canada craft beer

New Beer Blog Lake Of Bays Old North Mocha Porter

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into Lake Of Bays Old North Mocha Porter.  This craft brewery is from Canada.  They are part of the government back company in Canada.  There is not much history on this craft brewery.  There is nothing on their website and not much on the website.  Let us get into this porter.

This porter has a jet black color with a light tan color head that is really not there anymore. The aroma has a coffee to chocolate notes. The taste has a nice creamy chocolate notes with a dry coffee finish for the aftertaste.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Best enjoyed with a hearty meal and a nip in the air, this porter derives its rich character from roasted barley, chocolate malts and locally roasted coffee.  Bold and robust, Old North Mocha Porter is a faithful expression of the intrepid frontier spirit.

Here is a description from their website (www.lakeofbaysbrewing.ca):

Roasted barley and chocolate malt lend this porter its full, rich character, and the addition of locally roasted coffee takes the flavour profile still further. This is the fourth year we’ve brought you this delicious autumn seasonal, brewed in collaboration with Diesel House Coffee Roasters. A fitting tribute to the Old North we call home.

Tasting Notes

Pours almost black with beautifully creamy, mocha-coloured foam. Upon further inspection, the colours are actually deep ruby, garnet and dark brown. The aromas include cappuccino, mocha, chocolate and vanilla with a hint of molasses and pie crust. The flavours include subtle sweetness with dark chocolate, mild coffee and tiramisu. The mouth feel is dry (fairly mild) with some initial sweetness. The finish is medium-to-moderate bitterness that lingers and delivers a nice coffee profile that arrives quite late. 8% alc./vol.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.lakeofbaysbrewing.ca

Twitter:  @LB_brewing

Closing, I have to say I enjoyed this beer.  I know most breweries in Canada makes some great brews.  Their weakest is beyond far better than most bad craft breweries in the states.  There is a nice balance from the coffee and the porter notes.  Porter has some burn chocolate and natural coffee notes.  Lake Of Bays added some coffee and made it a focus on in this brew.  They did a great job to make the coffee notes shine but not over take the beer.  This is a like an cold Mocha coffee.  I highly recommend this beer if you can find it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Wild Rose Brewery IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into Wild Rose Brewery IPA for the first time on this blog.   Wild Rose Brewery was founded in 1996 by Mike Tymchuk.  They were founded in Calgary, Canada.   They brew several different beers.   Let us get into this IPA.

It has a slightly cloudy copper color with a white constant head.  The aroma has a slight caramel to citrus notes.  The taste has a citrus to caramel notes with a dry hoppy finish.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle and website (www.wildrosebrewery.com):

A beautiful copper-coloured ale, rich in caramel malt character and well-balanced with plenty of hops. An authentic India Pale Ale, this IPA is handcrafted for the true ale drinker.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.wildrosebrewery.com

Twitter:  @wildrosebrewery

Closing, I have to say I have been pretty impressed with some craft beers from Canada.  I always thought they were a bunch of Lager breweries.  I guess I am so wrong.   I know they brew several ales around the country.  I did not think they are pretty good.  Well, Wild Rose Brewery and Mill Street Brewery are proving me wrong.  I am sorry for saying and thinking it.  I love the caramel notes bending with the citrus.  I love the hoppy dry finish that keeps me coming back for more of it.  Wild Rose Brewery has a winner IPA here.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Unibroue Grand Reserve 17 Dark Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into beer called Grand Reserve 17 Dark Ale from Unibroue.  Unibroue was founded in 1990 under the name of La Brasserie Massawippi Inc in Quebec, Canada.  The name changed in 1993 to Brasserie Broubec Inc and then merged with Unibroue.  It was then sold in 2004 to Sleeman Breweries.  Sleeman Breweries was then sold to Sapporo.  Unibroue Brewery brews several different Belgian beer styles.  Let us get into  the beer.

It has a brown color with a white head on the beer.  The smell is a sweet malty and other species. The taste is a sweet slight carbonation and no aftertaste to the beer.  There is a lot going on in this complex dark ale.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Dark Ale on Lees.  Ale Brewed with Spices, Aged with French Oak, and with Natural Flavors added

Inspired by the great Belgian brewing tradition of Trappist monks established over the centuries.  Unibroue 17 was first brewed in 2007 to celebrate our brewery’s 17th anniversary.  However, the overwhelming success of this specialty brew made it obvious that we could not let such great ale slip into the anonymity of retirement.

As testimony to its remarkable flavor profile which increases in complexity as it ages, the original batch bottled in 2007 was awarded an international platinum medal three years in a row and the prestigious title of “World’s Best Dark Ale” when it was well past three years in the bottle!

So in 2011, we proudly brought back this French Oak aged, bottle refermented dark ale, with the “Grande Reserve” appellation as a fitting endorsement of its exceptional quality for aging.  Brewed only once a year, in limited quantities, and individually numbered “brasseur” bottles, this is truly a flavorful delight for the specialty beer enthusiast.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.unibroue.com

Twitter:  @unibroue

In the end, I really enjoyed this beer and I have to thank my friend let me try it.  There is a ton going on in this dark ale.  It is a sipping beer but it is pretty smooth.  I was pretty stun by this beer and I will be searching the rest of their beers down from this brewery.  To be honest, how much this beer was good, I would rather drink a beer from Belgium.  This brewery being from Canada is as close to the real thing from Belgium.  I recommend this beer and  I would like to hear your thoughts on this beer or other brews that Unibroue brew.  Any you recommend for me to try from this brewery.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser