we canned some nickelbrook organic today on our new canning machine and it tasted awesome off the line (batch 113). i then "quality control sampled" some nickelbrook marzen from the tank which also tasted quite nice. look for the first ever keg at the c'est what fest.
then at home i enjoyed a homebrewed pumpkin ale with dinner and now im finishing a homebrewed triple.
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What're you drinking right now?
Really? To me it's just a great fridge-grabber beer, as opposed to a big contemplative fireplace beer. I'd love to compare Propeller Porter.TJ wrote: The Southern Tier Porter Dark was a disappointment. ... smelled funky. The taste was passable.
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The Hop Nouveau today was very decent - and I'm rather impressed at the concept of the brewer getting a beer to my glass a 3 or so weeks after the hops are picked.
The Malted Corpse was also OK but the name just pisses me off. Party skeleton dude artwork, can you say "Dead Guy Ale"?
In Beerum Veritas
I will agree that is a lighter-feeling porter, dry, and with 'subtle' layers. People's expectations in "Porter" seem to vary wildly, as do the individual beers. I still find zero fault in it and it seems to be selling, so I hope it does well (the ST IPA really seems to move.)TJ wrote:It probably didn't help that it followed a Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald. But yeah. It didn't do much for me.Belgian wrote:Really?
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To follow Porter Dark at LCBO I only imagine the ST Choklat would be not difficult to sell here. Consider the repeated acceptance of Rogue Chocolate (Sweet) Stout and that the stronger Brooklyn (Imperial) Black Chocolate Stout was almost released here (but for some expensive re-labeling issue making it a no-go.)
Granted the BCS doesn't contain any real chocolate but the product appeal is there for a chocolatey-tasting Imperial. Young's Double Chocolate (now on General List) does have a bit of real chocolate in it. The whole line of ST Imperial Stouts all seem to have a nice chocolate character just from the malts!! I'd also welcome the very tasty Jah-Va or (presumably) the MoKah - the latter I've not yet seen but it is a hybrid of two ST beers using Jamaican Coffee AND Chocolate flavorings.
In Beerum Veritas
There's a fine line between "subtle" and "barely there" I guess. I've got three more to get through, so I'll keep digging. 
That said, I hope the ST Porter does well too and paves the way for the likes of Unearthly, Hoppe, Jahva and Choklat. It's just a bit frustrating that we seem to have to test the market for their good beer with some of their stuff that's only okay.
That said, I hope the ST Porter does well too and paves the way for the likes of Unearthly, Hoppe, Jahva and Choklat. It's just a bit frustrating that we seem to have to test the market for their good beer with some of their stuff that's only okay.
It's the 'okay (everyday)' beers that are supposed to pave the way for the others (BCS aside) - if you notice almost everything drinkable the LCBO sells is in the 'Just OK' category and the LCBO often appear excessively cautious about which beers to sell - almost to the detriment of the brewer.TJ wrote: It's just a bit frustrating that we seem to have to test the market for their good beer with some of their stuff that's only okay.
On other words, there's no 'testing the market' required here, our market IS ready for bombers of Choklat or Hoppe on a seasonal release. It's really just being a stick in the mud to deny the immediate appeal those beers would have in Ontario.
But patience, I'm sure the importers are on our side here.
And we do now have a great IPA or two on GL so it's looking up.In Beerum Veritas
Yeah the ST Porter Dark is not very good. It's not a very good beer and even worse as a porter.TJ wrote: The Southern Tier Porter Dark was a disappointment. It's a shame that, after a great start with the IPA, the LCBO seem to be bringing in some of Southern Tier's weaker offerings. I was severely underwhelmed. It smelled funky. The taste was passable. And really, it wasn't a repeater for me.
(Thanks to bobsy for two out of the three.)
Well with no less than THREE ST beers currently occupying LC shelves, maybe the LCBO will realize that only products on the level of Southern Tier IPA really serve an unfilled need in Ontario.TJ wrote:Believe me. I've noticed.Belgian wrote: if you notice almost everything drinkable the LCBO sells is in the 'Just OK' category
Do we need another Raspberry Wheat Ale? It's OK but I like the Amsterdam and Mill Street already, and the ST one doesn't add anything for me. But what we don't have here already is a variety of well-made, flavored Imperial Stouts. It's crazy that this is such a mystery up here, when at any old Wegmans right across the border you behold a beer selection that could almost make you cry. Like, hello?????
In Beerum Veritas
We didn't need a single raspberry wheat to begin with if you ask me.Belgian wrote:Well with no less than THREE ST beers currently occupying LC shelves, maybe the LCBO will realize that only products on the level of Southern Tier IPA really serve an unfilled need in Ontario.
Do we need another Raspberry Wheat Ale? It's OK but I like the Amsterdam and Mill Street already, and the ST one doesn't add anything for me. But what we don't have here already is a variety of well-made, flavored Imperial Stouts. It's crazy that this is such a mystery up here, when at any old Wegmans right across the border you behold a beer selection that could almost make you cry. Like, hello?????
But, yeah, that seems to be the LCBO's M.O. doesn't it? Play it safe. Give the people more of what they already have rather than what they want. They seem more interested in cannibalizing existing beer styles and saturating successful segments of the market rather than creating a demand for anything new.
But whatever. I'm not saying anything new here, and I keep telling myself I'm not going to waste my breath on the LCBO. It's not going to go away any time soon. I just have to accept it, stfu, and drive to Buffalo whenever I can.
I hear you on the Wegmans.
Anyway, back on topic: I had a Grand River Russian Gun and a Wellington Russian Imperial Stout tonight. The Welly wins by a landslide. In fact, it's so good I think I might have another.
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icemachine
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Great Lakes Pumpkin Ale tonight, along with a couple homemade pumpkin sqaures.
This is only my second pumpkin beer, the first being St. Ambroise. I have to say that I preferred the St. Ambroise as it had a fuller body, richer spicy flavours, and came off as more of a dessert beer, which is what I expected/prefer in the style. This one is still very tasty, the light body still works alright and there's a nice little bit of hoppiness to it. I think the GLB one would work well with the turkey dinner, then the St. Ambroise can accompany my slice of pie afterwards.
This is only my second pumpkin beer, the first being St. Ambroise. I have to say that I preferred the St. Ambroise as it had a fuller body, richer spicy flavours, and came off as more of a dessert beer, which is what I expected/prefer in the style. This one is still very tasty, the light body still works alright and there's a nice little bit of hoppiness to it. I think the GLB one would work well with the turkey dinner, then the St. Ambroise can accompany my slice of pie afterwards.
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SteelbackGuy
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