The Bar Towel

Belgian wrote:

Timmy wrote:Had a chance to have some Hoptical today. I noticed the up front hop taste and really loved it. Main body wasn't as full as the initial taste would suggest but it didn't really bother me. I really enjoyed it.

If I could get Hoptical, Hop Addict and Imperial Pale in St. Catharines I would probably cross the border much less to buy beer.

Yeah, well no sane brewer would blame you - the American retail beer selection is pretty hop-alicious.

I'm drinking an Imperial Pale, followed by the Samiclaus from 2008. Too young to drink, but good Sami.

Very nice...I have 4 of those saved for the fall/winter along with some Flying Dog Barley's I got last year. Still waiting for the Garrison Order # 2 to come through so I can get my Imperial Pales.

Belgian wrote:

peterchiodo wrote:
Hey, you weren’t smokin' and rollin' the hoolies were you? More importantly, did you share?

...the last few Hopticals I had seemed to have some sweetly herbal marijuama-like Simcoe hop overtimes....

Yeah B-...it was brewed in Barrie--I think that's why. Home of the most bong shops and adult bookstores...oh..and a beautiful waterfront with a little brewery <<(advertisement). Thanks though...

P-

Hey Peter,

I would just like to inform you that your sold out in the Niagara region again. At least according to the LCBO online inventory. I was able to buy a couple of sixers from the Welland outlet since it never appeared in St. Catharines. So the short of it it, would you mind sending some more please? It is my new favourite Ontario pale ale.

On a side note, do you have plans on increasing its beer store distribution?

Best of luck Peter,

Ken

Hey Ken,

I confirmed with Patty that she hit the St.Kits area stores including the one you had mentioned. She was visiting her daughters who live there (bailing them out of jail) so it worked out perfect.

She said that because the LCBO warehouse is hand to mouth from our brewery it is causing system wide stock-out issues (our fault). I know the London Distribution Center is stocked out again. It should be there in a few weeks (I know that sounds crazy in this day and age). We just shipped another load again yesterday. It is the passion of guys like you that make my job a lot more easy when I'm shoveling spent grains. You guys actually appreciate that flavour.... and beer....can exist together.

FYI - We have used one year's worth of labels in 1-1/2 months. FYI#2 The batch I just released is my locked in recipe for the moment. 25lbs of dry hopping alone (not including my kettle and whirlpool hopping).

Yours in brewing,

Peter

London is most certainly out, but I've hoarded enough to tide me over!

Thanks for the head's up Peter!

I always check the online inventory before I go to the LCBO because I hate walking in, not seeing what I came for, and walking out. So when I noticed the Welland location had stock I just figured Patty went there, so I drove over to get a couple of sixers before it sold out. I will call the Glenridge location this morning and maybe I will get lucky and they will still have some in stock.

Just for the record Peter, its the passion from brewers like you that is improving the Ontario beer landscape. Its great to see some innovation coming from a local brewers who are getting away from bland lagers that need to be served at only the coldest of temperature. So keep shoveling that spent grain and keep the beer flowing!

On a side note, I may be coming up to Barrie at the end of October, any chances you offer tours and such?

**EDIT**

I called the LCBO at the Glendale and Merritt location and I was politely informed by the woman the phone that their computer said, "Sorry, no..." They didn't have it. So it must have sold out quickly after being dropped off.

Thanks for trying Peter!! I think I speak for everyone that we appreciate your efforts.

dutchcanuck wrote:I called the LCBO at the Glendale and Merritt location and I was politely informed by the woman the phone that their computer said, "Sorry, no..."

I honestly did not expect anyone to get the little britain reference
I love that sketch.." Sorry, computer says no." Did you see the one where the computer says yes and he/she acts all confused?

GregClow wrote:

dutchcanuck wrote:I called the LCBO at the Glendale and Merritt location and I was politely informed by the woman the phone that their computer said, "Sorry, no..."

HAHA!
awesome.

"computer says... yes?!"

Just picked up another 6 pack of hoptical this weekend.

My initial impression of this beer when it first released (I picked up some the first week on the shelf) was a great beer but lacked a bit of aroma. Peter mentioned it wasn't hoppy enough for his tastes but I found it well balanced.

The newest batch I tried had more aroma, a nice typical pale ale aroma. The hop's were much bolder this time without over powering the malts. Well done and keep refining the Hoptical to your liking <--- don't take that as me suggesting it needs any refining though

PS love the bottle cap quotes!

Matty D wrote:
Well done and keep refining the Hoptical to your liking <--- don't take that as me suggesting it needs any refining though

PS love the bottle cap quotes!

It's a fine suggestion that brewers fiddle with recipes a bit. It's closer to classical brewing is it not? You want to keep involved in your art so that it interests you in new ways.

PHHHT - Hoptical Confusion!

Belgian wrote:

Matty D wrote:
Well done and keep refining the Hoptical to your liking <--- don't take that as me suggesting it needs any refining though

PS love the bottle cap quotes!

It's a fine suggestion that brewers fiddle with recipes a bit. It's closer to classical brewing is it not? You want to keep involved in your art so that it interests you in new ways.

PHHHT - Hoptical Confusion!

For sure it is art.....For me, brewing is like solving a puzzle....Unfortunately, the puzzle is always missing one or two pieces. However, I will say that I haven't adjusted the malt bill on this beer over the last three brews, just the dry hopping---so I'm getting close! Hey, thanks for noticing the extra hops too Matty....I'll get there!

