August 23, 2012

Day # 16 in the 30 IN 30.

Well it's time to kick off the second half of the 30 IN 30. It has been quite the ride so far. I feel that my tastebuds and ideas of what good beer should be have grown in the past 15 posts. I have taken baby steps into the exploration into other, unfamiliar styles of beer and have for the most part enjoyed every minute of it.

I have decided to kick off the second half of the 30 IN 30 by furthering my exploration into unfamiliar beer. With that said, beer # 16 in the 30 IN 30 is Muskoka Brewery's Mad Tom India Pale Ale (Mad Tom IPA).

Sorry about the picture, I forgot my camera somewhere so this generic image will have to do.

I would say before I even put the beer to my lips, that Mad Tom IPA has an almost citrusy, lemon type aroma which is both pleasant and intriguing at the same time. The intriguing part is, does this beer taste like lemons, or oranges??? I wonder. I'll dive right in with a swig. The aroma does not lie. Though there is a pleasant  slightly bitter aftertaste, Muskoka Brewery's Mad Tom IPA does have a citrus flavour to it which is both refreshing and smooth. I find this to be a very easy drinking beer where the smell draws me in and the aftertaste leaves me craving more. I would say that Muskoka's Mad Tom is a lighter coloured beer than most IPA's I have experienced. I would have to say as I get more into it, this beer is semi dry feeling as well. Though very flavourful, and refreshing, It leaves me definitely thirsty. I guess in a sense this is a good fact, because it only compels me to open another bottle. As my second foray into the selection from Muskoka Brewery I am definitely satisfied that this is the kickoff to the second half of the 30 IN 30. I find myself fast becoming a fan of their brewery and selection as a whole, as I have really enjoyed my first two selections from their stock.

For further information on Muskoka Brewery please feel free to check out their website (http://www.muskokabrewery.com)

With that said, I shall hit the fridge for another Muskoka Brewery Mad Tom IPA. If the next fourteen samples will bring me the enjoyment that Mad Tom IPA has, than this is shaping up to be a momentous second half. As always, you can hop onto to twitter and follow me @ 30in30Beck, or follow me and the others on The Spotted Tap (http://www.thespottedtap.com) to see what we are drinking and stay up to date on all the latest from the craft brewing industry.

As always, please arrive alive. Don't drink and drive. Please enjoy responsibly.

Thanks for reading,

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen

August 20,2012.

So today's blog will be a little different and here is why. I went, along with my comrades from The Spotted Tap to the Milton Rib Fest yesterday. While there I smapled quite a bit of Craft beer. Today's post will include those beers from the festival. So with that let's get to it.

Beer # 12 in the 30 IN 30 is Hogtown Brewing Company's Hogtown Ale

When we first arrived at the Milton Ribfest, this was the first tent in the beer gardens. I, myself had never heard of the Hogtown Brewing company so I was quite intrigued. I found out that Hogtown has just begun brewing Ale in early 2012. The Hogtown Ale is only available in Toronto at some of the finer pubs but hopefully will be more widely distributed soon. The brewing company was formed when five rugby playing buddies got together with an idea and started brewing craft beer to quench the thirst of Torontonians everywhere. The guys had a vision of creating a local beer with a great flavour and craft qualities, yet had the drinkability of popular lagers. So with that, let's get to the beer.

From my first sip to my last gulp, Hogtown Ale was a refreshing, easy drinking beverage through and through. It was quite enjoyable. It has what I would say is a malt backbone with a lingering hoppy bite. This beer is light enough to be thirst quenching and refreshing yet it leaves you intrigued with the taste. As my glass emptied I found myself yearning for more. It is right to be called Hogtown Ale, because for people outside of Toronto, we can say that "Hogtown" is definitely lucky to be hogging this beer. I can't wait for the future when hopefully this beer is more widely distributed so that I can put it in my beer fridge. As I mentioned before this beer is only available in draught form at some finer pubs in Toronto.

For a full listing of where to find Hogtown Ale check out the Hogtown brewing company's website  http://www.hogtownbrewers.ca/locations/ . If you have the chance, this is a beer I reccommend you make the trip to Toronto for. You won't be disappointed.

