As promised, here are a bunch of reviews of beers from Norwegian brewery, Nogne O. Of the five beers I tasted, I found that the three which were made in famous styles (DIPA, Porter and Tripel,) to be well made and very true to type. The remaining two beers were Nogne-designed styles and were very original and complex, great for people looking for something different.
The Two Captains DIPA was conceived by a Norwegian home brewing champ, and brewed by Nogne O, Underlig Jul (which translated to peculiar yule) is a Christmas-cross between a beer and a glogg (a traditional mulled wine), and the #100 is labelled as a barley wine in the USA, but a DIPA everywhere else, and makes an exceptional example no matter how you categorize it.
Tiger Tripel:
500 mL bottle. Pours a semi-transparent peach color, with a little haze and a thick white head. Yeast oriented aromas of bread, biscuit and hay are available, orange zest and coriander, a faint touch of char and graphite from the smoked malts. Fairly dry for the style, with good carbonation. Smooth on the palate with a sticky sour finish. Interesting.
Porter:
500 mL bottle. Pours opaque black with a thick brown head, lots of lacing to be had. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, strong coffee and anise. A touch of sweet with a bit of a bitter hop finish. Super smooth and creamy, full on the palate. A textbook porter.
Two Captains Double IPA:
500 mL bottle. Pours a slightly hazy copper color, a nice loose white head. Nice American styled nose of hop, orange and pine. Sweet and sticky, medium carbonation and a heap of hops. A refreshing bitter bite. A nice rendition of a big dirty American IPA.
#100:
500 mL bottle. Pours a murky walnut color with a thin tan head. Toasted nuts, cocoa powder, orange, fruitcake and pine. Medium sweet with a big hoppy kick, a long bitter finish with plenty of layers and texture. Full mouthfeel. Lots of complexity here, despite the labelling mishap; it makes a great DIPA or barley wine.
Underlig Jul:
500 mL bottle. Pours almost black, with a fluffy brown head. Aroma holds layers of spices, black cake, clove, ginger, molasses and deeply roasted malt. Deeply spicy coffee flavour, roasted meat, gingerbread. Stout like dryness, with enough sugar to balance all those spices and a gentle hop finish. Medium in weight with medium carbonation. Tasty and different!
As I am off to Spain, a land where they consume far more wine than beer, this will probably be the last you will see of beer ratings for a while. Hope you have been enjoying. If you need more, you can find all my reviews here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
A Boatload of Beau's
As mentioned in my last beer rating post, the LCBO is full of great products from Beau's brewery. The brewery is certified organic and produces tasty peer just outside of Ottawa. Reviews in this post include: Bog Water, a traditional gruit beer brewed with myrtle in replacement of a large portion of the hop content; Farm Table Belgian Pale Ale, a light farm style Belgian with a low alcohol content and a lot of flavor, my favorite under 5% ABV beer to date; Patio Saison, a very average example of a very interesting style; Screaming Beaver, an oak aged Imperial IPA that's just enormous; and Matt's Sleepytime Belgian Imperial Stout, a real malt driven beer with Belgian ale yeasts.
Beau's Farm Table Belgian Pale Ale:
600 mL bottle. Pours a hazy cider color with a nicely lacing white head. Nice aroma profile, sour yeast with buttery biscuit notes, orange, spices and a little wood. Taste is mild, a touch of sweetness, a little hop and a great yeasty finish. Dry and medium carbonation. Painfully drinkable, love the fact that this beer has so much flavor and so little alcohol. Aches for rustic pate and pickles.
Beau's Patio Saison:
600 mL. Pours a hazy buckwheat honey color, a thin white head. Aroma is honey laced, spiced and lightly hopped, a little thyme and citrus. Mildly sweet with a sour finish, medium bodied and highly carbonated. Tasty, but nothing stands out
Beau's Screaming Beaver:
600 mL bottle. Pours a dark amber colour with a lacy, lasting head of beige foam. Aroma is complex, candied orange, oak, caramel malt, cream and pine. Big and sweet, rounded out by a great big hop bite, 99 IBU’s of it to be exact, a long layered finish. Smooth as silk and medium carbonation. Do yourself a favour, don’t waste this by serving it right out of the fridge. A massive beer, really liked it.
