Monday, 25 June 2018
April 4, 2018
93/2314) Home: Radio The Mothership by Collective Arts of Ontario: **1/2; 8.5%, 100 ibu; Imperial IPA; brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops; tropical fruit nose; tropical fruit, citrus, bitter earthiness;
April 2, 2018
92/2313) Home: St-Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout Special Reserve 2017 by McAuslan of Quebec: ***; 9.2%; bourbon wood aged; brewed with Cascade, Golding and Willamette hops; nose is deep, dark roast, nearly burnt, malt; dark espresso notes, bitter chocolate, alcohol; very warming - a slow sipper;
March 31, 2018
91/2312) C'est What: Charcoal Porter with Sarsaparilla by Innocente Brewing Company of Ontario: **1/2; 5.1%, 25 ibu; roasty nose with sweet sarsaparilla notes; near coconut sweetness with full sarsaparilla and roast flavours;
March 27, 2018
90/2311) Home: Beard of Zeus by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario: **; 11.9%, 28 ibu: a barrel aged barleywine, brewed in collaboration with Kyle Teichert of Half Hours On Earth Brewery in 2017 for the 30th anniversary of Great Lakes and aged nine months in Four Roses barrels; nose of dark fruit, alcohol; woody notes, dark fruit, alcohol flavours;
March 26, 2018
89/2310) Department of Hubris by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario: **1/2; an 11%, 20 ibu barrel aged Belgian Strong Dark Ale; fizzy at first, dissipates quickly, leaving no head to speak of; bourbon, oak, dark fruit nose; some sweetness but not vanilla, more like toffee; a complex blend of raisin, oak, bourbon;
March 24, 2018
80/2301) Birreria Volo: Echoes of the Void by Redline Brewhouse of Ontario: **1/2; 8.5%; sweet, nearly berry, nose; described as a "Crème brulee imperial stout" and indeed there are sweet, burnt white sugar notes;
This is my second Péché Day.
81/2302) Birreria Volo: Skeleton Key with Coffee by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario: **; 10.5%; a rum barrel aged Imperial stout with spices and coffee; Dr. Pepper/tangerine nose; herbal, spiced flavours with a rum finish;
Things started earlier than last year, at 11AM which helped with the crush but there was still a line when I arrived prior to 11.
82/2303) Birreria Volo: B. A. Nowhere by Merit Brewing Co. of Ontario: **1/2; a 10.5% bourbon barrel aged imperial stout; nose of vanilla and alcohol; flavours of bourbon, oak and vanilla;
The early opening also made it possible for me to visit and leave in time to attend Willie's wake at Tracks Brewpub. He was one of a kind.
83/2304) Birreria Volo: Péché Bourbon 2017 by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec: **1/2; 9.5%; strong, earthy (dirty, muddy) coffee nose; in the tasting, coffee takes a back seat to bourbon and oak;
These were all five ounce pours.
84/2305) Birreria Volo: Péché Bourbon 2018 by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec: **1/2; 9.5%; nose similar to above but the flavours are sweeter with more vanilla;
Owing to my lateness I am not revealing a confidence when I mention that the original Bar Volo will be re-opening after all. The initial deal fell through which might not be bad as it was in front of this building where an unfortunate young lady was found murdered a few months back. The anticipated location will be on St. Nicholas Street, not all that far from Yonge and Dundonald.
85/2306) Birreria Volo: On Fleek!, a collaboration between Stillwater Brewing of Maryland and Casita Cerveceria who have breweries in Vermont and North Carolina: **; 13%; the nose is red wine and vanilla; coffee, cocoa, oak flavours;
Fleek is slang for fancy, according to Chris, behind the bar. I have since learned the term was originally applied to perfectly groomed eyebrows.
86/2307) Birreria Volo: Black Forest Bastard by Nickel Brook of Ontario: **1/2; 8.9%; smells like a boozy Black Forest cake; flavours of chocolate, cherries, marvellous;
There was also Péché Mortel on cask which was a last minute addition.
