Beer #31 - Innis & Gunn Rum Cask

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Special Edition
www.innisandgunn.com

I thought I would end the month like I started it, reviewing a fine Innis & Gunn offering.  This special edition is, as it's name suggests,  matured in rum casks. 

It has a clear dark red colour, with a nice white foamy head.

It smells of hops and malt with the great undertones of rum, definitely there but not overpowering the definite beer smell.

It starts off cleanly with the hops and malt touching the tongue with he hit of rum mixing with them pretty quickly and completely overtaking the malt, but mingling with the hops and creating a nice counterpoint between rum and hops on the finish.

Overall its an interesting beer, with a nice interplay between the flavours.  It would be a nice brew to enjoy at the end of the day and would go well with red meats and game.  I'd recommend it just like the rest of the Innis and Gunn line.

Beer #30 - Yukon Red Amber Ale

Yukon Red Amber Ale
www.yukonbeer.com

Yukon Brewing opened its doors in 1997 under the name Chilkoot Brewing Co, in Whitehorse, Yukon.  15 years later and still brewing, they employ over a dozen people, only the name has changed to Yukon Brewery.  This is one of their two flagship beers (Yukon Gold Pale Ale being the other) and they both sell equally well.  This one happens to be the brewmaster's favourite and I can't say I blame him.

It has a nice reddish-amber colour with a nice thick creamy-white head which clings to the side of the glass.

It has a malty sweetness in the aroma with a nice hoppy bitterness and a little hint of citrus.

It starts clean with the hops coming in mixed with the citrus and the sweetness of the malt and just fades away to leave just a lingering of hops on the tongue.

This is once of the nicest amber ales I've had in a long time.  The sweetness of the malt with the citrus notes mingle so very well with the bitterness of the hops creating a great flavour profile.  I would suggest this would go well with nearly any meal and of course, go well with some friends on the patio as well.

Beer #29 - Newcastle Brown Ale

Newcastle Brown Ale
www.newcastlebrown.com

Newcastle Brown Ale has been brewing since 1925.  It was originally brewed in Newcastle upon Tyne, obviously where it derives its name.  In 1960 Newcastle Brewery merged with Scotttish Brewers to form Scottish & Newcastle.  In 2004 Scottish & Newcastle purchased Federation Breweries, changing the name to Newcastle Federation Breweries, and they closed the Tyne brewery and moved operations to the Federation Brewery at Dunston in 2005.  In 2008 Dutch brewing giant Heineken bought Newcastle Federation brewery and in 2010 production was moved to the John Smiths Brewery in Tadcaster.  This particular brew is still one of the top selling ales in the UK and is imported to over 40 countries where it is enjoyed in large numbers as well.  In fact, at some times, more than half of the production of Newcastle Brown is being exported.

It has a clear copper-brown colour with a tan frothy head.

Smells lightly of hops with a hint of citrus.

Tastes lightly of hops at the start which intensifies in the middle and fades out with some citrus coming into the taste.

Very refreshing and drinks lighter than you would expect from the colour.  It is a good year round beer, perfect for enjoying on it's own when you want something that drinks light but still has some flavour.

Beer # 28 - Driftwood Brewery BlackStone Porter

Driftwood Brewery BlackStone Porter
www.driftwoodbeer.com

Driftwood Brewery is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  This beer contains a partial sour mash which was not uncommon in pre-Industrial Revolution Porters. It lends a very subtle tartness to the beer.

The colour of this English style porter is deep, dark and black.  With a light brown, thich and foamy head.

You can smell the chocolate malts balanced with the hops with nice nutty and roasted undertones.

It starts with a big roasty and malty flavour, the hops hit in the middle and take over in the end and it fades away leaving some maltiness.

It feels rich and smooth, like sipping a cold latte.

Overall this is a nice porter, fairly standard of the style with the surprise of such a nice clean finish.  It would go well with any pub fare or other rich foods.

