Fall 2005 LCBO new releases - available now.

[HogTownHarry]

Blankboy and I visited the Yonge & Summerhill store and it looks like all the new releases except the Dogfish Head Chicory Stout are out on the shelves - you have to wander the whole area, they aren't all in one place. Here's what we picked up:

Belhaven Wee Heavy (500ml)
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (550ml)
Rogue Dead Guy Ale (650ml)
Rogue Chocolate Stout (650ml)
St. Peter's Old Style Porter (500ml)
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged (330ml)
Propeller Extra Special Bitter (650ml)

I grabbed a case each of the Wee Heavy, Oatmeal Stout and Chocolate Stout. Apparently they only put these out this morning. Good hunting everyone!

- Harry

[tupalev]

I was just about to post that I see most of the releases now on the LCBO site, except the Dogfish Head, Liefmans, and Rogue Chocolate (glad to hear that one is available though - I imagine the site will update Monday). Enjoy guys, I now have a stop on the way home from work - not much terribly new, but some really solid beers in there that might just wash the taste of the Spring and Summer release out of my mouth (notable exceptions aside)...

Jeff

[tupalev]

Big props to the staff at the Dundas and Jane LCBO. I stopped by after work, as they showed most of the release in their inventory. Only the Rogue Dead guy was on the shelves. I asked one of the employees, who works in Vintages, to help me out if he could. After explaining that their beer guy wasn't there (and this little store does have a good reputation for taking care of the releases and decent beer) he offered to bring me to the stock room, which is in this cool little basement. I proceeded to have all the fall releases I mentioned earlier cracked open (I was buying 2-4 bottles of each) and we even found the Rogue Chocolate, which wasn't listed (I just saved the trouble and bought the case). I walked out one happy customer and they got themselves a pretty big beer sale, so everyone wins! I've had enough bad LCBO experiences, it is nice to know there are stores like this that are the opposite, and do seem to care about the beer we enjoy. Now off to try a couple...

Jeff

[Derek]

Belhaven Wee Heavy (500ml)
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (550ml)
Rogue Dead Guy Ale (650ml)
Rogue Chocolate Stout (650ml)
St. Peter's Old Style Porter (500ml)
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged (330ml)
Propeller Extra Special Bitter (650ml)

I picked them all up last night in London (Masonville LCBO)!

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any new Unibroue in town...

[SteelbackGuy]

Thanks !!

Im off to Masonville as we speak!!

YAY LONDON!

[Belgian]

Propeller ESB - it was okay, will need another to see if I care for it. Somewhat grainy flavor.

Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout - Beautiful nice, roasty stout, starts slightly sour with aromas and flavors of coffee and chocolate, just a hint of acrid burntness, sourness soon transforms into a light integrating bitterness that mingles in this generous bodied lightly sweet stout. Masterful.

Rogues are always something good... The Dead Guy maibock was actually a bit Germanic in expression, very good and interesting.

I can't spend that much for that little oak aged bottle... yet.

[tupalev]

I thought the Propeller ESB was excellent - as good as I remember it - I'll be buying a case for sure.

I thought this Rogue was pretty pedestrian by their high standards. Still decent though, just king of bland.

There's something about the pairing of the first signs of Fall air (well, not today) and Sam Smith's Oatmeal or Imperial...lovely. Same goes for the St. Peter's Old Style Porter as well -lovely stuff.

And Rogue Chocolate Stout, how I've missed you! Man that is one tasty tasty beer...

Nice Release. Quality favourites that deserve to be available all year long for the most part. Now bring on the Dogfish Head!


Jeff

[Belgian]

I thought this Rogue was pretty pedestrian by their high standards. Still decent though, just king of bland.

Wow, the KING of bland... sheesh! I admit they have some pretty jazzy brews, I thought the Dead Guy Maibock was just more 'traditional.' (I could session it and I know it would get nicer each bottle!) I agree the Chocolate Stout is jazzier... people expect Rogue to just blow their teeth out with sheer roller-coaster excitement each time. But like a concerto, you need to alternate allegro with addagio.

And the Propeller was almost sold out everywhere, so I'd like to give it a chance or four. Who's an expert on authentic ES Bitter here?

I'm curious what the DFH Chicory will be like, I think chicory is a bit odd.

[lister]

And the Propeller was almost sold out everywhere, so I'd like to give it a chance or four. Who's an expert on authentic ES Bitter here?

I saw plenty at Summerhill and Davisville today after work.

There are a couple of Dead Guys at Davisville (look on top of the centre aisle display back in the beer section.)

