It Won't Take Me 60 Minutes to Drink This

"60 IBU, 6.0%, over 60 hop additions, over a 60-minute boil". I like how they name their beer.

I got to try Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA in Chicago.  It was the first and only Dogfish Head beer I'm yet to have, so this was a nice little treat.  ..I'm still dying to try the Google beer they've done..

Now, I've labelled this beer as "strong" cuz it's over 5%.  I was surprised, since this WAS only 6%, that the label "strong" came to mind with this beer though; I could clearly taste the difference when drinking it.

This was a really crisp IPA.  It was pretty bitter, and I personally wouldn't be able to knock these back through a night, but one or two to start out is deeeelightful.

All too often to I say this, but to yet another American brewery - Dogfish Head, please come to Canada.  We need you up here.

Side thought - Dogfish are pretty cool combinations of animals, so I've thought up a few more:

- CatBird ..would it chase itself??
- HippoCock .. hahah seriously, how funny would a hippopotamus + peacock look?
- IguanaRaffe .. HOW FRIGHTENING would an iguana + giraffe be, eh?!


Recco's
Food: Crab encrusted seared tuna, side asparagus
Music: Lagwagon

Chocolate Stout, Need I Say Any More?

I don't need to, but I will.

A few years back, Young's Double Chocolate Stout was the first chocolate stout I'd ever had.  Now it makes its way onto my winter shopping list every year.

This chocolate stout is one of those guilty pleasures that I enjoy when I'm going through a "I'm on a diet and can't eat any chocolate!" phases.  I mean, technically, it's a stout, so, I can keep my hands off the Nestle and Cadbury, and keep my sanity.

This sweet, UK chocolate stout is my favourite chocolate stout that I've had to date.  I usually pair it with brownies, chocolate cake, or decadent cookies, but for a contrasting effect, I've been known to have it with a rich Camembert or creamy blue cheese.

I'll leave the fine wine's to the sommelier's, but try pairing this 5.2%er with some of your favourite creamy cheeses and let me know what you think.

While on the note of pairing, give this chocolate stout a go while listening to some classical music. Preferably, piano focussed.

Recco's
Food: Rich, creamy Camembert or blue
Music: Chopin

Ruination Inspired Poetry

If my last post was about being stoned, I've definitely upgraded my stash.

I was lucky enough to be given a Stone Ruination IPA this month (thanks Ryan!), which was an upgrade from my last post about Stone IPA.

This is what I thought from my sample:

- Over 100IBU's made it nice and hoppy.  Not too hoppy, where you think you'll taste hops for a month, but bitter enough, and yet, with a smooth finish.

- 7.7% but no crazy "why is this beer so strong, it would be good if it wasn't" taste!

There's something about the way Stone brews their beer that I can't help but want to move to California to have direct access to it at all times... not that one would need more of a reason than the constant sun and palm trees.  Plus, have you seen the Hotel Del Coronado:   An ice rink right by the beach!! All I would ever need.

To say that the Ruination is "a liquid poem to the glory of the hop" is a wonderful thought to have in mind while drinking one.

....as such, I've written Stone Ruination a haiku, for your reading pleasure:

Strong hoppy flavor
Bitter like cool summer nights
Smooth malty finish

Stone'd for the First Time

I was lucky enough to see Stone IPA on the menu at Timothy O'Toole's in Chicago back in December.  Of course, I jumped on the chance for any Californian IPA, but this one was special.. for you see, I did not know too much about Stone Brewing Co.

I'd had a Stone brew before, without knowing it - its Arrogant Bastard Ale (ps, that's an awesome beer).

But the Stone IPA - Guess what.. LOVED IT.

77 IBU's and kickin', this 6.9%er was what I like to call a drinkable IPA.  It had a sweet tinge to its bitterness which made me think of palm trees and basking in the glorious sunshine on what I can only imagine the west-coast looks like.


Maybe it was just because I was picturing glorious beaches, and me, laying on the beach with this IPA in hand, but the sweet, hoppy aroma given off by this brew was enough to make anyone want to fly out to California to get one straight out of the barrel.

