Visit to Herald Haus Brewing Company Stratford, Ontario October 15th 2019

 The second brewery stop on our whirlwind visit to Stratford was the Herald Haus Brewing Company. It opened in 2018 on the Market Square in what was once the Stratford Herald Newspaper Building. The Herald Building as it was called was renovated and reopened as a brewery by Daniel J Graver. Their selection of beers are named to evoke the history of Stratford and area. We had a light meal before the show as you can see to the right, and below, charcuterie and some vegetable samosas. The cheese and meat were all produced locally as were the pickles. The charcuterie went well with the beer and the samosas were quite good. The dipping sauce for the samosas was terrible and did not compliment them at all.

Sadly I noticed a theme for the evening: lack of attention to detail. From confusion with their beers, to mismatched flavour in their food, to an unbalanced charcuterie board (pickle heavy, cheeses too similar in flavour profile and only one sauce, mustard, no chutney). Beer lines tasted like they needed cleaning (beers seemed flat with little to no head). Herald Haus was one of the breweries I was looking forward to trying and sadly they did not live up to my expectation.

Let's move on to my notes for the evening.

Onto our beer:

Beer # 492: SMS (Summer Music Saison)Saison 19
Style: Saison ABV: 5.5%  IBU: 35

Pours light gold with a short white head. Spicy on the nose with hints of wheat and citrus.slightly tart with hints of bitter green medicinal hops

Final Thoughts: Slightly confused here. At the brewery this was listed as SSM Saison 19 as you can see on the board, left, but on their website, it is The Summer Music Saison 19. Untappd just calls it the Saison 19. Whatever it is an underwhelming wheat-based saison with muted flavours.

Beer # 493: 21 Haze East Coast IPA

Style: NEIPA ABV: 6.8%  IBU: ?

Not very hazy clear gold short head. Aroma is tart fruit and pine. Very hoppy. With spice and bitterness. Sweet almost syrupy.

Final Thoughts: Ok this beer made me grumpy. Billed as an "East Coast IPA" which is just another term for NEIPA or New England IPA This beer is crystal clear despite the requirement of a NEIPA being "Hazy" it is an indication of the biotransformation that happens when the hops meet the various NEIPA strains of yeast. This is also responsible for the "juicy, "peachy," and "tropical" flavours of a true NEIPA. I first thought they had given me the wrong beer, but the flavour profile was close-ish so I just assume its a bad form of this beer. Pro-tip, if you are going to include "Haze" in the name of your beer... make sure it is hazy in the glass. Avoid.

Beer # 494: Perth County Conspiracy 
Style: American IPA ABV: 5.0%  IBU: 60

Amber gold in colour with a thin head. Malt forward with spicy hops.some caramel and biscuit.

Final Thoughts: This beer is named after a local Stratford area acid-folk band by the same name ( I've linked some music of theirs below). Seemingly based off of a West Coast IPA with spicy malt-forward notes. Really unimpressive.

Beer # 495: G.T.R. Rusty Rail Red 
Style: American Red Ale ABV: 4.3%  IBU: 26

Warm and malty with sweet hints of caramel and toast. Like a muscular Kilkenny. Nice Irish red style.

Final Thoughts: This beer was named after the Grand Trunk Railway which ran through Stratford. This is significant because Thomas Edison worked for the GTR as a telegraph operator as a teen. He ran away back to the States after he got called to the Head Office in Toronto to be fired for nearly causing a train wreck. This was hands down the best beer of the night but even here, confusion reigns. Listed as a 5.5% American Amber Ale on Untappd, The website lists it at a 4.3% English Style red. It drinks like a Kilkenny so I would call it an Irish Red and the alcohol feels closer to the 5.5% mark. Worth the visit at least.

Beer # 496: H2 Golden Ale
Style: Golden ale ABV: 4.7 %  IBU: 15

Gold in colour with very little head. Gateway beer... commercial golden style. Wet dog and mild hops, some malt, light rainwater. 

Final Thoughts: Very commercial. Tastes like Labatt 50 or Molson Golden. Worst beer of the evening.

Overall Thoughts: Wow, I think this brewery needs time to grow up a bit. There is a lot of confusion with their styles and flavour profiles. A lot of the beer is just meh, or average at best. I would like to see them do better I will have to revisit them sometime in the future.

