Beer O'Clock: Juice Joint

We walked down the narrow concrete steps that hid the rain-soaked street. Below, a thick, dark door led into a tight entranceway.

"This reminds me of a speakeasy," she said.

"That's because it was, back during prohibition," was my answer.

"Really? Cool! We studied these in school."

My daughters had never been to Waller Street Brewing. For myself, it had been more than a year since I had been here, myself. The dust-encrusted mini-growlers that I was returning were a testament to how long I had held onto them. Each of my daughters carried one empty: I held the other two.

The dimly lit bar area was busy, for a Saturday afternoon. People of all walks of life seemed to fill the seats and line the small bar. My daughters made for the youngest of the visitors: I was, by far, the oldest.

I had come for two specific ales, but I also had a taste of two cask-conditioned ales. The brett was the most memorable, with the notes of lychee and pineapple on the nose. But it was the Tiger Milk—a white stout—and the sour saison that I walked out with.

The owner and brewer, Marc-André Chainey, wasn't in, though I had run into him only a couple of weeks earlier, at a craft-beer event, when he first introduced me to the sour saison and had told me he was working on the white stout. This prompted my long-overdue return.

I'm not a fan of sour ales. I don't like how they make me suck in my cheeks, how they make me stick out my tongue. Last fall, I tried a pumpkin sour ale, which I liked, but it was more pumpkin ale than sour.

Marc-André's sour is a farm ale with more emphasis on sour, but it doesn't centre itself on a pucker-face sourness. Let's look at it more closely.

Juice Joint Sour Dry-Hopped Sour Saison (5.4% ABV)
Waller St. Brewing
Ottawa ON

Appearance: an unfiltered, dark apricot with a foamy, off-white head that settles to a solid cap. While you sip and the level of ale in you glass goes down, you may notice that as the head disappears, little clumps of foam thicken like curdled milk. These clumps don't affect the flavour, but when I asked, our brewer offered a possibility for these formations.

Perhaps they are the result of residual "souring lacto" that is churning the beer, making condensed foam. It could also be the effect of polyphenols from the hops, making more foam.

As I said, it didn't affect the flavour.

Nose: slightly candied, puréed pears.

Palate: the sourness is introduced right away but it's not lip-puckeringly strong. The fruit comes close on its heels and mixes with the sourness and comes out as tangerines and limes. The finish is sharp, clean, and refreshing.

Overall impression: this sour saison makes me do something that no other sour has ever done—make me want to drink more. It also makes me rethink my distaste for sour ales. With its beautiful balance of acidic sourness and ripe fruit, I'm hoping to find a patio on which I could enjoy this ale on a sunny afternoon.

I haven't enjoyed such an inspiring ale in a while that I'm also going to do something I haven't done in a while...

Beer O'Clock rating: 5

Yup, I would seek out and enjoy this dry-hopped sour saison any time I'm able. Which means that you should get out and try some, too.

Marc-André's sister, Marie-Eve, told me that a new batch should be available at the brewery on Friday (May 12). Currently, Pure Kitchen has it on tap and more Ottawa pubs should pick it up soon.

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: Ten & Then Some

Brewmaster Joel Manning

"Give a man a beer," he started, quoting his wife, "and he'll waste an hour."

"Teach the man to brew," he continued, "and he'll waste a lifetime."

Joel Manning has hardly wasted his life.

As Mill Street's brewmaster, Joel has made some amazing beer and has raised the Canadian craft-beer industry to unparallelled limits. And last Thursday, he shared his knowledge and some of his great creations with 100 guests at the tenth-anniversary brewmaster's dinner at Ottawa's Mill Street Brew Pub.

Joel, in addition to being a master brewer, is also entertaining and knowledgeable, sharing his wisdom behind beer and giving samples of some Mill Street creations that were available only at this pairing with some culinary genius. We also partook in some vintage barley wine (yes, it's beer too). The brewmaster's dinner was a 10-course evening that paired 10 beers: some of which I made notes; others, I didn't because I have either reviewed them in the past or have spoken about as favourites of mine and needed no further praise.

Sparkling Ale

The evening started out with a light beer: Sparkling Ale. This is an easy-drinking beer and it was appropriate for us to begin the dinner with it: it cleansed the palate and got us ready for our amuse bouche. Deep gold with a white head, I detected mild notes of fresh bread and hops. On the palate, this ale is clean and has a short finish.

Our amuse bouche was an interesting starter: elk tartar with juniper berries and herbs on crostini. While I enjoyed this course, my description of the elk doesn't sound appealing: there was a sliminess that coated the tongue and made everything slide down. The herbs were a great balance to the beer and the food and drink were a great match. I liked the elk and would have it again, but I'm not sure I would seek it out in the future.

Elk tartar

Organic Lager

The second course gave us a popular beer by Mill Street: their Organic Lager. Pale straw in colour with a white head, I detected buttered popcorn on the nose and a slight malt in the mouth, ending with a short, light finish. it is the first beer that Mill Street ever made.

