Goose Island Migration Event comes full circle for me, or how I finally slayed the green dragon and the journey to get there.

Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout being served

I haven't written anything in some time and I was wondering if there would be a good opportunity to talk about drink having been busy writing and doing more reviews of beer and other drinks online than actually just blogging.  However, an unforeseen event event came to town recently that provided me a real good opportunity.  Sure there have been a myriad of beer events that I have been to in the past several years, but this event hearkened back to reminders and desires of when I first really started taking beer more seriously and started noticing that there was truly something special going on.

I received an email mentioning an event called Goose Island Migration week that was to take place in Washington D.C. from the well known Goose Island brewery.  Long story short, a few local places and favorite beer stomping grounds of mine such as Churchkey and Meridian Pint were going to have some nice Goose Island beers to be purchased, including many that are highly rated, coveted, and no longer being made. 

I have been lucky to have had many of these beers from Goose Island, a combination of diligent hunting, willful spending, and to some degree just plain dumb luck.  Many of them have also been featured on my YouTube ImbibeHour Channel.

I always loved beer but 3 years ago, a discovery of Bourbon County Brand Stout changed my life.  There was this brewery taking one of my favorite spirits (bourbon) and making beer from it's barrels, and the results shocked me.  More so, they made a beer that would become an iconic piece of history, a barrel aged bourbon barrel beer from 23yr old bourbon barrels that used to hold Pappy Van Winkle bourbon whiskey.  It was simply called Rare Bourbon County Stout.


Here is where the story flashes back.  Before the advent of so called "craft" beer, and the explosion it has taken since then, Rare was a beer that was only on a few enthusiasts minds.  Since that time, craft beer and beers like Rare have exploded in popularity.  In short Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout has become an iconic legend.  I remember that while I didn't seek it out at its release, I thought $40 dollars for a bottle of it seemed ridiculous at the time, around the time I made the video above.  Forty dollars?  Heck I could buy actual real good bourbon for that much, maybe even a couple of Weller's.

Fast forward to now nearly 2000 reviewed beers since, I still thought of this beer.  Even with all the great ones that came before it to this day, I kicked myself in the head thinking I really missed out on a great opportunity.  Could a, should a, would a, done it.. grabbed that iconic green bottle when I had a chance.  I even realized that 40 or so dollars for that beer, was in my opinion, an insane bargain.

I felt this was one of those multitude of beers I would never get a chance to have then out of nowhere Goose Island came to town..

Bourbon Count Brand Vanilla Stout 2010.

Nestled in the back of my head was a trip down memory lane.  The Goose Island brewery came to town bring gifts of lore,  King Henry, non existent versions of regular Vanilla Bourbon County Stout.  Other beers showed up, along with Cherry Rye, and other classics including Matilda, even a brett version of Matilda. 

The other popular mainstays were also here, and you could easily try them.

2010 Vanilla had to be first for myself, having missed it in the past along with Rare. The classic bourbon county brand stout flavors still remained, thick and lush, with a nice creamy texutre.  Molasses, chocolate, coffee, oak, and warmth, all the classic notes of a well aged barrel aged beer were here.  However, it did seem like the vanilla was muted on the nose, and missing quite a bit in the taste.

Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

At this point I was already pretty darn happy about what I was experiencing.  Other beer fans I knew were at the event and we basically were all enjoying ourselves quite a bit, but there was the buzz that we all knew that Rare had to be around the corner.  Indeed it was, more of an afterthought than a surprise as most of us saw the staff while waiting out in line with a box of Rare being carried into the bar.

There was no way I was going to be able to have an entire bottle for myself, although if I could, believe me.. I would.  Small pours were handed out by the staff so that at least everyone who came, could get a taste.  So what's the verdict?

