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groulxsome wrote:
Has anyone brewed a Jack's Abbey IPL in Ontario? Or even a good hoppy pilsner (like Firestone's Pivo or Victory Prima)?
The early batches of Burdock's West Coast Pilsner were quite good.
For some reason I was just thinking about cans... I pretty much drank a keg of Burdock's pilsner on my own last year (we got one on at Folly just so I could drink it). More like that! Honestly, probably one of my favorite new beers of 2015.
CoolB wrote:
Pick up truck Pilsner from Thornbury is pretty decent.
Haven't had that since an early batch... wasn't quite like the old King Pils (it's old name) at the time, but I'll have to pick up a can to revisit it as they've settled in.
atomeyes wrote:as someone above said, it's not that we have too many lagers. we have too many SHITTY lagers.
a really well executed hoppy lager or a very floral, yeast-forward Czech lager, or a barrel-fermented lager or, hell, doing what Jack's Abbey's doing? that's the shit i'd be all over.
and that's what we're missing.
as an aside, i re-visited the Steam Whistle unfiltered lager at the Only this past weekend. starts nice, finishes with corn. blech.
Has anyone brewed a Jack's Abbey IPL in Ontario? Or even a good hoppy pilsner (like Firestone's Pivo or Victory Prima)? Odd that there are so many pilsners/lagers and not that many that have picked up the well made and balanced hop vibe from the states... heck, even something light like the Crisp from Sixpoint would be great rather than another branding-forward Cool/BigRig contract pale lager thing. Seem like all I drink when I'm in the States these days are pilsners... but I can't think of the last time I had a good Ontario brewed one (he says having quite enjoyed a Collingwood Pilsner just a week ago... and a Side Launch one that was tasty too... a week is a lot of beer ago I guess).
we tend to be behind the trend up here. the best Canadian hoppy pils i had was l'pitoune. fresh and on tap, it's excellent. floral and lovely.
my only beef with jack's Abbey is that them being lagers is inconsequential for a large # of their styles. a lager barley wine - does it add anything that an ale yeast doesn't add?
darmokandjalad wrote:
And if I may prolong the tangent started earlier - I, too, miss the GRB of days past. Tailgate is the epitome of mediocre Ontario pale lagers, and it's expensive to boot. They should have just re-branded the Galt Knife or Hannenberg recipes, because those were both better beers.
Spent a day at GRB just after Tailgate came out. Was told by the brewer that Tailgate *IS* Hannenberg - the LCBO wanted the lager name and not pilsner.
Interesting. If the recipe is the same then maybe the LCBO handling process is why it tastes so unlike the Hannenberg that I remember. It's a shame either way.
For those following along, we've got a lot of great pilsner recommendations!
LCBO Available Recommended Ontario Pilsners:
Thornbury - Pickup Truck Pilsner
non-LCBO Available Recommended Ontario Pilsners:
Burdock - West Coast Pilsner
Steam Whistle - Unfiltered
Innocente - Pils-sinner
Sidelaunch - Mountian Lager
Collingwood - Pilsner
Junction - Local Option
Amsterdam - Starke Pils
Sawdust City - Little Norway
Canada Pilsners:
Trou Du Diable - La Pitoune
I guess my point was kinda that there are a lot of same-ish lagers compared to quality pilsners. Seem to be enough to put together a good tasting if someone could actually get them all together!
groulxsome wrote:For those following along, we've got a lot of great pilsner recommendations!
LCBO Available Recommended Ontario Pilsners:
Thornbury - Pickup Truck Pilsner
non-LCBO Available Recommended Ontario Pilsners:
Burdock - West Coast Pilsner
Steam Whistle - Unfiltered
Innocente - Pils-sinner
Sidelaunch - Mountian Lager
Collingwood - Pilsner
Junction - Local Option
Amsterdam - Starke Pils
Sawdust City - Little Norway
Canada Pilsners:
Trou Du Diable - La Pitoune
I guess my point was kinda that there are a lot of same-ish lagers compared to quality pilsners. Seem to be enough to put together a good tasting if someone could actually get them all together!
Had a quick exchange with Innocente via Instagram - he mentioned that the Pils-sinner might be in the LCBO summer release.
I really wish Sidelaunch would get Mountain Lager into the LCBO.
I second Burdock, Side Launch (Mountain Lager) and Innocente - each excellent. Not so easy to get your hands on though, admittedly. Some nice lagers up at Old Flame in Port Perry, too.
had the Burdock west coast pilsner (bottle) yesterday. not bad. almost good.
a bit sweet, i found. and not bitter, but a nice enough nose.
i'd give it a solid 6.5/10.
atomeyes wrote:had the Burdock west coast pilsner (bottle) yesterday. not bad. almost good.
a bit sweet, i found. and not bitter, but a nice enough nose.
i'd give it a solid 6.5/10.
Yeah, my feeling is it hasn't been as good as the first batches were. They are a small player, and I suspect that they have challenges with their hop logistics and other parts of the supply : quality exchange. But I will say that I've never had anything approaching a bad beer from them, which to me puts them above the rest of the "smaller than Left Field" class of new brewers in Toronto.
I found myself in the Hamilton area again today to scout Shawn & Ed for a location so thought I’d stop for a beer.
Large taproom adjacent to the brewing space with a bunch of picnic table style tables along with high tops. Nice old building with brick walls and high exposed beam ceilings. A very nice location and evidently quite a bit of film shooting is done in here.
Rob Creighton is still the head brewer here, along side some assistant brewers who graduated from the NC program. While I was here I was able to catch up with Rob and nice to see him again. I told him to come back to the forum
On top of what is on the QR code menu, they also had Anvil Ale APA (part of a monthly small batch series), plus seasonals Harvest Shed (local hops), Imperial Stout (barrel aged for 1 yr), Wintershed (dark with spices), Skinny (low cal lager). Beers available to stay and also in 32/64oz growlers.
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