Music of The Perth County Conspiracy

First Album: The Perth County Conspiracy,
 Does Not Exist (1970)

Rare Self Pressed Album: Rumour (1973)

Cheers
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 16: Northern Logger, Sleeping Giant

Beer # 314 Northern Logger

Brewery: Sleeping Giant Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 2012

Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Golden Ale

ABV: 4.9%      IBU: 17

Format: Aluminium Can  Size:  473 ml

Cost: $2.90 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @Sleepgiantbrew


I have been following Sleeping Giant brewery for quite some time. I was interested in them because when they opened there was not much going on in the craft beer scene farther North than Sudbury or North Bay. To get some prospective (because even Ontarians forget how big this province is sometimes) I live in Muskoka which is about 3 to 4 hours drive to the US border with New York State. Toronto is a scant 2 hours away. North Bay is 2 hours North, Sudbury a healthy 3 hours. Thunder bay is 13 hours drive. That's a solid non-stop 13 hours of driving. Over 1200 kilometres. And that is only two thirds of the way to the Manitoba/Ontario Border. which is another 6 or so hours further up the highway. Now, the Far North, as we in the South like to call it, is starting to come alive with breweries, there is Lake of the Woods in Kenora (almost at the Manitoba Border), there are breweries opening or planned in Sault Ste Marie: Outspoken, and Soo Falls. Compass Brewery is opening in Timmins. Still nothing like down here in the southern third of the province... but they are catching up.

Back to Sleeping Giant. As I said it is in Thunder Bay which is an historic logging and mining town. It is quite famous among us rock hounds for being the source of some of the most beautiful amethysts in Ontario. There are pick you own amethyst parks in Thunder Bay, Reasons why I want to go back... well that and BEER! Thunder Bay is also famous as it was a base for many of the CPR Painters and The Group of Seven as they painted Northern Ontario. Lake Superior was a favourite subject for many of Canada's earliest and most famous painters. Sleeping Giant takes its name from a provincial park that has a most unusual land formation. The sleeping Giant rock formation is a collection of mesas and sills that when viewed from a certain angle resemble a giant lying on his back, sleeping.

The cliffs are some of the tallest in Ontario reaching 250 metres (820 feet) in height. The torso is the high point standing an impressive 563 metres (1847 feet) 10 metres taller than the CN Tower.

Onto our beer for tonight...

Pours a deep, clear, gold  with a short off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is slightly lemon, biscutty, hint of nuts and a little dried fruit. Breadiness continues on the first sip , warm nutty and toasty. Strong mineral quality. Aeration brings out some deeper hops flavours, some bitter greens and hints of almonds.

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:

Lovely little beer. I did however pick up some tinny notes from the can, I would prefer to try this again on draught. Perhaps I do need to make that trip back up to Thunder Bay after all. They also have a Pale ale in cans here at the LCBO, I will try and get that for the New Year. I look forward to trying more of their brews, preferably in the sight of its namesake giant.

Cheers

CJT

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

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

Hwy 69 Sawdust City Stack Brewing Collaboration

Beer # 224 Hwy 69
Collaboration

Sawdust City Brewing Company
Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada

Stack Brewing Company
Sudbury, Ontario

Independent Microbreweries
Flavoured Belgian Pale or Golden Ale
6.9 % ABV 20 oz Draft (591 ml.)
$6.50 (Canadian) At the brewery

Twitter @SawdustCityBeer @StackBrewing

I was very excited to hear about this collaboration as Stack Brewing is one of my picks to be a major up and coming brewery. They had already won a gold medal at the Ontario Brewing Awards for their Belgian Farmhouse ale: Portes de l'Enfers. And a Bronze for the same beer at The Canadian Brewing Awards. They also gleaned headlines for their "All-too-Canadian" dispute with Moosehead over the naming rights to two of their beers. (Friendly Moose and Angry Moose) Essentially I imagine the phone call went like this:

Moosehead: Hello eh? This is Moosehead... you gots them beers named Angry and Friendly Moose. Well we have naming rights for any beer in Canada that has the handle "Moose"

Stack: Oh Geez boy, Didn't know... Sorry.

Moosehead: Sorry.

Stack: I guess we will rename them then... Sorry

Moosehead: Thanks, and sorry.

Okay... maybe a tad stereotypical, but Stack made it clear that the conversation was very friendly and they did agree to change the names. (sorry)

So onto our collaboration...

