Beer O'Clock: Jam Stand

This is not the beer I've had before.

Raspberries are my favourite fruit. I start almost every morning with a frozen smoothie that contains frozen chunks of pineapple, frozen organic blueberries, and frozen raspberries. Lots of raspberries.

A few years ago, when I spied a few beers that featured raspberries, I had to give them a try. One of my favourite of these ales was a raspberry Berliner weisse by Nickel Brook. You can read my review of that beer on my old Beer O'Clock blog.

Because I can sometimes be a love 'em and then leave 'em kind of guy when it comes to beer—I mean, come on, I like to spread the love around—I haven't had that beer in many years.

But last month, while I was challenging myself to a Dry July, another Ottawa beer guy, who I have befriended on Threads, shared a post about a raspberry wheat ale from Nickel Brook. He posted a photo and while I didn't recognize the can in which it came (the brew I had came in a bottle), the contents of his glass rang a bell.

Was this the same brew, I wondered?

Last weekend, when I was no longer going dry, I made a stop at my friendly neighbourhood LCBO, and I found this can. I noticed that the label also read that vanilla and hibiscus had been added with the raspberries, so I knew that this was not the same wheat ale.

And here we are.

Raspberry Jam Stand Berliner Weisse (4.5% ABV)
Nickel Brook Brewing Company
Burlington ON

Appearance: pours a clear and effervescent, pinkish-red, with a pale, pinkish-white, foamy head that sits thick in the glass but quickly settles to a thin lace.

Nose: the vanilla lead the path into my nostrils, followed by lush raspberries and a slightly floral follow-up. The ingredients that were listed on the label certainly didn't disappoint.

Palate: this time, the raspberries lead the charge but were quickly accompanied by generous amounts of vanilla, giving a sweet mouthfeel. The finish was medium in length but was backed up by the hibiscus. It was a definite treat for the taste buds.

Overall impression: this iteration of Nickel Brook's Berliner Weisse is a stroke of genius. A pure masterpiece. Reading my tasting notes from the old raspberry wheat ale, the brewmasters have definitely elevated what was already a great summer smash.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺

I'll definitely be grabbing more of this fruity ale. You should grab some, too. Thanks to Mr. Smith for bringing this excellent ale to my attention.

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: München Weissbier

I should have tried this beer during Octoberfest.

I normally pass the imported beer section when I visit my friendly neighbourhood LCBO, and I really shouldn't. I mean, the Ontario craft beer scene is awesome but it's not the be-all and end-all. I should learn to broaden my horizons.

And it wasn't in the LCBO where I found this German ale. I just happened to be cutting down an aisle in one of my local grocery stores, heading toward the front cashiers, and I happened to make a shortcut of the beer and wine aisle.

Coincidence. Pure coincidence.

I saw a lot of cans that I recognized but my eyes fell upon this seemingly festive label. And while the illustration on the can isn't a Christmas-festive theme, the greens and reds, mixed with the foliage at the top of the can—accentuated, no doubt, by the Christmas music that was flooding the store's speaker system—made me think of the holidays.

I'm no stranger to the Paulaner Brewery label. I've had beer from this Munich-based brewery in the past, and likely, I've had this wheat ale before. It's just that I don't remember the last time that I've had this beer (Untapp'd was no help) and I certainly have never sat down and given the brew enough thought to warrant a review.

Until now.

So while Octoberfest is far behind us, other holidays are upon us. Does this wheat ale make for a festive brew?

Weissbier (Munich Wheat Beer: 5.5% ABV)
Paulaner Brauerei
München, Germany

Appearance: pours an unfiltered, apricot-gold with miniscule effervescence. The head is white and starts with a thick, dense foam, but settles to a thin but solid cap.

Nose: banana and pear are distinct, and I'm reminded of a saison.

Palate: there's a dankness about it but the fruit still comes through, although subtly. The mouthfeel is dry but still with loads of effervescence and a bit of mineral, almost flinty. There's practically no finish.

Overall impression: it's a pretty simple wheat ale. It has a fragrant nose, a non-complex body, and a finish that cleanses the palate. As decent as it is, though, each sip did not have me clamouring to take another. It was refreshing, easy-drinking, but seemed to me to be missing any distinct characteristic.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺

Paulaner has been around since 1634 and this Weissbier is touted as Germany's number-one wheat ale. Far be it from me to argue with that claim but I've had wheat ales that I've enjoyed more.