This beer was paired with a shaved asparagus and fennel salad with baby arugula and grape tomatoes. The dressing was a citrus vinaigrette with orange wedges and pine nuts. Although I don't tend to like asparagus, I didn't taste them in this shredded fashion and I enjoyed this salad. I did, however, find the citrus in the vinaigrette to be a little strong for the lager, but this was a fresh course that I would gladly eat again.

Salad course

Dopple Pils

Third up was a Dopple Pils. Amber-gold in colour with a thin, white head, I didn't get much off the nose. In the mouth, however, I was immediately hit with big hops and flavours of grapefruit, with a strong (but not overpowering) alcohol finish. This was a strong beer, at 7.2 percent ABV.

The food pairing was awesome: a Thai-inspired shrimp and scallop ceviche in coconut water with Thai chillies, lime juice, Thai basil, and an infusion of kaffir lime.

Seafood ceviche

This was an amazing appetizer. Lori, who isn't a seafood lover, thoroughly enjoyed this course. We both found that it married well with the hops of the pilsner. Awesome course.

Next came the first of three barley wines: this one, from 2005. This seven-year-old ale was the colour of iced tea, with a hint of red. There was no head. A brandy-cherry bouquet reminded me of a liqueur, rather than a beer. In the mouth, all thoughts of beer left my head. At 10.5 percent ABV, this was a boozy beverage. In a way, it reminded me of Calvados.

2005 Barley Wine

On its own, I didn't care much for it. But with the next course, everything came together. This barley wine was paired with another amuse bouche: this time, pan-seared fois gras on a brioche crostini that was topped with a blueberry and balsamic reduction. This was a powerful bite, washed down with a powerful drink. With this course, my appetite was fully piqued.

Pan-seared fois gras

To keep us moving, we moved into a soup course that was served with my favourite beer, Tankhouse Ale. I just love this hoppy, satisfying ale. I could drink it all day. And the soup was perfectly paired.

Tankhouse goes well with spicy dishes, so it was no surprise that the chef served us a roasted Pablano pepper soup with chili oil and cumin crème fraiche. Smoky and zesty, this was an absolutely perfect pairing. I loved it.

Soup course

Paradise IPA

The spice continued in the sixth course, a curried crab cake that was served with a lemon-lime chutney. Mill Street paired this deliciously crispy and spicy dish with another hoppy ale, their Paradise IPA. Deep amber with a foamy head, this IPA offers floral overtones on the nose. In the mouth, I tasted intense hops, honey, and a hint of pineapple. It finished with a hot, malty flavour.


Delicious, both.

Crab cake

2007 Barley Wine

Barley wine number two came next: this time, the 2007 vintage. The colour on this ale was not as deep as the 2005, and this time there was a head. Its appearance was an unfiltered orange-amber tone. On the nose, I caught a lighter brandy aroma with citrus. Less-complex than the 2005, there was some honey on the palate. But again, this tasted more like a digestif than a beer.

But this barley wine is no slouch. It won a gold medal in 2007 and gave Mill Street the honour of being awarded the Canadian brewery of the year. But at 11.2 percent ABV, you don't want to drink too much in one sitting.

Sorbet

Matched with this beer was a pomegranate and berry sorbet, and while most dishes were designed to be followed with the beer, this course was to be preceded by it. A mouthful of beer, swallowed, and then a bite of sorbet. Perfect. The sorbet activated the barley wine in the mouth and gave the impression of effervescence, almost like drinking a frizante wine.

I called it a fizziness. I could not duplicate the sensation with the sorbet and the 2005 barley wine. So this course was again a perfect match.

Coffee Porter

Next up was the Coffee Porter, and again I didn't take notes. I've talked about this plenty of times in the past: I love this beer, made with Balzak coffee. It is widely available in Ontario and has a regular spot on the taps in the brew pub. Have some.

Matched with this porter is a meal that I'd like to see as a regular addition to the Mill Street menu: a coffee-crusted pork tenderloin with a light cream sauce and served with a celery root purée and fried Brussels sprout leaves. The pork melted in my mouth, and the cream sauce turned the porter into a sweet café au lait. The celery root was light and creamy, and cleaned the palate. It was an awesome creation perfectly matched with the coffee porter.

Pork tenderloin

Seriously: I want it on the menu.

2012 Barley Wine

Our second-last course brought us the third and final barley wine: this time, the 2012 vintage, which is currently available in the LCBO. Deep amber with no head, I detected a light cherry-brandy nose. On the palate, I tasted caramel and brandy with some cinnamon and vanilla in an oak finish. And though this beer was very strong, at 14.5 percent ABV, it was not as hot in the mouth as the other two barley wines. And, at 55 IBUs, there was a good hoppiness to it.

This barley wine was served with a cheese course: Québec blue cheese and blackberry compote, with a goat cheese crostini. I took a small bite of the blue cheese, but I'm not a big fan of it. I find it too strong with a creamy texture that I don't like on my tongue. But I did appreciate it for what it was with the barley wine. They were well-matched. I really liked the goat cheese. I found the savoury flavours brought out more of the nose of the ale and helped me gain a better appreciation for this style of beer.