A mixed bag.  The nose is exquisite unlike any other whiskey barrel aged brew I've had.  The nose screams of toasty oak and large tobacco notes, with the woody angles going from cedar, to barrel char, and with the woody sensations giving a cigar box quality.  It's one of the most perfect examples of a whiskey barrel aged beer I've had.  Then the taste follows nicely on all the right places, but then on first quaff, my mind raced with the library of hundreds of other beers I had before this one for comparison and one thing became obvious.  Even while getting to enjoy the delicacy of this beer, I felt I was still too late to the party.  In short, Rare felt past its prime, and I had missed it's pinnacle, but at least I got to slay the green dragon as I liked to call it.

I thought I would take some time out and talk about what it takes to get to this point, and more importantly the advice on going after best desirable beers, since this event really reminded me how much I've changed over the years, and the beers that have followed since then.  Taking these points into consideration will make your experience truly more enjoyable.

Seek and enjoy the chase.

The experience of tasting beer over a long time is a fascinating journey, and it is full of many highs and lows, but the vast majority of the results are very positive.  Everything comes around full circle, and there was no perfect example of this than my 3-4 years of wanting to try and eventually taste Rare Bourbon County. The desire for the ultimate beer, or the perfect tasting beer, is never ending.  Often it's the anticipation of what will might happen that is even more exciting than the actual taste.  Some feel that this beer or that beer is the perfect beer, end of story.  But it should never be that simple.  If it was why would you want to bother with any other beer?  You could just drink that one all the time?  Perhaps that's how you do feel and that's fine, but there's a very big world out there worth exploring.  I've also met others on this journey who have had way more beers than I have, such as upwards of 10,000.  They're still out there looking, and believe me they aren't stopping anytime soon.  They, like me, are having too much fun.

Everybody is Different

I know that not everyone likes the same things as I do.  Some people at the event I know said they were floored, others agreed with me and felt the beer was past prime.  Others commented they felt the texture was sublime, where I felt that was one of the beers weakest qualities.  That's the thing about opinions, nobody is right and nobody is wrong.  We all like and get different things.  Take this into consideration and find out what you like, which leads me to the next point.

Listen to Yourself

There I said it.  I know.. contradictory right?  You're reading this article, and I was tempted to say dont listen to anybody, when I .. am TELLING you what to do.  What I am getting at is you have to be your own judge and be honest with yourself and your palate.  Really just pay attention and not be influenced by others, or ratings.  Places like BeerAdvocate and the like are great, I use them all the time and as I mentioned I am a supporter, but they are not the be all end all to what are the best beers.  You should look at my channel and places like BeerAdvocate as guides. Some you will find more useful than others.  They point you along the way and give you directions, but it's up to you to decide which way to go.

Do your homework

There is a wealth of information about beer and what it is on the Internet, but you need to cycle out the noise from what are legitimate reputable and reliable sources.  Understand beer more than just hops, malt, water, yeast.  Look at true beer organizations, and what criteria they have.  Taste a variety of different beers.  On average I personaly review 2-3 new beers every day that I have never had before.  It keeps me on my toes and I look forward to it.  It's fun. In fact I don't even consider that work, it's pure playtime.  Don't just randomly go on to some website and say what are the best IPAs I should have?  It's never that easy.  So do your homework, beacuse homework is rarely this fun!

Baby steps

This sort of follows the previous point.  You are going to enjoy beers like Rare, and other big important beers more, if you go out and try easier to access beers of the same type, or preferably simpler but just good beers like it and many of them.  The simple reason why is you will have a bigger background to draw your experiences from, and the experience will become richer.  Seek a great opportunity sure if you have the chance, but build yourself up for the big dance.  Start off slowly and work your way up.

Live in a good beer region/town/city

Yeah I know, it sort of smacks of a bit of bias and uprooting but there are some huge advantages if you live in a region that has a lot of good beer because of either great shops and/or breweries.  Variety is the spice of life, and living somewhere where there is a lot of choice in great beer is going to make you appreciate it, and diversify your palate.  Also you will run into other people like you at breweries and bars that share your same passion and make connections.  If you don't feel you live in a good region, plan a weekend trip to one, or take a vacation.  Do whatever it takes.  Homebrewing is also a good alternative.  Can't find beer you like often?  Make your own.

