The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 4 Bring Out The Imp, Alchemy Brewing Company

Beer # 504 Bring Out The Imp

Brewery: AlchemyBrewing Company


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  2012

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Beer Style: Barrel Aged, Flavoured, Double Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 10.5%      IBU: ?

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 330 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

 N/A

    @alchemybrewco

Day four of the #2-4BeersofChristmas brings me to a city that I loved when I visited it: Edinburgh. Despite one of the more epic hangovers of my early beer drinking career (Guinness hangovers suck... Yes I was drinking an Irish beer in a Scottish city, there were other beers too, hence the hangover) Edinburgh sticks out in my mind as a gorgeous historic city with a fun nightlife (see hangover earlier...) The craft beer movement really didn't start up until after I visited (I went for the whisky...) I would have loved to hit a few of the now famous Scottish craft brewers. Alchemy is one of the newer craft brewers in Edinburgh to gain attention. Started in 2012 they produce an interesting array of beers for all tastes. I had a tough time finding the website info for Alchemy as there are actually three (that I could find) Alchemy Brewing Companies. One is in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, one in Seattle, Washington, USA, and the last in Edinburgh. Alchemy in Scotland doesn't have an Instagram account and the twitter accounts for all three are almost identical. This is a double oatmeal imperial stout that was flavoured with Licorice and then aged in Côtes du Rhône wine barrels.

Onto our tasting:

Pours a slightly murky dark chestnut brown with a hint of a red tint. Pours a short off-tan head made up of tiny bubbles. The aroma is a malty liquorice all-sorts. Boozy and oaky with hints of red wine. The first sip is slightly syrupy with hot flashes of alcohol, molasses, and liquorice root. Lips are left quite sticky even after a few sips. Hints of roasted caramel. Aeration gives us a boozy, anisette and whiskey mix. Warming up the beer takes on an oatmeal sweetness mixed with molasses reminding me of horse feed.

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:

This bottle actually took some age, I had bought it for a previous #2-4BeersofChristmas but didn't get around to it. I was not worried about the age as I was sure the high alcohol would protect it. I'm thinking that it even mellowed out a bit because I found the liquorice mild in comparison to the hefty malt flavours. Not really a fantastic beer but quite a decent one. I have checked and the beer is no longer being produced... so you will have to take my word for it.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 20: Long Dark Voyage To Uranus Coffee & Vanilla by Sawdust City

Beer # 479 Long Dark Voyage to Uranus Coffee & Vanilla

Brewery: Sawdust City Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    
Est.:  2015

Location: Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Barrel Aged Uranal Stout

ABV: 9.5%      IBU: 60

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $6.25 CAD   
Purchased At: The Brewery

 sawdustcitybeer

    @sawdustcitybeer

Another offering from the brewer in my backyard. Sawdust seemed to go overboard this year with new beer releases, and they are doubling down for next year. Since it is their fifth anniversary in the Gravenhurst Location, they are doing their "52 Pickup" which is a beer release a week every week for the entire year. I will be trying them all and I will be posting a few of them but I doubt I will go shot for shot with them... I do have a day job...

So this beer tonight is a rework of their classic seasonal LDV or Long Dark Voyage to Uranus. It gets most of its kick from fresh Lot #7 Katia Duke coffee from Cut Coffee in Toronto and is rounded out with some vanilla. According to Cut... Lot#7 is open fermented for 36 hours then dried on special beds in the African sun. It has notes of peach honey and fresh fruit.

Onto our beer...


Pours a deep dark brown with a short dark tan head made up of tiny bubbles. The nose is fresh ground coffee with hints of dark malt and brown sugar. Coffee continues on the first sip like that first fresh aroma of coffee when the hot water hits the grounds for the first time. Toffee, caramel and vanilla fill out the middle. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, not unlike cold brew coffee.  Aeration gives chocolate brown sugar and whiskey. 

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:

The smell of this beer is amazing. It alone has the power to perk you up. Very smooth well rounded easy drinking and the 9.5% can quickly sneak up on you so imbibe carefully. 

CJT

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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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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 6: Dark Helmüt

Beer # 396 Dark Helmüt

Brewery: Beau's All Natural Brewery


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2006

Location: Van Kleek Hill, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Imperious (*ahem* Imperial) Schwarzbier

ABV: 7.3%      IBU: 33

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 600 ml

Cost: $5.49 ($21.95 for a 4 bottle mix Pack) CAD   Purchased At: LCBO

beausallnatural

    @beausallnatural

All rise in the presence of... Dark Helmüt.