Beer #27 - Unibroue L'ephemere

Unibroue L'ephemere
www.unibroue.com

This beer started off as one of a series of seasonal fruit brews by Quebec's Unibroue.  This apple infused beer has become the most popular and the only one to be sold year round.  Some of the others in this series include blackcurrant, cranberry, peach and raspberry.  Like most if not all of their beers this is bottle conditioned so there is a little sediment, just upend the bottle a few times and it should be all smooth.

A nice golen yellow colour, with a little cloudiness and a great white foamy head make you begin to thirst for it as you begin to pour it.

It smells of granny smith apples quite strongly, with some of the beer characteristics hiding in the background; yeastiness, maltiness and hoppiness.

The apple hides a little more in the taste, right from the get go you taste the yeastiness and maltiness with the apple and hops just being tasted on the tip of the tongue.  The apple and hops both begin to take centre stage with the apple finally upstaging the hops to take a nice long bow at the finish.

It drinks very light and refreshing.

This was not quite what I was expecting, it's a much more complex and subtle fruit beer than I've tried in recent memory.  It is greatly refreshing, with that hint of apple just lingering so nicely on the tip of the tongue to make you thirst for another sip.  It is nice by itself or with meals, such as pork, chicken or lamb especially.

Beer #26 - Liefmans Fruitesse

Liefmans Fruitesse
www.liefmans.be

Liefmans has been brewing in Belgium since 1679.  They use a variety of traditional Belgian processes such as fermenting in open vessels and blending young and old beers to create blends.   This fruit beer is made with 15% real fruit and matured on cherries imparting the strong cherry smell and taste.

It has a very red colour with a pink frothy head.  It really has the appearance of a red cream soda.

It smells very strongly of fruit, you can pick out the cherry, strawberry and raspberry quite easily and has a hint of maltiness coming through as well.

It starts of with the blend of fruits and the malyt mingling like a malty fruit punch, which fades pretty quickly to a cherry finish.

It drinks like a soda far more than like a beer.

This is a really nice and refreshing fruit beer, great for a dessert with a low alcohol content (4.2% ABV) so it's not as big of worry of over drinking.

Beer #25 - Dead Frog Pale Ale

Dead Frog Brewing Pale Ale
www.deadfrog.ca

Vancouver, BC area craft brewery Dead Frog Brewery has only been brewing since 2006 and has earned some loyal fans already.  The folks at Dead Frog are all about having fun, which with a name like Dead Frog doesn't come as much of a surprised.  When asked why they started their brewery this is what they had to say:
"We loved drinking beer, smelling beer, looking at beer, holding beer, talking about beer, romantic picnics with beer, watching sunsets with beer, moonlit strolls with beer, ballroom dancing with beer, watching The Notebook and Rudy with beer, etc... You get the point, we love beer!!!"  This pale ale is one of their top sellers and is available year round.

It has a nice rich amber colour with a nice thick white foamy head.

It has a great hoppy aroma with some citrus undertones.

It starts clean with a hint of the citrus notes with the nice hop flavour coming in mid taste which fades away leaving a nice clean finish.

It's a nice pale ale, with a little more hops than is typical of the pale ale style with the added uniqueness of the hint of citrus.  It is the kind of pale ale you could easily sip on a nice summer afternoon and keep sipping them until your BBQ is ready and even keep sipping them a little longer.

Beer #24 - Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby Ale

Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby Ale 1905
www.duchyoriginals.com

This beer is the top selling organic beer in the UK.  Duchy Originals Inc was founded by Prince Charles in 1990 and is dedicated to producing high quality organic products in the UK, beer being only a tiny part of the product mix.  Duchy Originals partnered with Waitrose, a UK grocery concern in 2010, increasing its distribution network.  Since the beginning Duchy has donated of 6 million pounds to The Prince’s Charities Foundation.

It has a deep amber colour with a cream coloured foam head.

It has quite a fruity aroma, full of blackcurrant, citrus and grape notes, with hops and malt mingling creating a nice complex aroma.

The taste starts with the bitterness of the hops, followed by the maltiness and finishing with the fruitiness mingling with the hops at the ending and fading away on the finish.

It sips smoothly with the carbonation apparent on the tongue.

