New Arrivals at LCBO & TBS

[CoolB]

I have had two bottles of the Aug 28th batch of Aphrodite, and it is quite thin and oxidized. It is still an interesting stout, but it lacks the body and vanilla/cocoa of fresher batches.

Still, it's not like there are any stouts of equal quality at the LCBO...


*By the way, does anybody else notice acetaldehyde/green apple in the new Celebrator bottles? I noticed a similar flavour in the batch of Ayinger Oktoberfest we received.

I ended up with a 4 pack of Aphro last night rather then the John H.r.molson & Bros 1908. It was good but I'd go with the Bolshevik Bastard over the Aphro any day.

[portwood]

I ended up with a 4 pack of Aphro last night rather then the John H.r.molson & Bros 1908. It was good but I'd go with the Bolshevik Bastard over the Aphro any day.

Could it be the 5 month old Aphrodite (thanks to KGBO's 19th century distribution "system") isn't very fresh compared to the BB?

[walz22]

I have had two bottles of the Aug 28th batch of Aphrodite, and it is quite thin and oxidized. It is still an interesting stout, but it lacks the body and vanilla/cocoa of fresher batches.

Still, it's not like there are any stouts of equal quality at the LCBO...


*By the way, does anybody else notice acetaldehyde/green apple in the new Celebrator bottles? I noticed a similar flavour in the batch of Ayinger Oktoberfest we received.

I'm glad someone else brought this up cause I thought I was going crazy. I've had two bottles of Celebrator from this release; the first one was normal, great as usual, but the 2nd bottle was exactly as you're describing. Not the most enjoyable beer...

[Belgian]

I ended up with a 4 pack of Aphro last night rather then the John H.r.molson & Bros 1908. It was good but I'd go with the Bolshevik Bastard over the Aphro any day.

Could it be the 5 month old Aphrodite (thanks to KGBO's 19th century distribution "system") isn't very fresh compared to the BB?

Brewpub in Montreal - best smelling beer in the world, delicious. 11/10

Provigo on Mont Royal fresh six-packs - worth buying multiple but not as huge aromas, somewhat affected yet still incredibly tasty. 8/10

Bottles in Ontario - never had such old ones as you describe, or have we? This is a favorite beer of mine - even bottles. Its charm depends on a good vanilla note and hence maybe freshness.

[CoolB]

I ended up with a 4 pack of Aphro last night rather then the John H.r.molson & Bros 1908. It was good but I'd go with the Bolshevik Bastard over the Aphro any day.

Could it be the 5 month old Aphrodite (thanks to KGBO's 19th century distribution "system") isn't very fresh compared to the BB?

It very well could be and to be honest it was a bit of an unfair comparison with the BB being an Imperial Stout.

[CoolB]

I had the molson 1908 tonight and it wasn't bad but it wasn't a stand-out beer by any means. I would compare it to a Belgian Strong Ale somewhere between a golden and triple. Very yeasty malty type of pale ale with very little hop presence. I'd be interested to try it on tap.

[midlife crisis]

I had the molson 1908 tonight and it wasn't bad but it wasn't a stand-out beer by any means. I would compare it to a Belgian Strong Ale somewhere between a golden and triple. Very yeasty malty type of pale ale with very little hop presence. I'd be interested to try it on tap.

Interesting, thanks. What is the abv? Fairly high, I gather from your comments. (And what is with the big brewers' aversion to hops when the try to do something historic? Wouldn't large amounts of hops have been used, as a preservative if nothing else?)

[CoolB]

I had the molson 1908 tonight and it wasn't bad but it wasn't a stand-out beer by any means. I would compare it to a Belgian Strong Ale somewhere between a golden and triple. Very yeasty malty type of pale ale with very little hop presence. I'd be interested to try it on tap.

Interesting, thanks. What is the abv? Fairly high, I gather from your comments. (And what is with the big brewers' aversion to hops when the try to do something historic? Wouldn't large amounts of hops have been used, as a preservative if nothing else?)

6.8 abv I believe. A strong hop presence would have made this beer so much more complex.

[portwood]

A strong hop presence would have made this beer so much more complex.

Maybe so, but regular Molson drinkers* would probably be disgusted by the bitterness that would result from that complexity.

My guess is most line extensions are aimed at regular drinkers of a brand's main offerings, looking for something different - but not too different- or a "special occasion bottle"

[CoolB]

A strong hop presence would have made this beer so much more complex.

Maybe so, but regular Molson drinkers* would probably be disgusted by the bitterness that would result from that complexity.

