S. St. Jeb wrote:I know the general feeling of most of you about Trafalgar....I'm not as hard on them.
TRAFALGAR NORTHERN HARVEST
LCBO 365668 | 500 mL bottle
Price: $ 5.95
Oh, and yes, I did buy one.
Right. Trafalgar's recipe ideas are often not bad, even inventive by Ontario standards (esp looking back just 7 or 8 year ago when things were desperately lean here.) Trouble seems to be in the execution of some brews - watery or very flat beer, some downright odd brewing choices - and in the unintentionally infected-tasting beers & 'bottle volcanoes' (foaming up dramatically all over the countertop after uncapping.)
Despite these inconsistencies (which the brewer seems reluctant to address with us mere mortals) I've enjoyed some nice Trafalgar brewings over the years. They also do some Black Creek "Pioneer" styled contract brewings which are pretty fine as well, beers stylistically in the neighborhood of the Grand River & the (former) Scotch Irish traditional ales, and likewise very tasty.
To the Northern Harvest - not a bad name. This unusual style beer - old Norse 'Gotlandsdricka' - should be interesting for its use of juniper, smoked malt and cedar. What a different twist on a seasonal Warmer.