Get to know people in the industry

For this one, it will really help in your journey to appreciating good beer.  Visit breweries that you like and strike up conversations with the staff, and the brewer.  If you have a favorite place to shop in, get to know the staff even outside of beers you want to taste.  Find a decent bar and frequent it often and know the people who work there (and tip well!).  All these industry types will lead you to better beer and give you tips on where to find or access it.

Embrace luck

I don't know how else to say this but the enjoyment of rare beers is just sometimes dumb luck.  I don't know why or how but it just happens.  You will find yourself in search of beers you think you'll never find, and then somehow it just shows up in your lap.  A perfect example was that at the Goose Island event, some guy sitting next to me didn't even know it was going on.  He just walked in and showed up to go to a bar for a drink.  I've just randomly been in some of my favorite bars, and then suddenly on the menu was a gem.  It just happens.

Don't beat yourself up

The one thing I've discovered so far on this journey into great beer is that there is a lot of good beer to go around.  In fact the reality is there is TOO MUCH good beer around.  I hear lots of complaints online from people who said they can't get the latest hyped up beer release, or couldn't get to a bar event when the keg kicked.  Understand that there is always a next time, and there's always another beer out there.  Don't get angry, and be patient.  It took me 3 to 4 years to just even try Rare, and anybody who knows me knows.. patience is not my strong suit.  For others that night at Churchkey it might have been even their first big beer, and that's nothing to get angry about.  Plenty of people I know have had beers that I have desired for a long time.  You don't deserve it more than the next guy.  There is always another beer out there .  You'll be ready.  So order/grab something else and move on. 

Sharing a beer with Goose Island Brewer Dave Tohtz

Being back to seeing Rare again brought back a lot of memories.  The experience was truly unforgettable, more so because it just completed a long cycle.  It was also really amazing to know that for some people, this might have been the very first important beer they ever tried at this event, and they just might be starting on a new journey I know far to well.  I hope they'll have just as much fun as I am having, and enjoy the ride.


The Goose Island Migration Event is touring other cities, look out for it and make sure you go.

• Philadelphia | Sept 24-27
• San Francisco | Oct 1-4
• St. Louis | Oct. 15-18
• Austin | Oct. 29-Nov 1

With Summer comes the good fruit. With the good fruit comes a whiskey cobbler

My own personal take on a whiskey cobbler

It seems it has been awhile since I did a posting, but I really felt the time was right for one.  The time had to be right for the right time of the year, the right drink, and the right conditions.  With Summer all of that came into focus as the farmers market filled with seasonal berried fruit.  As others thought of pie and desserts, I could think of only one thing.  Taking those fruits to make a classic whiskey cobbler.

Cobblers are actually a real old cocktail, and there are numerous variations on them.  There are gin cobblers, sherry, and of course whiskey cobblers, that are all a mix of a few basic ingredients.  A base spirit, some type of sweetener,  water or club soda to top off, and most importantly fresh fruit.

I got inspired to make this drink after a trip to my local farmer's market, and also reading up on some ideas from my cocktail library.  I had a stash of real fresh blueberries, cherries and raspberries, and even still some strawberries which were still hanging on for the season.

I came up with a recipe as follows in the video below, watch it to learn how I made my own variation on this drink.  It's fruity bouquet and refreshing taste is perfect for summer, and it works well with my favorite style of whiskey that being bourbon.  The orange curacao adds a nice mellow sweetness with the citrus angle as well, and the key to making a good cobbler is using FRESH FRUIT.  The sweetness will be just perfect.

Here is my recipe:

• 3 Cherries (pitted)
• 4 Raspberries
• 4 Blueberries
• muddled into a cocktail shaker
• 2 oz. of whiskey (a 90 to 100 proof Bourbon)
• 3/4 oz. of Orange curacao
• 1 oz. of water
• Shake vigorously and pour into a rocks glass filled with ice.    Garnish with fruit and a cocktail pick and serve

CHEERS!

