The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 16 Mr Canoehead Dry Hopped Red Ale

Beer # 516 Mr. Canoehead Dry Hopped Red Ale

Brewery: Sleeping Giant Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2012

Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: American Red Ale

ABV: 5.1 %      IBU: 45

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.15 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

sgbco

    @sleepgiantbrew

Ok so maybe this isn't a Christmas beer... however, picking it up at the local sure felt like Christmas to me. Before we get started we have to discuss something very important. Who is the Greatest Canadian Superhero? I'll give a list to choose from:

Captain Canuck, Captain Canada, Aurora, Betty Barrett, Box, Centrix, Commander Steel, Diamond Lil, Fleur de Lys, Flex, Guardian, Iron Man (No not that Iron Man... the OTHER Iron Man) Major Maple Leaf, Northguard, Northstar, Puck, Radius, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird, Talisman, Vindicator, Deadpool, or Wolverine...

go on, think about it I'll wait...

Nope...    It's:

Mr. Canoehead Canada's Greatest Aluminum Crimefighter. 

For the younger sports fans in the audience, way back many years ago, when there were only 3 channels on TV and you had to put the TV on channel 3 to play your VCR or your NES. There was a comedy sketch variety show called "Four on the Floor" (That's a reference to a manual transmission in a car for all you Millenials (or its also the beat rhythm for disco and electronic music for you music nerds) ). I can't remember if it aired Friday or Sunday night on CBC and I think it was on right before Kids in the Hall. (edit... I did some more research and The Frantics started out on CBC Radio in the 1970's and this is where Mr. Canoehead was born. The TV show came later in 1986, 2 years before the Kids in the Hall and is cited as an influence for them.)

The First Episode of Mr. Canoehead... Sorry about the Quality.

Four on the Floor starred the comedy troupe  "The Frantics." Paul Chato, Rick Green, Dan Redican, and Peter Wildman made up the group, with Chato playing the titular superhero. It was a series of about 8 sketches where Mr. Canoehead was able to solve goofy crimes that required the use of a canoe stuck to someone's head. My favourite was when he disguised himself as a buffet to catch a thief stealing bacon bits (yes... you read that right...) Sadly "Four on the Floor" only lasted 13 episodes, however, if we can't have more Mr. Canoehead... at least we can drink this beer.

Let's portage through this beer...

Translucent reddish amber in colour with an off-tan head. The aroma is grassy, fresh, straw, hoppy, green, and floral.  There are hints of sweetness on the nose. The first sip is a sweet beautiful explosion of flavours, sweet malt and hoppy brightness. The flavour is reminiscent of bold, fruity British ales, with amazing florals and stone fruits. Definitely hints of cherry, plum, and a greenhouse full of flowers. This is a beer I could drink over and over and not get tired of. Aeration is a burst of fruit and malty sweetness.

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
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This is by far the best red ale I have ever tried. One sip and I am sitting in a pub in England. The dry hopping gives the beer a fruity floral quality that makes this beer perfect. You actually have to slow yourself down when you are drinking this beer otherwise you will burn through the can way too fast. This could easily be one of my new favourite Ontario beers. Get this one as soon as you can.

So Paul Chato has a Vlog now and I was thrilled when this video popped up when I searched for the Mr. Canoehead Episodes.

Here is Mr. Canoehead... drinking Mr. Canoehead. This was around the time of the launch of the beer and Sleeping Giant sent Mr. Chato a case of beer to try.


