Tank Ten Series, Collaboration with Bar Hop Bar
Brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company
Type: Independent Microbrewery Est.: 1987
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Beer Style: Flavoured Porter
ABV: 6.5% IBU: 19
Format: Crown Capped Brown Glass Bottle Size: 650 ml
Cost: $7.95 CAD Purchased At: LCBO
Twitter: @GreatLakesBeer
Another Hard working brewery Toronto's Great Lakes Brewing company has been with us since 1987. Still the reigning champ of the best Brewery Tour I have ever had (and I met Jim Koch at Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston...). They are busy, busy bees down at Great Lakes. The list of beers they produce in a year is staggering, and most of them only the die hard beer nerds hear about as they made incredible one offs that only show up at festivals, and select beer bars in and around Toronto.
Always good for a punny label or funky artwork, especially in their Tank Ten series, tonight's beer is no exception. For those of you who are not in the know, Hanlan's Point is a beach on the Toronto Islands. They are a small collection of sand bars that are home to some old homes and cottages, a Yacht Club, an amusement park called "Centreville" (On Centre Island... no less) Owned by the Beasley Family for umpteen years. The Beasley's are actually old family acquaintances of my Father's. And of course Hanlan's Point. Hanlan's Point is named after famous Toronto world champion rower Ned Hanlan, and was officially dedicated in 1882. However the beach became notorious for another reason. It was isolated on the island and did not face the mainland so there were no clear sight lines. So for many years, Hanlan's point was Toronto's only "unnofficial" Clothing optional beach. That all changed in in 1999 when Toronto decided to start a pilot project to evaluate the merit of making Halan's point official. 0n March 17 2002, (St. Patrick's day no less...) Hanalan's Point was giving official Status as Canada's second public clothing optional Beach (Wreck Beach in Vancouver is number one). Yes... This does explain our rather frigid looking sunbather on the bottle. Other than that... why they chose Hanlan's Point for the name of this beer... I am at a loss. I just drink the beer I can't always understand it.
Tonight's beer is a coconut and coffee flavour porter, and was designed in collaboration with Bar Hop Bar of Toronto.
Let's dive in...
Pours a very dark Chestnut with a tan head made up small bubbles.Aroma is fresh roasted coffee, slightly smoky, hints of wood shavings, some hay and a slight nuttiness.First sip gives us all the coffee the nose promised and the coconut is limited to a subtle sweetness in the background. Reminds me of Vietnamese coffee with a little bit of condensed milk stirred into it. Mouth feel is creamy and full, slightly fatty and rich like I've just tasted some cream. Finish is where the toasted coconut pops up at the end of the coffee's long bitter finish. Lips are sticky like they are covered in roasted marshmallows. Aeration froths the beer like whipped cream and gives us a nutty roasted finish.
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: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer: 5/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
A pretty good beer despite the fact that I am not a coconut fan. The coconut was quite subtle, coming in at the end more as a feeling rather than a taste. Definitely if you can find this one try it out. I'm sure it will pop up again. (I actually had this bottle on hand for a while so it is currently de-listed). But if you can't find this, you won't go wrong trying any of Great Lake's Tank Ten series.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online
Another Hard working brewery Toronto's Great Lakes Brewing company has been with us since 1987. Still the reigning champ of the best Brewery Tour I have ever had (and I met Jim Koch at Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston...). They are busy, busy bees down at Great Lakes. The list of beers they produce in a year is staggering, and most of them only the die hard beer nerds hear about as they made incredible one offs that only show up at festivals, and select beer bars in and around Toronto.Always good for a punny label or funky artwork, especially in their Tank Ten series, tonight's beer is no exception. For those of you who are not in the know, Hanlan's Point is a beach on the Toronto Islands. They are a small collection of sand bars that are home to some old homes and cottages, a Yacht Club, an amusement park called "Centreville" (On Centre Island... no less) Owned by the Beasley Family for umpteen years. The Beasley's are actually old family acquaintances of my Father's. And of course Hanlan's Point. Hanlan's Point is named after famous Toronto world champion rower Ned Hanlan, and was officially dedicated in 1882. However the beach became notorious for another reason. It was isolated on the island and did not face the mainland so there were no clear sight lines. So for many years, Hanlan's point was Toronto's only "unnofficial" Clothing optional beach. That all changed in in 1999 when Toronto decided to start a pilot project to evaluate the merit of making Halan's point official. 0n March 17 2002, (St. Patrick's day no less...) Hanalan's Point was giving official Status as Canada's second public clothing optional Beach (Wreck Beach in Vancouver is number one). Yes... This does explain our rather frigid looking sunbather on the bottle. Other than that... why they chose Hanlan's Point for the name of this beer... I am at a loss. I just drink the beer I can't always understand it.
Tonight's beer is a coconut and coffee flavour porter, and was designed in collaboration with Bar Hop Bar of Toronto.
Let's dive in...
Pours a very dark Chestnut with a tan head made up small bubbles.Aroma is fresh roasted coffee, slightly smoky, hints of wood shavings, some hay and a slight nuttiness.First sip gives us all the coffee the nose promised and the coconut is limited to a subtle sweetness in the background. Reminds me of Vietnamese coffee with a little bit of condensed milk stirred into it. Mouth feel is creamy and full, slightly fatty and rich like I've just tasted some cream. Finish is where the toasted coconut pops up at the end of the coffee's long bitter finish. Lips are sticky like they are covered in roasted marshmallows. Aeration froths the beer like whipped cream and gives us a nutty roasted finish.
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: 5/6 PASSChristmas Cheer: 5/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
A pretty good beer despite the fact that I am not a coconut fan. The coconut was quite subtle, coming in at the end more as a feeling rather than a taste. Definitely if you can find this one try it out. I'm sure it will pop up again. (I actually had this bottle on hand for a while so it is currently de-listed). But if you can't find this, you won't go wrong trying any of Great Lake's Tank Ten series.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online
And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.
