Tag Archives: hops

IPA NO5 – Collective Arts Brewing

by Mike

From Collective Arts Brewing in Hamilton Ontario comes their “IPA NO5″ a New England style Double IPA.  The beer pours a mildly cloudy orange with a white head.  The aroma consists of tropical fruit, pineapple, sweetness and floral hops.  The flavour is of tropical fruits, pineapple, melon, juicy notes, sweetness, candi sugar, mild bitterness and some alcohol.  The alcohol content comes in at 8.2%.  This was a really good brew even if it is not the full murk of the style.

Commercial Description:  The 5th in our IPA Series. New England Double Dry Hopped Double IPA. Brewed with massive amounts of Simcoe and Citra hops, this IPA comes in at 8.2% ABV.

ART: MARIO CARPE
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

Towers and Trains Early Grey IPA – Steel & Oak Brewing

by Mike

From New Westminster’s Steel & Oak Brewing comes their “Towers and Trains” Early Grey IPA.  The beer pours a golden colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of light malts, earl grey tea and some floral hops.  The flavour is of Earl Grey tea, grainy malts, herbal hops some citrus and a low bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 6.2% with an IBU of 50.  While not a huge tea fan this is a really enjoyable blend of Earl Grey tea and an IPA.

Commercial Description:  Made with organic Earl Grey Tea from our friends just down the boardwalk at The Great Wall Tea Co. this Earl Grey IPA has a perfect balance of west coast hops, bergamot, and a gentle black tea bitterness.

Phantom Bride IPA – Belching Beaver Brewery

by Mike

From Oceanside California’s Belching Beaver Brewery in Collaboration with the rock group Deftones comes there “Phantom Bride IPA”.  The beer pours a cloudy orange colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of tropical fruit, citrus, sweetness, pine, resin and floral hops.  The flavour is of tropical fruits, citrus, melon, basically juicy hops, pine, resin, mild malts and a bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 7.1% with an IBU of 70.  I was a big fan of the Deftones in my past and I have heard great things of Belching Beaver Brewery and this beer delivered.

Commercial Description:  Named after the ethereal song by the one and only Deftones, Phantom Bride IPA is a blend of Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops delicately balanced for the perfectly drinkable mix of citrus and hoppy goodness. A truly original Deftones/ Belching Beaver collaboration envisioned by Chino Moreno and skillfully crafted by Thomas Peters. Sit back, put on your headphones and drink away.

Chocolate Cherry Porter – Tin Whistle Brewing

by Mike

From Penticton BC’s Tin Whistle Brewing comes their “Chocolate Cherry Porter”. The beer pours a  dark brown colour with a brown head. The aroma consists of cherry, roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, toffee and sweetness. The flavour is of chocolate, roasted malts, cherry, toffee, caramel, earth, bitterness, coffee with a sweet finish. The alcohol content comes in at 5.5%. Once again this beer seems to have changed up a bit from last year. This beer would go amazingly as a winter time dessert. Maybe add some ice cream. 

Commercial Description:Deliciuos dark beer made from fresh cherries and cacao. It’s combined with rich chocolate barley and subtle hopping. It’s a new limited edition winter beer especially for the Christmas season.

The Bottle Imp – Beau’s All Natural Brewing

by Mike

From Beau’s All Natural Brewing in Vankleek Hill Ontario comes their “The Bottle Imp” Russian Imperial Coffee Stout.  This brew is the 9th beer in Beau’s pro-am series.  The beer pours an opaque black colour with a brown head.  The aroma consists of coffee, ash, roasted malts and dark chocolate.  The flavour is of bitter coffee, hops bitterness, earth, burnt malts, dark chocolate, hint of vanilla, ash with resin in the finish.  The alcohol content comes in at 9% with an IBU of 81.  If you enjoy a good bitter Russian Imperial Stout with a big coffee hit this one is definitely for you.

Commercial Description:  The Bottle Imp is a strong, dark, roasty and rich creation. This rendition of a Russian Imperial Stout is also infused with a blend of Nicaraguan and Guatemalan fair-trade organic coffee. Complex and contemplative, and with well-integrated alcohol warmth, The Bottle Imp is best served in a snifter, sipped slowly and savoured.  eau’s first brewed The Bottle Imp in 2013 as part of its Pro-Am Series. The recipe was co-created with David Thompson, who won the Toronto Beer Week Homebrew Contest and the prize of coming to Beau’s for a day to brew a beer. In 2014 The Bottle Imp took Bronze at the Canadian Brewing Awards, as well as first place at the National Organic Craft Beer Competition in California.  The Russian Imperial Stout is brewed to weigh in high on alcohol, with the roasted, malty character typical of a stout. These imperial stouts were first brewed in England in the 18th century, and exported to Russia for the pleasure of Czarina Catherine II and her court.  And the name? The Bottle Imp is a haunting turn-of-the-century tale by Robert Louis Stevenson about risking eternal damnation of the soul to have everything on earth one’s heart desires. We suggest pairing the beer and the story on a cold night by a crackling fire.

Food pairing as per the brewery:  Pumpernickel bread, trifle, dark chocolate fondue, coffee cake, grilled steak, truffle-oil-infused mashed potatoes, & sharp cheddar or stilton.