The hunt for one of the most desired beers on the planet, The chase for Pliny the Younger

In the realms of great beer, there is one brew made out in Santa Rosa California that is highly coveted and released only once a year in beer pubs.  That beer is a very large hopped IPA called Pliny the Younger from Russian River.

The problem is in order to get a glass, you have to travel to only a few select places to get it.  California which is the home of Russian River brewing company, offers a few places to get it.  I've also seen Pliny Younger in Denver.  For our hero who was always curious about this beer, there was one option that was a little bit more economical sense wise if I was to get my hands on this so called coveted "nectar of the gods".

Philadelphia PA often has kegs of it, and one of my favorite beer bars was holding a much publicized event to taste the beer.  I took a day trip (and early day trip) to Monk's Cafe, to wait in line with many beer fans and also to get a sampling of many other Russian River brews.

Taking an adventure to try one of the most coveted beers in the world I found out takes a lot of planning.  When I thought about everything I was doing, I couldn't believe I had to go to this much effort just to try one beer.  However, I was very glad I did, since when I arrived 2 1/2 hours early before the bar opened, there were already 20-30 people ahead of me in line.  20 minutes later, the line snaked around the block with hundreds of people, many who I am not so sure were even able to get a glass once the bar opened 2 hours later.

I had to document this event for my channel being a big beer drinker and fan, and it turned out that the journey was probably the most memorable thing about it.  There's always one thing about good drink, it's sometimes the chase which is more exciting than the actual reward.

Watch the video below to see how I made this day trip, which started promptly at 6:30 AM in the morning for a long drive to Philadelphia.  Cheers!

Interview with Jeff Hancock brewmaster of DC Brau

I had the fortunate chance to connect with Jeff Hancock of DC Brau.  I've enjoyed quite a bit of their beer, and it's been interesting to watch his business thrive in the DC area at a time when the growth of craft beer is exploding in popularity.  I wanted to interview Jeff for my channel on YouTube, and we luckily got our schedules in order and recently did it.

You can listen to the interview below, it's all just audio.  It's much like a podcast, you can just hit play and listen to it in the background while surfing somewhere else or doing something else also.  I did provide brief breakdown of the sections if you want to go to certain subjects.  Feel free to check it out!

CHEERS!

Favorite beers from the Imbibe Hour in 2012

It was another year again in beer.  2012 brought many highlights, much of it coming from a trip to Vermont visiting Hill Farmstead.  Not sure what is in that water that is producing the beer up at Hill Farmstead (fairy dust? unicorn tears?), but it is making some of the best beer I ever had.

Another surprise how a particular style that can normally polarize me a bit, became the source of some my ultimate favorite beers.  That style was the saison - farmhouse ale.  I had so many enjoyable ones that I officially am crowing 2012 the year of the saison for myself.

I made a video of the highlights in beer for 2012.  Feel free to check it out on my channel as well.  There were also many other brews I wish I could mention but it was hard to pair down a list of 600 (which was far shorter than last years) beers as highlights.

Cheers!  and see you in 2013!

Korean memories bring back new twists for imbibing

In the grand scheme of things, my life with drink and food is a journey into fabulous memory, and exceptional revelry.  I had a "brief" life changing experience in Korea teaching English in 1995, which provided me a great backbone in an ethnic cuisine that I have adopted since as my "favorite".  The flip-side I discovered was a culture that liked to imbibe to great joy (if not to extreme excess) with their own unique concoctions.  That concoction I learned was a drink that should be adopted as the national drink of Korea which is called soju.

Soju in all it's glory is really nothing more than vodka, traditionally made with rice, but commonly now often filled with grains, and starches (particularly potatoes).  I was told back in my day the good stuff was made with rice, and the cheap "shit" from potatoes.  Regardless what I always remembered was a drink that was cheap as borscht (A bottle cost the equivalent of 80 cents US), and would be commonly poured into slurpee cups in Itaewon for a bit of cavorting and insanity by American stationed soldiers.  The stories we all have of soju are all fond and large, even if perhaps the after stories are less than glorious, but those late night orange soju tents that dotted the Seoul and numerous Korean city landscapes will forever be in my heart with my drinking compatriots.

