Smoked Oatmeal Stout

Smoked Oatmeal Stout

Trafalgar Ales & Meads, Oakville, Ontario, Canada - Stout

Sunday 18 March 2012 – 5%Alc./Vol.    77 / 100

Initial Thoughts

A “double sized” bottle with a simple, to the point label design from Trafalgar Ales & Meads. Typical black stoutiness with a tan edge in the glass. A decent head.

First Sip

As the label promises, the effect of the smoke is present. Not overwhelming though, nice, light smokiness which in a stout is a welcome element. Just a little tartness. Not bad.

Halfway Through

Called “Smoked Oatmeal Stout” this name might bring to mind thoughts of pot-bellied stoves, steaming breakfast at a hunting camp and that sort of thing. Surprisingly, though it is actually quite refreshing! I tackled this big, burly bottle on an unseasonably warm March afternoon on my south-facing deck where the thermometer was registering in the mid-30C range, and was surprised at how well this beer performed in the warm weather!

Bottoms Up

Overall this beer is as nicely surprising as the stuff from Trafalgar Ales & Meads tends to be... not a brand that is easily judged from the label... (check out the Maple Bock from these guys, you can read a review somewhere to the right..) Smoked Oatmeal Stout in my opinion is good, not great, but definitely worth a taste for the stout lovers out there... 

More information...

www.alesandmeads.com

Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin

Wychwood Brewery Co., Witney, Oxfordshire, England - Ruby Beer

Saturday 17 March 2012 – 5.2%Alc./Vol.    81 / 100

Initial Thoughts

The Wychwood Brewery Co. has got a great look! All of their products have a fun “wicked” sort of goblin and witches type of motif... good custom glass, great label, a quality presentation. Deep reddish, copper liquid under a big bubble head. Slightly fruity nose...

First Sip

A tangy sweet malt hand in hand with a moderate, steady bitterness. Very pleasing to drink!

Halfway Through

Truly enjoyable, this beer somehow manages a “warmth” that is characteristic of stronger beers in the 6.5 to 7% alcohol range... At 5.2% it’s a little stronger than most beers, but the effect is surprisingly nice to find in a less intoxicating brew for certain!

Bottoms Up

The Wychwood folks truly put together some wonderful beers and offer them for sale in a really entertaining and highly quality presentation. Hobgoblin is a great example of the brand. Only moderately wicked, but highly satisfying! 

More information...

www.wychwood.co.uk

Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Ale

Great Lakes Brewery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Fruit Ale

Thursday 15 March 2012 – 5.5%Alc./Vol.    86 / 100

Initial Thoughts

Big brown bottle with a terrific painted on Jack-o-lantern theme label... Festive! A light copper colour, a tad foggy. Nice big bubbly head, smell of pumpkin and spice, great first impression. 

First Sip

Oh nice! Legitimately spiced, a touch of late bitterness. Really nice! 

Halfway Through

Brings to mind those great North American autumn traditions of pumpkin pie, touch football in the park, changing leaves and cooler, shorter days, and longer warmer, indoor evenings... Great stuff... And the beer smells fantastic too!

Bottoms Up

Even though this was sampled several months after it was brewed and bottled, it was really impressive! A really enthusiastic and well orchestrated autumnal ale! Great quality. I would classify this beer as a “novelty ale” but that wouldn’t give this one enough credit. What it is truly is a fantastic genuinely crafted pumpkin ale... easily good enough to stand eye-to-eye with the best of it’s kind.

More information...

www.greatlakesbeer.com

A post, not about beer, but about a blog about beer...

Wow!  I'm really amazed at how many of you have found this blog and how much apparent interest there has been in it!  Thanks! It's a real joy to write these... believe it or not I don't generally drink very much beer! I enjoy trying different beers (well different foods of any kind, to be honest) whenever I can and my wife, the generous soul, frequently buys me beer that she thinks "looks fun" or which she hasn't seen before.

An amazing lunch I once had at Vinoteca (London, UK)

Anyway, a little while ago she said that I should start a list and taking notes of the beers that I've had so that she (and I) could avoid buying the same beer twice if I didn't really enjoy it. Turns out I tend to like most of them.  So I started taking notes. Then I started jotting down some funny/cheeky/interesting stuff about the different beers that I had tried. Next thing I know, I share that list with a couple of buddies who tell me "you should start a blog..." et voila!

So I'm thrilled that you seem to enjoy it! I don't know if it's the beer, or the writing that keeps you stopping by, which kinda reminds me... I think that there is a comment feature which let's you leave... wait for it... your comments! 

