June 18, 2016

109/1694) Home:  Daywalker Vermont Session IPA by Rainhard Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **1/2;  3.9%, 35 ibu;  opaque straw colour;  citrusy nose;  refreshing notes of citrus;  an ideal session IPA;

110/1695) Home:  Session IPA by Big Rock Brewing Company of Alberta:  *1/2;  5.5%;  "unashamedly malt forward";  dry hopped with Yakima Valley cascade hops;  an English style IPA;  sweet toffee like maltiness to the nose;  tastes mainly of sweet maltiness with scarcely a hint of those hops;

A 5.5% "session" IPA?

June 17, 2016

108/1693) The 3 Brewers, Adelaide Street:  Rhubiscus by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;  4.4%, 5 ibu;  brewed with rhubarb and hibiscus;  the nose is earthy hibiscus with the rhubarb most promonent in taste and finish;  it is refreshing and summery;

June 16, 2016

107/1692) Rainhard Brewing Company:  Sweetback's Milk Stout by Rainhard Brewing of Ontario:  **;  5.25%, 25 ibu;  brewed with cocoa powder, vanilla and lactose;  sweet, milky, mocha nose;    almost soda like mouth feel;  it is on the sweet side with mocha flavours;

The brewmaster considers this to reside at the border of a dry and a sweet stout.

People who have met me would agree that one way to ensure my attendance at your event is to call it "Bach and Beer".  This started out as a solo performance by cellist Steuart Pincombe, see http://www.musicinfamiliarspaces.com/ , but it turns out that he and local violinist extraordinaire Edwin Huizinga go back a bit and the event turned into a trio with the addition of keyboardist local Philip Fournier (who began tuning up ten minutes after the concert was scheduled to begin writes a fellow who dashed straight from the office and worked up a bit of a sweat in a shirt and tie getting there on time). Still, a great evening at a surprisingly good venue for music.  The fellows working in the back stuck around and it was fun to be in a room with people enjoying a variety of music they might not normally choose to listen to.

Each piece was introduced by the soloist and Jordan Rainhard would then suggest one of his beers to accompany the music.  I purchased a couple of bottles of which I will write more later.

I learned that J.S. Bach would frequent Zimmerman's Cafe which has been added to Brahms' hangout, the Red Hedgehog, among others, for my list of places to visit when I next go to Europe.

I was also interested to hear that I was close by George Bell Arena.  Could that be named for the American League's Most Valuable Player of 1987?

June 12, 2016

106/1691) Home:  Bystander American Pale Ale by Innocente Brewing Company of Ontario:  **;  4.7%   the label calls this "a true guilty pleasure";  brewed with Australian Galaxy hops, and German malts;  very grassy nose - it sort of smells like my back yard which is to say like undried mint leaves;  leafy, grassy flavours;  very bitter finish;

Today is the forty sixth anniversary of Dock Ellis' notorious no-hitter in San Diego when he was strung out on LSD so naturally I took my wife and daughter to lunch at the Dock Ellis Sports Bar on our way to the Luminato festival earlier in the day.  Would you believe no one there was aware of the occasion?  I should also mention that while at first blush their sandwiches don't look like much, it turns out that they are very filling.

June 11, 2016

105/1690) Home:  John H. R. Molson 1908 Historic Pale Ale by Molson Canada of Quebec;  **6.8%;  this is the manufacturer as listed on the bottle but I think I mean to say Molson Coors;  unfiltered, no preservatives;  from a recipe found in the archives;  herbal, grainy nose;  bitter hoppy edge; actually quite nice;  I wish for more of the same;

June 10, 2016

104/1689) Home:  Easy Stout by Walkerville Brewery of Ontario:  **;  5.5%;  a roaring 20s style stout;  sweet roasty nose;  the addition of lactose adds a richness and soft mouth feel;  still, it's very old school;  mildly sweet, with a grainy, roasty finish;

June 9, 2016

102/1687) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Down Under by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;  on cask;  brewed with passion fruit, lime, papaya;  pale, opaque;  fruity, juicy tropical nose;  the fruit is not overpowering, it's almost entirely muted;  of the three, the lime is the least prominent, just a hint at the finish;

103/1688) Home:  Lambton Yard Brown Ale by Junction Craft Brewing of Ontario:  **;  4.0%, 20 ibu;  batch 16-115; hint of sweetness to the nose;  roasted grain nose;   dry malty flavours, almost burnt;  dry after taste;