The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 17: Equilibrium ESB, Nickel Brook

Beer # 315 Equilibrium ESB

Brewery: Nickel Brook Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1992

Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: ESB

ABV: 5.5%      IBU: 34

Format: Aluminium Can  Size:  473 ml

Cost: $2.90 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @NickelBrookBeer



Getting down to the crunch... Everyone have their shopping done yet? If anyone needs a hint for me, I'm rather partial to beer. Especially ESBs. Maybe it's the old british blood sloshing around inside me but a good English style beer is a joy to behold. and tonight... I be-holding this beer. Nickel Brook certainly has made a name for themselves in the Bitters game, well they should as they grew out of a company called "Better Bitters." Their hoppy beers are very much on point and I'm sure this one will be no exception.

Onto our beer..,

Pours a dark amber with a short off-white head made up of small bubbles. Nose is a spicy caramel with funky medicinal hops and a slight  marijuana scent. First sip is caramel and biscuit with a good hit of carbonation. Light fruit in the back ground, some raisin and currants, mild sweetness. Aeration is wheaty and bready, with hints of biscotti.

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:

Another great ESB. I can feel the echoes of a solid British beer in there. The only thing I can lament about is, that beer here in Canada is such a different experience to England and the UK. The predominance of the cask ale, and correct serving temperatures for ales is vital to the British beer experience, So very hard to capture in a can. Perhaps we really need a cask ale festival in Canada... I know I would go. But, I digress. Short of hopping a flight to London, this is a great way to experience a well put together ESB... go get one.

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 15: Goose Island Honker's Ale

Beer # 263 Honker's Ale

Goose Island BrewingCompany

Chicago, Illinois, USA
Owned by Anheuser-Busch Inbev
ESB 4.3 % ABV 
Aluminum Can 473 ml
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @gooseisland

Another trip today to the brewpub turn notable microbrewery from Chicago. We previously did Matilda and Sophie from Goose Island which was not long after their purchase by brewery eating juggernaut Anheuser-Busch-Inbev. Recently this beer appeared on the shelves of the Beer Store and the LCBo so I thought I would see what it was about.

"Are you honkin' at me? well I don't see anyone else in here..."


Pours a reddish amber colour with a huge creamy tan head made up of small to medium bubbles. Aroma is a grassy, herbal hops tone with some clean malt notes. Slightly medicinal and light citrus. First sip is malty with notes of caramel and light wood. Some fruit notes but mostly bitter hops, slight mustiness. Aeration gives us more of the same, light bodied, mild maltiness. Finish is slightly off and musty, hints of sulphur.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  1/6  FAIL
Experience:  3/6 SO-SO
Christmas Cheer: 2/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

There is just something off about this beer. it starts off good but just really doesn't deliver in the end. It needs hot wings or nachos... to hide it's faults. Avoid.


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 14: Flying Monkeys' Greetings from Canada

# 262 Greetings from Canada: Coast to Coastless
Collaboration with Garrison Brewing Company, Trou du Diable Brewing Company and Phillips Beer


Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery

Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Imperial ESB 7.6% ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$9.95 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @FlyingMonkeys

Garrison Brewing Company Halifax, Nova Scotia @GarrisonBrewing

Trou du Diable Shawinigan, Quebec @troududiable

Philips Beer Victoria, British Columbia @philipsbeer


Flying Monkeys is a brewery that always comes up with some great beers. This is quite possibly the most ambitious Collab I have heard of, four breweries from across Canada one from each coast and two from the middle. ESB or Extra Special Bitter is one of my favourite styles, (It's the Brit in me) so I gravitate towards them anytime I see one. This also being an Imperial ESB it fits in nicely with our stronger darker beers that tend to make an appearance on my 2-4 Beers of Christmas list.

Onto the ESB...


Pours a deep chestnut colour with a tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is a heady mix of dark malt sugars and licorice some turbinado sugar and caramel/burnt sugar. First sip is biscuits sweet molasses and some black tea. slightly spicy with hints of wood. and menthol. Aeration gives us some light breadiness with more sweetness and a hint of aromatic hops. Finish is slightly astringent, and bitter 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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

A lovely complex little beer. I perhaps tasted it a bit too cold. I feel that were it slightly warmer the full range of flavours would have been more evident. If you try this pull it from your fridge and let it warm for 20 minutes to half an hour before consuming, your patience will be rewarded.

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

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

New Ontario Brewing Company Extra Special Bitter

Beer # 246 ESB

New Ontario Brewing Company

North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Extra Special Bitter Ale 5.2 % ABV 
IBU: 30
Brown Glass Half Growler (Squeaker) 946 ml.
$6.00 (Canadian) At the Brewery

Twitter: @NewOntarioBrew

When I heard New Ontario Brewing was opening in North Bay, I got really excited because North Bay is sort of my adopted hometown. Canadore College is my Alma Matter, and I spent some great years living there. I still return regularly to fish with my friend, enjoy a hike or hang out in my old favourite coffee shop. Now I have a new reason to return!


New Ontario Brewing opened this past summer and is already gaining some good traction in the beer market, despite it's diminutive size. They tap four beers year round An IPA, a Blonde, a seasonal, and tonight's offering The ESB or Extra Special Bitter. Now I may not have talked about ESBs before even though it is one of my most favourite beer styles. There is a streak of old school Brit running through me... I am fond of hand pumped cellar temperature real ales, and anything I can find to remind me of that is good in my books. But, ESBs are hard to come by here in Ontario, and I truly think we could stand to have a few more floating around the market. Technically speaking there are no hard and fast rules as to what makes an ESB. It is essentially a bitter or pale ale that has an alcohol volume above 4.8% after that it is merely marketing. It did also mean at one time, like  Best Bitters, brewers tended to put the best ingredients available into the brew.

What are we waiting for... on to the tasting.

This is the WHOLE Brewery

Pours a dark amber with an off-tan head made up of small to tiny bubbles. Nose is a robust herbal citrus and apple with light malt tones and some caramel. First sip is sweet malty and smooth finishing up with some bitter greens. Roasty, nutty malt with an elegant fruitiness. Effervescent on the tongue with a nice bright, and light mouthfeel. Aeration gives us a nutty bread feel. finish is green bitter hops and dandelion.



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 very good bitter ale. I enjoyed it, however, I was hoping for a little more fruit in it, but a great job nonetheless. 
CJT


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

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