The Bar Towel

When's the Spring Release?

Just to be clear - is this the same as the Winter release or this the gift pack release? Or did they simply combine the two. Either way, I remember a few years back these Christmas and Giftback releases were the best ones for the lcbo and now they are very poor, with no real gift packs at all. These gift backs are still the only economically feasible way to acquire unique glassware from your fav brewery. I think we should all communicate our disappointment at the drop in the quality of this seasonal release in particular.

This one isn't for us beer folks I guess. We can already buy Bernie 12, the best St. Bernardus beer.

We really need a proper study of the efficiency / efficacy of provincial institutions, not just the LCBO but all of them. Of course this would threaten the number of union cards and the established power structure. Example? There are something like 30 thousand kids (a small city) unnecessarily waiting for adoption placement (nationally) because the system is so f-cked up and not enough people in it really care. That's about more than fancy beer, it's a broken system that impacts human lives.

Belgian wrote:This one isn't for us beer folks I guess. We can already buy Bernie 12, the best St. Bernardus beer.
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the prior and pater are incredibly underrated

ho ho ho!

xmas beers showing stock now! Even before some of the halloween/oktoberfest beers.. good old lcbo.

Leffe Royale Holiday
Gingerhead Gingerbread Stout
Petrus Winter #9

Also Christmas Bernie showing stock

And the Bernie mixed packs as well.

and the fullers vintage, and the sam smith mixed packs

and the Schneider Weisse TAP X Mein Aventinus Barrique

Lukie wrote:These gift backs are still the only economically feasible way to acquire unique glassware from your fav brewery..

Have you tried checking out local thrift stores? Recently I have found at various value village stores: an Arrogant Bastard glass, an Orval glass, a Tetley's pint glass (with a union jack on it) and a vintage Michelob chalice each was no more than a couple of bucks. If you check regularly it is not super hard to find interesting stuff. I once paid 49 cents for a Delirium Tremens glass with the pink elephants on it from Salvation Army.

Any early thoughts on the Petrus Winter #9, 2015 Cuvee Barique, Red Racer Gingerhead or Leffe Royale? I surprised myself this morning by buying one of each. Most I have purchased at the LCBO in a great deal of time!

Only had the petrus so far. It's decent but pretty subdued. The bernardus xmas is a better example of the style.

It's worth noting that this year's Belgian Ales pack has Gulden Draak 9000 Quadrupel instead of Leute Bokbier. Gulden Draak and Piraat were always the standouts for me in this pack, and although I don't like the 9000 as much as classic Gulden Draak, I think it's a good inclusion over Leute which isn't anything special.

Coronaeus wrote:Any early thoughts on the Petrus Winter #9, 2015 Cuvee Barique, Red Racer Gingerhead or Leffe Royale? I surprised myself this morning by buying one of each. Most I have purchased at the LCBO in a great deal of time!

Cracked open the Leffe Royale tonight. Not exactly disappointed, but not super-impressed either. It strikes me as a stronger Leffe Blonde, though the Whitbread Golding hops do give it a nice floral bitterness that helps balance the flavour profile a bit (I find regular Leffe Blonde to be too sweet). It was pleasurable to drink, but definitely not world class. I'm sitting on the fence as to whether I'd purchase another bottle to stuff into the cellar.