Cujo Curtis Joseph Golden Ale
NHL Alumni Signature Series
Join here: Signature Series Club
Lake of Bays Brewing Company
Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Imperial Golden Ale 8.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni
The second beer in the Lake of Bays Signature Series pays tribute to one of the most hardworking men ever to don a hockey mask. Curtis Joseph, nicknamed "Cujo" after the ferocious dog from the Stephen King book of the same name, Is the winningest goalie in NHL history to never hoist a Stanley Cup. As fierce in the net as his namesake, Cujo played with The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and the Calgary Flames; always sporting a version of the Snarling Dog Mask, and his Jersey # 31. However, he is most remembered for his Tour of Duty between the pipes in Toronto, Not far from his hometown of Sharon, Ontario. Born in 1967 the year the Leafs Last won the cup, he was a fan favourite player, who never gave up despite the Leafs long time losing streak. When he chose to retire, he chose to do it in Toronto, wearing the Blue and White. His trophy case is not empty though. He won a silver medal in the IIHF in 1996, a gold at the Spengler Cup in 2007 and he netminded Team Canada to a Gold Medal in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. So fittingly for our golden goalie, we have a golden ale.
Onto the tasting:
Hony in colour with an off-white head made up of small bubbles and some decent lacing. The aroma is very mild, some light grain, wood, cheese and a slight sour mash fenentation. First sip is crisp, clean, and sweet followed by a nice green, herbal hops with a touch of bitterness. The alcohol kicks in right away and the aftertaste is not unlike a mild brandywine. Carmel develops on the finish, giving way to a hint of lemony citrus. Aeration enhances the sugars and caramels and brightens the 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: 5/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
A good sturdy beer worthy of representing a hockey legend. Get one while you still can.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
China Wall Johnny Bower Vienna Dark Lager
NHL Alumni Signature Series
Join here: Signature Series Club
Lake of Bays Brewing Company
Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Vienna Dark Lager 7.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @LB_brewing @NHLAlumni
This is the first beer in the Lake of Bays, NHL Alumni Association Signature Series colaboration. This one comemorates the great Johnny Bower, the last Toronto Maple leaf goalie to loft the Stanley Cup in 1967 at the age of 43. Bower was a stand up goalie who was noted for never backing down; taking more than 200 stitches, mostly to the face, and losing more than his fair share of teeth. His unwaivering stance in net earned him the nickname The China Wall. An image of his battle scarred proto-hockey mask (merely a thin sheaf of fibreglass held together with leather straps) graces the front of the bottle.
Onto the tasting:
Dark chestnut in colour with hints of red. Fairly long lasting tan coloured head made up of medium sized bubbles, with good lacing. Dark malt, molasses, and pumpernickel bread on the nose. first sip gives us a dark, robust, malty-molasses, taste that is very grain driven with lingering hints of black licorice. Aeration gives us lively fruit, malt, turbinado sugar and a hint of creaminess.
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:
A very solid offering for a Vienna lager, and a good namesake for the best goalie the Toronto Maple Leafs ever saw. It is a full flavoured well rounded beer, and you should get one while they are still in stores.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
My Bitter Wife
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Independent
India Pale Ale 7.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$5.95 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @GreatLakesBeer
Down to Great Lakes again, Toronto's first Craft Brewery and winner of the 2013 Brewery of the year award. This brewery never fails to impress, and sadly their hard work is not always evident to the average Joe. Great Lakes specializes in experimentation. They play with their beer and do incredible things with it. Often you will only catch some of their beers by chance, at a festival, or a tap takeover. Or they may brew off a limited run of a regular beer with a strange ingredient, like raspberry or rhubarb, or Jagermeister (So not kidding I have tasting notes).
Tonight's beer celebrates a very infamous person in the history of alcohol. As you can see by the picture on the front of the bottle there is an old crone of a woman clutching an axe. This beer is dedicated (facetiously, obviously) to the memory of Carrie Nation. Mrs. Nation was a staunch prohibitionist and was noted for taking an axe to barrels of beer and liquor and threatening government trying to coerce them into signing prohibition into law in the US. Eventually the prohibitionists won and the US signed the 18th amendment to the constitution and the country went "dry" for a number of years. Fortunately for Canada who was still producing alcohol at the time, it allowed us to "ahem" "export" our wares via legitimate businessmen such as Alphonse Gabriel Capone.
Enough with the history... onto the tasting...