Beau's Matt's Sleepytime Belgian Imperial Stout:
600 mL. Pours a dark brown, with a thick medium tan head. Aroma of yeast, molasses, roasted malt, bitter cocoa and espresso. Sweet, but not overly with a coating mouthfeel and a bitter/sour finish. A real malt bomb, a little yeast complexity.
Up next there has been a release of beers from famous Norwegian brewery Nogne O, I got my hands on all five and look forward to sharing them with you!
As ever, more can be found here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Beau's Farm Table Belgian Pale Ale:
600 mL bottle. Pours a hazy cider color with a nicely lacing white head. Nice aroma profile, sour yeast with buttery biscuit notes, orange, spices and a little wood. Taste is mild, a touch of sweetness, a little hop and a great yeasty finish. Dry and medium carbonation. Painfully drinkable, love the fact that this beer has so much flavor and so little alcohol. Aches for rustic pate and pickles.
Beau's Patio Saison:
600 mL. Pours a hazy buckwheat honey color, a thin white head. Aroma is honey laced, spiced and lightly hopped, a little thyme and citrus. Mildly sweet with a sour finish, medium bodied and highly carbonated. Tasty, but nothing stands out
Beau's Screaming Beaver:
600 mL bottle. Pours a dark amber colour with a lacy, lasting head of beige foam. Aroma is complex, candied orange, oak, caramel malt, cream and pine. Big and sweet, rounded out by a great big hop bite, 99 IBU’s of it to be exact, a long layered finish. Smooth as silk and medium carbonation. Do yourself a favour, don’t waste this by serving it right out of the fridge. A massive beer, really liked it.
Beau's Matt's Sleepytime Belgian Imperial Stout:
600 mL. Pours a dark brown, with a thick medium tan head. Aroma of yeast, molasses, roasted malt, bitter cocoa and espresso. Sweet, but not overly with a coating mouthfeel and a bitter/sour finish. A real malt bomb, a little yeast complexity.
Up next there has been a release of beers from famous Norwegian brewery Nogne O, I got my hands on all five and look forward to sharing them with you!
As ever, more can be found here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
A Change of Pace (Off Topic)
Life as a professional chef can be interesting to say the least. You often work in a high stress, unrewarding environment; you are under constant pressure to do better and do faster. I am lucky enough to have a job where the people I work for and work with are understanding. Most of us often wish we could just return to the simple roots of cooking, make beautiful and tasty food, just for the sake of making it. Lots of us would love to spend hours a day just learning more about food and the culture from which it was born. Strangely, I have been granted the opportunity to do just that.
Come January I will be spending a full month in Toledo, Spain, just outside of Madrid, working and learning at a fantastic restaurant under the guidance of Chef Adolfo Munoz. I hope to discover more about the roots of Spanish cuisine, broaden my horizons of modern culinary art and find a bit of temporary salvation. Feel free to follow my journey on the blog or alternatively on Facebook, which will link you here; I hope to be able to post pictures and information about what I am up to every couple of days, as well as review a few restaurants, wines and beers.
As happy as I am to get going, I look forward to coming back home as much. Once I return in February, I have a little more excitement on the docket. Friend, fellow chef and devout beer-a-holic Tyler Scott and I are going to take on the monumental task of making homebrew. Good homebrew, from scratch, no extracts and no cheating. Take a look at the blog for pictures and updates as to how we are making out, and drop me a line if you want to come by and a have a taste or maybe even lend a hand!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
More Beer Notes!
A pair of Shipyard beers from Portland, Maine, a "chocolate-free" Black Chocolate Stout from Brooklyn (a stark contrast from my lately reviewed Flying Monkey's Chocolate Imperial Stout) and a one of my favorite styles from one of my favorite breweries, the Rogue Yellow Snow IPA.
