Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 550 ml brown bottle
Brewery: : Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Country: England

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It is thanks to the founder of the beer importing company Merchant du Vin, Charles Finkel, that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout even exists, let alone reintroducing to the world what had become an obsolete and nearly forgotten beer style.  Back in 1978 he had made it his mandate to seek out the exemplar version of what he defined as the two dozen major classical beer styles, all from traditional breweries found in the homeland of each respective style.  His quest was nearly complete when he realized that no one was producing an Oatmeal Stout, in fact the last consumer produced Oatmeal Stout hadn’t been sold since the turn of the 20^th century.  This was when Finkel approached the Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster to devise a traditional recipe so they could once again reintroduce Oatmeal Stout to the world again in 1980 after 3 generations of its absence.  There are many other fine stouts of this style available these days, however it is Samuel Smith’s version that is used as a benchmark for it.

For those wondering, yes there are actually several different styles of stout, and are hardly like the “thick black molasses” or “motor oil” that many people stereotype them as.  The most well-known is Guinness which is a Dry Irish Stout, which also contains a small amount of oats.  Sweet/Milk Stouts are just like they sound, sweetened with lactose which is milk sugar.  Russian Imperial Stouts are extra strong and higher in alcohol content.  Oatmeal Stouts are also what their name claims, possessing a larger amount of oats (although still not overly substantial compared to the overall malt bill), which adds more sweetness to the flavour, and a rounder, silky smooth texture.  This style of stout even used to be prescribed to nursing mothers, not only for its high iron content but also for many other nutrients found within it.  I can’t personally condone this, but then again I’m not a doctor either (…although I always wanted to play one on television).  Still it was very popular in the 1800’s, almost as a liquid version of a multi-vitamin pill.

Here’s an ale you’ll want to pull out your favourite mug for, or any handy pint glass for sure.  It doesn’t have to warm up too much out of the fridge, yet a few minutes resting in your hands will loosen up the flavours a bit more.  Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout comes in a sturdy 550 ml brown bottle with gold foil around the neck and cap.  Not quite the stereotypical pitch black in appearance this Oatmeal Stout pours out a nearly opaque, a deep dark brown that will reveal a patch of garnet when held to direct light, while a thick spongy beige head crowns it with impressive retention.  Be prepared for a sweet aroma with mild roasted malt, even hints of treacle.  The mouthfeel is smooth, a little bit sticky at times, yet it is mostly silky and smooth.  Finally, the flavour is equally as sweet as the aroma reveals, the malt is roasted along with some cocoa notes, hints of licorice, a creamy milky sweetness with a dry finish.  Some acidity may be apparent too.

This Oatmeal Stout is decent with desserts such as cheesecake, buttery fruit pastries, and baked chocolate goods.  Curiously the Samuel Smith website recommends a wide array of food pairings to go with this stout, some that left me scratching my head, but to quote:  “Pizza and salad, Italian foods, steamed clams, grilled ahi tuna, lobster with drawn butter, steak, ploughman’s lunch, crumpets, shish kebabs, vegetable ragout and eggs Florentine, dark flavorful bread and aged Stilton.”  Also of note is that stouts in general go great with bivalve shellfish, especially oysters.  The slight acidity of this Oatmeal Stout also compliments lamb as well.  One last detail of note is that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is a vegan beverage, for those who take extra personal caution with what they consume.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Old Brewery Pale Ale
Taddy Porter
Imperial Stout
India Ale
Nut Brown Ale
Organically Produced Lager
(also an Organic Cider!)

In-Style:
St-Amboise Oatmeal Stout
Bete Noire - Paddockwood

Other Stouts:
Shakespeare Stout - Rogue
Andean Stout - Cerveza Jerome
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon
Jamaica Stout

For The Adventurous:
Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout - North Coast Brewing
Trois Pistoles - Unibroue
Old Crustacean - Rogue

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 8%
Presentation: 750ml green magnum & 330ml green bottle singles
Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe
Country: Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This brewery is found in the Belgian region of Ardennes, a picturesque area of green mountains and fairy tale valleys, although to some known best unfortunately as the location where The Battle Of The Bulge took place during World War 2.  The labels from the Achouffe Brewery are also easily recognizable with their trademark gnomes cavorting and residing on them.  No small surprise about that little marketing tidbit when you discover that “Chouffe” means gnome in the local Walloon dialect.  What started as a hobby of two brothers-in-law, the Achouffe Brewery has been producing tasty and accessible beers since 1982, although it’s been owned by the Duvel Moortgat brewery group since 2006.

With La Chouffe we have their flagship beer, it’s a golden yet higher alcohol ale, unfiltered and bottle conditioned which helps add extra flavour to the overall experience, most notably some subtle fruit and spice from that extra yeast presence left in the bottle, not to mention gentle additions of coriander and hops.  What we have here is something that ends up as a big shiny gold happy face in your mouth, and chances are it’ll transfer externally and produce a smile on your own face too.  Really, I don’t even like gnomes, yet La Chouffe somehow cheers me up every time.  If you still need a bit more convincing from your own personal experience La Chouffe is now available in single 330 ml bottles, before you choose to upgrade with a 750 ml magnum of this gem.

It’s fine to imbibe La Chouffe at the temperature right out of the fridge, it’ll be clean with a bit of orange and faint grassy hops on the finish, however as it slowly warms far more character will present itself in the flavour.  Ideally this is best served in a Belgian tulip glass (in fact when they’re available the Achouffe gift packs come with their own gnome logo tulip glass!), however a large snifter or oversized wine glass will do just fine, stemware is preferred for this style.  Expect to possibly take 2 or 3 attempts to empty the bottle into the glassware, as you’ll be greeted by a billowing spongy white head that has exceptional retention, you might start wishing one of those gnomes on the label could lend you a pint-sized shovel to make your way through it.  However try to leave about the last quarter inch/one centimetre left in the bottom of the bottle, that’s the yeast sediment from the bottle conditioning, and although it’s not harmful in any way (in fact it’s bursting with B vitamins!), it may detract from the overall flavour.  Once it’s finally all in the glass, you’ll find a hazy golden ale, that still has quite a brilliant lustre for an ale that isn’t transparent.  Now the aroma is somewhat mild, however you might notice some lemon and tangerine zest, and perhaps some wet green grassy hops, and even some spice.  I’ll confess that the texture of La Chouffe is one of my favourite aspects, offering up a light and effervescent mouthfeel, nearly champagne-like with a dry quenching finish.  The flavour does not disappoint either, starting off with light wheat grains, followed by something of an orange sweetness, coriander building to a finish blended with mild grassy hops and some spiciness, then some spice lingering in the aftertaste joined by a well masked alcohol warmth.  Not too complex at first it seems but there’s enough goodness there to keep one coming back for more as this golden ale presents itself in several thin layers.  In the end greater than the sum of its parts.

The subtle complexities of La Chouffe also come out and shine in attempts to pair it with food.  It’s a definite winner to serve first with appetizers or hors d’oeuvres, and shines with cheeses, especially smoked, woody and hard cheeses.  Even alone before the meal as an aperitif.  Pairs well with white fish such as sole, tilapia, cod or monkfish, and will surprise you along with your next batch of fish ‘n chips (including the malt vinegar on the chips).  Holds its own with anything from duck to old world sausages, and has enough backbone to compliment Cajun and Thai dishes that aren’t too overtly spicy.  A fairly versatile strong golden Belgian ale, and the magnum bottle is a great option to bring along to dinner parties.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
McChouffe
N’Ice Chouffe
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

In-Style:
Duvel
Don de Dieu - Unibroue
Delerium Tremens
Affligem Blond
Brooklyn Local 1 - Brooklyn Brewery

Lateral Steps:
Konig Ludwig Weiss
Erdinger Weissbier
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse

For The Adventurous:
Deus
Malheur Brut
La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue
Le Merle - North Coast Brewing

Jason Foster

It will come as no surprise to you that barley makes up by far the biggest proportion of beer’s ingredients (for the moment we will ignore wheat beers and other rare, non-barley beers). It is rather logical, then, to assume that malted barley also shapes the taste, aroma and quality of a beer more than any other ingredient.

