Beer O'Clock: Last Call

Every once and awhile, I check the stats of my blog posts to see which of them are popular and which are not so much. I never want to share something that no one is going to read.

And I don't know if I've attracted a lot of new visitors to The Brown Knowser, but I've noticed a trend where a lot of people are reading some of my older posts. At the bottom of each post, I've listed the three most popular posts over the past 30 days, and it seems that many readers are clicking them.

Perhaps that's why it takes forever to refresh those posts.

But as I've checked my stats, there are some posts that aren't getting a lot of views, even on the days on which they are posted. And those are my Beer O'Clock reviews.

I love trying new beer and I love sharing my thoughts with you. I do my best to promote a brewery and hope that you actually try the beer that I review.

But the numbers don't lie and it seems that what was once one of my most popular posts is now one of my least-viewed. And so, today, I'm announcing the end of my Beer O'Clock posts.

I understand that the drop in readership likely lies in my departure from some mainstream social-media sites. I'm no longer on Facebook, Twitter, Threads, or Instagram. Most of the breweries that I've reviewed aren't on Bluesky, so they aren't aware that I'm writing about them and are unable to share the post.

That's on me.

My final review looks at one of my favourite Ottawa beer makers, Bicycle Craft Brewery. A few weeks ago, I was in the neighbourhood (I'm almost never in their 'hood) and I stopped in to see what was new. During the height of the pandemic, I was regularly ordering from them but I admit I haven't been drinking beer as often as I used to.

They had a beer in a bright-yellow can and I had to try it. I didn't even ask what style of beer it was: I would just grab some and bring it home, and figure it out when I opened a can.

Let's look at it, together.

Happy Robot IPA (6.5% ABV)
Bicycle Craft Brewery
Ottawa ON

Appearance: pours a murky apricot colour with a thick, beige, foamy head that settles to a solid cap. Foam clings to the sides of the glass as the brew goes down.

Nose: mango leads the tropical fruit, followed by pineapple and a kiss of orange.

Palate: pine resin that gives some heat to the back of the throat, with some grapefruit and clementine. 

Overall impression: this is a fruity, sessionable NEIPA. Not a classic IPA but be thankful that this will be the last time you hear me complain that North American breweries have lost the will to make that British style. I like this style of beer but will never accept it as an IPA.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺 I would have given this ale a higher rating if they called it a NEIPA rather than an IPA. It's tasty but it's not an IPA.

Even though I won't be writing beer reviews anymore, I won't stop exploring craft beer and seeing what's out there. If you love beer, keep trying them. Support your local brewers and let others know what you've discovered.

Cheers!