# The Beer Thread



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

So, I'm a huge craft beer fan, an unapologetic beer snob & have been doing my best over the course of the last 6 or 7 years to contribute to the downfall of mainstream fizzy yellow beer sales.

There aren't that many craft beer breweries in Alberta, more in BC, fewer in Sask. As such I spend much of each summer in brewery heavy Montana, sourcing new breweries, trying new brews & re-visiting old friends. I keep a home grown Numbers spreadsheet on my iPhone (synched to my desktop computer), detailing everything from brewery name, address, etc., to their beers I've tasted, the ingredients, ABV, IBU, date of tasting, etc. Yes, a _little_ OC...

Last year I counted up the new beers I'd had for 2013 & it numbered 300. I thought, what the hell, how about a new beer a day for 2014? Currently at 345, I think it's a shoe-in. All told, I've had around 1500 craft beers from all over the world (I tasted around 200 before I hit upon the idea of actually keeping track). It's a great hobby.

Also have a small circle of friends who get together on a whenever basis to try new brews. Sometimes there's as few as two of us, some times as many as half a dozen.

I wanted to start this thread to talk about craft beer, the breweries, the people, home brews, anything to do with beer in general & craft beer in particular.

Have at 'er!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

(Carried over from the Oktoberfest Thread, talking about Old Milwaukee beer)



chasMac said:


> Yeah it tastes like factory, but I figure throughout beer's long history, taste has been of little importance.


You know, you make an interesting point. Twenty years ago I would have largely agreed with you.  Now, (and from a personal development perspective) I completely disagree. I haven't been "drunk" in years. I find that I'm very happy sitting down & drinking the equivalent of a pint or two & just enjoying the taste & mild buzz. 

Years ago, I drank for the effect. Now, I drink for the enjoyment of what I'm drinking. 

This is not limited to beer (which is what I usually reach for) but nearly everything in my liquor cabinet: rye, bourbon, port, whatever. I've started purchasing higher end bourbons lately, one bottle/year, just to compare. Single ice cube, savour away. Same with ryes & vodkas. One rock, enjoy. I don't know if this is a product of growing up (heaven forbid!), a maturation of my palate, a combination or something else I have completely overlooked.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

Excellent idea for a thread.

For my part, I guess I was a beer snob, made the pilgrimages to St Jame's Gate, Bohemia, Bavaria and Munich during Oktoberfest. Now, I'm a little more laid back, and appreciate beer's other more tantalizing gifts. Grab whatever's cheapest.

However, when I visit my folks across the pond, I suppose a little of the snobbery returns. They really know a craft beer (hate the term) over there. Pubs mere feet from one another concoct strikingly different brews, and the setting is of course unparalleled.
After rambling over hill and dale in typical English weather, goes down better than cocoa (and it's criminal they outlawed smoking in pubs - it's contributing to cocooning and the closures of many, many a local, but that's a rant for another time).

Cheers.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

I agree with much of what you say - (reminds of what that author wrote: I celebrated my 20th birthday with alcohol, my 30th with drugs, and my 40th with food). With life and maturation does come an appreciation for finer things (cliche, yes). And less patience for any ill effects.

I do take a little issue with appreciating vodka - how? To my knowledge it's a drink for mixing or getting straight up hammered.



FeXL said:


> You know, you make an interesting point. Twenty years ago I would have largely agreed with you. Now, (and from a personal development perspective) I completely disagree. I haven't been "drunk" in years. I find that I'm very happy sitting down & drinking the equivalent of a pint or two & just enjoying the taste & mild buzz.
> 
> Years ago, I drank for the effect. Now, I drink for the enjoyment of what I'm drinking.
> 
> This is not limited to beer (which is what I usually reach for) but nearly everything in my liquor cabinet: rye, bourbon, port, whatever. I've started purchasing higher end bourbons lately, one bottle/year, just to compare. Single ice cube, savour away. Same with ryes & vodkas. One rock, enjoy. I don't know if this is a product of growing up (heaven forbid!), a maturation of my palate, a combination or something else I have completely overlooked.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

chasMac said:


> I do take a little issue with appreciating vodka - how? To my knowledge it's a drink for mixing or getting straight up hammered.


I'll be honest, I don't have much for plain vodka in the liquor cabinet. The few I do have are some of the more...restrained, flavoured vodkas. Raspberry, for instance, which is nice on a hot summer day, two fingers on a couple rocks. Pepper, which seems to suit a cooler fall or winter day. That sort of thing. Certainly not marshmallow, s'mores or some other confectionary bastardization that is more like sugar with alcohol added.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

In our little beer tasting circle the order of tasting starts off with the lighter beers, moves to the heavier, maltier (porters, stouts), to the hoppier (pales, IPA's) & if there is a high alcohol barleywine or something similar, finish with that.

That said, we have a couple of terms, the "front half" or "back half" of the taster tray. Broadly speaking, the front half generally consists of the "lighter", less hoppy beers: lagers, Pils, Bocks, Wits, Weiss', Fruit beers, some Ambers. The back half generally is Irish, Scottish, Pales, Browns, Spice, Porters, Stouts, IPA's, Barleywines.

My personal tastes gravitate to the back half of the taster tray, especially Pacific Northwestern style Pale Ales & IPA's. Almost to the point of the more hops the better. I don't have a problem with hop bitterness, I have a problem with not enough malt to balance. I have also taken a personal interest in anything that is casked. I find the complexities added by careful port or bourbon barrel casking a stunning addition to most versions I've tried.

That said, I've made a concerted effort this year to try to appreciate the front half of the taster tray more. I ran across a little gem this summer in a newly opened brewery.

Lolo Peak Brewery, in Lolo, MT, about 10 minutes south of Missoula, has a little number they call Light American Lager. The name alone would not generate much interest with me but, as I've noted, let's give it the old college try. The taster tray showed up & there it was, front & left. First thing I noted was the colour, quite a bit darker than I would have guessed for the namesake. It was not fizzy yellow but had more brown, darker notes than the style name belies. Held the glass up to the light, the colour stayed. Fuller nose than I would have expected, malty, slightly bready, an unexpected sweet note. The biggest surprise was the palate & mouthfeel, light hops, slightly malty but a big body for a LAL! After inquiring as to the ingredients, the co-owner, Pat, told me, rice & corn flakes! Love the flavour of the corn flakes! As one of my beer-tasting circle friends has a habit of saying, I'd buy this beer on purpose. One of the biggest surprises of the summer. Great lawnmower beer.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Ah yes, good old beer! So much going for it:

Beer Marinade Reduces BBQ Cancer Chemical : Discovery News


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## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

Ah now here's a thread I can participate in! Anyone using untappd to track their beers? Its a fantastic free app.

I am just about finished consuming my summer's IPA brew and have a Innis & Gunn clone about to be bottled. Once that's done I want to try an Imperial IPA.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Beer!

Mr. FeXL, I believe we are overdue to share another one!

And yes, I'm using Untappd! Great way of tracking what you've sampled.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Hallo, ya scoundrel.

Agreed, long overdue. No plans to be in your neck of the woods in the near future, if that changes, I'll let ya know.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

FeXL said:


> Hallo, ya scoundrel.
> 
> Agreed, long overdue. No plans to be in your neck of the woods in the near future, if that changes, I'll let ya know.


That'll be great!
Always nice to share a great craft beer with someone that appreciates it - and can spin a tale or two!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Well, SINC taught me how to do that...


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

After you scared the gee willikers out of him the first time we met up!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Man, that was a long time ago. Rose and Crown as I recall.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

So, hit the Montana Brewer's Association Beerfest in Missoula, MT this weekend, along with three other scoundrels. Thirty three Montana craft breweries, 137 different beers. $31 USD to get early access (an extra hour at the front), 9 oz tasting glass, all you can try. Amazing... I gave the guys a bit of advice: ask for half glass samples, they would last longer & get to try more beers. 

Many of brews I was already familiar with, I'd guess in excess of 100. That narrowed it down quite a bit for me, not so much for the other three. 

Sour beers are kind of a love/hate thing, there's generally no middle ground. There are some Montana breweries who are starting to brew some sour beers, one of my favourites from the trip was an Amber based, cherry port casked little number by Flathead Lake Brewery in Bigfork, MT. 

They have a flagship sour they've been brewing for about two years, Montucky Sour Brown. They take their already good brown ale (one of the few browns I actually like), throw some local sour cherries into the mix & then cask it in Kentucky bourbon barrels. On a scale of 10, I'd rate this a solid 9.5. Just an amazing beer.

That said, the aforementioned American Sour w/ Cherries I would rate no more than a half point behind & maybe closer.

Tamarack Brewing (Lanny McDonald's [yes, that one] brewery in Lakeside, MT) had a Cherrywood smoked Scotch Ale, Elk Snort, that was excellent. If you ever drop by, the ribs with blue cheese garlic fries & cole slaw is to die for. You may see Lanny there. If you walk up & call him Mr. McDonald like I did the first time I met him 2 years ago, he'll fix you with a quick smile & say, "Just Lanny."

Uberbrew from Billings, MT presented The Great Pumpkin Massacre, a pumpkin extra stout that was just amazing.

The 'Burb blew a starter in the parking lot of the breakfast joint we ate at Sunday morning, luckily for the guys the restaurant served good craft beer (Great Northern Brewing's Imperial Red, Good Medicine) to them while I got down in the dirt & replaced it.

In addition, the Del Bonita border crossing is on winter hours, closing at 6. When we got there at 6:25, we were some choked because the sign at the turnoff on the highway a half hour earlier still indicated summer closure at 9. That added a good hour and a half to the trip home while we made our way east to I-15 & north to Sweetgrass. Long day yesterday.

All in all, a good trip, had some fun, told some lies, drank some beer. Worth repeating. Looking forward to the spring edition coming in May.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Recently tried Wildrose Brewery's Velvet Fog wheat ale, a pleasant and tasty surprise for a guy like me who never paid much attention to wheat beer of any kind. I now grab a six pack a couple of times a month.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

I agree. It's a decent enough beer.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

This time of year gives the opportunity to try a myriad of pumpkin ales, a few good, most bad, some just meh.

Tried two the other night at one of our little beer tasting get-togethers.

Anderson Valley Pinchy Cheek Barl, a pumpkin ale casked in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels, 8.5%. Very good.

Tree Brewing Jumpin' Jack, an India Pumpkin Ale. 6.5%, 65 IBU's. Hoppy, pumpkin-y, also very nice.

Both recommended.


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## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

If you like pumpkin ales try and find a Crookeder tooth.

https://untappd.com/b/phillips-brewing-company-crookeder-tooth-2014/829665


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Big fan of Phillips, have to give that one a try.

Thx for the tip.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Andrew Pratt said:


> If you like pumpkin ales try and find a Crookeder tooth.


Found one! Local craft brew store had a couple in a second store a half hour out of town, he brought one in last week.

Excellent beer, really liked it.

New Belgium has a dry hopped sour ale out, Le Terroir. Tried it last week at a local watering hole on tap. Pretty decent. Aged 3 years.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Discovered this one last winter: Mission Brewery Dark Seas Russian Imperial Stout.

Had a bomber sitting in the fridge since this spring, cracked it open last night.

Just an excellent example of the style, big, bold, chocolatey, coffee notes, stone fruit notes, great balance, 9.8%. One of my favourite Russian Imperial Stouts.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I used to love stouts. Sadly, I have not seen one in local stores in years. I wonder why that is? Does no one even try them anymore?

Back in Ontario in the 70s, they used to be a seasonal thing only. I understand that is no longer the case now that I checked out your link above.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

There's a liquor store in Lethbridge owned by a guy who is head over heels over stouts. Any time of the year he has several dozen different kinds his shelves. I guess it depends on the owners' tastes & the market.

I tend to drink porters/stouts more in fall & winter but I find them acceptable year round. The bigger ones may be too much in summer heat. For example, I wouldn't have one of these Mission RIS's in the heat of summer.

I've had some really nice porters from Montana in the summer.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Well, I uploaded all the data from my iPhone spreadsheet & the numbers are in. Earlier I'd noted I wanted to hit 365 new beers for 2014, I passed that at the beer tasting in Missoula, MT in October. 

Set a new goal of 417. Hit that on December 28. 417, you ask? Yep. A new beer for every day in 2014 & twice on Sundays. :lmao:

Haven't set any goals for 2015 but would like to visit the remaining breweries I haven't been to in Montana (about 8 right now) & try a few more in Canada, Idaho & Washington state.

Had a beer with a friend a few weeks back, found out that a guy I used to play in high school band with owns Alley Kat Brewery in Edmonton. Haven't talked to him since then, going to have to show up & get a personalized tour of the place.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

You went to school with Neil? Small world. I got a personal tour with him about 10 years back before he moved to his new location. Go figure.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

FeXL said:


> Well, I uploaded all the data from my iPhone spreadsheet & the numbers are in. Earlier I'd noted I wanted to hit 365 new beers for 2014, I passed that at the beer tasting in Missoula, MT in October.
> 
> Set a new goal of 417. Hit that on December 28. 417, you ask? Yep. A new beer for every day in 2014 & twice on Sundays. :lmao:
> 
> ...


