The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 9: Campfire Rye by Boshkung Brewing Company

Beer # 468 Campfire Rye

Brewery: Boshkung Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery    
Est.:  2015

Location: Algonquin Highlands, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Rye Ale

ABV: 5.5%      IBU: 20

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.10 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

 boshkungbrewing

    @BoshkungBrewing

 I've been wanting to get a hold of this beer for quite some time. Rye beers rank up there in the pantheon of my favourite brews and I have really enjoyed the other offerings from Boshkung that I have tried. Tonight's brew gets its main kick from a healthy portion of smoked wheat malt; but owes the sweet, smooth, spicy, and bread-like character to the main star of the beer the malted rye.

Onto our beer...

Pours a hazy light chestnut brown with a fluffy light tan head made up of tiny bubbles. Aroma is warm rye bread with strong wood notes, (oak and maple?) First sip is very similar to a Rauschbier smoky, malty, and mineral. Crusty rye bread dominates the middle. Beer is quite light in body and fruity and spicy on the finish. A bit of earthiness comes out near the end. Aeration gives more earthy, smoky deliciousness.

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:

Another great beer from Boshkung. Not as heavy on the smoke as a Rauschbier, but enough to allow it to live up to it's name. Certainly makes me think of long nights in front of the campfire enjoying a tasty beverage or two. Or if you prefer, in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace pondering the Christmas tree. Either way, pick this one up and try it.

CJT

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Beer # 362 Smoked Honey: Royal City Brewing Company

Beer #362 Smoked Honey Brown Ale

Royal City Brewing Company

Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Established: 2014
Smoked Honey Brown Ale
5.5 % ABV IBU: 25
500 ml Brown Glass Bottle
$3.95 (Canadian) At Sobey's Grocery

Twitter: @RoyalCityBrew

Haven't been to Guelph for a while and This brewery has not made it onto the blog yet either. They were at FUNKFEST but I ran out of tickets and liver space before I got to them. Tonight's brew is a smoked honey brown ale. Now I'm not sure how all of that fits together I believe it's a smoked grain brown ale that has had honey added to the wort. At least that's what it tastes like. I'm not sure if you can smoke honey... But, when I build my new smoker I will find out... (I will blog, about it stay tuned!).

Onto tonight's tasting...

Pours a translucent dark chestnut with a short tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is sooty char and sweet honey. The first sip is malty and mineral, which gives over to a light ashy smoke with a residual honey clover sweetness. Refreshingly light, yet with a nice thick malty brown bread or pumpernickel feel. Aeration gives us and herbal hoppy hit, with hints of smoked honey ham.

 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


Final Thoughts:


This was a wonderfully well balanced, full flavour beer that managed to stay nice and light in the body. The smoke elevated the beer, instead of drowning out the ingredients in a harsh, bitter cloud. I was so pleasantly surprised by this beer and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was actually disappointed when I looked down and the bottle was empty. Such a great all purpose beer too. I would cook with this, drink it on a patio, or in front of a campfire. Trust me, put one of these in your glass, you will not regret it.


Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 11: Waterloo Roggenbier Applewood Smoked.

Beer # 259 Roggenbier

Waterloo Brewing Company 

Waterloo and Formosa, Ontario, Canada
Independent Brewery

Roggenbier, Applewood Smoke 5.3% ABV 
Aluminium Can 473 ml.

$2.75 (Canadian) At LCBO.

Twitter: @brickbrewery


Roggenbier means rye beer in German. I love rye beers and I was very intrigued by this one. Smoked beers, or Rauchbiers in German are also quite common so I was keen to try this beer that attempted to blend both styles.

Onto the smoke...

Pours a very dark chestnut with a tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is German rye bread with frying bacon. First sip fully delivers on the meaty promise of bacon in the nose. This beer tastes like breakfast to me! Hints of applewood smoke make me think of smoked English cheddar as well. Light in body but big on taste. Taste is slightly monochromatic though. The smoked rye certainly dominates the foreground of the taste. Unfortunately on the background of the taste I am picking up some chemicals, and creosote, some flavours that taste more like the chimney than the smoker. So I sadly believe that the rye, in this instance, has been over-smoked. Aeration gives us distant coal-fires, and wood-fire bread ovens. Finish is harsh bitter chemicals and carbonised wood.

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: 1/6 FAIL
Christmas Cheer:  1/6 FAIL

Final Thoughts:

This beer started out with so much promise and then dropped the ball in a big way. The aroma and nuances of the first sip of the beer made me long for breakfast; then the middle and the finish reminded me of cleaning the wood stove pipes at the old Farmhouse I grew up in. Toss this one into the avoid list for now. I hope they re-release this with better smoked rye in it, because if they do it right, I would love this beer.


Cheers

CJT


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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 5: Church Key Brewing Holy Smoke

Beer # 253 Holy Smoke

Church Key Brewing Company

Cambellford, Ontario, Canada
Microbrewery
Peat Smoked Scottish Ale 6.2% ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle 650ml
$5.95 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @ChurchKeyBeer




Church Key Brewing is another one of those stepping stone for me on my way to my craft beer education. I "discovered" them many years ago, not long after they opened in 2000. I was pouring wine for the Waupoos Winery (Prince Edward County) at the former Fiesta Buckhorn Food and Drink Festival which had been held in the Buckhorn community outside of Peterborough. It was there I ran into the then, fledgling brewery the first beers I had from them were the Northumberland Brown Ale and a speciality beer made with Rosemary and Ginger. It was this last beer that really sparked my interest in cooking with beer. I started to use it to make my pot roasts and then moved on to putting different beers in my soups and so on. I've run into them a few times since but being on the other side of the province from them it is hard to find their beers, other than the rare occasion I find one on tap in Toronto, at C'est What or Bar Volo. So when I found this gem at the LCBO I snapped it up and I present it to you here now.

Let the smoke clear...
Pours a very dark chestnut colour with a tan head made up of small bubbles.The aroma is peat smoke and scotch whiskey with a hint of oak barrels.some charcoal and leather. First sip is a smoky dark malt with hints of soft wood fires. Very woody with light fruit notes. Peaty whisky notes. Light bodied, hints of oats and caramel, with the slightest hint of vanilla. Aeration gives us darkly toasted bread.

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 very good smoked beer. very light despite the alcohol and the peat smoke. Best if served with food. I would love a nice juicy burger with double smoked bacon to go with this beer.

CJT


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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 2 Stack Brewing Smoke N' Oak

Beer # 250 Smoke N' Oak

Stack Brewing Company

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Barrel Aged Smoked Ale 5.5% ABV 
Aluminum Can 473ml
$3.50 (Canadian) At The Brewery

Twitter: @Stackbrewing

Back for day 2 of the 2-4 Beers of Christmas. I have been sitting on this beer for a little while, from my last trip to Sudbury, but I think it is a perfect time to break it out. It is a barrel aged smoked red ale.



Let's get into it.

Pours a caramel/dark chestnut with a fairly thin, off-tan  head made of tiny bubbles. The nose is loaded with bacon, hickory, and dark rye bread. Light in body but there is plenty of caramel and roasted malt to keep you interested. Certainly one of the lightest smoked beers I have tried. It just makes me crave bacon. Very fruity with hints of vanilla and bubblegum. Aeration gives us a slightly creamy feeling with lots of fruit and caramel, and a light campfire.

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:

Quite a good beer, light fruity and still smoky. I would love to eat this with a nice deli sandwich or I would love to marinate some meat with it with some nice smoked paprika.CJT


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Beer # 128 Highlander Blacksmith Smoked Porter

Blacksmith Smoked Porter

Highlander Brew Company

South River, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Smoked Porter .4 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$4.75 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @HighlanderBrew

Back again for the third of three from the Highlander Brew Co. Tonight we finish up with the Smoked porter. Highlander takes it's name from the Almaguin Highlands where the town of South River is located. It is a beautiful rugged country predominated by the Canadian Shield, ancient pink to red pre-cambrian granite that runs across the country in a large band. In fact the highway through South River used to be noted for it's pink hue, that was caused by utilising the pink granite blasted away for the roadbed in the asphalt as an aggregate.

Enough already... on to the Highlander... (There can only be ONE!)


Very dark brown with a small tan head made of small bubbles, that disperse quickly. Aroma is smoky, bacon, malt. First sip is smoky and fruity, creamy malt sugars and a slight bitterness serve to round out the taste aeration enhances creaminess, sweetness and roasted malt


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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


Final Thoughts: 

A lovely smoked beer that doesn't taste like you are being choked out by a campfire. The smoke serves to enhance the sweetness, and fruit of the malt. A nice easy sipper, but would go great with some good BBQ as well.


Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 104 Trafalgar Ale and Meads Smoked Oatmeal Stout

Smoked Oatmeal Stout

Trafalgar Ale and Meads

Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Smoked Oatmeal Stout 5.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml.
$4.55 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @trafalgarales

Today's beer has the more tenuous connection to the St. Patrick's Day beers I have in my fridge of fame this week. Its only connection is that it's a stout, and Ireland is famous for stouts... and it's made with oatmeal. But it was available at my local and I decided to throw one into the mix anyway. I haven't been down to Trafalgar in a while, they are an excellent brewery West of Toronto and they produce some very interesting brews. Including a couple of very high alcohol brews "Black Bullet" and "Korruptor." (neither of which I can seem to find anymore... someone message me if they are still being made?)

Enough reminiscing... onto the beer.

Inky dark brown in colour with a light tan head made up of small bubbles that disperse quickly. Opaque but with a slight reddish hue when held up to the light. Aroma is sweet, dark, syrupy, molasses, and roasted malt, with just a hint of whiskey barrel. First sip reveals a beautifully light and refreshing ale with fruity hints. There is sweetness at all levels through the taste and the smoke holds out for the very end, like a distant fire smelled across a snowy field at night. Excellently balanced between sweet, smoke, malt, and molasses. Aeration gives us a hint of the oatmeal and more smoke.

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

Final Thoughts:

This beer is the antithesis of what the layman considers a "Dark" or "Stout" beer... but in a good way. This is what a stout SHOULD taste like. Restorative, refreshing, not a lot of alcohol, light bodied, and fruity. The smoke in this is perfect it is not distracting from the beer as many other smoked beers I have tried. It sets up a foundation, a backbone that the rest of the flavours can build on. In a world where everything is taken to excess, where, more hops, more smoke, more everything is quickly becoming the norm... It is nice to find a beer that is what it is advertised as, a good easy drinking brew. Highly drinkable, definite reorder, but always better to share with a friend.

Cheers
CJT


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