Beer # 499 Lone Star Lager (Canadian Version)

Beer # 499 Lone Star Lager

Brewery: Sleeman Brewing and Malting


Type: Wholly owned by Sapporo Breweries Company  Est.:  1988

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Lager

ABV: 4.9%      IBU: 10

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.0 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

sleemanbeer

    @sleemanbeer

Ok... This beer is iconic and intrinsically linked with Texas, except, it is brewed by a Japanese company in... Guelph, Ontario, Canada? Well... yes, and yes... The original Lone Star Brewery was built in 1884 in San Antonio Texas. It was Texas' first large scale mechanised brewery; originally put together by Adolphus Busch of Anheuser-Busch fame and a group of local San Antonio businessmen. Busch had bought the Alamo brewing company in 1874 and used it to build the new Lone Star Brewery. Lone Star Beer itself, wasn't brewed until1940 by Peter Kreil of Munich (It is very much a Munich Lager). The Lone Star Beer Company has had many masters over the years. It has been moved to several locations in Texas, it was purchased in 1976 By Olympia Brewing from Washinton,

No.. Not that Lone Star.

and again in 1983 by G. Heileman Brewing. Stroh's bout Heileman in 1996, and then Stroh's was bought by Pabst in 1999. Pabst now contracts all the brewing of Lone Star out. So where does Japan and Canada fit in? Glad you asked. Stroh's Canada was purchased by the Sleeman Brewing and Malting company which was later bought out by Sapporo of Japan. Sleeman's brews the Stroh's line Including Lone Star, Old Milwaukee, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Still billed as the "National Beer of Texas, even though this one is brewed North of the border... Let's give this one a try. 

Let's use the Schwartz on this Lone Star...

Clear gold in colour with a thick, bright white head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is corn syrup and malt extracts. Rain watery German-style hops and hints of wet dog. The first sip is sweet and corny with a very light malt profile. Taste is very flat with a watery texture. There is a clean crispness to the beer, but it comes at the cost of very little flavour in the actual beer. Aeration makes it taste like sugar water.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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


Final Thoughts:

This is a very boring beer. There is really nothing to it but sugar and a hint of malt. I get the feeling that if you drank too much of this the gut-rot and headache the next day would make you wish you were dead. It tastes like an underage party... one where you cobbled together anything with alcohol in it. It's not so bad, that if someone offered me one I could drink it... but I would politely decline a second one.

CJT

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Beer # 370 Freedom 35 Trailer Park Boys Lager

Beer # 370 Freedom 35 Lager

Brewery: N.A.C. (North American Craft) Importers 

Type: Contract brewery, Brewed at Wellington Brewing Company    Est.: 

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Lager

ABV: 5.0%      IBU: 

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

wellingtonbrewery

    @namericancraft

As the news spreads that we lost Canadian Actor John Dunsworth yesterday lots of Trailer Park Boys fans are still in shock today. I can't say I was a Trailer Park Boys fan; however, there is no doubt what the show has done for Canadian identity. In the words of my esteemed partner, The Queen of Pint Jockey Headquarters, "Why do I need to watch Trailer Park Boys? You've seen the neighbours." But watch a lot of people did. The show held up a mirror to Canadian society, not a perfect mirror, one of those wavy carnival ones. It poked fun at us, kept us humble and most of all made us laugh at ourselves. That's what good TV should do.

Onto our beer tonight. Freedom 35 is a craft lager produced at the Wellington Brewing Company in Guelph, Ontario for N.A.C. Importers. The North American Craft Importers is an alcohol distribution agency that represents Canadian and American brewers and distillers and sources places for their products in the Beer Store, the LCBO, and now grocery stores across Ontario. They commissioned this beer with Wellington, who also produces under contract the beers for Double Trouble Brewing, one of their other clients. The interesting thing I have found is that in the announcement on the Trailer Park Boys Facebook Page here, they say there is corn in the beer to add sweetness, but it is not listed in the ingredients; but this beer is definitely sweet so I would imagine there is still corn in it. So be cautious if you have a corn allergy.

Onto our freakin' beer...