Don't forget Quidi Vidi Brewery, the furthest easterly brewery in North America. 

quidividibrewery.ca | Just another WordPress site


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> You went to school with Neil? Small world. I got a personal tour with him about 10 years back before he moved to his new location. Go figure.


Our band was comprised of students from three local small towns. The outside kids got bussed in. Neil was from one of those communities. He played first chair trombone, I played second, for a year. After that he moved on to the high school band. He's a few years older. His younger brother was my age, played trumpet. It was Neil's younger brother's daughter my buddy & I were speaking to when I found out he owned Alley Kat.

And, yes, it is a small world.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Dr.G. said:


> Don't forget Quidi Vidi Brewery, the furthest easterly brewery in North America.


I've had their 1892 Traditional Ale but that's the only one. It was drinkable. How are the rest?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

FeXL said:


> I've had their 1892 Traditional Ale but that's the only one. It was drinkable. How are the rest?


I like all of their styles of beer, FeXL. Paix, mon ami.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Well, unfortunately, the beer world is not bereft of its problems. Enter this lunacy...

Woodbridge brewery receives threats over Gandhi beer label



> A local brewery that drew condemnation in the U.S. and India for its beer that carries the name and likeness of Mohandas Gandhi says it’s received threats and is seeking a way to end the uproar.
> 
> New England Brewery of Woodbridge posted on its Facebook page Wednesday that the Gandhi-Bot beer was intended “to include the things and people in the world that have inspired us.” It says it’s now looking for a way to “amend this situation.”


Perhaps they should change the label to show a septuagenarian Gandhi sleeping nude with his naked teenaged grand-niece & grand-nephew's teenaged wife. Wonder how that would go over?

It's a label, people. Shut up, drink the beer & be happy...


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Dr.G. said:


> Don't forget Quidi Vidi Brewery, the furthest easterly brewery in North America.
> 
> quidividibrewery.caÂ*|Â*Just another WordPress site


Oh MAN, I love Quidi Vidi! Wish I could get their stuff out west! Took a tour of their gorgeous brewery 2 years ago. Their iceberg beer is wonderful.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

talonracer said:


> Oh MAN, I love Quidi Vidi! Wish I could get their stuff out west! Took a tour of their gorgeous brewery 2 years ago. Their iceberg beer is wonderful.


Good to hear this, tr. I agree. Paix, mon ami.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Now to awaken sir FeXL out of his winter slumber and get him out for some beverages again...


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

talonracer said:


> Now to awaken sir FeXL out of his winter slumber and get him out for some beverages again...


Be gentle...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

talonracer said:


> Now to awaken sir FeXL out of his winter slumber and get him out for some beverages again...


Lemme know when, I'm in!


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## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

Been silent here, but I cut out the large breweries over two years ago. I liked shock top when it launched but sort of pissed me off that a Anheuser-Busch InBev launched it as an independent label giving very little indication that they were behind it. Sort of changed my view on them. Anyways have enjoyed something different. Or at least trying something new. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

talonracer said:


> Now to awaken sir FeXL out of his winter slumber and get him out for some beverages again...


Mmmm, beer...

I believe there's a volleyball or soccer tournament in your fair city in the not too distant future. I'll check with the social convenor & get back to you.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Macfury said:


> Be gentle...


Thx, 'preciate that...


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Dr_AL said:


> Been silent here, but I cut out the large breweries over two years ago. I liked shock top when it launched but sort of pissed me off that a Anheuser-Busch InBev launched it as an independent label giving very little indication that they were behind it. Sort of changed my view on them. Anyways have enjoyed something different. Or at least trying something new.


I'm on the fence with craft breweries that are owned or have been purchased by the big guys. I still get a six pack of Shock Top every so often but not as much as I used to. I have a friend who flatly refuses to purchase anything attached to the AB InBev name, period. One of my favourite IPA's is brewed by Goose Island out of Fort Collins, CO but they've been picked up by one of the big guys, too. Blue Moon is owned by Coors. Wasn't Steam Whistle picked up by Molson?

Visited Big Sky Brewery (of Moose Drool fame) in Missoula, MT last fall. They're the largest brewery in Montana by a stretch (recently upgraded to a 76 bbl system if memory serves) & apparently some people (even some of the locals) have stopped supporting them because they're "too big". In my mind, yes, they may be too big to be called microbreweries but they still make great craft beer rather than fizzy yellow so I continue to support them. The same criticisms regarding size can be levelled at some of the really big craft brewers like Stone, Sierra Nevada, etc. Anything that takes a bite out of the big guys' fizzy yellow soaked pockets gets a thumbs-up from me.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

I agree with you regarding Craft breweries that have been bought by the big guys. I used to be a huge fan of Granville Island Brewing, but after it was bought by Molson (around 2009, I believe) I found myself a little less attached to them. I don't think much has changed with the brewery overall, but knowing that they're no longer a "little guy" has changed my perception.


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## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

talonracer said:


> I agree with you regarding Craft breweries that have been bought by the big guys. I used to be a huge fan of Granville Island Brewing, but after it was bought by Molson (around 2009, I believe) I found myself a little less attached to them. I don't think much has changed with the brewery overall, but knowing that they're no longer a "little guy" has changed my perception.



Actually Granville Island Brewing was purchased by the Creamore Springs label, which is just Molson. That bothers me, why not just buy things under the Molson label. I've got no issues with larger breweries making good beer or being good labels but just don't try and hide it. 


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Dr_AL said:


> Actually Granville Island Brewing was purchased by the Creamore Springs label, which is just Molson. That bothers me, why not just buy things under the Molson label. I've got no issues with larger breweries making good beer or being good labels but just don't try and hide it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You're right - I chose to gloss over that as really, as you said, it's all just Molson.

Shame about Creemore too - it also makes a tasty beer, now falling under the big M umbrella.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I ran across a very interesting story called 'The Best Craft Breweries In America From A To Z'. It is on today's issue of my web site, link in sig.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Read that earlier this morning. While I don't have enough experience with American breweries to be able to say if the article is accurate (beer tasting is a very subjective thing) or not, I can't believe Stone came in runner-up for "S".

Nice to see Deschutes rank, one of my favourite breweries overall & one of 10 breweries in little Bend, OR. Beer drinkers' nirvana... I've had some of Dogfish Head's offerings. While I would consider them innovative, there isn't a lot there that I would drink on a regular basis. He also charges a premium for some beer that, in many cases, doesn't warrant it.

I also question Evil Twin over Elysian. One of the worst beers I ever tasted was their Ashtray Heart Smoked Imperial Stout. I don't mind rauchbiers in general & some of the smoked craft beers are very tasty. However, this one literally came across as being filtered through last night's cigarette butts. Not a single one of us in our little tasting group liked this beer.

Green Flash makes a stunning Imperial IPA, Palate Wrecker, if you like big West Coast style IIPA's. Their regular IPA is excellent, as well.

Haven't had a lot from Oskar Blues but the ones I've had from Ommegang far surpass them. Ommegang's Take the Black Stout is an excellent example of the style.

Thx for the link.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Shouldn't have read the updates on this thread on a monday morning. Now I'm thirsty and this coffee isn't cutting it!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

What, beer isn't just for breakfast anymore?


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## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

talonracer said:


> Shouldn't have read the updates on this thread on a monday morning. Now I'm thirsty and this coffee isn't cutting it!



I've got a bottle of oatmeal bacon stout, "Aporkalypse Now". Only missing eggs for a breakfast 

It has bacon in the name but it doesn't have a huge smokey meaty flavor. Nothing like the Rogue Brewery Bacon Maple Ale. It tasted like the name, and smelled too. Wasn't the best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Dr_AL said:


> Wasn't the best.


I agree. We had it during one of our tastings 2 years ago. None of us cared for it. It was novel but not worth purchasing again.

There's a new Rogue Voodoo Doughnut out, Lemon Chiffon or some such. Listing for $16 here, after the Bacon Maple Ale I'm hesitant to lay out that kind of cash for a bomber.


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## Dr_AL (Apr 29, 2007)

FeXL said:


> I agree. We had it during one of our tastings 2 years ago. None of us cared for it. It was novel but not worth purchasing again.
> 
> 
> 
> There's a new Rogue Voodoo Doughnut out, Lemon Chiffon or some such. Listing for $16 here, after the Bacon Maple Ale I'm hesitant to lay out that kind of cash for a bomber.



Yeah, "wasn't the best" was as nice as I could put it. The smell was enough. I've had a few of their normal brews and they are fine. It's just these one offs runs. It came across as the name said, but not at all what I want to drink. 


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

The Rogue bacon ale is one of very few beers I've ever actually poured out. To me it tasted like beer poured through salty bacon fat.

I was lucky enough to try the Red Racer Maple Bacon Breakfast Ale and found it absolutely delicious. Shame it was such a limited production run, though!


Changing gears, looks like another craft brewery has been sold to a big boy: Elysian Brewing Co bought by Anheuser-Busch: Anheuser-Busch buys another craft brewer


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

talonracer said:


> Changing gears, looks like another craft brewery has been sold to a big boy: Elysian Brewing Co bought by Anheuser-Busch


Damn. Elysian was one of those breweries I always wanted to visit. Now, not so much. Quite like their Avatar Jasmine IPA.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Woohoo!

A glass of red wine is the equivalent to an hour at the gym, says new study



> Research conducted by the University of Alberta in Canada has found that health benefits in resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, are equivalent to those that we get from exercise.


TR! You can finally get out of that stinky gym! Nice breakfast beer in the morning, glass of red at lunch, beer for the balance of the day!

You're welcome...


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

FeXL said:


> Woohoo!
> 
> A glass of red wine is the equivalent to an hour at the gym, says new study
> 
> ...


Haha, no way! Today was my rest day and even though I went the previous 4 days straight, I feel like a lazy sack of potatoes today.

That being said... next time you're in town, I'll be making time to bend an elbow or three with ya!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Was talking to the Social Convenor today, she's making noises about the possibility of the weekend of Feb 20. Confirmation to follow.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Sweet! Will be great to see you again.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

FeXL said:


> Was talking to the Social Convenor today, she's making noises about the possibility of the weekend of Feb 20. Confirmation to follow.


Howdy FeXL, I've sent an email to your old address I had on file... let me know if you got it!

Also, any approvals on getting out for a beverage yet?


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

We are heading up next weekend for a tournament. That much is confirmed. Don't have the schedule yet, will advise when we get it.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Tried two new India Pale Ale's at the latest beer tasting. As much as I love a good IPA, there are very few I'd qualify as "lawnmower" beer. Generally too high of an alcohol content & just too big of a beer to enjoy in the hot sun.

The two we had at the tasting were light in body & character, even with one at 7.5%.

First was Big Daddy IPA by Speakeasy Brewery in San Francisco. Excellent, understated IPA. Nice citrus notes in the palate, good American IPA balance (more hops, less malt), 6.5%. 650ml bomber. Great screened bottle art, if you're into that sort of thing.

The second was actually an Imperial IPA & is the latest in the Dragon Series by Alley Kat Brewing in Edmonton. This one is Pink Dragon, I believe alluding to more of a ladies' IIPA, if you will. Same as the above, understated without coming across as watered down, alcohol a bit higher, nicely balanced, the kind of IIPA you could drink in the heat of the day without feeling overfull. 650ml bomber.

I'd buy both of these on purpose.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

One more from that tasting, the star of the show as far as I was concerned.

Nickel Brook Brewing Winey Bastard, 2013 vintage. I admit I bought it largely for its name but the label notes promised great things & I believe they succeeded. Who knew Burlington, ON could produce great beer?

So, the name & the beer both play off of Nickel Brook's Bolshevik Bastard Imperial Stout which, as I understand it, is a damn fine beer as well. What they've done is aged the stout in local Niagara area Pinot Noir barrels for a year.

Stunning. Big, bold, winey notes, stone fruit, vanilla, oak. Love this beer. 9.5%, 750ml wax capped bottle (wax was a fight to get off). Did I mention that this was a BIG beer? Needed lots of warming, had it sitting on the counter for about 2-1/2 hours after taking it out of the fridge, serving temp was just about perfect.

I have over 1400 beers in my tasting notes, this one cracked the top 10 for me. 

Bought this in Medicine Hat before Christmas. Tasted it a week ago. Must. Buy. More. Couldn't find it locally, I called up the vendor, asked them to put 4 aside for me, rode out yesterday to pick them up. Going to crack another soon, then age two more for a stretch. 4th went to a buddy. $21 each & worth every dime.

If you like big, casked beers, this is a must. Good luck finding it.


