Beerlybeloved

T’was the night before Christmas

and all through the house

Beerlybeloved sisters were drinking

beer.

Unite! Jasmine is here in London for our family Christmas festivities.  Together, we have crafted a menu – a feast of beers! Happily we will drink these merry brews and report to you as we evaluate them for your reading pleasure.  Please feel free to drink along!

We have chosen two ales and a dessert stout that will aid us in our celebrations.  ***Note:  we are writing this blog without edit as we drink our beers.  Things might get quite jolly by our third.

First up:

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale – 6.0% - North Yorkshire, England

The colour is like a deep honey, or wheat grasses of some sort. The head is frothy and clings to the side of the glass.

Jasmine’s thoughts:

“I don’t like it. I don’t like this beer at all. Let’s just chug it.”

It feels like drinking soy milk. Thick like that. And terrible like that. I get a cherry aftertaste that’s kinda neat though. I enjoy the label, it is very welcoming. I also respect the creamy texture of the head, very nice. This beer reminds me of eating maraschino cherries after a while. I think I built this up in my mind to be more than it actually is.

Sharla’s thoughts:

“It’s kind of cardboard-boxy.” Actually, I don’t mind it. Sweet at the beginning.. or perhaps it’s mixing a little with my lipgloss.  I’m usually a fan of ales. It has that bitterness that I love but not as strong as I was expecting. The flavour is not too complex, but would actually pair nicely with some toasted chestnuts, by an open fire. Oh- I guess that’s what the label recommends on the back of the bottle… I could totally write those labels!

Not the greatest beer we’ve ever had, but not a trouble to finish the glass either. Meh.

On to beer number 2:

Trafalger Ales & Meads Irish Ale – 5.0% - Oakville, Ontario

“Woah... this pours like used motor oil.” – Jasmine

“Whoooooooa… it’s almost like I rinsed out an ashtray and put it in a glass. Oh weird!” - Sharla

Ashy brown in colour, but very watered down. Thin head, but clingy, like a scum.

There’s like a faint smell of strawberry-banana. Like a starburst or something.

Jasmine’s thoughts:

“It makes me burp.”

Totally agree with Sharla on the strawberry-banana aroma. It’s thin, kind of reminds me of Indian pakoras, or maybe that’s the French onion dip stuck in my braces. I was expecting a lighter looking brew with nuances of moss or herbal undertones but I actually really like it. It’s easy drinking, I could have a few of these in a row and still be able to eat a stew.

Sharla’s thoughts:

“I feel like there’s something in the middle. Like it’s watery then a punch of flavour then watery again.”

Tiny little bubbles. Much much thinner than the first beer, this ale is not very mighty at all. When I think “Irish Ale” I think of a strong Irishman with a booming accent and meats and potatoes. I think of kegs of hearty beers being poured into the throats of deceptively resilient little Irish lads. This beer seems more like the little leprechaun dancing a half-hearted jig at the end of a long day. Easily amusing, but not all that exciting.

Not bad. Jasmine likes it better than Samuel Smith’s, but I would rather sit down with a pint of the first beer we tried.  Easy to drink- this beer could be a dangerous companion for St. Patty’s day. A good match for split pea and ham soup.

Last but not least beer number 3:

Southern Tier Crème Brule Stout,  9.6%, Lakewood, New York, USA

Blackness! You can’t see through this beer at all, even when you hold it up to a light. Ah, but the smell.. a delicious aroma of rich vanilla ice cream or a Werthers butterscotch candy.  A whispy understated ivory head sits atop the charcoal black syrupy liquid. Lovely!

Jasmine’s thoughts:

“I wanna lick the inside of the bottle. Is that too suggestive?”

Bhahahahahaha! Excellent. Chewy, sweet, bitter. I can’t feel my face…. But I do notice the subtle aroma of leather and smoke. How much did we pay for this again\//? Hard to drink a whole pint of the stuff, good job making it go, Southern Tier. Wait, what?

OMG I could barely swallow the last sip, this is indeed a worthy adversary, I shall remember this one.

Sharla’s thoughts:

“You poured it! OMG it’s BLACK!”

Happy holidays with a 9.6% beer for dessert. So thick, Jas just noticed  chewed on the beer. Perhaps I should save it until after dinner? I think it would be best cold, however. Better drink it now! Bubbles, you try to combat the richness and thickness of this beer, but you don’t succeed. Sorry.  But you are still a most delicious part of this whole experience. I LOVE THIS BEER! Natural ingredients, intrigue, a sense of mystery- how could it go wrong?  I would serve this to my friends and family and children if I had them.  Indeed.

This beer is a winner! Jas and I both love it so. Well, perhaps me more than she, but it’ll win her over by then end. Have some! With something citrusy.  Like a lemon tart! Or with a cherry cheesecake because it reminds me of cheesecake... drowned in a vat of rum.  Ok let’s finish these 640ml. Oops some spilled on me, but I’m pretty sure it will make a nice perfume!

3 beers, 2 lovely ladies, 1 very merry Christmas Eve! Ho ho ho and goodnight!

T'was a cold and stormy night...

OK, so it wasn't THAT cold and there was no storm- but I definitely felt a chill in the air and the sky was pretty cloudy. Anyway, I thought it would be a great evening to bust out one of three Winter-themed beers that have been waiting in my fridge for the right moment. 

This lucky brew was St. Peter's Winter Ale. 

Sitting pretty in a clever medicine style bottle, the beer seemed to stare back at me, begging me to drink it. Ok, beer. I will.