A fairly distinctive ale with a nice and complex flavour profile.  It would pair very well with stews, beef and fowl, or just sipping on it's own.

Beer #23 - Wychwood Hobgoblin Ruby Beer

Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin Ruby Beer
http://www.wychwood.co.uk

The Wychwood Brewery is located in the town of Witney, in Osfordshire, England.  Wychwood started off in 1983 as the Eagle Brewery, later changed to Glenny Brewery named after the owner.  Shortly after a partner joined in the company the name was changed to Wychwood Brewery.  The brewery was started at the site of Clinch's Brewery, a notable brewery in the area that operated from 1841 to sometime in the 1960's.  

It has a red-amber colour with a frothy ivory head that clings to the side of glass leaving a trail of brewer's lace.

It smells of hops, malt and a subtle blackcurrant note.

The hops come to the forefront being overtaken by the maltiness and finishes with the subtle blackcurrant notes lightly lingering on the tongue.

It has a light clean mouthfeel with a slight thickness.

It is a truly unique "Legendary Ruby Beer" a very nice brew for Fall/Winter to be sipping in front of the fire.  I would pair it with pub fare or comfort foods.

Beer #22 - Orval Trappiste Strong Ale

Orval Trappiste Strong Ale
www.orval.be/en/

Belgium's Orval Brewery is a located in the Orval Abbey, which has a history going back as far as 1124. "Located within the confines of the Abbey, the Orval Brewery was created in 1931 to finance the enormous reconstruction works of Orval.  It has hired lay workers from the outset, including the master brewer, Pappenheimer, who invented the recipe.  The brewer’s commercial policy is adapted to the values of the monastic community.  Income from Royalties generated from the brand name go to social welfare works and the maintenance of the buildings."

It has a cloudy orange-yellow colour with a thick frothy white head.

It smells of yeast, hops, blackcurrant and grape.

It starts off with a nice blend of yeast and malt, with the fruit notes coming in followed quickly by the bitterness of the hops and finishing clean with a hint of the fruitiness and hops lingering on the tongue.

It feels somewhat sparkling with a light clean texture.

It is a great example of the Trappiste style of beer.  Not as alcoholic as some coming in at 6.9% Alcohol By Volume, with a nice taste profile.  It is a good beer year round, on its own or with a meal.

Beer #21 - Hacker-Pschorr Weisse

Hacker-Pschorr Weisse
www.hacker-pschorr.de

This German brewer, the Hacker-Pschorr Brewery traces its roots to 1417 as the Hacker Brewery, 99 years before the enactment of the Reinheitsgebot, or the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516.  In the 18th Century the owner founded the Pschorr Brewery, both breweries were merged in 1972.  This beer, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, is their best selling beer.

This wheat beer has a nice golden colour with a thick white foamy head made up of very tiny bubbles.

It has a very clean aroma of hops with a fruity-wine like undertone.

It starts with the maltiness of the wheat, with the hops coming in along with the wine-like undertones, with all the flavours fading away leaving a clean finish.

It drinks with a thickness and silkiness leaving a clean, crisp and refreshing finish.

Overall this is a great wheat beer.  Very refreshing and would be great on a warm summer day with barbeque, or just on the deck.

Beer #20 - Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brooklyn Brewery, located in, you guessed it, Brooklyn, New York, has been brewing, as they say, "flavorful beers that enrich the life, tradition and culture of the communities it serves" since 1988.  Pretty lofty goals, but all is possible with good beer and they've been making some pretty good beer and they've got the loaded trophy shelf to prove it.  They have just completed expansions to their brewery to double their over all capacity for 2012 and quintuple it by 2013.  Sounds like they've got a lot of big plans.  This particular beer is a is a take on the Imperial Stout style and is quite potent with a 10% alcohol by volume content.

It has a beautiful deep brown-black colour with a nice frothy brown head.

It smells of chocolate, espresso, hops and malt all with an undertone of the high alcohol content.

It tastes of the chocolate and espresso right from the get go, with the malt not far behind and finishing with the bitterness of the hops.  The alcohol content is not as apparent in the taste as it is in the aroma.