Returning to the land of North America, I soon discovered this drink was not available.  In fact I even heard that from the land of the U-S-A, the product did not pass inspection.  We joked back in the times in Korea that we were positive the brew did not contain shall we say, ingredients of distinction.  Scanning the shelves of the corner cheapo stores, we would even see bottles not filled to appropriate levels.  Those bottles we joked were not the ones we were told to buy, cause they were (assumed) to be filled with antifreeze (or god knows what), perhaps re-capped from a lazy employee who had to take a nip before returning home.

Fast forward over a decade later (probably more so but then I'd be dating myself), I go down to my neighborhood Maryland county store and I am seeing soju on the shelves.  Not only was it on the shelves, but as much as the green bottles provided a distinct recognition, there was finally English on the labels that described what was on the label.

It was time to make a revisit for this classic drink.  Living in the Washington DC area (encompassing the suburbs of nearby Maryland and Virginia (or as they say Northern Virginia [NOVA])  ) I became very familiar with a neighborhood of Northern Virginia called Annandale which has a great Korean community.  Aside from the choice and places to buy Korean food and goods, I even ran into a drink called seju (not to be confused with soju).  Closer still much Korean and Asian markets dot the Washington DC landscape to keep me more than satiated.

In my interest of all things delicious to imbibe, my first delve into "seju" was distinctly memorable.  I thought it was to be the equivalent of it's "soju" brother, but the distinct hangul writing made a mental note that this was a drink that makes soju for all intense purposes, a lightweight.

Seju is what soju can be when it wants to be sophisticated, as opposed to the numerous late night "soju-drunks" I ran into in many late nights, through dark alleys, and passed out citizens on street corners.  Seju is what soju should be, when it grows up.  This seju here though, consists of rice wine fermented with corn starch, herbs, and wheat flour.

One last thing.  Soju and Korean drink needs to be consumed with two things.  Food, and secondly the obvious, friends and compatriots.  I decided that it was high time to revisit and imbibe this drink.  Check out the video below, and a great food romp into some deliciousness.

as they say in Korea ... KONBAY!!! (Cheers) enjoy the video below! (click the YouTube icon to open in another window)

Return visit to hometown in Canada brings beer surprises

Half Pints Brewing - Seasonal Oktoberfest

Growing up in Canada where I was born and raised, I can reflect back and realize that there were very few beer choices when I was younger.  In my old hometown of Winnipeg Manitoba, you had about 3 macro producers, and a handful of typical green bottled mass imports, with the only opportunities to buy them at government run stores, or cheap vendor outlets.  That was really all it boiled down to when I think back then.  Sure there were some exceptions but often that was the rule.  We drank, we were fine, we bragged about our beers being better than American swill, but in the end, we were all without much variety or understanding of styles, or what else could be achieved and acquired when it came to beer.

Fast forward years later, I moved to the US and discovered a large abundance of beer from smaller producers.  Belgian beers were more common, then suddenly the craft beer movement exploded.  Beer was a bigger world then I ever imagined.  I hadn't been home in some time with my appreciation for great beer, and always wondered if Canada had treasures that were suddenly available.  Sites like beeradvocate had a section for Canadian craft breweries, and there were many, plus the site had a forum for Canada that contained a place for Canadian craft beer lovers to talk and converse.  When I investigated further I realized there were not just a few new breweries in Canada since I left, there were SEVERAL, pretty much MANY I never even heard of.  One brewery was even from my hometown that didn't exist after I moved away called Half Pints.

I really felt that a future return trip deserved an exploration of drinking some new Canadian beer.  I wasn't sure what I would find, or more importantly how hard it would be to find these beers, and if they would even be worth drinking.  I had a lot of great beer in the US and I was hoping that my old stomping ground could provide a plethora of choice and deliciousness that would make me want more.  I was even more concerned that trying beers from an old hometown brewery was kind of scary.  What if I didn't like them?  I was actually nervous about this, could they measure up to all the great craft US brews too?  In the end, what I discovered was more than just tasty beer, there were some surprises too that made just understand how far beer back home had changed.