Cheese

You would think by this time of the evening that I'd be full to bursting and would be too drunk to stand. But no. I found the food to me of a size that was completely manageable: not more than a few bites each. Also, I never finished any of the glasses of beer that came to my table. Some, I only took a few sips to support the food. At the beginning of the evening, Joel indicated that if we were to consume everything that was served to us (some were in four-ounce glasses, some in six-ounce samples, and others in eight-ounce glasses), we'd drink the equivalent of three-and-a-half pints.

In my books, too much to drink and drive. The most that I had of one glass was just over half, and that was the Tankhouse. Of the high-ABV samples, no more than a mouthful. I drink responsibly, folks.

The final course was a treat: a chocolate cookie with a caramel centre, served with a Cobblestone Stout and espresso ice cream. It was pure heaven, though for me I could have done without the firm caramel centre.

Just desserts

Matched with this dish was the newest addition to the Mill Street repertoire, the Double-Chocolate Imperial Stout. Because I reviewed it last week, I'll say no more here.

This was a dinner to remember. Mill Street gave its lovers a great evening with amazing food and fabulous beer, perfectly matched. It was a great way to celebrate 10 years of the brewery and to wish it many more years of success.

I look forward to future brewmaster dinners. If you haven't attended one yet, do yourself a favour and go to the next one.

Cheers!


And, on a completely unrelated issue, but a note that is worthy for my beer post, I wanted to let you know that I'll be starting a new blog that is completely dedicated to beer. It is called Beer O'Clock and the format will be slightly different from my weekly review on The Brown Knowser. It will be just my tasting notes and opinion of the beer. Just the facts.

See for yourself on December 1.

Slaying My Prejudice

If you've read my previous beer reviews, you may have noticed a trend: I tend to lean towards darker beers. And it's true, I love stouts, porters, and other darker ales.

I know what I like.

And unashamedly, I'm a beer snob. I turn my nose up at certain beers and make no apologies. Life is too short to drink mediocre beer, I think.

I think that larger, massed-produced breweries are very good at producing such mediocre beers. And so you'll never see me review them. And if I see a beer that looks like one of those beers styled in the footsteps of those breweries, I'm likely to take a pass.

I need to change that attitude. I need to learn to not be so prejudiced.

Case in point: this week's beer review.

Lug Tread Lagered Ale

Beau's All Natural Brewing Company

Vankleek Hill, ON

LCBO: $15.85, 4 x 600 mL; 5.2% alc/vol

I picked this beer up because I enjoyed Beau's Bog Water so much and wanted to try more of their offerings. And because I've reviewed quite a few seasonal beers, I thought I should try something that, if I liked a lot, I would be able to enjoy year-round.

And, according to the brewery's Web site, this is their flagship beer. It is the beer for which the rest of their creations are measured. Or so was my thinking. I had no idea what to expect but I expected it to at least match the quality of their Bog Water.

This beer comes packaged in an environmentally-friendly four-pack--cardboard that breaks down easily and non-screwed caps, which means the bottles can be re-used more often. All wrapped up with a bow. The bottles themselves are large: 600 mL, which means that in my large pint glasses, I can't quite drain the bottles. I had to pour, sip, pour, sip, and pour some more. I know, I know... first-world problem.

Pouring the beer into my glass, I saw a honey-golden glow. The colour matched the beers I tend to avoid. The colour of the mass-produced ales and lagers that I swore I would never drink, even if offered to me for free.

Like I said: life is too short to drink mediocre beer.

And I'm sure that had Lug Tread come in clear bottles, I might have passed on it.

I really need to learn to not be so prejudiced.

On the nose, I thought I caught faint hints of honey, perhaps a bit of hay. I had an impression of warm, the kind you get when you step in from the cold and wrap yourself in a thick blanket. I was encouraged to take my first sip.

On the palate, this lagered ale was clean. I didn't detect any pronounced, bold flavours; something I would expect from this type of beer. I could taste mild hops, which gave me the impression of a barn full of straw. And on the finish, I tasted honey without the sweetness. That flavour lingered so much that I went to my cupboard, pulled out our liquid honey, put a drop on a spoon, and let it melt on my tongue. After swallowing it and giving the sweetness time to dissipate, I was left with a similar flavour in my mouth. Taking another sip of the beer, the flavour wasn't identical, but it was close.

It was an enjoyable comparison.

Beau's makes Lug Tread by mixing certified organic malts and hops with local spring water. They top-ferment this brew like an ale before cold-aging it, like a lager. The result is a satisfying beer that does not taste like those mediocre beers that I avoid.

While I did enjoy Lug Tread, I would have liked to have had a little more flavour. But that's just me. I imagine that this creation is made for the masses, to compete with those mass-produced beverages. It is easy to drink but has a little bit more, something to make it rise above.

If you enjoy easygoing ales or lagers, this beer will be a treat to your taste buds. For me, it renewed my faith it paler ales. It taught me not to judge a lager by its appearance.

Has it drawn me away from darker ales? No. Would I drink it again? I had a second bottle while I was reviewing it; I have two more to enjoy. So yes, I will drink it again. And if it is offered to me in the future, I will say yes again.

Because I'm no snob to this beer.

Attention, Kool Aid: I think you've been copied!