On the weekend, DW and I drove down to Burlington, Ontario, with Kid 1, who has returned to her studies in the GTA. She took the last semester off to take a break and get some work experience. Returning to school, she has rented a shared house, rather than live on campus.
To help her in her daily commute from her Burlington residence to her school campus, DW and I have loaned her our CR-V. We both work from home and don't need two vehicles, so we figured this loan was a better and faster alternative than the GO trains and buses Kid 1 would have to take to and from classes.
So DW and I drove to Burlington in our Niro while Kid 1 followed us with the CR-V loaded with her necessities for the next four months. She needed our help to move things into her new place and we needed transportation back to Ottawa.
(I really think she just wanted us to be with her as she got settled in and to be of assistance, if need be, during her first long drive on her own. She did great.)
Whenever I drive to the GTA, I'm constantly on the search for the nearest brewery to my destination. But in Burlington, I already knew of one brewery whose products I have tried on several occasions and have reviewed a few times for Beer O'Clock.
I have never been to the brewery itself, before, and I had no idea where, in Burlington, it was situated. Nor did I know how close it would be to Kid 1's place. As soon as we had her belongings brought into her room and we set up her desk (the rest of the bedroom furniture was provided by the homeowner), we sat down for a cup of tea and I looked up the brewery.
DW was a bit apprehensive as I searched. We were on a tight schedule to return home and she didn't want to drive far out of our way for beer. But we were in luck.
It turned out that Nickel Brook Brewing was only five minutes away and was in the direction that we would be going to head back on the highway. It was only a minimal detour from our route home. DW said she would stay in the car while I shopped and I promised to be quick.
No photos: no chatting with the staff.
Pity.
The taproom was packed on this Saturday afternoon. A man with an acoustic guitar was sitting on a stool near the beer fridges, entertaining the crowd. Just as I reached the glass doors of the refrigerators and started examining the shelves of various cans, the song "Won't Get Fooled Again," by The Who, started up.
I went through all of the beer that was on offer and settled on two, though I was tempted to get more. But my beer fridge is pretty full as it is, and I only picked up what I could carry in two hands, and that was four cans, two of each style.
Kid 1 can always pick up more for me when she comes back home for the summer.
I've decided that I'm going to give a review of both of my purchases from Nickel Brook, as they're both quite different from one another. And it's not the first time I've reviewed more than one brew by Nickel Brook in one blog post. You can find my other reviews of this Burlington brewery here.
First up is a dark, small-batch collaboration that's made for winter.
Nickel Brook Brewing Co. & Farm League Brewing
Burlington & Cambridge ON
Appearance: deep copper-brown with a foamy off-white head that pours thick but settles to a firm, creamy cap, eventually becoming a fine lace.
Nose: biscuity malt with a hint of dried fruit.
Palate: there's an initial hit of bitter cocoa that is tempered with the warm malts and spice. The finish lends to an overly dried fruitcake, though it isn't as bad as that sounds. There's nothing cloying in the mouth and the finish is palate cleansing to the point that you almost don't taste anything in between sips. What this means is that you aren't going to be tiring from taste-bud overload and are going to want to keep taking that next sip.
Overall impression: this dunkel weizen collab is a tasty brew that is perfect for the cold weather. Flavours are subtle but leave you wanting for more.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺 + .5
The other beer that I picked up and took to the cashier before the entertainer could finish his much-shortened rendition of that Who song is one that I couldn't find on Nickel Brook's Web site, though they had lots of it in their fridge.
Appearance: a murky apricot-gold with a creamy white head that leaves a solid cap that clings to the side of the glass as the beer goes down.
Nose: fresh, fragrant hops that provide a touch of floral aromas with tropical fruit.
Palate: pineapple leads the flavours and is followed with a bitter grapefruit that makes its presence known without punching you in the mouth. The alcohol coats the mouth without coming across as being boozy, though it's close. The finish is long and fruity.
Overall impression: this is a well-balanced DIPA that gives good fruit and bitterness without being overwhelming. Because of the high alcohol content (no Dry January, for sure!), you'll want to pace yourself with this strong ale, but it is definitely worth nursing.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺 + .5
I'm so glad my kid has settled into her new digs and is ready to start her next semester at school. I'm glad she's happy and doing well. But I'm also very glad that she's close to Nickel Brook Brewing and will be able to stock up for me, when she returns home for the summer.
I'm also impressed with the collaborative dunkel weizen with Farm League and will keep an eye out for their beer the next time I'm in the LCBO.
Cheers!
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