Returning home I was like a kid in a candy store.  I hadn't been home in the house I grew up in for more than 2 hours coming back from the airport before I said to my mom "Ma I am going out to get some beer!".

"You just GOT HERE, why don't you sit for a bit, I think we have some stuff in the fridge why don't you go take a look first!"  exclaimed my mother.

Keystone Lager

Patience is not one of my strong characters, but you can't keep a determined beer hunter down.  Before heading out to a government run nearby store it was a good chance to survey the scene.  A new fridge was in place where the old crumbling white and beige relic used to sit.  As I glanced inside, I was also at first reminded how much things were still the same.  There was a can of some mass produced beer that I swear was only made in the US called Keystone, painfully blocking some Anchor Steam.  I heard rumors this was actually a real cheap beer in the US common for frat parties.  However this can was red instead of blue, and it was called Keystone "Lager".

While there is a beer for every person, this one really was a classic macro fizzy lager, with little appeal to myself.  Appearances seemed fine, but it was classic macro tasting, wildly rank smelling and off balance.  A relic from a left over gift given to my parents who don't drink much beer to start with.

Can of Budweiser Shot - Malt Liquor

So what else is in here?  My eyes veered toward a can that was rather short, a very odd size, with the words Shot on it.  A familiar red bow-tie seemed to stick out on it, as I cocked my wrist thinking ... Budweiser??

It was Budweiser.  But not like a Budweiser I had EVER seen before.  This was a product called Budweiser Shot.  Reading the can I thought, so this contains coffee?  Red Bull maybe?  I figured it had to be a high ABV and that it was probably malt liquor.  I guessed correctly, even if the label claims "strong beer" whatever that means (American or English Strong Ale this is not mind you).

A surprisingly large and thick bleach white head hit, with lots of retention, quite aggressive and impressive somewhat, but the smell was all corn and sweetness.  Taste was pure sugar corn syrup sweetness, that I just couldn't even finish it.

It reminded me of many years ago in high school of some jock jerk who bragged that he drank Okeefe Extra Old Stock by the 2-4 (what we call a case in America), because it was one of the few beers back then that was mass produced higher than 5% (it was another malt liquor that clocked in around high 6.5 or 7 ABV if I remember).  I distinctly remember as a young lad that it tasted like diesel fuel, but to him drinking it was somehow a badge of honor.  I think it decreased his brain cell count.

It seemed we were off to a bad start, perhaps some things hadn't changed after all.  Experiences are worth trying, but you always try to set your sights a little higher.  There is fun sometimes in tasting odd beers you may not care for, but you begin to move on.  I was wondering even if people in Winnipeg forgot how to drink.  A wine store at the Forks I frequented often and took classes at in the past had a customer come in and say "You got any Coors eh?".  Besides the fact that the store doesn't sell any beer, people in Winnipeg are drinking Coors now?? I thought this was the most bizarre thing since the concept of drinking mass produced US beer was considered treasonous by my Canuck counterparts when I was younger (it also wasn't readily available like it is now).  It was time to head to the MLCC stores and see if things might make for a different experience.

The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission is the entity in the province of Manitoba that regulates the sales of alcohol.  Like many places in the US that have county or state stores, it means you grew up having to get your beer/wine/spirits in only one place.  It's a little more complicated and the laws vary but I think I've made my point.

Back in my time, without sounding like a crotchety old man here, MLCC store selections for beers were atrocious.  They offered very little beer selection compared to the mass macro vendors.  Often it was no point going to them for beer, you went to vendors for beer, got the macro Canadian stuff from the cooler and then went home.  Another problem was their hours. I seem to remember they didn't stay open late on certain nights, and they weren't open on Sunday.  However on my return,  I discovered they are now open on Sundays, and they stay open later, but there were also some surprises on the shelves.  It's the same vanilla, but there were things to behold.

