LCBO 2007 spring release?

[Jon Walker]

that's actually one of the things they're apparently doing with this.

Is it actual or apparent? There's a vast chasm between those two terms.

[tuqueboy]

that's actually one of the things they're apparently doing with this.

Is it actual or apparent? There's a vast chasm between those two terms.

i say apparent because nobody higher up's really saying much on the record, but it seems to be common knowledge among the lcbo workers i've spoken to in stores.

[Jon Walker]

History dictates that LCBO workers are a notoriously poor source of accurate information. It's just odd that nobody in the micro brewing community that posts here (Ken, Perry, Michael etc...) has said anything about this before you. I hope you're right but until we see further evidence of this I fear it's nothing but conjecture.

[tuqueboy]

History dictates that LCBO workers are a notoriously poor source of accurate information. It's just odd that nobody in the micro brewing community that posts here (Ken, Perry, Michael etc...) has said anything about this before you. I hope you're right but until we see further evidence of this I fear it's nothing but conjecture.

quite true, which is why i said apparently. my best guess is that people who had already applied to have their seasonals in the system would have gotten things sped along because of the holes that needed filling. maybe, hopefully, this hole in the order could lead the lcbo to realize they don't need so much lead-time to get local seasonals into the system. frankly, they get shit on a lot on this board -- sometimes deservedly -- but a system that big with that many skus can't just turn on a dime. they need to have all their i's dotted and t's crossed otherwise it would be sheer chaos.[/i]

[Ale's What Cures Ya]

I dunno, when they are in good shape the Church Key West Coast Pale ale, Tankhouse, and Hop Addict or Sgt Majors are all in the ballpark imho. I had a few older bottles of the 60 minute after it showed up and all those locals were as good or better than the 60 minute when there are in good form. Now the 90 minute.. thats a whole nother ball game.

I find the Church Key West Coast to be much more in the vein of an English style IPA, way too much malt, not nearly enough hops. Hop Addict, while very good, has a totally different hop bitterness than that of 60 Minute, Hop Addict has a pretty massive hemp tasting bitterness which is good, but not as good as 60 Minute. Tankhouse hasn't been the same in the bottle for awhile now, and we all know how far downhill Sgt. Major has gone. Sgt. Major is barely even bitter anymore.

60 Minute is a beer that should be a General Listing, not some beer that the guv'ment tells us we can have then says "oh wait, no you can't!!!!" like some bastard older sibling taunting a helpless toddler.

This province (who are we kidding, this country) is severely lacking in hopped to hell beers and until some of the Ontario craft breweries start to fill that void, we should be getting the great stuff being made down south. If something like Stone IPA or DFH 60 Minute, or Arrogant Bastard or Southern Tier UnEarthly were available here the local breweries would be forced to step up their game.

Unfortunately, that will probably never happen, and we'll be stuck with lame english style IPAs and awful lagers forever. Unless of course Biergotter goes pro!

Kind of went off on a rant there, but the fact that I have to drive to an entire other country to get great beer pisses me off. Throw on top of that the fact that we aren't getting any DFH 60 Minute this year.

Fuck the LCBO.

[Jan Primus]

Doh this is terrible news re the dfh 60. I can't think of a beer I'd rather have as an everyday summer beer. It would be a dream come true if this was a regular offering, can't say I'm crazy about the 90 min though.

[pootz]

I hope they'll still bring in some doppelbock. Maybe they'll make up for this with a stellar summer release? I liked all those hefe's a couple years age. (PLEASE HOLD THE FRUIT BEER).

Yes, I'd like to see them replenish the Weltenburger Kloster doppelbock...this is one of the finest beers LCBO has on the shelves ( and it actually survives their horrendous handling). It appears as a standard shelf item in their search menue but it only comes in once in a while ( like Okocim Porter). I wait in baited anticipation of seeing another release of this superb world class dobbel so I can load up for another year or so dry spell. If the 'Bo wants to be "filling holes" in spring release stocking, there's the first place to start IMHO....bock drinkers go dry in this liquor monopoly....maybe there's a "fromer Warsaw pact(tm) lager company that makes a canned dopple...i'm sure we'll see that.

