The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 20 Flight Plan Double IPA

Beer # 520 Flight Plan Double IPA

Brewery: Lake of Bays Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2010

Location: Baysville, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Double India Pale Ale

ABV: 8.0 %      IBU: 84

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.45 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

lb_brewing

    @lb_brewing

Another great local brewery to me is Lake of Bays. They are situated just a half an hour up the highway from us here at Pint Jockey Headquarters. This hefty high alcohol IPA fits nicely into our category of warming beers for the holidays so I thought I would give it a shot.

Onto our beer...

Pours a classic amber with a generous white fluffy head made up of small bubbles. The nose is grainy and toasty with hints of caramel and raw alcohol. The first sip is grain forward and roasted malt with dark caramel. Hops are green and herbal and take a minute or two to develop. Mouthfeel is a little thin. Aeration gives us toast and caramel, and bitter hops.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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

Final Thoughts:

Just a little too thin on the mouthfeel for me. I know there is a lot of alcohol in there but I want a little more oomph when I drink my IPAs especially the double ones. Still an easy-drinking, excellent beer and certainly worthy of some time in your glass.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 368 The West Wind Black IPA: Lake of Bay Brewing Company

Beer # 368 The West Wind Black IPA

Brewery: Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 2008

Location: Baysville, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Black IPA

ABV: 7.0%      IBU: 90

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.15 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @LB_Brewing

I wrote about my little mini journey to go seek some of the sites that were important in Tom Thomson's life and death this summer and managed to share a beer with him "in spirit." Had this beer been released back then I would certainly have taken this one, as it was specially brewed with the 100th anniversary of Thomson's death in mind. Tonight's beer is The West Wind Black IPA. Lake of Bays is a quaint little brewery in Baysville and they turn out some stunning beers. Longtime readers will remember their Hockey Mask series and a very Impressive 10 Point IPA from some time ago. Just recently I did their Wild North Series Pina Grande. So when this beer was brought to my attention I had to seek it out and try it.

The West Wind refers to Tom Thomson's painting of the same name. It was sketched in 1916 at the Ranger station in Cauchon Lake, Algonquin Park. Thomson finished it over the winter of 1917 just months before his death. This along with "The Jack Pine" are, I feel, his two most recognisable works, and the two that certainly best represent the rugged beauty of Canada's North. Strangely, it is reported that as Thomson was sketching this painting he was doing it in the middle of a windstorm, as evidenced by the whitecaps on the lake. He was at the Ranger station with his patron Dr. James McCallum, and fellow painter and future Group of 7 member Lawren Harris. Dr. McCallum and Harris were watching Thomson paint the sketch in the wind when the tree depicted in the painting was blown down, nearly on top of Thomson. He got up, waved at the other two men, righted his easel and finished painting. Can anyone say "bad-ass Canadian?"

So then, our beer tonight is for bad-ass Canadians, rugged in spirit and irrepressible. Let's see how it stacks up.


Pours an opaque dark chestnut brown about the same colour of the water of Canoe Lake just before final sunset.  A darker tan head floats above made up of tiny bubbles. Aroma light malt chocolate and coffee with a tiny bit of molasses. First sip is very transformative. It attacks the senses as a dark ale, with deep malts and chocolate and espresso. But as the beer wraps itself around your tongue the body of an IPA emerges, like sunshine breaking through clouds. Bright and hoppy, lots of green and slightly bitter hop aromas mingled with some light tropical notes. Hints of vanilla and brandy. Aeration gives us toasted wheat hints of dried fruit, some turbinado sugar, and leaves the lips slightly sticky.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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


Final Thoughts:

Just Like a Tom Thomson painting, don't expect everything to be on the surface. Expect to be surprised, enthralled, and left with a deep sense of calm. This beer was a pleasant surprise, it swirls around you quickly like the wind, but then draws you up into that beautiful sky. The West Wind is a perfect name for this beer and does indeed capture the spirit of Thomson's work. Subtle and bold, calm yet still a bit startling. It is hands down the best Black IPA I have tasted (so far!). Please get your hands on this limited edition while you still can. And raise at least one glass to Tom.


Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 365 Wild North Series Pina Grande Lake of Bays

Beer # 365 Wild North Series Pina Grande

Brewery: Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 2008

Location: Baysville, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Wheat Ale

ABV: 4.2%      IBU: 29

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.15 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @LB_Brewing

I'm a little late in posting this one. The notes have been languishing in my to-do pile for quite some time. I've had a very busy summer with work and renovations and gardening, I've been coming home and falling into bed more than poking at the blog like I should be. Never fear Fall is here as is the flood of new seasonal beers and unfortunately Pumpkin Spice everything. Don't look for any Pumpkin beers on the blog this year, I've suffered through enough. They are rarely worth the effort, either overly sweet or over spiced. I may still taste a few, and if by the rare chance I find a good one... I'll share. But I would rather talk about the deep, dark, unctuous, and lethally alcoholic beers that arrive with the cooler weather.

But now... A beer that is far from deep dark and unctuous, A bright flavoured wheat from The people up in Baysville. Pina Grande is a wheat ale that has added pineapple juice in the brew to tick up the acid, add some nice fruit sugars and a hint of tropical brightness. Which is really nice to talk about when I've been dealing with frost warnings in my garden since August.

Onto our beer.

Pours a bright clear gold with a generous white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is pilsner malt with some wheat, light citrus, and a hint of roasted pineapple. The first sip is very malt forward with a district pilsner feel. Light fruity sweetness keeps this ale from being too malty and a hint of bitter hops crisps it up and keeps it light on the tongue. Pinpricks of citric acid and a hint of tinniness/mineral right at the end is reminiscent of pineapple juice from a can. Aeration sweetens up the brew bringing the pineapple forward with hints of papaya and banana. 

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


Final Thoughts:

This is a delightfully easy drinking beer. Nice and bright with good flavours. The pineapple mixes well with the tropical flavoured hops, and the wheat malt keeps it nice and clean on the tongue.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 7: Winterhaven Spiced Rye Ale, Lake of Bays Brewing

Beer # 306 Winterhaven Spiced Rye Ale

Brewery: Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 2008

Location: Baysville, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Rye Ale

ABV: 8.0%      IBU: 30

Format: Crown Capped Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 750 ml

Cost: $11.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @LB_Brewing



Another brewery I haven't been to in  awhile, Lake of Bays out of Baysville is generally good for a nice seasonal, so when I saw this one I got excited. Firstly it's a rye beer, and anyone who knows me, rye beers are quickly turning into one of my kryptonite beers. I love them and I am defenseless around them. Secondly, it's holiday spiced. Ok that puts it on the list for the #2-4beersofChristmas. And thirdly... do I need a thirdly? Not really. It's beer, It's new I'll try it.

Tonight's beer is a spiced rye with a flavour that is supposed to be reminiscent of gingerbread... Great call for the Christmas beers.

Onto the tasting...

Pours and dark amber colour with a dark hued off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is dominated by baking spices, ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, followed by some fresh rye notes. First sip is a combination of gingerbread and rye toast, light malty rye, not the heavier European style. Light rummy molasses round out the attack , with soft hints of caramel vanilla and turbinado sugar. Mouthfeel is light and a touch creamy. Aeration whips the beer up like whipped cream and gives it a warming brandy note. Hints of  licorice  and clove linger on.

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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:


This is a great Christmas beer. I often have a problem when beers are "spiced," they tend to be overdone. Too much spice in the beer gives it a sickly and artificial taste. Although the spices are strong in this beer they still play nicely with the malts and hops and leave a good fairly well rounded beer. Definitely one to try and get while they are still on the shelves.
Cheers

CJT

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Muskoka Brewery's 20th Anniversary Event Saturday June 25th 2016

Ok. My summer has been super busy. I'm just sitting down now to clear up my notes for the blog and I have a few posts that I have started and not finished due to lack of time. Usually, I would just move on and put in fresh content but there are two posts I started that I do not want to disappear into the cyber ether. One was for Sawdust City's First annual "Funk Fest" which was an amazing day of beer and music, which I will get to a little later and the other was this post. Back in June I had the opportunity to attend The Muskoka Brewery's 20th Anniversary. They threw a party and invited a few hundred of their closest friends. It was a fantastic chance to try some interesting one-offs and some seasonal beers that were not going to make it into cans or venture much further than the tasting rooms of the breweries that made them. In attendance to help the Muskoka Brewery celebrate were friends from Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst, Whitewater Brewing Company in Forrester's Falls, and Lake of Bays Brewing Company in Baysville. Here are my notes... as always... better late than never.