If you've never had a wheat ale before and want to start with something authentic, I would recommend this brew. But I find that the Belgian wheat ales that I've had give just a bit more flavour.

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: Memories of Bayeux and Pee-wee

This post is dedicated to my friend, Perry. May we long be able to raise a glass to good friends.

Just seeing the can brought back great memories.

DW and I were at a friend's house for a movie night. In remembrance of the recently late Paul Reubens, we had chosen Pee-wee's Big Adventure. It's incredibly silly but that's what makes it such a great movie. It's a Tim Burton movie, of course.

Another friend from DW's high school year joined us for the evening, and she had never even seen Pee-wee Herman before. She was in for an 80s cultural experience.

Before we sat down in front of the big screen, we prepared some snacks and drinks. I had a sour ale from Whitewater Brewing while DW and our host had margaritas. They wanted to be drinking something with tequila in it for when the song came up.

If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about.

The other friend pulled out a can of a famous French beer and cracked it open, and as the can popped, my mind was suddenly transported back to 2014 and Bayeux, France.

DW and I were vacationing with our kids. It had already been a busy day, with a morning in Honfleur and a reflective visit to Juno Beach, where I found a name plate for a friend's grandfather, who landed there on D-Day.

Afterward, in Bayeux, we visited the museum that houses the famous tapestry of the same name. It was a great experience for us all and I was transported back to my university days, when I studied Medieval history. Seeing the Bayeux Tapestry for me was as rewarding as the time that I walked on the Great Wall of China.

After the museum, we took the kids and ourselves in search of some food. It was mid-afternoon and we had skipped lunch. One of the remarkable things of walking this old town's streets is seeing shops with painted windows that still showed gratitude for the D-Day liberators, with cartoons depicting Canadian, British, and American troops.

We found a shop that sold sandwiches, and being parched, I ordered a beer to quench my thirst. It was the same beer that was currently bringing back this memory.

All I remember about the beer was that it succeeded in quenching my thirst and that it had a nice flavour. How would this beer hold up for an all-out review?

Several days after the movie night, I picked up a couple of cans at my local Farm Boy grocery store. Which brings us to now.

1664 Blanc (5% ABV)
Kronenbourg Brewery (owned by Carlsberg Group)
Obernai, France

Appearance: pours a hazy, bright yellow-gold with a foamy head that settles to a thin, solid cap.

Nose: grassy citrus (lemongrass?) and a touch of biscuit.

Palate: there's a floral flavour that leads the way with light citrus and warm malt. Notes of mild banana and puréed pear come up in a medium finish, which reminds me of a subtle saison (without the mineral flintiness).

This is a perfectly light wheat ale to enjoy on a hot day (and this week, in Ottawa, has certainly been hot!).

Overall impression: I'm glad to see that the impression this Alsatian wheat ale had left on me in 2014 has continued nine years later. This is an enjoyable brew that goes down easy and refreshes. Yes, it's now owned by a huge beverage empire in the Netherlands but this is a brew upon which, I'm sure, many small craft brewers have modelled their wheat ales. If not, they should take note from a company that's been around for nearly 360 years.

Wheat ales have really started growing on me and 1664 Blanc is a model upon which I shall base all others. Sure, they've added artificial flavours and, no doubt, preservatives, but if I can't taste them, I don't think they should detract from my overall impression.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺

You can find 1664 Blanc in The Beer Store, your friendly neighbourhood LCBO, and in some grocery stores. It's practically everywhere.

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: Juiced Seagull

There was a time when you couldn't get me to drink a wheat ale.

I think it was due to the fact that when I saw a hazy beer, I thought that there was something unnatural about it. Funny, huh? Man, how times have changed.

In times of unfiltered brews, filled with lactose and other additives, a wheat ale seems pretty tame.

Last weekend, my beer fridge actually became empty, save for one can of DW's apple cider and a lone can of the sorrel that I reviewed some time ago. It's been some time since I've ordered beer online, as I told myself that I had to first finish what I already had before I started anything new.

