beers:

Beer and Chocolate:
Join Brewmaster Jon Downing and sensory expert Jennifer Wilhelm to discover the many ways these two age old indulgences complement each other. Experience unique beers, decadent chocolate treats and take away a gift to help you enjoy your indulgences even more!
When: Saturday, February 19th 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Room: E110 at the Niagara on the Lake Campus, 135 Taylor Road
Cost: $20

Chocolate and Icewine Gala:
- National Student Pastry Competition
- Delectable Food Stations
- Icewine Tastings
- Special Brewmaster Tastings
- Interactive Chocolate and Icewine Displays
When: Saturday, February 19th 6:00 p.m.
Location: Canadian Food and Wine Institute (Niagara on the lake campus)
Cost: $75
(Must be 19 years or older.)

For full details on all of the weekends events and to order tickets, please visit http://www.niagaracollege.ca/decadence/schedule.htm

Hope you can make it out!