2016 Polkie Awards - Lagers

When contemplating my favourite beers from the last year, I must admit there are times when it seems to be all Porters, stouts and IPAs. But there is always a place in my heart and fridge for the well made and humble, yet often daring styles that can come from the simple lager. A straight up beer is not something I indulge in often, but with the variety and quality that I have found, it makes it fun to be able to share my favourite 3 picks for the 2016 Polkies in a few categories.
 Lagers make their appearance today, Ales have been pushed to tomorrow, there were just too many for one day. I know, what a wonderful world I live in when my problems are that I had too many great beers this year. See you back here tomorrow for the top fermenting lovelies.

Lagers

This bottom fermenting style of beer is the most popular on the planet. Long the only kind of beer I drank, I didn't know they could be made so flavourful and with such impact on the senses.

1. Muddy York Brewing Gaslight Helles

My visits to Muddy York are truly some of my favourite moments from the last year and now that Mrs. Polk loves their beer, its even better. This 5.2 % Lager brought me joy when I had it in early April with its caramel, cereal and malt sweetness followed by a light bitterness. Eminently crushable yet a delightful sipper too. It has become a must buy whenever we go to the brewery and one you should get into your glass.

2. Muskoka Brewery Craft Lager - A lovely crisp and clean lager that often is found in their various Survival Packs as well as in singles. Hints of lemon, grassy notes and sweet malt with a slight bitter on the finish.

3. Hockley Valley Brewing Classic Lager - A new label this year for the Classic lager but the same clean grain, sweet corn, grassy and lingering bitterness means it's one to enjoy with anyone.

4. Cameron's Brewing Captain's Log Lager

5. Old Flame Brewing Vienna Lager

6. Sawdust City Brewing Little Norway

7. Amsterdam Brewing 3 Speed

8. Elora Brewing 3 Fields

9. Nickel Brook Brewing Lux Lager

10. Beau's All Natural Brewing Vienna Lager

Dark Lagers/Swarzbier

For most of us, these two styles are one in the same. Dark roasty malts in a lager that are less aggressive than a porter or stout, which are ales. More carbonated generally and a bigger feel than a standard lager.

1. Silversmith Brewing The Black Lager

One of the first stops I made early in January, Silversmith Brewing in Virgil blew me away with this dark, roasty lager. Dark chocolate, coffee and a hint of dark fruit make this a contender to be in the top ten of the year. A repeat visit to this beautiful brewery to get more is a must.

2. Rainhard Brewing Dancing with the Devil - Big in the ABV at 8 %, this Swarzbier brought real balanced dark chocolate, coffee and a crisp hopped up finish to my life in March. Smooth and balanced, not a hint of that booziness in this one.

My first experience with Rainhard and I was an immediate fan.

3. Spindrift Brewing Abyss (Nova Scotia) - A gift from the east, this 4.2 % crushable beer drank bigger than it's ABV. Dark chocolate, nutty, coffee and a hoppy presence on the backend. It's only shortcoming is distance...Something I will fix when we hit the coast this summer.

4. Beau's All Natural Brewing Dark Helmut

5. Hop City Brewing 8th Sin

6. Cameron's Brewing Black Forest

7. Side Launch Brewing Dark

8. Grand River Brewing Enigma

9. Waterloo Brewing Dark

10. Brooklyn Brewing Insulated (USA)

Bocks/Doppelbocks

Traditional brewed in winter for consumption in spring, these strong, usually dark beers are a favorite of mine for their slow sipping smoothness.

1.  Silversmith Brewing Chubocka

It was by luck and happenstance that I stumbled upon the last bottle of this rich, bready caramel and toffee beauty. I had stopped in for more of The Black Lager and couldn't resist a new beer. Creamy, smooth and a toasted malt dream. Big at 6.3 % but not boozy at all. Hope to see it again someday, I'd buy many, many more.