It's not exactly news, but we love movies here at Pint Jockey Headquarters. And if you put a gun to our heads and asked us what the one absolute greatest Sci-fi space adventure Parody starring Rick Moranis was... well we could only come up with one answer... SPACEBALLS.

Now that I think about it I guess that's the only answer... But I digress. What does this has to do with Stealing air from Druidia? Wait... No... We came here to use the Schwarz... Schwarzbier that is. Swarzbier is a dark lager rich in malt and coffee nuances. Just like Spaceballs is rich in silliness and pop culture references. Dark Helmüt is a beer from Beau's Wild Oats series which pops up every now and then and it is actually a beer I have had on my bucket list for some time. Mainly because... well... SPACEBALLS.

So without further ado...

PREPARE TO TASTE BEER

Ok... lets just go...

Pours an Imperious dark chestnut brown with a short helmut (I mean head) made up of small bubbles. Rich smoky malt, coffee, and chocolate dominate the nose. Roasty toasty malt hits you right off the bat followed by some good bitter coffee, and espresso. Light in body, warming and slightly sweet. Alcohol is present but takes a back seat to the flavour. Nutty, molasses, black licorice, brown sugar, and light green hints of hops spark at the end. Aeration gives us more brown sugar with carmelised figs, raisins and some prunes. Hints of dry grass, hazelnuts. hints of whiskey and vodka on the 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 Cheer 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

Wow, full of flavour and good mix of roasty and bitter flavours. Certainly lives up to the legacy of one of my all time favourite movies. A delicious beer if you can get your hands on one.

CJT

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Beer # 390 11/05 2017 Edition Imperial Fruit Sour

Beer # 390 11/05 2017 Edition 
Collaboration with: Sawdust City Brewing Company

Brewery: Nickel Brook Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery/Brewpub    Est.:  2012

Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Imperial Fruit Sour with Soursop

ABV: 11.05%      IBU: 

Format: Draught  Size: 14 oz

Cost: $6.80 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

Sawdust City Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery Est.: 2012
Location: Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada

nickelbrookbrewing        sawdustcitybeer

    @NickelBrookBeer    @SawdustCityBeer

Soursop

One of the more anticipated beers of the brewing year up here in Muskoka is the fun collaboration between Sawdust City in Gravenhurst and Nickel Brook Brewing in Burlington Ontario. The two Brewmasters Sam Corbiel (Sawdust), and Ryan Morrow (Nickel Brook) share a birthday, November 5 (get it? 11 05?) So every year they plan and brew a beer that has an alcohol content of 11.05% (yikes!) Every year is a different style and the actually brewing swaps back and forth between the two breweries. Which sadly sucks this time around due to our antiquated laws in Ontario. Because this year was Nickel Brook's turn to brew, cans of 11/05 were not available for purchase in Gravenhurst. We did, however, get a few kegs to be served in the Sawdust City Saloon. So in I went.

This year's brew is an Imperial Fruit Sour. It was flavoured with a fruit that is not too commonly know of in this area: soursop. While the fruit is native to the Americas, it is from the tropical regions and is not generally seen up this way, fresh, anyway. The prickly green outside hides a soft creamy interior with many small brown seeds. The flavour is reminiscent of strawberries and pineapple.

Onto our beer.

Pours a hazy light gold with tinges of green and a short off-white head made up of small bubbles. The aroma has grapey notes of wine, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Plus a sweet and sour background with hints of green fruit and citrus. First sip is quite tart but smooth with lots of fruit and wine notes. Has a distinct champagne mouthfeel, slightly acidic with bready notes citrus and cheek pricking bubbles. sweet fruity background note of strawberry and banana come out as the beer warms. Lastly, hints of oak come completing the wine feel. Aeration gives us a touch of pineapple some creaminess and a little raisin.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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


Final Thoughts:

Wow. This is certainly the best 11/05 that I have had. It is very easy drinking and it masks the high alcohol very well. This is not a beer you would want to pound back 3 or 4 of, at least if you want to see the next morning. I had the one and moseyed. Very flavourful, I can't wait to try next year's!

Cheers

CJT

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