My guess is most line extensions are aimed at regular drinkers of a brand's main offerings, looking for something different - but not too different- or a "special occasion bottle"

You might have hit the nail on the head here. When I bought it the cashier was very vocal about how good it was. He even mentioned a nice hoppy bitterness that I obviously didn't get lol.

It wasn't bad. I'd drink it again but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

[gordonpeterwiebe]

I have had two bottles of the Aug 28th batch of Aphrodite, and it is quite thin and oxidized. It is still an interesting stout, but it lacks the body and vanilla/cocoa of fresher batches.

Still, it's not like there are any stouts of equal quality at the LCBO...


*By the way, does anybody else notice acetaldehyde/green apple in the new Celebrator bottles? I noticed a similar flavour in the batch of Ayinger Oktoberfest we received.

I ended up with a 4 pack of Aphro last night rather then the John H.r.molson & Bros 1908. It was good but I'd go with the Bolshevik Bastard over the Aphro any day.

yeah, just had an aphro tonight and I found it bitter, ashy and thin which was the exact opposite of what I was expecting.
I've always, more than, enjoyed the decadence of the DDC stouts... but, I actually got a touch of heartburn from this offering!
Hopefully it mellows a bit if I let it sit.

And, I'd have to disagree about the quality of the LCBO's stouts - I think it's what they do best (what with their inability to release anything fresh). Sawdust and Nickelbrook make top notch imperials, the Tree "Old School" from BC was great and a lot of the Euro imports are fantastic (and fantastically priced, considering).

[gordonpeterwiebe]

A strong hop presence would have made this beer so much more complex.

Maybe so, but regular Molson drinkers* would probably be disgusted by the bitterness that would result from that complexity.

My guess is most line extensions are aimed at regular drinkers of a brand's main offerings, looking for something different - but not too different- or a "special occasion bottle"

You might have hit the nail on the head here. When I bought it the cashier was very vocal about how good it was. He even mentioned a nice hoppy bitterness that I obviously didn't get lol.

It wasn't bad. I'd drink it again but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

ha! I find whenever I'm in some crap sports bar in some "what am I doing here?!" town trying to decide between the lesser of evils I find that the bartenders always describe anything not MolBattsBudCoors as "hoppy".

[AugustusRex]

I have had two bottles of the Aug 28th batch of Aphrodite, and it is quite thin and oxidized. It is still an interesting stout, but it lacks the body and vanilla/cocoa of fresher batches.

Still, it's not like there are any stouts of equal quality at the LCBO...


*By the way, does anybody else notice acetaldehyde/green apple in the new Celebrator bottles? I noticed a similar flavour in the batch of Ayinger Oktoberfest we received.

I ended up with a 4 pack of Aphro last night rather then the John H.r.molson & Bros 1908. It was good but I'd go with the Bolshevik Bastard over the Aphro any day.

yeah, just had an aphro tonight and I found it bitter, ashy and thin which was the exact opposite of what I was expecting.
I've always, more than, enjoyed the decadence of the DDC stouts... but, I actually got a touch of heartburn from this offering!
Hopefully it mellows a bit if I let it sit.

And, I'd have to disagree about the quality of the LCBO's stouts - I think it's what they do best (what with their inability to release anything fresh). Sawdust and Nickelbrook make top notch imperials, the Tree "Old School" from BC was great and a lot of the Euro imports are fantastic (and fantastically priced, considering).

I would have to say Trappist/Belgian Ales are what the LCBO does best (especially compared to US/Premier Gourmet prices).

Duvel
Saison Dupont RIP
La Chouffe
St. Bernardus Abt 12
St. Bernardus Mixed Pack
Het Anker Kaizer Blauw
Orval
Chimay (R,W,B)
Westmalle (D, T)
Rochefort (8, 10)

etc.

Plus the occasional treat like Rodenbach Vintage (Last I checked it's around $25USD a bottle at Premier Gourmet)

I have to say I disagree about the selection of stouts at the LCBO. Bolshevik Bastard is extremely worty, and doesn't hold a candle to the stouts across the border. I don't even have a stout in my regular LCBO rotation, and I love stouts.

[midlife crisis]

I have to say I disagree about the selection of stouts at the LCBO. Bolshevik Bastard is extremely worty, and doesn't hold a candle to the stouts across the border. I don't even have a stout in my regular LCBO rotation, and I love stouts.

Tempest? Russian Gun?

[Craig]

Tempest isn't really something you can put in your regular rotation.

I would say, however, that the LCBO generally has at least one interesting or decent stout on offer. Often things that are leftover from seasonals or features that are still kicking around, but I can normally find something on the shelves I'm happy enough to drink. Whether that's something praise-worthy or not is another matter.