----------



## Aurora (Sep 25, 2001)

In the 60s, I spent 5 years in France and Germany with the RCAF and in my travels, quaffed a fair amount of German Löwenbräu beer. Last Saturday I picked up a few things and dropped into the LCBO for a half doz. cans. When I got home, I noticed on the can the words 'German style beer'. That peaked my curiosity and upon reading the side panel, I saw that it was made under licence by Labatts. So much for memories. The beer still tasted good but the edge was off my purchase.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Aurora said:


> In the 60s, I spent 5 years in France and Germany with the RCAF and in my travels, quaffed a fair amount of German Löwenbräu beer. Last Saturday I picked up a few things and dropped into the LCBO for a half doz. cans. When I got home, I noticed on the can the words 'German style beer'. That peaked my curiosity and upon reading the side panel, I saw that it was made under licence by Labatts. So much for memories. The beer still tasted good but the edge was off my purchase.


I too have been caught in this scam and I avoid it by going to the import beer aisle. That way you know anything you buy is truly imported and not the Canadian knock off, often sold at the same price or higher. There outta be a law.


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## Aurora (Sep 25, 2001)

Sinc, I don't know that we have an import beer aisle but I know I will be bitchen' at someone the next time I visit. I really thought my purchase was an import.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Well, you very well may not have one Aurora, but surely they should not be selling it as an import. With privatized stores here in Alberta, I can buy almost any imported beer I wish and my favourite store's employees are quick to point out to me inappropriate labelling. It either IS or IS NOT imported and clearly marked as such. YMMV in Ontario.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Worked all weekend and late Saturday night I figured I'd have a beer while continuing to work. Didn't have much chilled other than a couple beers that were given to me a while ago: Rickard's Lederhosen and a Guinness Black.

... I didn't have anything to drink Saturday night. Bah!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

I'm not convinced that any sort of steeped additive can make a glass of fizzy yellow swill drinkable. That said:

Magic 'teabag' transforms bland lager into refined craft beer



> A special 'teabag' has been designed to transform ordinary bland lager into a refined craft beer.
> 
> The beer-bag works in the same way as fruit teas, but instead of infusing it in hot water the user drops it into a pint.
> 
> The sachet, which contains a blend of hops, fruit peels and natural spices, is left for two minutes to transform the flavour without the cost or calories of a craft beer.


Hmmm...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

FeXL said:


> I'm not convinced that any sort of steeped additive can make a glass of fizzy yellow swill drinkable. That said:
> 
> Magic 'teabag' transforms bland lager into refined craft beer
> 
> ...


Didja miss that one on SAP this mornin'?


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Didja miss that one on SAP this mornin'?


Ummm...Ah...Hmmm... OK, so I'm busted. Sorry, haven't been there yet today...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

fexl said:


> ummm...ah...hmmm... Ok, so i'm busted. Sorry, haven't been there yet today...


lol!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Heading down to Missoula, MT for their Garden City Brewfest this Saturday, over 70 brews featured. Nice selection by the look of it. Tasted many of them already but always looking for something new as well as an old friend.

Plan on visiting a few local breweries en route, as well. Probably Cabinet Mountain in Libby, MT, Bonsai Brewing's new location in Whitefish, MT, Lolo Peak Brewing in Lolo, MT, as well as whoever else catches my fancy. Going to have to stop at Moose's Saloon in Kalispell, MT for a cold glass of draft & a nice hot plateful of pizza.

Weather looks good, gonna take the Hawg.

Updates next week.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Hmmm, so much for updates... 

Have to get back to those.

Heading down to Montana this weekend for a brewfest, going to visit a couple of new breweries & a couple of old friends. Taking the Hawg. Mothering hot, going to have to stay hydrated. 

I will have an update, promise.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

WOW!! That looks like a long, hot 5-6 hour ride to the only beerfest in Montana I could find for this weekend:
Lolo Brewfest
Lolo Brewfest | Montana Brewers Association

Anyway, have a nice trip, even if it is on a Hawg.  But probably it's a nice road bike with probably enough room to have a small beer cooler attached. Now, that's an interesting idea…  

My middle adult son just took his KTM 1190 Adventure on a long ride from Okotoks Alberta to meet up with his older brother in Whitehorse Yukon and his Kawasaki dual KLR650 for some riding in the wild boonies, and no doubt enjoy some nice Yukon brews together.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Actually, I went east instead of south.

Brewfest was smallish but good. A dozen breweries with 6 beers between them that I hadn't had. Tasted 5, couldn't wait for the last one to get tapped before I had to head back to camp.

Couple of native bands supplied the music, very nice classic rock & blues.

Talked at length with the brewmaster from Meadowlark Brewing in Sidney, MT, a couple hours to the southeast. They've been open for a little over a year & business is good. I stopped by there Fri night for a flight of tasters, a pint & some supper. Some excellent beers there, two of my favourites were one of their best sellers, Ole Gus, a Scotch Rye Wee Heavy weighing in at 7% and Mob Barley, a barley wine at 11.6%. Both very tasty. Picked up a 6 pack of cans of Ole Gus & a half gallon growler of the barley wine. 

Next day I headed to Glasgow and, in the 95° heat, the bottom blew out of the growler & a half gallon of barley wine was unceremoniously dumped into my tour pack. Damn. What a mess... What am I saying?!  What a waste!

Also talked at length with Ben, the brewmaster of freshly opened Busted Knuckle Brewing in Glasgow, MT, less than an hour to the west. They've been open for less than a week &, for a new brewery, they had the best beer of a new start that I've ever tasted. Usually it takes a while to get the wheels going but Ben has nailed it right out of the gate. His wife, Connie, is the hostess & she does a great job moving from table to table, making you feel welcome.

My favorite there was a nice, hoppy Red IPA that actually is a mistake & may be a one-off, never to be repeated again. I hope it doesn't get relegated to the memory banks. It pushes a few envelopes & may be a stretch for the Bud Light crowd to adapt to.

As part of the decor for their gas station garage turned brewery, they have a corner post for the railing made of a FUBAR'd crankshaft from a D10 Cat engine. Replacement value: $35,000. The camshafts finish the top of the railing.

Decided to head north for the trip home, visit relatives in Regina, SK & try out a couple of new to me breweries there, as well.

Note: on a Sunday, it may be difficult to find gas in northern Montana. Nearly everything is closed. Not only that but, once you cross the border & get on hiway 6 there ain't no fuel until you get to Regina. I made it with about 10 miles of fuel left. Sweatin' it a bit, not only because of the the heat...

Made it to Bushwakker Brewpub on Monday. They are a well-established brewpub, having opened 25 years ago (first in Saskatchewan). Pretty polished operation. Had a flight of 6 tasters from a selection of about a dozen, my favourites were Stubblejumper Pilsener & Dungarvon Irish Red Ale.

Just down the street is Rebellion Brewery, opened in Nov 2014. Spoke at length with Mark & Jamie about the beers, their philosophy, the business as a whole. They took a lot of time talking with me & the knowledge they shared was fantastic. Tried a flight of 5 tasters. Not a dog in the bunch. My favorite was the Prairie Cherry Mead, made with (literally a ton per batch) of honey from Tisdale, SK & local sour cherries. At 14% it carries a bit of a kick. I found a brief but wonderful note of cinnamon right in the middle of the palate. Thoroughly enjoyable, even if not technically a beer. Also liked the wheat wine. Jamie, the brewer, noted that it was getting a bit long in the tooth & wasn't carrying the hop notes that it had first out of the batch. As such, the balance was more to the malty end. They also had an excellent oatmeal stout.

So, to sum, round trip was 4 days, 1340 miles, 26 new beers, three new breweries, bunch of new friends, freshly acquired knowledge, sun-burned nose, and traffic was pretty decent. Only one idiot down in Montana in an 18 wheeler that pulled out in front of me. 

The only real negative was all the smoke blowing down from the forest fires in northern Alberta & Saskatchewan. Visibility in Regina was around 3 blocks. On the highway it increased to around a half mile. Smoke was so thick I never saw the sun overhead until near Medicine Hat. While the east wind made for some great gas mileage on the bike, it meant that the smoke followed me well into Alberta. It finally tapered off around Bow Island.

Oh, pm-r, as to what I ride, I have an older version of this. Yes, it's the sofa model, pretty comfortable on long trips & carries more than a couple of small beer coolers.  Fill 'er up with fuel, hit the highway, crank up the satellite radio & lock on the cruise control...


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

A nice and interesting read thanks. 

You're obviously quite a beer aficionado and those are quite the cruiser bikes, and not exactly for use on gravel on unpaved roads.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

I enjoyed the read as well.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

Too bad the "small beer coolers" on the Hawg didn't have any direct active cooling to save the contents,  but then again as an old home brewer, I still prefer a plain normal refreshing cool Canadian type lager.

All the dark type beers are equivalent to medicines to me, and I'll have to include most Ales as well. 

Maybe due to my very quite English parents and what they drank and preferred and also brewed at home. But in all honesty, I'm sure they enjoyed a glass of lighter "Canadian" brews. 

Now, a google search for an active HD Hawg insulated A/C beer cooler should begin.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Macfury said:


> I enjoyed the read as well.


Count me in too.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> A nice and interesting read thanks.
> 
> You're obviously quite a beer aficionado and those are quite the cruiser bikes, and not exactly for use on gravel on unpaved roads.


Thx for the kudos.

Yeah, she don't like loose gravel much. I think the steering geometry (plus the weight, she's 850 lbs dry) works against her. Rode an old Sportster for years, could do 60 mph on loose gravel. Not this one.



pm-r said:


> Too bad the "small beer coolers" on the Hawg didn't have any direct active cooling to save the contents,  but then again as an old home brewer, I still prefer a plain normal refreshing cool Canadian type lager.
> 
> All the dark type beers are equivalent to medicines to me, and I'll have to include most Ales as well.
> 
> ...


Funny you should mention that cooler, I've actually looked. No joy. There are a number of smaller trailers that could be converted to a beer cooler with the addition of lots of ice, I've considered that option.

As to the dark beers, there are lots of craft lagers out there that push the "fizzy yellow beer" envelope without being offensive. Bushwakker in Regina had 4 or 5 lagers on the menu. One of the most interesting lagers I've ever had came from the brewery you linked to, Lolo Peak. They categorized it as a Light American Lager but it had a bigger body & darker colour than any beer I've ever had from that category. Talked to the brewmaster about it, turns out it had corn flakes added to the brew process. Had a very nice palate & nose, really liked it. This from someone who generally prefers a much bigger beer.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

To everyone else who enjoyed the read, you're welcome & thx for taking the time.

If you haven't figgered it out yet, I'm very passionate about beer, love visiting new breweries, going back to old friends, meeting people, talking to brewmasters, owners, servers, fellow cerveza-philes, asking questions, learning. Visiting new places gets me out on the bike & allows me to combine two of my passions. Many look at me funny when I tell them that I rode 1300 miles in 4 days to taste 26 new beers. Some people just cannot be reached... 

In 2008 (about two years after I started looking at craft beers seriously) I started keeping track of the new brews in a spreadsheet. That practice continues today with a Numbers version I carry on my iPhone & transfer to my desktop computer for updates. I know there are apps now like Untappd that make the process easier but I'm not ready to manually re-enter the 1563 beers currently on my list.

The craft beer scene in Montana makes me green with envy. There are currently 57 operational breweries in the state (I've been to 48), more than double what it was in 2011. There are plans for 10 more by year's end. I'd love to see that kind of passion for the art take off in Alberta. That said, I have pretty good access & there are far more twisty roads down there than up here.

Next beerfest is one in Cody, WY, in July. Looking forward to that one, never been & haven't had much exposure to Wyoming breweries. Should be lots of new-to-me brews. Will visit a couple of new Montana breweries along the way.

And, yes, I'd love to be part of a new brewery in Alberta. If you have $150,000 in loose change & a building in the Lethbridge area, PM me here...


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Two words: Missoula Brewfest.

I'll be the guy with the big beard, Harley t-shirt & black Utilikilt. See you all there...


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## magaretz (Oct 20, 2015)

I used to love stouts. Sadly, I have not seen one in local stores in years. I wonder why that is? Does no one even try them anymore?

Back in Ontario in the 70s, they used to be a seasonal thing only. I understand that is no longer the case now that I checked out your link above.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

James, there are two breweries that opened up in my old haunts back in BC. Next summer you should come for a roadtrip and make some more additions to that spreadsheet!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Didn't know this was even possible.

https://munchies.vice.com/en/articl...urce=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link


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## heavyall (Nov 2, 2012)

I have firmly established in my mind that Cuba's Bucanero is now my favourite beer. Having only previously experienced it in cans when I was already drinking all manner of alcohol at the same time, I finally had the opportunity to taste it on tap and in bottles last week. It's fantastic. It's the perfect blend of a beer with enough flavour that you can savour each swig, but smooth enough that you can down it in one shot if you're hot and thirsty enough. The only problem I encountered was tracking down a case of bottled to bring back to Canada with me --- the stuff is hard to find!