Pours a slightly hazy dark gold with a thin off-white head made of small bubbles. Bright citrus and mandarin on the nose. First sip gives us more citrus plenty of wheat and at the end a little hit of black pepper. Aeration gives us some tongue prickling heat from the pepper some orange pith a little funky herbal hops mild traces of marijuana. 

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:  4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Very orange and citrus flavoured which worked well with the golden ale style. The pepper was a nice counterpoint and did not overwhelm the beer at any point. While quite good, I never felt the beer "wowed" me at any point. But nevertheless, it is a nice refreshing beer. Hopefully Stack and Sawdust will collaborate on more beers because I'm pretty sure they could brew up a stellar pint together.



Cheers


CJT



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

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

Beer # 159 Brakeman's Session Ale Junction Craft Brewery

Brakeman's Session Ale

Junction Craft Brewery

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Golden Ale 5.3 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml.
$2.85 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @Junction_Craft

I have only talked about Junction Craft Brewery when I was down in Toronto for OCB Week There I had the Cascadian Dark Ale at The Only Cafe. Junction Craft has been around since 2012 and is part of the mushrooming Craft Beer scene in Toronto and Ottawa that has taken place over the last 5 years. Suffice it to say I could almost name every brewery in this province before 2009 and I was pleasantly shocked to learn that the number of breweries and brewpubs in Ontario now top 200! Junction Craft owes it's Railway theme to the location of it's brewery. Opened in the so called "Junction" Area of Toronto which is loaded with rail yards and warehouses and the crossing point of two major rail lines. It is also next to the Stockyards area where cattle were brought in to be auctioned and sent for butchering. The rattle and clang of the train has echoed through the Junction for over 100 years. So this became a natural choice to name the brewery when the time arose. Other than that, I could not find much on the brewery on the web page, and I haven't yet been down to have a chat with someone there (Which I plan to correct sometime soon), so tonight we will have to let the Brakeman do the talking for us.

All aboard... onto the next tasting.

Off dark gold in colour with a short creamy white head made up of mostly tiny bubbles. Very light caramel malt on the nose with a light herbal hop. Toasty malt and molasses some hay, grains and grassiness and a touch of old leather. Slightly smoky with some hints of charcoal. Aeration gives us a fresh fruit and light herbal hops. Finish has a tart lingering bitterness. Complex yet refreshing. not forceful but gives you enough to contemplate.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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

Final Thoughts:

It's a sneaky little beer. When one thinks of golden ales there is such a wide range of products out there that go from stellar to shabby. When I first sniffed it it didn't seem to have much going on... but it fooled me. A good complexity and a nice beer. Certainly worth having again. I would drink this all day at a BBQ. This is the third beer I have had from Junction Craft and I can assure you it will not be my last. 

Cheers


CJT



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

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

Beer # 157 Sun of Hop Parallel 49 Brewing Company

Sun of Hop


Parallel 49 Brewing Company

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Belgian Golden Ale 5.1 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$5.00 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores
Twitter: @Parallel49Beer

I was struck at first with the interesting label of this beer. I have seen many gimmicky labels over time, some flashy some very plain, but this one intrigued me. The Label is an obvious riff on the classic "Son of Man" (1964) by famed Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte (below left). You have my attention Parallel 49. Belgian art with a Belgian Golden Ale, I am digging the connection. 

Enough Art for art's sake... Onto the beer.

Son of Man (1964)

Clear gold with a distinct green tinge. Soft white head made up of tiny bubbles disperses quickly. Baking spice on the nose, some starchy, fruity hints, light green hops some medicinal qualities. First sip is clove that gives over to banana very quickly, then to toasted wheat. Tart green hops mingle with the malted grain near the finish. Aeration whips the beer up into a bit of a froth, with a super creamy mouthfeel. Bitter green herbs come out in the aeration as does a slight nuttiness, with more fresh ground clove and banana.

 Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Not the most thrilling Belgian Golden I have tried but definitely drinkable. It is a back porch chilling, or patio people watching beer. Perhaps you can discuss Rene Magritte or the state of modern art and surrealism in post World War 2 Europe.
Just a suggestion...