2. Cameron's Brewing Deviator Doppelbock 2012 Single Bourbon Barrel - Released late in the year, this classic Doppelbock was taken to new heights when aged for 4 years in a bourbon barrel. Dark and rich, with plum, raisin, molasses and an oaky bourbon note to bring it all together.

3. Northwinds Brewery Nighthawk Bock - From cottage country and a wonderful brew house that makes outstanding food, a 6.5 % Bock to warm the insides. Chocolate, plums, nuts and a lingering cocoa and coffee with a warming backend.

4. Ayinger Celebrator (German)

5. Lake of Bays Midnight Bock

6. Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Classic (Austria)
7. Cameron's Brewing Deviator Doppelbock Oak Aged
8. Tree Brewing Captivator

India Pale Lagers

A relatively new style to me this year, the IPL is a hopped up lager that brings the best of both worlds to my glass.

1. Redline Brewhouse Kollision Hoppy Lager

A trip north resulted in meeting new friends and sharing beers. This is a very crushable 5.3 %, 35 IBU hazy grapefruit, pineapple and pine kicker of a beer. Toasted malt body for a balanced and juicy beer. Glad to have more of this in the fridge right now.

2. Cameron's Brewing 12 Mile IPL

Available in the Summer Brewmaster's Selection Pack, this 5.2 % crusher was a mainstay in the fridge for me. Balanced malt body with lemon, grapefruit and a dry but clean bitter finish. Every fans dream is to see this as a single next summer.

3. Amsterdam Brewing Pale Rider IPL - Another mix pack available beer that has Hop heads clamouring for a single release, this fall release was a very refreshing, 4.2 % crushable treat with orange, grapefruit and a toasty body that smooths out that bitterness just right.

4. Spindrift Brewing IPL (Nova Scotia)

5. Yuengling Brewery IPL (USA)

Whatever your drinking today, I hope you are enjoying it with your friends and family. May your Christmas be merry and the memories you make all joyous.

Happiness is found when we share our love and beer with those around us.

Raise your glass and your standards,

One beer at a time!

Cheers!

2016 Polkies - Sours, Farmhouse Ales and Saisons

It's that time again and we kick of the 2016 Polkie awards with the Sours, Farmhouse Ales and Saisons that caught my attention this last year. My favourite part of doing this has been reminiscing not only about the great beer, but the fun adventures we have had in 2016. With so many beers, I had a tough time picking a favourite, I do tend to love the beer I'm drinking right now the most. I hope you had the chance to try some of these and look for many of them to return in 2017. The countdown to my most favourite 10 beers of 2016 begins today and I am so happy to share it with you.
I put these beers into the categories they best fit in for my palate and tried to match the style descriptions from the breweries. But all is well because amazing beer is a thing unto itself.
Raise your glass to the Drunk Polkaroo's favourite Saisons, Sours and Farmhouse Ales.

1. Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King and variants 

 Bellwoods Brewery pounds the competition with Jelly King, Their unique take on the sour beer had me running to Toronto every time the original or a variant was released. For me, the Apricot was the winner of a Polkie for sheer deliciousness. With a new location up and running and another on the way, Bellwoods is poised to bring some real big things to bear in 2017.

2. Indie Ale House Dead Spadina Monkey - Indie Ale House has captured the essence of genius in a bottle and despite a hefty price tag, this big sour beer is worth every penny. Little comes out of this Toronto brewery without some praise and I will attest to the food matching the beer for its amazing composition.

3. La Barberie Apricot Sour - Maybe it was being in the middle of Quebec City sitting on a patio surrounded by people and enjoying an afternoon with nothing to do but drink craft beer, but this sour from Quebec institution La Barberie still lingers in my mind. I had it in my flight an immediately ordered a pint. Tart and delicious, I wish I could go back and drink it all over again.

4. Half Hours on Earth totally - They

may be tiny but Seaforth's own Half Hours on Earth took the Ontario Craft Beer world by storm. Their unique take on sours drove many craft beer nerd into a frenzy but that was alleviated by their very accessible and simple to use website for online ordering. Outstanding beers and a definite must see if you are headed to western Ontario.