It sips very smooth and velvety on the tongue with a thick character similar to a capuccino.

Overall this is a great stout, it would be great with desserts such as ice cream, cheesecake, or any chocolate or fruit desserts.  It would also pair well with strong cheeses or rich foods.  Its high alcohol content is masked by its smoothness.  Of course this would also drink well on its own as a dessert beer, or just sipping in front of the fireplace.

Beer #19 - Uncommon Brewers Baltic Porter

Uncommon Brewers Baltic Porter
www.uncommonbrewers.com

Uncommon Brewers are located in Santa Cruz, California.  They've been brewing as a company since only the early-mid 2000's.  But the principals have had another 10+ years of brewing experience.

Normally I don't steal so much from the brewer's website, but this just has to be used as is:

"Late in the 18th century Britain's great brewing families were working hard to break into new markets. For the Baltic Sea ports they created an export version of the traditional British Porter. Styled like an IPA to preserve them for the voyage, those profound Baltic Porters served to ward off the chill winds of that northern sea.

That said, we weren't satisfied with the Baltic Porter's traditionally subtle hint of black licorice. This ale features a blend of whole licorice root and star anise to create an uncommon addition to that traditional export Porter's hearty character."

It is deep black with a thin light brown head.

It smells of coffee, chocolate and vanilla with a little toasted barley and hops undertones.

It starts of tasting of nicely toasted barley with the coffee and chocolate-vanilla sweetness coming in mid taste with a nice hoppiness which lingers and fades away.

It has a nice thick and almost creamy mouthfeel.

Overall it's a beauty.  I will be having some more of this, thankfully a pub I frequent has it on tap.  I did find it a little odd how the licorice character never came through for me and that it manifested as coffee, chocolate and vanilla.  I guess that's just how it played with the hops and barley to me.

Beer #18 - St. Peter's Honey Porter

St. Peter's Honey Porter
www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk

St. Peter's Brewery, or more properly the brewery at St. Peter's, was opened in 1996 in St. Peter South Elmham, Bungay, Suffolk, England.  It's housed in some old agricultural buildings that ceased to be used in the 1960's.  They have a unique oval bottle which most of their beers are found in  This oval bottle is a 500ml copy of one from Gibbstown, near Philadelphia which dates from c. 1770. It was produced for Thomas Gerrard, an innkeeper with a tidewater inn on the Delaware River

This beer has a deep brown-red colour, with a great reddish-white foamy head.

The aroma of honey is strong with a nice counter point of hops and maltiness in the background.

The honey taste is right in the foreground of the first sip, with the hops and maltiness jumping in a split second later.  The mid taste is all about the hops, with the honey jumping in after a second or two and fading gently away.

This drinks and feels a lot lighter in the mouth than most porters do, but it has enough thickness and silkiness to tell you that you are still drinking something of substance.

Overall, this is a great twist on Porter.  It's not so sweet that you can't drink it with pub fare like a regular porter, but sweet enough you could easily have it as a dessert beer.  I think I will be exploring using it as a base for a marinade come barbeque season.

Beer #17 - Propeller Extra Special Bitter

Propeller Extra Special Bitter
www.drinkpropeller.ca

Propeller Brewing is located in Nova Scotia, Canada and is the best selling microbrewery in the Province.  They opened their doors in 1997 and have been brewing up a storm ever since.  They have a lot of special brew blends just for local restaurants as well.  This Bitter is brewed in the style of English style bitters (ESB) but with a little Canadian twist thrown into it, making it their best selling offering.


It has a deep amber colour with a light brown thick foamy head.

A nice aroma of hops, caramel and maltiness.

It tastes much like it smells with a great hopiness with the sweetness coming mid-taste with the maltiness takes over and gently fades away.

It has a nice silky mouthfeel with a hint of thickness.

Overall it is a nice bitter, a little sweeter than your typical English style bitter.