Cheers

CJT

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The Princess and Girlpants Meet the O.D.B. Sawdust City

# 220 The Princess and Girlpants meet the O.D.B.

Sawdust City Brewing Company

Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Barrel Aged Wheat 
9.5 % ABV 10 oz Draft (296 ml.)
$6.50 (Canadian) At the brewery

Twitter: @SawdustCityBeer

This is a version of the Princess Wears Girlpants Wheat beer I have been waiting for. 10 months ago Sawdust brewed this beer up and socked it away in Chardonnay barrels. (Yes the O.D.B. means Old Dirty Barrel... what did you think it meant?). They added a touch of Brett and let the beer simmer. Then... To confound everybody they split the batch in two. The draught version, which I am doing today, they dry hopped and served fresh. The second half of the batch they added more yeast, canned it and left it to sit in the warm area of the brewery  (can conditioning). Phase 2 of this tasting will be the canned version in a week or two (of which I am looking forward to very much). I was enjoying the sights at the brewery today I actually saw Stack Brewery deliver the "69" collaboration A Belgian pale ale brewed with black pepper... so I am looking forward to that beer soon... and On Saturday I will be back at the brewery for Pi Day. Sawdust is Releasing their Pi Day Cherry Saison Collab with Block 3 Brewing Company on 3/14 at 1:59 pm (Pi is equal 3.14159 for all of you non-math people...)

Enough talk about the future... let's talk about the now... Introducing the Princess!

Pours a cloudy umber orange/ brown with a light off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is passionfruit, grapefruit fresh grass and a hint of sour candies. First sip is grapey, tart, zesty and woody. Citrus and grapefruit peal with hints of guava and passionfruit. Strong hints of tart oak, some tannin, and a touch of leather. Aeration gives us a grapey citrus shine followed up by more intense bitter orange peel.

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 great beer... probably one I would not end up drinking a lot of (mainly because of the 9.5% ABV) But one you can certainly sit back and enjoy a glass of. This is intensely fruity. I overheard that they dry hopped with 5 Kg of Amarillo hops per barrel (don't quote me I was eavesdropping...) which would explain the explosive tropical fruit aromas. But nonetheless, this is a big, fruity, drinkable version of the Princess, grab it while you can. And stay tuned for the can conditioned version.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 105 Muskoka Brewery Detour

Detour

Muskoka Brewery

Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Dry Hopped IPA 4.3% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 355 ml.
$2.28 (Canadian) At LCBO ($13.65 for a six pack)
Twitter: @Muskokabrewery

Back up to Bracebridge today for Muskoka Brewery's newest addition to their stable of year round beers: Detour.  Detour is an excellent name for this beer, a "sessionable" dry hopped IPA bursting with flavour. It truly is a departure from some of the other hop bombs on the market... Let's call this one the "fruit-bomb." I am very excited about this beer because after being in the industry for so many years and initially having trouble selling Muskoka beers; it is these deep, flavourful, brews

coming out of Bracbridge lately that have garnered Muskoka the attention it deserves. Their specialty brews, many of which I have discussed here on this blog, are what is attracting the newly savy craft drinkers; and this very approachable beer will start to attract the average commercial beer drinker as well.

Enough with the rambling, let's take a Detour:

Very clear gold in colour, with a short off white head made up of small bubbles. Pineapple and pine on the nose with a little bit of hard candy thrown in (In fact it reminds me exactly of those imported English mixed fruit candies from Simpkins of Sheffield that come in the small brass coloured tins that I always got in my stocking for Christmas as a kid.) I also get the slightest hint of rosewater or turkish delight. First sip is a delight of tropical fruit. Guava, mango, pineapple, passionfruit, sweet but not sickly. This beer is a celebration of the fruity hops. The lighter graininess of the IPA serves counterpoint to the fruit and only to remind you this is a beer not a coconut drink on the beach. A little herbal hops comes out in the end to tone down the fruit. Aeration puts a slight caramel taste into the fruit, which goes very nicely with the pineapple. Very well balanced, smooth and refreshing. Leaves me very sad the bottle is empty.

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:

Yes you read that correctly, I think this is the first beer I have given a perfect score. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this beer. For my tastes it is as near perfect as I can imagine. It is light, refreshing, full of good flavours, still tastes like a beer, and it has left me wanting more. I have prided myself on not making heavy-handed recommendations, but in this case I must say: If you are living in Ontario and this beer is not your go-to patio beer this summer... you are wasting your money. Rant finished, beer finished....

Cheers
CJT


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