This is true. Barley determines elements of colour, flavour, aroma, mouthfeel and even head retention. Therefore, to understand beer, one must first understand barley.

Barley is old, even serving as a staple of Ancient Egyptian diets. It is, fundamentally, a grass - more formally a cereal grain related to wheat, oats and bamboo. Its seeds, rich in simple starches and sugares, serve as the input for beer.

Most barley is relatively banal and used to feed cattle. However, a particular strain of barley is considered one of the most desirable grains, fetching lucrative prices for farmers. Dubbed “malting barley” it is the most respected of barleys. Such seeds tend to be plump and full of yeast-enticing starches and sugars.

What you need to know here is that in its natural state, barley is actually useless to brewers. To unlock its sweet sugars, it must go through a process of partial germination, called “malting”. In the process, barley is soaked in water for a few days. Natural processes behave as if the seed was ready to sprout, turning starches into sugars, and sugars into tiny shoots. If you stop the process at the right time, you will have a kernel that has few starches, many sugars, and only a tiny bit of sprout growth.

This is what talented maltsters do. They germinate for 4-6 days, then quickly dry the barley. From here, you can make beer. This is basic malted barley. But basic malt alone makes for a boring beer.

So malt producers have learned to do other things to this germinated grain. And here is where the world of malted barley gets dizzyingly complex. There are hundreds of barley products available to brewers, each offering a different characteristic to beer.  So, let’s walk through some of the basic categories.

Base Malt. This is the un-altered malted barley. It will be the bulk of any recipe, offering sugar, a touch of graininess and little colour. Few beers are made exclusively with this type of malt, but almost every beer  has some of it in it. Mt. Begbie High Country Kolsch show off base malt in an admirable fashion.

Specialty Malt. This is malt very similar to base malt, but is dried and then kilned at high temperatures to minimize moisture. This means a darker colour, plus a larger residual sweetness, from starches not being transformed into fermentable sugars. Brewers use this malt to create sweeter, maltier beers. Some good examples of beers accenting specialty malts are Samuel Adams Boston Lager and  Ayinger Celebrator.

Caramelized Malt. This is a malt kilned while still moist. The stewing it undergoes results in caramelization of the sugars. It is added in small proportions, intended to add sweetness, body, and head retention to a beer. Almost every beer has some element of caramelized malt (sometimes called crystal malt). Any grainy or honey or caramel sweetness you detect in your beer  will come from the crystal malt. The sweet in Fuller’s London Pride or the heft of Belhaven’s Wee Heavy show off caramelized malt quite well.

Roasted Malt. This is the coffee of barley. It is roasted at high temperatures which darkens and sharpens the barley. It is an intense malt, meant for delicate handling, added in very small proportions to add colour and roasty bitterness. It quickly adds colour and roast flavour to a beer. St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout and Paddock Wood London Porter are classic examples of roasted malt’s effect.

Within each of these broad categories there are dozens of versions, varying due to regional origin of the grain, kiln temperatures, moisture content, kilning time, and other variables. Each offers its own quality to the beer.

How a brewer combines different barleys will fundamentally mould the final shape of their beer. And whether you experience from your beer a rich caramel maltiness, a delicate graininess or a robust espresso-note depends entirely on the malt use by that brewer.

This is what distinguishes beer from other, simpler beverages such as wine. There are literally thousands of combinations of barley forming vastly different flavours and aromas. And it is the brewer’s magic to combine them in such a fashion as to create something truly original.

