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We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
What're you drinking right now?
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- Posts: 136
- Joined: Mon May 04, 2015 2:13 pm
Old Rasputin. I'm going to stock up on these.
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- Posts: 321
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 8:17 am
At the moment there are 4 bottles in stock in the province - all at summerhillAugustusRex wrote:Old Rasputin. I'm going to stock up on these.
I will get some too, I believe the last time was May in 2009 New York... you know those times when you are tasting several single beers in the hotel because there are only so many you want to lug back in your suitcase? Well I recall Rasputin being great.
The Goose Bourbon County Stout was also outstanding, small 12oz bottle (either first edition 2007 or 2008) and somehow way better than future editions - deliciously bourbon-oaky. This was back in a time when many of these beers were FAR from ever being available up here... The Bowery Whole Foods & New Beer Distributors were mythical places for a Toronto beer hunter. I might even give the BCBS another shot some day...
The Goose Bourbon County Stout was also outstanding, small 12oz bottle (either first edition 2007 or 2008) and somehow way better than future editions - deliciously bourbon-oaky. This was back in a time when many of these beers were FAR from ever being available up here... The Bowery Whole Foods & New Beer Distributors were mythical places for a Toronto beer hunter. I might even give the BCBS another shot some day...
In Beerum Veritas
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 925
- Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:55 am
- Location: Guelph
Side launch dark-my favourite dark lager from Ontario, always delicious.
Side launch pale- I always love this too. Every time I buy it, I ask myself why I don't have it more often. For me, the perfect balance between English and American style pale ale
Tempest's long white cloud- a lovely fruity NZ style pale ale from my hometown in Scotland, also winner last year of Scottish brewery of the year. A super tropical tasting pale ale that tastes quite a bit above the 35ibu they claim.
Stack impact altbeir-really disappointing, as I feel this style is under-represented.....but this was fucking horrible. Almost flat, carbonation wise, overly sweet,tinny,just nothing good about it.
Great Lakes lake effect- awesome just like the last dozen cans I've had from this batch have been.
Barncat pulp iipa- had this immediately after the lake effect... I'm gonna say it, this was quite a bit better, and I do love me some lake effect. Really juicy, so much citrus flavour, the body, and mouthfeel in pertivular are rediculous. It's not pretty to look at, but fuck me up the ass with a chainsaw is it ever tasty. Best Canadian IPA I've had, possibly best ever IPA I've had. Oh, and the 8.1% is completely hidden
Side launch pale- I always love this too. Every time I buy it, I ask myself why I don't have it more often. For me, the perfect balance between English and American style pale ale
Tempest's long white cloud- a lovely fruity NZ style pale ale from my hometown in Scotland, also winner last year of Scottish brewery of the year. A super tropical tasting pale ale that tastes quite a bit above the 35ibu they claim.
Stack impact altbeir-really disappointing, as I feel this style is under-represented.....but this was fucking horrible. Almost flat, carbonation wise, overly sweet,tinny,just nothing good about it.
Great Lakes lake effect- awesome just like the last dozen cans I've had from this batch have been.
Barncat pulp iipa- had this immediately after the lake effect... I'm gonna say it, this was quite a bit better, and I do love me some lake effect. Really juicy, so much citrus flavour, the body, and mouthfeel in pertivular are rediculous. It's not pretty to look at, but fuck me up the ass with a chainsaw is it ever tasty. Best Canadian IPA I've had, possibly best ever IPA I've had. Oh, and the 8.1% is completely hidden
- El Pinguino
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1454
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
- Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
- Contact:
Trillium Sunshower
Casita Cervecería ¡Super Sorpresa!
Just felt like some tart, hopped up saisons today.
Casita Cervecería ¡Super Sorpresa!
Just felt like some tart, hopped up saisons today.
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm
- Contact:
Bellwoods — Prince Edward County IPA w/ Mosaic & Simcoe
This is the very, very good. A real Vermont-style juicy hop bomb, reminds me of the stuff I've tried from Trillium and Barncat's The Juice, Armomatherapy. Hopefully we can get some local hazy IPAs regularly available in cans for under $4 at some point in the near future.
This is the very, very good. A real Vermont-style juicy hop bomb, reminds me of the stuff I've tried from Trillium and Barncat's The Juice, Armomatherapy. Hopefully we can get some local hazy IPAs regularly available in cans for under $4 at some point in the near future.
You would compare BTP aromatherapy with Trillium?
beerstodiscover wrote:Bellwoods — Prince Edward County IPA w/ Mosaic & Simcoe
This is the very, very good. A real Vermont-style juicy hop bomb, reminds me of the stuff I've tried from Trillium and Barncat's The Juice, Armomatherapy. Hopefully we can get some local hazy IPAs regularly available in cans for under $4 at some point in the near future.
