The Bar Towel

Craig wrote:I've always thought the guys at Molson should brew up a couple of batches on their pilot systems and enter them in the OBA/CBAs. It would be interesting to see if, like that guy who did the Reddit AMA insists, the big guys can make excellent beers, but just don't because of business reasons.

I started writing out a big reply to you then all of a sudden decided to try and remember the guy's name by googling and I found this post by him that explicitly answers the question lol...


http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/t ... st-1485144

ABInbev won't keep a beer in production that doesn't sell at least 1 million barrels per year, there isn't enough money in it.

Yeah, so I want them to enter a few of those beers they can easily make in competitions. It would be interesting to see if they actually hold up.

ercousin wrote:

darmokandjalad wrote:

ercousin wrote:These judges are some of the most knowledgeable beer tasters, homebrewers, and pro brewers in the province and definitely aren't a joke.

My reply was mainly to refute the comment "Don't get me started on the BJCP judges who come out for these things. The entire thing is a joke.".

When I review the ridiculous list of categories... then the winners... and LAUGH.... I consider it funny, and thereby a joke.
Most of the winners I would never buy (or buy again). I know there are better offerings by category in the province so I can only take it that many brewers did not enter. Why wouldn't they enter? Possibly due to having to pay $100+tax per entry. Also, not needing the pub as they do just fine without it. Lots of winners listed have ample funds (as they are macro) and many others NEED the accolades to help push their product.
But I guess I'm just a skeptic.

I will continue to support the breweries that I like, and that I think do great work. These awards mean nothing to me and to just about everyone I know when it comes to beer purchasing decisions.

Well as a brewery one can't actually refute someone's opinion by citing some random beer awards eg. when that someone posts reviews saying 'I don't like these so much or think they are very good.' There's no ace card or upper hand for the brewery to play in that situation, I think we all understand that would be a disastrous attempt at spin marketing ('we're still good because you're wrong', in other words.) (Although a few businesses have certainly tried this bizarre tactic with some of us and likely it failed.)

They know that. So these awards are really a side topic, if you happen to follow them (and I don't - as I've said the vast online network gives me more than I need.)

Some decent reviews by Jordan:
http://saintjohnswort.ca/revisit-trafalgar-ales-meads/

I'd say there's a lot of common beer names when you look at different markets, but they did reuse a few. Even the name of the series is a bit nostalgic:
http://www.thebeerstore.ca/beers/black-label

But lawsuits are 'free' advertising, right?

BTW, I haven't tried the Trafalgar Eclipse, but FiftyFifty certainly makes some of the best stouts.

Derek wrote:Some decent reviews by Jordan:
http://saintjohnswort.ca/revisit-trafalgar-ales-meads/

I'd say there's a lot of common beer names when you look at different markets, but they did reuse a few. Even the name of the series is a bit nostalgic:
http://www.thebeerstore.ca/beers/black-label

But lawsuits are 'free' advertising, right?

BTW, I haven't tried the Trafalgar Eclipse, but FiftyFifty certainly makes some of the best stouts.

Probably it's not too swift to use one that's in the same market.

Eclipse was fine. It's just kinda basic.

Derek wrote:Some decent reviews by Jordan:
http://saintjohnswort.ca/revisit-trafalgar-ales-meads/

Excellent read.

So this seems a wee bit like the Trafalgar Brewery we knew ten years ago, with the same potential to sometimes pull off a pretty decent to very good brew in a good bottling. Maybe a little better today than they were then, having made definite advances much like everyone else over the past decade because the bar has been set considerably higher over that time. Three of the six beers reviewed positively show just that, according to Jordan as I haven't seen these apparently limited-run beers.

Assuming the Black Label series is the best-intentioned stuff they offer (and JSJ suggests possibly hand bottled?), one might think they ought to be pretty immaculately presented and made with the brewer's best controls in place, no work-in-progress flaws or leaky caps. But if Trafalgar are committed to making ongoing stylistic and quality advances, these reviews make me curious again to at least try this specific series if and when I see it.

Belgian wrote:

Derek wrote:Some decent reviews by Jordan:
http://saintjohnswort.ca/revisit-trafalgar-ales-meads/

....
Assuming the Black Label series is the best-intentioned stuff they offer (and JSJ suggests possibly hand bottled?), one might think they ought to be pretty immaculately presented and made with the brewer's best controls in place, no work-in-progress flaws or leaky caps. But if Trafalgar are committed to making ongoing stylistic and quality advances, these reviews make me curious again to at least try this specific series if and when I see it.

Every single bottle of Black Creek/ Trafalgar is "hand bottled" actually, along with the Black Label series. There's a guy named VJ there that bottles this 7 days a week. I personally hand crimped the Black Label stuff myself with my BeerShack Brother Ed. There were a couple of "short pours" that were for staff only but it seems poor Jordan might have rx'd one by accident. The head space would have "helped" to eat up C02. Quality overall and consistency is improving year after year, albeit slower than than we want.

WRT names... well the Mill St Honey Brown "Stinger" was a one off. We've since renamed the Trafalgar IPA (not honey brown) stuff "Shifter". The "Wee Beastie" was a Robbie Burns thing... not ripping off the Howe Sound (I've been there - excellent brewery - you have to visit there!!) name. Note that Harviestoun had a Wee Beastie series too. Scottish Borders / Seventh Son / etc also using that name. I suppose we'll have to rename that "Kilted Left" or something more clever. The Black Label is the name for the premium line up... it's not specific to a beer. There's no beer named "Black Label".

And you guys are right, damn it's hard to pick a name these days. I waiting to brew Hopostasy, as doesn't look like that's taken *yet*!

loudman wrote:

Belgian wrote:

Derek wrote:Some decent reviews by Jordan:
http://saintjohnswort.ca/revisit-trafalgar-ales-meads/

....
Assuming the Black Label series is the best-intentioned stuff they offer (and JSJ suggests possibly hand bottled?), one might think they ought to be pretty immaculately presented and made with the brewer's best controls in place, no work-in-progress flaws or leaky caps. But if Trafalgar are committed to making ongoing stylistic and quality advances, these reviews make me curious again to at least try this specific series if and when I see it.

Every single bottle of Black Creek/ Trafalgar is "hand bottled" actually, along with the Black Label series. There's a guy named VJ there that bottles this 7 days a week. I personally hand crimped the Black Label stuff myself with my BeerShack Brother Ed. There were a couple of "short pours" that were for staff only but it seems poor Jordan might have rx'd one by accident. The head space would have "helped" to eat up C02. Quality overall and consistency is improving year after year, albeit slower than than we want.

WRT names... well the Mill St Honey Brown "Stinger" was a one off. We've since renamed the Trafalgar IPA (not honey brown) stuff "Shifter". The "Wee Beastie" was a Robbie Burns thing... not ripping off the Howe Sound (I've been there - excellent brewery - you have to visit there!!) name. Note that Harviestoun had a Wee Beastie series too. Scottish Borders / Seventh Son / etc also using that name. I suppose we'll have to rename that "Kilted Left" or something more clever. The Black Label is the name for the premium line up... it's not specific to a beer. There's no beer named "Black Label".

And you guys are right, damn it's hard to pick a name these days. I waiting to brew Hopostasy, as doesn't look like that's taken *yet*!

Stinger was actually the old name for the Mill Street Royal York Beer, which is apparently now Apiary Ale. I think that was renamed as part of a contest.

Black Label, well... I imagine that MolsonCoors will be in touch if it grow much more popular.

Understand, I'm not accusing anyone of ripping off names. We are running out of them, as you say. What I'm saying is that generally speaking you've got to check ratebeer or untappd to get a sense of what's out there. If it's in a different country, you're probably pretty safe.

saints_gambit wrote: Stinger was actually the old name for the Mill Street Royal York Beer, which is apparently now Apiary Ale. I think that was renamed as part of a contest.

Black Label, well... I imagine that MolsonCoors will be in touch if it grow much more popular.

Understand, I'm not accusing anyone of ripping off names. We are running out of them, as you say. What I'm saying is that generally speaking you've got to check ratebeer or untappd to get a sense of what's out there. If it's in a different country, you're probably pretty safe.

Thanks for your sage advise Mr Wort, seriously! Truly didn't rip off any names... but didn't "try harder" to check some guestimated names. I welcome the MoslonHoors challenge though. Maybe we'll rebrand as Bl4ck L4b3l!!