And such is our privilege to consume such a versatile drink.

Style: All-Malt Lager
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Here’s a fine locally brewed all-malt European style lager, named after and in honour of the man documented as being the first successful small craft brewer in Alberta, which at the time was still considered a district of the Northwest Territories.  From 1884-1886 British immigrant Charles Flint administered to the brewing operations of Calgary’s City Brewery at a site located on what is now the Stephen Avenue Mall in downtown Cowtown, and it is recorded that “he manufactured beer and porter that was considered second to none in the NWT at the time.”  Apparently not much else is known about the man except for his lasting reputation for the quality and craftsmanship of his fine brewing skills and libations.

You may also be asking what the heck is an all-malt or European style lager?  Well, I’m not going to name any names here or point any fingers, but all of the large mass-produced commercial lagers out there (you may know them by their TV. commercials and aggressive marketing campaigns) don’t use an entire barley malt bill to produce their beers, which are predominantly of the lager style.  In fact most use up to half of a separate cheaper adjunct ingredient (usually corn or rice) to replace the more expensive barley in order to provide enough fermentable sugars for the yeast to convert it all into this malty beverage we all know and love, yet by doing so the consequence is a final product of a lower quality in almost all aspects, from flavour to mouthfeel, and even the aroma.  It was the large North American breweries that became known and notorious for this practice, especially after Prohibition and World War 2.  In contrast nowadays the more traditionally produced older “European” versions of lager recall a fuller-bodied and maltier tasting final product as a result of still using all barley malt.  Don’t get too nostalgic though, as many European producers of lager have also picked up the habit of “cutting corners” like their North American counterparts.  Therefore it makes craft brewed all-malt lagers something to be sought out and rejoiced.

Charlie Flint’s Original Lager will make an ideal companion for anything between a tall pilsner glass to a regular pint glass.  If you allow it to warm up a few minutes you’ll be rewarded with the blossoming nuances of more subtle malt and hop characteristics that would otherwise remain numbed and dormant at ice cold temperatures.  Once in the glass expect a pale golden lager with impressive clarity, a modest sized frothy, fluffy white head with an equally reticent amount of retention.   Now with the aroma what starts to entice will be for some the new experience of encountering biscuity, baked bread malt and grassy, lightly spicy qualities from the Saaz and Cluster hops, qualities that may never have been experienced from a lager beer before.  That’s the all barley malt presence speaking for itself, balanced with just the proper amount of hops (another ingredient that seems almost entirely absent from mass-produced commercial lagers).  The mouthfeel will also be fuller than might be expected, closer to an ale, which is also the result of not cutting corners.  Medium-bodied when all is said and done, yet much fuller than the appearance actually hints at, and enough carbonation to keep things clean and crisp.  There is also a soft clean bready malt mingled well with mild grassy hops, a bit of a spicy zip on the finish which is crisp, and mild biscuity malt lingering briefly in the aftertaste.  An impressive balancing act between malt and hops, blended so one is not more dominant over the other.  Nothing less than an ideal introduction to craft brewed lagers for someone looking to branch out from the same old same old, and locally produced at that.  Also a fine tribute to a nearly obscure provincial brewing legend.

With food pairings Charlie Flint’s Original Lager is fairly versatile, accompanying regular fare such as sandwiches or fish and chips delightfully, with enough body and flavour to match a white-sauced pasta topped with chicken, scallops or clams.  It will also clean your palate and gently accentuate sushi, or most mild cooked white fish.  On a hot day it’ll also add a touch of class to your barbeque, or afternoon spent on a patio.  One of my personal favourite pairings is with hummus.  Regardless, don’t forget to raise a toast to the memory of Charles Flint before you reach the bottom of your glass.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Alley Kat Amber
Alley Kat Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale

Other All-Malt Lagers:
Chilkoot Lager - Yukon Brewing
1516 Bavarian Lager - Okanagan Springs
Mill Street Original Organic Lager
Kell’s Irish Style Lager - Rogue