Our second stop in our day was at the Grand River Brewing Company's tent. So with this stop came beer # 13 in the 30 IN 30, and lucky # 13 is Grand river Brewing Company's Raspberry Pilsner

This beer is a seasonal beer for the Grand River Brewing Company. It is not the only beer I had from them yesterday, but it is the one that sticks out the most to me. This is probably because this was the most different beer I have ever tasted. It reminded me of Clearly Canadian Raspberry water. Maybe I am dating myself with that but it was a beverage that used to be my favourite when I was a kid. It is not in production anymore, and I have been searching for something like it ever since. Well yesterday I found it, and what better format than a beer. When this beer hit my taste buds I was in heaven. My tastebuds were showered with the refreshing easy drinking taste of raspberries. This beer seemed to be almost carbonated, and I remember thinking that I don't know what it is but I instantly love this beer. It was, I'd say in my unprofessional opinion, a cross between a beer and a cooler. Since this is a seasonal beer quantities are limited, but I reccommend you get out to the LCBO before it is gone. I know I will be. If you can't find it there than this beer is definately worth the drive to Cambridge to pick it up from the brewery itself. They are located at 295 Ainslie Street, Cambridge, Ontario.

For more information of the Grand River Brewing Company, please feel free to check out their website http://grandriverbrewing.com. I will have reviews of some of their other beers in the upcomming days.

My third stop, after getting some ribs to eat mind you was at The Lake of Bays Brewing Company's tent. This stop brought along beer # 14 in the 30 IN 30. Without further adieu # 14 in the 30 IN 30 is Lake of Bays Brewing Company's Crosswind Pale Ale.

This beer is of a lighter colour than most Pale Ale's in the craft brewing industry but don't let this fact scare you away from Crosswind Pale Ale. This beer has more than enough of a flavour punch to satisfy everyone's taste buds. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer from start to finish of my pint. Crosswind Pale Ale has a sweet malt taste to ignite your tastebuds when you first dive into it, followed by a hint of toasted grains, with a slight hoppy bitterness aftertaste to end it all. I call this the flavour hat-trick. This beer is everything that any beer enthusiast, from beginner, like me, to advanced, like the rest of my team at The Spotted Tap, could ask for. It is what I like to refer to as a beer that keeps on giving, and will surely be in regular rotation in my fridge hands down.

To learn more about Lake of Bays Brewery, or to schedule your visit please check out their website   http://www.lakeofbaysbrewing.ca . I promise you won't be disappointed.

My final stop, after yet more food, on this beautiful day celebrating craft beer was at the Flying Monkeys Brewing Company's tent. This brought along my final sample for the day and with it beer # 15 in the 30 IN 30. So with that Beer # 15 and the official half way point of the 30 IN 30 is Flying Monkeys' Smashbomb India Pale Ale.

This, I think was the perfect beer to mark our half-way point in the 30 IN 30. It was also the only beer that I was smart enough to get the camera out and actually photograph my drink.

Smashbomb is an IPA, but it is definitely not typical. There is a slight bitterness to it, but it is highlighted with a citrusy feel to it which dulls the bitterness. This beer has a malt backbone as well and like our previous beer from the day compels you to have more with each passing sip. Usually it takes me awhile to warm up to a bit of a bitter beer but with Flying Monkeys Smashbomb, I was able to dive right in and enjoy it from start to finish. This is an amber coulored beer but it goes down smooth and easy like a blonde Ale, or lager of the same category. Like the previous beer, and as I have stated I thoroughly enjoyed this selection from start to finish.

For more information on the Flying Monkeys Brewing Company, please feel free to puruse their website http://www.theflyingmonkeys.ca/ .

Well I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Milton Ribfest and I cannot wait for the next event to check out more exciting selections from the world of craft beer.

As always, thank you for reading and for your support. Please remember to enjoy responsibly, and as always Don't Drink and Drive. You can follow me on twitter @30in30Beck, or on The Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com) to keep up to date with what beers I am enjoying, or all the latest news from the craft brewing industry.


Thanks for reading

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen

August 16, 2012, Day # 11

Well let's get into our second 10 of the 30 IN 30. With that Beer # 11 in the 30 IN 30 is the Better Bitters Brewing Company's Nickel Brook Premium Organic Lager, so let's get to it.

I enjoyed this particular brew with my stir-fry dinner. I will say it was the prefect compliment to this dinner. I was expecting this beer to have a sort of bitter taste but was surprised instead by the refreshing, smooth easy drinking taste I was greeted with. Nickel Brook Premium Organic Lager is a more amber coloured beer than what I have been treated to recently. Again this beer is a little out of my norm, but I must say I am glad I have widened my boundaries and strayed outside my comfort zone for this one. This beer has a pleasant hoppy aftertaste which invites me to have sip after sip. The aftertaste is like a comedian. It leaves you on a high note and craving for more. As my first foray into organic beer, Better Bitters has definitely upped the ante with Nickel Brook Premium Organic Lager.

