Beer # 498 Zodiak IPA

Beer # 498 Zodiak by Omnipollo

Brewery: Brunswick Bierworks


Type: Partner Brewery    Est.:  2018

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.2 %      IBU: 65

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

brunswickbierworks         omnipollo

    @brunswickbier               @Omnipollo

 So this beer is a recipe from Swedish brewery Omnipollo brewed under a partnership with Toronto based contract brewer Brunswick Beirworks. It's listed as an IPA and is brightly hopped with a combo of simcoe, citra, and centennial hops. It's brewed with a combination of barley, wheat and oats which explains the range of flavours and sweetness. But other than that, there is not a lot of information on it. There isn't even much on Omnipollo which is a Stockholm Sweden Company founded in 2010 by Henok Fentie and Karl Grandin. So I guess they want the beer to speak for itself... Well, I found it does have a fair bit to say.


So onto our beer:

Pours a hazy yellow/green with an off white head made up of small bubbles. The nose starts off with tropical fruit and pineapple aromas which are backed up by a little resinous pine. The hop flavours switch spots in the first sip allowing the pine out first followed by a caramel sweetness and grilled pineapple. Some honey, passionfruit, hints of guava and kiwi. Hop flavours are very bright and green, the beer practically dances across your tongue. Very smooth, pleasantly hoppy and mildly sweet, the beer is very balanced and begs you to take another sip.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This beer is a lovely interpretation of the IPA style. It isn't "too hoppy" although there is a solid 65 IBUs in this beer. It isn't "too malty," or "too fruity" It has a little bit of everything. I'm not shy about my hops.. I can enjoy a face-melting over-hopped IPA any day, but it's hard to find fault with something that shows all the best aspects of a style in good moderation. This would be a fantastic day-to-day sipper, and a monster hit at your next patio party or sports-related function (such sporstsing, much points, very wow!). Try this out you will not be disappointed.


CJT

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Beer # 497 Dark Sky Reserve, Sawdust City

Beer # 497 Dark Sky Reserve

Collab with Taboo Resort in Support of Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Reserve

Brewery: Sawdust City Brewing Company


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  2014

Location: Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Sour ale with Adjuncts

ABV: 4.0%      IBU: ?

Format: Black Glass Bottle  Size: 750 ml

Cost: $19.95 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

sawdustcitybeer

    @sawdustcitybeer

Ok, I've sat on these notes for a bit but this was a very interesting beer so I am glad I got around to posting this. This came out during the summer when I was busy with the truck. So I wrote down some tasting notes and took some pictures and hopes I would finish this post before I forgot all about this beer. There is a place near Pint Jockey Headquarters called Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Reserve. it is an area set aside where there are minimal lights to facilitate sky watching at night. We have gone out for a few meteor showers and we have spent some time hiking there in the day. It is an amazing place full of wildlife, incredible geology, and foliage. If you are in the area please do try to visit. Just bring lots of water (it gets very hot in the summer) and do not leave any trash.

So the beer was conceived as a fundraiser and a way of bringing attention to the reserve, for I believe it was in danger of losing its Dark Sky reserve status. Local resort Taboo Muskoka and Sawdust City Brewery collaborated on this fruited sour. However, to make the beer stand out, they included two very unusual ingredients: activated charcoal, and gold flakes. Why? To simulate the gorgeous dark sky at night... more on that in the tasting notes. I didn't know this initially when I started to taste the beer, but you had to swirl the beer immediately after opening (gently) and before pouring. 

Onto our beer:

Pours a light cloudy yellow-green with a quite obvious particulate. Effervescent and active white head made up of tiny bubbles Aroma is bright lychee, pineapple, and grapefruit, very wine-like nose. First sip is tart and grapefruit. Very clean with a good hit of minerality. Halfway through I refilled my glass and noticed the beer turned a dark green-black. I swirled the bottle and poured again. The beer turned dark like a night sky with twinklings of gold flakes resembling stars. The taste changes to include a carbon hint.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 6/6 Exceptional



Final Thoughts: The most exciting thing about this beer was the experience of it, the fun discovery of the beer changing colour was thrilling. It was truly an "A-ha!" moment as all the pieces clicked in together. I tried to get the effect in the picture. if you look closely in the last photo you can see the tiny specs of gold that make up the twinkling stars in the night sky. Even though you are supposed to swirl this first I like the way I enjoyed this beer, because in a way you go from a beautiful sunny day in your glass to dusk, to midnight with all the stars around you. It tells you a story of how you can enjoy Torrance, from morning to night. The charcoal adds a touch of carbon to the taste but it is far from distracting from the bright sour fruit flavours of the beer. The gold is, of course, inert and adds nothing to the taste, but everything to the experience. I believe these are all sold now unless there are a few in the vault for next year. I hope they do this beer again because I would buy it to watch that transformation one more time.


