In Search of Tom Thomson: Part 2, A Beer With Tom - Big Timber APA Lake of the Woods Brewery

Big Timber

Beer #364 Big Timber APA

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company

Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Established: 2013
American Pale Ale
6.0 % ABV IBU: 60
473 ml Aluminium Can
$3.20 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @LOWBrewCo

The Cairn

So yesterday, We took a canoe trip across Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park to visit some of the Tom Thomson sites. Specifically the Memorial and his grave. I figured Tom Thomson shared his passion with us so I wanted to share mine with him. As I am a beer blogger I knew no better way. In our packed lunch I smuggled in a glass and a can of beer. (Beer is not forbidden in the park. Cans are recommended, bottles are frowned upon, and they prefer you to drink at a campsite... so a little rule bendy...) I had picked Lake of the Woods From Kenora and their BIG Timber American Pale Ale. Since Tom Thomson was a Park Ranger and an avid woodsman, I felt this was appropriate. Plus I think the guy on the can looks a bit like him.

Canoeing shakes up your beer a bit

Onto our Tasting... it's as pretty as a picture.


Pours a light amber gold with a massive off tan head... mostly from the canoe trip herbal hops tropical fruit carmelised pineapple biscuit and woody. First sip gives us a smooth malt forward ale with plenty of fruit and orange zest to back it up. Aeration gives us spicy wood some caramel some bitter green hops lemon zest and a lingering tropical fruit sweetness.

Brew with a view

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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

Lunch

Final Thoughts: 

Woodsy malty and robust. It was an excellent choice for the trip up to visit Tom Thomson. I'm not sure what was better, tasting the beer or experiencing it in this historic outdoor location. Canoeing across the lake sure built up a thirst and the beer didn't last too long but the memories will always remain. It went well with our Lunch which included homemade smoked chicken liver pate with grilled shallots, a Welsh Cheddar, and some freshly picked kale salad from my garden that morning. But It will pair equally well with burgers, BBQ, friends, and Canadian Art.

Don't Drink and Canoe... I am an
Untrained Professional...

Cheers

CJT




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Beer # 363 Anniversary Ale: Moosehead Breweries

Beer #363 Anniversary Ale

Moosehead Breweries

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Independent National brewery
Established: 1867 (As the Army Navy Brewery in Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Pale Ale
5.7 % ABV IBU: 38
473 ml Aluminium Can
$2.75 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @MooseheadLager


When one thinks of Moosehead, especially here in Ontario, one usually thinks of the lager, served in green bottles, often skunky, adored by many and reviled by almost as many. I'm in the latter category. I do not like Moosehead Lager. I use to work a Bar that had a 75-foot long bar along one wall with three complete bar stations. Once a Moosehead was cracked, I could smell it almost anywhere on that bar. However, this is not that beer... So I must try it. It is also important to note, that along with the #Canada150 celebrations this month Moosehead is also celebrating 150 years of operations. Started in 1867 just as the Articles of Confederation were being shopped around, by a woman: Susannah Oland. Now, this seems remarkable given the time and place, but we must remember that traditionally brewing beer was a job for a woman. In fact, the name "Brewster" is the only occupational name (eg. Smith, Baker, Cook) That was originally feminine. 

Canada has a long history of brewing. Basically, as soon as the Europeans set foot in the new world... somebody looked around for something to malt and brew. The first commercial brewer in Canada was reputed to be Louis Prud'Homme who set up a small brewery in Montreal in about 1650 (prior to this beer was brewed at home). There have been many breweries since then but only a few remain in operation. Molson (1786), Carling (1818), Alexander Keith's (1820), Labbat (1847), and twenty years later The Army Navy Brewery, which grew to be Moosehead. However, of those names... Carling was bought by Molson which in turn merged with Coors of The United States. Labbat bought Keith's brewery and then was in turn purchased by Belgian company InterBrew which merged with Brazillian Company Ambev which merged with Anhueser-Busch which merged with SAB MIller to make the enormous zombie beer conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (UGH!). That leaves Moosehead. Moosehead is still owned by Susanah's grandchildren. For six generations the Oland family have owned and operated Moosehead breweries making it the only wholly independent National Brewery left in Canada. 