As I poured the British Ale, I noticed the lack of head at the top of the glass. Perhaps I should have been a bit rougher in my pouring technique? Perhaps not. Perhaps it was meant to be headless - like the horseman that tormented Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hallow… oh wait… wrong season. Sorry.

The colour was of dark chocolate melted with cranberry, and the viscosity was somewhat thick.

I braced myself for impact. At 6.5%, I would expect this beer to be a bit of a smack on the tongue. It was, kinda. More like the smack you’d receive from your grouchy grandmother, but a lovely smack none-the-less.

 While the aroma spoke of smoked black cherry, and the flavour was fruity and chocolatey at the same time. How sweet it is! Literally… this beer is quite sweet. Yet, a bitterness was left on my tongue for quite some time- urging me to have another sip and experience the sweetness once again.

I did notice, however, that after the first cup I was getting overwhelmed by the flavour. I think this might be a one-pinter, taken with some sort of food.

What food, you ask? Well, since St. Peter’s Winter Ale is so sweet and warming, I would love to try it with a homemade spice cake.  The taste of black cherries would also be lovely with a roasted elk and mashed potatoes with gravy. You could even put some of the beer in the gravy! In fact, I insist that you do.

So, Winter Ale number one = a success, but a bit too sweet for casual drinking. Just my opinion.

Yes, friends, I have a titilating tale to tell about a double date I arranged last night with two European blondes.

Cheesy? Yes. Delicious? Oh, I think so.

The concept was to pit two beers from the same geographical area of Europe against each other in a no-holds-barred battle of the brews. Indeed, comerades, this was an epic battle of tasty suds that were both distinctive and hard to pronounce.

WTF am I talking about? Allow me to elaborate.

CIUC is a Romanian pils-style beer which brags of water purity and its appeal to responsible Romanians who want to provide a better life for their families. I had her first.

I have had Ciuc before, when a Romanian friend of mine purchased it for me after a night of my bragging about Canadian beer quality. It was warmish and reminded me of a better Heineken at the time, and so I was mildly impressed by the clean finish. This error in judgement has been rectified as I was dazzled by the difference a chilled Ciuc makes! Let me describe to you, dear readers, the crisp-tart apple taste of the medium-bubbled beer, and the delicious bitter greeting I received! And, lo, there was a sweet clover honey dusting on the tongue which lingers as you enjoy it. Ciuc is like your first girlfriend; sweet, light, floral-smelling, with the bitter-sweet promise of being able to go for long periods of pleasure without getting screwed. Its subtle taste makes you want more, but you get the feeling eventually it might get too attached and then you'll have to cut it off. Very sad.

After getting properly lubricated, my next conquest was Slavutych (!) which was a completely different type of rendezvous. She was sweet and earthy.. nay, feral, with notes of shreddies on the tongue and baked bread through the nose. This beer whispered of an understated 5.3% alcohol content which would have turned the heads of even Synthehol advocates, yet to my mind echoed chewing on a wheat field like a well-cultured locust might experience. Yes, of course I am blogging with beer, it doesn't have to make sense!!

Seriously, though. Slavutych is a city of Chernobyl survivors. Most excellent! I applaud the grassy/sweet in-your-face audacity of this beer, being of the cheaper ... er, more economical strain of choices at the LCBO, while also very enjoyable. I picture myself dancing naked under a full moon whilst imbibing of this liquid from a proper metal stein. It's $2.00, btw, for all the hippies I just appealed to.

Right!

Conclusion.

If I had to pick a WINNER, per se, I'd choose Ciuc. It was the sweet, gentle refreshment I needed after a long day at work. I would have Ciuc with a seared tuna dish, a bowl of chedder popcorn, or another Ciuc. I'd probably team Slavutych with a spicy pepperette stick or a creamy lasagna.

Or you know what - just have both. You can handle it... two at once is right up your alley, right? :D

Autumn - a sad goodbye to warm patio days but a hearty hello to some of my favourite beers.

There isn't really a better time to enjoy a rich, amber beer, so full of flavour, as you marvel at the changing colours on the trees and crisp fall air.

It’s a time of apple cider and pumpkin pie, luxurious spices and warm sweaters. Too bad fall so quickly changes to winter.

This season, Jasmine and I set off to find the perfect pumpkin flavoured beer. Jas found a miss with the Smashed Pumpkin in her last blog... but since then I think we've hit upon success.

Southern Tier Pumking Imperial Ale from Lakewood, New York,  had just what we were looking for. Not only was it made with pumpkin puree during the brewing process (no simulated flavour) but the 8.6% alcohol content would surely keep us warm on any chilly autumn evening. I was very excited to have the whole 650mls to myself.

The colour was a typical golden  that with a tint of orange- no extra colouring was used to mask the beauty of this beer's natural glow.

The aroma of this beer was actually my favourite part. Strong waves of vanilla and freshly baked pumpkin cookies arose from the glass. If I could make a candle with that exact smell, I totally would. The flavour was a bit unique in that it was more similar to fresh pumpkin flesh than that of baked pumpkin... although the vanilla notes were still evident. It was slightly sweet and strong in flavour. I also noted a bit of hazelnut in there too... giving it a nutty and smooth component. There was also a spiciness that lingered resembling nutmeg.

If I was to drink this beer with dinner, I would accompany it with an Indian curry of some sort. The sweetness would combat the spice, and the richness would be quite nice!

I think this beer would be one of my favourite Pumpkin beers thus far. Last year, I was enamored with the Grand River Highballer . I’ll have to try one again soon and see how it holds up. In fact, I think I might just get a pint of the Highballer this Monday at The Morrissey House if I have some time- I hear they have it on tap!

I'll let you know how it compares!