Wild Rose Seasonal Imperial IPA

We’re dying for IPA’s here in Ontario. Sure we have Granite’s Hopping Mad, Durham County’s Hop Head/Addict, Heritage (Scotch Irish) Sgt. Major’s, Magnotta's True North IPA and Grand River’s recently released Curmudgeon. Not a lot considering the number of breweries operating in our home province, and even less as only one of these beers mentioned can be found for sale at the LCBO and one at the Beer Store. All the others must be purchased and consumed at select pubs, bars and restaurants.

The east features a number of well-balanced IPA’s in both the American and English styles. Propeller’s IPA is always magnificent, Picaroon’s Yippee IPA is respectable, so is Garrison’s Imperial IPA along with the Dementia IPA series produced by Pump House. Quebec also has a number of breweries pumping out some beauties. As well, the provinces west of Ontario have seemed to notice the popularity of the style south of the border and breweries like Phillip’s, Swan’s, Half Pints and R&B all sell some outstanding IPA’s.

Which brings me to one of Alberta’s newest beers. Wild Rose Brewery, located in Calgary, spent the late months of the fall brewing up a new Imperial IPA to be included with their other seasonal releases and was launched on January 16th to much anticipation. Tina Wolfe, marketing director at Wild Rose, mentions that IPA’s are one of the fastest growing styles in the craft beer industry and “we wanted to offer our patrons with this seasonal treat.”

The brewery states the newest addition to their growing seasonal line-up is created in the style of a double IPA but made with a unique Albertan twist as it features select Alberta two-row barley and crystal malt that compliment three varieties of hops (Cascade, Chinook and Bravo). “The seasonal Imperial IPA joins our other seasonals like our Cherry Porter, and will be part of our goal of releasing a new seasonal every couple of months,” stated Wolfe.

I was lucky enough to obtain a few of the 500ml bottles of the new beer and last night I finally got around to popping the swing top cap and savouring all it offers.

The orangey – copper beer pours into the pint glass producing a large billowy white head that looks stunning. It takes minutes to finally dissipate which allows my nose to enter the glass without getting a noseful of foam. What I did get is pine needles. Strong pine needles and fresh cut wood; like walking through a bush. I don’t pick up to many citrus notes in the nose, a little kiwi and maybe some tangerine. Big hop flavour in the taste but a big malt backbone that stands up to the hops and at times smooths things out. I got more hop up front before it gave way to more citrus notes of orange and sweet grapefruit. The alcohol is evident (8.5%) as it sends a warming sensation down my lungs, thinning out as I drink on. I’m liking how ‘big’ this beer is, yet how balanced it is and how drinkable it could be. An A in my books.

Wild Rose has been around since 1996 starting out as a draught only brewery. They now brew and bottle four year round beers with their Velvet Fog, Brown Ale, WRaspberry Ale and WR IPA. They also produce a variety of draught only ales for purchase either at their brewery or at select pubs in the area.

Wild Rose Brewery and Taproom
Currie Barracks #2
4580 Quesnay Wood Drive SW
Calgary, Alberta T3E 7J3
www.wildrosebrewery.com

Grand River Curmudgeon IPA

I got a note from Grand River brewer Rob Creighton this morning stating that the brewery held another successful tasting last night, their IPA tasting. "Another great event last night with the launch of the Curmudgeon IPA," stated Creighton in the email. "We added a variation to this one as Len & Judie Owens of the Golden Kiwi provided cheese plates and munchies to help moderate the effects of some
strong beers."

The new IPA produced by Grand River (Curmudgeon) checks in at 6.5% abv and approx. 70IBU's using English Pilgrim hops for bittering and Fuggles to finish, according to Creighton. "I think it would be accurate to say that the Curmudgeon provided a distinctly drier 'back of the throat' bitterness that typically comes with our water and yeast combo."

An interesting angle to the beer comes from the bottle the IPA is found in, as Golden Kiwi owner Len Owens' face is pictured on the bottle. "I think it will work well and has received a lot of positive feedback. For a nice guy, Len makes a great curmudgeon," said Creighton.