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

heavyall said:


> I have firmly established in my mind that Cuba's Bucanero is now my favorite beer. … … …


Ahhh… an almost Canadian beer to quench your thirst and wish…
Luxner | Articles


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## heavyall (Nov 2, 2012)

pm-r said:


> Ahhh… an almost Canadian beer to quench your thirst and wish…
> Luxner | Articles


My understanding is that Labatt hasn't been directly involved with CBSA for a while, but you can definitely tell the association with their Cristal brand. To me it tastes like it's just relabelled Labatt Light (Cubans refer to it as "lady Beer", and I tend to agree). Bucanero is different though. Much darker and richer. I'm not aware of anything that Labatt makes that is comparable.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Been having a daily bottle of Steam Whistle of late. A Toronto product, an old buddy suggested I try it since I enjoy a Pilsner. Very nice. Really smooth with a great taste. It has become one of my favs.

Steam Whistle Brewing - Canada's Premium Pilsner


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Been having a daily bottle of Steam Whistle of late.


It's a drinkable pilsner.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

Is Guinness too pedestrian?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I enjoy a Guinness black every once in a while. A tasty diversion from clear beers.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

Not a craft beer but I love it to be honest. That and my Old Mil.


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## bse5150 (Jan 25, 2013)

Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale. nuff said.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

Think that's on tap only here. Have to check the local beer store tho.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Mark Suits: Edson’s Bench Creek Brewing delivers a mighty tasty IPA | Edmonton Journal


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

I've only had one of Bench Creek's beers, a pale ale. It was OK. The IPA sounds good.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Rona Ambrose is on a mission to give Canadians more Canadian beer



> *Your social media feeds have been packed with photos of you hanging out at Canadian craft breweries this summer. What’s that all about?*
> 
> We have this campaign we’re running called Free the Beer, which has a fun side and a serious side. The fun side is [the Conservative party] is promoting craft breweries, which have become really trendy for good reason. These are people in our own communities who have decided to invest their own money, start their own craft brewery and make great home-grown brew in their neighbourhoods. Now the serious side is these are small business owners who, because of outdated trade laws, can’t actually sell their product to other Canadians across the country; they can only sell in their own province.


Tear down the walls!!!


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

Recently tried some Coors banquet for the first time. Now I know why Coors Light is the brewery's flagship beer. It tastes less like Coors.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

chasMac said:


> Recently tried some Coors banquet for the first time. Now I know why Coors Light is the brewery's flagship beer. It tastes less like Coors.


I have had Coor's Banquet on tap right at the brewery and it tastes so much better than the canned or even the bottled version. I have no idea why but I swear it is so. 

No longer a drinker so I have no idea if things have changed over the past 35 years.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

eMacMan said:


> I have had Coor's Banquet on tap right at the brewery and it tastes so much better than the canned or even the bottled version. I have no idea why but I swear it is so.


I buy growlers of Coors Banquet draught and it tastes so much better than in cans. Bonus, it is about two thirds the price of a dozen cans for the same volume of suds.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Hmmm, not my thing, but ...

Helena brewery combines beer and yoga - KXLH.com | Helena, Montana


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## Aurora (Sep 25, 2001)

At this time of year, my local watering hole imports special Oktoberfest brew from Munich. It is Hacker Pschorr. I like many beers but none of them stand out like this one. I can't wait until next year.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Hmmm, not my thing, but ...


Was there a couple weeks back, passing through with a couple of buddies on the way home from Fall Brewfest in Missoula. Good thing it was Saturday & I missed the opportunity to show how I look in my yoga tights... 

Ten Mile Creek brews really good beers & Ethan is a great proprietor. I dropped by there for the first time this spring on the Hawg & fell in love with their Queen City American pale ale. Wanted to bring a growler home but had full saddlebags & no room. Ethan noted that he'd bring a filled growler to the brewfest we'd both be at the next weekend.

Brewfest arrives & in the confusion of attending their first beer event, Ethan forgot the growler. No biggie. Couple weeks later I attend another brewfest in Montana & Ethan is there. Apologizing profusely again, he asks if I have any empty growlers with me this time. I did & at the end of the evening I rec'd a free fill of Queen City. He would accept no money.

Decent guy, great beers, good business model, a compelling atmosphere in the brewery. Winning combination. In addition, he has good competition in town from Blackfoot Brewing and Lewis & Clark Brewing. Gotta run a tight ship. 

The single, small criticism I can offer is their location. It's partway down a closed off street that's full of boutique shops with little nearby parking. In the 'Burb, I don't care. Somebody wants to steal the Land Yacht, have at 'er. With the Hawg, I like to keep an eye on things.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Now for something completely different.

Iron Age Burial Plot Reveals Ancient Alcohol; Milwaukee Brewers Re-Create It : The Salt : NPR


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Mmmmm, coffee in yer cold one.

The Best Coffee Beers to Pick Based on Your Favorite Coffee Drink | Extra Crispy


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Mmmmm, coffee in yer cold one.


Not a coffee drinker so I find myself very sensitive to coffee flavours. There are some coffee porters & stouts out there that I find undrinkable. That said, have a friend who is a coffee addict & he can't find a beer with enough coffee flavour to satisfy him.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I am not a big coffee drinker either, but I did enjoy one coffee flavoured beer I got in a sample pack at Christmas from a friend. Not enough to buy more mind you, but it was pleasant as a one time experience.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Anyone enjoying any winter / Christmas-themed beers this year?

Prost!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Not Christmas beer, but damn I sure like Stanley Park Noble Pilsner. Smooth, crisp and clean and about $2 per six pack cheaper than most craft beers.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

talonracer said:


> Anyone enjoying any winter / Christmas-themed beers this year?
> 
> Prost!


I've kinda steered away from most of them. Many are too spiced to be enjoyed (similar to many Fall/Halloween beers).

That said, cracked open a bomber of FiftyFifty Eclipse Imperial stout this afternoon with the guy who gave it to me for Christmas last year. It was the 2013 Purple edition, aged in 12 year old Elijah Craig bourbon barrels. 11.9% ABV, $40/bottle.

Needed warming over cellar temp. Very smooth, well balanced, no alcohol burn. Only complaint we could come up with was the body was light. Would have liked a bigger mouthfeel.

Excellent beer, if not slightly overpriced for value. $30 would be more appropriate.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Not Christmas beer, but damn I sure like Stanley Park Noble Pilsner. Smooth, crisp and clean and about $2 per six pack cheaper than most craft beers.


The Stanley Park Pilsner is one of my favourites from them.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Hmmmm, personalized beer?

Beer that matches your genes: Meantime Brewery will personalise your brew for $42K


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Who knew Ontario's beer stores were foreign owned?

Former banker appointed as Ontario's first ombudsman of beer | CTV News


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Heading out to the new brewery in the 'Hat, Medicine Hat Brewery. Anybody want anything?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

FeXL said:


> Heading out to the new brewery in the 'Hat, Medicine Hat Brewery. Anybody want anything?


According to this web site, they are closed on Sundays. Just in case that matters. 

https://www.google.ca/search?client...&tbm=lcl&rldimm=4637656398741295200&gfe_rd=cr


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Yep. Closed Sun-Mon. No biggie, albeit disappointing. Had business to tend to, primarily. 

Third stop was Trackside Liquor. They carry a fair amount of higher end beers (say, $20+ for a bomber). Picked up some new stuff, much of it barrel-aged. Most of it will be cellared for a while, some for a couple of years or more.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Good plan, I may be able to make it down there within a couple of years.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

The door is always open to you & your lovely bride & the keys to the beer cellar are yours. I have some which show great potential and, I promise, no grapefruit...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Such a waste. :-(

Sierra Nevada brewery issues 36-state recall of select beers

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8a8b...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Yes.

The good news is that Montana & Alberta weren't on that list. 

Good on them for dealing with this in a responsible fashion.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Heh.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

No one tell Greenpeace.



> That beer, wine and spirits create a very large amount of carbon dioxide. Regarding the charts at the link, recognize that a beer wort aiming for 5% ABV will usually start at about 1.060 specific gravity or about 15 degrees Balling. Wine will start around 1.10 specific gravity depending on the must.
> 
> That means that in 2015, Canadians produced approximately 116,402.116 kg of CO2 from beer alone.






beejacon


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

FeXL said:


> No one tell Greenpeace.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's just in the production. Consumption and....um.... _outgassing_.... must also add a significant modifier....


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

So, headed stateside for the Missoula Brewfest this weekend with a coupla buddies. Hit a few breweries, a pretty decent taphouse along the way & a retailer with a pretty decent selection of beers in a smaller shop.

Some observations:
1) Beer prices in the Flathead Valley seem to have gone up across the board since fall. $1-$2/6 pack. Craft beer that I could pick up for $7.49 in October is now $8.50-$9.00. Saw some higher end product from California at $15 & $18/6 pack. Was nothing in double digits last year. Import taxes for the out of state stuff, maybe?

2) Some great craft beer to be had in Montana. Sixty-seven craft breweries in the state, with another 10 scheduled for completion by year-end. Population? About a million.

3) New taphouse opened in Kalispell, The Brass Tap. Sixty taps & over a hundred different types of bottled. Good selection, decent service, great food. Say hi to Michael.

Best beers of the weekend:
1) Top was easily Sierra Nevada's Bourbon Barrel Aged Narwhal Russian Imperial Stout. I'd heard stories about the plain version & was tickled pink to find the barrelled version at Brass Tap. Aged 8 months in a selection of bourbon barrels. 12 oz brandy snifter, thick, heavy, viscous, black, boozy, 12.9%, 62 IBU's. A stunning beer. I have nearly 2800 beers in my tasting list, this is a Top Ten.

2) Flathead Lake Brewing in Big Fork had a nice Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, aged in Whistling Andy's barrels. Not a huge fan of Whistling Andy's but the beer is big enough to mask any shortcomings from the bourbon. Sorry, no stats.

3) Third was probably by Tamarack Brewing (owned by Lanny McDonald, yes, _that_ one). Barrel Aged Cherry Scotch Ale, 7.8% & 10 IBU's, very nice. The cherry notes came out as the pint warmed slightly, good malt presence, not overly sweet. Good beer.

4) Flathead Lake Brewing had one called Bluff Charge Oat Pale Ale. Hop forward American Pale ale with a slippery mouthfeel from the oats, 5.8%, 36 IBU's. Quite nice.

5) Tamarack also had The Ruckus Imperial Barrel Aged Stout, aged in Canadian Whiskey barrels. 12.5%. A full step down from the Narwhal but respectable nonetheless.

6) Uinta Brewing from Salt Lake City brought a Lime Pilsner that was somewhat of a surprise. 5.3%, 14 IBU's. Lots of lime on the nose, far less on the palette. Crisp, light-bodied, a touch dry, refreshing. Very nice. Bit strong for lawnmower beer but close enough.

Also scooped up a couple bombers for the cellar from a retailer with great service & a pretty decent selection in Kalispell, Brix Bottling. Deschutes (Bend, OR) The Abyss 2016 Brandy Barrelled American Imperial Stout, 13.2%, aged in brandy barrels for 12 months and Homestead Acres Brewing (Eureka, MT) Harry’s Barrel Aged Imperial Porter. We'll see how they taste in a year or two.

Great weekend, some great beers, good food, decent company.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

This ain't beer but soda brands have entered the vodka cooler market. Recently enjoyed Hires hard root beer, and Pop Shoppe's Cream Soda and Lime Rickey.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Was in Spokane over the weekend, ostensibly for a basketball tournament but really for the opportunity to snag a couple bottles of a beer I've been unable to find in Alberta, BC or Montana. 

Long story...

Passed through Bend, OR, the summer of 2012 on the bike, simply to visit Deschutes Brewery. Huge fan. Got there a bit early for the group tours so sat at the tasting room bar & had a pint of one thing or another. Got to talking with the server, a younger man with a distinguished looking waxed moustache, and went into a lot of detail about their beers, philosophy, brewery, etc. 

Offered me a personalized tour of the plant, jumped all over the opportunity. Got to go places where John Q Public wouldn't normally go. Very cool, information overload. After we got back to the tasting room, we talked about their latest high-end product, a beer they called Collage. It was a collaboration brew with Hair Of The Dog Brewing consisting of a few barrel aged beers mixed together. 

At $11 US for a 12oz bottle it was the most expensive beer I'd bought todate but picked up 4. The server made me promise I wouldn't touch them for a year. He insisted they had to be cellared. I wrapped them carefully in my clothing to make the bike trip home. This was my first cellared beer & those 4 bottles looked pretty lonely in the corner of that long wooden shelf.

A year later, 2013, I brought two of them to a tasting with three of my buddies. Just. Wow. We savoured them down to the last drops.

The last two sat on the shelf for two additional years & we cracked them open in the fall of 2015. They had mellowed some but only aged for the better. In my Top 10 list.

Last summer the announcement came that Deschutes was bottling Collage 2. I immediately talked to some of the local beer stores, nobody had heard of the beer. Checked a few weeks later, & a few weeks after that. Nothing. 

