The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 14 Full Bean Half Foam Mocha Latte

Beer # 514 Full Bean Half Foam Mocha Porter 

Brewery: Muskoka Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  1996

Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Porter

ABV: 5.3%      IBU: 39

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.95 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery


muskokabrewery

    @Muskokabrewery

Another entry from Muskoka Brewery's Moonlight Kettle series, tonight's beer is a chocolate, coffee and lactose porter.  The effect is quite good, I had to remind myself I was drinking a beer and not a latte.

Onto our tasting...




Pours a dark chocolate brown with a milky tan head made up of small bubbles. Head is super creamy and is reminiscent of a latte. The aroma is bitter coffee and chocolate, with hints of grain and vanilla. The first sip is straight-up coffee and malt with a touch of lactose sweetness. The middle has a nice coffee hum and chocolate there is body from the cocoa butter and lactose. Aeration gives us some espresso bitterness and cocoa powder.

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 great tasting beer and a nice approximation of a latte in stout form. Get one of these while you still can.

Cheers

CJT

  Let's Stay "Social" Follow my adventures here

pintjockey

The Pint Jockey Online

@Pintjockey

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 1: Préaris Quadrocinno

Beer # 392 Préaris Quadrocinno

Brewery: Vligende Paard Préaris Brouwers


Type: Contract Brewery    Est.:  2011

Location: Oedelem, Belgium

Beer Style: Flavoured Quadrupel

ABV: 9.5%      IBU: 

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 330 ml

Cost: $3.75 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

 N/A

    @prearis

Our initial offering for your holiday stocking this year is a coffee flavoured Quad from Belgium. Préaris started out as homebrewers until they decided to submit a beer to the prestigious Brouwland Beer Competition in 2011. Their entry took the grand prize so they decided to try and make a go of a brewery. They took their recipes to De Proef Brouwerij which is a brewery designed to brew small-batch beers for third parties. They continue to brew under contract to this day despite having expanded they portfolio greatly. Perhaps one day they will find the investment to open their own building.

Onto to tonight's brew

Pours a dark chocolate brown with a light brown head made up of small bubbles. aroma is dense. Lots of sweet malt fresh brewed espresso rich chocolate and new leather. Alcohol is evident right away and warms the chest as it goes down. chocolate and espresso dominate the attack. a good sweetness rounds out the bitterness and leaves the lips a bit sticky. hints of burnt sugar caramel and touches of baking spice make this a very warming and Christmassy brew. aeration brings out a deeper spice more alcohol and more leather

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:

This is a great beer to start off the 2-4 Beers of Christmas. It embodies what I am looking for. Deep, dark, complex flavours. Warming, delicious a nice beer to sit and savour over the holidays. Try one you will like it.


CJT

 Let's Stay "Social" Follow my adventures here

   @pintjockey



The Pintjockey Online


pintjockey

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 14: Hanlan's Point Coconut Coffee Porter Great Lakes Brewery

Beer # 312 Hanlan's Point Coconut Coffee Porter 

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

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 4: Shinnicked Stout Muskoka Brewery

Beer # 303 Shinnicked Stout

Brewery: Muskoka Brewery

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1996

Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Coffee Stout

ABV: 5.2%      IBU: 19

Format: Aluminium Can   Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.15 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @MuskokaBrewery @MuskokaRoastery

Back Up the road again tonight to the Muskoka Brewery, Still celebrating their 20'th anniversary they released a new stout for this holiday season. "Shinnicked Stout" gets its name from, and I quote, "...that numbing gasp-for-breath feeling when you plunge into a Muskoka lake for a chilly late night dip." I hope they plan on handing these out to the poor souls who try the polar bear dip every year up here on January 1st. Shinnicked is brewed with coffee from one of our local roasteries. Muskoka Roastery in fact. They roast and package their coffee up in Huntsville a little ways north of Bracebridge on Highway 11. I will admit they do make some fine coffee there. Coffee and stout are a natural and lovely pairing. The coffee plays nicely with the nutty, chocolate, and molasses aromas of the deeper malts.

Onto our beer...

Pours an inky dark brown/black with a deep tan head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is dark and complex malt with molasses and coffee. The first sip is malty molasses and herbal greens, coffee follows closely behind as does a warming brandy/whisky burn in the back of the throat. Complex dark caramel mixed with some light licorice and very light vanilla compliment the roasted coffee notes. Hints of nutty chocolate pop up briefly now and then to add another layer of depth to the taste profile. Mouthfeel as light and refreshing. Aeration bring out toasted bread to play with the coffee and a nice long nutty 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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

A great beer for the holidays. I really like the name, it suits it. It really is something I would like to drink in front of a late fall fire pit, or wrapped in a blanket in front of a roaring fire, getting warm after the aforementioned late night dip. The deliciousness of the coffee shines through this beer, just making all the other components hum. A great beer to put under the tree this year... Don't forget to ask Santa for one, or 12.



