The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 19: Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter 2018 by Collective Arts

Beer # 478 Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter 2018 Edition

Brewery: Collective Arts Brewing

Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2013

Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Barrel Aged Imperial Porter

ABV: 11.5%      IBU: 38

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 500 ml

Cost: $14.25 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

collectiveham

    @CollectiveBrew

After a short break, we are back to finish the Christmas beers... Apologies for the delay.

This beer choice was mainly the responsibility of The Queen of Pint Jockey Headquarters. She loves bunnies. And this beer features an art print of a bunny on it's label. (Not to mention she is a huge fan of big bold porters and stouts #keeper). Collective arts brews out of Hamilton Ontario and it focuses on new artists and musicians. Their can art is often young and undiscovered artists and each beer run will feature several different artists. This beer's artist was Kait Cooper An Illustrator and graphic designer from Montreal. The Beer actually included a print of the bunny Image which the Queen has claimed, so I have to frame it for her. Tonight's beer is a bourbon barrel aged Imperial porter. I seriously can get enough of these beers when they come out in the winter... so delicious. 

Onto our beer.

Pours a very dark brown almost black with a deep tan head made up of small bubbles. Nose is laced with whiskey, smoke leather, chocolate and fresh coffee. First sip is rummy and malty, with vanilla toffee, and liquorice.  Lips are left sticky, and tongue is quite warm from the alcohol. Malt, molasses, jammy fruit and an oaky creamy finish. Very reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding. As the beer warms brown sugar comes out near the finish. Aeration brings out some chocolate hints of toasted oats, and a long lingering sweet finish.

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
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

I've had a few Collective Arts beers and for the most part, they are pretty good, but this one is great. Fantastically rich and smooth with all the right flavours one would expect from this style. A good hint of alcohol, perfect for warming up on these cold nights. Really good check this one out if you can. 

Cheers

CJT


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Happy Halloween and Beer # 288

#288 Collective Project Sour Pumpkin Saison

Collective Arts Brewing

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Farmhouse Ale 
5.0 % ABV 8 IBU
473 ml Aluminium Can
$3.45 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @Collectivebrew

Steve from Minecraft

Well Halloween is drawing to a close the kids are on their way to bed and their candy is definitely in danger. But before I go and start thinning out the coffee crisps and rockets (so they don't eat too much junk...) I wanted to post a pumpkin beer for this special night. Halloween is one of my favourite holidays, it gives me an excuse to do some of the things I do best I.E.... eat too much candy and put strange things on my head. In fact most of my costumes revolve around putting something on my head and going from there. A few years ago I was Steve from Minecraft. Tonight I plonked a plastic Knight's helmet on my head that I found in the boy's bedroom.... and I thought... okay, we are doing this. and out the door I went helmet on head matching plastic sword and my pockets stuffed full of extra bags for my ... I mean... the boys' candy. Aside from that, Halloween is also the birthday of my Favourite Furball. Perriwinkle or "Perry" has been my constant writing companion and guest typo inserter in the blog since day one ( Perry, keyboards are not for kittens...) This year she turned 13 years old. And as you can see she is not opposed to putting strange things on her head either.

I thought there was one more coffee crisp in here...

So if you ever notice a typo on one of my posts keep in mind... it's probably because i was trying to type it with Perry in my lap and her tail up my nose or she decided to tap dance across the keyboard, yet again. I hope she will be here for many, many more typos. Happy Birthday Kitten.

I can't believe we ate the whole bag of candy...

 Which brings us to tonight's beer. This time of year the shelves get flooded with pumpkin beers. Pumpkin porters, ales, what have you. This is the first time I've seen a sour saison, done with a pumpkin flavour. I've consciously avoided pumpkin beers for a year or two because I am very tired of them and after a while they end up just running together and tasting muddy.

So I was intrigued when I saw this can. and I have been liking what has been happening in the sour beer scene lately. What the hell, let's give this one a shot. So we threw on a copy of "Sleepy Hollow" and tasted the sour pumpkin.


Enter the great pumpkin...

Pours a dirty gold with a short white head made up of small bubbles. Nose is sweet filled with light hints of pumpkin and spices and just a touch of sour. First sip is a fruity with good hits of cinnamon and clove. Touches of ginger and allspice bring up the rear. Pumpkin is evident but not overpowering, or sickly like many other pumpkin beers. The beer is very light and well balanced between the sweet, sour and spice. Very easy drinking aeration brings out some caramel notes and hints of vanilla, and a little of the malt that hides so well in the background.

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:

Well quite frankly I am surprised. Not just a good pumpkin beer but one I would look forward to drinking again. Nothing is overpowering, or in your face about it. It is not just a mish-mash of over-sweet pumpkin and way too much baking spice. The sour counteracts the sweetness and the spice is balanced just right. You get a little malt at the end to remind you this is a beer and all is well. Get this one while you can. However, I imagine this one will make a return visit next year.... Hmmm, I wonder if it pairs well with stolen candy...


Happy Halloween &

Cheers

CJT

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Brux House Grapefruit Breakfast

Beer # 257 Grapefruit Breakfast

Brux House

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Independent Brewpub
American Pale Ale 5.8% ABV 
Pint Glass 20 oz
$6.50 (Canadian) At The Brewery

Twitter: @BruxHouse

I love Sawdust City's Guest Tap. So many different beers often from places I have never heard of. This is one of those cases. I had not heard of Brux House yet. It is a brew pub and kitchen in Hamilton on Locke Street. If this is the calibre of beer they produce... I would expect stellar things from them.

Onto the tasting:

Pours a cloudy, muted orange-gold. Head is short, off-white and made up of tiny bubbles. Aroma is piney, tropical  fruit, vanilla and grapefruit. First sip gives us a fruit bomb. Lots of ruby red grapefruit. Sweet but not cloying, hints of spruce and juniper, and bitter greens. Aeration gives us some warm alcohol in the nose, and medicinal hops and some marmalade.

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
Christmas Cheer:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

Delicious. A wonderful example of an APA. Very well rounded fruit flavours without being overly bitter. Very easy drinking and very light bodied for the alcohol content. Do seek this beer out.


CJT


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