To celebrate, they brewed a beer... Let's try it.

Pours a cloudy medium to dark gold with a massive off white head made up of small to medium bubbles. Aroma is very malt forward with some strong hints of caramel, and molasses. A little grassy and hoppy right near the end. The first sip gives us classic Brittish Pale Ale stylings with a sweet fruity maltiness. Medium bodied malt gives way to a nice warm caramel, vanilla with a hint of molasses on the finish. Aeration is biscuity and bready with hints of wine.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6  PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

This was a good pale ale. Not a standout, but drinkable. I would have expected something a bit more spectacular for a sesquicentennial anniversary. But it is still far better than their lager in my opinion.


Cheers

CJT

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Update, Canada Day, Canada Beer Month, FUNKFEST Live Blog, and a Yeast Named Brett,

Well first off it's Canada Day, So let's mention that right up front. Today we celebrate the 150 years of Canada officially being Canada. This year has been sort of controversial in that regard because Canada is certainly not 150 years old to many people; it is mostly a metric of British colonization. Montreal Recently had their 350 anniversary, and Quebec City is Celebrating 409 Years.And without getting too deep into the major politics of Canada Day, the Indigenous Peoples of Canada have been calling this place home for 50,000 years. While I'm a proud Canadian and enjoy the benefits of what calling myself Canadian means around the world; I like many people feel the need to open a dialogue on how we can best celebrate this nation, our long history, and it's many people. Anyway, that is too heavy a subject for today and my little beer blog. Just keep in mind as you raise a beer for this sesquicentennial celebration of the greatest nation, it's not about the numbers, it's about our people.

Yes. I know. I've been gone a long time. Sorry. My new job keeps me pretty busy so I haven't had much time to Blog. So I am taking the opportunity this month to fix that; I declare this the Second Annual #CanadianBeerMonth. The Fridge of Fame is stocked with some awesome Canadian Craft Beers from a few different provinces, and I'm going to get to as many of them as possible.

You are probably wondering why I am up so early, and it can only be one thing: it's FUNKFEST! Every year on the Canada Day Lond Weekend, Sawdust City Brewery hosts... oh, about a thousand or so of their closest friends to celebrate Sour Beers. They have invited over 40 breweries down to pour special one-off and seasonal brews for a total of around 85 beers! It is an amazing time. I went last year and thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I have been looking forward to this year's Fest for quite some time. So throughout the day, I will be posting updates from the Fest with beer tasting notes, pictures, and maybe a video or two (we'll see how my poor phone holds up under the battery strain). Just don't expect any Pulitzer prize-winning narratives... (85 beers remember!). Follow me on Facebook, and Twitter with the hashtag #PintJockeyLiveBlog.

Onto the last item, I wanted to talk about this morning. Brett. When you ask what makes a sour beer, and more importantly why would I want to drink one, the answer begins with Brett. Or Rather Brettanomyces. Brettanomyces if a particular yeast strain that grows on the skins of fruit. It was first discovered in Brittain when people started to investigate what was causing some off flavours in some Brittish beers. They discovered that this on particular yeast strain contributed a "funky" citric acid taste to the beer. Not desirable for the Britts. The yeast strain was named "Brettanomyces" which literally means "Brittish Fungus." ( I dare you to come up with a better name for a punk band than Brittish Fungus). However, there are certain styles of beer where this little sugar chomper is desirable. And many of these styles have become popular in recent years with the craft brew crowd. Lambics, Gueuze, certain Saisons, Old Bruin, and Flander's Red style ales all take advantage of the fruity sour hint of Brettanomyces. It is also used in barrel aging beers to produce a brighter more complex beer. I have seen Brett applied to more and more styles lately, especially the crowd favourite IPA, which, when balanced with juicy hops can make a thirst-slaking refreshing brew.

I will try and talk more about Brett in some upcoming posts. Right now I want to drink some. Well, Funk Fest Starts in just over 3 hours. So if you are going hope to see you there, if you are not, please follow along as I taste my way through as many beers, as I can safely consume. (Don't worry, there is a bus!)

Cheers
CJT