He also passed along some other information sharing the news that The Kiwi will host a beer dinner on Thursday March 23rd at the Kiwi in downtown Cambridge that Grand River will participate in.

The next tasting at Grand River will feature Stouts and Porters that may include a monster Imperial Stout. Head out to Cambridge on March 10 and take part.

Newfoundland Beer Fest: March 27 - 28

Press Release from the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation

Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) is proud to present our first annual Beer Fest. This 2 night event will take place March 27 & 28, 2009 from 7-10pm at the St. John's Convention Centre.

With a souvenir sample cup in hand, come employ your senses and experience over 40 different types of beer and a variety of ciders through interactive samplings and demonstrations, while listening to live music and enjoying a variety of food in a beer garden atmosphere.

To Purchase Tickets ($49.99)
Online (http://www.nfliquor.com/events/onlinetickets.asp)
Friday, February 20th at 10:00 am or Howley Estates Liquor Store, 10 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's Saturday, February 21st at 10:00 am

Early Bird Bonus!
The first 400 tickets sold (200 online & 200 in store) for Friday nights show and the first 400 tickets sold (200 online & 200 in store) for Saturday nights show will receive a $10 NLC Gift Card. Limit to 4 tickets per night per transaction.

It is nice to hear that Newfoundland Labrador will be holding their first ever Beer Fest. Hopefully the smaller brewers (3 that I know of) will be in attendance offering their products to consumers uninterested in the Molson's, Labatt's and Inbev imports.

LCBO - Take a look at this, along with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation Halifax Seaport beer fest and throw together one of your own - bigger than the Summerhill tasting, with live music and at an off site venue.

Black Oak Brewer in the News

Black Oak brewer Adrian Popowycz is in the news today as the free daily Toronto Metro paper conducted an interview with him for their 'Learning Curve' section.

Click here to read the full interview as it appears on the Metro website.

Bring back the long hair Adrian.

*photo - Adrian on the left

Garrison Grand Baltic Porter Earns Gold

Congratulations goes out to the Garrison Brewing Company for their recent gold medal win for their winter seasonal Grand Baltic Porter - as scored by the Beverage Testing Institute. I received the following press release from Garrison owner Brian Titus who was thrilled with the high rating, but not surprised. "This is one incredible beer that has sold extremely well this winter," stated Titus over the phone during a recent conversation.

Here is Garrison's Press Release:

Baltic Porter Wins Big at World Championships!

Chicago, IL - January 26, 2009 – Award-winning Halifax microbrewer, Garrison Brewing Co., has scored big in the latest round of tastings at the World Beer Championships in Chicago. Since 1981, The Beverage Tasting Institute has run annual tasting panels to provide the industry and consumers with fair and impartial tasting reviews.

Garrison’s latest winter seasonal, “Grand Baltic Porter”, received a gold medal & “Exceptional” rating with a score of 94/100.

“Dark reddish brown. Interesting aroma of honey, pomegranate molasses and sour cherry jam follow through perfectly on a round supple entry to a fruity-yet-dry medium body with granola and cherry notes prominent. Finishes with a very long cocoa dusted nut fade. A superb flavored porter.”
(The Beverage Tasting Institute)

Impressive in its’ own right, the score is also the highest rating ever received by an East Coast brewery in any style. “I’m very happy with the results. This is a truly complex and original brew and it’s great to see a flavoured porter like this be recognized.” said Garrison Brewmaster, Daniel Girard.

Grand Baltic Porter was brewed in the traditional lager style which originates from countries bordering the Baltic Sea. It was brewed with a complex blend of dark malts and the uncommon addition of molasses and the infusion of dates during the boiling process, which created a rich, fruity (berry-like) and malty sweetness dominated by licorice and caramel notes. It is a great compliment to rich dishes, such as beef stews and general tao chicken; it is also excellent with chocolate based desserts.

Garrison also received a silver medal for its’ seasonal “Martello Stout”. Rich flavours of toffee, melted chocolate and roast espresso make this a tasty, easy drinking stout. “Grand Baltic Porter” is available directly from the brewery, through private stores in Halifax and in select NB Liquor stores until April.

