The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 2: Bitter Waitress Black IPA by Shillow Beer

Beer # 459 Bitter Waitress Black IPA

Brewery: Shillow Beer Company


Type: Contract Brewery    Est.:  2014
Brewed at Common Good Brewing Company Scarborough, Ontario

Location: Ottawa/Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.5%      IBU: 86

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

shillowbeer

    @Shillowbeer

Our second beer of this #2-4BeersofChristmas Is a black IPA from Shillow Beer Company. Shillow is currently brewing their beer at Common Good Brewing in Scarborough but they are currently planning to build their brewery in Ottawa. Shillow brews most of it's beer to strict Kosher Standards. Brewing is supervised by the Kashrut Council of Canada (COR). Which is a fun coincidence because today is the start of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of lights. 

Onto our beer...

Pours a very dark chestnut colour with an ample fluffy head made up of small to large bubbles. Aroma is malty hoppy and smoky. First sip is smooth smoky and chocolate. As the beer warms it smooths out, more hops come to the front hints of molasses and liquorice near the finish. Aeration brings out some woody chocolate and mild hops.

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 good solid beer with lots of flavour. The smoky chocolate malt is quite good. The one thing I find funny is that although the IBU is 86, the hops are so very mild. They are there just muted. So it is hard to say this is an "IPA" without the signature hum of the hops. Do not get me wrong... I really like this beer and would drink it again and often. Go out and try one while it is here for the winter season.



L'chaim

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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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 20: Tree Brewing Hop Head Black India Pale Ale

Beer # 268 Hop Head Black India Pale Ale

Tree Brewing Company

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Independent Brewery
Black India Pale Ale 8.0 % ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle Can 650 ml
$6.25 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @TreeBrewing

Tonight's offering we go back to British Columbia. This time to Kelowna, one of my favourite towns in the interior of the province. Situated on the southern end of Lake Okanagan, in the heart of BC wine country. We have been to Tree before, we sampled their Cutthroat West Coast Pale Ale, and found it to be a good beer. Let's see what they do with a black IPA. For those of you who have not heard of this style before, it is an American Pale ale style done with deeply malted barley.  alcohol range can be from 5% to 10% and this one clocks in at the higher side, at 8%.

Let's try one now...

Pours a opaque dark chestnut brown Bright herbal hop nose with a rich malty aroma. Deep caramel and some char. First sip is smoky malt and molasses, with some green bitter hops. some rum and wood through the middle. Aeration gives us some warm alcohol, hints of coffee finish is bitter green hops with hints of marijuana on the 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:

It's a good beer. I certainly enjoyed drinking it. It is a nice IPA and the rich malt flavours do something nice for the beer. But, it is still fairly average. Do try it for yourself though.


Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 152 Dad's Little Helper Rogue Ales

Dad's Little Helper Black IPA

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon, USA
Independent
Black India Pale Ale 6.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$6.60 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @RogueAles

What began as one brewpub in 1987 grew into another in 1989 and eventually an innovative and groundbreaking brewery and Distillery. Rogue Ales and Spirits is based out of Newport Oregon and has been at the forefront of the Pacific Northwest Craft Beer boom for the last 25 plus years. Always pushing the boundaries of craft beer higher and further with more hops, strange ingredients and different takes on classic beers. Always challenging the craft beer drinker's palate, Rogue has come up with some very interesting combinations, such as Voodoo Doughnut collabs: chocolate peanut butter banana, and pretzel raspberry chocolate, or the Morimoto inspired black obi soba.

Tonight's offering is a black IPA, fairly new to the craft beer circles around here, but a style that is gaining traction with the beer drinkers who want a bit more depth from their IPAs.

Onto the Tasting...



Dark chocolate brown with a big fluffy tan head made of small bubbles. Lacing is good and strong. Aroma is dark caramel, burnt sugars, deep malts, licorice, and turbinado sugar. Full bodied strong malt flavour grassy with hints of herbs, bittersweet, molasses, ashes, wood. Aeration gives us hay and straw.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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


Final Thoughts:

I was not as excited about this beer as I would have hoped. It is a good beer and worth the price of admission, but compared to some of Rogues other ales, this seemed a lightweight. There was good flavour but not a lot of it, and the beer seemed to be a little hollow through the middle. Not one of Rogue's best. But still worthy of a try. 

Cheers


CJT



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