Coming Soon to the LCBO

[Andrenaline]

Just saw Trafalgar Cognac-Aged Porter (500 ml ceramic bottle, back of the bottle says it is a porter aged in oak that once housed cognac). Bunch of bottles on the shelf, no price tag, and I wasn't about to bite. Anyone had any experience with this one? I'll let someone else jump first...

I've always been a sucker and will typically try any of their brews at least once... Yet, every single time I get burned, and I kick myself for buying anything from them as ultimately it supports the brewery financially allowing them to continue to hustle poor quality brews on unsuspecting customers.

[Belgian]

Just saw Trafalgar Cognac-Aged Porter

Wow!

1) I'm glad they're still having fun up there.

2) keep the receipt and return it for full refund if you want.

3) the really good news.

[JesseM]

3) the really good news.

Of all the great news as of late in the Ontario beer scene, nothing makes me happier than this.

[JeffPorter]

I will totally be a guinea pig for this when I see it and report back. What LCBO was it at?

[TheSevenDuffs]

3) the really good news.

Lets hope that our friends at the border don't start considering US craft beers that are > 11.9% ABV to be spirits for the purpose of calculating duty ...

[rejtable]

I saw the Trafalgar ones tonight at the Innis LCBO in Ottawa. I thought I saw two of them. One the aged porter, and the other one the mead.

[TheBeeraholic]

I've always been a sucker and will typically try any of their brews at least once... Yet, every single time I get burned, and I kick myself for buying anything from them as ultimately it supports the brewery financially allowing them to continue to hustle poor quality brews on unsuspecting customers.

I feel the same way, I will buy and try everything once, and everytime I buy and try something from Trafalgar I also kick myself and say I won't do it again. After trying the mead in the ceramic bottle I thought I'd keep the promise this time. However, these two sound like they could be interesting..

[JerCraigs]

3) the really good news.

Lets hope that our friends at the border don't start considering US craft beers that are > 11.9% ABV to be spirits for the purpose of calculating duty ...

They are already a separate category, but I have only ever had that be an issue once, on my very first border crossing. They tend not to check the abv on a mixed bunch of bottles, especially if you have the receipt.

[velovampire]

I will totally be a guinea pig for this when I see it and report back. What LCBO was it at?

Saw it at Brock St. in Parkdale - you could hit up the Rhino for some pin the tail on the donkey beer selections then go grab a bottle.

[spinrsx]

from great lakes fb feed: Update on our 25th Anniversary #GLBImpBlackIPA! Bottles rolling out of the brewery on Monday to LCBO's across Toronto. Rest of province during the week!!

[JeffPorter]

I will totally be a guinea pig for this when I see it and report back. What LCBO was it at?

Saw it at Brock St. in Parkdale - you could hit up the Rhino for some pin the tail on the donkey beer selections then go grab a bottle.

Well, I was already a bit of a guinea pig for the barrel-aged mill st. barley wine.

I kinda want my $13 back - you know, I actually like this beer when Volo has the previous year's on tap. So I've always believed that the sometimes boozy mess of Mill Street Barley Wine (and I do have a soft spot for it, because it was my first, remember the little stubbies?) ages well, and is much better a year later, but I dunno about this one...don't know if I want to risk another 13 bucks...

[Mr.X]

I will totally be a guinea pig for this when I see it and report back. What LCBO was it at?

Saw it at Brock St. in Parkdale - you could hit up the Rhino for some pin the tail on the donkey beer selections then go grab a bottle.

Well, I was already a bit of a guinea pig for the barrel-aged mill st. barley wine.

I kinda want my $13 back - you know, I actually like this beer when Volo has the previous year's on tap. So I've always believed that the sometimes boozy mess of Mill Street Barley Wine (and I do have a soft spot for it, because it was my first, remember the little stubbies?) ages well, and is much better a year later, but I dunno about this one...don't know if I want to risk another 13 bucks...

Although I know lots of people enjoy the treatment I personally can't wait for the barrel aging fad to pass. Really haven't been a fan of any barrel aged beer, however I fully understand I'm probably in the minority on this one.

[JerCraigs]

Although I know lots of people enjoy the treatment I personally can't wait for the barrel aging fad to pass. Really haven't been a fan of any barrel aged beer, however I fully understand I'm probably in the minority on this one.

Its not the treatment that's the problem, its that the tendency is to make the end result so barrel dominant you can't taste anything else. House Ales, Great Lakes, Amsterdam, and Bellwoods have all done a couple of great "barrel aged" beers that were quite subtle and nuanced. Many of these were with wine barrels rather than bourbon though so that helps.

With stouts, I find the ones that age part of the batch and then blend it back in with a non-barrel aged batch tend to be better balanced.

[TheSevenDuffs]

With stouts, I find the ones that age part of the batch and then blend it back in with a non-barrel aged batch tend to be better balanced.

Spot on!

I love barrel aged beers but I hate when the barrel drowns out the base beer completely. I find Goose Island BCS to be very guilty of this.

Whether it be bourbon, whisky, wine, cognac, brandy, etc. I absolutely love barrel aged beers so I hope this is more than just a trend.

[JeffPorter]

With stouts, I find the ones that age part of the batch and then blend it back in with a non-barrel aged batch tend to be better balanced.

I think Beau's does this well -with the BBA IPEh, they had aged beer blended with fresh beer so the hops were still strong.