Honey coloured, with the slightest hint of green to it. Thick fluffy white head mostly made up of very small bubbles. Aroma is pine tree and fruit with a back ground of roses and Turkish delight. First sip is bursting with ruby red grapefruit. Mouthfeel is creamy and silky with a touch of effervescence. The 7.0% alcohol is barely noticeable in this well balanced beer. Transition from attack to finish is very short and after taste is all green herbal hops. Aeration gives us an orange citrus candy taste.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order: 5/6 PASS
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Final Thoughts:
It was an absolute delight to drink this beer. Great Lakes is certainly setting the standard for what craft beer should taste like. The thing that surprised me the most was, that despite this being a "Hop Bomb," at 88 IBU, the beer was incredibly smooth, well rounded and very drinkable. The only downside is the fact that the 7.0 % alcohol sneaks up on you and knocks you out.... So this is a share with your friend or only have one per night beer. Please... don't ever drink and drive... Craft beer tastes best at home...
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Howe Sound Brewing
Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Imperial Flavoured Ale 8.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 1000 ml.
$11.35 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @howesoundbeer
Okay the first thing you notice about this beer is the bottle... IT'S HUGE. It is a 1 Litre bottle or as it also says... 1 Quart 1.8 oz. Also it has two closures. First, is a standard pry-off crown cap; second, the beer has been fitted with a ceramic swing-top sealer presumably to store (hopefully for only a short period) any unfinished beer. (N.B. Keep in mind... this beer is 8% and there is 1 Litre. In layman's terms drinking one of these beers is EQUIVALENT to a SIX PACK of Coors Light... trust me... I did the math. Please share or consume responsibly, or avail yourself of the swing-top.)
Howe Sound Brewing is located in Squamish B.C. just 45 minutes north of Vancouver on the staggeringly beautiful Sea to Sky Highway. Highway 99 Stretches from North Vancouver to Squamish skirting the coast before heading inland to Whistler and points beyond... almost to Kamloops. Squamish is named for the local Indigenous peoples descendants of the Coast Salish people who settled in the area to utilise it's long protected inlet for fishing and transportation. Howe Sound, as it is now known, is a vast ocean inlet that features two large islands and several small ones. Squamish was founded as a lumber town and terminus of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (Now part of Canadian National). In recent years as the major lumber and pulp mills have closed Squamish has found new life as a bedroom community for the many commuters from Vancouver, and the tourist industry owing to the incredible natural resources in the area. In fact Squamish is literally ringed with Provincial Parks. Garibaldi being the largest just to the East, Tantalus to the North (Tantalus means Hell in Geek) and My favourite, Tetrahedron Park to the West, which, ironically, is nowhere near the shape of a tetrahedron.
Howe Sound Brewing was founded in 1996 assisted by modern B.C. brewing pioneer John Mitchell, as a boutique hotel and brew pub. They have a strong eco mission to reduce their environmental impact, and strive to give back as much to the community as possible. and on top of this... they make fantastic beers...
Let's Taste one...
Dusty dark orange and chestnut in colour, slightly cloudy like an unfiltered cider. Frothy off white to tan head made up of medium sized bubbles. Aroma is all pumpkin pie... cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, licorice, and of course roasted pumpkin. The alcohol is there, the beer makes no mistake and lets you know right away that it is 8% ABV. First sip and the beer asserts itself, a good quality strong ale that has been gently scented with pumpkin and spice. Typically dry of a strong ale, and not cloyingly sweet from the addition of the pumpkin, which often mars lower quality pumpkin beer. Balance is excellent and proceeds nicely from attack to finish through toasty malt notes and herbaceous hop notes. Hanging over the taste is the aroma of the pumpkin and spice like a lingering perfume in a room when the person has already left. The finish is dry and herbal. Aeration is an explosion of black tea and spices, reminiscent of homemade Chai.
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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Final Thoughts:
Simply brilliant, and honestly the best pumpkin beer I has tasted thus far. The key difference is brewing this beer in the imperial style. The higher alcohol content leaves less residual sugar, and also balances the sweetness of the pumpkin. The beer is very well crafted with a careful hand and was a joy to drink. I am looking forward to having more Howe Sound beers here in Ontario and if not I will certainly be making my way to Squamish as soon as possible.
P.S. I did consume the entire bottle, but I was safely parked on the couch here at Pint Jockey Headquarters. The Cat took away my keys and put me to bed... Please drink responsibly as we still have so much to talk about...
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
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