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm
- Contact:
They're the same style. I haven't seen any other Vermont-style IPA at the LCBO.spinrsx wrote:You would compare BTP aromatherapy with Trillium?
- darmokandjalad
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:04 pm
- Location: Ridgetown, ON
New beers over the last two weeks or so:
-Block Three Hello My Name is Brett - 4.5% brett pale ale with Amarillo and Simcoe hops. Gorgeous pour, with a lovely aroma of orchard fruits and spiciness. Very refreshing; the Brett-derived notes are a bit on the mild side, but still a tasty brew. Reminds me of their Drie Hop from a while back.
-Wellington Cereal Killin' Stout - 7.6% oatmeal stout. I liked this one much more than their IRS. Very well-rounded and flavourful, with a silky-smooth texture.
-Forked River Golden Chard - 6.2% wild ale, their Golden Boy (Belgian Golden Ale) aged in Chardonnay barrels. Pretty decent; along the lines of most of their other soured Belgian pales, but not one of their better examples of such. Vinous, fruity flavour with limited oak/funkiness.
-Frank Brewing No Nonsense Lagered Ale - 5.4% tallboy from the Beer Store. Never heard of these guys up until now. In a growing sea of "Ontario lagered ales", Frank's No Nonsense is probably in the top half. Basic, but drinkable; think Lug Tread.
-Elora Borealis Citra Pale Ale - 5.1% from the LCBO; already two months old. Citrus, peach and tropical fruits. It was fairly good, but I think I need a fresher sample to assess this one fairly.
-Mill Street Bob's Bearded Red Cream Ale - From their winter mixed pack. I don't like their Vanilla Porter much, and Cobblestone Stout is just OK. Bob's Bearded Red is a little better than either one of those, at least IMO, but still nothing interesting. Reminds me of a maltier, less-bland version of Kilkenny.
-Prearis Quadrocinno - 9.5% quad brewed with coffee. I really liked this one; the coffee works as a nice complement, but the underlying quad is not as rich or complex as the big names in this style.
-Mad Jack Suckerpunch Strong Lemon Lager - 7% "flavoured malt beverage". Remember Mike's Hard Lemonade? This is pretty much the same thing.
-Not Your Father's Root Beer (4.5) - Picked up a six-pack of this from TBS over the weekend. Sweet, but not annoyingly so. It's the best hard root beer I've tried so far (not that that's saying much), but at nearly 3 bucks per bottle, I don't think it'll be a regular purchase.
-Block Three Hello My Name is Brett - 4.5% brett pale ale with Amarillo and Simcoe hops. Gorgeous pour, with a lovely aroma of orchard fruits and spiciness. Very refreshing; the Brett-derived notes are a bit on the mild side, but still a tasty brew. Reminds me of their Drie Hop from a while back.
-Wellington Cereal Killin' Stout - 7.6% oatmeal stout. I liked this one much more than their IRS. Very well-rounded and flavourful, with a silky-smooth texture.
-Forked River Golden Chard - 6.2% wild ale, their Golden Boy (Belgian Golden Ale) aged in Chardonnay barrels. Pretty decent; along the lines of most of their other soured Belgian pales, but not one of their better examples of such. Vinous, fruity flavour with limited oak/funkiness.
-Frank Brewing No Nonsense Lagered Ale - 5.4% tallboy from the Beer Store. Never heard of these guys up until now. In a growing sea of "Ontario lagered ales", Frank's No Nonsense is probably in the top half. Basic, but drinkable; think Lug Tread.
-Elora Borealis Citra Pale Ale - 5.1% from the LCBO; already two months old. Citrus, peach and tropical fruits. It was fairly good, but I think I need a fresher sample to assess this one fairly.
-Mill Street Bob's Bearded Red Cream Ale - From their winter mixed pack. I don't like their Vanilla Porter much, and Cobblestone Stout is just OK. Bob's Bearded Red is a little better than either one of those, at least IMO, but still nothing interesting. Reminds me of a maltier, less-bland version of Kilkenny.
-Prearis Quadrocinno - 9.5% quad brewed with coffee. I really liked this one; the coffee works as a nice complement, but the underlying quad is not as rich or complex as the big names in this style.
-Mad Jack Suckerpunch Strong Lemon Lager - 7% "flavoured malt beverage". Remember Mike's Hard Lemonade? This is pretty much the same thing.
-Not Your Father's Root Beer (4.5) - Picked up a six-pack of this from TBS over the weekend. Sweet, but not annoyingly so. It's the best hard root beer I've tried so far (not that that's saying much), but at nearly 3 bucks per bottle, I don't think it'll be a regular purchase.