Look for more tasting notes on the Grand Baltic Porter as TAPS magazine will be reviewing it in the upcoming Spring tasting panel.

Oscar Meet Charles - Abbot on the Hill Events

I received some news from our friends at the Abbot on the Hill today regarding two events they will be hosting on the 21st and 22nd.

On Saturday the 21st, join the Abbot with friends and family to help celebrate Charles V's birthday. The ruler of the Roman Emperor seemed to have a preference for a mug of beer rather than the more sophisticated wine, which has led to numerous breweries naming beer in his honour. Take part in a 3 course Beligan menu price fixe with three different Het Anker beers, who have commemorated his life with a variety of beers - The Gouden Carolus Series: Gouden Carolus, Gouden Carolus Tripel, Gouden Carolus Ambrio.

Tickets for the event will run you $40.00, a steal for the quality of food the Abbot produces.


There were also be an exclusive beer served just for the occasion, as Het Anker will have their Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw available, a beer brewed only once a year for Charles the V's birthday.

*Reservations are recommended - Supplies are limited.

Then on Sunday the 22nd, for those that follow the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the Abbot will be throwing an Oscar bash sponsored by Tuborg Gold. There will be prizes for the best dressed ladies, free oysters and poached shrimp, and a beer basket prize for the best dressed man. There will also be an Oscar pool to take part in while you watch the event from one of the tv's behind the bar.

There is no cost associated with attending the event; however, reservations are a good idea to ensure enough platters are prepared.

A Rough Weekend

I had planned to sit down at the computer on Saturday afternoon and do some writing for the next issue of TAPS, try to sell some advertising for the magazine and review a bottle of Imperial IPA brewed by Wild Rose. I didn't get any of that completed.

I spent Friday night recovering from a long and exhausting week, only had one beer - a John By Imperial Stout. My first of the season. I was very impressed once again with this beer. Pours midnight black with a huge mocha wavy head before giving way to an impressive aroma of roasted malt, dark coffee, chocolate, light alcohol and also a little smoke. The taste provided a rich silky espresso mouthfeel with a small touch of warming alcohol, notes of cocoa with hops adding a tinge of bitterness in the background. Very nice.

Saturday morning was terrible. I had a meeting with the bank and it was then that I noticed $1000 had been taken from my account through illegal means just hours earlier. Bastard(s)!

Anyway, friends from back home surprised my fiance and I with a visit to Toronto. Mac is a homebrewer and a huge fan of beer. He has actually won a couple of medals in the competitions he's entered and his mild brown ale is always nice. The guy will drink anything you put in front of him - Garrison Imperial IPA one minute a Busch the next. He knows how to appreciate all beers and understands how each one serves its own unique purpose. So my plans of writing and sampling quickly blew out the window as Mac wanted (needed) to get to beerbistro.

I got there just after 4pm and the place was packed; however Mac had managed to get some great seats right near the bar. He was in heaven. It was just the two of us as the girls were doing their own thing and planned to hook up with us later. Well the pints of Durham County's Hop Addict were flying. What a great beer. Great nose, great appearance and most importantly - great flavour.

Friend Cass Enright showed up to share some drinks just as we were about to head over to the Victory Cafe for some more pints, and the girls joined us. In less than 10 minutes, after a subway ride (quite the event for the Orillia folks and a couple of Newf's), we were in front of the Victory. It was packed; both upstairs and downstairs. We spent some time upstairs with all the artists and free spirited people, trying to get in some words over the music. I've never been to the Victory that late, and never upstairs when this atmosphere was present. Luckily we grabbed a booth downstairs and more pints were consumed. County Durham's Red Dragon on cask to be exact. We did our part to keep County Durham in business for another day!

Back home Sunday morning. Sister in from out of town. Greasy breakfast nice and early. Head splitting. Begging for a couch. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the afternoon not really doing anything productive. I had to man up later though as the parents in law were making their way over for dinner where a couple more drinks would be put back.

Monday morning. Still begging for a couch.

Beer Geekism

There is a great thread running its course over at BeerAdvocate that is definitely worth exploring - Top Ten Signs Your A Beer Geek. I love it.