The sorrel is now gone. I finished it after I mowed the lawn.

Rather than order online and wait for my beer to come to me, I visited my friendly neighbourhood LCBO while DW went shopping in the Loblaws garden centre. I grabbed a basket and wandered the aisles.

It seems that hazy, so-called IPAs are what are making money for the craft brewers, and good for them. I love those juicy ales too: I just wish they'd drop the I from the name. I filled my basket with all sorts of these brews and they'll keep me going for the next couple of months of reviews.

Stay tuned.

But my eye also fell on a can that read "Blood Orange" in red lettering at the base of its can, with an angry-looking bird showing a bulging bicep and wearing a blue and white, striped tank top. I recognized the brewery—I love the beer from these folks—and added two more cans to my basket.

It wasn't an IPA of any stripe but it was a style of beer that I've recently gained a whole-new respect and admiration for.

Juiced Seagull Blood Orange Wheat Ale (5% ABV)
Cowbell Brewing Company
Blyth ON

Appearance: pours a bright gold. The haze of the wheat ale doesn't become obvious until you finish the pour. A creamy, white head settles to a solid cap and miniscule pearls stream to the surface in a fine-fizz effervescence.

Nose: over-ripe bananas come on like a powerhouse, tempered only slightly by mild citrus. It smells a bit creamy and almost reminds me of those banana marshmallow candies.

Palate: there is a creamy texture in the mouth and the bananas are still present but not as strong as they are in the aroma. The orange flavour comes toward the finish but there's a wateriness to it. You don't get a bold citrus feel in the mouth. The finish is short and clean.

Overall impression: Juiced Seagull is definitely a thirst-quencher and is light but well-balanced. It's a wheat ale with a twist. The nose is absolutely beautiful but I feel that the fruit could be just a bit more intense. With that juiced seagull on the label, I expected more juice and it wasn't quite there.

There's more banana to this ale than blood orange.

Still, I'd drink this wheat ale again and think it would be great on a hot, summer afternoon. It's definitely patio beer.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: Globetrotting Without Leaving Home

In a few weeks, I would have been heading on vacation through Europe, had a global pandemic not gotten in the way. DW and I were supposed to travel through Belgium, the Netherlands, and all over Germany, with a couple of bicycle trips along the way. I was also going to visit some of the breweries in these countries, tasting the various beer styles of these great countries.

Instead, we're stuck at home, and I can only look back on vacations gone by, and sigh.

I can't wait to start travelling again, globetrotting around the world. In the meantime, I'll just have to drink locally crafted brews (hey... that part isn't so bad).

Fortunately, thanks to the good folks at Spearhead Brewing Company, I can virtually enjoy some flavours from around the world with their Globetrotter Series of unique craft ales.

To start their series—which began a couple of weeks ago—Spearhead went to two places: the UK and Germany.

Their August selection is called India Wheat Ale and is a blend of a classic IPA, which originates in jolly ol' England, and a German Hefeweizen. And, for full disclosure, I have to say that the kind Marketing Manager (and Director of Fun), Amanda, sent the samples that I reviewed. Thanks, Amanda!

Let's take a closer look:

India Wheat Ale (6% ABV, 55 IBU)
Spearhead Brewing Company
Kingston ON

Appearance: I don't usually comment on the appearance of the can or label, but seeing a stamp of India threw me a bit. I get that Spearhead wants us to virtually travel the world, but IPAs weren't made in India; rather, they were brewed in the UK and shipped off to the troops, in the British colony. The bitter hops ensured that the beer would last for the length of the voyage. But I'm splitting hairs. Suffice to say that this is a British-German mashup of styles.

In my glass, however, I see the golden amber of a classic IPA, with the slightly unfiltered haze of a Hefeweizen. The white head is foamy, bubbly, and pours thick, but settles to a dense lace.

Nose: ripe banana that I typically find with a good Hefeweizen, with a bit of malt coming through. Almost like banana bread. It's a beautiful aroma.

Palate: the banana carries through into the mouth and is accompanied with a flinty mineral that I associate with this German style of wheat beer. It's bright and bold. There's only a slight note of fruit, coming from the mango puree that went into the making of this mashup (hey, that's where the India connection comes in!). The lemon drop and warrior hops come next, adding to the spirit of the IPA, and the finish is a unique and balanced flavour. The mineral bitterness gives a long and pleasing finish.