Yours in brewing,
"P"

peterchiodo wrote:FYI
About two weeks ago I brewed the recipe that will be released in the bottles for Hoptical Illusion (by no means the last change). While I increased the Crystal and added some CaraMunich and German Munich, I also bumped up the amarilio by 25% to maintain the hop/malt ratio. The brewery smells like a friggin' grapefruit. My wife dry-hopped the last addition today (I'm afraid of heights) so we should be in good shape for next week. I hope it works out at the LCBO.

Although my experience with this beer was limited to the couple of times I had it on tap prior to the LCBO bottle release, I have to tell you Peter that this is one of the few keg-cask designed brews I have tasted that made the transition to small container marketing very well. The bottled product is very nice....I think I like it better than the tap version I sampled. I just had a session with the second 6pack of FM's Hoptical and I really have changed my opinion of this beer...it is now my favored locally made pale....did you design it for sessioning?...because that's the slot it fills.

As long as you are logging feed back and will continue to tweak the recipe, I have only one small wish I would like to see granted and that would be to bulk up the body just a tad and let some of that great Muenchen malt emerge a little more in mid palate. Other than that, the hopping was perfect and the malt balance was very good

. You are correct...there is a market for a very flavorful well hopped but approachable pale that does not go over the top as the doubles and west coasts do....it's called sessioning.

BTW: Love the marketing graphics/concept....ya got a little Magic Hat #9 retro-psychedelia thing going there...and the 'not quite pale ale' - 'Almost pale ale' thing is excellent. I think this break with status quo beer marketing and style experimentation in the local craft industry is over due and quite welcome

Bravo and good luck to you Peter.

pootz wrote: BTW: Love the marketing graphics/concept....ya got a little Magic Hat #9 retro-psychedelia thing going there...and the 'not quite pale ale' - 'Almost pale ale' thing is excellent. I think this break with status quo beer marketing and style experimentation in the local craft industry is over due and quite welcome

Bravo and good luck to you Peter.

I was thinking the same thing of the Magic Hat, including the under-the-cap quotes

pootz wrote:

peterchiodo wrote:FYI
About two weeks ago I brewed the recipe that will be released in the bottles for Hoptical Illusion (by no means the last change). While I increased the Crystal and added some CaraMunich and German Munich, I also bumped up the amarilio by 25% to maintain the hop/malt ratio. The brewery smells like a friggin' grapefruit. My wife dry-hopped the last addition today (I'm afraid of heights) so we should be in good shape for next week. I hope it works out at the LCBO.

Although my experience with this beer was limited to the couple of times I had it on tap prior to the LCBO bottle release, I have to tell you Peter that this is one of the few keg-cask designed brews I have tasted that made the transition to small container marketing very well. The bottled product is very nice....I think I like it better than the tap version I sampled. I just had a session with the second 6pack of FM's Hoptical and I really have changed my opinion of this beer...it is now my favored locally made pale....did you design it for sessioning?...because that's the slot it fills.

As long as you are logging feed back and will continue to tweak the recipe, I have only one small wish I would like to see granted and that would be to bulk up the body just a tad and let some of that great Muenchen malt emerge a little more in mid palate. Other than that, the hopping was perfect and the malt balance was very good

. You are correct...there is a market for a very flavorful well hopped but approachable pale that does not go over the top as the doubles and west coasts do....it's called sessioning.

BTW: Love the marketing graphics/concept....ya got a little Magic Hat #9 retro-psychedelia thing going there...and the 'not quite pale ale' - 'Almost pale ale' thing is excellent. I think this break with status quo beer marketing and style experimentation in the local craft industry is over due and quite welcome

Bravo and good luck to you Peter.

Thanks Pootz....the beer has definitely morphed into where it is today by suggestion and trial. We have changed it a lot over the last 6 months….

I started off at an18BU almost pale ale. It is now around 28-30Bus and truly a “pale ale” in terms of hop aroma and malt character. In fact, I have thought about removing the “Almost” from the labelling over time but perhaps it lowers expectations....I have heard a lot of that lately.

I'm not sure what the date code date is on your six-pack Pootz, but look for a J or K-code box (something bottled in September or October) for my favourite permutation. The malt bill is bigger (I agree with you) and has a pronounced nutty and marked roast flavour provided by the Crystal (I use British not German Crystal). There is also prominent Amarillo and Cascade hopping. Other than bittering hops, all of my hopping has been moved out of the kettle. Late Addition and dry hopping is our brewery's MO. I cast 25% into to the whirlpool and literally slam the rest into the FV (fermenting vessel) before crashing the tank.

FYI - I always appreciate feedback because I live and breath brewing. My wife thinks I'm nuts because our house is littered with recipe books everywhere. I study recipes while I'm on the commode or eating cereal in the morning. I’m fanatical about making great beer…..In Ontario at that.

Thanks for the marketing comments – we try real hard there too! We really have fun with different concepts and like to straddle the line of cheesiness. While everyone at the brewery contributes, most of the marketing stuff is my wife’s doing when she is not beating our children. I’m illiterate!

As always….comments and insults are always welcome! If you really like it feel free to re-rate it! I always like seeing Ontario beers kicking ass!

Yours in brewing,

Peewee Chiodo
Brewer and Beer Whore
Flying Monkeys