Cheers
CJT

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Visit to Herald Haus Brewing Company Stratford, Ontario October 15th 2019

 The second brewery stop on our whirlwind visit to Stratford was the Herald Haus Brewing Company. It opened in 2018 on the Market Square in what was once the Stratford Herald Newspaper Building. The Herald Building as it was called was renovated and reopened as a brewery by Daniel J Graver. Their selection of beers are named to evoke the history of Stratford and area. We had a light meal before the show as you can see to the right, and below, charcuterie and some vegetable samosas. The cheese and meat were all produced locally as were the pickles. The charcuterie went well with the beer and the samosas were quite good. The dipping sauce for the samosas was terrible and did not compliment them at all.

Sadly I noticed a theme for the evening: lack of attention to detail. From confusion with their beers, to mismatched flavour in their food, to an unbalanced charcuterie board (pickle heavy, cheeses too similar in flavour profile and only one sauce, mustard, no chutney). Beer lines tasted like they needed cleaning (beers seemed flat with little to no head). Herald Haus was one of the breweries I was looking forward to trying and sadly they did not live up to my expectation.

Let's move on to my notes for the evening.

Onto our beer:

Beer # 492: SMS (Summer Music Saison)Saison 19
Style: Saison ABV: 5.5%  IBU: 35

Pours light gold with a short white head. Spicy on the nose with hints of wheat and citrus.slightly tart with hints of bitter green medicinal hops

Final Thoughts: Slightly confused here. At the brewery this was listed as SSM Saison 19 as you can see on the board, left, but on their website, it is The Summer Music Saison 19. Untappd just calls it the Saison 19. Whatever it is an underwhelming wheat-based saison with muted flavours.

Beer # 493: 21 Haze East Coast IPA

Style: NEIPA ABV: 6.8%  IBU: ?

Not very hazy clear gold short head. Aroma is tart fruit and pine. Very hoppy. With spice and bitterness. Sweet almost syrupy.

Final Thoughts: Ok this beer made me grumpy. Billed as an "East Coast IPA" which is just another term for NEIPA or New England IPA This beer is crystal clear despite the requirement of a NEIPA being "Hazy" it is an indication of the biotransformation that happens when the hops meet the various NEIPA strains of yeast. This is also responsible for the "juicy, "peachy," and "tropical" flavours of a true NEIPA. I first thought they had given me the wrong beer, but the flavour profile was close-ish so I just assume its a bad form of this beer. Pro-tip, if you are going to include "Haze" in the name of your beer... make sure it is hazy in the glass. Avoid.

Beer # 494: Perth County Conspiracy 
Style: American IPA ABV: 5.0%  IBU: 60

Amber gold in colour with a thin head. Malt forward with spicy hops.some caramel and biscuit.

Final Thoughts: This beer is named after a local Stratford area acid-folk band by the same name ( I've linked some music of theirs below). Seemingly based off of a West Coast IPA with spicy malt-forward notes. Really unimpressive.

Beer # 495: G.T.R. Rusty Rail Red 
Style: American Red Ale ABV: 4.3%  IBU: 26

Warm and malty with sweet hints of caramel and toast. Like a muscular Kilkenny. Nice Irish red style.

Final Thoughts: This beer was named after the Grand Trunk Railway which ran through Stratford. This is significant because Thomas Edison worked for the GTR as a telegraph operator as a teen. He ran away back to the States after he got called to the Head Office in Toronto to be fired for nearly causing a train wreck. This was hands down the best beer of the night but even here, confusion reigns. Listed as a 5.5% American Amber Ale on Untappd, The website lists it at a 4.3% English Style red. It drinks like a Kilkenny so I would call it an Irish Red and the alcohol feels closer to the 5.5% mark. Worth the visit at least.

