The Bar Towel

Wellington S.P.A. For I think the first time in my experience (it's been at least 2 years since I've tried this), the beer has a clean fresh taste and no damp paper aroma. Lightly sweet and mildly-hopped, it is a reasonable approximation of an English pale ale but the brewery should consider boostin...

I was very pleased with this one. In general, alt and kolsch styles as replicated here seem rather wide of the mark (IMO) but not in this case. The mineral/lemony notes seem from the German hops, the yeast background is very good, clean yet prominent and the malt also clean and perhaps on the light ...

Some of these were in Montreal over the weekend: 1) Saint Landelin, a Xmas version stored in the fridge on its side for 2 years. A real winner, the corky-like notes when all this type of beer is young (many Belgians share it) are softened into something much more complex and drinkable. Threw a lot o...

From Frankfurt, which Michael Jackson early on typed as a non-specific German beer area, i.e., not known for one or more styles, which does not prevent this beer from being a very good blonde lager - when fresh. This sample is from the black can currently available at TBS. When it first came in abou...

Trying some new beers. King Winter Porter*: drank on draft at Victory today. Interesting beer, not like any porter typically seen. Kind of a cross between a dunkel and certain Scotch ales if that makes any sense. Reminds me of the Jubilee Porter made by Fred Koch in New York State when it was owned ...

Amsterdam's Stenhouse Porter and Spring Bock. Both are well-made, clean and faultless however I much preferred the Spring Bock. It's got an extra charge of malt this year and it shows, to the benefit of the beer. The other includes some flaked barley and I feel I can taste it, that "wheaty"...

This beer has a long history, long in craft beer terms anyway. Early in the days of the renaissance, I recall reading about it in All About Beer magazine (80's). I bought it in the tall bottle in the states, and it was a good German-style dark beer despite being from South America. Or perhaps one sh...

It is brilliant. Thanks for the link. On cider and perry: "Perry seems to me to be an abuse of that excellent creature the pear, whereas cider-apples furnish one of the most cogent arguments to prove that Providence had the production of alcoholic liquors directly in its eye". Well, he ha...

Yes, it is a very interesting book and it has a full chapter on beer (not sure if that part is full-view on google books). He had an ornate style, typical of the Victorian era, but he knew a lot and it's fun to read once you get the way he uses the language - part of it is for humour too I think. So...

https://books.google.ca/books?id=4vDQRP7vqksC&pg=PA160&dq=saintsbury+Bismarck+Notes&hl=en&sa=X&ei=89wAVcnWKfPHsQSOyYKQDg&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=saintsbury%20Bismarck%20Notes&f=false This is Saintsbury on the Black Velvet, called in his time "Bismarck". ...

Right now I have a blend of Nicklebrook Bolshevik Bastard and Batch:1904 Cider. This is a version of the Black Velvet, which originally was the stout and Champagne. Later a cider-and-stout version became popular. The great writer on alcoholic drinks, George Saintsbury (late 1800's-early 1900's), dep...

On the point of FES here and its perception in the market, it has been nationally distributed in the States for years now... And it seems it is in B.C. too now if I read Derek's comment right. We already have various forms of Guinness here: draft, shaped widget bottle, widget can, Black Lager, and h...

+4 Bobsy, the FES was one rare super-good beer discovery in the Caribbean. Guinness must see zero market to sell it here, but is there not a varied immigrant consumer base that would support it? Originally a bottle conditioned beer, FES has been pasteurised to ensure quality consistency since 1948....

Had this a couple of times now so feel I can give it a considered review. First, I know now that its formulation is different to the bottled and canned one. It is a bit less strong and not conditioned in the container. This explains the slightly less intense flavour. It has a fine elegant taste thou...

new: SAM ADAMS REBEL IPA. USA | Boston Beer Company LCBO 411686 | 6x355 mL | $ 13.70 Had this a year ago in the US, pretty meh. My take as well. I am surprised that Sam Adams can pull off some great styles (its double bock, Imperial Stout and numerous others) but the IPA, a classic of the American ...