So if there is something you'd like me to try to write about, a favourite, or a least favourite beer, I'll do what I can to get my hands on one and give it a go! Perhaps you think I suck, or that I don't know what I'm talking about (I like to call this the "low-hanging-fruit" as I honestly don't know what I'm talking about... but I never said I did...) or, on the other hand if you're my Mom (Hi Mom!) and you'd like to leave an encouraging note, feel free! And I promise I'll read them all...

Anyway guys and gals, thanks again, I now feel that I never truly drink alone (though I often do drink alone). So "Cheers!" "Na zdravi!" "Salut!" "Slainte!" and as always, as my personal favourite anti-drink driving slogan of all time reminds us "If you drink, then drive, you're a bloody idiot!" (Thanks to the TAC, Victoria, Australia) so enjoy yourselves responsibly! Ciao!

Oh, while you're here, coming shortly are "Pumpkin Ale" from Great Lakes Brewery (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Hobgoblin and Wychcraft from Wychwood Brewery Co. (Witney, Oxfordshire, UK), and Smoked Oatmeal Stout by Trafalgar Ales & Meads (Oakville, Ontario, Canada)... Cheers!

Bitburger

Bitburger

Bitburger Braugruppe, Bitburg, Germany - Pilsner

Friday 17 February 2012 – 4.8%Alc./Vol.    92/100

Initial Thoughts

The classy white and pale gold can gives a quality European feel. In the glass it’s sunshiny yellow with a slight haze. A great white mass of head.

First Sip

Pleasingly bitter. Mmm... German hops! A great start.

Halfway Through

The hops are great in this beer. More than a just a little hoppy, but not offensive to any true beer lover. The word “dependable” keeps coming to mind. The bubbles in this beer are perfect. Each one a carrying a precisely engineered quantity of carbon dioxide to the surface. German handiwork at its finest.

Bottoms Up

High quality, dependable, drinkable performance in a glass. The details in this beer are fantastic. The bright, slightly hazy colour, the gentle steady effervescence, the pleasant taste and aroma of the hops produce a reliably delicious beer. The brewing world’s equivalent of a BMW M3 perhaps?

More Information

www.bitburger.com

Smashbomb Atomic IPA

Smashbomb Atomic IPA

Flying Monkey Craft Brewery, Barrie, Ontario, Canada - India Pale Ale

Tuesday 13 March 2012 – 6%Alc./Vol.    84 / 100

Initial Thoughts

Wow! This is going to be fun, I can tell already. The packaging from Flying Monkey is refreshingly unlike the vast expanse of largely “safe” and “traditional” presentations in beer. Colourful, wild graphics. “Normal is weird”. I couldn’t agree more... Let’s get this party started! A nice reddish, medium to dark tint with just a hint of fogginess. Modest head. 

First Sip

Back the truck up! This has a fascinating fragrant quality. It’s sweet and familiar... finally it comes to me: Lychee! Amazing nose on this IPA! The tongue finds a confident hop punchiness right off the bat... the lychee is still there but seems to have been joined by grapefruit... Fun stuff!

Halfway Through

This is an adventure in 12 ounces! Loads of flavours wrestling in my mouth and I like it!

Bottoms Up

Toward the end the Smashbomb mellows a bit. Could be the effect of the ethanol content, but whatever the case it’s a really fun experience. The strong bitterness is unapologetic from start to finish. The fruit comes in fast and furious, but mellows to a nice vague enjoyable sweetness. An incredibly crafted beer make no mistake. This is no wallflower, but that was clear from the label... Definitely one of the best smelling (okay, and tasting) beers available!

More information...

www.theflyingmonkeys.ca/

Kronenbourg 1664

Kronenbourg 1664

Brasseries Kronenbourg, Strasbourg, France - Pale Lager

Sunday 11 March 2012 – 5%Alc./Vol.    74 / 100

Initial Thoughts

Oh yes! The French heavyweight! I think this is one of the handsomest package designs in the beer section. A medium to light amber colour, with an enthusiastically swelling head. Did I mention it’s French? 

First Sip

Nice friendly Gallic lager. Ironically inoffensive. A light palette for your palate... 

Halfway Through

The effervescence of Kronenbourg 1664 is just about right, but upon consumption I'm finding it a tad gaseous. The malt and hops are about as well balanced as a three legged stool; which is to say, very.

Bottoms Up

Everything about this lager is, well... appropriate. The package does the job, easily located among the other brewed offerings in the cooler. Pleasantly bubbly, if a tad gassy in the belly. With the right parts hop and malt to make for a great global player in lager. Known for their fermented grapes, Kronenbourg makes a fair case for the French brewing heritage.

More information...

http://kronenbourg1664.com

74 / 100