Some of the highlighted answers hit so close to home:

Bringing the appropriate glassware over to someone's house so you can enjoy the beer with the respect it deserves. I don't know how many times I have been ridiculed for this. When I go back North to a friends house, all the guys come over to watch a hockey game with their Bud Light or Canadian and I'm sitting there with a mix six pack of various Canadian and American bombers with a glass that would mesh with their styles. They all comment on that. Just recently at one of my fiance's friends places I pulled out my own glass when we arrived. After explaining to me that she wasn't poor and that she did indeed have glasses in her house, I had to go through the whole story about me being a beer geek (enthusiast) and needed to ensure I had the right glassware.

When you've turned your girlfriend/significant other into a beer geek, too. Well, I was on the way to converting my girl into a beer geek, until celiac disease roared its ugly head. She was starting to appreciate all the different styles, how different beers matched foods and how to appreciate the atmosphere surrounding craft beer. Now she drinks cider; although she is excited to try Nouvelle France new Rouge (red) Messangere.

When you spend a half hour in a beer store...and leave without buying anything because they don't have anything "good." Me being in Ontario, I only venture into the Beer Store to take back my empties, which always draws pleasant conversation about the different bottles. But I have walked into LCBO's, walked around checking out the shelves and walked right back out without making a purchase. Maybe not due to the fact that they don't have anything good, but because they may not have anything new; which is often the case.

I always find myself making and accepting recommendations at the beer store. I have done this myself, a couple of times. It's fun, while rewarding. It's great to see someone staring at the different choices, go to reach for Stella, stop for a moment and look back. That's when I've spoke up and offered a suggestion - try a King Pilsner from Nobleton instead, or grab a 9 pack of Cameron's Cream. Sometimes people leap at the recommendation and are very appreciative.

There are many more listed on the forum that I am guilty of - like taking to long picking out a variety pack, confusing people with the name Michael Jackson, and remembering the smell of a beer by looking at the label.

Yes, I am a beer geek, or a beer enthusiasm. I'm not to keen on the title beer geek. I don't keep a journal of beers I drink, or score them (not that there is anything wrong with that - it's a good hobby to have). I'm more of a social beer enthusiast that writes (or tries to) about the social aspects of beer.

What makes you a beer geek/enthusiast/nerd/lover/fanatic?

My Incomplete Session #24 - Tripels

Beer is best when it's shared, and a strong beer is just right for sharing. Belgian Tripels are big beers with a flavor profile that is enjoyed by both experienced and new beer fans. Be it an intimate evening, or watching a ball game on TV, a Tripel is made for sipping and sharing. For Session #24 the theme is "A Tripel for Two." What Tripel would you pick to share with that good friend, family member, or lover?

Today is Friday. The first Friday of the month, and that means it's Session time. I haven't taken part in the last couple of Sessions due to conflicts in my personal schedule and today I'm faced with the same dilemma.

Here I am, sitting at work, thinking about Tripels. David over at Musings Over A Pint chose the subject for the 24th edition of the Session and I don't think I'll have time yet again to get a full post completed. If I was back in school I'd be getting an F on this assignment.

I guess I could have cracked open one of the Tripels I have in my collection last night to prepare a glowing review to be posted today. But I didn't and now I'm wishing I had.

I have a couple bottles of the Koningshoeven Tripel that the LCBO brought in at a very reasonable price; a couple of bottles of Unibroue's La Fin du Monde in my fridge, some Westmalle, Chimay White, Piraart and some more. And they're all still there. I'm killing myself. It's 8:30am as I write this and I'm wishing I was back home, feet up, book in hand, sipping from a chalice holding a beer the Belgians made famous.

Then I thought, 'Well maybe I'll do a small post on the style,' but that is boring, and I'd be surprised if the people that read this blog don't already know about the history of the Tripel and their qualities. So this is what you get.

I actually plan on receiving some Mill Street Betelgeuse growlers (new Tripel recently released) tonight for sampling and I may, just maybe, get something posted for this weekend. And to answer David's question - "What Tripel would you pick to share with that good friend, family member, or lover?" Well, I'll pick the Mill Street, but I'll be drinking it alone as the fiance has celiac.