Time to Party Like it's 1996

The Beer-Story

Serious Bling

Started in June 1996 The Muskoka Cottage Brewery, as it was known then, on the corner or Taylor Road and River Road in downtown Bracebridge. Over the years it has grown and expanded from its tiny original location with its rabbit warren of tanks and equipment to its shiny new location on Muskoka Beach Road at the edge of town. Their beer portfolio has grown from just a few bottles to a large number of interesting and flavourful brews that have filled their Trophy room to the brim. 

It was also a special day for another reason. Muskoka Brewery was celebrating the fact that they had become the first Brewery in Canadian history to guarantee a Certified Living Wage to all of its employees. That means that any employee would earn enough money to comfortably pay all of their bills and achieve "a basic level of economic security above the poverty line." It is a fantastic commitment from the company and a great investment in the community that the brewery serves.

Onto our Beers of the Day...


Whitewater Brewing Company

Forrester's Falls, Ontario
@WhitewaterBrew

Chinook Me All Night Long

Chinook me all night long 

Session IPA
3.8 % ABV
50 IBU

Honey amber colour light caramel on the nose with hints of citrus. First sip is chinook hops dominated piney and citrus. Aeration  brings out some caramel and bitter greens. Very refreshing

Honey Badger Brown

Honey Badger Brown

Brown Ale

5 %  ABV
20 IBU

Dark amber  with a smoky and molasses nose. Lots of caramel. First sip is sweet and malty yet still light. Honey on the background with just a hint of bitter greens.  Aeration gives us espresso  and lots of sweet honey.

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario
@LB_Brewing

The Daily Rind

The Daily Rind

Flavoured Session IPA with lemon zest
5.2 % ABV
50 IBU

Slightly cloudy Honey amber colour nose is light caramel with hints of lemon peel.  Very crisp and clean plenty of lemon zest... tart and zingy. some bitter greens on the finish. Aeration gives us more caramel and some sweet lemon curd.

Sawdust City Brewing Company

Summer Stache

Gravenhurst Ontario
@SawdustCityBeer

Summer 'Stache

Flavoured Berliner Weisse with Cranberries
3.5 % ABV

Bright red cranberry colour. Nose is very light red fruit first sip is very tart cranberry very clean bright and refreshing with a little wheat finish. Aeration brings out a citrus almost cranberry lemonade.

Muskoka Brewing Company

Ruff Draught

Bracebridge Ontario
@MuskokaBrewery

Ruff Draught

Tropical Blonde ale
5.0 % ABV
25 IBU

Light gold in colour nose is tropical fruit. First sip is pineapple with hints of wheat and banana and a hint of spice. Aeration pumps up the tropical fruit especially the banana

Cool as a Cuke

Flavoured Session American Pale Ale with Cucumber and lemon grass
4.7 % ABV

Cool as a Cuke

25 IBU

Colour is clear gold with hints of green. Nose is light grains and some caramel. First sip is bright refreshing  cucumber salad with hints of citrus. Aeration  gives us a hint of bitter greens more citrus and lots of sweet cool cuke.

Moonlight Kettle Series Muskoka Equinox

Flavoured American Pale wheat ale

Black cherry vanilla

4.6 %  ABV
20 IBU

Moonlight Kettle Series: Equinox

Slighty cloudy off gold nose is light and wheat with some vanilla. First sip gives us some background sweetness with cherries vanilla and banana... hmm I could make some ice cream with this. Tastes like a cherry soda. Aeration pumps up the vanilla and cherry with hints of lemon.

Longest Day

Oak Smoked ale

Piwo Grodziskie Oak Smoked Ale

3 % ABV
25 IBU

Moonlight Kettle Series: Longest Day

Rauch bier style. Smoked with oak. Very clear gold  with a strong campfire nose. Heavy oak smoke on the first sip tangy and zingy some citrus and very light caramel. Aeration is sweet smoke and Bbq.

