The 2-4 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition Day 10: Gold Star by Indie Alehouse

Beer # 469 Gold Star Farmhouse Ale

Brewery: Indie Alehouse


Type: Independent Brewpub/Microbrewery  Est.:  2012

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Belgian Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 5.0%      IBU: ?

Format: Draught  Size: 355 ml

Cost: $4.50 CAD     
Purchased At: Sawdust City Brewery Guest Tap

 indiealehouse

    @indiealehouse

Stopped into Sawdust to top up the #FridgeofFame for the last half of the #2-4BeersofChristmas as Sawdust seemed to be going into overkill with the new releases this season. While I was there, I noticed they had this little ditty on the guest tap list from Indie Alehouse and figured I had time for a half pint... as it was my day off.  So just a quick one for today, a nice sour Farmhouse Beer 

Onto our beer...

Pours a cloudy light gold with a fluffy white head made up of small to medium bubbles. Sweet light Brett nose with hints of citrus and wheat. First sip is very refreshing, with tart citrus and lemon zest. The middle is filled with malted wheat hints of baking spice, clove, a touch of banana and toast. Aeration brings out a light green hop and a hint of nuttiness.

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:

I am really enjoying the uptick in sour beers in Ontario. Soured beer when done properly is delicious and refreshing. The Brettanomyces can bring a lot of flavour to the brew when done judiciously. This is one of those beers, soft and balanced with just enough sour to clean up the palate and leave you wanting another sip. A very good beer get one if you can.

CJT

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Two Beers by Half hours on Earth

Beer # 451 Affection

Brewery: Half Hours on Earth Brewery


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2016

Location: Seaforth, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Aged Flavoured Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 7.0 %      IBU: ?

Format: Green Glass Bottle  Size: 375 ml

Cost: $12.00 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

halfhoursonearth

    @hhoebrewery

Two beers I brought back from Seaforth. The first one is an oak aged spelt farmhouse ale spiced with rosemary and sage. The second is a farmhouse saison blended with Revel Cider's Perry and aged in cider barrels. Onto our beer.

Cloudy light gold with a generous and slightly greyish off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is tart and sour Brettanomyces with spicy notes of grain and toast. First sip is slightly sweet with strong grain notes. citrus and sage predominate with backgrounds of heady rosemary. Woody aromatic spices with hints of oak and vanilla.





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: 6/6 Exceptional


Final Thoughts: richly complex beer with a lot going on. My first beer made from spelt. Hopefully not my last. This beer certainly nails home the reason why Half Hours is such a talked about brewery.



Beer # 452 Blueprint


Brewery: Half Hours on Earth Brewery


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2016

Location: Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Farmhouse Saison aged in Cider barrels blended with Revel Perry

ABV: 4.5 %      IBU: ?

Format: Green Glass Bottle  Size: 375 ml

Cost: $11.00 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

Pours a cloudy gold with a fuzzy white head that doesn't last long. Nose is full of brett sour and citrus hints of apple and pear. An interesting and smooth blend of cider and beer.Tart acidic apples and pears good hint of sweetness mellowed by the barrel ageing and the funk of brett. Hints of smoke and oak near the finish. Aeration brings out a cheek-puckering malic acid. It is very light in mouthfeel and such an easy drinking beer.







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


Final Thoughts: This is the sixth beer I've tasted from Half Hours, and the sixth beer I have been blown away by. Every beer is so light and airy, strong yet delicate. Full of flavour yet not exhausting. How they manage to balance everything is beyond me. I just hope they keep doing it! This beer, in particular, doesn't sound like it should work. Pear cider mixed with beer? Yes I know there are some pub concoctions using cider and Guinness etc. but This is a sour farmhouse it should work... But it does! I could drink this all day, and at 4.5 % ABV why not?


Cheers

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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