I'm sure I'll be feeling it tomorrow!

A Little Bit of the Devil for Valentine's Day

Stephen Beaumont has provided some dessert and beer pairings for Valentine's over on That's the Spirit, and though the romantic day is still over a week away I thought I'd share a recipe provided by the Ontario Craft Brewers that even Cupid would love.

Devil’s Chocolate Pie
- created by Chef Anthony Mair-
Treat your Valentine to this hearty coupling of full-bodied beer and sweet, tasty chocolate!

Craft Beer:
½ cup of Great Lakes’ deliciously naughty Devil’s Pale Ale or your favourite craft dark ale (Hockley Valley Dark Ale, Scotch Irish Plain Porter, Granite Keefe's Irish Stout, Scotch Irish John By or to add some coffee notes - a Mill Street Coffee Porter)

Ingredients:
2, 8 oz packages of cream cheese
½ cup of butter, softened
½ cup of sugar
10 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup of 666 Devil’s Pale Ale or other dark beer
12 oz of sweetened whipped cream
1 graham cracker pie crust

Preparation:
1.Cream butter and cream cheese in a large bowl
2.Add sugar and mix thoroughly
3.Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over medium heat
4.Add craft beer and stir until well combined. Cool slightly.
5.Gently mix chocolate beer sauce into cream cheese mixture.
6.Fold in 8 oz of whipped cream (reserve the rest) and turn mixture into prepared crust.
7.Refrigerate until set.
8.Top with remaining whipped cream.

Pair with a dry stout or sweet porter (see OCB products listed above). Serves 6 to 8 people.

Now fella's, I think even the cave man in us could pull off this recipe and look good doing it. And while doing it, don't be shy to have a bottle, or can, nearby to get you through it.

Recipes compliments of Ontariocraftbrewers.com

News From Calgary's Wild Rose

It would seem that beer drinkers in Alberta are quite fond of a couple Wild Rose draught only products - WRed Wheat Ale and SOB (Special Old Bitter), as comments poured into the brewery inquiring why the brewery wasn't bottling them. It turns out that customers sending so many letters/emails worked as the brewery will now be bottling the two brands and will be making them available for sale in six packs come spring. If you can't wait until then, remember you can pick up a 'party pig' at the brewery. The WRed Wheat Ale and the SOB will join the other bottled Wild Rose products like their WRaspberry Ale, Brown Ale, Velvet Fog, I.P.A.

In other news from Wild Rose, their recently released seasonal, Imperial IPA, has been selling exceptionally well. The brewery held a launch party in their Taproom back on January 16th with a cask conditioned version and it was drained in 37 mins. The 500ml bottle is available at select liquor stores in Alberta. Stay tuned for a review here shortly.

They have also updated their food menu for the Taproom, added some fresh choices to compliment their old school favourites. Visit their website to see the changes.

Tree Hop Head vs. Green Flash Hop Head Red

Rick Green runs the BC Beer Blog out on the west coast and the other day he posted an excellent read on a dispute between Kelowna's Tree Brewery and California's Green Flash Brewery over the name Hop Head.

Turns out that Green Flash has a beer by the name of Hop Head Red Ale that was being imported into BC (since Aug. 08). Tree Brewing, who produces a delicious IPA named Hop Head IPA, had their lawyers contact Green Flash insisting that they cease using the name Hop Head in BC, a move Tree feels was necessary to protect their trademark.

Based on the blog entry, it seems that Green Flash has decided to stop importing that brand for the time being, rather than get into a pissing match in court.

Read Green's post here, where he dissects some other cases involving ligation between breweries over naming rights.

TAPS/Beerology Audio Podcast #4

Back on October 30th I wrote about Mirella Amato (beer writer/speaker and founder of Beerology.com) teaming up with TAPS Media to record audio interviews with brewers, pub owners and craft beer fans.

She started things off with a discussion at Volo's Cask Days event about cask conditioned beer and examined its growing popularity in North America. The second focused on Winter beers. She spoke with Ontario brewers to see what they look for in a good winter warmer and how to enjoy them. And the third podcast, released in January, dealt with the state of the local Ontario craft brewing scene.