First off, while the selection is nowhere as varied as can be down where I live in the US, there were plenty of items domestically and a few foreign gems that I have always had on my radar.  Another surprise was you could break up six packs and buy single 12oz bottles.  As someone who is a major beer reviewer and taster of everything, this is extremely appealing.  Being on the East coast in the DC area, with the ability to travel to several counties and different states, there are many places where you can't even do this. I learned long ago not to waste time on buying six packs being stuck with beers I found I didn't want to drink.

Ossian Supremely Golden

My eyes immediately glanced over to one foreign gem I've been dying to try for years.  It's a beer from Inveralmond called Ossian, which is described as a golden ale from Scotland, and is considered in the category of "milds" for beer styles.

Ossian pours a real nice brassy yellow, and a head that fluffs a great white.  The nose is filled with marmalade, and apricot flavors, and a great tasting sweetness of malt, cask like feel, citrus and orange zest.  It's a wonderful beer.

Cocking my wrist I then discovered this beer was... very old, a problem I have with not checking labels.  Consuming this beer though 9 months past expiration still brought a lot of joy.  However, since every MLCC store is the same, I went to another one and found plenty of this beer and fresher.  It was still fantastic, but strangely I am almost convinced it was better aged.

Golden and fantastic the beer was also everywhere I went, which brings another point about government stores.  It doesn't matter where you go, they all carry the same stuff.  I gave some thought, and felt that this beer should be put on top of the Winnipeg legislature and crowned the new Golden Boy.  That being said, there was an abundance of it, and it probably isn't that popular among the mass offerings.  A few sips off to family confirmed this as they didn't like it.  No problem, ... more for me!  But having a pint of this on the "ledge" as the locals call it would probably make the Scot community quite happy in the city.

3 Monts

Speaking of other beers I found in the MLCC, I ran into another I wanted.  3 Monts Flanders Golden Ale is a beer from France that is full of flavor and greatness.

Wonderful candy notes, and hints of honey, with a body crisp and wine like.  Pear and champagne flavors tantalize the palate with a wonderful finish while consuming.

Suddenly the trip to the old MLCC was not as bad as I remember.  Another surprise for myself was the price on these bottles.  Ossian clocked in at $3.45 and 3 Monts not that much more.  These bottles where I live would have easily been more expensive to buy, even at parity with the US dollar.

It seemed like I got some imports that I could have fun with, but also there were many Canadian craft brews to be had.  Many of them were very well done.

Russell Brewing Company's - IP'eh!

Russell Brewing Company out of Surrey BC, had two bottles that I picked up.  One was an iconic IP'Eh with a classic 1987 style Canadian maple leaf reminiscent of the Canada Cup hockey series.  What's more iconic than that!?  As an English style IPA, it's hop angle did bring the classic herbality, but it had a wonderful rich and malty backbone complimenting nicely.

Another surprise from Russell was a Scotch Ale called, what else Angry Scotch Ale.  In a remarkable great twist of fate, a ham dinner provide a wonderful pairing for this malty rich and toffee tasting great brew.

Russell Brewing - Angry Scotch Ale

There were many other fantastic offerings as well among the shelves.

A brewery out of Barrie Ontario called Flying Monkeys had a plethora of great offerings.

Hoptical Illusion is one big take on a hoppy pale ale.  The hops keep coming also in Smashbomb Atomic, and then there was probably the best memorable beer I had on my visit.

A Black IPA/Cascadian Dark whatever you want to call it, a brew called Netherworld.  The brewers website refers to it as "weird".  I call it a mish mash of American and English IPA styles slammed together with roast goodness.

Flying Monkeys - Netherworld

It is truly a fantastic and unique offering for this style.

It seemed I was doing quite well so far.  Many of the brews I sampled were providing an abundance of great flavors and reminded me of many of the tasty brews I had in the US.  It seemed things in Canada for beer were progressing VERY well compared to my past.  But... what about the home team?