Pours a light gold colour with an off-white fluffy head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is grassy and sweet with hints of citrus. First sip is surprising. As lagers go this one is not an over-commercialised barrel wash. However, is it malt forward with a surprising amount of sweetness, almost syrupy. Hops are there, lending a bitter green, medicinal bite. The hop varieties are not listed but they taste like German varieties to me, possibly Hallertau. The wheat flakes give it a slight breadiness which makes the beer taste like toast doused in sugar. As the beer warms hints of spice and raisins come to the surface. Aeration gives us some clove and bitter mustard greens.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience: 3/6 SO-SO


Final Thoughts:

This tastes like a hangover in a can. It's not terrible. I honestly thought I would have to issue another #drainaward, but, I was surprised. It has flavour, it has the bones of a good craft lager, it's just not balanced. It's like sucking on a tin of malt syrup. Save this beer for Trailer Park Boys re-runs, on nights you don't have to be anywhere the next morning. Poor decisions are almost guaranteed.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 362 Smoked Honey: Royal City Brewing Company

Beer #362 Smoked Honey Brown Ale

Royal City Brewing Company

Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Established: 2014
Smoked Honey Brown Ale
5.5 % ABV IBU: 25
500 ml Brown Glass Bottle
$3.95 (Canadian) At Sobey's Grocery

Twitter: @RoyalCityBrew

Haven't been to Guelph for a while and This brewery has not made it onto the blog yet either. They were at FUNKFEST but I ran out of tickets and liver space before I got to them. Tonight's brew is a smoked honey brown ale. Now I'm not sure how all of that fits together I believe it's a smoked grain brown ale that has had honey added to the wort. At least that's what it tastes like. I'm not sure if you can smoke honey... But, when I build my new smoker I will find out... (I will blog, about it stay tuned!).

Onto tonight's tasting...

Pours a translucent dark chestnut with a short tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is sooty char and sweet honey. The first sip is malty and mineral, which gives over to a light ashy smoke with a residual honey clover sweetness. Refreshingly light, yet with a nice thick malty brown bread or pumpernickel feel. Aeration gives us and herbal hoppy hit, with hints of smoked honey ham.

 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 was a wonderfully well balanced, full flavour beer that managed to stay nice and light in the body. The smoke elevated the beer, instead of drowning out the ingredients in a harsh, bitter cloud. I was so pleasantly surprised by this beer and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was actually disappointed when I looked down and the bottle was empty. Such a great all purpose beer too. I would cook with this, drink it on a patio, or in front of a campfire. Trust me, put one of these in your glass, you will not regret it.


Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 13: Continuity Baltic Porter, StoneHammer

Beer # 311 Continuity 

Brewery: StoneHammer Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1995

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Baltic Porter

ABV: 7.8%      IBU: 34

Format: Crown Capped Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 500 ml

Cost: $5.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @StoneHammerBeer



Rather surprising I haven't done a beer from this brewery yet. StoneHammer has been quietly plugging away on the beer scene since 1995. I've had a few of their beers before, mainly because I used to live out in Southwestern Ontario, near Guelph where this beer is from. Back when I was there the Guelph area had a few breweries. Most notable as being the home of Sleeman, there were a few other quite respected breweries. Wellington Brewery, nearby The Lion/Gold Crown Brewery, Brick Brewing, and later Grand River brewing. StoneHammer started out life as F&M Brewing and produced beer under the flagship StoneHammer label. When the brewery Changed hands in 2015, Philip and Leslie Woodhouse, the new owners,  rebranded the brewery as StoneHammer.

Onto our beer...

Pours a deep dark brown with a mocha coloured head made up of tiny bubbles. The nose is spicy and woody, with notes of lattes and chocolate. First sip is quite creamy with sweet notes of molasses and chocolate. Mouthfeel is full and robust. Hints of leather and cedar. Aeration gives us some licorice and molasses with some dark roasted coffee on the finish.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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

Final Thoughts:

A solid Baltic porter, good flavour profile. Not a lot to get excited about. The layers of flavour are not very complex, or nuanced. What you see is what you get. A Baltic porter, that tastes of chocolate leather and coffee. Should you drink this beer. Yes... yes, you should, there is nothing wrong with it. It's just average.

Cheers

CJT

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Bonus! Accidentally Aged Terrestrial India Brown Ale.

Aged Terrestrial 

Brewery: Wellington Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1985

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: India Brown Ale

ABV: 5.9%      IBU: ?

