Beer # 258 Maple Buttertart Ale
Collaboration with The Griffin Gastropub, The Township of Midland and Sam Corbiel of Sawdust City Brewery
Sweetgrass Brewing Company
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Independent Brewery
Flavoured Altbier 5.0% ABV
Aluminium Can 473 ml.
$3.25 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @SweetgrassBeer
Tonight's beer was thought up at the Griffin Session Toronto this year where they asked communities to suggest a collaboration brew. The Township of Midland was the winning suggestion and hence we got the Maple Buttertart Beer. What could be more Canadian? We invented buttertarts and we certainly do know our beer. The beer was a collaboration between Sam Corbiel of Sawdust City, the Griffin Gastropub, and Sweetgrass Brewery which handled the actual brewing.
Let's try some buttertarts...
Pours a dark amber with an off-white head made of small bubbles. Aroma is strong with rum extract. First sip is slightly tart with a creamy mouthfeel. Slightly sticky, some caramel, sugars. Malt in the back ground. some vanilla. Aeration gives us some maple and a bitter aftertaste.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order: 1/6 FAIL
Experience: 3/6 SO-SO
Christmas Cheer: 3/6 SO-SO
Final Thoughts:
I was so excited for this beer. I thought it was a great idea, however, the execution left something to be desired. The extracts used were way to powerful and detracted from the actual taste of the beer. Everything felt artificial. I was not really reminded of buttertarts, and the butter rum extract wiped out any notion of maple or vanilla in the background. I hope they do this beer again and this time use real maple syrup and real vanilla, perhaps some lactose to give a sweet creamy feeling. For now... avoid.
Cheers
CJT
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Ol' Woody Alt
Sawdust City Brewing Company
Gravenhurst
Independent
Alt Beer 5.7 % ABV Aluminium Can 473 ml.
$3.00 (Canadian) At the brewery
Twitter: @SawdustCityBeer
A couple of days ago was the International Day of Beer. And I meant to post this blog on that day ... but it has been a busy weekend at work. So I submit it to you now.
Friday morning was a surprise announcement on Facebook from one of our local breweries. Finally after more than 2 years brewing at another location Sawdust City has come home and opened it's doors for a soft opening. If you want to know what it takes to get the Pint Jockey up early and out of the door before he has had his coffee... well... it's this. Pictured up and to the right is the new home of Sawdust City on the Main Street of Gravenhurst. The tap room was still being set up when I got there and someone was still in Toronto waiting for the actual taproom license (he arrived a few hours later but I was at work). But the bottle and gift shop was open, still a flurry of activity stocking shelves and setting up debit machines and the cash register. Two products were being sold one was Lone Pine IPA which I have already posted about here. And Ol' woody Alt, which I had not had the pleasure of tasting yet. I was informed that Golden Beach Pale Ale was currently being canned and would be on the shelves later... but again... that work thing. (I think I may have to wander over and get one later this week! Stay tuned!). Plus they are currently working on stocking growlers which I am excited about as well.
So, tonight's (or rather last Friday's) beer is Ol' Woody. It is a term that refers to Gravenhurst rich tradition of wooden boat manufacturing, and racing. Gravenhurst was home to two major powerhouses in boat building Ditchburn and Greavette. The Ol' Woody can celebrates them with a stylised illustration of a wooden runabout manufactured by these companies. Every year These boat builders and their many enthusiasts are feted with the annual "Antique and Classic Boat Show" usually held the first weekend in July. It is a "must-see": if you are in town.
Enough showboating... onto the beer.
Dark amber to chestnut in colour with a thick off tan head made up of very small bubble, long lasting and some good lacing. The aroma is caramelised, roasted malt with a good strong whiff of nuts especially chestnuts. First sip is a little grassy, with herbal hops, which is followed by deeply roasted malt, coffee, and earthiness. Finish is slightly bitter, with elements of burnt sugar. Aeration is warm smoky caramelised, and malty.
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:
So far Lone Pine IPA is still my favourite but this is a solid beer as well. Good flavour nice style, lots going on in the taste profile. I wouldn't turn one down at all, and neither should you.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
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Beer Style: 3/6 SO-SO
