Thursday, March 24, 2011

Wellington Brewery - I.P.A. (Welly One-Off Series)

OK, folks, it's been far too long. We know it, an we apologize.

But we've got a review of a good beer here for you - we went to the open house at Wellington Brewery on the weekend. Jeff picked up a six-pack of cans of their one-off series.

Here's what he thinks:

A beer that’s been missing in Wellington Brewery’s line-up is an I.P.A. offering. At their last open house they unveiled their offering as part of their Welly One-Off series. Feedback forms suggested that if the beer was well received it’d become a regular seasonal. They had a limited number of cans of the I.P.A. for purchase as well. I picked up six and I’m guessing they sold out of the limited quantity.

The beer pours the colour of fresh apple cider: It’s an orangey brown. The beer is by no means clear; it’s cloudy like apple cider, too. The head on the beer isn’t huge and there doesn’t appear to be too much carbonation. This is due to the fact that it was brewed for cask consumption.

The nose is pretty light on the citrusy hops. Wellington mentioned that this was an over-hopped I.P.A. so I was expecting more from the nose. Does this mean it’s going to be a bland I.P.A. a la Keith’s? Nope! There’s a hint of citrus at first followed by a caramel malt/cidery taste and finished with a good amount of bitterness that makes you want to take another sip. The alcohol is reasonable (5.5% abv) so the beer is pretty sessionable - which is good because it’s pretty addictive.

I hope enough people said “yes” to “Would you buy this beer if it were offered as a regular seasonal?” This beer should be offered year round. For those of you who’ve been disappointed by Wellington in the past (I know S.P.A., Best Bitter and Trailhead could use some improvement), this is the reason to give them another shot.

I hear the next one-off is a chaga chamomille beer. Sounds crazy. I’m looking forward to trying it.

(Kate note: I'm not a hops fan, so I wasn't super keen on the I.P.A., but that's OK because Jeff more than made up for my lack of enthusiasm. Also, he says the Arkell Best Bitter "could use some improvement" but it's my favourite from Wellington, and I think it's A-OK just as it is).

Monday, March 14, 2011

F&M Stone Hammer Coffee Stout

Sorry it's been a bit since we posted a beer here. I was working evenings last week and Jeff was working overtime - which meant there wasn't much time for beer (I know, I know - there should always be time for beer).

While I would love to write a long great blog post about F&M's Stone Hammer Coffee Stout, I can't. I'm not like Jeff. I just know I like this beer. I like that I can taste the coffee. I like the way it smells. I like the way it looks, the way it pours and the way I can drink it and then drink another one. It's just that good.

The coffee is from Planet Bean in Guelph - a local roastery, which I think makes it just that much better (we also love going to Planet Bean for lattes - for me - and espressos for Jeff). I applaud the brewery for using Planet Bean coffee and making this a very Guelph brew.

So, not as in depth as some of our other reviews - but the main point is there. I like this beer. I like it a lot.

- Kate

Monday, March 7, 2011

Norrebro Bryghus

Norrebro Bryghus is the latest brewery to be featured by the LCBO. The beer I picked up from this Danish brewer is Bombay Pale Ale. It comes in a 600 mL bottle and is 6.5% abv, but at $7.50/bottle, it’s a wee bit expensive.

The beer pours a clear orange with a white head that quickly dissipates. The carbonation on this beer is very low. This IPA has a more floral/grassy hop aroma to its nose - as do most European IPAs I’ve found. 

I have to say, I’m more of a citrus hops fan. I also get some spice on the nose. Maybe coriander? 

The beer itself doesn’t taste bad but it’s not what I was hoping to get. Its not overly hoppy - very mild hops. I find the malt taste to be dominant. As well, I can’t help but be reminded of a Belgian wit beer.

The last brewery featured by the LCBO was Dieu de Ciel - a brewery with a strong line-up of beers. They definitely set the bar high. 

Did I just pick a beer Norrebro’s not great at brewing? I might be willing to give one of their other beers a shot but at $7.50/bottle, I’m a little me gun shy.

McGuinty on craft beer

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty discusses craft beers - sort of. The good news is he's recommending you try them.

Check out the clip.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Flying Monkeys - Hoptical Illusion

Jeff sent me this photo to post.
I really need to reshoot this bottle - this photo
doesn't do it justice at all.
I have to say - I am surprised Jeff has not reviewed this beer before now. I kind of thought he would have insisted it be his first one.

He goes through spurts where he has a new favourite beer. It usually lasts a couple of months until something new comes along.

Well, for months now, Hopical Illusion has been a mainstay in our fridge.

Might I add, I do love this label and I enjoy the little phrases/jokes under the caps of Flying Monkeys beer bottles.

Anyway, here's Jeff's take on this beer.

As I’ve mentioned before, Flying Monkeys’ Hoptical Illusion is a go-to beer for me. It’s a great beer for those who are starting to explore hoppier beers. While I love hoppy beers, it’s also nice to have a milder hoppy beer to give your mouth a break. It’s not super bitter like some American IPAs but it is definitely stronger than any micro brew you can find. 
 
I know the bitterness from hops can be a turn-off to some at first. And while Hoptical Illusion keeps the bitterness at bay, it still manages to keep that great citrus hop nose - just smelling it lets you know it’s going to be refreshing.
 
The beer pours a great copper colour and has a nice thick head. When it eventually dissipates, the head leaves great lacing. Make sure to smell this beer - it has a great grapefruit smell. The bitterness is toned down but there is some there. The bitterness that is there is balanced with a nice caramel malt flavour.
If you’ve shied away from hoppy beers in the past, this is a great beer to reintroduce you to a great flavour.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wellington Brewery - Russian Imperial Stout


This beer takes me back several years. 


It was before I really got in to craft beers. I found it at the LCBO (or was it the Beer Store?) as a 6 pack of bottles. As a budget conscious student looking to get drunk I thought to myself, a 6 pack at 8% abv that costs roughly the same amount as a 6 pack at 5% abv is a huge deal. I figured as long as it didn’t taste horrible, it was a good deal. 
That afternoon I was enjoying Wellington’s RIS while watching a demolition derby up in Hanover over on a cool autumn day. The beer kept me warm and tasted great.

The beer pours a deep black coffee colour and the head’s colour has a brown tint to it. The carbonation is pretty low. There’s lots of roastiness and coffee to the beer but its sweeter than I remember - it’s not quite as sweet as a milk stout but it’s getting there. It also has a bit of a maple flavour. The increased alcohol content isn’t present in the flavour making it very drinkable - and also dangerous.

Sadly, this Russian Imperial Stout is no longer available in a 6 pack of bottles. You can’t even find it in tall boys at the LCBO. If you want to find this beer these days you have to make the trek to Wellington Brewery and pick some up from their retail store, or find it as a feature tap at a beer pub.