BEER NUMBER 500!

Beer # 500 Glory and Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Cuvée Ale


Brewery: Nickle Brook Brewing Company


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  2005

Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Fruited and spiced Cuvée Ale Bourbon Barrel-aged Sour Ale 

ABV: 9.5 %     IBU: 37

Format: Brown glass bottle waxed sealed crown cap  Size: 500 ml

Cost: $9.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

nickelbrookbrewing      

    @NickelBrookBeer              

So we just passed the ninth anniversary of the Blog on November 8th, and coincidently I just hit my 500th beer post. So many things have changed since I started writing. The blog was originally intended to help me improve my writing and get me used to writing more often. I thought originally that I wanted to try 1000 beers because that sounded like an impressive number. I also thought it would take two to five years. Well, as I enter the 10th year of the blog I'm only halfway, and the blog is still evolving.

So over the coming months (and years) I will be fine-tuning and updating to keep the blog fresh and relevant. My goal is no longer 1000 beers, just a quest for knowledge and the desire to share it with you. Here's to many more milestones in the future.

Tonight's beer is Glory and Gold which is a fruited and spiced sour ale, that has been aged for 2 years in bourbon barrels. I figured "Gold" was the way to go for my 500th beer. 

Onto #500...

Pours a translucent medium chestnut colour with a firm off-tan head made up of small to tiny bubbles. The aroma is similar to a foeder beer, rich tangy, woody and hints of vanilla and spice. The first sip is very tart and tangy, with some caramel and vanilla. hints of dried fruit and wood. slight whiskey burn at the back of the throat. Aeration gives us some sweet tarts some malt and medicinal liquorice and horehound candy.

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:

This is a very interesting beer, there are lots of flavours going on. However, my overall impression is that this beer is not ready yet. This beer really needs to be laid down for at least 2 more years. it needs more aged to smooth out the complex flavours and create a more harmonious beer. I would buy a couple of these and put them away, and maybe one to drink now for comparison. 

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 22 B: Bonus 11.05 2016 Edition 2 Years Can Conditioned

Bonus11.05 2016 Edition 2 Years in my Basement!

Brewery: Sawdust City Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery Est.:  2014

Location: Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada

Brewery: Nickel Brook Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery   Est.: 1992
Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Belgian Quadrupel

ABV: 11.05%      IBU: 28

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $6.50 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

sawdustcitybeer       nickelbrookbrewing

    @Sawdustcitybeer    @NickelBrookBeer


 So this is actually the third time I've tried this beer. I tried it when it came out, (here) at, 1 year old (here) and finally at 2 years (this post). So I've kept this in fairly ideal conditions in the basement in the #FridgeofFame. 

Onto our beer...

Pours a cloudy light honey colour with a huge fluffy white head made up of small and tiny bubbles. The aroma is Apple and hard cider with hints of hard candy and bubblegum. First sip is effervescent and alive with soft hints of brett sourness and toasty wheat notes. The mouthfeel is super smooth, almost silky. Alcohol builds as you sip. It is the smoothest belgian sour I've ever had. Aeration gives us grassy notes with mild hops.

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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

I am actually quite sad that there is no more of this beer. It's been quite an adventure seeing how this beer developed over time. I can't wait to see what the come up with next year.


CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 3: 1 year (plus a few days) Aged 11/05 2016 Edition

Aged 11/05 Can Conditioned Sour Belgian Tripel

Collaboration with Nickel Brook Brewing Company

Brewery: Sawdust City Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery/Brewpub    Est.:  2012

Location: Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Belgian Sour Tripel

ABV: 11.05%      IBU: 