I decided to check their website (www.nickelbrook.com) to see what classifies this beer as organic. Nickel Brook Premium Organic Lager is "brewed using only premium, certified, organic malts and hops. The result is a full flavoured lager, copper in colour, which is balanced with classic German hops". This beer is "brewed to the standards of the Bavarian Purity Act".

To all of my friends out their who enjoy their food and drinks to be organic, than I say this is definately the beer of choice for you.

With that all said, I should get back to my dinner. Remember you can catch me on twitter @30in30Beck, or on The Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com) to keep up to date with my beers of choice plus all the latest news for the craft brewing industry.

Remember to please enjoy your beer responsibly, and as always please don't drink and drive.

Thank you for reading

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen

August 15, 2012... Day # 10, Beer #10

Well It is a big day as we have reached the big 1 - 0 in our 30 IN 30. In honour of this milestone, I have saved a hard working beer. So with that, let's get down to business. Beer # 10 in the 30 IN 30 is the working man's Ale. It's Railway City Brewery's Iron Spike Blonde Ale.

I use the term working man's ale loosely in this regard as this is definitely an Ale for everyone. As much as I liked the Dead Elephant Ale, on my second attempt with it, this beer is spectacular from the get go. It has an  almost kind of citrus flavour right off the hop. I find it to be a really smooth and easy drinking ale. I tend to like the blonde style of ales and lagers, but Railway City's Blonde Ale has been my favorite so far in this category. I find the aftertaste to be kind of sweet and floral and actually quite pleasant. It compels me to have another few sips as I am writing here. I find that this beer is not hoppy or malty in taste at all. Again I find it has a compelling taste up front which makes it pleasant and easy to swallow with an exciting aftertaste that makes it so I can't wait for my next sip. I am intrigued by this beer and figure I'll check Railway City's website to see some facts about this ale.

Railway City Brewery says, among other things that Iron Spike Blond Ale is a "medium body with a sweet fruit finish, nicely balanced by moderate thoughtful hopping".  They also mention how this beer would go great with pasta, pizza, lasagna, fajitas, etc. I can attest this to be true as Iron Spike Blonde Ale is the perfect compliment to my dinner of chicken tetrazinni tonight.

With all that said, I would like to get back to my dinner, and Iron Spike. Remember as always you can catch me on twitter @30in30Beck or at The Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com) to keep up with the latest beer I am enjoying and all the latest on the craft brewing industry. Please remember to enjoy responsibly, and always arrive alive, please don't drink and drive.

Thank You as always for reading.

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen

August 14, 2012, Day # 9 and Beer # 9 of the 30 In 30

Let's get to it, as it is late and I am tired lol

Beer # 9 in the 30 IN 30 is Neustadt Springs Brewery's Lager

Upon my first sip, I had an overwhelming sensation of iced coffee. That is what the taste reminded me of. It is very different, yet remarkably enjoyable. For such a light coloured beer, I am surprised it has such a strong taste. I have always associated these kind of tastes, which has also been the case with my picks in the previous days, with a more Amber coloured beer. Neustadt's Lager has a peculiar hoppy kind of malty flavour which gives it almost a coffee taste. I liken it to a fine iced latte. I found this beer semi easy to drink. Let's remember, however, that I am not as used to flavourful beer as most so I have to take it in slower than some drinkers out there. I would say that this beer, like a more mainstream Guiness, is a beer for the times when you want to sit back and sip on a nice cold one and just enjoy the moment for awhile. I will say that I am enjoying the kind of coffee taste to it. I find it very unique. I am intrigued by this beer so I figure I'll hop onto Neustadt Springs Brewery's website (www.neustadtsprings.com) to check it out further.

Neustadt Lager is "brewed in the Belgium country style, which means it is not as hard on the back of the throat as a Pilsner style beer". This particular lager uses "natural spring water, New Zealand hops, and Canadian malts" in its fine craftsmanship. This combination of ingredients is probably what gives it is peculiar flavour. I will say, though it is not my favourite beer so far, I would drink it again for sure.

Anyways, I better get back to my drink before it gets warm. Remember to follow me on The Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com) as well as on twitter @30in30Beck for all the latest news on craft beer and what drinks make the cut in the coming days. Remember as always to please enjoy responsibly.

Thanks for reading

Thank You

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen

August 13, 2012. Welcome to Day # 8 and beer # 8 of the 30 IN 30. Let's get to it.

Beer # 8 is Hogsback Brewing Company's Vintage Lager

I know what you are all thinking. After yesterday and my voyage into the unknown, I am going backwards, but I myself don't view it like that. As we all know my favourite style of beer is lager style, so I tend to drink more beer in this category than any other. It is what it is. O well with all that said, let's get to the beer.

