The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 14 Full Bean Half Foam Mocha Latte

Beer # 514 Full Bean Half Foam Mocha Porter 

Brewery: Muskoka Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  1996

Location: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Porter

ABV: 5.3%      IBU: 39

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.95 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery


muskokabrewery

    @Muskokabrewery

Another entry from Muskoka Brewery's Moonlight Kettle series, tonight's beer is a chocolate, coffee and lactose porter.  The effect is quite good, I had to remind myself I was drinking a beer and not a latte.

Onto our tasting...




Pours a dark chocolate brown with a milky tan head made up of small bubbles. Head is super creamy and is reminiscent of a latte. The aroma is bitter coffee and chocolate, with hints of grain and vanilla. The first sip is straight-up coffee and malt with a touch of lactose sweetness. The middle has a nice coffee hum and chocolate there is body from the cocoa butter and lactose. Aeration gives us some espresso bitterness and cocoa powder.

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:

A great tasting beer and a nice approximation of a latte in stout form. Get one of these while you still can.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 13 Must Kuld by Põhjala

Beer # 513 Must Kuld Porter 

Brewery: Põhjala Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2011

Location: Tallinn, Estonia

Beer Style: Porter

ABV: 7.8%      IBU: 45

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 330 ml

Cost: $3.45 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

pohjalabeer

    @pohjalabeer

I think this is my second or third beer from Estonia. They seem to be starting up a craft beer movement now too. The first beers I had were old Pilsner/lager standbys from large national breweries, but this was my first from a craft brewery. Not too much information on this brewery, Just that they occupy a restored heritage building in the shipyard area of Tallinn on the sea.

Onto our beer...

Pours a very dark chocolate colour with a short tan head made of small bubbles. The aroma is deep and malty with chocolate and molasses. Mouthfeel is medium-thick and beer has a slight mustiness to it. Definitely unrefined. As it warms it sweetens a bit with deeper tones of molasses and brown sugar. Hints of liquorice. Aeration gives us more mustiness and some wet grain. It finishes sweet milk chocolate and toast.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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


Final Thoughts:

A decent porter. There are some slight imperfections but nothing to seriously fault the beer. The flavour profile is good and the style is not bad. I would be interested to see if a fresher version of this beer. one that hasn't made a TransAtlantic trip, would be better. Try it, especially if you are like me, and have not had an Estonian craft beer before.

Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 3 Choqlette Porter Bomber Brewing Company

Beer # 503 Choqlette Porter

Brewery: Bomber Brewing Company


Type: Independent Brewery    Est.:  2015

Location: Vancouver, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured American Porter

ABV: 5.5%      IBU: 18

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: ?     Purchased At: Gift

bomberbrewing

    @bomberbrewing

So I had this can given to me as it is not sold in Ontario right now. I have tried to at least find a price online but to no avail. It is a regular seasonal at Bomber Brewing in East Vancouver. The beer is brewed with Chocolate malt and cocoa powder in the mash and then has cocoa nibs and Aramis hops added in for more flavour. It is brewed in the American Porter style which is quite wide-ranging and forgiving but is most notable for having either chocolate or coffee added to compliment the malt.

Onto our beer...

Pours a dark chestnut colour with a solid tan head made up of small to tiny bubbles. The aroma is very malt-forward with strong notes of chocolate red wine and hints of coffee. There are earthy tones with hints of bread and some mushrooms. The first sip is light-bodied full of cocoa powder lightly charred toast deep brown sugars and some caramels. Aeration gives us some rum notes and hints of coffee and fruit.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: -/6 N/A was gifted the beer
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

This is a pretty good beer; lots of flavour and a light body. It just doesn't wow me as much as I thought it would. Give it a try if you can find it.
CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2019 Day: 2 Blackstone Porter, Driftwood Brewery

Beer #502 Blackstone Porter

Brewery: Driftwood Brewery


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2008

Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Beer Style: Porter

ABV: 6.0 %      IBU: 25

Format: Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 650 ml

Cost: $4.80 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

driftwoodbrewery

    @driftwoodbeer

Our second beer for the #2-4beersofchristmas comes to us from Vancouver Island. Specifically the capital of B.C.: Victoria. Driftwood Brewery has been around since 2008 and brews a nice line up of tasty beers. Also, I would encourage you to check out their website. They have a cool, interactive 3D Walk-through of their brewery on their contacts page. Tonight's offering is Driftwood's porter, and without further ado, we should hop right into it.

Onto our beer... 

Pours a deep dark brown/black with a light tan head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is roasted malt chocolate nuts and coffee. The first sip gives us a light-bodied fruity beer, with notes of molasses brown sugar dried fruit with background hints of vanilla and caramel. builds into an earthy woody finish with a hint of smoke and ash near the end.

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: It always amazes me how such dark beers can taste so light and fruity in the mouth. This almost black beer has an airy mouthfeel. Certainly a great beer to sip by the fire or under the Christmas tree.



Cheers
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 2018 Edition Day 18: Cherry Porter by MacLean's Ales

 Beer # 477 Cherry Porter

Brewery: Maclean's Ales


Type: Independent Microbrewery   
Est.:  2009

Location: Hanover, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Flavoured Porter

ABV: 4.8%      IBU: 38

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.05 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

 N/A

    N/A

A number of years ago I lived in the town of Hanover and that is where I first came across this brewery. At the time they were contract brewing out of Guelph, I'm not sure which brewery though. They brewed one beer at the time which was called MacLean's (obviously). It was similar to Alexander Keith's. It is still brewed today as MacLean's Pale Ale. Since I moved away they moved into Hanover finally opening a bricks-and-mortar brewery, just a few minutes away from where I lived. I will admit to drinking a fair amount of MacLean's when I was in Hanover... It was cheap, tasted marginally better than the macro-brews, and well, it was different at the time. Tonight we are trying their sour cherry flavoured porter. If all goes well I may have to head back to where I used to live and check them out.

Onto our beer.

Pours a dark chestnut brown... a little on the light side for a porter with an off-tan head made of small bubbles. Nose is fruity and malty with hints of molasses. First sip is very dry, bitter, and quite thin. Although there is a slight fruitiness there is not much cherry going on except for a hint of tartness right at the end of the finish. Coffee builds on the finish. There is very little depth to the beer, not much happening. The malt flavours are underdeveloped and the fruit is missing in action. Not a drain award contender but not that good either. Aeration spike up bitterness and tartness.

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:

As I said, MacLean's Pale Ale was ok, and its flavoured porter brother is no different. Certainly, nothing to write home about. Kind of disappointing I hoped they would have had time to improve. I will still drop in and visit if I am ever out that way again. Hopefully, they will have some better beers to surprise me with.

Cheers

CJT

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