Format: Aluminum Can Size: 473 ml

Cost: $6.50 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

Nickel Brook Brewing Company


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

nickelbrookbrewing        sawdustcitybeer

    @NickelBrookBeer    @SawdustCityBeer


Ok, yes, I know... I was supposed to do this beer 6 months ago... Better late than never. So this can has sat in the Fridge of Fame for a little over 12 months. Long ago I would, like many others, would have thought this beer would be bad, and throw it out (or more likely drink it later into the night after I have already had a few. Yes. I have no shame.) However, I have come to realise under certain conditions, that bottle ageing (or can ageing in this case) is not only possible but very intriguing in its results. What beers can be aged? Well, that depends.Higher alcohol beers are good candidates, heavier styles like porters, quads, and the like fair very well. Anything bottle conditioned usually because they have active yeasts that keep the beer "alive" and continue to change the flavours over time. If you want to try ageing I may do a more in-depth article soon, but when in doubt... ask your local craft brewer. tell him or her you are interested in ageing some beers at home and could they make a few suggestions. I'm sure they will be happy to oblige.

Before we head onto our beer tonight I want to remind you about my notes for the beer way back in November of 2016:

Pours a cloudy gold colour with a fluffy white head made up  of small bubbles. Aroma is a warm sweet and sour nose with lots of yeasty bread, nuts, honey and fruit, with hints of grapes and wine. Alcohol is up front and warming. First sip is tart, but still slightly closed in flavour. Very bready, and nutty with hints of brandy. Aeration gives us a full and creamy mouthfeel with notes of spice, hints of black pepper and apricot.

The beer was a late release last November. While the beer is usually ready for November 5th, Sawdust was can conditioning it and it was not quite ready. So the cans came with a band on the top and you had to "pinkie swear" not to open until the 21st of November. I did mine around the 25th so the initial can conditioning was done. However, there is still active yeast in there working on the beer. So the band also advocated trying it again in 6 months. I did buy a second can to try in 6 months. However, I didn't get to it until now. Interestingly, the beer is still on sale in the brewery (I may have picked up another can to try next year!). 

Onto our beer.


The colour is still bright gold but it has taken on a slightly more cloudy appearance. The can nearly exploded when I opened it and the fluffy white head was MASSIVE. The nose is incredible with bright citrus notes, some breadiness, a little funk from the Brettanomyces and a small amount of nuttiness. First sip gives us a very smooth slightly funky beer. Definitely, still, wine-like taste although the grapiness is more muted. Hints of oak, light caramel, a little more woodsy, and earthy. The finish has a little black pepper and hints of liquorice. Aeration brings out the alcohol with a boom. My cheeks warmed right up! It also brings out hints of banana and clove. Interestingly the brett fades as the beer warms.

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: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL


Final Thoughts:

Phenomenal experience. Ageing this beer was a wonderful experiment and it is great to compare it to its younger self. There are a still a few of these left in the brewery. I would suggest grabbing at least two and trying one now and one maybe next year!


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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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 17: Equilibrium ESB, Nickel Brook

Beer # 315 Equilibrium ESB

Brewery: Nickel Brook Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1992

Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: ESB

ABV: 5.5%      IBU: 34

Format: Aluminium Can  Size:  473 ml

Cost: $2.90 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @NickelBrookBeer



Getting down to the crunch... Everyone have their shopping done yet? If anyone needs a hint for me, I'm rather partial to beer. Especially ESBs. Maybe it's the old british blood sloshing around inside me but a good English style beer is a joy to behold. and tonight... I be-holding this beer. Nickel Brook certainly has made a name for themselves in the Bitters game, well they should as they grew out of a company called "Better Bitters." Their hoppy beers are very much on point and I'm sure this one will be no exception.

Onto our beer..,

Pours a dark amber with a short off-white head made up of small bubbles. Nose is a spicy caramel with funky medicinal hops and a slight  marijuana scent. First sip is caramel and biscuit with a good hit of carbonation. Light fruit in the back ground, some raisin and currants, mild sweetness. Aeration is wheaty and bready, with hints of biscotti.

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:

Another great ESB. I can feel the echoes of a solid British beer in there. The only thing I can lament about is, that beer here in Canada is such a different experience to England and the UK. The predominance of the cask ale, and correct serving temperatures for ales is vital to the British beer experience, So very hard to capture in a can. Perhaps we really need a cask ale festival in Canada... I know I would go. But, I digress. Short of hopping a flight to London, this is a great way to experience a well put together ESB... go get one.

Cheers

CJT

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