In keeping with the promise of releasing a new audio podcast on the first Monday of each month, Amato and TAPS take us to Quebec for the February edition, and fourth in the series, to chat with a select group of Quebec brewers.

All the podcasts are free, easy to subscribe to, and make for a good listen on your daily commute into work. To subscribe, simply go to iTunes (free) and run a search, or RSS. Or check out the Beerology or TAPS magazine websites.

Dieu du Ciel Best Brewpub: Ratebeer 2009 Awards

Ratebeer recently released the names of the winners for their 2009 Best of Rate Beer Awards which include a number of Canadian destinations. Categories included best beer (Canadian beer), brewpubs, best beer restaurants, best beer bars, and best breweries to visit. The winners are determined by the tallied scores each ratebeerian gives a certain location and then awarded either a gold, silver or bronze.

Best Beer Restaurants
#6 - Beerbistro, Toronto,ON
*(also, kudo's to #8 finisher - Cole's, Buffalo, NY

Best Beer Bars
#11 - Volo, Toronto, ON
#42 - Smokeless Joe, Toronto, ON

Best Brewpub
#1 - Dieu du Ciel, Montreal, QU
#12 - Bedondaine et Bedons Ronds, Chambly, QU

Best Breweries to Visit
#37 - Steam Whistle, ON

The list of the 50 best Canadian beers has also been announced and it contains a shit load of Quebec beers, most notably Dieu du Ciel's exceptional beers. Click here for the list. It's great to see a small brewer like Bruce of Durham County get some recognition for two of his beers.

Congrats to all!

When the Beer Runneth Dry: Victory Winter Cask Festival

The folks at the Victory Cafe pulled off another coup on Saturday as they hosted their second consecutive successful cask festival, so successful in fact that they ran out of the 13 casks by 5pm.

I arrived to the event shortly after 12:30pm, hurting head from the night before and all, and was surprised to find both the bottom and top levels of the Victory to be full of early cask drinkers. "There was actually a line-up that formed just after 11am," stated Maz Brereton, co-owner of the Victory and member of the CASK! group. "We are absolutely thrilled to see this many people interested in cask beer."

George Eagleson, brewer at F&M, was one of the first people I encountered when I walked thru the door so we headed over to his cask of Coffee Oatmeal Stout for the half pint sample. We stood at the bar and talked about some things that F&M have in their sights (nothing that can be mentioned yet), but he did inform me that the stout has sold exceedingly well, so well that places were running out of it very fast. "We debated brewing another batch, but we decided that it was a good run and we'll take that into account next year."

Tim Blakeley from Best Bitters Brewing Co. (Nickelbrook) arrived just in time for a round of his 2008 Cuvee. Weighing in at over 7%, the spiced ale had some peppery notes and burnt sugars blended with some fruitiness that masked the alcohol pretty well. I found it to be a little more balanced than the 2007 version and quite nice. So did other people as the Cuvee was the first beer to be emptied.

My cell phone rang, it was a friend who was waiting in the line-up outside - it was roughly 3pm. I peered outside and was astonished to see such a line. Nicholas Pashley, the witty beer drinking novelist, was working the door and commented that the place was at capacity; something they didn't expect. "What is really interesting is the mix of people here," Pashley said. "There are lots of females and young people, which is very encouraging to see."

Back at the bar Brereton stated that the summer cask festival that was held in-conjunction with the CASK! group attracted 86 people over the seven hour event, so they were expecting numbers along those lines. This was not the case though. Due to all the eager drinkers, the casks started running dry shortly after 4pm and by five the last one was drained. However, people were still milling about, helping drink some of the Maclean's Pale Ale on cask at the bar.

It was a great event, very well put together. The weather wasn't to bad outside, a few snow flurries here and there, but the warmth of the pub on a winter afternoon was all anybody could ask for. The beers, 13 in total, and of the ten I sampled - were terrific. Granite's Hopping Mad was magnificent and the Neustadt Lager (with Japanese Hops) was interesting.