Hops and Bolts India Pale Lager by Mad and Noisy Brewing

# 210 Hops and Bolts India Pale Lager


Mad and Noisy Brewing

Cremore Springs Brewing Company

Creemore, Ontario, Canada
Craft Division of Creemore Springs Brewing Company
A division of MolsonCoors
India Pale Lager 5.3% ABV Aluminium Can 473 ml
$2.90 (Canadian) LCBO

Twitter:  @CreemoreSprings 

It has been awhile since we have been down to Creemore Springs. We have already discuss their main core brands, so it was about time that I got around to their off-shoot brewing project Mad and Noisy. Named for the two rivers that merge at Creemore, Mad and Noisy is their experimental label, not unlike B-Side at Beau's All Natural. Currently they only have the two labels running... This one and a saison called Sunny and Share (No not Sonny and Cher...) Tonight's offering is a take on a West Coast IPA merged with a Pale Ale, merged with a Lager... too ambitious? Well let's see.

Onto the Noise...

Pours a clear dark honey colour with a generous off-white head made up of  small to medium bubbles.Very light grain nose with very light hints of citrus and caramel. The first sip is malt forward like a West coast IPA but even then it is still very light flavoured. Bitter herbs and grass follow the attack with a lingering tinny taste. Aeration brings forward the west coast style of malt, and the hops are present. However the taste profile is slightly discombobulated and lacks a continuity or flow.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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


Final Thoughts:

Not a great offering. Seems rather unfinished for a finished product. I see what they were trying to do, but I find it just doesn't come together for them. So not all the way into the "Avoid Pile" because there is some merit to the beer, and I am sure there are plenty of people that will like it. I however, do not. That being said, do not let it stop you from trying it yourself. I would love to hear some other thoughts on it.

Cheers

CJT


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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas: Day 3 Lion's Winter Ale

Beer # 166 Lion's Winter Ale

Granville Island Brewing Company

Vancouver and Kelowna British Columbia, Canada
Operated by Six Pints Speciality Brewing Company
Craft Division of MolsonCoors
Wet Hop Pale Ale 5.3 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml.
$7.95 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @Itsgoodtobehere 

Our third instalment of the 2-4 Beers of Christmas is an offering from Granville Island which was a small craft brewery started in downtown Vancouver and later moved it's main production to Kelowna. It was then bought out by Molson (prior to the merger with Coors) and is now directed by it's subsidiary company Six Pints Speciality Brewing company which also manages Creemore Springs Brewery in Ontario.

Onto the Tasting...



Pours a clear chestnut brown with an off tan head made of tiny bubbles. The aroma is all about the cocoa and vanilla. The aroma is very intense and makes me worry that it is artificial. The malt is slightly sour and the flavour is very intense. The body is very thin and weak and the taste profile falls flat after the initial attack. The cocoa hangs on almost cloying, and dries the tongue. Aeration gives us more intense cocoa and vanilla and not much else.




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 Spirit 4/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:


Not a fan of this beer it is too thin and the flavours are too intense making me think they are artificial (the can claims they are natural). 

Cheers And Beery Christmas


CJT


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Cider Week: Cider # 2 Molson Canadian Cider

Molson Canadian Cider

MolsonCoors LTD

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Canadian Branch)
Denver, Colorado, USA (World Headquarters)
Multinational Corporation
Adjunct Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @MolsonCoors

This one stood out in the crowd for me. It seemed very odd when I saw it. But it is beginning to dawn on me that the prevalence of ciders is due to the Gluten Free fad diet craze. This is obviously and attempt by MolsonCoors to retain brand-loyal market share among people who have adopted the GF lifestyle. "If I can't have my Molson Canadian because I'm GF now I can have Molson Canadian Cider." Well I'm not here to advocate or denounce any diet I'm just here for the beer... or the cider as the case may be.

Onto the tasting.

Light gold in colour very similar to apple juice. Thin head that disappears quickly leaving a skim of foam around the edge of the glass. Aroma is fresh apple juice and slightly winey. I also get some hints of wood. First sip is very sweet, and tastes of fresh pressed apple juice. Very carbonated, two sips in I got burpy. Slight tartness, a little chemical. I suspect that Malic acid has been added to fortify the "appley-ness." Finish is bruised apple, a little raisin and a chemical woodiness like fake oak or wood chips. Aeration gives off a citrus, green apple taste of malic acid and possibly citric acid.  They said on the can that this product contains sulfites... And boy they weren't kidding. After I had tasted this and the flavours had settled in my mouth, I began to get sulfur breath and a slight headache. Be warned if you can't handle sulfites.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

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

Final Thoughts:

Sheer morbid curiosity drove me to try this product. And, I will say it is drinkable (certainly not something that can be said about the other alcoholic beverage that bears this name). Is it a cider? Well technically, but there have been tweaks to make it more mass-pleasing (and probably more uniform, apple cider flavours can vary largely from batch to batch). Would I drink it again? Sure, if someone else bought it (even though it is very reasonably priced). Should you try it? That is up to you. If you would like a slightly more chemical version of an Allen's Apple juice, with 5 % alcohol in it... go for it. But, I am sure you can find better places to drop $3.00. This is merely a cider version of it's namesake beer. A cheap, flavourless alcohol delivery device.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 136 Ginja Ninja Granville Island Brewing Company

Ginja Ninja

Granville Island Brewing Company

Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Owned by Six Pints Speciality Brewing Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MolsonCoors Brewing
Flavoured West Coast Ale 5.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 341 ml
$2.25 (Canadian) At LCBO  (#13.50 for a 6 Pack)
Twitter: @Itsgoodtobehere

I visited Granville Island Brewery a long time ago, well before it was purchased by MolsonCoors. I had always loved the brewery and they made some fine beers. So I was excited when Ginja Ninja was coming here to Ontario and that it had some good hype. Sadly, I am very disappointed, I fear that the overbearing hand of the mega-corp has dampened down the enterprising, innovative spirit of my one time go-to west coast brewery. This is a very poor example of a macro-craft.