Format: Crown Capped Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 750 ml

Cost: $7.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @WellingtonBrew

Ok, don't judge. Sometimes I forget I have beers. I have A LOT of beers in the house, and juggling them sometimes... ah... I... get confused, or I misplace them. (Much to the chagrin to the Queen of Pint Jockey Headquarters). Outside of the Fridge of Fame... (Which I keep getting told is supposed to contain food...) I have a little storage area in the basement behind my workbench. This beer has been there since July. Of 2015. However when I went to look up the price I discovered that it had been on shelves at the LCBO since the previous may. So this beer is 18 months old. A year and a half for a hopped brown ale is a bit of a stretch. I was actually concerned that when I cracked it, it was going to, well lets just say, not smell appropriate. However it surprised me. I popped the top and cautiously waved the neck of the bottle under my nose and I smelled, delicious fruity beer.

Relieved, I could not wait to try it.

Onto our beer.

Pours a pitch dark brown with a massive, and fluffy off-tan head, made of small and medium bubbles that shrink randomly, leaving a strange cappucino-esque head. Nose is clean and woody with hints of sweet malt, and surprisingly very bright for its age. Hints of smoky caramel, baking spices, and touches of vanilla fill up the back. First sip is the first sign of age. Hints of smoky malt some charcoal, mouthfeel is still light and refreshing. A slightly more mineral feel to it. Hints of good German rye bread, the ones with some char on the crust. Chocolate builds on the finish with hints of espresso, touches of used leather and a resounding earthy feel. Aeration is all coffee, a nice medium roast with some hints of condensed milk and a whipped cream mouthfeel. Finish is very stout-like, dry and rich.

Final Thoughts:

This is a horse of a different colour. This beer is very far from where it started. That is the amazing thing about ageing beer. It really is a living organism that can grow and mature and improve if you keep it healthy. If you do not it can sour and go bitter. Good metaphor for life, ain't it? Always take care of your beer (and yourself) so it can reach it's maximum potential. Quite frankly... I was shocked this beer survived as long as it did. Usually beers with higher alcohols do better in the long run, but at a little less than 6 percent this hopped brown ale did just fine. I will admit there was a tinge of metal, most likely from contact with the crown cap, when the bottle was not stored perfectly. However it did not distract from the beer's enjoyment, I'll just be more careful storing my beers. This was certainly one of my best back corner finds. Maybe I will have to keep feeding the corner, with a few surprises for future blog posts.


Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 292 Red Falcon Ale Stouffville Brewing Company

#292 Red Falcon Stouffville Brewing Company

Stouffville Brewing Company/Falcon Brewing Company

Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Contract Brewing Company  Established 2014
Brewed at Wellington Brewery in Guelph, Ontario Canada
Red Ale
5.0 % ABV IBU: 16
473 ml Aluminium Can
$2.85 (Canadian) At the Beer Store

Twitter: @falconbrewingco

Best as I can figure out this brewery is at a transition point right now. I remember hearing that a Stouffville  Brewing company was coming and I thought, "That's cool." My parents used to drive me up there as a kid... They had a really fun Antique and Flea Market. Interesting side note my Dad was a carpenter, and he made my sister an octagonal keepsake box that she used as a piggy bank. She doesn't remember losing it, but I think it disappeared when she was in college. She went with my parents to the Stouffville Flea Market one day and said "Hey Dad, this looks like the piggy bank you made me." She turned it over and it had her name written on the bottom. She still had to buy it back. She still has it along with a spooky story. 

Back to our brewery. I'm guessing that not unlike the lost piggy bank, this brewery slipped my mind. I hadn't thought of it until I saw the cans of Falcon Ale in the Beer Store.

Thanks Deadpool... But I mean the City of Ajax...
not the foppish British Antagonist

 However when I looked it up it started to get confusing. First off they are a contract brewery and they rent brew time from Wellington in Guelph. Second their address is listed as Ajax.  Third the beer comes up as being brewed by Falcon Brewing Company, and the picture on the Internet still says Stouffville Brewing company on the can.  Confused? Well I was a first but I am assuming this means plans have changed. It is not unusual for a new brewery to contract out the brewing when they first start, especially if your brewing skills are limited or you need to find a brewmaster. I guess a location could not be found in Stouffville or a property became available in Ajax that fit the bill better, or there could be any number of legal reasons that Stouffville Brewing Company could not be used, prompting a name change. Something similar happened to Flying Monkeys Brewery in Barrie Ontario. They were originally named Simcoe Steam Brewing Company, but that name was still owned by a family that had run a brewery in the past. They then changed it to Robert Simpson Brewing Company, and a few years later changed it again to it's final for "Flying Monkeys." So for whatever reason Our beer tonight is made by the former Stouffville Brewing Company now called Falcon Brewing Company, based in Ajax, brewed (for the time being) in Guelph, and currently in my hand right now.