European Lagers:
Zatec
Kronenbourg 1664
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold
Gösser

Lateral Steps:
Velvet Fog - Wild Rose
Fuller’s London Pride
Mt. Begbie Cream Ale

For The Adventurous:
Sap Vampire - Amber’s Brewing Co.
Australian Mountain Pepper Berry Lager - Amber’s Brewing
Sorrentino’s Garlic Lager - Alley Kat
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba! - Sherbrooke

Style: Schwarzbier
ABV: 6.1%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Paddock Wood Brewing
Country: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This is the first beer that the Paddock Wood Brewery released in 6 packs of bottles.  As the first microbrewery in Saskatchewan, what started out as a home-based mail-order home brew supply company is now an award-winning brewery that’s grown successful enough to reach the status of a private corporation, headed by founder Steve Cavan.  Not bad at all for a passionate homebrewer and part time university professor.

Now this Black Cat Lager may be a bit of an anomaly to some.  A dark lager?  A black pilsner no less?  You bet!  In fact there are several styles of dark lager out there, a schwarzbier being merely one of them.  In fact schwarzbier basically translates as “black beer” from German, and at times tends to be an umbrella term for light bodied dark beers with a noticeable hop presence.  They tend to be dark yet fairly translucent in colour, featuring roasted malt that at times lends a chocolate wafer presence, with a decent balancing zip of hops.  That’s just a general starting point for the sake of reference, as most brewmasters enjoy accentuating certain characteristics in order to add a personal signature to their particular interpretation of a style.

Ideally this black lager is served in a tall fluted pilsner or weizen glass, a Collins glass or similar tall narrow glass will work too.  In the case of Black Cat, because of its unique flavour and characteristics, a serving temperature anywhere from chilled to near room temperature will suit it fine, both ends of that spectrum will tend to accentuate different particular aspects.  Once poured into the glass expect to encounter a dark ruddy brown, not quite opaque appearance, and it will give off a translucent garnet cola-like hue when held to direct light.  Crowning it will be a creamy light beige head which doesn’t tend to linger long.  Now the aroma that follows will possess rich notes of both toasted and roasted malts, you might even pick up some smoky notes, but will definitely notice a bit of dark chocolate and an undeniable presence of coffee.  There are pockets of an unexplainable milky sweetness too.  In the delivery of the texture in the mouth Black Cat has a light yet smooth and creamy mouthfeel, with a fairly crisp and dry finish.  This really lends itself to the flavour, which lives up to what is promised on the nose.  Some roasted burnt malt and coffee at first, toasted cocoa follows, with a light dose of herbal hops on the finish, while the coffee and cocoa taste lingers on with it in the aftertaste, more sweet than bitter.  After a while it gives off the impression of mocha with just a touch of hops.

As far as food pairings are concerned what first comes to mind are German dishes to match with this German styled beer, especially ones involving spiced sausages or cured meats which will be accentuated by the dark roasted malts.  A nicely grilled steak or pork chop would do well, and it’s even robust enough to hold its own with lamb.  As far as comfort food is concerned it may not be the best accompaniment for pizza, but might easily become your new best friend with your next burger, or something more complex like jambalaya and other hearty, rather spicy dishes.  Lastly, as some of you out there have already deduced on your own, this Black Cat lager tends to come across as a beer version of an iced mocha.  Although probably far cheaper than what you’d pay for one at your favourite coffee outlet, and easily less than half the calories.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
606 IPA
Bête Noire
Czech Mate
Double Double
Ete Belgian Saison
London Porter

Other Dark Lagers:
Lobkowicz Baron
Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel

Lateral Steps:
Rogue Dead Guy
Newcastle Brown
Mt. Begbie Tall Timber Ale

For The Adventurous:
Rogue Mocha Porter
Mill Street Coffee Porter
Samichlaus