Beer # 93 Froach Heather Ale

Fraoch Heather Ale

Heather Ale Company Williams Bros. Brewing Co.

Kellibank, Alloa, Scotland, UK
Independent
Heather Ale 5.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$2.71 (Canadian) At LCBO $10.85 for a four pack

Twitter: @williamsbrewery


I have wanted to try these beers for a while. They often pop up as a gift pack in the LCBO in winter as we near Christmas. I believe I may have tasted one of them a few years back at a trade show but I didn't take any notes and I don't quite remember, but it may very well have been this beer.

Erica (Spring Heather) Not Used in Brewing,
 but just as pretty.

Common Heather or Summer Heather
(Calluna vulgaris) Used in Brewing.

Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)

Williams Bros. Brewery started life in a brew your own shop called "Glenbrew" in Glasgow. In 1988, a lady came into the family owned shop and requested assistance in producing a batch of "leanne froach" or heather beer from and old recipe that had been handed down to her. The owners helped her in exchange for a copy of the recipe and then began to experiment with it, and using it as the foundation for the beer we are tasting tonight (I hope the poor lady got some royalties or at least a few cases of beer!). When they had perfected their version, (using different malts and adding bog myrtle as well as heather) they brewed a 5 barrel test batch at brewery in Taynuilt, Argyle. The batch sold out almost immediately, and with heather being seasonal, they had to wait until the following year to brew again. This time they froze the heather to ensure continued brewing. The beer became very popular and the new found Heather Ale Ltd. began to eye expansion. over the years they added Alba a pine beer, Grozet a gooseberry beer, Kelpie, a seaweed beer, and Ebulum an elderberry beer. When the demand for they beer surpassed the capacity of the brewery in Taynuilt, they built a brewerin and occupied it for 6 years starting in 1998. In 2004 further expansion was required and they purchased the Forth Brewery in Kellibank, Alloa, and renamed their company William Bros. Brewing Co.

I will also post three more beers from this pack so stay tuned!

Onto tonight's brew:


Honey coloured with an off-white thin head made up of small bubbles. The nose is very earthy boggish, damp underbrush. First sip is a cavalcade of flavours. Heady florals, ginger, sweet, mildly citrus, spruce needles, and grains of paradise. This beer has a lot going on. The finish is very short, and I find I have to take multiple sips to tell what I am tasting. A very clean beer, only a slight drying of the mouth and the faintest hint of ginger is left after a sip. The malt is there, underneath, takes a few sips to feel it on the tongue. Aeration gives us pure flowers, like walking down a mountain side after the rain dragging your hands through the heather.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Commercially brewing historic beers, is an excellent way to preserve our brewing past. This beer style dates to 2000 BCE that's 3000 years of brewing tradition. Quite a lot of responsibility for one little bottle, but one it carries quite easily. It is a very good beer. I can't imagine it becoming a "regular beer" as it is very unusual. However, it would be great fun to pair it with food, such as a medieval dinner, or just plain BBQ. and I would certainly like to try to cook something with it... Scottish lamb perhaps? 


Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 92 Castello Lager

Castello Lager

Birra Castello SpA

San Giorgio Di Nogaro, Italy
Independent
Lager 4.8 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$1.95 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @birracastello (in Italian)


This beer I picked up on a whim as I had never seen it before and had not added an Italian beer to my list of hepatic accomplishments. I could not glean a lot from the website as most of it is in Italian by I managed to understand that this is a relatively new beer, founded in 1997 (Their slogan is "The Beer without a history"). Birra Castello purchased a large facility that had previously been producing, at separate times Birra Moretti, and Heineken Italy; they gutted and retooled it making it one of most modern brewing facilites in Italy. The company brews beer very scientifically, even on their website they list brewing calculations that mean very little to the average drinker. The water is drawn from four mountainside artesian wells and the highest quality ingredients are sourced from around Italy..

Avanti! On with the Tasting:

Light gold in colour. Thin white head that disappears rapidly. Nose is sweet and floral with traces of raw honey. First sip gives a strong indication of the corn content. The taste is even and balanced moving from corn to light or crystal malt, wet grain and a mild hay-like hop note in the finish. Aeration give us a woodiness and a little more of the herbaceous hop quality. No one flavour stands out. The product is simply a nice mild lager.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

This beer is fine...Just fine. It doesn't stand out, it just does it's job. I imagine this is the average blue collar Italian's beer. It would go well with food, pizza especially, as it would not add a lot to the experience, nor detract from it.