I didn't see any chocolate stouts which I thought I'd give another try.

[tupalev]

I thought this Rogue was pretty pedestrian by their high standards. Still decent though, just king of bland

King of bland, that's funny. Let's try again, "kind of bland".

Rogue beers don't need to be in my face to be considered good (I like the Oregon Golden Ale a lot, especially as a session ale), but like I said, this was pretty watery and bland but completely drinkable and decent.

The Chicory I had at Smokeless last year was excellent - like a nice hoppy stout with hickory sticks - somehow, that works.

[tupalev]

And the Propeller was almost sold out everywhere

Let's not go spreading panic rumours, the LCBO site shows lots of Propellor available in Toronto and throughout the Province.

[Belgian]

And the Propeller was almost sold out everywhere

Let's not go spreading panic rumours, the LCBO site shows lots of Propellor available in Toronto and throughout the Province.

I was in Kingston, all three stores were selling out fast. You ASSUMEd I meant Toronto. Toronto is NOT the center of the universe, you people!

And yea Lister, do try the chocolate stout again, it may please you a great deal. I tried ageing some 8 months and the strong cocoa notes blend in really nicely. Especially drinking it straight from the bottle while in the lake!

I found Rogue's Yellow Snow juniper ale and the Half-E-Weizen both equal to the Dead Guy Maibock, in terms of sheer session-ability and (I think intentional) soft smoothness. Like I said, the first GREAT beer I had was totally fresh brewpub bavarian Helles, Dunkeles, Hefeweizens... those people don't make jagged-hopped IPA's or super stouts, they make awesome seession beer, and to them a Rauchbier is quite a holiday from the norm (to hear them speak of it.) Some English brown ales are "watery" to some people too, but they aren't really, it's a style thing.

[lister]

I was in Kingston, all three stores were selling out fast. You ASSUMEd I meant Toronto. Toronto is NOT the center of the universe, you people!

Well everywhere does mean everywhere and you didn't say you were in Kingston. However Toronto is INDEED the centre of the universe. We think it is and everyone outside of T.O. thinks it is, so it is by concensus.

And yea Lister, do try the chocolate stout again, it may please you a great deal. I tried ageing some 8 months and the strong cocoa notes blend in really nicely. Especially drinking it straight from the bottle while in the lake!

After trying a couple of stouts a while ago, I wasn't too enthralled with them. I did happen to come across, I think, Young's Double Chocolate stout last winter and on a whim gave it a try. I liked it more than the regular stouts but I still found it not entirely a pleasant thing to drink. We'll see how the Rogue offering works once I manage to get my hands on a bottle.

I found Rogue's Yellow Snow juniper ale and the Half-E-Weizen both equal to the Dead Guy Maibock, in terms of sheer session-ability and (I think intentional) soft smoothness. Like I said, the first GREAT beer I had was totally fresh brewpub bavarian Helles, Dunkeles, Hefeweizens... those people don't make jagged-hopped IPA's or super stouts, they make awesome seession beer, and to them a Rauchbier is quite a holiday from the norm (to hear them speak of it.) Some English brown ales are "watery" to some people too, but they aren't really, it's a style thing.

The first Rogue I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed was their Kells Irish Style Lager which is one of the brews I brought back from Premier Gourmet. Also from Premier I brought back a small bottle of Dead Guy which I have yet to try. I didn't care for either the Yellow Snow nor the Half-E-Weizen.

[tupalev]

I was in Kingston, all three stores were selling out fast. You ASSUMEd I meant Toronto. Toronto is NOT the center of the universe, you people!

You posted that Propeller was selling out on a Toronto Beer website. What a crazy assumption. I also mentioned that there was lots of available province wide. That includes Kingston, which still has lots of stock at the Princess St store, according to the LCBO website. Looks like Kingston's other 2 stores are doing well though, depending on how much they got in.

We have different opinions of the Dead Guy Belgian, that's cool. But reading between the lines, I thought you might be insinuating I (or the general beer geek public) only appreciate in your face stuff from Rogue and that is simply not the case.

[TerryW]

Belhaven Wee Heavy (500ml)
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (550ml)
Rogue Dead Guy Ale (650ml)
Rogue Chocolate Stout (650ml)
St. Peter's Old Style Porter (500ml)
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged (330ml)
Propeller Extra Special Bitter (650ml)

Available now in Brampton at the City Centre location (Queen & Dixie), but not yet at Orion Gate (Steeles and Kennedy). Lots of Orval and Grand Cru available on sale at both locations.