Cheers


CJT



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

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

Beer # 134 Augustijn

Augustijn

Brouwerij Van Steenberg

Lindenlaan, Ertvelde, Belgium
Independent (Distributed by SAB Miller)
Belgian Golden Ale  7.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml
$3.33(Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: Not found

Another beer from the Fridge of Fame. Part of a Belgian beer collection I got a while ago. Luckily for me most good Belgian beers can stand a little age in the bottle, and this one was no exception. It opened with a big spurt which I discovered was from being left on the lees for a secondary fermentation. There was no real spillage. There was a small amount of sediment that posed no problem to pouring. This particular beer has been brewed in Belgium since 1295 with only one recipe rework in 1978 when the main production of the beer was handed over to the current brewery from the Augustinian Monks. The taste profile was balanced slightly and it was redesigned to undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Anyway... onto the tasting.

Dark rich golden colour with a bright white head, very large and made of small bubbles. Aromas of yeast, fresh bread, and light malt. First sip is citrusy, good malt, snappy, effervescent. Alcohol is noticeable but not overwhelming. Taste is rich , grainy, and light. There is some spice, clove and cinnamon. Aeration gives us toasty warm bread notes, and a hit of the alcohol.


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: 

I may have let this one age a bit too long. The fruity flavours are a tad muted. However, this is still a nice well rounded beer with lots going for it. This beer can honestly be enjoyed for up to 2 years after the production date... but, I wouldn't wait that long.


CheersCJT



Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey

Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

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

Beer # 118 Lake of Bays Brewery Cujo Imperial Golden Ale

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

Like me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online

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

Beer # 97 La Fin Du Monde

La Fin Du Monde (The End of the World)

Unibroue

Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Owned by Sleeman's Breweries, a subsidiary of Sapporo Breweries LTD, a
Strong Belgium Tripel (Golden Ale) 9.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$7.75 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @unibroue    @sleemanbeers 

Years ago my friends and I traveled to Quebec. It was our first trip out of province on our own. We stayed outside of Quebec City in a little town called St. Anne de Beaupre, in a motel that sat on the St. Lawrence. On our way back one night from the old city we stopped in the most French restaurant we could find... Pizza Hut. Well we were hungry and it was late, and the crowd was restless  So in horrible broken French we explained to the least bilingual server in all of Quebec that we wanted a local beer. The concept of local and craft beers in Canada was still a few years away... so after a few aborted attempts to serve us Molson Dry the server finally brought us the beer I am talking about tonight: La Fin Du Monde. Obviously we had never heard of it. And yes we were very intrigued. I could not tell you the point when I first decided I wanted to devote my spare time to learning as much about beer as humanly possible, but certainly this one moment was a giant NEON signpost on the road to that goal. The beer was unlike any other I had ever had. It had tremendous amounts of flavour, complexities, and nuances. It was alive... and it was my first "Real Craft Beer."

Sadly I haven't had the beer in  awhile as it was not readily available in Ontario. With the coming of the Mayan Apocalypse  Unibroue has had an advertising pitch out to toast the end of the world with La Fin Du Monde, so the beer is once again (happily) available.

Onto the Tasting:


Cloudy and light gold in colour. Enormous fluffy white head with lots of staying power.Toasty wheaty floral aroma with coriander, clove, and honey. Truly drinks like a champagne among beers. Warm roasty wheat sweet honey, coriander and clove. Effervescent on the tongue, dry and clean. The spices linger in the mouth like the aroma of holiday baking. Aeration gives a burst of spices clove allspice and cinnamon.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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

Final Thoughts:

This beer is everything a Tripel should be. I can not say enough about it... but at this point I just want to settle in and savour the rest of the bottle...


Til the end of the world...

Cheers

CJT


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

Beer # 89 Buck Wild Ale

Buck Wild Ale

Fernie Brewing Company
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Golden Ale 5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
$1.85 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores (12 pack for $22.25)

Twitter: @ferniebrewingco

Third and penultimate beer from The Fernie Brewing Company. One again I shall refer you to my other post on Fernie here, if you would like to know more about the town or brewery... Go Ghostriders!

Onto tonight's beverage:

Light gold with a slight cloudiness.Head is off white and fades quickly. Aroma is malthouse... with hints of hay and molasses. First sip is light building quickly into wheat and malt flavours, heavy on the malt sugars. More suited to food


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional   

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 4/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 So-So
Re-Order:  3/6 So-So
Experience:  3/6 So-So

Final Thoughts:

Not really a good offering, and so far the bottom of the three... Sadly it has all the structure to be a good beer, I just find that the parts all do not work together, there is promise but no balance.

Cheers
CJT


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