Overall impression: the flavours in this ale are unique, with the classic malt and bitter hops of a classic IPA, mixed with the banana and flinty mineral of a Hefeweizen. India Wheat Ale delivers both, perfectly balanced and with an added touch of mangoes. This ale is a great, late-summer treat.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺 (scroll to the bottom of the right-hand margin to see the legend for my rating)

Spearhead has made a solid ale that makes me think of travel and I look forward to seeing what they come up with for the next beer in the Globetrotter Series, which is due out in October (hmm... Germany has already been covered...). The series will introduce a new brew every two months, wrapping up in June, 2021.

Hopefully, we can all travel freely by then.

Cheers!

Beer O'Clock: Pairing

J.P. Fournier is a multi-talented fellow: DJ, event organizer, and beer maker. And this weekend, he performed all three tasks with a panache that seemed effortless.

On Sunday and Monday, the Ottawa Beer TAP Society founder and president of the National Capital Craft Beer Week (and his fiancée, Trish Watson), hosted the eighteenth beer and food pairing dinner.

J.P. started making beer about three years ago, and about six months later he started hosting the food-pairing event. This time, with the help of the folks at The Copper Pot Café and Catering, about 20 members of the Ottawa Beer TAP Society were treated to a six-course extravaganza.

J.P. organized and hosted the event, made the beer, and provided the music for the evening. At the start of the event, J.P. asked the guests to complete the provided tasting notes sheet and rate the beers on a scale of 1 to 10.

My wife, Lori, and I were greeted by J.P. and Trish and offered a mulled pumpkin porter (ABV 8%). The hot beverage was a clear brown with no carbonation or head: a cinnamon stick was placed in the glass to add extra spice. On the nose, I caught toffee-cake aromas and spice, with a hint of sweetness. In the mouth, distinct raisin and spice flavours ended with a toffee finish. It was a unique way to have beer.

I gave this mulled beer a score of 8 out of 10. I would drink this hot beverage any day over mulled wine, especially because it contained no nuts or dried fruit.

The first dish was a whole-wheat couscous and organic quinoa fritters with Brussels sprouts, beets, and a sweet pickled aioli. While I found the fritters a little dry, the Brussels sprouts and aioli mixed nicely with them (I typically don't like Brussels sprouts, but they were split up into individual leaves and only lightly warmed: they tasted great). And while I don't like beets, I did take a couple of bites to marry the appetizer with the paired beer.

The beer was J.P.'s Cranberry Wheat (ABV 4.7%), which was the colour of ruby-red grapefruit juice and cloudy. The nose revealed candied orange with a white, effervescent head that dissipated fairly quickly. In the mouth, I detected a slightly tart cranberry with tangerine fruit and a clean, fresh finish.

I described this wheat ale as "Orange Crush for adults." While it wasn't nearly as sweet as the orange soda, it was very flavourful and was a perfect summer beverage.

My score: 7 out of 10.

The second course was a braised beef brisket in a savoury chocolate barbecue sauce with whipped sweet potatoes and roasted baby carrots. The beef was succulent, juicy, and flavourful, though I didn't taste any chocolate. It was a rich dish and I was thankful that the portion wasn't too large. It was delicious, especially with the creamy, smooth sweet potato.

The dish was paired with an Irish stout that J.P. called "Guinnish" (ABV 3.3%), as it was made in the tradition of Guinness. This stout was brewed with sour wort, which gives the beer a sour flavour. Guinnish is a dark cocoa brown with a fine, brownish cream head, much like Guinness. On the nose, the sourness comes through and gave me impressions of yogurt.

In the mouth, the sourness was full-force, backed with rich malts. For me, the sourness was a bit overpowering and did not exactly marry with the beef, though the sauce helped cut the sourness. The finish was very short and light.

For me, Guinnish rated a 6. I love stout, but this one did not meet my expectations. Sorry, J.P.