Hopefully I won't be imagining it for much longer, (or Google Street Viewing it just to feel like I'm actually there) as I'm tentatively planning a Spring visit to the sunshine state.  If I do make it out that way, I'm definitely going to visit the brewery.. if they do tours.

Also, I was lucky enough to have a friend offer up one of his Stone Ruination IPA's this past week... You'll hear more about that gorgeous bottle from me in the next few days.

The Local AA Chapter

Kensington Brewing Company's Augusta Ale (AA as they call it) was on tap at a local, Fynn's of Temple Bar, so I tried it out.  I had asked for Alexander Keith's Harvest Ale, but alas, they were all out. :(

When I asked the bartender what it tasted like, she replied "It tastes like a craft beer."

At first I thought, "Hmmm, crafty, eh?... Do all craft beers have something in common that I haven't noticed?"

Maybe they do, maybe they don't.  I'd like to have someone tell me if they do though, because I feel like I should know.

All in all, it was a deeply hoppy beer.  I'm afraid to try the Augusta Ale Extra Hoppy (AAXH as they call it) for I may never be able to lose the taste of hops from my mouth.  Not that that would be the worst thing in the world.... there could be worse.

Like that *awful* dressing my periodontist put in my mouth after doing some minor surgery a few weeks ago.  He put this stuff in my mouth that looked liked gum over top of the 13 lovely stitches I had just been given, and told me to keep it there until it naturally falls out.

It tasted like hot garbage covered in poop.

...and made everything I ate, taste like hot garbage covered in poop.  It was a really disgusting two weeks for my taste-buds.

Revolutionizing Beer: Accessories and Social Marketing

...Wear your brew-passion.

Dogfish Head Brewery just posted a link to a bottle-opener pendant whose design depicts different American brewery locations - how cool!

So of course, this got me thinking two things:

1. Perfect time to shamelessly self promote my super gorgeous bottle cap earrings, and

2. What other possibilities are out there?

Now, we've all seen those coasters of city maps similar to these of brewery locations, bottle opener rings, and credit card shaped bottle openers, but what if it doesn't have to stop there?  What if breweries banned together to create some sort of a "Craft Beer Collect 'em All" line of products that would enable fans of breweries to get acquainted with brews that they may not already be familiar with, and incentivize them to interact with all of them?

Think about it, a charm bracelet for the ladies, with charms that you can pick up at each brewery.  They  might even have slots where each charm fits into.  Rings with the brewery logo or shield on them.  Bottle openers with the same.

From here, why just wear your brew-passion.  Why not have it take you places?

With each "Craft Beer Collect 'em All" item comes a QR code, or a PIN that you can enter online at each of the breweries' websites.  The result wouldn't even have to be a prize per say, but could be a cool tidbit of information about an upcoming brew --- or think even bigger, it could be a nation-wide scavenger hunt where you collect pieces of a digital puzzle whenever you enter a PIN on a brewery's website, and once all the pieces are together, it reveals the location of a huge beer event, one where only those who have collected enough pieces of the puzzle can attend.... The possibilities.. they're endless!

Whoa... ok... that was intense.

Feel like discussing this with me over a nice craft?  Sure; it'll be on you, of course.

A Ranger From The South

My first Coloradonian.

Naw, not really, but I just wanted to say that.

Got to try New Belgium's Ranger IPA from their Explore Series when I was at a friend's house in Chicago in December.  I'd love to know why it's called the Explore Series..

It was a really bitter IPA, and I think I'd have enjoyed it even more served extra cold in a pint glass.  I had it out of the bottle, which was a lot slimmer than most.  Checked it out though, and the malt gave it a nice caramel-like colour.

If you're a typical hop-head you'd love this IPA.  It had that lasting hoppy flavour that reminded you that you were drinking a real beer - a flavour you don't get when throwing back ... mass produced American beer.

A cool thing was that the Ranger was 6.5%.  I may not be a cicerone or anything (...yet... =O! ) but I couldn't taste that extra 1.5%.  Sure it was bitter, but most good IPA's are.