Come November I couldn't find any local supplier that knew anything about the beer. Called up Deschutes, talked to a nice lady who told me that they weren't going to be shipping any Collage 2 to Alberta or BC because of the high alcohol content (14.3%). Found that a bit interesting because I have personally purchased higher alcohol content beers than that here but whatever.

Asked if they were shipping any to Montana. She said they had but the pallet (a freaking pallet of Collage!!!) had been returned, again, because the ABV was too high. So close!

Asked if they had shipped any to northern Idaho of the Spokane area, as we have been going to that area the last few summers for basketball & volleyball camps. She listed off a couple locations in Coeur d'Alene & Spokane. I was rather doubtful if any would remain after summer 2017 arrived but hope springs eternal.

Put this all on the back burner until a couple months back when one of the club basketball teams made some noises about heading down to a tournament in Spokane. My ears perked up, only to be disappointed when they decided not to go. Then, about 3 week ago, the subject was revived & the decision to attend was made. Woohoo!

Called up the businesses who had received shipments of the Collage 2 and there were still a few bottles on the shelves($25 US). Yesss!!! Made some reservations, picked them up on the trip, I now have bombers of the new release sitting in the cellar.

Thanks to Sara at Pilgrim's Market in Coeur d'Alene & Lori at Total Wine in Spokane.

Pilgrim's Market has a smaller selection of beers but I'd guess somewhere close to 600 or 700 different beers. Total Wine had a huge selection of beers. Must be a couple thousand, at least. I could have spent much more time & far more money in both places than what I did.

Next year I'll crack the first Collage 2 & let the enjoyment begin.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Oh yeah . . . 

Maine sends a beer box to Iceland. It takes up a lot of the cargo hold. 



> Most of the time, we have to drive, bicycle, taxi or maybe fire up the ride-hailing app to travel to a brewery.
> 
> Now there’s an entire beer festival that can travel to you.
> 
> The Maine Brewers’ Guild launched the Maine Beer Box on its maiden voyage Saturday aboard a cargo vessel steaming out of Portland for Reykjavik, Iceland, as part of an international beer exchange.


More . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ebsite&utm_source=fark&utm_term=.564bd880aaf9


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Oh yeah . . .


_Very _kewl. Great idea.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Further on the bastards taxing my beer.

Editorial: Beer tax hikes driving us all to drink 



> Buried deep within the 2017 federal budget is something called an escalator tax. No, it’s not a tax on those convenient moving staircases in public buildings like arenas and malls. It’s a tax – in this case on beer – that is increased (escalated) automatically year in, year out with the government having to go back to Parliament for permission.
> 
> The tax itself is fairly small (unlike the Alberta beer tax we’ll get to in a minute), only about 2.5 cents per dozen this year. But if the Trudeau government’s budget is approved, the tax will increase by the rate of inflation every year in perpetuity. Or until a better government repeals it.


More:



> The two worst practical effects of the markup-to-grant plan is that the surcharge on out-of-province beer is now upwards of six times as much as it used to be. That can add over $8 to a case. As well, the new charges have put the squeeze on Alberta small businesses that specialize in importing beer or bars that boast of multiple beers from all over the country and the world.


Once again, I'll be bringing home my limit & then some every time I come back from stateside. Even from BC (I know, eh? Couple months back we were in Cranbrook and even with the Bring Cash mentality of the province, BC beers were cheaper than identical product in Alberta, a first) but it's damn difficult to find a beer store within a few hours of the Alberta border with a decent selection. 

Don't get me wrong, there are a number of Alberta breweries that make some really good beers. However, there are out of province & out of country breweries that are as good or superior.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Lotsa beers to whet yer whistle.

International Beer Day: a beer for (almost) every country | Metro News


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

> Lotsa beers to whet yer whistle.
> International Beer Day: a beer for (almost) every country | Metro News



Ahhhggghhhh…!!!

4 August is [WAS] International Beer Day

Why was there no warning???

Oh right, I forgot, I did have one with our ground chuck BBQ'd hamburgers at home as our usual Friday Co-Op burger stand was not operating. Phew…!!! What a relief!!! ;-) ;-)


- Patrick
======


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

pm-r said:


> Ahhhggghhhh…!!!
> 
> 4 August is [WAS] International Beer Day
> 
> ...


I try to be prepared by having a daily beer. Never miss an opportunity that way.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

First Thursday of August is National IPA day stateside.

Was in the Seattle area & visited a brewery north of the city in Mountlake Terrace called Diamond Knot on Thu. They had 14 brews on tap. Eleven were IPA's. Stunning. I had tasters of 8 of them, not a dog in the bunch.

On Fri hit a couple more breweries in the area & most of them still had lots of IPA's up from the day before. Reuben's Brews in Seattle had 25 taps, 11 were IPA's, I tasted 4. Stoup Brewing in Seattle had 16 taps, 8 were IPA's, I tasted 6.

For my personal taste, Diamond Knot had the best set.

Over the course of the week also had a chance to hit Pike Brewing in Seattle, Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg (their Quilter's Irish Death is to die for) and a handfull of others. 

Plus, I visited Chuck's 85th Street Market, a bottle shop & taphouse. Don't know how many different beers they had, was well over a thousand. Also had 50 taps on the go. Could have easily spent far more cash there than I did.

Great week for beer.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

So, spent 5 days in Langley with friends after dropping off littluns at b-ball camp in Seattle again.

Dropped by Chuck's on 85th in Seattle en route once more to see if they had any more of the Block 15 Sticky Hands American IPA (which was one of the beers I picked up there first time by).

Unfortunately not. It is truly one of the biggest, boldest, hoppiest IPA's I've ever had. Stunning beer. One of my top 20 beers. Maybe top 10.

I checked with the guys at Chuck's, with the 50 taps they carry around 1100 different beers. Amazing.

Heading north to Bellingham I checked out another bottle shop, Greene’s Corner Market. Their selection was smaller, around 300 beers, but they had a couple of nuggets there that I'd been looking for for a while. Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout and Fremont's B-Bomb Bourbon Barrel Aged American Strong Ale, both vintage 2015. The latter is the most expensive beer I've ever purchased, with exchange it was about $45 Canuck bucks for a 650 ml bomber. They're both in the cellar now. Drool...

Visited Wander Brewing in Bellingham while we were there. They had some good beers but the best was probably Pearywinkle, a pear infused American Wild Ale (sour) at 8.9%.

On the Canadian side, had a chance to visit Fuggles & Warlock in Richmond, Four Winds in Delta, Central City in Surrey and Trading Post in Langley.

On average, I'd say that Central city's beers were the least impressive. They did have a Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy that was the smokiest Scotch Ale I've ever had. I don't mind smoky beers but this one was over the top. They have a huge bar/restaurant complex & it's somewhat cold & impersonal. Service was adequate.

Fuggles & Warlock had some really interesting kettle sours & the server was excellent. Said hello when we walked in, asked us to sit down & she's be with us right after her growler fill. Polite, engaging, informative, helpful, sense of humour.

Four Winds servers could take a major lesson from her, hint, hint. Their beer was OK.

Trading Post had good beers & decent service. I'm not a coffee drinker so I find myself fairly sensitive to coffee notes in beer. They had a breakfast stout on tap with what I would call significant coffee notes but I didn't find it offensive. Had the taster, then bought a bomber to share with our friends for supper. Ended up splitting it with my buddy, maybe a bit too much but drinkable.

While we were at Fuggles & Warlock, I enquired as to the best bottle shop in the area & the server & a couple other customers sent me to O'Hare's Pub & Liquor Store on Steveston Highway. The selection was limited to probably a couple hundred brews but I was able to find a couple on my BC Beer want list. In talking with the gal at the till, she handed me a promo 12 oz can & noted it was a bit old now & likely past it's prime date but it was still a good IPA.

Had it last nite. It's from Superflux Beer Company in Vancouver, a gypsy brewer. The beer is their Colour & Shape northeastern-style American IPA. It poured orange, unfiltered & thick, almost like a smoothie. Tons of fruit notes, orange, mango, pineapple. Only the second NEIPA I've had & another amazing beer. Again, top 20. Unfortunately their distribution is only local but I've got to find more of it.

While on the trip I broke 3000 beers on my spreadsheet (470 this year alone) from >500 different breweries, 162 of which I've been to personally.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

And, finally, some good news.

Drinking Beer May Lead To Mental Clarity, Study Says



> According to a new study in Austria, a little beer may help trigger your inner genius.
> 
> Researchers at the University of Graz say that a mild alcohol intoxication can help clear mental blocks and spark creative thought.


Going to head south in a coupla hours, go work on my inner genius in Moose's Saloon.

SINC, it was nice to see you & toss back a couple last week. Good visit, like the new wheels. I put that mug to good use last night. However, the 500ml bottle I poured into it didn't come close to filling the sucka. 

Still think we shoulda gone & pounded on Freddie's door, scared the hell outta him.

Y'all have a good, safe long weekend. Watch out for all the crazies & lefties (but I repeat myself) out there...


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Was in Missoula, MT for the all Montana brewery Fall Brewfest last weekend.

Lots of good beers this time around, despite the fact that there were only 31 breweries on hand. Big, bold, dark, hoppy, barrel-aged beers by the handful, perfect for the weather & time of year.

Every year Tamarack Brewing from Lakeside, MT does a barrel aged version of their imperial porter, Old Stache (recall Lanny McDonald's moustache?). It spends some time in Canadian whiskey barrels (11.0% ABV this year). It's usually the star of the show but this year it was edged out & took 2nd place. 

I'm not sure which took first but, for my money, it should have been Blackfoot River Brewing's (from Helena, MT) Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. At 10.0% & aged in bourbon barrels, it was a stunning beer.

On the topic of barrel-aged beers, Beehive Basin Brewing from Big Sky, MT had a Belgian IPA made with Chinese 5 spice that was aged in Willy's Moonshine barrels that was very interesting.

Missoula Brewing also had a spiced beer, a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Pumpkin Stout made with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger & weighed in at 10.0% ABV. There was a note on the front of the palate I had trouble identifying & came to the conclusion it was the allspice. Good beer.

Had a chance to visit 3 newly opened breweries from my "To Do" list, as well: Ruby Valley Brewing in Sheridan, MT, Smelter City Brewing in Anaconda, MT & Elk Ridge Brewing in Deer Lodge, MT.

Beers were decent all the way around but the service & hospitality was lacking at Smelter City.

Rolled into Tamarack Sunday morning just before 11:30, parking lot was over half full already. Kinda puzzling for an off season Sunday but when I walked inside I found out they were celebrating their 10th Anniversary! Tried a pint of their Gordie Howe Hat Trick IPA which is their regular Hat Trick dry-hopped with an additional 60 lbs of Chinook & Mosaic hops. Very hop forward. Nicely done! Also had The Regulator, a well-balanced Imperial IPA at 9.5%. 

They had draws for $100 gift certificates, t-shirts, etc. Thx for the t-shirt, Michael!

Hit the cabin, fired up the wood stove, had a nightcap, slept well, winterized the cabin next morning & then drove home in a blizzard.

Helluva weekend!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Hops are definitely the rock star of craft beers. They receive the most attention, the most accolades & the most criticism. I have my favourite hops, as well, & will purchase beers based on that knowledge. Many craft breweries will brew a particular recipe that changes nothing between batches, save the hop used. It's a very handy way of identifying the flavours a particular hop will impart upon a beer.

That said, the malt is often a forgotten ingredient that _merely_ supplies the sugar for fermentation. 

Early this year there was an Alberta brewery (sorry, can't remember the brewery. It was either Troubled Monk from Red Deer or Blindman from Lacombe) that brewed several batches of beer with the sole purpose of highlighting the malt. Identical recipes between batches & only changing the malts. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to try these beers. Would have been an interesting experiment.

All this leads to the interesting article below on malt.

A Hidden Beer Flavor Has Finally Been Revealed



> A team of researchers from the U.S. and Britain, who made 150 beers over five years, discovered that distinct barley strains do indeed produce different-tasting brews.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Was given this by our daughter as a pre-Christmas gift:

https://www.stiegl-shop.at/braushop/en/shop/topseller/Original-Stiegl-Advent-calendar/?card=4204

So far, so good, but day one was the most bitter thing I ever tasted. Couldn't drink the glass that occupied the day 2 slot, but used it to enjoy both day 3 and 4 offerings. Today remains to be consumed, but tomorrow I will have to import some help as it is grapefruit beer and I cannot touch it. Sadly, there are three such beers in the box, but my neighbour has kindly consented to drop over and help by consuming them each day they appear. Ya gotta love a neighbour who comes to yer rescue, don'tcha?


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

> Hops are definitely the rock star of craft beers. They receive the most attention, the most accolades & the most criticism.


I'm no way close to my old beer consumption days (Dr says so) but a number of times recently when out for a meal I asked what they had for a good Canadian Lager on tap and went with their suggestions of supposedly "craft beers" and I don't know who the brewmasters are for the local brewers that were suggested, but the beers were close to undrinkable and certainly not enjoyable and tasted like some medicine as there were certainly waaaay over hopped.