BTW Derek, If you want hefes I believe Schneider original and dunkel bock are stock items as well as Haker-Pschorr hefe and Paulaner..Ive even see the HS and Paulaner at Beer stores.

[JerCraigs]

I find the Church Key West Coast to be much more in the vein of an English style IPA, way too much malt, not nearly enough hops. .... etc

I dont drink it often, but I had possibly the best freshest pint of the West Coast at the Manx in Ottawa and it was pretty awesome, admittedly it was not in the hoppiness league of some of the better US brews, but it was very good. Probably one of my top Ontario pints of the year. That said, other samples did not quite live up to that.

60 Minute is a beer that should be a General Listing

See, I don't think that would be good, because then it would not sell as fast and we'd get a lot of "just okay" bottles as they near their expiry that I was complaining about previously.

This province (who are we kidding, this country) is severely lacking in hopped to hell beers and until some of the Ontario craft breweries start to fill that void, we should be getting the great stuff being made down south. If something like Stone IPA or DFH 60 Minute, or Arrogant Bastard or Southern Tier UnEarthly were available here the local breweries would be forced to step up their game.

I definitely don't disagree with that. That said, I like the Stone IPA, or UnEarthly, or DFH 90 Minute more than the 60 Minute. Personal taste I suppose

[Bobbyok]

...bock drinkers go dry in this liquor monopoly....maybe there's a "fromer Warsaw pact(tm) lager company that makes a canned dopple...i'm sure we'll see that.

Isn't Paulaner Salvator a regular listing?

[pootz]

Isn't Paulaner Salvator a regular listing?

Yes but it is only sporadically available outside GTA and it can't come close to Weltenburger for complexity or richness. We also have the high gravity extract-brewed canned swill they pawn off as bock by FAX and Holsten...I never touch this slop and neither should any other real lager lover.

They also carry Creemore UrBock which is quite good but that is a winter release that dies up by March-April.

so we have essentially a one flavor world ( Salvator) for real German bock lovers ....until Samichlaus shows up but that is a totally different type of triple bock and not really a sipping dunkel bock like Weltenburger Asam-bock that you may have a couple of in a sitting.

If we have to live in this one doppelbock LCBO listing world I'd rather they swapped the Paulaner for Weltenburger.

Of course this ignores the fact there is a wealth of wonderful dunkeler single bocks available from large commercial German brewers like Augustiner, Spaten, Andechs, Hacker, Ayinger, Erdinger etc.......but I suppose where LCBO purchasing is looking for ad hoc importing that they will not find dunkel bocks and doppelbocks in the "former Warsaw pact (tm) brewers which seem to get a lot of attention these days.

[SteelbackGuy]

I don't think this has been brought up yet, but I'd like to see some nice Hefe's in the release, as I find they are oftenoverlooked by the board.

[lister]

I don't think this has been brought up yet, but I'd like to see some nice Hefe's in the release, as I find they are oftenoverlooked by the board.

There were quite a few brought in the spring or summer release two years ago.

[biegaman]

Unless of course Biergotter goes pro!

Absolutely. Hell ya.

[SteelbackGuy]

I don't think this has been brought up yet, but I'd like to see some nice Hefe's in the release, as I find they are oftenoverlooked by the board.

There were quite a few brought in the spring or summer release two years ago.

Exactly, two years ago...........

[lister]

Exactly, two years ago...........

I just hope that some balance will be applied to these releases and not have so many similar styles. I mean the last two summer releases have been great since I like weisse and fruity (most not all) beers but would much prefer only having two or so of each style out of the 8-10 beers in a release. Much more interesting.

Oh and whomever submits Erdinger again for hefeweizen representation should be flogged. Bad importer! Bad!