The first week of the year is usually filled with grumbled thoughts of going back to work for those who took a vacation at Christmas and the resumption of everyday life after the hustle and bustle of the season. I've even seen something called "Dry January" taking hold, with no drinking...at all... for 31 days. Maybe some people need that but I am okay with my choice to have a pint or two a day of new beer and report back to you, faithful reader.
When choosing my Beer of the Week (BOW), I am trying to be conscious of what makes a beer memorable to me. What stands out in the flavour and texture of the brew? Label and bottle choice can be important from a visual or tactile point, with some artwork grabbing my mind and not letting go. As I move forward in the Year of Beer: Project 366, I have no doubt that I will have weeks when one beer stands out above the rest without a challenge. This was not one of those weeks. Our journey to the States, combined with my usual stops to the local LC and a very pleasant afternoon in Wine Country with my mom at two breweries has left my cold cellar and fridge bulging with new beers to try. I really need to get a handle on what is in there so nothing expires or goes off its intended flavours. Something to explore another day.
I try to mix my American and Canadian Craft beers in an attempt to balance my stash. Getting the beer from down south involves a little more work than the stuff close to home, so there is little sense in plowing through them too fast. Plus, there is the fact that nothing made down there is better than what I can source locally. Canadian brewers are among the leaders in innovation and quality, so it is with great pleasure I choose a simple, yet tasty beer from a micro-brewery in Virgil, Ontario as my BOW.
The Dark Lager from Niagara's own Silversmith Brewing Company was a beer I had been waiting to get to for a while. Only available for bottle sales at the brew pub, I made the short journey down the QEW with my mom this week. I chronicle our short trip in my post Niagara-on-the-Lake Beers with Nana and I.
I really wish I had grabbed two, but it's only a 40 minute drive and I didn't do the brewery tour, so a return visit is in the near future.
This year is off to a roaring start that I hope leads to bigger and better things. What started off as a simple way to keep track of my beers has become a larger platform from which I can express so much more. I thank you for your continued support and hope you keep coming back to see what the future holds for this Polkaroo.
When choosing my Beer of the Week (BOW), I am trying to be conscious of what makes a beer memorable to me. What stands out in the flavour and texture of the brew? Label and bottle choice can be important from a visual or tactile point, with some artwork grabbing my mind and not letting go. As I move forward in the Year of Beer: Project 366, I have no doubt that I will have weeks when one beer stands out above the rest without a challenge. This was not one of those weeks. Our journey to the States, combined with my usual stops to the local LC and a very pleasant afternoon in Wine Country with my mom at two breweries has left my cold cellar and fridge bulging with new beers to try. I really need to get a handle on what is in there so nothing expires or goes off its intended flavours. Something to explore another day.
I try to mix my American and Canadian Craft beers in an attempt to balance my stash. Getting the beer from down south involves a little more work than the stuff close to home, so there is little sense in plowing through them too fast. Plus, there is the fact that nothing made down there is better than what I can source locally. Canadian brewers are among the leaders in innovation and quality, so it is with great pleasure I choose a simple, yet tasty beer from a micro-brewery in Virgil, Ontario as my BOW.
The Dark Lager from Niagara's own Silversmith Brewing Company was a beer I had been waiting to get to for a while. Only available for bottle sales at the brew pub, I made the short journey down the QEW with my mom this week. I chronicle our short trip in my post Niagara-on-the-Lake Beers with Nana and I.
Sometimes anticipation of a beer can be a terrible thing. You build it up in your head and think it is something else and when you finally drink it there is no way it can live up to your expectations.. This is not one of those times. I'll quote my Instagram post, because I cannot do better than when I drank it.
"Finally, it is time to get into The Black Lager from Silversmith Brewing Company. I've been waiting all day for this one. Couldn't do it without a beauty glass from the pub. Pours black with some amber poking through the light. Nice creamy tan head that hangs on all the way through with some beauty lacing. Smells roasty. On the sip, those roasted malts spark this brew up into the sky. Just a wonderful combination of coffee and chocolate notes. Some dried fruit and sweetness in the middle, but it is the crisp medium mouthfeel that is taking me over the top. You see a dark brew and get that feeling that it's going to be thick and sticky. This is a black lager that plays bigger than the usual beer. Finishing with a nice bitterness that is complimented by a cocoa flavour. Glad I made the journey to the brewery, sad I only grabbed one of these angels of the dark. If this what the rest of my Niagara beers are going to be, it might be one of the best tasting weeks of my life. 4.25 / 5 "I really wish I had grabbed two, but it's only a 40 minute drive and I didn't do the brewery tour, so a return visit is in the near future.
This year is off to a roaring start that I hope leads to bigger and better things. What started off as a simple way to keep track of my beers has become a larger platform from which I can express so much more. I thank you for your continued support and hope you keep coming back to see what the future holds for this Polkaroo.
Congratulations to Silversmith and their delightful Black Lager on being my BOW this week. Please do yourself a favour and take a drive soon to visit them.
Their pub is a gem, the food is amazing and the people who work there are fantastic .
The beer will speak for itself.
Cheers!
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