Next, we were treated to maple-fried pork belly with green beans and a sweet-and-sour cabbage slaw. The outside of the pork was crispy and flavourful; the inside juicy and delicious. And while I don't typically like green beans, these were crisp and fresh. The "slaw" was tangy and complemented the dish.

Unfortunately, the beer didn't. We were served a Belgian wheat ale (ABV 4.7%), called Quat??? (J.P. added the question marks, not me). The beer was delicious but didn't pair particularly well with the food.

The colour displayed a light, yellow grapefruit colour and held an unfiltered cloudiness. The nose was an attractive pear with tones of pineapple. On the palate, I tasted distinct yeast, light grapefruit, and orange citrus. Again, this would make a refreshing summer patio beer.

I gave this pairing a score of 5: the dish was delicious, the beer was good. However, together I found that the pork, and especially the "slaw," blew the beer away. With a mouthful of the dish, the flavours of the ale were reduced to water.

Having read the menu in advance, I was really looking forward to the next dish. The food sounded exquisite, the beer was one of my favourite styles. We were treated to pumpkin and squash perogies with roasted onions and a chive crème. It was delicious, though I found the crème a little rich. But this was one of my favourite dishes of the evening.

Paired with this dish was J.P.'s Pumpkin Nut Porter (ABV 6.9%), the un-mulled version of our first beverage. Deep brown with a creamy head, this porter offered a distinct pumpkin and spice nose. In the mouth, I tasted raisin and a slightly burned sugar flavour. In the finish, I sensed a mild espresso.

While the pork in the previous dish overpowered the wheat ale, I felt the porter sometimes overpowered the perogies. I had to balance the beer in the mouth with the amount of crème on my fork to achieve a decent pairing. And when I did, I loved it.

Out of 10, I gave this course a 9.

The next course featured a pan-seared cod filet in a citrus buerre blanc, with arugula and shaved fennel and pear. I had to be careful because I'm allergic to pear, and so I gave those parts of my salad to Lori.

The cod was moist and flaky, and melted in my mouth. The sauce was lightly lemony and was delicious. And the dish married perfectly with the beer, a gruit ale.

Called Sage Gruit (5.6%), J.P. was inspired by Beau's Bog Water, which doesn't use hops and, therefore, cannot truly be called a beer. And while Sage Gruit didn't remind me of Bog Water, I loved it nonetheless.

Copper-amber in colour, this brew was clear (if memory serves me, Bog Water looked like... well... bog water). On the nose, I detected a distilled aroma—whisky or cognac—with herbs: specifically, sage. Inhaling the aromas through the nose, my sinuses cleared up and I felt a slight burning at the back of the throat.

On the palate, the sage continued and mixed with ginger, and was slightly sweet. The finish offered a complex licorice. This was an awesome drink served with a fantastic dish. The pairing, I said, was perfect.

I gave the gruit an 8 out of 10.

The final dish was dessert. I showed you a picture of it yesterday. Let me show it again because it was awesome. It was a homemade apple cider cream pie with a caramel sauce and apple chips (shaved, dried apple). I couldn't eat the chip that stood up in my pie like a flag because I'm terribly allergic to apples. I can eat apples if they're very well cooked: dried apple isn't cooked apple.

But the rest of the pie was to die for. Rich and creamy; sweet, but not too sweet. And the crust was flaky and perfect.

To match, J.P. presented a Black Harvest Ale (ABV 5.2%), a black American Amber-APA blend. The hops for this ale, Zeus and Cascade, were hand-picked by J.P. himself. Half of the hops were grown in his back yard; the others were picked (with permission) from the Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware.

Coffee-brown in colour with a delicate, lacy head, this black IPA delivered beautiful, intense citrus hops. The palate picked up deep, grapefruit and hops flavours with a malty nut finish that lingered and blended perfectly with the pie.

It was heaven: and for that, I gave it a perfect 10. I could drink this beer any day, all day long.

To finish, we were treated to an aperitif that was a black IPA liqueur (ABV 25%). J.P. learned this recipe from the owner of a pub in Berlin and presented his impression. Deep toffee coloured, there was a date nose with a hint of coffee. Drinking this liqueur, I was reminded of a warm, tawny port and Kahlua. Despite the high alcohol level, there were no legs on the sides of the glass and the alcohol did not dominate the drink.