Shipyard Imperial Porter:
625 mL bottle. Practically jumps from the bottle with carbonation, pours opaque black with a massive beige head, decent lacing. Aromas of bitter chocolate, espresso, roasted cereal grain a touch of earth and a bit of alcohol bite. Medium sweet at first, dryer midpalate, both bittering and sour. Full bodied with lots of carbonation, mouth coating and a boozy steak sauce tinged finish. A beast, albeit a tasty one.
Shipyard Barley Wine:
625 mL bottle. Pours a dark brassy amber with a decent off white head. Minimal lacing. Aromas of cocoa, pine, aged malt and roasted cereal. Sweet, but not overly, with a great bitter punch and a lingering dryness. Tastefully complex.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout:
355 mL bottle. Pours opaque black, you can't see through this one. A quickly dissipating beige head. Pleasant deep aroma, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, and nut. Mildly sweet, with a massive full midpalate, and a lightly bitter finish. Lightly carbonated. Surprised to see this contained no chocolate, would have bought it sooner if it's name did'nt suggest the opposite. Tasty stuff from Brooklyn.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA:
330 mL bottle. Pours a murky pale yellow orange, lots of clouding and a thick white head. Lovely aroma, pine, wax, honey, citronella, pomelo. Fairly dry for its style, but a big bitter punch. Waxy texture with a lingering drying mouthfeel. Full bodied and medium carbonation. Fairly certain Rogue doesn't produce bad anything. A stand out example of an IPA, very well balanced.
The LCBO currently has a great Beau's Gift pack, featuring four of their specialty brews, they are also carrying their winter seasonal, the Bog Water. Check back in a few days for my notes.
As always, more can be found here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Shipyard Imperial Porter:
625 mL bottle. Practically jumps from the bottle with carbonation, pours opaque black with a massive beige head, decent lacing. Aromas of bitter chocolate, espresso, roasted cereal grain a touch of earth and a bit of alcohol bite. Medium sweet at first, dryer midpalate, both bittering and sour. Full bodied with lots of carbonation, mouth coating and a boozy steak sauce tinged finish. A beast, albeit a tasty one.
Shipyard Barley Wine:
625 mL bottle. Pours a dark brassy amber with a decent off white head. Minimal lacing. Aromas of cocoa, pine, aged malt and roasted cereal. Sweet, but not overly, with a great bitter punch and a lingering dryness. Tastefully complex.
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout:
355 mL bottle. Pours opaque black, you can't see through this one. A quickly dissipating beige head. Pleasant deep aroma, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, and nut. Mildly sweet, with a massive full midpalate, and a lightly bitter finish. Lightly carbonated. Surprised to see this contained no chocolate, would have bought it sooner if it's name did'nt suggest the opposite. Tasty stuff from Brooklyn.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA:
330 mL bottle. Pours a murky pale yellow orange, lots of clouding and a thick white head. Lovely aroma, pine, wax, honey, citronella, pomelo. Fairly dry for its style, but a big bitter punch. Waxy texture with a lingering drying mouthfeel. Full bodied and medium carbonation. Fairly certain Rogue doesn't produce bad anything. A stand out example of an IPA, very well balanced.
The LCBO currently has a great Beau's Gift pack, featuring four of their specialty brews, they are also carrying their winter seasonal, the Bog Water. Check back in a few days for my notes.
As always, more can be found here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir 2011
I have had the last three or four vintages of this wine, and I have to say that it is hands down my favorite pinot noir for under $25 ever; it often outperforms wines at twice it's price. Buy it and drink it with earthy mushrooms, savory duck or just by itself.
Pours a deep purple tinged red. Aromas of violet, overripe raspberry and vanilla laden oak with subtle spice. The wine is silky smooth on the palate, betraying only a touch of it's 13.9% ABV; mouthcoating and surprisingly rich. A touch of sweetness, but none of the Dr. Pepper or cola notes that can dominate these wines. Unquestionably Californian; there's no mistaking this for a Burgundy. Could cellar for a year or two, good luck hanging on to it that long.