And over hopping does NOT a good craft beer make!!! At least not for my tastebuds, and regardless of malt.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Was given this by our daughter as a pre-Christmas gift:


Kewl!

I picked one up from Phillips Brewing in Victoria, BC, their 2017 Snowcase.

Had the Day 4 German Pilsner this afternoon. Decent enough beer. Day 3 was an ESB, didn't mind it but not really where my particular tastes lie. Day 2 was their bourbon barrelled American Barleywine. Pretty smooth already, that one was drinkable already. Day 1 was a Belgian ale brewed with beets & was quite red in colour. Not offensive but, again, I'm somewhat lukewarm on most Belgians.

As an aside, I'm always puzzled by those who prefer the funkiness of the various Belgian yeasts but are offended by hoppiness.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> And over hopping does NOT a good craft beer make!!! At least not for my tastebuds, and regardless of malt.


I'm very much a hophead. That said, it needs to fit the particular style, too. IMO, there is no such thing as an overhopped India Pale Ale or Imperial IPA. However, I have had some styles which typically do not showcase the hops overdone.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

FeXL said:


> I'm very much a hophead. That said, it needs to fit the particular style, too. IMO, there is no such thing as an overhopped India Pale Ale or Imperial IPA. However, I have had some styles which typically do not showcase the hops overdone.



Hops or whatever, I'll leave the super bitter beers to those who might enjoy them, but I'm not one of them that's for sure.

And I don't know how they got those types I had so bitter or what method seems to have been used:

_WHAT MAKES BEER BITTER IN FLAVOR?_
What Makes Beer Bitter in Flavor? | Berghoff Beer

_BITTERNESS IS NOT THE SAME AS ‘HOPPINESS’_
Bitterness Is Not the Same as â€˜Hoppiness'

PS: And yes, one of them was I believe from the local Phillip's brewing company in Victoria. Not sure about the others.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> PS: And yes, one of them was I believe from the local Phillip's brewing company in Victoria. Not sure about the others.


Couple of good articles, thx. I like the All about beer article's definition at the end of the story, breaking hops down into three categories. To that end I wish they had gone a bit further. For instance, you can't have high flavour & aroma & low bitterness. Nor can you have high bitterness with low flavour & aroma.

Phillips is pretty handy with hops so chances are your sample could have been fairly bitter.

Trying to think of some local (to you) breweries making beers with low bitterness. Look for styles such as American Light lagers (crisp, clean finish), American Blonde Ales (malty & slightly heavier) or Cream Ales (smooth, creamy mouthfeel, somewhat malty). Rarely are they bitter. You could also try some from the American Amber/Red Ale category but some brewers get into bitter territory here.

Stanley Park Brewery's 1897 Amber is inoffensive. R&B Brewing has Raven Cream Ale. Red Truck Beer Company's Lager is an American Adjunct Lager & very drinkable, as is their Golden, an American Blonde. Phillips has Slipstream Cream Ale.

It's not a taste profile I gravitate to so I have relatively few in my tasting list. Hope that helps. A well made craft brew that is acceptable to your palate is a pleasure to behold, instead of that fizzy, yellow horse pi$$ the multinationals have been overcharging you for, for years.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

@FeXL


> Trying to think of some local (to you) breweries making beers with low bitterness.


Thanks for your suggestions, but with my Dr's orders to drastically cut back on my old beer habits, it would take me a year or more to get through all those samples.

As for almost local, I can and do enjoy a Lucky Lager (don't cringe) which I guess is just from an old tradition from when it was originally made right in Victoria, almost diagonally across the street from where Phillips Brewing now stands.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> Thanks for your suggestions, but with my Dr's orders to drastically cut back on my old beer habits, it would take me a year or more to get through all those samples.


That doesn't sound as much like cutting back as wholesale quitting.



pm-r said:


> ...Lucky Lager...


<shudder>

Been there, done that, threw away the t-shirt...


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

FeXL said:


> That doesn't sound as much like cutting back as wholesale quitting..



Actually dry red wine has replaced most of the allowed alcohol and a preferred palate taste.



> <shudder>


Hey, it's not THAT bad but maybe not quite as good when it was an independent brewery, similar but not as bad as the Kokanee change when brewed by the independent Columbia Brewery company in Creston.

I used to brew my own beer just as my parents did but mine got too stong (10%-12+% ) to enjoy a bottle on a hot summer day and I just quit.

My parents actually grew their own hops for their beer which was quite good and it grew well alongside the tall climbing pole scarlet runner string beans where I grew up on James Island, off Sidney BC.

PS: The home made Root Beer (Hires extract I believe) and Ginger beer was really good as well.

Oh the memories….!!! ;-)


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> ...similar but not as bad as the Kokanee change when brewed by the independent Columbia Brewery company in Creston.


Have a story about Kokanee...

When I started getting into this whole craft beer thing, a friend of mine would invite a handful of us over to his place to sample new beers. This was around 9, 10 years ago. There wasn't a ton of American & Canadian craft beer available in southern Alberta at the time so the relatively few we had access to got burned through pretty quick. That moved us into the European offerings, some of which really pushed the limits of one's palate. It was (and remains) a great education.

We'd have blind tastings, usually horizontal (a number of different styles of beer), whereby the beers would be hidden & poured behind a counter, leaving us unknowing as to precisely what we were drinking & left to muddle that out. We'd generally start with the lighter beers, move to the malty, then on to the hoppy.

I recall this one time we were 4 or 5 beers into the tasting and he served up a clear, pale yellow beer. It was in the correct spot in the rotation so we never thought anything of it.

Color was OK, nose was somewhat off. As to the palate, it tasted terrible. No body, over carbonated, a handful of things wrong with it. Yuck. He triumphantly brought out a perfectly good bottle of...Kokanee.

That little lesson was the clearest indicator I have ever had aas to how crappy mainstream beer actually is.

I have not had a Kokanee since and can probably counts on my fingers & toes how many mainstream beers I've had since then.

PS I still recall mom & dad making Hire's root beer, too. I think they even tried the A&W version a couple times. A number of the breweries I've been to also make great root beer, a nod to kids big & small.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

> I have not had a Kokanee since and can probably counts on my fingers & toes how many mainstream beers I've had since then.


It has to be well over about 45 years ago that I used to drink and enjoy the old independent Kokanee Lager. Then sometime much later I happened to have tried it again and ended up asking the salesperson in the liquor about its taste and he just replied — didn't I know that Labatts had taken them over. 

It was definitely NOT improved with the takeover IMHO.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

One beer that never seems to change from its flavour when I first had one back in the early 60s is Saskatchewan Pilsner put out by Sicks brewery in Lethbridge. (And yep, I know it is now brewed by Moson's.) You can buy Pil now for about $1.10 a can and it still tastes the same to me as it did back then. While it is not something I would drink on a regular basis, I still buy the odd case just to have some around for a nostalgic sip now and again. And I enjoy that odd one, believe it or not.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

I never realized the "_Old Style_" beer was originally a Saskatchewan Pilsner or from Sicks brewery, but was also one of my father's favorites.

I still enjoy it and still remember to count the number of crows etc. ;-)


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

pm-r said:


> I never realized the "_Old Style_" beer was originally a Saskatchewan Pilsner or from Sicks brewery, but was also one of my father's favorites.
> 
> I still enjoy it and still remember to count the number of crows etc. ;-)


Actually there were two Sick breweries in Saskatchewan, one in Regina and the other in Prince Albert. They also made Bohemian or Boh as it is better known and it too is still available in Sask and one of my favourite beers.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

*Beer-Brewing Monks Are Pissed At This Supermarket*

It’s not easy to rile up a bunch of peaceful monks, but Dutch supermarket chain Jan Linders managed to find a way to do it. And somehow, beer is at the center of the controversy. The monks of the Saint Sixtus abbey in Westvleteren first took up brewing to pay the construction crew building their monastery in the 1830’s. In the nearly two centuries since, they’ve garnered a worldwide reputation as one of the finest purveyors of Trappist beer, a specific designation that can technically only be produced by a handful of monasteries around the world.

One of the 10.2% dark varieties of Trappist Westvleteren is considered to be among the finest brews in the world, so much so that the abbey fielded as many as 85,000 phone requests per hour once word got out about its quality among internet beer nerds. It's so special that pople are only allowed to purchase no more than 2 cases of the beer once every 2 months. Customers have to visit Saint Sixtus at a prearranged date and time, and even register their license plate in advance.

More here:

Beer-Brewing Monks Are Pissed At This Supermarket  | Extra Crispy


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

One more reason the Supreme Court is made up of bad decision makers.

‘Free the beer’ case loses at Supreme Court, as provincial trade barriers are upheld as constitutional | National Post


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

And precisely why I spend the lion's share of my summer beer money stateside.

How Much Could You Save If We Removed Taxes On Beer?



> According to a new report from Beer Canada, Canadians pay an average of five times as much tax as Americans when they buy a two-four of cans.
> 
> Luke Harford, president of Beer Canada, said most drinkers would be aware that they are charged more in Canada, but not how much more because the taxes are hidden in the purchase price.
> 
> “Where a Canadian consumer is paying $20 in tax on a case of beer, their U.S. neighbour is paying $4,” Harford said. “A lot of that is driven by the provinces … the provincial level of taxes are 13 times greater than state level taxes.”


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Just an FYI for those interested.

Nice to see one of the local breweries (Coulee Brew) on the list, although it would be better to see them place somewhere besides crossover beers.

Lots of BC breweries om the list, too.

Canadian Brewing Awards 2018 Winners.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

FeXL said:


> And precisely why I spend the lion's share of my summer beer money stateside.


Further to this.

Muskoka Brewing out of Ontario had been exporting their beers to Alberta for a few years. I'd had 7 or 8 different brews from them. Now, everyone's palate is different and, while I didn't love everything I'd tasted, I found nothing offensive. They all seemed like well-crafted brews. 

Move ahead to about two years ago and, because of the high cost of importing beer into Albertistan (and, I'm sure, the concomitant drop in sales), they stopped sending beer our way.

Fast forward to a couple months back & an announcement is made that, once again, Muskoka will be exporting beer to Alberta. As such, during a visit to a local liquor store last week, I ran across a 6 pack of pint cans (473ml), for the princely sum of $25.99 plus taxes & deposit.

Now, there are 6 different beers in the box, so it gives a nice opportunity to sample a taster's pack, but I've already had two of the 6 & they were OK, but not styles I generally reach for (lagers & cream ales). I'm just not willing to pay $6.50/pint to find out if I like the others or not.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Yep, last I checked beer prices in Alberta now include 47 percent tax thanks to both Nothead and Turdreau ganging up on beer sales. And the feds tax automatically goes up every single year in the future.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Beer shipwrecked in 1797 finally reaches its destination, 220 years later

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Interesting story.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

What makes a beer a beer? Feds brew changes to national beer standards



> Your beer is about to undergo a government makeover.


Oh, $h!t...

Remember what they did to a gas can?

More:



> The changes would mark a major overhaul of beer standards introduced more than 30 years ago, but they must first go through public consultations quietly launched days ago.
> 
> Beer aficionados who have closely watched the industry for years say the proposals would help regulations catch up with an explosion in styles and types of beers. Between 1990 and 2017, the number of Canadian breweries jumped to over 750 from 62, while the number of beer brands has grown to over 7,000 from about 400.
> 
> Stephen Beaumont, co-author of The World Atlas of Beer, said there are any number of beers on the market today that violate the existing standards, either through ingredients or fermentation methods.


I actually don't care if a malted, alcoholic beverage meets some idiot gov't worker's definition of "beer" or not. If it tastes good, drink it. If not, let the market decide. All we need is some overpaid, underworked desk jockey who thinks Bud Light is an excellent beer to start telling creative craft brewers what qualifies & what doesn't.

Further:



> No longer would beer be required to "possess the aroma, taste and character commonly attributed to beer" or be categorized into different styles or types like ale, stout, porter and malt liquor. Instead, officials are proposing to set limits on sugar content and simplify language around the use of additives that would set define what is a beer.


I've been doing the craft beer thing for about a dozen years now. So many styles have been morphed, modified, created & reborn during that period I can't count. While I haven't personally enjoyed each one I tried, I've certainly understood the creativity. Let the industry grow.

One item in the last sentence of the above quote does appeal to me: "limits on sugar". There are a lot of mainstream beers out there that are currently brewed using ever-increasing amounts of corn syrup for a fermentable, as opposed to malted barley. If this means that these bastards will have to limit their corn syrup content, I'm all over it.

Even more:



> Lastly, beer would be subject to stricter labelling rules, which would require a longer list of ingredients on bottles and cans, so the approximately 1.75 million Canadians with food allergies, celiac disease and sulphite sensitivity can better decide what they want to drink.


OK, so this is a good idea for the reasons noted. However, as a cervezaphile I, too, enjoy knowing what's in my brew & would love to see more ingredients listed, just as a matter of discourse. There are some craft brewers who are quite open about content, even going so far as to list types of malt, hops, yeast & adjuncts, whereas others list nothing. I'm all over the former.