Clear as mud?

Yeah, me too.

Onto the beer...

Pours a amber honey colour with a short white head made up of small bubbles. Head dissipates rapidly. Caramel nose with lots of malted barley and the barest hint of wet dog. First sip is sweet with touches of sourness a little smoke and leather. Body is medium to light with lots of light caramel. Some vanilla and hints of apple and pear. Aeration  brings out some tartness... some mineral qualities and the barest hint of molasses.

 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 fruity red ale. Good to see a great representation of a British/Irish staple over here in Canada. The malty sweetness was on point as was the bright fruity notes. Worthy of a redo. I hope they get their brewery opened up soon and they can maintain a high standard with this beer. I rather enjoyed it.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 200 Frost Quake Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine

Frost Quake


Wellington Brewery

Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine 
9.8 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml (Crown capped with a swing top lid for re-closing)
$11.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @WellingtonBrew

The morning was cold and crisp today. Down around -29. Perfect day for the namesake of this beer to happen. My 200th beer in fact! As you can see I spruced the place up a bit. New look, new layout, and there are a few more improvements to be coming very shortly. Stay tuned! But back to metaphor I just left dangling there for a second. Frost quake. Maybe you haven't heard of them, but they are quite real and a really weird sensation. It happens more often in areas that have a lot of rock near the surface. Water percolates down in between the cracks of the rocks and when a rapid temperature drop occurs it freezes very quickly causing a big cracking noise. More like cracking your knuckles than an earthquake, but it can still be loud and scary. We have them around Pint Jockey Headquarters at least once a year.

Tonight's beer is named for this phenomenon. A hot little barley wine wine, almost 10 % alcohol, that has spent a few months in Kentucky Bourbon barrel.

Let's get shaking...

Pours a translucent chestnut brown that is slightly hazy. Very viscous. The head is quite thin and the colour of caramel. The nose is quite smoky, earthy, woody, sweet malt brown sugar and a hint of licorice. First sip gives us oak, vanilla, bourbon whiskey, bruleed sugar, bittersweet chocolate and smoke. As the beer warms a mild nuttiness comes out as does the high alcohol content. Very warming, but not to head fogging. Aeration gives us rich oak and smoke with some light malt sugars and a hint of the caramel on the finish.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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


Final Thoughts:

A bit pricey for what the beer delivered. Don't get me wrong it is a good barley wine, and if you only want to drink one beer a night this one should do you nicely. Better yet sip this with some food, or a friend, or just use the swing top closure to save some for another night. Worth a try pick one up while you still can. Or maybe two... and age one for a year.

CJT


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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas: Day 12 French Press Vanilla Stout

Beer # 176 French Press Vanilla Stout

Double Trouble Brewing Company

Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Flavoured Stout 4.8 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml.
$2.95 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @DT_Brewing


I was very happy to find this beer the other day.  I was thoroughly impressed with their Fire in the Rye and I was eager to blog more of their beers. As well, Hops and Robbers is a perennial favourite around Pint Jockey Headquarters come BBQ season (as it should be around your BBQ). I believe the picture of the charming gent on the can is Claude (of Claude and Nathan not sure if he is the "double" or the "trouble" though). But, he does know a good beer when he makes one. I have a feeling that there are some more good things coming down the pipe from these guys in Guelph and I look forward to trying them out too.

Onto the tasting...

Pours an intense dark brown/black with a light tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is vanilla bean latte. First sip shows us it is very light bodied stout, refreshing with strong notes of vanilla. Malt comes in gently afterwards followed swiftly by rich dark roast coffee. Whereas other stouts get most of their coffee flavour from the addition of coffee beans to the mix; this beer gets it from the special malting of the barley. While the coffee aroma and flavour is very present, it acts as a supporting player to the malt sugars and the vanilla, handing over just enough bitterness to prevent the beer from being too sweet. The beer tastes and feels like an upscale coffee shop in winter to me. So much so it makes me imagine candy canes and the aromas of peppermint without them actually being in the beer. Aeration gives off a brandy, or rum note
with a little creme brulee and caramel to finish.

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 Spirit 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

This has been one of my favourite beers so far for the 2-4 Beers of Christmas. It delivers on the advertised flavour, it is well balanced, light in body but great in flavour. Do try this one out while it is still on shelves.


Cheers And Beery Christmas


CJT


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