Cheers
CJT


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Beer # 91 Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Howe Sound Brewing

Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Imperial Flavoured Ale 8.0 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 1000 ml.
$11.35 (Canadian) At LCBO

Twitter: @howesoundbeer



Okay the first thing you notice about this beer is the bottle... IT'S HUGE. It is a 1 Litre bottle or as it also says... 1 Quart 1.8 oz. Also it has two closures. First, is a standard pry-off crown cap; second, the beer has been fitted with a ceramic swing-top sealer presumably to store (hopefully for only a short period) any unfinished beer. (N.B. Keep in mind... this beer is 8% and there is 1 Litre. In layman's terms drinking one of these beers is EQUIVALENT to a SIX PACK of Coors Light... trust me... I did the math. Please share or consume responsibly, or avail yourself of the swing-top.) 

Howe Sound Brewing is located in Squamish B.C. just 45 minutes north of Vancouver on the staggeringly beautiful Sea to Sky Highway. Highway 99 Stretches from North Vancouver to Squamish skirting the coast before heading inland to Whistler and points beyond... almost to Kamloops. Squamish is named for the local Indigenous peoples descendants of the Coast Salish people who settled in the area to utilise it's long protected inlet for fishing  and transportation. Howe Sound, as it is now known, is a vast ocean inlet that features two large islands and several small ones. Squamish was founded as a lumber town and terminus of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (Now part of Canadian National). In recent years as the major lumber and pulp mills have closed Squamish has found new life as a bedroom community for the many commuters from Vancouver, and the tourist industry owing to the incredible natural resources in the area. In fact Squamish is literally ringed with Provincial Parks. Garibaldi being the largest just to the East, Tantalus to the North (Tantalus means Hell in Geek) and My favourite, Tetrahedron Park to the West, which, ironically, is nowhere near the shape of a tetrahedron.

Howe Sound Brewing was founded in 1996 assisted by modern B.C. brewing pioneer John Mitchell, as a boutique hotel and brew pub. They have a strong eco mission to reduce their environmental impact, and strive to give back as much to the community as possible. and on top of this... they make fantastic beers... 

Let's Taste one...

Dusty dark orange and chestnut in colour, slightly cloudy like an unfiltered cider. Frothy off white to tan head made up of medium sized bubbles. Aroma is all pumpkin pie... cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, licorice, and of course roasted pumpkin. The alcohol is there, the beer makes no mistake and lets you know right away that it is 8% ABV. First sip and the beer asserts itself, a good quality strong ale that has been gently scented with pumpkin and spice. Typically dry of a strong ale, and not cloyingly sweet from the addition of the pumpkin, which often mars lower quality pumpkin beer. Balance is excellent and proceeds nicely from attack to finish through toasty malt notes and herbaceous hop notes. Hanging over the taste is the aroma of the pumpkin and spice like a lingering perfume in a room when the person has already left. The finish is dry and herbal. Aeration is an explosion of black tea and spices, reminiscent of homemade Chai.

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:

Simply brilliant, and honestly the best pumpkin beer I has tasted thus far. The key difference is brewing this beer in the imperial style. The higher alcohol content leaves less residual sugar, and also balances the sweetness of the pumpkin. The beer is very well crafted with a careful hand and was a joy to drink. I am looking forward to having more Howe Sound beers here in Ontario and if not I will certainly be making my way to Squamish as soon as possible.

P.S. I did consume the entire bottle, but I was safely parked on the couch here at Pint Jockey Headquarters. The Cat took away my keys and put me to bed... Please drink responsibly as we still have so much to talk about...

Cheers
CJT


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Beer # 90 First Trax Brown Ale

First Trax Brown Ale

Fernie Brewing Company
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Brown Ale 5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
$1.85 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores (12 pack for $22.25)

Twitter: @ferniebrewingco

Last of the four-fer beers from Fernie Brewing Company. As before I went into great detail about the City of Fernie in my previous post here. Feel free to go on over and read it. I'll wait....

Ok, now that you are back onto the tasting!

Go Ghostriders!!

The colour is dark chestnut with a fluffy light tan head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is very malty with some burnt notes molasses and demerara sugar, in the background is some leathery dried fruit and dark leafy notes. First sip is surprisingly light and refreshing, fruity and smoky like barbecued stone fruit. Evenly balanced from the attack to the finish the only detraction is a slight ashen flavour as the finish ramps up. Burnt sugar lingers on the tongue for quite some time. Aeration gives us a sense of spiciness, cloves and cinnamon.