Cross Border Citrus Porter

Collaboration with Ellicottville Brewery New York USA
@EBCwny

Cross Border Citrus Porter

4.5% ABV
33 IBU

Extremely dark chestnut nose is hoppy grapefruit and tropical fruit and strong citrus 
First sip makes me think of breakfast... strong coffee and grapefruit. Two different hints of bitterness bitter coffee and bitter grapefruit zest. Hints of chocolate and cocoa powder. 





Cheers

CJT

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Terrible Ted Red Lake of Bays Signature Series

Beer # 222

Terrible Ted Red Saison
NHL Alumni Signature Series

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Belgian Rousse 6.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni



The large red seven on the bottle says we are doing another Lake of Bays NHL Alumni collaboration Signature Series. Co-incidentally I just did a quick count and this happens to be the seventh edition in the collaboration. The highlighted player this time around is Renfrew Ontario native Ted Lindsay. 

Robert Blake "Terrible" Ted Lindsay was born on July 29th, 1925 to former NHA/ NHL goalie Leslie Bertrand Lindsay who had previously played for the Montreal Wanderers (Later Canadiens) and the Toronto Arenas (Later Maple Leafs). At the age of 19, Ted's junior hockey career had caught the eye of the scouts and he was invited to try out for the Detroit Red Wings. He soon found himself playing left wing with Sid Abel and Gordie Howe on the aptly named "Production Line." Six years into his NHL career, in 1950, Ted helped Detroit win the Stanley Cup, a feat they would repeat 3 more times: in 1952 and back to back in 1954-55. In the 1955 Stanley Cup Ted Lindsay was the first player to pick up the cup and skate around the ice with it. He did not loft it over his head and his only intention was to take it up to the boards so the fans could see it up close. The Victory Lap is now almost an institution where each player on the winning team skates a lap around the ice with the cup. Ted Earned his nickname by being a rough character, so rough in fact he was the reason the NHL instituted penalties for Elbowing and Kneeing. Not only tough on the ice, Ted Lindsay attracted unwanted attention from the team owners off the ice as well. In 1957 When Ted discovered that the amount of money in the players pension fund was being covered up and he realised that so many players were struggling to survive, often having to take summer jobs to make ends meet, he and fellow player Doug Harvey of the Montreal Canadiens secretly contacted all of the players in the league and quietly formed the NHLPA The National Hockey League Player's Association. Needless to say the Owners were furious. Ted Lindsay was stripped of his captain's C and he and Doug Harvey were both traded. The Owners spread rumours and lies about him trying to discredit him. But the NHLPA eventually came out on top. Player's salaries improved, and they received better benefits. The NHLPA became a union in 1967 and still represents players to this day.

For his part in the founding of the NHLPA The Lester B. Pearson Award for the NHL's most outstanding player was renamed the Ted Lindsay Award in 2010.

After 3 years as a Chicago Black Hawk Ted Lindsay returned to Detroit for one last season, in 1960, under the coaching of his former linemate Sid Abel. In 1966 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. and in the 1960's and 70's he served as announcer and on air commentator for the New York Rangers. Ted's jersey number hangs alongside his "Production Line" teammate's numbers in the Joe Louis Arena where it was retired in 1998. Since then Ted has been active in philanthropy.

Onto our beer...

Pours a dark orange-red with an off-tan head with a strong reddish tint in it. Head is short but long-lived and made of small bubbles. Aroma is strong with malt lots of roasty caramel and some light hints of citrus and spice, especially clove. First sip is slightly tart, a tad sour, Good caramel, some banana, more allspice and clove extended flavours of wheat Aeration gives us a woody caramel with a light spicy finish.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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


Final Thoughts:

The most striking thing about this beer, and the aspect of it I loved the most was the colour. It was a gorgeous liquid that shimmered and shifted in hues as the light struck it. Truly living up to it's name, red shone through just about everywhere. So far this is the lowest alcohol of the signature series and I think it is the most sedate. While it is an great example of a Belgian Rousse... it's just a tad unassuming. Beyond the obvious there is not a lot going on. Is it a good beer? Yes, definitely. Should you try it? Of course. Is it in the same league as its predecessors? Well... not really. All the other signature series beers have been bold and larger than life. This one seems to be riding the pine while the others are out scoring hat tricks. But therein I am comparing apples and oranges and it's just my opinion... Bottom line, it's a very good beer and you should try it.
Cheers


CJT


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