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Garrison feature beers

Contribute your own beer reviews and ratings of beers that are made or available in Ontario.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

Liverdie
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Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:56 pm
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Post by Liverdie »

Belgian wrote:
Liverdie wrote:...although myself and a couple of others have a problem with the name Black IPA..tell me how you get a Black India Pale Ale?...sounds like an oxymoron to me :lol:
There are plenty of IPAs that are not all that pale in hue. Name just seems to be a style reference (hence, BIPA is just an IPA approach hybridized with some darker malts.) You could call it 'Blackened IPA' but Lars Ulrich would probably sue.

Looking forward to this one, Garrison do exciting stuff.
Thank you, once again you have answered one of my questions in a very informative way :)

Would I be right in thinking that once the alcohol percentage is increased the pale ale is less pale in hue?

Now, I'm also wondering about the "Blackened" patent as it were. I've only ever heard of one beer with this word in its' name, Blackened Voodoo, heard of that one?

Cheers,
Live or Die by Good Beer

G.M. Gillman
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Post by G.M. Gillman »

Enjoying this beer again tonight, this time chilled from the fridge. The other day it was more cool room temperature. This time I'm getting more roasty sweetness, the hops are still there for sure but the malt has more of a say when the beer is cold. Nice product.

Gary
Gary Gillman

Liverdie
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Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:56 pm
Location: Waypoint

Post by Liverdie »

G.M. Gillman wrote:Enjoying this beer again tonight, this time chilled from the fridge. The other day it was more cool room temperature. This time I'm getting more roasty sweetness, the hops are still there for sure but the malt has more of a say when the beer is cold. Nice product.

Gary
Well maybe that's just East Coast time difference, eh? Just Kidding...thanks for the heads up...I'll take mine right out of the fridge, Thanks indeed! :D
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Belgian
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Post by Belgian »

Black Ipa -
Held to light is a dark amber-brown translucent color w/orange-gold highlights, light tan rocky head. Aroma is a bit sharply hoppy with citrus. Taste is forwardly dry-bitter hops, spicy lemony and grassy, with a pretty straight IPA sweet malt profile that is lightly embraced by some notes of cocoa and caramel. Persistent dry-bitter hop finish and dry feel. This is an IPA here folks.
In Beerum Veritas

G.M. Gillman
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Post by G.M. Gillman »

Just on the point of the name, Black IPA, there has been discussion on BT before about it, and other forums. Some prefer the name Cascadian Dark Ale, and there are other variants.

I don't find the name contradictory because what is being said is, we will make something black, or approaching to ebony, which otherwise is an IPA (or rather the APA sub-set of same), by adding roasted barley or chocolate or patent malt.

In the classic version, just enough colouring malt is added to lend colour but only a little roasty taste. If you get a big roasty-sweetish taste, to my mind it's really an American-style porter, not a black IPA, although as always the lines blur and there is no clear distinction.

Gary
Gary Gillman

matt7215
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Post by matt7215 »

so far ive had the pils and the black ipa (ive had both before but this review is for the current lcbo product)

Pils: shimmering golden with a lasting white head, nice pils malt nose, decent amount of hops in the nose but i could go for more, big snappy pungent hops flavour, crisp lean malt body, best pilsner ive had in a while, too bad i cant afford to session it

Black IPA: dark brown with a tan head, citrus hops and light roast nose, same goes for the flavour, pretty good BIPA but not nearly as good as Netherworld which is also way less money

i might buy the Pils again but i wont buy another Black IPA

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Belgian
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Post by Belgian »

I agree Matt, all these Garrison beers are good but the Pils is probably something I'd drink a lot of (if it were cheap-ish) because it reminds me of Bavaria and Czech Republic beer.

A very good release.
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phirleh
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Post by phirleh »

Has anyone tried previous batches of the Spruce Beer. I traded someone for 2 bottles back in September and I remember tasting more spruce and less molasses, this time it seems to be the other way around. Wondering if anyone else has tried it?
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sprague11
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Post by sprague11 »

There is so much that could have went wrong with the Spruce beer but Garrison hit this one. the sleeper of this release.

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pootz
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Post by pootz »

I enjoyed the Pilsner. I also liked the Baltic although it was a just tad thin for the style but delicious, the Cascadian IPA was roasty upfront but had a piecing lingering bitterness, Winter warmer was a nice change of pace, well layerd flavors. A decent representation of this brewer's diversity.

The spruce beer was a more intense version of the style that is popular in Qubec. It was almost over the top in Spruce flavor at times verging on a mouthful of molasses and pine tar but if you take it in sips and half bottle servings with some peanuts to clean the palate you can get through it. 2 bottles of this was good for me, I drank one with a friend and put the other in the cold cellar.
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Swordsman
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Post by Swordsman »

I had the Spruce beer over the weekend and really enjoyed it. I found the molassas really comes through with a hint of something else, which I would put down to being the spruce.

I had bought three and drank 1. Might pick up a few more.
A walk of a thousand miles begins with a single step

G.M. Gillman
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Post by G.M. Gillman »

The Baltic Porter is well made with a rich clean malty taste and some good Continental hopping, but it strikes me as more a doppelbock-style beer than anything connected to porter or stout. But it is delicious - the important thing - and gratefully strong.

Gary
Gary Gillman

sprague11
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Post by sprague11 »

Drinking one of the Winter Warmers. fairly sweet with a spicy holiday aftertaste - Kind of reminds me of those spicy old fashioned hard candies you see at Christmas time. Not entirely my thing (I prefer the Grand River myself) but it's a nice drink to have infront of the fireplace.

JeffPorter
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Post by JeffPorter »

sprague11 wrote:Drinking one of the Winter Warmers. fairly sweet with a spicy holiday aftertaste - Kind of reminds me of those spicy old fashioned hard candies you see at Christmas time. Not entirely my thing (I prefer the Grand River myself) but it's a nice drink to have infront of the fireplace.
Having a bottle of Jubilation right now, and I have to say I think I prefer this to the Garrison...the pils and baltic porter more than make up for it.
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John

sprague11
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Post by sprague11 »

The pls has grown on me - very crisp - just wrong time of year for it

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