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:

By far the best of the four Fernie Beers. I would certainly want to cook with this beer, a nice hearty pot roast or beef stew. Giving the right inclination I would even put it in the food.... So a warm Thank You to my friend who brought me these beers from B.C. I enjoyed tasting them very much. Next beer up we are staying in B.C., but we are picking ourselves up from the mountains and heading to the coast.... Squamish here we come!


Cheers
CJT

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Beer # 89 Buck Wild Ale

Buck Wild Ale

Fernie Brewing Company
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Golden Ale 5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
$1.85 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores (12 pack for $22.25)

Twitter: @ferniebrewingco

Third and penultimate beer from The Fernie Brewing Company. One again I shall refer you to my other post on Fernie here, if you would like to know more about the town or brewery... Go Ghostriders!

Onto tonight's beverage:

Light gold with a slight cloudiness.Head is off white and fades quickly. Aroma is malthouse... with hints of hay and molasses. First sip is light building quickly into wheat and malt flavours, heavy on the malt sugars. More suited to food


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional   

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 4/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 So-So
Re-Order:  3/6 So-So
Experience:  3/6 So-So

Final Thoughts:

Not really a good offering, and so far the bottom of the three... Sadly it has all the structure to be a good beer, I just find that the parts all do not work together, there is promise but no balance.

Cheers
CJT


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Beer # 88 The Griz Pale Ale

The Griz Pale Ale

Fernie Brewing Company
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
American Pale Ale 5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
$1.85 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores (12 pack for $22.25)

Twitter: @ferniebrewingco


Back to BC after a small hiatus for technical issues, and second in our series on The Fernie Brewing Company. I won't rehash a long introduction for this beer as I have a number of beers to get through this week. But if your memory fades as mine often does please re-acquaint yourself with the small city of Fernie B.C. in my previous post here.

Go Ghostriders!

Onto the Beer...

Light gold to barely amber, off white head with a hint of grey. Aroma is piney and resinous with a slight earthiness to it. Lighter on hops that what is the norm for a American Pale Ale. The combination of hops competes in the mouth from light and flowery to harder and piney. They is an air of smoky ashen flavours in the finish, not unlike a campfire made with green wood. The body of the beer is quite light and airy with soft hints of citrus which sadly only poke out breifly to get mashed down by the harder hoppy elements. Aeration gives a softer herbaceous feel to the beer, almost like mountain underbrush and wild wintergreen.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional   

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

Final Thoughts:

I love Pale ales, be them APA, IPA or English, a good hoppy Pale Ale usually gets my vote every time. Sadly this beer did not know what it wanted to be. The competing flavours of the hop destroyed any chance of the body of the beer shining through. I did however "feel" the mountains in this beer. I could smell the pines and the cedars, and the distant campfire. I think if they tinkered with this beer, and maybe gave it a little more hoppy backbone this could be a pure winner. 

Cheers
CJT

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Welcome to My new Home

Welcome back dear reader.... I've missed you.

Check out the new address? Roomy isn't it? I much prefer the view here over the old place. Sit down stretch out let's chat...

Well if you came over here from the link at the old address glad you could make it... if you are here because you just found this site Welcome... you lucky devil...  As you can see not a lot has changed but it does take a while to set everything up so I do appologise for the long gap between posts, but I plan to remedy that situation right away. Not only do we have the remaining beers from Fernie to finish... I have been squirreling away a large number of beers in the Fridge of Fame that are just dying to be drunk... Plus this week will see the first post from the Pint Jockey Brewing Project... here's a hint: we are having a "Big Party" here at headquarters near the end of the month that has something to do with Mayans, and the product of the Brewing Project will be a centerpiece. Also I will have a special thematic post for later this month on a similar vein that I know my friend and fellow blogger Cody over at Cranky Beer Blog with be quite excited about, and it's one of my favourites too!

So please if you follow me on Google Reader  update your link to this new address so you may continue to receive my beer soaked wisdom and ramblings My Twitter is unchanged @pintjockey Facebook too The Pint Jockey Online My new email is pintjockey@gmail.com ( I will endeavor to answer all e-mails) and of course Google+ and Untappd

Anyway... Welcome back... it's time to get to work

Cheers
CJT