Beer of the Week - February 7th to February 13th

When your week is filled with amazing beer, it is a good time to be alive. So many great Canadian Craft Beers that I have a hard time choosing just one to be my Beer of The Week (BOW) this Valentine's Day. But choose I must and I would be missing a wonderful opportunity to share one of the oldest and finest brewers in the province with you if I slacked off my duty.

Great Lakes Brewery from Etobicoke celebrated their 29th birthday this past Friday and what an accomplishment that is. To be able to stay nimble, innovative and at the forefront of the craft beer industry for over a quarter of a century is truly amazing. I am constantly buying anything I see with the GLB logo on it and this week I made a quick trip to the brewery to pick up a few beers you can only get at their retail store. I picked up the Blonde Lager, Red Leaf Lager, Long Dong Pilsner (stop laughing), and the most unique offering I've had in a while, Body Dubbel Belgian Ale.

I grabbed two because I wanted one to review and then one just to enjoy and savour. It spoke to me from the crack of the can. I can't say it any better than I did on my Instagram review :

"Pours an amber colour with a fluffy off white head that lingers an laces. Smells a little fruity. On the sip, that's why I drove all damn morning to get one. Dark fruits, cherries, brown sugar and molasses kick off the front end witb a nice malt sweetness and a dry, crisp slightly bitter end."

I was never a fan of any kind of dark beer that contained fruit flavours at all. It was a turn off because my palate was only used to tasteless macro lagers and that over consumption life I used to lead. Growing as a person and a beer drinker, I have really come to appreciate the distinct flavour profiles of Belgian style brews, from here or Belgium itself. I love the warming, sweet molasses that made its way into my belly and gave me a healthy glow. Beer may not be the answer for everyone, but when it's this good, who cares what the question is.

Cheers to Great Lakes Brewery for both their birthday and for winning this week's BOW. May you have many more inspiring decades to bring us all the joy from the land of Hops and Barley.

Cheers!



Beer of the Week - January 24th to January 30th

Sometimes your best intentions don't always work out. I usually make my Beer of the Week post on Sunday morning, but with all the excitement of the Burlington Beer festival and trying to squeeze in a nice breakfast with Mrs. Polkaroo before work, I plum ran out of time. But I am committed to this as part of my process and though this one may be a little late, it's because of action not inaction.

It is with that in mind that this weeks BOW came into being. I was out and about on Thursday when I was struck with the notion that I hadn't been to Nickel Brook Brewing Company in Burlington for quite some time. It is only about a 15 minute drive from my place just over the bridge and I had intended to get there way sooner. So of I went in search of beer. Be it new to me or an old favourite, I just needed some refreshments.

When I arrived, I poked around and just sort of checked everything out before deciding on what beers I wanted. They have a wall of glass so you can peer in on the action at the brewery, pretty cool. The staff was friendly and very kind. I picked up a bottle of their Pilot Project, Cafe Bastardo, for a later date.  It's an Imperial stout and I can't decide whether to age it or drink it now. Tough choices.

To age or not to age?
That's the real question.

Some cans of Headstock found their way into my box as well as some wicked stickers and coasters you can grab while they fill your growler. But it was what I put in my growler that makes it to the top of my list this week.

I can vaguely remember having Naughty Neighbour some years ago and being turned off by the pine tree flavour I used to think all IPAs' had. I couldn't stomach any kind of real flavour in my Brava Light days and it remained an elusive mystery to me. Fast forward to 2016, and I am a full fledged Hop Head. I love the tropical citrus notes and the bitterness that a good pale ale can bring to the table.  I picked this beer for my Growler for a couple of reasons. One was that a fresh IPA is the best kind. Unlike a big old stout, this style is really at it's most desireable when it is right from the brewery. The second was that it is only 4.9% ABV and I love a good "sesssion" beer. That of course is a low alcohol brew that you can have a few of in a night without toddling off into the land of the Drunk Polkaroo.

Naughty Neighbour is an extremely accessible Pale Ale. It most definitely has the citrus notes, but also has a smooth malt body that helps to temper that sort of bitter, piney and resin flavour that will turn off a novice beer explorer. It's a crisp and refreshing beer that will leave you with the impression that maybe you could handle something a little more intense. Maybe try Headstock, which comes in at 80 IBUs compared to NN's 38, but is still very much a tasty brew. I like that I have come around on this style of beer and if you are able to get a growler fill of an IPA from your local brewery; Run, don't walk.

The freshness factor coupled with the low ABV and delicious flavours make this an easy choice for the BOW to end January. Check out my video review of how awesome it is to drink Naughty Neighbour on my Youtube channel. It was just a fine damn beer.

Thanks once again to Nickel Brook for all the great flavours and congrats on the BOW for Naughty Neighbour! A classic beer and one that will always be found in my fridge.

Cheers!



Beer of the Week - January 17th to January 23rd

Drinking beer is supposed to be fun and this week was no exception. Well there was that one. I did the dirty work and tried Molson 67 Session IPA for you this week. I don't want to linger on it, it made me sad. Go check out my Instagram or Facebook pages if you want to read all about that train wreck of a beer. It was amusing but not something I think you need to do yourself. Leave that to the professionals.