Coming as a fun surprise to me, this bad boy is from the same family as Fat Tire, which is a fruitier amber ale that I like to dabble in when I find it on tap.  ...segway!  My next post will depict a draft line up with just that.

Christmas Crafts, Chicago, O'Toole's Good Times - Cya 2011!

So I went back to Chicago again this year - sure glad I did!

That's a photo of Timothy O'Toole's, coincidentally on the corner of Ontario and North Fairbanks.  I've spent some good time there this year, and I recommend that place to everyone who's passing through the city.  Plus if you are ever in town, look for Dustin, Jayme, and Jim, the bartenders - they're great at recommending bottles (or draft) that you'll love.  And you won't miss the gorgeous servers!

Their current beer menu's pictured here, and every time I see it there are another few American micros that I'm super excited to see since they don't ship to Canada. You'll see a few posts on a bunch of these in the days to come, but my first one will have to be the seasonal Goose Island Christmas Ale.  My kind of Christmas craft.

Now I'm not your typical brown ale fan, and I mean, I've had some GORGEOUS Goose Island ales, but since it was lighter than all of the chocolate stouts I've had this season, and heavier than any of the Christmas ale's I've had, (I've decided to compare it to those); I thought it was alllllright :).  It did a nice job of being bottle drinkable, which I find rare in darker browns.  Plus, you can't say no to a seasonal - you'll never be able to try it if you don't, right then and there...

Kind of like my trip to Chi-Town this time. I'd never thought I'd reach my 4-trips-in-one-year-to-one-city goal if I hadn't decided to head over at 6am after Christmas!

If you make it out to O'Toole's, say a friendly hi to the staff there, and tip well, they're great.

Happy New Years folks!

It Was Christmas Eve's Eve, Babe

T'was the night before the night before Christmas.

...and with these tasty friends coming home with me, this is probably the last time I'll know what date it is this year.

...with visions of tall, dark, and handsome dancing through my head, and the bells ringing out not only for Christmas Day, but soon to be in my head as well, I'm ready.  I'm celebrating with stags, beards, and a lot of chocolate (stout) this weekend. Yup, tis all for this weekend.

Countdown on, Christmas Day! It's on!

Merry Xmas everyone :)
xxLL


Shown above, from left to right:
Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale
Box Steam Brewery Dark & Handsome
Southern Tier Imperial Crème Brûlée
Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout
Young Double Chocolate Stout
Muskoka Brewery Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout: Winter Beard
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager
Muskoka Brewery Harvest Ale

Non-beer's
Bailey's Hazelnut Creme Liquer
40 Creek Premium Barrel Select Whiskey

Rate Me

Well, it's the work Christmas party, number one. Guess which I'm drinking, rate the rest in order of your fav. The winner (the beer winner) .... Wins.....

Which wood? Why, Wychwood! My Kinda Wood.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I JUST realized how close it is to Christmas so I figured I'd better start drinking specialty beer that reminded me of the holidays, and Wychwood's Bah Humbug December seasonal 5% beer was too perfect.  Plus I've been on such a UK bevy kick that this goes all too well.

Did you know that Wychwood has a seasonal beer PER MONTH?  Yea! Check it.  I am super excited to try April's Hot Chocolate, and July's Cherry Picker. Mmmmmmm hot choooooclate beer.

While perusing their site, I'd have to say I was super duper pleased.  It really got into the "Brewers of character" (their tagline) spirit, and I felt like I was in the realm of the Wychwood forest, sipping forbidden ale and scouring the trees for an evil goblin... a Hob-goblin perhaps? Oh, lovers of Wychwood will get that reference :)  And if you didn't - they have a beer called Hobgoblin.

Beer-wise, it had a semi-sweet taste that had the perfect amount of spice and cloves to it - when I said this was a Christmas spiced ale, I wasn't kidding.  They know what their doing with taste v naming over there.