Beer #16 - North Coast Brewing Scrimshaw Pilsner

North Coast Brewing Scrimshaw Pilsner
www.northcoastbrewing.com

North Coast Brewing, located in Fort Bragg, California, has been brewing since 1988.  They started off as a brew pub and have now grown to their beers being available in 47 states now and also are exported to Europe and the Pacific Rim.


It has a very light clear golden colour with a nice light white foamy head.

It smells very lightly of hops with a hint of citrus.

It tastes very clean, with a light hop taste right from the start with it juat fading away to a clean dry finish.

It drinks very light and refreshing, a great alternative to water.

It is a nice light beer for a hot Summer day.  Sadly I had mine while watching snow come down, it just made me long for some Summer weather.

Beer #15 - Van Diest Fruli

Van Diest Fruli Strawberry Beer
www.fruli.be

Fruli is a blend of wheat beer, brewed in a small craft brewery near Ghent in Beligium, and strawberry juice creating a one of a kind beer drinking experience.

It has a very reddish amber colour with a light pink head.

It smells very strongly of strawberry with just a hint of hops and malt.

It tastes of strawberry right from the get go and a little hint of the hops comes in and fades to a strawberry and champagne flavour and just fades away.

It drinks quite sparkly, much like a champagne with the carbonation.

Overall this is a really nice fruity dessert beer or good paired with a dessert course.

Beer #14 - Tree Brewing Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale

Tree Brewing Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale
www.treebeer.com

Tree Brewing located in Kelowna, BC has been brewing since 1996.  They've reinvented themselves a few times over the past 15 or so years, with a new beer line-up and new packaging.  Personally I still miss their Spy Dark Lager from when they first opened.  This amber ale is their best selling beer currently.

It has a beautiful dark amber colour, with a rich cream coloured head.

It smells of hops, caramel and a berry note.

It starts with a stron hop flavour with the caramel slowly overtaking the hops and fading away and leaving a light berry flavour mingling with the hops creating a nice clean finish.

It sips pretty smooth and clean with a little bit of thickness.

Overall the flavour profile and the complexity make it an intriguing brew.  It goes well with meals or on it's own.  

Beer #13 - Peroni Nastro Azurro

Peroni Nastro Azurro
www.peroniitaly.com

Peroni has been brewing Nastro Azurro with the same recipe since 1963.  Peroni Brewery opened in Vigevano, Italy in 1846, then moved to Rome in 1864.  Nastro Azurro is their premium brand, the name mean Blue Ribbon in Itallian.  It is a pale lager and is one of the best selling beers in Europe.

It has a very pale appearance with a strong white foamy head.  Tiny bubbles of carbonation continue to rise to the top for as long as it takes to drink the glass.

It has a nice clean hoppy aroma with some grape undertones.

It tastes of grape and hops right from the start with the hops fading away and leaving a wine like taste lingering on the tongue.

It very much feels like drinking sparkling wine that has lost some of it's sparkle, or less carbonated sparkling wine more technically.

Overall a nice light refreshing beer with a fairly unique taste profile.  Great for a nice summer barbeque with some nice Italian sausage,

Beer #12 - R&B Red Devil Pale Ale

R&B Red Devil Pale Ale
www.r-and-b.com

R and B has been brewing in Vancouver, BC since 1997 with a mission to stay local and independent.  The owners had decided that they needed to "Stand in opposition to what the beer world had become – big, non-descript, faceless, and corporate." This particular offering is brewed as an English style pale ale, which is why you will notice more of a hop-kick.

It is a really nice reddish amber in colour, with a nice white foamy head. Brewers lace clings to the glass as you drink it down.

It smells strongly of hops with a light citrus undertone. The hops come straight to the forefront of the taste and stay there with the malt and citrus joining towards the end and all just fading away leaving a lingering of all three flavours on the tongue.

It is a little more hoppy than the average pale ale.

It sips a little lighter than the average pale ale, yet still has a little richness and smoothness on the tongue.

Overall a very refreshing pale ale with a great taste profile that stands out from the majority of the other pale ales out there. Great to drink year round, especially good with barbeque or just hanging out with friends watching the game.

