It started as a tongue-in-cheek post on Twitter.
The very next day, there was an unexpected knock at my front door. As I descended the stairs from my home office, DW was already standing at the door, talking to a man with a paper bag. The man said he was from Broadhead Brewery and bade me a happy birthday.
Naturally, I thanked the good folks at Broadhead for taking my tweet seriously, and a couple of days later I actually made the trek out to the east end of Orleans to thank them, face-to-face, and pick up 12 more cans. It was my first time to their brewery since they had moved their operation from their old digs in the south end of Ottawa, on Auriga Drive.
It's been years.
I was told that they selected the beer to send to me based on past online orders. I tend to go for their limited Taproom Series, 174 (named after the highway that cuts through Orleans and runs past the industrial park where Broadhead is situated, along with Stray Dog Brewing). They also included a fruity saison (I love saisons and hadn't tried this one yet).
In the six-pack gift mix, I also received an ESB, the Munich Dunkel that I reviewed last month, their coffee porter (I had just run out a few days earlier), a black currant cream ale, and a Belgian IPA (side note: what does the I stand for if it's a Belgian pale ale? What does India have to do with it?*).
The first can that I cracked open was the Guava Strawberry Saison, which was chocked full of guava in the nose and on the palate, and finishes clean with ripe strawberries. When I visited Cuba, last December, I started most mornings with a glass of fresh-squeezed guava juice, and this fine saison transported me back to those mornings. The body still possesses the flinty, mineral mouth feel that I love in a saison, so this is a definite gem of a brew (and it's available through the LCBO!).
This 47th release from the 174 Taproom Series is worth a proper review.
Appearance: a deep garnet red to purple with a light, fizzy head that reminded me of grape juice. The head doesn't last long but there is a vibrant effervescence that keeps the party going.
Nose: a strong cassis with hints of barley.
Palate: have you ever had Kir Royale? It's a sweet cocktail of crème de cassis and champagne. I was immediately reminded of this drink, even though it's been ages since I've enjoyed a glass of it. But there's that happy fizz with sweet, dark berries in a very light body that reminded me of this treat. The finish carries a bit of the barley and malt flavour that also has me thinking that it's more like a radler than a cream ale—trust me, that's not a complaint.
Overall impression: I truly wish I had opened this can before my visit to Broadhead. I would have walked out with another six pack. The berry flavour is so intense that it works well in the late-winter season but I could easily see myself quenching my thirst on a hot summer's day. I can see this ale appealing to all sorts of beer lovers. This is sure to be a huge pleaser and I hope that Broadhead plans to keep its production going into warmer weather.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺
Broadhead offers free shipping in Ottawa (minimum $40 order) and a flat rate of $10 across Ontario (minimum $60 order). I suggest you get your online order in fast, before I clear them out.
I'll be back to visit my friends at Broadhead in the near future. Their taproom is spacious and beautiful, and they have picnic tables for enjoying their beer outside.
Thanks, once again, to the good folks at Broadhead for the birthday surprise. You made my entire week, and then some. I'll be smiling every time I crack open one of my gift brews.
Cheers!
* this is a pet peeve of mine to what is an industry-wide issue and not directed specifically to the wonderful people at Broadhead and the excellent beer that they brew. I just find IPA is thrown around too freely, where styles that use the initials don't really reflect a traditional, British IPA. Next to my dream of world peace is the hope of the I disappearing from all ales other than an India Pale Ale.
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