Onto the tasting.

Translucent chestnut to light copper in colour with a small off-white head made up of tiny bubbles. Nose is ginger beer or ginger pop, slightly sweet, and some candied ginger. The first taste is two disparate sensations; one is a watered down ginger beer the other is a watered down west coast ale. Sadly the two compete and do not mix. They do taste like a poorly made shandy. The beer is lacking in body and the ginger, while present, gets shoved aside roughly by the haphazard ale it is supposed to be accenting. After taste is mostly flat and lifeless with just a reminder that there was some ginger in it. Aeration gives off a chemical, alcohol feel, and a hint of pickled ginger (this kind you get in grocery store sushi.)

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS 

Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 1/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  1/6 FAIL
Experience:  2/6 FAIL

Final Thoughts: 

Shockingly bad. When you have to wonder halfway through your "craft beer" if you misread the label and bought the wrong beer. It's bad. I am disappointed in Granville Island almost to the point of being furious with them. This beer felt rushed, unfinished, unrefined, and certainly not worthy of the name Granville Island, or at least the brewery I remember. Try it if you must. Don't expect too much.

Cheers 
CJT



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Live Blog at Six Pints Specialty Beer Co. Beer Acadamy

Six Pints

Six Pints is the Molson Coors craft beer arm, and is made up of Creemore Springs and Granville Island Brewing companies. They have also opened a dedicated brewery and education facility on Victoria Street in Toronto. I have wanted to come in since I first noticed this place about 2 years ago... however I had not had the time. Today was my chance. I know this is Craft Beer Week, and here I am making my first stop in a conglomerate Macro-craft haven... but it is, what it is. Here are the three samples I tried.

Beer # 1

Beer Academy Black Lager
ABV 5%

Coffee coloured, very light tan head. Coffee on the nose some roasted malt. Coffee notes on the first sip very light, chocolate wood, slight hint of malt sugar slightly bitter finish. Despite the dark apperance it is light and refreshing, Some burnt sugars remain on the palate should have tasted this one last.

Beer # 2

Beer Academy  IPA
ABV 6%

Copper to orange in colour.Thin whisp of a white head, made up of very small bubbles. Pine and tropical fruit on the nose. Good strong piney hops dominate the first sip, followed by some creaminess, and some medicinal herbals. Some grapefruit and a little pithy. Very light tasting again.




Beer # 3

Beer Academy Rye PA
ABV 5.06%

Cloudy and very pale yellow gold. thin white head. A touch of ammonia on the nose with medicinal herbals and grapefruit.First sip is all grapefruit.Tangy citrus, orange and tangerine. Seems hoppier than it's 48 IBU. Breadiness on the finish, rye shows up late to the party... very pithy Transforms from pleasant taste to unpleasant finish. Not bad... not great either.

Overall thoughts

Thin light, not a lot of flavour, craft beer watered down to bare recognisability.  Worth a try, but once is enough.

Cheers
CJT

Beer # 85 Coors Light Iced Tea

Coors Light Iced Tea


Molson Coors Brewing Company
Denver, Colorado, USA
Montral, Quebec, Canada
Multinational
Flavoured Light Lager 4.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
Given as a sample can by Beer Rep. No Cost.


Twitter: @molsoncoors USA 
or @molsoncoorsCDA Canada


The dreaded Coors Light Iced Tea. or C.L.I.T. (#clit) as it has become known colloquially on Twitter. Never did I think the day would come that I would put electronic pen to electronic paper to string more than four words together about this beer. (is this a joke?) Actually I did tweet something similar, because the day I first saw anything for Coors Light Iced Tea was April Fool's Day. What has astounded me is the sheer amount of advertising that has gone into this product. As if to re-inforce the fact that Molson Coors invented a supply with no demand.

Sadly, onto the tasting:

Light gold in colour with a wispy white head that disappears quickly. Aroma is lemon, black tea, and slightly fruity. Lemon on the first taste, that dissolves into sour malt. distinct taste of lemon furniture polish, aftertaste is bitter, astringent, and stale black tea. Tastes like a poorly carbonated gingerale mixed with iced tea. Mouthfeel is sour, and flat.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional


Cost: N/A
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 0/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  0/6 FAIL
Experience:  0/6 FAIL


Final Thoughts:



This is the single most horrid beer I have put in my mouth, and I've had Steelback. I actually had to get a drink of water to wash the taste out of my mouth halfway through the tasting. This beer is a sad attempt at putting lipstick on a pig... Dress Coors Light up anyway you want, it will still be Coors Light. Perhaps if Molson Coors had spent the money they did on marketing this joke of a product into developing a beer that actually tasted good, the rest of us might be pleasantly surprised. Usually I say try a beer yourself even if I have said bad things about it, however, this time I shall warn you to avoid the product at all costs. In fact this beer is so bad I am going to do something I never do... pour the rest down the drain.

Cheers
CJT


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