I guess the best way to describe this beer is tasty. Hogsback's Vintage Lager seems to have taken my favourite aspects of my favourite beers, ie. Cameron's Lager and Muskoka Craft Lager, and blended them together harmoniously in their lager. They have taken the smooth, crisp, easy drinking taste, like Muskoka's Craft Lager, and mixed it with just a hint of a hoppy, malty taste, like Cameron's Lager. I am enjoying this beer very much as I am writing this blog. The hoppy taste is so minuscule that it does not impede on the drink-ability of this beer for a guy like me.

I thought I would check out the website for the Hogsback Brewing Company, to familiarize myself with their beer and process for crafting such a great lager. I came to find out that Vintage Lager is the Hogsback Brewing Company's only, and inaugural beer. It is a "European-inspired lager with superior flavour derived from using only premium ingredients combining three malt types (2-row, Munich and Vienna), unique Sazz hops, and German lager yeast". Since it uses a Vienna style yeast. I will categorize Vintage Lager as a Vienna style lager. In comparison with Wellington Brewery's Trailhead Lager, since it as well would be a Vienna style, I would have to say I enjoy Hogsback Brewing Company's Vintage Lager a little more. The only reason is due to the fact that as I drink I do not detect the slight bitterness in the taste as I did in the Trailhead Lager.

Anyway, I should get back to my beer. Don't forget to follow me on twitter @30in30Beck or at The Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com) to keep up to date with what I am drinking. Thank you for reading and please remember to enjoy responsibly. Remember, if you drink, please don't drive.

Thank You

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen

Sunday August 12, 2012. 11:30pm. Day #7 and Beer #7 of the 30 IN 30.

"Here's to Jumbo, world's largest elephant, friend, and prized attraction of P.T. Barnum's traveling circus. It was 1885 [there] in St. Thomas where he met his early demise in a tragic railway accident that'll forever be remembered in the annals of beer and Canadian history. In his honour [they've] crafted this full bodied ale.  LIVE LIFE LARGE. He'd have wanted it that way. And for you to drink responsibly."

Maybe you guessed, maybe you didn't but beer # 7 in the 30 IN 30 is Railway City Brewery's Dead Elephant India Pale Ale.

I was excited to try this beer. I thought I'd save it for a Sunday so I could do the tasting the justice it deserved. Just kick back, relax, and enjoy a nice cold one to end the week that was.

I came across this beer from the brewery itself. I'd like to personally thank Mr. Robert Dunn of Railway City Brewery for the gift and for suggesting this beer. This is my first foray into the Ale style of beer. Pale Ale to be exact. Not too sure what I was expecting, but this was way better than I thought. I guess I am more used to mainstream beer like Alexander Keith`s India Pale Ale. Lack of taste in that one. When I first took a sip This beer was intriguing. The taste was out of this world. I`d say it is a very malty type flavour up front, and maybe a small hoppy flavour after taste. It is the beer that keeps on giving with every sip. At first I`ll admit I thought I would not enjoy it as much as I am. I am used to lager style beer, but this is I`d say more bold. Now as I get into my second can, which I am pouring in my glass for those who must know, I am enjoying it more and more with every sip. If you are looking for a Pale Ale kind of beer, than this, my friends, is it.

As I investigate the can, which is where the staring quote was sourced from, I see a label on the bottom right signaling "strong beer". Boy they weren't kidding. As I stated above, the taste jumps out at you from the very first sip and through to the end of your glass. If you, like me, are not used to such a strong taste, my suggestion to you is to do as I did, and pour another glass later. It may seem for the weak like me, like a beer that you will not enjoy at first but when you pour another cold glass later I can promise you you'll be glad that you did. Railway City Brewery's Dead Elephant India Pale Ale, I can guarantee you, will be finding itself rather frequently in my beer fridge. Again I'd like to thank Railway City Brewery for helping me expand my taste buds and for helping me stroll into unknown territory with such a great beer. This medium full bodied ale is carefully crafted and will not disappoint, I guarantee that. You can check out Railway City Brewery at their home at 168 Curtis Street in St. Thomas, Ontario, or on their website (www.railwaycitybrewing.com) for all the information on their beer.

Thank you for reading, and please enjoy responsibly. I hope that when you "raise your glass of Dead Elephant Ale, you will enjoy everything that Jumbo was and became. Life should be celebrated in every way and if possible enjoy it Jumbo sized!"

You can follow me on twitter @30in30Beck or on the Spotted Tap (www.thespottedtap.com)

Thank You,

Sincerely,

Andrew Beckerson
The Craftsmen