One fun fact is that Wychwood is of the same Marston family that my believed organic Duchy hails from.  Those Marston's know a little something about good beer.

LL recco:  Give'r a go this holiday season.  Pop on The Pogues Fairytale of New York and open up some fresh, moist, fruit cake to go along with it.

Old Pale's Are Always Very Special

As a huge pale ale fan, I was immediately surprised when this 6.7% ale tasted dangerously like a 4.5%er - I could get into quite a bit of trouble drinking these for a night!

Marston’s Pedigree Very Special Old Pale had quite the classic taste to it.  It was a smooth, clean tasting pale ale, and reminiscent of some English cask ales I had back in England a few years back.

One thing to note, is that it's in a brown bottle, but from some googling, it looks like it's served in clear bottles over in the UK. That's a good call for exports, and I'm starting to see more and more differences in beer that comes from over the sea. (Sea, ocean, whatever.)

My recommendation for when to drink this beer?  On a cold, winter night, in front of a fire, eating a hearty stew. Mmmmm... beef stew....

...and the Gardens of the Elders were filled with...

Elderflower!  Badger Golden Champion was so good that I bought another the next day.

Now, I instantly knew it was from the UK because the label said it was a strong beer... of 5%.  Oh United Kingdom.

But seriously, this beer tasted like what eating a fresh spring day in a Switzerland meadow would taste like. The elderflower in it just gives it an unbelievable floral scent that's not lost in the taste, and is so delicately, beautifully fresh, that you feel like wrapping it up in warm blanket, sitting next to it on the couch, and watching Christmas specials with it.

...

Anyhoo, the one thing that I wasn't sure about with this beer was the label.  I feel like it doesn't quite match the pretty flavour.  But lo and behold, the website displays a much prettier version of the bottle and label, one that I hope is still in production.  Maybe this one (shown in this post) is just used over in the UK.  I'd be quite interested in knowing which was older/newer and if they were both being used in present times.

Right. Try this beer.

My Liege!

SOMEONE PLEASE, FIND ME MORE PUMKING!

Ok... now that that's out...

Last weekend I finally cracked open my Southern Tier Imperial Pumpkin Ale: Pumking.  Southern Tier has not failed me yet, and this time, it didn't just not fail me (like my double negative?) it exceeded my utmost expectations of what I thought a children's holiday could do for my life.

Kids... they get all the candy.  I remember that sad day when I was ...14... and I realized I was too old to go trick or treating when the first three houses told me I was too tall and not dressed up enough.  What, my Wonder Woman mask wasn't good enough?  It's not my fault I had a huge growth spurt at a young age!  I still liked free candy!

Well, the joke's on them now, because I've got something better: Pumking.  Seriously, this was the best pumpkin *anything* I've ever had.  Pumpkin pie?  Chuck it.  Pumpkin Spiced Latte?  Cya.  Pumking - you are my Autumn liege.

So here's the problem: Both of my local LCBO's are out of it, and I only got one.  One.

Also, it was raining today, and I walked into a store sign because my umbrella was blocking my view.

I implore you, my kind, fellow, lovers of such things liquid - if you find a Pumking, please tell me where, so I can once again taste that sweet, light, yet 8.6% imperial ale, that has gained my taste-buds' allegiance.

Probably The Only Beard I'll Let Near My Face

So two weeks ago I had the pleasure of purchasing and trying Muskoka Brewery's Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout (Winter Beard). Coming in at 8%, just one glass of this bad boy made me quite the happy lady. It's what I'd consider my type of beer to pour into a wine glass, and pretend to be having a beautiful syrah, whilst the rest of the ladies chug down their grapes.

As a femme, anything with a chocolate undertone is fantastic in my books, and this stout was no different.  Plus, as a stout, the ever-so-slight carbonation made it such a sipping beverage that I think it's perfect to grab a few more and serve them at an upcoming holiday party.

I probably shouldn't like this, but I left about one glass for the last 2 weeks in the bottle and had it tonight. .. I still liked it.  Sorry, sorry, but I did.  Plus I tasted the cranberry a lot more! How festive!