#yesterdaysbeer

On the way home this evening I stopped at the LCBO and picked up a bunch of different beers. Mostly on the assumption that I hadn't had them before. this evening I have tried a Carling Ice from Molson. An IPA from Italy , a tasty West Coast IPA from Green Flash Brewing in British Columbia an then The Canadian Dream from Mikkeller Brewing in Denmark.The bottle doesn't say much its ingredients are water, barley malt, hops and yeast. Its a straight forward simplicity that led me to pick one up. Turns out the Canadian dream to my tastes at least is an almost sour pale ale. It''s approachable and not overly hoppy nor sour but has a lovely dash of both. I good hop character and a good sour bite. Where I believe the more sour the better the dream is nicely sour. Just enough to call it so and not be overly distracting.

An unexpected surprise of a wonderfully enjoyable beer.

The fine folks at Double Trouble Brewing went and did something incredible. Double Trouble are the fine purveyors of the Hops and Robbers India Pale Ale a champion in one of the most fiercely competitive styles of beer in the craft beer market. A beer I try not to do without and count in days and weeks since I’ve had stock at home. It’s been nearly a month, it’s ok though it’s on this weeks grocery list. Superb IPA aside, they went and did something I hadn’t thought possible. Double Trouble went and brewed a pilsner that I’m excited about. The Prison Break Pilsner is not just a wonderfully crafted pilsner it is a really good beer. While beer is great for a lot of reasons the be all and end all is this “would you have a couple of these”. The Prison break is a beer I am excited to see on a shelf or better yet on tap.Better still in my hand. I’d happily drink it and suggest it to others when out. Prison Break is a pilsner that breaks my generally low expectation of that style of beer. While I’ve certainly had what I consider good craft pilsners. I still haven't really been all that enthused. Double Trouble brings you an exceptional beer in the Prison Break Pilsner.

I was very pleased with the Granville Island Lion winter Ale. A lovely creamy ale with smooth mildly sweet vanilla and spice character. I'd serve it as an after dinner beer with or in the place of dessert.

Most of my Granville Island brewing experience isn't with them at all but with their collaborationn brewing venture with Creemore Six PintsSpecialityy Beer Co. which operates out of the Beer Academy in Toronto. I've very enthused by the Six Pints beers where I've generally not been very excited about the Creemore or Granville products I've experienced thus far. So it's grand to try a Granville Island beer I do quite like and would recommend to others.

Started in 1984 and claiming to be Canada's first microbrewery Granville Island Brewing was actually purchased by Molson Coors in 2005 under the same division of the company as Creemore Springs which Molson had previously acquired. To Molson's credit neither Creemore or Granville island have been altered very extensively and have more or less been left to operate as they had been making well crafted smaller batch beers. I am however perturbed that there is no obvious mention of Granville being owned by Molson or even Creemore on the GIB website. Giving the illusion that they continue to be a small business. Which for some people is a factor in choosing craft or micro brewed beer. I would have the odd Molson owned “craft beer” in general however I would much rather support my local small craft brewers. The omission of big brewery ownership is pretty obvious and makes me doubly unlikely to choose Granville when it comes time to put out my hard earned than if they were forward about the Macro brewing connection. Which would make me wary but not as much as knowing the connection and seeing it purposely withheld. That being said, I adore the Six Pints beers and the Lions Winter Ale is certainly worth a try and the same might be said for Granville's other West Coast brews.

But,don't take my word for it. Drink the beer !

http://gib.ca/beer/

http://beeracademy.ca/Aboutus.aspx

The Killannan Brewing Companies Altbier was a wonderful surprise. Looking for a place to type out a months worth of notes and scribbling I dragged myself through the snow to Tallboys at 838 Bloor west. Overhearing a conversation about the Killannan alt beer part of which was that it is the 47th tallboy can of 47 that Tallboys has had on offer since their inception back in September 2012. A malty German style amber ale brewed out of Owen Sound in small batches the Killannan Altbier is an exemplary example of craft beer. Nicely coloured,lovely complex flavours from the German malts and an exquisite honey like finish. Brilliant and something I implore my fellow beer lovers to seek out and try.

But, don’t take my word for it. Drink the Beer !

Flying Monkey's brewing and the Bare Naked Ladies collaborated on a special beer. The Flying Monkeys BNL Imperial Chocolate Stout . I'm not exactly sure what the BNL did in this collaboration. Now that I've tried it I imagine that each band member took their turn emptying an entire skid of cocoa into the brew tank. From the first moment you open the bottle you are hit with a wave of chocolate. Poured out into a glass you get the impression of a luxuriant piece of dark chocolate cake. The foam on top was my favourite part like a dense chocolate cloud. I would suggest sharing this beer as it is extraordinarily rich and while delicious nearly overwhelming in the sheer presence of chocolate. I would have liked it to be a bit more subtle so I could get more of an idea about the underlying stout. I have an impression that it is quite good but in the sensory overload of so much divine chocolate it's impossible to gauge the beer within.

But, don't take my word for it. Drink the beer!

I've been making it a habit to pick up a can or bottle f something I haven't tried before when I visit liquor or beer sellers. Generally I'm a sucker for pale ale. So while being distracted by fall and winter seasonals and other bottled fancies I picked up a can of Marston's Pedigree Classic English Pale Ale. Pedigree is a very direct no frills creamy, amber coloured pale ale. It's what I would refer to as a working man's beer. No subtlety just straight ahead ale.

But, don't take my word for it. Drink the beer !

Last nights beautiful burnt orange offering was a New Holland Brewing Mad Hatter India Pale. Brewed out of Holland Michigan, this dry hopped floral beer was a very approachable beer for those of us who like a strong hop character in our ale. Personally I felt this beer had the potential to be brewed with more subtle flavours and made into something that was maybe more distinguished with the floral character creeping up rather than being immediately present in full force. Once I exercised the armchair brewer, I settled into what was a very enjoyable IPA capping off what was a particularly long Fall day.

But, don't take my word for it. Drink the Beer!

I have a weird relationship with Neustadt beers. I almost always dislike the first taste, then after after the second or third sip I find myself warming up to the beer and enjoying it more and more. that was the case with the Scottish Pale Ale. At the first sip I wasn't very enthused and as I drank it I found I liked it more and more. It's like the palate has to adjust and get used to it. in the end I found it to be quite a nice amber ale.

But, don't take my word for it. Drink the Beer!