Beer #11 - East African Breweries Tusker Lager

East African Breweries Tusker Lager
www.eabl.com

Tusker Lager was renamed after co-founder of the Kenya Brewery, the original brewer of Tusker, George Hurst was killed by an elephant while on a hunting trip in 1923.

Very pale straw coloured with a very white thick foamy head, which clings to the side of the glass.

A very hoppy aroma with citrus and malty notes. The hops come straight to the forefront with citrus and malty notes coming in the mid taste and fading to the hoppyness lingering at the end. 

It drinks smooth, refreshing and light.

Overall it's a pretty undistinguished lager very typical of other African beers. Refreshing to drink on a summer day.

Beer #10 - Faxe Royal Strong

Faxe Royal Strong
www.faxe.com

The Faxe Brewery from Denmark has been brewing since 1901 as a small local brewery and has grown to a European brewing giant.   This offering is one of their highest alcohol content beers but still drinks smooth.

It has a very light & clear golden hue with a thick white and foamy head.

It has a fruity and hoppy aroma, with the alcohol content quite apparent in the smell.

It tastes surprisingly light for the high alcohol content. It starts with fruity notes with the hops coming into the taste and gently fading away leaving a clean and crisp taste on the palatte.

Overall it's a nice beer that drinks way easier and smoother than one would expect with an 8% alcohol content. It is a very refreshing beer and would be great on a summer day, just be careful with how easily it drinks.

Beer #9 - Whistler Brewing Winter Dunkel

Whistler Brewing Company Winter Dunkel
www.whistlerbeer.com

The Whistler Brewing Company is, as its name suggests, is located Whistler, BC.  Proving that it's not just great skiing that the area should be known for.  Founded in 1989 within the first 5 years of the Canadian craft brewing revolution.  This Winter Dunkel is a special edition and was first brewed for selected restaurants and beer cafes.  The response was enough that they decided to bottle it for the masses.

This brew had a beautiful deep dark brown colour with a light brown foam top.

It smells strongly of espresso with sweet undertones of chocolate and citrus.

The taste starts with some chocolate and citrus, with malt and espresso notes coming in and just gently fading away leaving the chocolate and citrus notes lightly lingering.

It has a somewhat silky mouth feel and it drinks a little bit towards the thick side.

Overall it is a nice beer to sip in front of the fire, or to enjoy in any other winter setting.  Even paired with desserts or food it will be a nice accompaniment.

Beer #8 - Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Samuel Adams Winter Lager
www.samueladams.com






Samuel Adams is named for a hero of the US Revolution who was himself a brewer.  When The Boston Beer Company was formed, their first beer in the 80s was Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Adams has continued to be their namesake since.

It has a rich ruby to dark amber colour, with a slightly brown head.  Tiny bubbles of carbonation float to the top.

Fruity and spicy-cinamon notes are abundant in the aroma, creating an almost wine like bouquet, with an undertone of the hops.

It starts with a light taste of hops, with the citrus notes coming to the forefront in the middle of the taste with both the fruity notes and hops gently fading away.

It drinks like most lagers with some oily texture making it somewhat silky on the tongue.

Overall it's a nice Winter lager, that drinks somewhat lighter than many other Winter seasonal offerings.

Beer #7 - McAuslan St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

McAuslan Brewing St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
www.mcauslan.com/en

This Oatmeal Stout has received internation accolades and for very good reason.

From the pour it looks like dark black oil into the glass, the head is a mocha coloured foam cap.  Its a deep thick black beauty.

The aroma is like espresso with a sweet undertone like chocolate.  After smelling it, I don't think it is possible to resist sipping it.

It starts with the hops and malt, with the body carrying a sweetness and fading away back to the hops and malt.

It feels velvety smooth in the mouth, inviting you to keep drinking and let it roll around in your mouth.

Overall this is a great example of an Oatmeal Stout, I know I will have it again.  It would be great to base a stew around too.