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

Hmmm…??? More than I could afford and where's the good water to make it coming from???

_*PILOTS GRAB ‘$100 SIX-PACK’ AT CAPE MAY BREWERY
PILOT-OWNER CELEBRATES TOP BEER WIN*_

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media.../pilots-grab-100-six-pack-at-cape-may-brewery


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Just came back from the Spokane, WA area where I had the chance to visit 10 new breweries & one old friend.

General observations: The craft beer scene in Washington is huge. I believe there are 349 working breweries listed in their snazzy Washington Beer Guide. Nice.

Some of the breweries we visited we're pretty fresh & the bugs hadn't all been worked out yet. Many of these guys started out as home brewers & the scale & efficiency of a commercial system is so much greater than even the best home brew systems that it may take a while to scale a home brew recipe so it tastes the same on the commercial system.

There was one brewery (which will remain nameless) that was about 18 months old & the brewmaster couldn't figger why his clientele was so sporadic. He has a great location, lots of traffic going right by his front door, he's out of the city core a but still in a populated area. First off, it was hard to find the place. There is no street facing signage anywhere, save a small 18" or so sign near waist level on the sidewalk amid three other signs vying for customer attention. That, & his beer sucked. He had an Imperial India Pale Ale that clocked in at 135 IBU's (very bitter), 7.5% alcohol and no, zero, body to speak off. This beer should have blown my socks off. I love big IPA's like that. Nuttin'. As a matter of fact, none of his beers had much body at all. They were all, every style he made (& I tried all 12 brews), underwhelming. Like everything had been watered down. And, two of them tasted sour where there should not have been sour notes. Dirty lines? I dunno.

On the other hand there were breweries we tried that hit every beer out of the park. Republic Brewing up in Republic, WA was one of those. The brewer has been brewing for 7 years & has learned all the tricks. Thank you Billy & Emily. Oh, and Roger? You were a blast!

There are some great bottle shops in the locale, too. Pilgrim's Market in Coeur d'Alene, ID has a good selection of brews, including some very nice barrel aged selections.

Total Wine in Spokane Valley, WA & Spokane, WA proper have huge selections. Even managed to find one I'd just read about, Fremont Brewing's (out of Seattle) The Rusty Nail, a huge bourbon barrel aged 12.7% ABV Imperial Stout that rates a 4.57/5 on BA, and ranks #97. It's going to be a tough wait while this one cellars for a while. OK, I have more than one. But this beer is meant to be enjoyed in the cool of fall or the cold of winter. Going to be a few months before I get into it, either way.

The old friend was Daft Badger Brewing in Coeur d'Alene. I've been visiting them on & off since 2015 right after they opened & they make some great barrel aged beers & some damn fine IPA's. This time, among others, I tried their blood orange IPA. It was the second best blood orange beer I've had & probably the best blood orange IPA I've had. 

Brought me a 6-pack home.


----------



## Max (Sep 26, 2002)

Thing I find about all the craft breweries I've visited in the greater Toronto area is how incrementally different their offerings can taste, even within a single brewery. It's like they are chasing what the fickle public likes and, as the industry is still relatively young, there's lots of slavish mimicry going on. Most of them tend to offer a few different IPAs and saisons along with a pile of "boutique" batches of experimental fruity beers. It's exhausting. A few places I've visited, like Saulter Street Brewery in Riverside, do only a handful of things but tend to they do them right; I admire their confidence. Their success lies in not desperately trying to please everyone with a smorgasbord of uneven offerings.

My wife and I like to try out every new craft brew operation which pops up on our radar but we've come to the conclusion that it's a very rare thing indeed to get that precious combination of great, original beers paired with appetizing food and an attractive ambiance. A lot of places fall down on one or more of these factors. It's an increasingly competitive sector so you better get your business plan together. We have yet to find an operation that successfully targets our demographic... but man, there's money to be made working that niche, big time. No, we don't drink as much as people twenty, thirty years our junior, but we'll gladly pony up for a wonderful beer in a cool place that's friendly and revels in its own unique character. There's too many "me too" places that play vanilla, middle-of-the-road music with decor that looks scattershot and unimaginative.

Best new place we've been to in a long time was Bench, in the Niagara Peninsula. Opened a scant three weeks ago, in a nicely-converted school house. What a pleasant surprise. Most importantly, they deliver on the main thing: really tasty beers. A group of us went there last weekend and fell in love with three of their beers - really like their Farmhouse Ale and they have a couple of yummy saisons that are full-bodied and very drinkable. We were down for the wine but we stumbled across Bench and are very happy to have visited it. A couple of their products are available in the LCBO and select grocery stores - be on the lookout. Place was packed to the rafters the two days in a row we went and I got the feeling a lot of the customers were locals. It was nice to see. Too early yet for them go get into stouts and other stuff but the staff I talked to there said they're going to be broadening their offerings in the months and years to come. Shame it's not super-local for us but next time we go to the peninsula for some wine we'll also be stopping in at Bench.

All in all, it's a good era for fans of beer. When I was a kid the landscape was decidedly dull and parochial. Things are looking up. I think Ontarians (and, indeed, Canadians in general) have a lot to look forward to in the coming years as the industry matures.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Gahhhhhhhhhh! A ghost!


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Max said:


> All in all, it's a good era for fans of beer. When I was a kid the landscape was decidedly dull and parochial. Things are looking up. I think Ontarians (and, indeed, Canadians in general) have a lot to look forward to in the coming years as the industry matures.


Max, I am curious about the local market for Steam Whistle pilsner beer. I have kind of taken a liking to the brand as I find it refreshing and consistenly good. How does it rank with Torontonians in terms of popularity? Good to see you here again BTW.


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## Max (Sep 26, 2002)

Hey, Sinc. You know, I'm not following the trends of fellow Toronto beer drinkers all that much. I just know what my wife and I like and I'm keen to discover places that cater more to people in our age bracket - 50s, 60s. That said, I do enjoy a Steamwhistle from time to time. We go out quite a bit and I often see Steamwhistle on tap at various bars and restos, so it's got to be pretty popular.

I tend to forget that it's out there, to be honest. Even a great beer can get lost among the offerings. Just a trip to the local Loblaws offers a bewildering array of import and craft brews - choosing a half-dozen can be a challenge. I like to try different things from (new to me) Ontario craft operations but am often disappointed. Too much hoppy/grapefruity offerings out there for my liking. But it's still cool to see how much the market has grown. The graphic designer in me also enjoys seeing all the different branding strategies. Steamwhistile goes after a sweetly nostalgic, old-timey vibe. Great graphic design. Their delivery trucks rule, too.

As for Ontario's silly "Beer Store," I only go there to drop off our empties - they do boast an excellent recycling service. Otherwise I am not a fan of their business model (that blandly generic name masking their international Big Brew consortium nature) and I'm very relieved that there are now more options for beer patrons in this province.

When all is said and done, my go-to beers for stocking the home beer fridge remain Beau's Lugtread, Creemore and Wellington County SPA - all fine, full-bodied Ontario beers that are robust and flavourful. Cheers, Sinc!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Wait... First Thursday of August? National IPA Day!

Woohoo!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Well, I cracked a growler of Imperial IPA I bought last week from a freshly opened brewery down in Montana. Had a couple pints, then moved on to a different one. Going to crack a third later on to help celebrate Nat'l IPA day.

Had a lot of different ingredients in beer over the years, even enjoying an Imperial Stout made with kopi luwak coffee beens. No issues.

The only one that gave me pause was Beard beer by Rogue Ales in OR. It's an American Wild Ale (kettle sour) that uses yeast from the beard of the brewer to ferment the ingredients. I refused to buy one but was given a blind taste from my little beer-tasting circle. It didn't taste bad but the idea was still off-putting.

That said, here's one I won't be buying any time soon...

Beer Made From The Vaginal Lactic Acid Of Hot Models Finally Goes On Sale



> Finally, the public will be able to consume the "essence" of hot underwear models by simply swigging a beer. And by "essence" I mean the lactic acid collected from their panties.
> 
> Yum...?
> 
> In Katowice, Poland, "The Order of Yoni" brewery launched a line of beer made from the "vaginal lactic acid of hot underwear models" on July 28, reports The Mirror. "Yoni," fittingly, means female genitals in Sanskrit.


Thx, but no thanks.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Yuk, gross. Reminds me of the guy in a US diner who saw the cook form burger patties in his arm pit. The waitress told him that was nuttin', Ya outta see him make donuts.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> Yuk, gross. Reminds me of the guy in a US diner who saw the cook form burger patties in his arm pit. The waitress told him that was nuttin', Ya outta see him make donuts.


BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Like!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Good thing I took care of that, then.

Not drinking alcohol in middle age increases dementia risk, says report



> The study tracked the drinking habits of 9,000 London civil servants between the ages of 35 and 55 from 1985 to 1993.
> 
> They were then monitored for, on average, another 23 years. In total there were 397 cases of dementia identified through hospital, mental health services and mortality records.
> 
> Published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) the data showed abstinence in midlife was associated with a 45% higher risk of dementia compared with people who consumed between one and 14 units of alcohol per week.


Clarifying:



> Current government guidelines recommend a maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week for men and women, the same as six pints of beer or just under one and a half bottles of wine.


Whew. Dodged a bullet...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Hot day, cold beer. Enjoying a Wild Rose Velvet Fog ale. Nice.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

What's all this talk of alcohol and them there fancy mac apple computer phones???


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Was that a ghost I just read?


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

SINC said:


> Was that a ghost I just read?



Believe it or not, their last previous post was: Dec 13th, 2016, 01:05 PM

I did't think it had been that long… better have a beer to celebrate…


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

talonracer said:


> What's all this talk of alcohol and them there fancy mac apple computer phones???


Hey, TR! 'Sup?

Been checking any of those new breweries out?


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

If anyone is having difficulty finding me a Christmas present... :love2:

Samuel Adams Utopias 2017 Available Tomorrow via LCBO Online



> Samuel Adams Utopias (28% abv) is an exceptionally strong ale that is described as being “reminiscent of a rich vintage Port, old Cognac, or fine Sherry with notes of dark fruit, subtle sweetness, and a deep rich malty smoothness.”


More:



> 588 bottles of Utopias 2017 will be released tomorrow (Thursday September 13th) at 9:30 AM via LCBO Online, where it will retail for $110.75 per 710 ml bottle, with a purchase limit of 2 bottles per transaction.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I gotta wonder about this one.

This Icelandic Craft Beer Is Made From A Giant Whale Testicle | St. Albert's Place


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> I gotta wonder about this one.



Saw that on SAP. You, first...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Tried Samuel Adams new Octoberfest beer and loved it. Great colour, smooth and tasty, A little pricey at nearly $3 a can, but a pleasant diversion from the norm.


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## Aurora (Sep 25, 2001)

Every year the Royal Oak pubs celebrate Oktoberfest and import Hacker Schorr beer from Munich. Love it.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

SINC said:


> Tried Samuel Adams new Octoberfest beer and loved it. Great colour, smooth and tasty, A little pricey at nearly $3 a can, but a pleasant diversion from the norm.


Went to grab another six pack of this beer yesterday and to my delight it was on sale for $11.99, down from $15.99 a few days ago. :clap:


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

SINC said:


> Went to grab another six pack of this beer yesterday and to my delight it was on sale for $11.99, down from $15.99 a few days ago. :clap:



That's nice when that happens and it should also make the beer seemingly taste even better. 

Enjoy it! ;-)


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Congrats to the winners!

2018 BC Beer Awards Winners Announced

Ninety-nine beers listed there, of which I've only had a few. Haven't even heard of many of the breweries on the list. I wish we had better access to BC coast breweries & beers. The closest liquor store with any selection of craft brews at all is a gov't owned store in Cranbrook, BC., 3 hours hence, and it's rather limited in selection. There is also a privately owned store in Cranbrook, but their selection is even smaller.

On a side note, heard via the grapevine that there is another brewery opening in Lethbridge soon, bringing the total to (wait for it...) 3! An 8 week timeline was given, so just in time for Christmas?


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Aaaaannnnd, the east coast winners!

Winners Announced for Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards 2018



> The winners of the fifth annual Atlantic Canadian Beer Awards were announced yesterday (Sunday October 28th) during an awards ceremony at The Stubborn Goat Gastropub in Halifax.
> 
> The ACBAs are open to entries from breweries in the four Atlantic provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland – and blind tasted by a panel of 26 BJCP-certified judges and beer industry professionals.


Well, it's safe to say I haven't had the pleasure of any of the winning beers. I have had a few beers from Pump House & Garrison, I've heard of a couple more breweries on the list but that's about it.

And, I don't consider Alexander Keith's a craft brewery.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Science in brewing.

