Beer # 282 Downhill Pale Ale Collingwood Brewery

#282 Downhill Pale Ale

Collingwood Brewery

Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Pale Ale 
5.4 % ABV 33 IBU
473 ml Aluminium Can
$2.85 (Canadian) At the Beer Store

Twitter: @CollingwoodBeer

Back to Collingwood and the Collingwood brewery tonight. I picked these cans up on a trip to Sudbury, which is oddly further away from me than Collingwood is. Tonight's offering is a Pale Ale, and while just about every brewery around does a Pale Ale, few do them well. I have been impressed as of late as the quality of Pales and IPA and APAs are increasing overall. More and more breweries are coming up with their own take on the style that both honours it and improves upon it.

Ok let's go downhill!

Pours a cloudy golden/amber colour with an off-whitehead composed of small bubbles. Aroma is honey and tropical fruit with a light floral background.The first sip is mildly spicy light caramel malt and a touch of wood. This is followed by a complex hop profile with spices, bitter herbs, some grassiness, and some strong florals. Finish is lychee with some tobacco and hints of marijuana. Aeration gives us a little nuts, caramel, and grains.

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:


Another solid Pale Ale with a nice layered flavour profile. good complexity with goo floral and fruitiness. Pick one of these up.

Cheers

CJT

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#CanadaMonthBeer Old Baldy Farmhouse Ale

# 237 Old Baldy Farmhouse Ale

Northwinds Brewhouse

Collingwood, Ontario, Canada

Independent Brewpub and Bottle Shop
Farmhouse Ale
IBU 24
3.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$6.19 (Canadian) At the brewery

Twitter: @Northwindsbeer

Another trip up to Collingwood tonight with some "Old Baldy" Farmhouse Ale, as we continue our spotlight on Canadian craft beers for the month of July.

Straight into the tasting tonight.

Pours a darker gold with a nice thick off-white head made of small bubbles. Nose is a robust malty and spicy mix with wheat and rye tones. Lot's of cloves, some cinnamon. First sip is rich malt with some woody notes Some deep roasted malt and some licorice. Aeration brings out some creaminess a light green hoppiness and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

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:

A nice well flavoured beer. So far this is my favourite from Northwinds but I have three more to go... which I am looking forward to more and more.


Cheers


CJT



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#CanadaMonthBeer Three Stage XPA

# 236 Three Stage XPA

Northwinds Brewhouse

Collingwood, Ontario, Canada

Independent Brewpub and Bottle Shop
Extra Pale Ale
IBU 24
4.6 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$6.64 (Canadian) At the brewery

Twitter: @Northwindsbeer


We took a drive up to Collingwood to see the Scenic Caves (great trip if you have never been!) AND it just so happened that our drive took us by Northwinds Brewhouse. So I ran in a got a few bottle of their beer. I have tried one of their beers it was last year at OCB Week in Toronto and I recorded it in my Bar Volo Post. The Beer was Rooster Tail American Wheat. Not bad as far as I can remember. 

Tonight's offering is an extra pale ale Let's hop on our bike and try it.

Onto the first stage:

Pours a hazy darker gold colour with an off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is creamy and grain heavy. First sip is sip is a warming spicy and slightly bitter mix of citrus and and a slight muskiness. Flavour is heady and earthy. A little closed at the beginning it starts to open up as it warms. Some malt sugars and a hint of caramel. Aeration gives us some smoky malt and a bit of bruleed sugar.


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:

A good solid little XPA. One that needs to warm up a touch to fully experience the flavours which change and develop as the beer has sat open. Looking forward to trying the other beers I bought at Northwinds (There are four more in the the "Fridge of Fame.")



Cheers


CJT



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Side Launch Pale Ale

Beer # 227 Side Launch Pale Ale

Side Launch Brewing Company
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada

Independent Microbrewery
Pale Ale
5.3 % ABV IBU: 35 Aluminum Can 473 ml
$3.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @sidelaunch

Another offering from the good people of Side Launch in Collingwood.The second of their three core beers, tonight's brew is a Canadian Pale Ale, but to me it is very reminiscent of a British Pale. 

Onto our tasting:
Pours a brassy gold with a massive off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is a toasty, citrus with note of hay and straw. First sip is deeply herbal with fresh bitter hops, clean and light and very refreshing. There is dandelion and chicory, some mild bitterness towards the end clean fresh malt taste and a touch of caramel. Aeration gives us a funky green herbal hoppiness, and a touch of bitterness on the finish to clean up the palate.

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:

An excellent take on the Pale ale style. Easy drinking and delicious. This will be a very good beer for you patio consideration this year. Try one soon.

Cheers


CJT



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Beer # 137 Side Launch Wheat

Side Launch Wheat

Side Launch Brewing Company

Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Wheat 5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml
$3.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @sidelaunch

Side Launch is a relatively new brewery in the Collingwood area of Ontario. Rich in shipbuilding history, naturally the brewery took on a nautical theme. Side Launch is a specific way to launch a large ship such as the grain carriers that were built in Collingwood to sail the Great Lakes. The video below from Youtube shows the recent side launch (December 2013) of the Littoral Combat Ship Milwaukee as an example. As you can see The ship leans over dramatically in the water, and accidents were common.




Back to Collingwood. Side Launch (the brewery) is a collaboration between Dennison's Brewpub founder and brewmaster Michael Hancock and a group of investors that wanted to bring a craft brewery to the Collingwood area. Side Launch as of yet doesn't seem to have a website (as they are technically still in the opening stages) but I found this announcement on the Dennison's Brewing Company's old website here. Dennison's had been without a home since 2003. Brewing it's two remaining brands by license at other breweries, Dennison's was mainly supplying kegs to craft beer bars in Toronto (ie C'est What, Bar Volo, and the Only Cafe). Then Hancock was offered the opportunity to become head brewer at the new venture in Collingwood where he brought his two well established beers and re branded them. Dennison's Dunkel  became Side Launch Dark Lager, and Weissbier became tonight's offering: Side Launch Wheat. Later this summer, a new beer is due out. A Side Launch Pale ale... which I am very excited to get my hands on.

Onto the Tasting... Launch away!


Colour is translucent light gold with a thin white head made of small bubbles. Aromas are banana and clove. Taste is sweet banana and spice followed by malted wheat. Slightly tinny. Lightly sour on the finish. Some citrus aeration gives us a burst of cloves and citrus.

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:  4/6 PASS


Final Thoughts: 

A very good beer. It is the same recipe as the original weissbeer, the only thing different is the source of the water. My one and only complaint is that I feel this beer suffered from being canned. As it is such a light citrusy and vibrant beer the tinny under note really detracted from the flavour. I will stick to drinking this one on tap. But please, get out there and try this beer. Not only does it mark a new day for brewing in Collingwood, it honours a tradition of brewing in Toronto.
Cheers


CJT



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