87/2308) Birreria Volo: Belgian Stout (2016 Vintage) by Exchange Brewery of Ontario: **1/2; a 6.7% oak barrel aged Belgian style stout; cola notes to the nose; tastes of cola, sarsaparilla;
The cask made up, in part, for the absence of Founders CBS Bourbon Maple Syrup Barrel Aged Stout with coffee and chocolate which became unavailable to Birreria Volo at the last minute.
88/2309) Birreria Volo: Péché Latte by Dieu du Ciel of Ontario: **1/2; a 9.5% Imperial coffee milk stout, on nitro; usual strong coffee nose is muted, but only slightly, by sweet creaminess; sweet, milky latte café au lait flavours with a dark coffee finish;
Another very successful Péché Day. The early opening was inspired.
This is my second Péché Day.
81/2302) Birreria Volo: Skeleton Key with Coffee by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario: **; 10.5%; a rum barrel aged Imperial stout with spices and coffee; Dr. Pepper/tangerine nose; herbal, spiced flavours with a rum finish;
Things started earlier than last year, at 11AM which helped with the crush but there was still a line when I arrived prior to 11.
82/2303) Birreria Volo: B. A. Nowhere by Merit Brewing Co. of Ontario: **1/2; a 10.5% bourbon barrel aged imperial stout; nose of vanilla and alcohol; flavours of bourbon, oak and vanilla;
The early opening also made it possible for me to visit and leave in time to attend Willie's wake at Tracks Brewpub. He was one of a kind.
83/2304) Birreria Volo: Péché Bourbon 2017 by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec: **1/2; 9.5%; strong, earthy (dirty, muddy) coffee nose; in the tasting, coffee takes a back seat to bourbon and oak;
These were all five ounce pours.
84/2305) Birreria Volo: Péché Bourbon 2018 by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec: **1/2; 9.5%; nose similar to above but the flavours are sweeter with more vanilla;
Owing to my lateness I am not revealing a confidence when I mention that the original Bar Volo will be re-opening after all. The initial deal fell through which might not be bad as it was in front of this building where an unfortunate young lady was found murdered a few months back. The anticipated location will be on St. Nicholas Street, not all that far from Yonge and Dundonald.
85/2306) Birreria Volo: On Fleek!, a collaboration between Stillwater Brewing of Maryland and Casita Cerveceria who have breweries in Vermont and North Carolina: **; 13%; the nose is red wine and vanilla; coffee, cocoa, oak flavours;
Fleek is slang for fancy, according to Chris, behind the bar. I have since learned the term was originally applied to perfectly groomed eyebrows.
86/2307) Birreria Volo: Black Forest Bastard by Nickel Brook of Ontario: **1/2; 8.9%; smells like a boozy Black Forest cake; flavours of chocolate, cherries, marvellous;
There was also Péché Mortel on cask which was a last minute addition.
87/2308) Birreria Volo: Belgian Stout (2016 Vintage) by Exchange Brewery of Ontario: **1/2; a 6.7% oak barrel aged Belgian style stout; cola notes to the nose; tastes of cola, sarsaparilla;
The cask made up, in part, for the absence of Founders CBS Bourbon Maple Syrup Barrel Aged Stout with coffee and chocolate which became unavailable to Birreria Volo at the last minute.
88/2309) Birreria Volo: Péché Latte by Dieu du Ciel of Ontario: **1/2; a 9.5% Imperial coffee milk stout, on nitro; usual strong coffee nose is muted, but only slightly, by sweet creaminess; sweet, milky latte café au lait flavours with a dark coffee finish;
Another very successful Péché Day. The early opening was inspired.
March 23, 2018
79/2300) Home: Live Transmission Milkshake IPA by Flying Monkeys of Ontario: **; 6.3%; brewed with orange peel, grapefruit, "a soft coconut white tea"; Citra, Idaho 7 and Mosaic hops and lactose; pours clear (or nearly so - only a slight haze); there is a hint of lactose to the nose but it is mainly citrus; rich citrus flavours followed quickly by a hit of lactose then a dry, nearly bitter finish;
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