Beer # 496: H2 Golden Ale
Style: Golden ale ABV: 4.7 %  IBU: 15

Gold in colour with very little head. Gateway beer... commercial golden style. Wet dog and mild hops, some malt, light rainwater. 

Final Thoughts: Very commercial. Tastes like Labatt 50 or Molson Golden. Worst beer of the evening.

Overall Thoughts: Wow, I think this brewery needs time to grow up a bit. There is a lot of confusion with their styles and flavour profiles. A lot of the beer is just meh, or average at best. I would like to see them do better I will have to revisit them sometime in the future.

Music of The Perth County Conspiracy

First Album: The Perth County Conspiracy,
 Does Not Exist (1970)

Rare Self Pressed Album: Rumour (1973)

Cheers
CJT

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Visit to Jobsite Brewery Stratford, Ontario October 15th 2019

For the second year in a row, we have had the good fortune to get down and see a show at the Stratford Festival. This year was a fantastic performance of Little Shop of Horrors. It was directed by the stellar Donna Feore, whose rendition of "Rocky Horror Show" at last year's festival will go down as the greatest live theatre performance I have ever seen. Some of last year's cast returned. Steve Ross who hilariously portrayed The Criminologist in Rocky last year took up the mantle of Mr. Mushnik the stereotypical Jewish flowershop owner. And last year's star Dan Chameroy who earned his fishnets bringing Dr. Frank N. Furter to life last year played the execrable Dr. Orin Scrivello DDS.

I have had a tough time thinking about this play though. All good theatre should make us think and this musical sure has made me wonder about the message of the play and it's role in modern theatre aside from being a vehicle of nostalgia. Originally based off of 1960's Roger Corman B-movie flick, Little Shop grew into a tragic love story between, hapless Seymour and his unfortunate co-worker Audrey. Audrey is a downtrodden woman. She is in an abusive relationship with a sadist. She claims to have a checkered past where she worked in shady nightclubs wearing revealing clothing. The dialogue stops just short of her professing to take money for sexual favours. Seymour is an orphan who was taken in by Mushnik for a source of cheap labour. Seymour finds an unusual plant which brings success to the Skid Row Flowershop. However, the plant turns out to be a carnivorous alien bent on taking over the world to eat all humans. The only common thread is Exploitation... which granted, was Corman's bread and butter. Mushnik exploits Seymour, and later his customers, Seymour Exploits Audrey II (the plant) who in turn is exploiting him. Orin the Sadistic Dentist exploits Audrey in stomach-churning ways. I want to say there is a cautionary tale in here but there is no real lesson, There is no redemption. Everyone dies. Be greedy, or don't be greedy the plant will get you in the end. Even at the end, when Audrey sacrifices herself so the plant can live and Seymour can continue to be successful just feels wrong; re-inforcing that outdated notion that a woman has to give up everything for her man. Audrey dies feeling "purpose" because she believes Seymour deserves better.


The only thing I can think of here is we need this play, to see how far we have come... or maybe how far we still have to go. And perhaps to bawl your eyes out when the heart-wrenching song "Suddenly Seymour" comes on.

Now don't get me wrong I was riveted while I watched this play. The production, singing and choreography were all on point and the casting was perfect. Gabi Epstein who plays Audrey (the human) is making the most of her first season at the Festival by drawing out, plainly, every single emotion, and regret, and fear, and hope on Audrey's face. She blows away the audience with her emotional version of "Somewhere That's Green." 

Anyway, I'm getting away from myself. I'm not here to review Stratford (as much as I enjoyed it) I'm here to drink beer.



So before the show, the Queen of Pint Jockey Headquarters and I voyaged over to a brewery we heard about last year but ran out of time to visit. Jobsite Brewing Company has been open for just over a year and occupies an old lumberyard on the edge of downtown Stratford. They share their repurposed building with a great little distillery called Junction 56.   Their unassuming entrance advertises two things: Pizza and Craft Beer. Enough said. Started in 2017 by Dave Oldenburger and Phil Buhler who were working together in the construction business and decided to combine their love of creating buildings and beer. Jobsite was their result and the brewery has been chugging along since August 2018. When we were in Stratford last they had only been open for 2 weeks!

So the Queen and I picked up a couple of sample boards and tried them out. Here are the notes.




Beer # 484: 2x4 Cream Ale
Style: Cream Ale ABV: 4.8%  IBU: ?

