The Bar Towel

surly coffee bender. damn i love those guys. a tasty treat after another successful volo brewday.

ritzkiss wrote:08-09 Brooklyn Black Chocolate and 09-10 Brooklyn Black Chocolate - 08-09 noticeably smoother and better integrated, though not as much difference as I would have thought.

that one really mellows and integrates once you hit a couple years in. i've got bottles going back to the 03-04 batch... time for a vertical!

Garrison Ol' Fog Burner. This is from the first order that Cass brought in and is drinking so incredibly smooth. Its far better than I remember from a bottle I came by in a trade last year.

Drove into Golden BC this weekend to do some white water rafting. In the evenings I drank a bunch of Central City and Mt. Begbie that I'd never had.

Stopped at Banff Ave Brewing Co on the way back for the first time. Their line up is a little uneven, but there are a couple of decent brews there. Their Kolsch-style Blond was a true-to-style standout. Their stout and IPA would be winners if they could some how add a little more weight to the body.

At home now finishing off the weekend with a Mikkeller-De Molen Mikkel & Menno. Good stuff. Good weekend.

Working my way through a bomber of Church Key Black IPA. Quite tasty. It's my first experience with the style, but it's basically what I imagined, and I definitely enjoy it.

Had another fun and beer-filled weekend, even though I got deathly sick off some gumbo and missed the Golden Taps as a result. From Thursday to Sunday I went through the following:

Flying Monkeys Smash Bomb Atomic IPA (tap)
Half Pints Lil' Scrapper IPA (bottle)
Stratford Common (tap)
Wellington Russian Imperial Stout (can)
Black Oak Ten Bitter Years (bottle)
Anchor Steam Beer (bottle)
Michael Duggan #5 Asian Lager (tap)
Michael Duggan #17 Czech Pilsner (tap)
Paddock Wood Bête Noire (bottle)
Central City Red Racer Pale Ale (can)
Rogue Brutal Bitter (bottle)
Half Pints Stir Stick Stout (bottle)

Right now I'm drinking a Red Racer India Pale Ale and it's absolute dynamite. I was a little disappointed with my first can - perhaps the hype and high ratings inflated my expectations - but after multiple tastings I think this is one of the most sessionable IPAs I've come across. Up there with Bell's Two Hearted for drinkability. I'll be surprised if this 12 pack lasts another few days.

Fin du Mond

Simple Malt Imperial Stout last night, quite a decent 8% Impy for just a few dollars! Like a lighter Nøgne Ø. One of the few Québec stouts I'd buy not just to do a rating.

boney wrote:
Stopped at Banff Ave Brewing Co on the way back for the first time. Their line up is a little uneven, but there are a couple of decent brews there. Their Kolsch-style Blond was a true-to-style standout. Their stout and IPA would be winners if they could some how add a little more weight to the body.

I was there a couple weeks ago and was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed their beer. The pilsner I thought fantastic, the stout was solid and the "cream ale" (really it's an ESB but they call it that because it's poured from a nitro-tap) was also really enjoyable. The only other beer on offer that day was the Saskatoon Berry one that I thought was pretty poor, but otherwise, like I said, I really enjoyed the other three.

Sam Smith 09-10 Winter Welcome - nice light Christmas cookie type spicing backed by a strong biscuity malt.

Hart & Thistle Kryptonite Double IPA - hand-bottled and sent to me to review for the next issue of TAPS, so I can't say too much about it yet, except godDAMN that's a hoppy beer!

Fegley's Brew Works Bagpiper's Scotch Ale.

... sigh.

Lagunitas Maximus.

tankhouse, ardbeg, tankhouse, hell. a lovely evening so far!

Another bottle of Howe Sound King Heffy. As Dennison's ain't out West, this is the next best thing!