From here I had to come back to my most anticipated beers for this trip, and that is checking out a hometown brew.  I am not sure of when Half Pints started brewing, but it was certainly not at a time when I was living in Winnipeg.  Thinking about this brewery made me pray that my hometown could deliver.  You all have memories and fondness for the place you grew up in.  Could they play with the big boys of the beer world?  Could they make a simple solid style?

Half Pint - Humulus Ludicrous

I thought about all the beer I had in the past, how could I feel about what they offered?  I was thinking if I could even be partial to enjoying beer made in Winnipeg.  I thought I had to be honest with myself, but what if I had something that was truly awful, a mess, how would I feel to say these things?  I was conflicted, I couldn't be a homer, but you always want your friends to succeed.  Luckily I didn't have to think much about this once I had a beer called Humulus Ludicrous.

A giant large Double IPA, Humulus to me rips with dank and earthy hops on the nose, complete with a hoppy palate and rich minty finish.  Boy I like mint on beer, but I find it so rare on hoppy brews.  Half Pints didn't just make a solid beer, they picked the geekiest beer style that would easily make any hop head chasing junkie happy.  Stir Stick Stout turns out acceptable for a coffee stout.  Their take on an Oktoberfest style fits in nicely with most other Märzens I've had.  However, I was even more pleasantly surprised by a flagship brew called St. James Pale Ale.

St. James (no doubt taken from the neighborhood of the same name), is actually more like a Kölsch style brew, as the brewers website describes.  I love Kölsch, it is one of my favorite styles, and I really felt they nailed this solidly.  Floral hoppy with great tasty bread action.  It's what I look for in this style.  I felt like I could just drink these till I was blue in the face.  The naming of this beer sort of throws me (perhaps it's a terroir thing), but I wish I could bring these beers home with me.

I was far from done it seemed.  The neighboring province of Saskatchewan (or I like to call the big "S") even proved it was up to the task.  As much as I like to make fun of those guys, it turned out a brewery called Paddock Wood made one heck of a memorable style Czech Pilsner called what else, Czech Mate.

Full of super dry grassy hops and huge nose of citrus and lemon lime, the beer has a great crisp texture, matching citrus and some candy grapefruit.  Unlike most Czech style pilsners I had this one was truly mouthwatering.

So it seemed as I surveyed the MLCC shelves, I made a good dent and was quite surprised by what I found.  I don't think it's going to vary much from now, but I didn't quite have everything either.

However, a return trip may not provide other new Canadian beers to try, but plenty of repeat beer offerings.  I guess the problem though now is if I want something new from Canada I just may have to go somewhere else.  But as long as these beers are around, I don't think I'll ever be missing anything if I return, cause I will be more than satisfied upon my return.

Well done Canada.  Well friggin done eh?

Beers reviewed and tasted on trip to Canada:

(in no order of preference within the groups, italics indicates foreign)

Exceptional:

• Netherworld Cascadian Dark - Flying Monkeys, Barrie Ontario
• Ossian Golden Ale - Inveralmond Brewing, Perth Scotland UK
• Humulus Ludicrous - Half Pints, Winnipeg Manitoba
• 3 Monts Flanders Golden Ale - La Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre, Saint Sylvetre Cappel France

Very Very good:

• St. James Pale Ale - Half Pints, Winnipeg Manitoba
• Czech Mate - Paddock Wood - Saskatoon Saskatchewan
• Muskoka Mad Tom IPA - Lakes of Muskoka Brewing, Bracebridge Ontario
• Russell IP'eh - Russell Brewing Company, Surrey British Columbia (BC)
• Russell Angry Scotch Ale - Russell Brewing Company, Surrey British Columbia (BC)
• Hoptical Illusion - Flying Monkeys, Barrie Ontario

Worth trying:

• Oktoberfest - Half Pints, Winnipeg Manitoba
• Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints, Winnipeg Manitoba
• Mill Street Coffee Porter - Mill Street Brew Pub, Toronto Ontario
• Einbecker Brauherren Premium Pils - Einbecker Brauhaus, Einbeck Germany (watch out for  skunkiness though because of the green bottles)