In November of 1838, approximately 250 men from an American para-military group tried to cross the St. Lawrence River and seize the small town of Prescott, in an attempt to gain a foothold on what would bring further incursion into Canada.
The para-military group managed to hang on to the windmill and hamlet for four days before surrendering to the outnumbering British forces.
The hamlet is only a memory, today, but the windmill still stands. Sort of. It was converted into a lighthouse in 1873 and was declared a national historic site in 1920.
I discovered this landmark when I was scouting out a good spot to set up my camera gear to photograph the upcoming solar eclipse. One of my cameras will take a wide-angle shot, in which I will create a composite of the phases of the eclipse, and I wanted an interesting landmark in the foreground.
I think this spot will work nicely.
Last weekend, as DW and I made our way to the windmill/lighthouse, we passed a brewery near the turnoff. It was aptly named Windmill Brewery. It's just off Highway 2, between Prescott and Johnstown, in a spot called Wexford (if you blink, you'll miss it).
"Well, I know where we can go after the eclipse," I said to DW.
Sadly, the brewery is only open on weekends. The total solar eclipse is on a Monday. But that didn't stop DW and me from paying the brewery a visit after we scoped out a few spots in the area, including in the town of Prescott, itself.
Windmill Brewery shares its space with a distillery, King's Lock, plus the Newport BBQ & Bakery. We arrived shortly before they closed but early enough to enjoy a few samples. I tried a couple of their samples (the gentleman behind the counter actually cracked open fresh cans to let me try) and not only did I walk out with a couple of cans of the two beers that I tried, I also grabbed a couple of cans of a third, untried brew to surprise myself back home.
The guy also directed us to the distillery, after we were done, and we walked away with four bottles of lovely vodka, rye whiskey, and more (curses, that brewery guy!).
Let's focus on the beer today.
I was tempted to try the unknown beer as soon as I got home. Looking at the label, which features the inner confines of Fort Wellington, I asked our friend at the brewery if it was a stout or porter, and he said no, that it was a black lager.
Appearance: pours a coppery black, almost like root beer, with a foamy beige head that starts thick (a centimetre or two) but settles quickly to a fine lace before clearing to a thin ring around the side of the glass. Large, effervescent bubbles settled to fine pearls, and eventually went all but flat (disclaimer: I drank this lager over more than an hour but still felt it should have some fizz left). Don't dally with your pint.
Nose: chocolate and figs.
Palate: light-bodied, with hints of prunes, a touch of coffee, and dark chocolate that hits the back of the tongue in the finish. At times, I thought I tasted black licorice but if I did, it was fleeting. Even though I let my glass go flat, the flavours held firm.
Overall impression: this is a very nice, easy-drinking schwarzbier. Light-bodied but flavourful, with nothing overpowering. I wish I had picked up more than two cans: its incredibly sessionable.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺
The next beer that I want to share with you is the first ale that I was offered. Admittedly, the guy in the shop said that he didn't know a lot about IPAs when I asked him if Windmill made a traditional, British-styled IPA, as opposed to the modern, hazy, tropical-fruity brews that are so popular these days.
As he cracked open the can, he told me that their ale poured clear. He almost seemed apologetic but I was quite enthusiastic. "That sounds traditional to me," I said.
I'll blend some of my first impressions, in the taproom, with a closer analysis at home in my review.
Appearance: a slightly unfiltered, straw gold with a foamy white head that creates a firm, dense cap. I know the guy in the shop said this IPA pours clear, and in the couple of ounces that he placed in my sample glass, it seemed that way, too. But when you pour the whole contents into a pint glass, there's a bit less clarity. It's a bit paler than a traditional IPA but only slightly, and takes the palest part of the pale spectrum.
Nose: it's a bit closed in the pint glass but I got traces of lemongrass in the small sample glass. There's a balance of malt and hops with a hint of grapefruit.
Palate: the hops come forward in the mouth but do not overpower. It's a full body with a bit of pine resin in the lengthy finish. At 4.5% ABV, this ale is a bit lighter in alcohol than an English IPA (which is usually 5 to 7.5 percent) but this tastes very much like a classic IPA. I had my doubts in the tasting room, with such a small sample, but the full pint has me more convinced.
Overall impression: this is quite a good, traditional IPA. It's hoppy and full bodied, without the haze and tropical fruit of what passes as a NEIPA or other so-called IPAs that make me cringe, even though I love their flavours. I was prepared to give this brew a rating of 2, when I was in the Windmill tap room, but I've since revived my score.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺
The third brew was enjoyable from a small sample glass: how does it stack up in a pint glass?
Appearance: pours a copper-amber with a fizzy-white heat that settles right down to nothing. There are miniature pearls that rise to the surface and spread out to the edges of the glass.
Nose: spices that remind me of pumpkin pie and a bit of malt. There's also a bit of nuttiness to it.
Palate: I'm not 100-percent sure of the style of beer but I'm leaning toward a Märzen (in fairness, the name sort of implies the style). It certainly has that Oktoberfest flavour to it. In addition to the spice (clove?), I get a bit of toasted caramel and more breaded malt. A little headier than a traditional Märzen, I get the alcohol but it doesn't detract from the overall taste.
Overall impression: I can see myself drinking this brew in the fall, when the leaves change colour and the air gets cooler (again, the label helps put these thoughts in my head). There's a good body to this beer and the flavours are warm and inviting. The brewers at Windmill have produced a good German-styled lager (yes, I've now finally read the label) of which they should be proud.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺
Being a small brewery, they don't offer delivery service but they're a short detour from Highway 401, just west of the 416 interchange. They're definitely worth a stop (though, they're currently only open on weekends). Plus, you can also check out the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site.
I'm sad that the brewery won't be open on April 8 but now that I've been here, it won't be my last visit.
Cheers!
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