- cratez
- Beer Superstar
- Posts: 2284
- Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:29 pm
- Location: Brantford, Ontario
- Contact:
At The Root Cellar Organic Cafe:
London Brewing Co-op Pound Galena (sample)
London Brewing Co-op Tolpuddle Porter (draft)
London Brewing Co-op Zee Brugge Of The North (draft)
At Milos' Craft Beer Emporium:
Cheshire Valley Mildly Amusing (draft)
Forked River Catch 23 IPA (draft)
Omnipollo Prodromus (sample)
Over the week at home:
Nickel Brook Naughty Neighbour APA
Bellwoods Lost River Baltic Porter
Bellwoods Prince Edward County IPA w/ Mosaic & Simcoe
London Brewing Co-op Pound Galena (sample)
London Brewing Co-op Tolpuddle Porter (draft)
London Brewing Co-op Zee Brugge Of The North (draft)
At Milos' Craft Beer Emporium:
Cheshire Valley Mildly Amusing (draft)
Forked River Catch 23 IPA (draft)
Omnipollo Prodromus (sample)
Over the week at home:
Nickel Brook Naughty Neighbour APA
Bellwoods Lost River Baltic Porter
Bellwoods Prince Edward County IPA w/ Mosaic & Simcoe
I did not have the same impression. Found this one to be a bit green with an astringent peppery spiciness that lingered in the back of the throat. Aroma was also quite muted. Maybe just an off bottle?beerstodiscover wrote:Bellwoods — Prince Edward County IPA w/ Mosaic & Simcoe. This is very, very good. A real Vermont-style juicy hop bomb, reminds me of the stuff I've tried from Trillium and Barncat's The Juice, Armomatherapy. Hopefully we can get some local hazy IPAs regularly available in cans for under $4 at some point in the near future.
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm
- Contact:
Maybe it was a bad bottle or environmental factors. I found the aroma to be quite potent. Also some of my perception may be coloured by how the Bellwoods salesperson hyped it up, talking of oats and hop oils binding to emulsified materials. Had another bottle today and still loved it.cratez wrote:I did not have the same impression. Found this one to be a bit green with an astringent peppery spiciness that lingered in the back of the throat. Aroma was also quite muted. Maybe just an off bottle?
Tried this method with Boulevard BBAQ. works like a charm.Belgian wrote:Yes drank bottle one over three days, sealing it with a champagne cork.portwood more or less wrote:Last bit of a bottle you opened before? How did you seal it after opening?Belgian wrote:Drinking remainder of the Boulevard BBA Quad, AMAZING...
Opened a bottle on Sunday, drinking 2nd third just now. Nice carbonation, cherries are less pronounced on the nose but all the flavour is still there.
Bodes well for future purchases of large bottles (that are not IPAs)
Thanks again
@markhamwhisky
Yeah YVW, over a few days it's not bad right? Glad it works for you.portwood more or less wrote:Tried this method with Boulevard BBAQ. works like a charm.... Thanks againBelgian maybe kind of wrote:Yes drank bottle one over three days, sealing it with a champagne cork.
Of course handling the bottle gently seems to minimize carbonation loss & oxygen exposure. The opposite of 'aerating' a wine, essentially.
I've noted with some 'hard' tasting beer (RIS for example) they seem to smooth out and develop with a day or so in the re-sealed bottle, so for 'bigger' beers it may be both convenient and also change the beer in a good way. Especially when you go 'I don't like this right now' and set it aside and come back to it, I think Murder of Crows BIPA was a bit like that for me, the fresh bottle was too 'sharp' and it got less so! YMMV
Besides all of this our modern beer production & packaging is so controlled and sterile, anything that allows a tiny hint of 'nature' to fool with it is kind of a throwback to earlier, less fussy times before we had refrigeration or even good bottling technology. We still appreciated beer back then just as it came to us. I like that.
In Beerum Veritas
- cratez
- Beer Superstar
- Posts: 2284
- Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:29 pm
- Location: Brantford, Ontario
- Contact:
Can definitely rule out environmental factors since I consumed the beer at home, on the same day of bottling, with proper glassware, and I wasn't eating anything. It was decent but the lingering and astringent peppery spiciness ruined it for me (almost like it was brewed with chipotles, peppercorns, or some other pepper/spice, which it wasn't), and the beer struck me as being a bit green and/or unfinished. I'm still holding out hope that this was just a single "off" bottle, though, as I've enjoyed most other hoppy offerings from Bellwoods.beerstodiscover wrote: Maybe it was a bad bottle or environmental factors. I found the aroma to be quite potent. Also some of my perception may be coloured by how the Bellwoods salesperson hyped it up, talking of oats and hop oils binding to emulsified materials. Had another bottle today and still loved it.
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott
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- Bar Fly
- Posts: 624
- Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm
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Stone Xocoveza — This will be a love it or hate it beer for most people. I was worried it might be too sweet or to spicy, but I loved it. You can pick out all the flavours, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, nutmeg, peppers, vanilla, and they all work well together and are balanced. A nice serving size for when you're in the mood for an hour long liquid dessert. Shame it wasn't around for the holidays.