Beer #6 - Unibroue Maudite

Unibroue La Maudite
www.unibroue.com

This beer is refermented in the bottle and has a shelf life of 5 - 8 years.  Apparently after this length of time it will  have notes of creme brule and fruit cake, sounds like it would be worth putting one away for a future Christmas.  Unibroue in Chamblay, Quebec, Canada has a selection of interesting beers, there are severasl more that I will be sampling.

This beer has an intriguing deep coppery red colour, it's quite cloudy in appearance with a nice foamy head.

It has a very distincitve aroma of citrus and yeast at the forefront, you can smell the malts, spiciness and hops in the background.

The yeastiness comes to the forfront in the first sip with some maltiness, with hops and citrus notes coming in and fading to a nice clean finish with a hint of the yeastiness, hops and citrus.

It's a slightly thick brew, the cloudy texture is present in the mouth feel.

Overall this is an intriguing beer. Brewed in the style of Belgian Abbey style ales, it is great paired with rich foods.  I enjoyed one with some hot turkey sandwiches and it was the perfect complement.

Beer #5 - MacTarnahan's Brewing Winter Hum Bug'r Ale

MacTarnahan's Brewing Winter Hum Bug'r Ale: A rich, holiday porter.
www.macsbeer.com

MacTarnahan's Brewing Company is located in Portland, Oregon.  They were one of the first craft breweries to open in Portland during the resurgence of brewing in Portland.  Portland has come to be one of the epicentres of this resurgence of craft brewing in the United States.  Of this particular beer they say: "A deceptively dark holiday ale, decking the halls with cheer."

This brew is a nice and dark brown, so dark that from a distance you would think it is black, it is only when you are bringing it to your mouth you can notice the deep brown colour.  It has a great head, which disappears within a minute or so.

It smells of deep chocolate malt and bitter hops.  Gives the impression that it will taste like an English Style Bitter.

The first sip brings maltiness quickly overtaken by the bitterness of the hops which linger on the tongue as it gradually fades away.

It has a very slightly thick feeling as you drink it, not as thick as one would expect with the depth of colour and it being called a porter.

Overall a decent addition to the holiday special edition beer category, most definitely not your run of the mill porter.  I can't wait to have one with some good pub fare.

Beer #4 - Dead Frog Brewery Mandarin Orange Amber Ale

Dead Frog Brewery Mandarin Orange Amber Ale
www.deadfrog.ca

This is a seasonal offering from Vancouver, BC area craft brewery Dead Frog Brewery.  Dead Frog has only been around since 2006 but has gotten quite a following in that short time.

It has a wonderful amber colour with a nice light foam head.

Its aroma is filled with mandarin and citrus, with undertones of the hops usually associated with an amber ale.

It starts surprisingly clean, with only hints of citrus, hops and malt.  The citrus then comes to the forefront and fades away with the hops taking over and finishing clean with a lingering maltiness.

It feels smooth and light in the mouth.

Overall, this is a nice change, light and refreshing in contrast to most of the other winter seasonal beers. It is easily refreshing and clean enough that I would probably enjoy it in the summer.

Beer Sampling Tip: The Glass

When sampling beer what you drink it out of is vitally important.  Beers are far more complex than most people think and complex balance of flavours, aromas and visual components all become as intended by the brew master when poured correctly and into the right glass.  For information on pouring, see yesterday's Beer Sampling Tip: The Pour.

I know, you are probably skeptical that a certain glass can make such a difference, some of you may not think there's any difference from drinking it out of a bottle.  Next time you are in a nice pub, notice all the different glasses they used for the variety of beer offerings.  It isn't all a marketing ploy by the breweries to get their names out there more, or to make more money on the sale of glasses, it enhances the experience of drinking the beer.  Try having a beer in it's proper glassware, in a random glass and out of the bottle or can.  It will taste, smell and look different each way.  To take this a step further, in some cases breweries have been known to craft a glass specifically for their beer rather than using the standard glassware for it's type and in some cases even designed the glass before they've started on the beer.  I think the latter is a bit of putting the cart before the horse, but that may just be me.

I'll go into the specific glassware in future Beer Sampling Tips.


Cheers!