Pours a deep purple tinged red. Aromas of violet, overripe raspberry and vanilla laden oak with subtle spice. The wine is silky smooth on the palate, betraying only a touch of it's 13.9% ABV; mouthcoating and surprisingly rich. A touch of sweetness, but none of the Dr. Pepper or cola notes that can dominate these wines. Unquestionably Californian; there's no mistaking this for a Burgundy. Could cellar for a year or two, good luck hanging on to it that long.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Three More Beer Ratings...
Sampled a pair of scotch ales; Skull Splitter via Orkey, the island of Highland Park fame and Church Key Holy Smoke of Campbellford, Ontario. The former was a strong scotch ale, very true to style, and the latter was a peat smoked scotch ale. Also the Winter Treacle, a brown porter from oak aged beer specialists Innis & Gunn.
Orkney Skull Splitter:
330 mL bottle. Pours a red tinged dark copper color with a thin tan head that doesn’t last too long. Nice lacing. Cereal on the nose, bread, straw and caramel malt. Mildly sweet, with a pleasant bitterness, well balanced, medium carbonation and good mouth feel. A good scotch ale.
Church Key Holy Smoke:
650 mL bottle. Pours a very dark brown, almost black with a good two finger white head, decent retention. Aromas of campfire, graphite and charred meat. Almost saline seeming, smoky and surprisingly dry. Actually quite light on the palate with good carbonation and a peaty finish. Interesting stuff, not overwhelming
I&G Winter Treacle Porter:
330 mL bottle. Pours a dark amber, looks light for a porter. A finger of beige head dissipates quick with minimal lacing. Aromas of malted wheat, molasses. Oak and vanilla on the palate with a touch of hops, dry cherries and a bit of cola. Medium carbonation and body. Slighty sweet finish.
As always, look for me on ratebeer.com!
Friday, December 7, 2012
LaVinia and C'est What
Took a trip downtown to visit the restaurant of one of my mentors, Fernando Garcia, newly of LaVinia. A quaint dining room reminiscent of his homeland Spain with vibrantly colored red and blue walls, and hand crafted Spanish upholstery. His menu paraded Spanish staples, all excellently prepared, succulent octopus Gallegan-style, Madrileno tripe stew (my personal favorite) and authentic Paellas. He lead us through many of the appetizers in a family fashion, the three of us sharing the majority of the tapas selection he offered. We then moved on to a delicate cauliflower potage, a family style serving of roasted veal and salmon, an intermezzo of peach sorbet served in a shot of Grand Marnier and finally chocolate flan. Food was minimalist and tasteful as the Spaniards are oh-so-known for, and the wine list offered gems from around the country. If you are interested in an authentic dining experience, you must make your way down to Etobicoke for a meal here.
Following that we checked into Toronto beer bar favorite, C'est What. Ventured out in support of Light for the Flight, a musical event supporting thyroid cancer patients. Went to the performance room in the back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the bar was uncompromising; the same beer selection is available in the function room as is in the main room. The bartender was also very knowledgeable; recommended beers for me all the way through. Tucked into to tasty Canadian only brews, including Beau's, Great Lakes Brewery, Sawdust City and C'est Whats very own. As we had just finished a dangerously large meal at LaVinia, but were feeling the affects of a couple bottles of wine and a few pints, we grabbed some sweet potato chips to nibble on. Nothing special, but it does wonders for your sobriety. If you like Canadian micro brews, you need to make it here at least once! We plan to revisit, as it is conveniently located within walking distance of Union Station.
