LCBO Winter Craft Beer Release 2014

El Pinguino · Post by **El Pinguino** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:02 pm

I like this list .... some great old stuff we used to have regularly (Westmalle dubbel) and new treats...not a fan of chili beers, but all in all great.

cfrancis · Post by **cfrancis** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:30 pm

spinrsx wrote:I'm going to have to sleep outside the lcbo to get some of this before Chad buys it all

cfrancis wrote:RODENBACH!!!!!

YUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can always trade it to you for California goodies. But I will be getting a case or four.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 6:58 pm

spinrsx wrote:$1 per bottle more than last year too
Cass wrote:Sigtuna Midvinterblot

I keep asking myself 'since when did one full dollar become the standard increase amount for anything when they hope you won't notice a price jump...' 2.95 > 3.95, 6.99 > 7.99 it's always that seemingly innocuous 'just a dollar' more regardless the per cent increase, maybe just sneak it by and it shouldn't faze anyone, LOL. I wish my pay were increasing at the same rate!

biegaman · Post by **biegaman** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:11 pm

spinrsx wrote:$1 per bottle more than last year too

liamt07 wrote:
Cass wrote:Sigtuna Midvinterblot
Still a decent number of these sitting on the shelf of my local LCBO from last year's release...

I've seen it marked down at a few stores to $2.80/bottle. Steal at that price!

boney · Post by **boney** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:43 pm

Decent list. Lots to try. Will definitely be picking up the Rodenbach Vintage. I've had some bottles of 2009, which were pretty spectacular.

One annoyance with the list has nothing to do with the beer. Ilkley the "Mayan", the "Mayan" Chocolate Chipotle Stout. Mayan is a language, not a culture, place or people. Some very contextual exceptions, but almost universally misused. Pretty anal to be annoyed by it, I know, but a big personal pet peeve.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:10 pm

What's the Rodenbach Vintage like? Is it pretty sweet like the Grand Cru?

BakaGaijin · Post by **BakaGaijin** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:59 pm

Craig wrote:What's the Rodenbach Vintage like? Is it pretty sweet like the Grand Cru?

I believe it is similar. The Vintage comes from a single cask, chosen for it's exemplary taste. It is aged two years. The Grand Cru is blended with some young ale.

uno99 · Post by **uno99** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:35 pm

Wow great looking release (with the odd stinker tossed in there).

Looks like I'll be spending a good chunk of my Christmas bonus at the lick bow.

midlife crisis · Post by **midlife crisis** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 9:40 pm

Craig wrote:What's the Rodenbach Vintage like? Is it pretty sweet like the Grand Cru?

Sorry for a slight thread jack, but I just found a Rodenbach Grand Cru, Best Before 30-06-06, in the back of the vintage keeper. Anyone know what I should expect from this? What is the likely brewed-on date? 2004 or 5?

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:07 am

midlife crisis wrote:
Craig wrote:What's the Rodenbach Vintage like? Is it pretty sweet like the Grand Cru?
I just found a Rodenbach Grand Cru, Best Before 30-06-06, know what I should expect from this?

Vintage Tartness...

So it's fairly acidic. BBD 2006 Grand Cru may be a 2001 bottling, actual life span to perhaps 2021.

dhurtubise from the ancient mists of time (bartowel 2004) talks about the magic of ye olde 'oaken' barrels.

There are few beers crafted in the world that age better. This particular beer is already aged up to 2 years in oaken barrels before it is bottled. The batch that we have has an expiry of 2008, so the brewery probably states 5 years. I believe that the grand cru, along with the traditional lambics can age for up to 20 years. One particular lambic brewery - Hansen's or Oud Beersel - had a best before date on their bottles of 20 years. It is common in Belgium to find cellared examples in cafés up to 10 years old.

As far as the aging process goes, the sourness will intensify and the sweetness diminish as a result of unfermentable complex sugars that aren't consumed by the regular ale yeast being consumed by the bacteria. This relieves the beer of some sweetness and by adding lactic acid among the byproducts, the beer sours. Since sweetness and sourness counterbalance one another, the consumption of the sugar by the bacteria hits twice as hard as far as rendering the beer sour goes.

It may just be that you enjoy this beer while it is younger and as well aged. There are also some variances in the beer from year to year, although it is highly doubtful that the recipe changes.

One thing though is that one of the bigger belgian breweries, Palm, bought the small Rodenbach brewery about five years ago and there were huge variances at the beginning as they tried to produce the beer at their more modern brewery (less work intensive). However, they found that they could not duplicate the intense sourness that is characteristic of the grand cru and the alexander. Last I heard, the grand cru is brewed at the Palm brewery and trucked to Rodenbach for fermentation and then aging in the oaken barrels of the original brewery. The oaken barrels contain the bacteria that sours the beer.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:25 am

The Mighty Oaken Vats of Rodenbach. Quite old apparently... and the source of the complex microflora that make it funky and sour.

midlife crisis · Post by **midlife crisis** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:31 am

Belgian wrote:
midlife crisis wrote:
Craig wrote:What's the Rodenbach Vintage like? Is it pretty sweet like the Grand Cru?
I just found a Rodenbach Grand Cru, Best Before 30-06-06, know what I should expect from this?
Vintage Tartness...

So it's fairly acidic. BBD 2006 Grand Cru may be a 2001 bottling, actual life span to perhaps 2021.

dhurtubise from the ancient mists of time (bartowel 2004) talks about the magic of ye olde 'oaken' barrels.

Great, thanks! Knowing little about sours, I sort of thought the opposite, that the sour flavours might mellow out. Guess I'll keep it for a special occasion or a tasting or something. It is only a 33 cl. bottle unfortunately.

Wheatsheaf · Post by **Wheatsheaf** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:45 pm

midlife crisis wrote:Sorry for a slight thread jack, but I just found a Rodenbach Grand Cru, Best Before 30-06-06, in the back of the vintage keeper. Anyone know what I should expect from this? What is the likely brewed-on date? 2004 or 5?

You found one? I still have almost a full case.

($2.20 a bottle or some crazy price like that, if I remember right.) It's the LCBO batch, bottled in 2004.

How does it age? Short answer is that it doesn't. It's a remarkably stable beer.

spinrsx · Post by **spinrsx** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:56 pm

so this rodenbach vintage is already aged?

Therefor not a good candidate for me to cellar? (it is already at it's peak?)

If it can be cellared, any idea for how long?

lister · Post by **lister** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:02 pm

Belgian wrote:The Mighty Oaken Vats of Rodenbach. Quite old apparently... and the source of the complex microflora that make it funky and sour.

I think the Ark of the Covenant might be in there...

The Bar Towel

LCBO Winter Craft Beer Release 2014

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Re: LCBO Winter Craft Beer Release 2014