Beer #3 - Anchor Brewing Steam Beer

Anchor Brewing Steam Beer
www.anchorbrewing.com

Stolen from their website: Anchor Steam® Beer derives its unusual name from the 19th century when “steam” was a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice. While the origin of the name remains shrouded in mystery, it likely relates to the original practice of fermenting the beer on San Francisco’s rooftops in a cool climate. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air naturally cooled the fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans. Once a nickname for any West Coast beer brewed under these conditions, today the name “steam” is a trademark of Anchor Brewing and applies only to the singular process and taste of our flagship brand - San Francisco’s original Anchor Steam® Beer. The classic of American brewing tradition since 1896.

It looks deeply amber with a nice foam top.  The bubbles constantly coming to the top.

The aroma is light, hoppy with some grape undertones.

It has a nice strong hoppy and malty start, with the hops fading away in the middle and leaving you with just a light lingering maltiness.

It feels clean and refrecshing in the mouth.

Overall it is a nice refreshing beer with a unique taste.

Beer #2 - Driftwood Brewery Fat Tug IPA

Driftwood Brewery Fat Tug IPA
www.driftwoodbeer.com

Driftwood Brewery is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  On the bottle of this Fat Tug IPA it says "With an extreme power to tonnage ratio, this behemoth delivers a barge load of hops.  This unassuming 22 ounce bottle 80 IBUs of unrelenting diesel power!  Let this Fat Tug pull you in slow and low to Hoppy Nirvana..."  With that intro, you must expect some serious hop flavour and it doesn't dissapoint.

The colour is clear and deep golden, with a strong white foamy head, which clings to the side of the glass as you sip.

The aroma is fruity and hoppy, giving the feeling this isn't your everyday IPA.

It starts with clean and hoppy notes, with the fruitiness of the aroma pushed into the middle of the taste.  It finishes clean with a nice lingering of the hops and fruity citrus notes.

It has a nice smooth mouthfeel, a silky texture that just fades away after your sip.

Overall it's a very nice IPA, with the strong hop taste of the style with some nice citrus over tones that make it feel quite refreshing.

Beer Sampling Tip: The Pour

Always drink your beer out of a glass, it is how the beer was intended to be enjoyed and it really does improve the taste, aroma and visual presentation.  We first taste with our eyes, then our nose then finally our mouth.

Pouring beer correctly allows the beer to have that perfect amount of head, the perfect flavour and the perfect aroma.  It is a bit of an art form.

To pour your perfect pint here are the steps:
- Be sure to use a clean glass, residue from previous beers or other beverages may inhibit the creation of that perfect head and not allow the proper flavours to come through.
-Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle, pour the beer aiming for the middle of the side of the angled glass.
-Once the glass is half full bring the glass to 90 degrees and continue to pour into the middle of the glass.  This will allow for the perfect amount of head, which should be about 1 - 1 1/2 inches.

Head is important to a good beer, it not only adds to the visual presentation but it also aids in releasing the beer's aromatic components.  It creates a sort of net that traps the hop oils and other aromatics that allows you to inhale them as you are taking a sip.  This improves the taste, as I said above, we first taste with our eyes, then our nose and then finally our mouth.

Cheers!

Beer 1: Innis & Gunn Highland Cask

Innis & Gunn has been brewing since 2003 and I've loved them since they started.  The Highland Cask is a special edition brew that is matured in oak casks used to age 18 year old Highland single malt scotch, which imparts a very distinctive oaky flavour to the beer.

The colour is a beautiful golden copper.  It is clear and inviting, with a nice cap of foam and small bubbles of carbonation rising to the top.

The aroma is full of oaky and malty scotch notes.  Just inhaling its aroma makes me thirst for that first sip.

It starts nicely balanced between malty & hoppy and finishes with the oaky notes of the scotch.  It has a very smooth and velvety mouthfeel, almost a creamy texture.

Overall this is a great beer to go with a meal or just for enjoying on its own.

Innis & Gunn Brewery is located in Edinburgh Scotland.  Visit their webpage at www.innisandgunn.com
Cheers!