LaVinia
laviniarestaurant.com
2350 Lakeshore Blvd W
Toronto
C'est What
cestwhat.com
67 Front St E
Toronto
Following that we checked into Toronto beer bar favorite, C'est What. Ventured out in support of Light for the Flight, a musical event supporting thyroid cancer patients. Went to the performance room in the back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the bar was uncompromising; the same beer selection is available in the function room as is in the main room. The bartender was also very knowledgeable; recommended beers for me all the way through. Tucked into to tasty Canadian only brews, including Beau's, Great Lakes Brewery, Sawdust City and C'est Whats very own. As we had just finished a dangerously large meal at LaVinia, but were feeling the affects of a couple bottles of wine and a few pints, we grabbed some sweet potato chips to nibble on. Nothing special, but it does wonders for your sobriety. If you like Canadian micro brews, you need to make it here at least once! We plan to revisit, as it is conveniently located within walking distance of Union Station.
LaVinia
laviniarestaurant.com
2350 Lakeshore Blvd W
Toronto
C'est What
cestwhat.com
67 Front St E
Toronto
Monday, December 3, 2012
Beer Ratings, again...
Some more beer ratings for you all! A a pair of Belgian strong ales one a little more basic, the other a serious collectors item, a classic old school doppelbock from Ayinger, (be sure to pick up a few of these!) and a Quebecois Weizenbock.
Paulwel Kwak:
330 mL bottle. Pours dark amber with a off white foam, a little lacing. Nutty malt aromas with a little banana bread, pudding and yeast notes. Sweetly malty with little acidity, good carbonation. A tasty strong ale!
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock:
330 mL bottle. Pours a nearly opaque brownish black color, good beige head, if short lived. Nice aroma profile, a little malt, yeast, prune, smoked meat and sweet vanilla. Sweet to start, with a touch of hop bite and a souring finish. Medium bodied with medium carbonation and a long lasting mouth feel. Drinks suspiciously easy.
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer Blauw:
750 mL bottle. 2012 vintage. Pours a deep brown with a thick beige head. Doesn’t last long but laces nicely. Very complex, layers of sweet caramel, plum, raisin, and oak. A very winey finish, long lasting flavor, with a good warming alcohol. Full bodied and quite sweet, but balanced out by the alcohol, minimal carbonation, silky smooth and lasting on the palate. A real piece of work, will buy a couple for cellaring!
Les Trois Mousquetaires Grande Cuvee Weizenbock:
750 mL bottle. Pours a cloudy mahogany color with a thin tan head, dissipated quickly. Bready yeasty aroma, a little toasted nut and stewed fruit. Sweet for the style, medium full bodied with low carbonation, coating on the palate with a sour finish. Fig, raisin, pineapple and banana here, a little grain flavor and malty. More goodies from LTM.
A lot of great beers available this holiday season, get out of your usual groove and try one of them. Check out a few more of my recommendations here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
Paulwel Kwak:
330 mL bottle. Pours dark amber with a off white foam, a little lacing. Nutty malt aromas with a little banana bread, pudding and yeast notes. Sweetly malty with little acidity, good carbonation. A tasty strong ale!
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock:
330 mL bottle. Pours a nearly opaque brownish black color, good beige head, if short lived. Nice aroma profile, a little malt, yeast, prune, smoked meat and sweet vanilla. Sweet to start, with a touch of hop bite and a souring finish. Medium bodied with medium carbonation and a long lasting mouth feel. Drinks suspiciously easy.
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer Blauw:
750 mL bottle. 2012 vintage. Pours a deep brown with a thick beige head. Doesn’t last long but laces nicely. Very complex, layers of sweet caramel, plum, raisin, and oak. A very winey finish, long lasting flavor, with a good warming alcohol. Full bodied and quite sweet, but balanced out by the alcohol, minimal carbonation, silky smooth and lasting on the palate. A real piece of work, will buy a couple for cellaring!
Les Trois Mousquetaires Grande Cuvee Weizenbock:
750 mL bottle. Pours a cloudy mahogany color with a thin tan head, dissipated quickly. Bready yeasty aroma, a little toasted nut and stewed fruit. Sweet for the style, medium full bodied with low carbonation, coating on the palate with a sour finish. Fig, raisin, pineapple and banana here, a little grain flavor and malty. More goodies from LTM.
A lot of great beers available this holiday season, get out of your usual groove and try one of them. Check out a few more of my recommendations here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/
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