Cheers

CJT

Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

Beer # 281 Lawrence of Arabica Coffee Orange Porter Amager Bryghus

#281 Lawrence of Arabica Coffee Orange Porter
Collaboration with 18th Street Brewery


Amager Bryghus

Kastrup, Denmark
Independent Microbrewery
Flavoured Porter
7.0 % ABV 32 IBU
500 ml Brown Glass Bottle
$6.30 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @18thStreetBrew


It's been a while since I had a beer from Amager in Denmark. They tend to be quite good. However I didn't originally pick this up because it was from Amager, I didn't even know it was a collaboration until I logged in on Untappd. I was initially struck by the artwork on the bottle, and I'm a sucker for good ( read: bad) puns. So basically I bought it because it was punny. Tonight's offering, aside from being the aforementioned collab between Amager Bryghus of Denmark and 18th Street Brewery of Hammond Indiana, Is a coffee and orange peel infused strong porter. 

Onto tonight's tasting...

Pours an inky black/brown with a thin dark chestnut coloured head. Aroma is smoky, slightly tarry, with chocolate, coffee, molasses, and charcoal. First sip is a deeply roasted malt with strains of dark coffee and espresso. A slight charred bitterness, with light hints of citrus and a minute sparkle on the back of the tongue. As the beer warms a nice woodsy whiskey flavour. The orange is more evident at warmer temperatures. Aeration bring out smoky wood, and charcoal campfire coffee, and hints of vanilla.


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:  5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

This is a wonderful beer. very flavourful, aromatic and complex. This sultry smoky deliciousness is exactly what a porter should be. The coffee and the orange are light enough to compliment the dark roasted malts, and not too heavy as to hijack the taste profile. Well balanced and worth a try.


CJT


Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.

The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Days 17 & 18: The Light Side Vs The Dark Side.

A Long Time Ago, 

in a Pint Jockey Headquarters far away...

BEER WARS

The Froth Awakens: Episode I

It's Star Wars Day

Ok, I have to admit it I'm a huge nerd. Especially when it comes to Star Wars. I did a very big dance of joy when I heard that George Lucas had sold the franchise to Disney and that they had plans to begin releasing new movies. So for three years I have eagerly awaited this day, and although I have to wait a few more days before we go out to see the movie, I am so glad we have arrived at this day of nerdom. I have heard very positive things about the movie and can't wait til we go out and see it as a family.

So in honour of this day I decided to do a side by side tasting, Light versus Dark. Because when you think about it, beer is like the Force... there are light beers and dark beers, and after a few... you begin to believe you can move things with your mind.  Donning the Jedi Robes for the Light side tonight we have Muskoka Brewery's Winterweiss (get it? Weiss... White... Light side?) And warming up in the corner with their Force Chokes and Force Lightning Epic Brewing Company's Coffee and Fig Imperial Oatmeal Stout. (Imperial? yep... another pun).

It is time to bring balance to the Force... Let my taste buds awaken.

The Contenders

The Light Side 

Beer # 265 Winterweiss

Muskoka Brewery

Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Dunkelweiss 5.0% ABV 
Aluminum Can 473 ml.
$3.00 (Canadian) At LCBO


Twitter: @Muskokabrewery

Pours a deep chestnut with an off-tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is a spicy mix of clove and bananas with some caramel toward the back. First sip is super light bodied and very refreshing lovely clean wheat tones followed by spiced banana bread. Aeration gives us a yeasty fresh risen bread dough, Finish is light and malty with some gentle hop flavours.

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:

A very standard dunkelweiss. Nothing out of the ordinary. Actually an almost textbook example.  Good flavour, light tasting, and easy drinking. A holiday must have if you can get one.


The Dark Side

Beer # 266 Epicurean Coffee and Fig Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Epic Brewing Company

Auckland, New Zealand
Independent Brewery
Flavoured Oatmeal Stout 8.0% ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$13.90 (Canadian) At LCBO 


Twitter: @EpicBeer


Pours an inky dark brown with a light tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is very darkly roasted malt with coffee and some smoke, also an underlying caramel sweetness, with some dried fruit. First sip the figs take over giving us a fairly light bodied and fruity ale.coffee and caramelised sugars follow and the the lips are left quite sticky from the sugars. Notes of char and darkly toasted bread mixed with a figgy jam. Aeration gives us some alcohol, whisky and cola notes. Finish is smoky and dry.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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


Final Thoughts:

Oh. Wow. This is an awesome beer. and I mean that in it's correct context this beer inspires awe. Deep, dark rich flavours, yet still very easy to drink. 






And the Verdict

Well, tonight the Dark Side wins, just edging out the home team Muskoka Brewery... Sorry guys... But you know those scrappy Rebels won't be down for long... 

Cheers 

CJT

Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

And don't forget to "Friend" me on Untappd.