Additional inoculation source for lambic beer production



> Researchers in Belgium have identified an additional inoculation source -- the wooden casks or foeders -- for producing lambic beers. Traditional lambic beer production takes place through wort inoculation with environmental air and fermentation and maturation in wooden barrels. Up to now, these lambic barrels have only been examined with culture-dependent techniques, missing a part of the microorganisms present. The research is published in the journal _Applied and Environmental Microbiology_.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Congrats, Dr.G.! If you drop by let us know about the place.

Shipwright Brewing Now Open in Lunenburg



> The newest brewery in Nova Scotia made its debut during the final days of 2018 in the historic town of Lunenburg.
> 
> Shipwright Brewing is located upstairs at the Grand Banker Bar & Grill at 82 Montague Street, and produces beers to be served on tap at the bar, as well as in crowlers and growlers to go.


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

A Federal Judge Says Anheuser-Busch Can't Advertise MillerCoors' Use of Corn Syrup



> One of the best things about the otherwise tedious Super Bowl broadcast earlier this year was the debut of a mildly amusing, medieval-themed Bud Light beer commercial that attacked rivals Miller Lite and Coors Light over the latter two's use of corn syrup as an ingredient in their respective brewing processes.
> 
> "Bud Light," one such ad closes. "Brewed with no corn syrup."
> 
> That is, by all accounts, a true statement. But it's also one that helped spur MillerCoors, which brews (as its name implies) Miller Lite and Coors Light, to file a federal lawsuit in Wisconsin against Bud Light brewer Anheuser-Busch.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

FeXL said:


> On a side note, heard via the grapevine that there is another brewery opening in Lethbridge soon, bringing the total to (wait for it...) 3! An 8 week timeline was given, so just in time for Christmas?



One also opening soon here in the Pass.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

eMacMan said:


> One also opening soon here in the Pass.


There was a delay on Spectrum's opening (not 'til this summer) but I dropped by a couple weeks ago. Nice couple operating it, decent beers. Home brewer gone big. Also tried Stronghold in Ft Macleod. They need to hone their recipes a bit but the potential is there. Nice building.

Heard about Tin Dogs in the Pass. Any idea when they're going to be serving their own beer?


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

FeXL said:


> There was a delay on Spectrum's opening (not 'til this summer) but I dropped by a couple weeks ago. Nice couple operating it, decent beers. Home brewer gone big. Also tried Stronghold in Ft Macleod. They need to hone their recipes a bit but the potential is there. Nice building.
> 
> Heard about Tin Dogs in the Pass. Any idea when they're going to be serving their own beer?


Not sure if the brewery opening up between Home Hardware and the shopping center in Blairmore is Tin Dogs or someone else. No sign as yet (pun intended). I believe whoever they are, they are aiming for around the end of October.

Will keep my eyes peeled for a tin fire hydrant.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

eMacMan said:


> Not sure if the brewery opening up between Home Hardware and the shopping center in Blairmore is Tin Dogs or someone else. No sign as yet (pun intended). I believe whoever they are, they are aiming for around the end of October.
> 
> Will keep my eyes peeled for a tin fire hydrant.


Must be someone else.* Tin Dogs addy is noted as 8510 19 Ave in Coleman. That's across the street & east a couple blocks of the 7-11. Their FB site notes they're selling beer but I think it's craft beer from other Alberta breweries until they start brewing their own.

*Just checked my Alberta Brewery notes. The one in Blairmore is The Pass Beer Company. Kewl! You'll have _two_ places to get a cold one next summer after paddling the mighty Crowsnest River!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Samuel Adams releasing beer so strong that it's illegal in 15 states — but not Michigan



> Samuel Adams is releasing a beer so strong that it is illegal in 15 states.
> 
> Luckily, Michigan is not one of them.
> 
> ...


I've read about this before. It sounds delightful.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

While much of what this guy writes is pretty harsh, it also carries a bit of truth.

I have tried many craft beers and I will admit there are many I quite enjoy.

That noted, there are far too many craft breweries out there and the majority produce ****ty beers, at least to my palate.

Here's his opinion:

Stop glorifying craft beer. It's overpriced and still bad for you

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/ty...IV_A_dfOVGYD6SKI4b02m2B4mU#Echobox=1572519411


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

I don't know what the hell a Tyler Dawson is but it's obvious he's an idiot.

He starts off with a veritable blanket of assumptions and castigates everybody as the same. There are probably a dozen points which could be refuted in his article but I'll begin & end with the most obvious & the most egregious: Not everybody drinks beer, craft or not, to get drunk. There are far cheaper ways to do so. Many of us simply enjoy trying something new & with better quality than that which has been available from mainstream breweries.

If he wants to "suck back eight PBRs in an evening" or "get... greased on Coors Light" or with some other such swill, rather than enjoy a pint or two of well made craft brew, go for it.

It's a free country...


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

That bites.

Waterloo Brewing Loses $2.1 Million in Social Engineering Cyberattack



> Waterloo Brewing has announced that it has lost approximately $2.1 million to a “social engineering cyberattack by a sophisticated third party that resulted in a wire transfer of the Company’s funds to a fraudulent third party account.”
> 
> According to a press release, the incident took place earlier this month, and “involved creditor employee impersonation and fraudulent wire transfer requests by such third party from the Company.”


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Beer cans with erotic reindeer poses pulled by brewery after complaint to regulators



> A brewery in North Carolina is feeling the heat over a holiday beer can featuring erotic reindeer doing the dirty.
> 
> Sycamore Brewing had to pull the 2019 version of their Christmas Cookie Winter Ale from the shelves after an anonymous complaint led to a visit from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, Fox 46 reported.
> 
> Turns out, the naughty reindeer depicted on the cans were a little too merry, being displayed in various sexually suggestive positions.


<snort...>


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Get woke, go broke.

Vegandale Brewery Closes in Toronto, Duggans Brewery Moving Back Into Location



> A Toronto brewpub that opened in July 2018 with the motto “Morality On Tap” and an all-vegan beer and food line-up has closed, and will be replaced by the business that occupied the space previously.
> 
> Vegandale Brewery – which shared the name that ownership group The 5700 is using to refer to several vegan businesses it operates in the city’s Parkdale neighbourhood – was situated at 1346 Queen Street West, an address it had taken over from Duggan’s Brewery.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Cheers!

Drinking beer daily ‘can nearly DOUBLE a man’s chances of hitting 90 compared to teetotallers’



> A DAILY tipple nearly doubles a man’s hope of hitting 90, a study says.
> 
> Those on half a pint of beer a day are 81 per cent more likely than teetotallers to reach a tenth decade.
> 
> Women who drink similar amounts increase by a third their chance of reaching that landmark.


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

If it was something besides a cold can of horse p!ss, it might be...


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

MF, I can understand you not supporting a vegan brewery, but not supporting the others?

Beaches Brewing Closes Brewpub Location in East Toronto



> Beaches Brewing has announced that after six months in operation, its brewpub location in Toronto’s east end has closed down.


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Ahhhhh!!! :yikes:


Breweries running out of bottles as COVID-19 halts recycling returns



> Are beer makers running out of containers for their liquid gold?
> 
> According to one of Canada’s largest brewers that’s the case as bottle recycling programs shut down thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Woohoo!

The Pass Beer Co.​

Lucky you, eMacMan!


----------



## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

FeXL said:


> Woohoo!
> 
> The Pass Beer Co.​
> 
> Lucky you, eMacMan!



Thanks I missed that.


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

*Cyber attack leads to beer delivery issues in Alberta*



> A major supplier of popular beer brands in Alberta, Brewers Distributor Ltd., was the victim of a cyber attack two weeks ago, impacting their ability to process orders from liquor stores.
> 
> BDL distributes hundreds of brands, including Canadian, Pilsner, Kokanee and Labatts, to liquor stores across the province.
> 
> ...


https://globalnews.ca/news/6797955/...ODsC93kzoC0mVSX7KS8RoSATRIChZu_76tuO02EBu0xFk


----------



## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

SINC said:


> *Cyber attack leads to beer delivery issues in Alberta*
> 
> https://globalnews.ca/news/6797955/...ODsC93kzoC0mVSX7KS8RoSATRIChZu_76tuO02EBu0xFk


Wonder how they ever managed before the computer age? 

Wait way back then most of them brewed their beer in Alberta. Dropping off the beer also involved picking up the empty bottles which were returned to the brewery, washed and reused.


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

SINC said:


> *Cyber attack leads to beer delivery issues in Alberta*
> 
> 
> 
> > ...including Canadian, Pilsner, Kokanee and Labatts...


<snort> Hardly a loss...


----------



## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

FeXL said:


> <snort> Hardly a loss...


It is for us Saskatchewan Pilsner lovers.


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Ahhh! :yikes:

Coronavirus Sinking Centuries-old Traditional Breweries in Europe



> The Werneck Brewery has survived a lot: world wars, economic crises and decades of declining beer consumption. But after 400 years in existence it has finally met a challenge it can’t overcome: the coronavirus outbreak.


Ahhhhhhh! :yikes::yikes:

Beer may lose its fizz as CO2 supplies go flat during pandemic



> Dwindling supplies of carbon dioxide from ethanol plants are sparking concern about shortages of beer, soda and seltzer water – essentials for many quarantined Americans.
> 
> Brewers and soft-drink makers use carbon dioxide, or CO2, for carbonation, which gives beer and soda fizz. Ethanol producers are a key provider of CO2 to the food industry, as they capture that gas as a byproduct of ethanol production and sell it in large quantities.


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by SINC View Post
> Cyber attack leads to beer delivery issues in Alberta
> 
> ...





FeXL said:


> <snort> Hardly a loss...





SINC said:


> It is for us Saskatchewan Pilsner lovers.



I will add that there are quite a few West Coast Beer drinkers that enjoy all of those Canadian beer brands Including myself.

I will admit I preferred the original *Kokanee* better MANY years ago when it was an independent brewer. Labatts must have changed the recipe when they took over.

But _*Lucky Lager*_ remains my favorite even though they closed their Victoria factory years ago.

Many of the local craft brewers (and there are a lot now!!!) now seem to think they make a good beer by just increasing the amount of hops used to an absurd level and create a horrible and unpleasant bitter beverage.




- Patrick
======


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! :yikes::yikes::yikes:

'Bitter pill': Bavaria cancels Oktoberfest over fears of coronavirus spread



> Bavaria’s leaders have cancelled Oktoberfest, the world’s biggest beer festival, due to fears that it could become a breeding ground for the coronavirus.
> 
> The 210-year-old festival, which attracts around 6 million visitors a year, is a major event in the German calendar.


----------



## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

FeXL said:


> AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! :yikes::yikes::yikes:
> 
> 'Bitter pill': Bavaria cancels Oktoberfest over fears of coronavirus spread



I have never been there, but my wife has and from all I have read about it, I would say it would be one of the best places to spread such a virus.

6 million + visitors is a lot of people and potential targets!!!





- Patrick
======


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> 6 million + visitors is a lot of people and potential targets!!!


But what a way to go!


----------



## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Best Beer in Alberta: Winners of the 2020 Alberta Beer Awards



> Here are the results of the third annual Alberta Beer Awards, co-presented by the Alberta Small Brewers Association and Avenue Magazine. The entries are judged by a panel of beer experts who blind-taste the hundreds of beer entries. With a wide variety of styles and breweries from across the province represented, you’ll be sure to find something you love.


Looking at the list, I've been to most of the breweries noted & have had probably half the beers. Observations:

1) Nice to see Spectrum, a local brewery, make it on the New Brewery of the Year list. Darrel & Elaine do a fine job;
2) Alley Kat's Olde Deuteronomy Barley Wine is an excellent beer, not surprised it took Best of Show;
3) According to my beer notes I've had 72 different American Brown Ales. I really only liked about 2 or 3 of them & have come to the conclusion I just don't care for the style. That said, I quite enjoy Village Brewery's Village Blacksmith & am a little surprised they classify it as a brown. I have it down as a Cascadian Dark Ale, which is a completely different animal than a brown ale;
4) I'd love to try all three winners of the Barrel-Aged category;
5) I have a couple bottles of Grain Bin's Burgundy Barrel Aged Braggot I picked up last fall during the local Food & Beverage Expo. It was a bit green at the time & look forward to cracking open one after it spends a year or so in the bottle;
6) I'm a hophead so IPA's are my favorite. That said, I've never really found an Alberta version that came close to my top choices. I've had all 3 of the contest winners &, while not bad beers, aren't what's in my fridge at any given time.
7) I do like Canmore Brewing's Railway Avenue Rye IPA. I tend to like most beers brewed with rye for the pepper notes it imparts.


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

FeXL said:


> But what a way to go!



Such a crime that so many nice jugs won't be available for viewing!!!

I understand that some such lasses can carry 12 or more1l stein glasses full of beer at a time. Amazing!!!





- Patrick
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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

pm-r said:


> Such a crime that so many nice jugs won't be available for viewing!!!


<snort>



pm-r said:


> I understand that some such lasses can carry 12 or more1l stein glasses full of beer at a time. Amazing!!!


:love2:


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