Rocky Patel Sun Grown Churchill

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a premium Cuban cigar, but the growing presence of quality brands such as Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley or CAO make it all too easy to find an enjoyable, well made smoke without the hefty Habanos price tag.  The Rocky Patel Sun Grown is a great cigar with a competitive sticker value and beautiful construction.  A nice even leathery wrapper holds together premium tobacco from Ecuador and Honduras and offers a perfect draw and no compromise on flavor.  Big and bold taste but surprisingly mild on the nicotine front.  Expect a smooth array of bitter amber caramel, roasting coffee beans, cocoa powder, allspice and rich cream in signature RP harmony.  Hints of cedar and leathery goodness.  Slate colored ash and plumes of white smoke.  Overall quite well, a nice finish a good meal or a long day.

A Fond Farewell

I am sad to say that my co-worker, brew partner and good friend Tyler will be moving back to his hometown of Peterborough as of the end of next week.  Our final beer will be brewed up next Tuesday and we will be getting together sporadically to bottle and wrap up all the loose ends of fermenting batches.  The pipeline nowadays looks something like this:

Bottle Conditioning: "Does This Taste Infected?" Dunkelweizen, Maris Otter/Whitbread Golding Variety SMaSH Bitter

Long Term Souring: Hibiscus Berliner Weisse

Secondary Fermentation: NZ Hopped Tripel

Primary Fermentation: Sorachi Ace Cider, "Little Filthy" Zythos American Amber Ale

Up Next: "Big Filthy" American Barleywine

Brewing with Ty was a great experience for both of us, and we are disappointed to have to part ways.  He has some friends brewing back home, and I will continue to use our existing setup.  This means I will be taking on the big task of brewing solo from now on.  Anyone who's interested in pitching in feel free to drop me a line!  In order to save time I may brew a little less frequently, and also plan on focusing on more sessionable "table beers" that are low in alcohol but high still in flavor, and sours that I can leave to ferment for longer periods of time.  Some ideas for future brews include:

Peach American Wheat

Pilsner/Tettnager SMaSH Kolsch

All-Brett Table Saison

Funkleweizenbock (A Dunkleweizenbock with Brettanomyces)

Altbier/Kellerbier

Patersbier/Enkel

Thanks for your help and enthusiasm over the last thirteen batches, and may we brew collaboration beers in the future!

8

A fistful of beers. Or perhaps two fistfuls. A pretty wide range here.  Avoid the Mill St. and I&G in favor of the others.  Conductor's Ale is Junction Craft Brewing's first LCBO offering and is a powerhouse American Pale Ale, full bodied with good complexity for the style.  A few Belgian's in here as well; the Nogne O Saison was a great effort, Pepe Nero something different (it's actually a black Saison with black pepper), the Derniere Volonte the first LCBO regular offering introduced by Dieu du Ciel, and the rare Hopfenstark Saison Station 55, a complex, bitter and herbal micro from Quebec.  Ommegang's Game of Thrones Iron Ale was a touch overpriced and gimmicky but well made none the less.

Nogne O Saison
500 mL bottle. Pours a cloudy yellow amber with a nice white cap of head, leaves a little lacing. Pretty aromas of fruit esters (banana and pear), mild spiciness, verbena, dough and a touch of earthy funk. Dry with a nice wheaty mouth feel and some herbal hop bite. Full carbonation and medium body, refreshing. Well made and tasty like all Nogne O products.

Junction Craft Brewing Conductor's Ale
473 mL can. Pours a clear amber with a big splotchy head and a mess of soapy lacing. Nose is crystal malt, pain d’epice, candied fennel and citrus rind. Mildly sweet and full bodied with moderate carbonation and a layered finish of contrasting bitter hop and sweet malt. Full flavored considering the ABV. Another local gem.

Goose Island Pepe Nero
750 mL bottle. Pours a very dark brown, almost black with a thick beige cap. Leaves nice lacing. Aromas of roasted malt, prune, espresso, cocoa, and pepper, both the vegetable and the spice. Surprisingly dry, medium to full carbonation with a clean mouth feel. Spicy on the finish. Different. Enjoyed.

Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne Ale
750 mL bottle. Pours straw with a dense white head. Fresh cut grass, citrus, lemongrass and spice. Medium bodied and high carbonation, mildly sweet with a lingering noble hop bitterness.

Hopfenstark Saison Station 55 (Biere Amere)
750 mL bottle. Pours peach juice with a thin head and no lacing. Aromas of stone fruit (peach, nectarine), pear, lime herb, a touch of caramel malt. Incredibly complex. Moderate carbonation and medium body. Very good.

Dieu du Ciel Derniere Volonte
341 mL bottle. Pours straw yellow with a huge foamy white head. Aromas of citrus peel, pear, ginger, floral hoppiness and a touch of bubblegum. Dry with high carbonation and medium mouth feel with a lingering finish layered with spicy old world hop. Reminds me more of a hoppy Tripel than an IPA per se.

Mill St. Don Valley Bench Estate
355 mL bottle. Pours a hazy pale straw with a bit of foamy white head. Aroma is grass, lemon zest and a touch of oak, a definite chardonnay note as well. Dry with a round wheat beer mouth feel but by no means heavy bodied. Mild and a little boring. Little to no finish, just faint herbal hop. Understated.

Innis & Gunn Canadian Cherrywood Finish
330 mL bottle. Pours a rich copper amber with a patchy head. Aromas of cherry, oak, vanilla, maple and rich caramel malt. Fairly sweet with an ever so slight hop finish, medium carbonation, medium-full body and slight alcohol bite. A bit sweet for my liking, but good complexity.

As per usual:
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/