It was a true treat. I didn't rate it, but I did love it all the same.

My thanks go to J.P. and Trish, who presented a memorable dinner experience with some lovely food and interesting beer. While not all of the dishes paired particularly well, the dishes and beer were all good on their own. J.P. is a great brewer, who I feel privileged to call friend.

And the next time he organizes a beer-pairing dinner, I'll be back. And I strongly recommend that you go too.

I also want to thank Garth and Ellen for the company at our table. 

Beer O'Clock: Tasting Overload

This weekend, I went to a beer tasting with a small group of beer lovers. There were seven of us in total, and each of us brought a few bottles of beer that was either new to us or that is hard to come by in the Ottawa area. We had more than 15 different beers to sample.

So many, in fact, that we didn't have a chance to go through them all.

So many, that I lost track.

So many, that I forgot some of the last few glasses.

Some of you might think that this was just one big piss up, but I assure you that we didn't each drink one bottle of all that was on offer. We shared bottles, from growlers down to your standard 341-ml bottles. We had no more than four to six ounces per tasting. And sometimes, a sip was all it took.

So while we sampled a lot of beer, I probably consumed no more than three or four pints. Tops. And I had a designated driver.

Years ago, when my wife and I hosted or attended wine tastings, we typically had no more than six wines to try, and that was a good thing. You could concentrate on a variety that was easy to keep track of. Some wines would be memorable; others would be decent; once and a while, you'd encounter a wine you'd want to forget. But with six bottles, you remembered them all.

I made a lot of mistakes at Saturday's tasting, but first and foremost my biggest blunder was not writing anything down. Not taking names, details, and tasting notes. I had planned on writing down my findings, but once we sat down and dug into our first beer of the evening (a seasonal blueberry wheat ale), I decided that instead of "working" I would just enjoy the evening. Just socialize. Just experience the moment.

The company was great, but I still wish I had at least photographed the bottles so that I could refer back to them.

But because a lot of these beers are not available in many areas, including my own, I was thinking that it would be pointless to give you details.

So take this post as a cautionary tale: if you're going to do a tasting, keep track of what you have.

Here are some of the beers that I did find fascinating:

• Blueberry Wheat Ale, Ashton Brewing: this was a nice light-flavoured beer to refresh our palates and warm us up.
• White Horse Ale, Mill Street: I first tried this unfiltered ale from a cask at the National Capital Craft Beer Week festival. It has a great balance of creamy spice and hops. It's one of my standard pints at the brewery's Ottawa pub. Drinking it from a growler felt special.
• Milk Stout, The Duck-Rabbit: pass the chocolate-chip cookies! This was an amazingly creamy stout with a slight sweetness that reminded me of chocolate milk. It was my favourite dark beer of the evening. From North Carolina.
• Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale, Mill Street: this was a beautifully flavourful pumpkin ale that had a great balance of spice and real pumpkin. I'll be reviewing this beer properly in an upcoming review of pumpkin ales, so I almost skipped the tasting of it this weekend. I'm glad I didn't.
• Venskab, Beau's: this is a creamy-smooth Belgian Tripel-style ale. Aged on ice-wine-soaked oak chips and then aged again in Canadian white wine barrels, there is a nice fruit and yeast flavour. Beautiful.
• 90-Minute IPA, Dogfish Head: I first had this massive IPA in a restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina a couple of months ago. Afterwards, I made it my mission to find more. I picked up a couple of 4-packs in Washington, DC. Love it.
• Ten Fidy, Oskar Blues: my wife summed up this stout with three words: "It's a committment." This beer was so dark that no light passes through it. Heavy licorice and molasses flavour and a whopping 10.5 percent ABV made this the heavyweight of all stouts.

We tried other wheat ales, other IPAs, and other stouts (I had a pumpkin spruce stout that was simply overkill). And while I didn't take notes, didn't take names, I learned a lot. My tasting skills were put to the test and I feel I held my own. I was in good company with people who knew their beer and liked to share.

I overloaded my tastebuds. I learned that we have to limit the number of beers we try in a tasting. Towards the end of the evening, I was tasting previous beers in the ones I was putting to my lips. I had too much.

But I also learned this: I want to do another beer tasting again soon.