5. Bellwoods Brewery Grandma's Boy - Tart and funky, this one took me away from the everyday in early June. It was one of the first wild Ales that made me stop and think about what I was drinking.

6. Block 3 Brewing Fickle Mistress (Raspberry/Ginger)
7. Nickel Brook Raspberry Uber
8. Royal City Brewing Berliner Weisse
9. Half Hours on Earth yalla yalla (citra)
10. Lagunitas Brewing Aunt Sally

Farmhouse Ales

1. Folly Brewpub - Invented Tradition

 Bottle #31 of only 200. This barrel aged beer showcases why I loved Folly so much this year. Their funky brett beers made the Beer Illuminati take notice and it wasn't a coincidence that the first Beer Saints (more on that in 2017) meeting took place in their brewpub.

2. Nickel Brook Brett Farmhouse Ale - The transformation of Nickel Brooks Burlington location into Funk Labs is a very significant development that may have been underplayed in 2016. This brett farmhouse ale was amazing. Hope to see it again in next year.

3. Niagara Oast House Brewers Sweet n Sow'r - A biere de mars that stopped me in my tracks. Tart and funky, I am never disappointed by this Niagara brewer. If you can sit on their patio next summer, you will understand true happiness.

4. Rainhard Brewing Mass Hysteria - A collab with Folly Brewpub, this was a funky lemon and orange peel Gem. While Rainhard is better known for their IPAs (trust me you'll see them on another few lists this week), this is a beauty.

5. Beau's All Natural Brewing 5000 - Another hit from one of Ontario's most successful and yet still experimental breweries. Tart and funky with brett, I could have aged it to see what happened, but when you only have 1, you drink it up. Amazing.


6. Block 3 Brewing The Legend
7. Folly Brewpub Rhizome VIII - Palisade & Comet
8. The Commons Brewery Fleur de Blanc
9. Folly Brewpub Saudade
10. Bellwoods Brewery Farmhouse Classic

Saisons
Long passed over by me as too weird, the Saison now occupies a special place in my heart as one of my favourite styles. Banana, clove and peppery coriander were never in my wheelhouse back in the Macro days. Now I can't get enough.

1. Nickel Brook/Sawdust City Brewing 11.05

A collaboration beer between Burlington's Nickel Brook Brewing and Gravenhust's Sawdust City Brewing, 11.05 is brewed at alternate breweries each year to commemorate the birthdays of the respective brewmasters. First tried at the Polkapacolypse in a growler, this 11 % Imperial Saison kept coming back into my fridge all year. Big and bold but it hides that ABV behind the candied fruit, apricot, lemon zest and orange deliciousness. Lucky enough to find a few cans last month and they were still so amazing.


2. Folly Brewpub Praxis New World Saison - As summer began it's hot and humid descent, I found Praxis. With stone fruit, orange peel and a light peppery backend, this one was smooth and refreshing.


3. Left Field Brewing Anniversary # 3 - One of the first saisons to catch my eye with its popping lemon zest and funky kick. A taste of summer in the late spring. Can't wait to visit these guys again.


4. Block 3 Brewing Stratus Fear - Tart and funky with the brett, this 6.3 % barrel aged saison was a hit near Thanksgiving. Balanced with lemon zest, orange peel and a subtle peppery coriander kick.


5. Folly Brewpub Flemish Cap - A low 4.5 % ABV captured my eye but the flavourful lemon zest, orange and a dry apple note captured my heart. Smooth and refreshing with that peppery kick, it was a crusher that slow sipped a beautiful sunny day away.


6. Amsterdam Brewing Bord du Lac
7. Halo Brewing Tokyo Rose
8. Sawdust City Brewing There's No Way of Knowing
9. Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace
10. Nickel Brook Brewing Le Paysan Saison




I'll be back in this space on Christmas Day with my favourite Lagers and Ales from the past year.


Merry Christmas from the Drunk Polkaroo, Mrs. Polkaroo and Jinx too!