Since it's inception, I use my Beer of the Week (BOW) to showcase one beer from the last seven days for its unique ability to rise above all the other brews and stick in my memory. It occurred to me that perhaps the 67 was the one, but to be honest, it was just so full of nothing that it barely registers. I then turned to my Master Beer List and found some worthy candidates. Dam Buster from Silversmith was a great English Pale Ale and one I am anxious to get another one of. There were some great American Craft Beers from my trip last month to Buffalo, including an Imperial Stout called Choklat from Southern Tier Brewing that was just outstanding and smooth for being 10% ABV. But it was once again my old pal Beau's All Natural Brewing Company who rose to the top with a beer that surprised me and challenged my sense of sight versus taste.

Yet another beer I started to see pop up all over Instagram early in the week, this Black IPA called Le Coeur Noir (The Black Heart) was getting great reviews from my fellow enthusiasts and I picked one up to chill for Friday night.

As you can see, a simple yet elegant label design and of course the distinctive Beau's logo. It poured dark, like a stout or porter, with a creamy tan head that laced my glass as I drank. What really stood out for me was the contrast between what I was seeing and what I was drinking. I knew it was an IPA, but when I looked at the glass, my mind wanted to register a roasted malt brew. It had a sharp, hoppy scent and when I took a sip, it really took off. It had a creamy texture that featured a crisp and bitter tropical mix of grapefruit, pineapple and mango. Piney and dry to the finish, this was an outstanding IPA.

As I make my way through the world of craft beer, I am beginning to see patterns and distinct attributes for each style of beer. Most have an appearance that is consistent with that style, but this Black IPA challenged my notions. I like that I struggled a bit to put what my tongue was telling me together with what my eyes had first registered. That is what makes my journey so interesting to me, I never know where my beer will take me until I pop the top and get it into my glass.

It was a delight to drink and I will be picking up a few more to enjoy as the winter swirls around us.

Congrats to Beau's All Natural and their Le Coeur Noir for making me smile and think about what I am drinking. A well earned BOW and I am sure not the last one they will get in 2016.

Cheers! 

Beer of the Week - December 27th to January 2nd

Back to my favourite subject. Beer! This was a crazy week for us here at the Polkaroo household. Post Christmas border shopping, work and a very fine New Year's Eve party combined to wear a fella down.

First up was our soon to be annual drive down to the Queenston bridge and a visit to our neighbours to the south. I love going over and shopping for beer in the States. The Wegman's has an unreal selection that we can only dream of here in the frozen tundra. I bought 46 new beers, so for me that was a pretty successful search.

One half of the haul

The ease of access and amount of choice available at an American supermarket surpasses that of even my own beloved LCBO. While I always try to support local craft brewers, I find it acceptable to also try beers from anywhere in the world. I wish we had access to more choices from all different countries, but we are limited by what is imported to the local LC.

So many new beers!

Working at a grocery store that is in a mall during the holidays is always a treat and I love the rapid pace and crazy busyness that run rampant through our store as we near the end of another year. A little more than a month until Super Bowl and then maybe I can look forward to a little vacation time.

Finally, New Year's Eve was a blast. Spending time with friends and family was a goal of mine during the Christmas season and I tried my best. We spent NYE with Mrs. Polkaroo's sister and her family. Lovely people and such a good time. I managed to keep my wits about me and did not go crazy as I would have in the past. Although I think next year I wont go with so many big beers. I went a little heavy on the stouts and porters. Lesson learned and when the calendar turns over next year, I will have a few lower ABV beers in the old cooler for refreshment, But I am proud of not cramming macro lagers at a ridiculous pace in pursuit of blackout drunkenness. Tasty beers made for wonderful conversation and a delightful New Year.

All of this leads to my Sunday morning ritual of trying to pick the beer that stood out among the pack this week. It was a unique week with all my new acquisitions and some old favourites making an appearance. That doesn't happen very often as I am pursuing my perfect beer, as I usually try to go for new beers every day. Bit despite all the beauties I tried this week, it is a local brewery that grabbed me by the throat and made my eyes bulge out.
Mill Street is a Toronto brewer that was bought by Labatt's last year but remains a quality beer maker and I hope retains some independence. I struggle with buying their products only in the sense that my love for craft beer means I need to make sure my dollars, for the most part, make their way to support the little guys. But a well made and tasty beer is what it is and I wont turn my back on anyone unless they let their commitment to quality brews lapse.
Having said all that, I saw a gift pack at the liquor store that contained two Tankhouse Ales and something called Bierschnaps. Reading a little on the box, I discovered that the schnaps is distilled from the Tankhouse ale and they compliment each other. Sounds great, different, but that's the spice of life.
It took me a week or so to build up the courage to try this little bottle that is 45 % ABV. But with the encouragement of my partner in crime, we dove in. When you poured it into the tiny mug-like shot glasses, you are smacked in the face with a grain alcohol smell. It is quite overpowering, The flavour is that of a paint thinner with a hint of malt sweetness in the back. But when we sipped on the beer with it, you could feel that punch slide away as it combined with its predecessor to create a warming feeling in your belly. It took the usual bitterness out of the Tankhouse and together made a pretty unique experience. We only did a small portion of a shot, so rest assured I will have some for you to try if you drop by Merle's for a pint in the next little while.
Just bring your sense of adventure and an open mind. But no open flames, this stuff is boom city.
Cheers to Mill Street for trying something new and the innovations we see hopefully mean they are going to stay true to their roots.
A truly different winner of the first BOW of 2016, but that is what I am after. Entice me and lead me to challenge what I think I know about beer and you have a fan. This is going to be an interesting year.

First BOW of 2016 and it packed a punch!