Lightly cloudy straw colour with a thin white head clean nose with notes of citrus and grain.Smooth and light with notes of malt and a slight creaminess. Slight chemical finish.

Final Thoughts: Average cream ale, a little watery. 

Beer # 485: Handyman Harvest Wet Hop Pale Ale
Style: Wet Hop Pale Ale ABV: 4.5% IBU:  30

Amber gold in colour with a light, off-white head. Aromas of pine and citrus and tropical fruit. First sip is bright green hops moving into a spicy west coast pale ale. Good malt representation a little ashy on the finish.

Final Thoughts: Average wet hop pale ale. Good hop choices and character but falls down on the Pale Ale aspect there is a disconnect in the flavour profile as it moves from the bright hops to the malt flavours.

Beer # 486: Impact IPA

Style: India Pale Ale ABV: 6.9% IBU:  ?

Golden orange in colour with a creamy off white head. Pine and citrus on the nose and mildly grain forward. First sip is balanced and sweet with pine and juicy fruit. One of the more mellow and smooth IPAS I've had. Not spectacular, but very enjoyable.

Final Thoughts: This is a different flavour profile for an IPA that I have tried. It's a little more muted and balanced. The hops don't try to rip your face off. I wouldn't class it as a favourite, but it is very interesting and worthy of more study.

Beer # 487: Wrong Nail Amber Ale
Style: American Amber Ale ABV: 5.4% IBU:  ?

Medium-dark amber colour with an off white head. Aroma is sweet and malty. Warming notes of toasted sugars and molasses smooth creamy finish. Aeration gives us toasty bread and brown sugar.

Final Thoughts: Sweet, malty, and balanced. One of the best ambers I've had in a while. The flavour profiled is "nailed" just like the eponymous "wrong nail," building a smooth sippable amber.

Beer # 488: Honey I'm home Hazlenut Hop Honey Brown
Style: Flavoured Honey Brown Ale ABV: 5.2% IBU: 20

Dark chestnut in colour with an off white head. Aroma is Frangelico maple and hazelnut. First sip doubles down on the Frangelico and adds a mild coffee and chocolate.Finish is sweet with a hint of chemical... possibly it is the hazelnut extract.

Final Thoughts: I hate extracts in beer. They are really chemical and off-putting. The last thing I want in a beer taste is the memory of the time I snuck into my Mom's baking cupboard and tasted the artificial hazelnut extract. Blech.

Beer # 489: Big pour stout.
Style: American Stout ABV: 5.8% IBU: ?

Dark chocolate brown with an off tan head dark roast coffee on the first sip with TONS of smoke. Bacon and wood smoke finish is campfire and cocoa powder.

Final Thoughts:  Excellent stout. Dry, light-bodied, smokey, and chocolately. One of the highlights of this visit.




Cider # 11: Hammer Bent Red Cider (Guest Tap)
Cidery: Twin Pines Cider House Location: Thedford, Ontario, Canada
Style: Traditional Cider ABV: 6.8% IBU: 0

Clear gold in colour with little head Aroma is freshly crushed apples fruity tart and dry.clean and crisp with a natural malic acid finish. Great dry cider.

Final Thoughts:  Fantastic dry cider. It reminds me of old Magner's Aged Cider before they messed around with it for mass commercial distribution.

Beer # 490: Weisse Ankle Wheat Ale
Style: Wheat Beer ABV: 5.0% IBU: ?

Light gold in colour with a skiff of white head. Deep cuts of banana and clove. Standard wheat beer.

Final Thoughts: Very average. Needs more character.

Beer # 491: Confection Connection Raspberry Lime Milkshake IPA

Collab: TWB Cooperative Brewing Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Style: Flavoured Milkshake IPA ABV: 7.8% IBU: ?

Orangey red with a light white head. The aroma is cream cheese/cheesecake. Raspberry dominates the middle with a light citrus hum. The effect with the lactose is pure cheesecake creaminess and sweetness. The finish is lime zest.

Final Thoughts: Now this was interesting! It tasted like you blended up a raspberry lime cheesecake with a nice IPA and served it like a milkshake. I really haven't found many Milkshake IPAs I have liked but I did like this one we ended up trying this one twice because the Queen and I both enjoyed it.

Jobsite Social                                      TWB Co-op Social
 jobsitebrewing                              twbcoop

    N/A                                              @twbcoop

Cheers
CJT

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