Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Yukon Brewing Company
Country: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Since the inception of the Yukon Brewing Company over a decade ago now their Yukon Gold Ale has been one of their two flagship beers, and since then has remained their top selling brand.  Perhaps the key to this comes from several factors:  while it remains uncannily approachable and quenching it also possesses a subtle complexity to it, belying more than meets the eye upon an initial introduction.

Coming from the only brewery to be found north of the 60^th parallel in this country, several sources refer to Yukon Gold as “the perfect example of a Canadian beer.”  Perhaps this is the result of not trying to emulate or compete toe to toe with any other type of beer in particular, but being versatile enough to woo in both the commercial lager crowd as well as the more discerning craft beer type, who tends to frequent ales in general.  The numbers don’t lie, on its home turf 1 in 3 kegs consumed in the Yukon is Yukon Gold.  And considering that Alberta is the brewery’s primary outside market, this beer still tends to hold its own amongst the plethora of offerings we have to choose from.

For a decade now Yukon Gold has been a favourite session beer of mine.  What’s a session beer you ask?  Chances you already know the answer but may not be familiar with the term itself.  Generally as session beer is of low to average alcohol percentage (4-5%), quenching, satisfying, with enough character to crave another in succession yet not so complex that your palate becomes fatigued and overwhelmed after only one glass.  You have a few of these with friends on a sunny patio, watching the game, sitting around playing cards or a board game, kicking butt on Wii Bowling, or practically most kitchen parties.  A friendly and casual beer that you want to hang out with on a regular basis, but not get blitzed on.

A clean and crisp beer, it’s one you still don’t want to drink ice cold.  Let it warm at least 5-10 minutes after pulling from the fridge, there are some nice subtle nuances waiting for you within.  I’d choose a pint or similar style glass for it, a wider glass such as a mug (unless it’s a thin rimmed mug) will disperse a lot of that subtle goodness if you choose to go exploring for it.

A deep gold, light amber in appearance, with striking clarity, and a tall creamy white head, things already get off to a good start.  The nose picks up on a sweet bready malt at first, more caramel and toasted malt follows, with faint traces of floral hops.  This continues in the flavour with predominant clean malt, bready caramel notes up front, a toasty character combined with light wheat graininess in the middle, it finishes dry with subtle floral, grassy hops with practically no bitterness, and the most curious hint of chocolate in the aftertaste.  A mild, medium-bodied mouthfeel with low carbonation helps to easily deliver this session ale.

If you choose to go beyond enjoying Yukon Gold as a session ale and have a bite to eat with it, fairly light fare would be the key.  Fish and chips are the ideal pairing that first comes to mind, although it would compliment a lone serving of sweet potato fries as well.  Pan fried or lightly breaded calamari will also find a thoughtful dance partner with this ale.  If your tastes are a bit more posh I’d recommend lobster or crab, the maltiness will not overwhelm the shellfish and will even compliment any additional garlic butter for dipping served alongside.  Or for a more common meal, roasted chicken or turkey would be delighted to be paired some Yukon Gold, don’t forget a side of potatoes of the same name!

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Yukon Red
Chilkoot Lager
Lead Dog Ale
Yukon Cranberry Wheat
Discovery Ale
Ice Fog IPA
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

In-Style:
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Fuller’s London Pride
St-Ambroise Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Duvel
Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold

For The Adventurous:
Lagunitas Censored
Anchor Liberty Ale
Maudite - Unibroue

Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: McAuslan Brewing
Country: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

While it started out in 1989 during Montreal’s first wave of microbreweries, the McAuslan Brewery has exercised its staying power over the past couple of decades by producing top notch yet easily consumable beers, regardless of whatever style they tackled.  Although their beers have been available here in Alberta for a good six years now, we are still only privy to their Apricot Wheat Ale, world class Oatmeal Stout, and refined Pale Ale.

It’s this last beer that has stood out as McAuslan’s flagship beer since day one, and has managed to maintain such a lengthy reign with a bearing of subtle complexity and solid character.  After all, the style of Pale Ale is a ubiquitous mainstay within almost any craft brewery or brewpub to be found throughout North America, at times so unrecognizable from its neighbours that it sadly can be coined as the “vanilla” of craft beer styles.

Proper glassware won’t be too big of a concern for this St-Ambroise Pale Ale, it’s pretty versatile, so the standard mug or pint glass will serve well.  Even with the nuances to discover within a fairly chilled temperature is recommended, so let the bottle sit out for 5-10 minutes before opening and consuming.

Gorgeous from the get go, what splashes into the glass is an appealing clear vibrant copper beer capped by a creamy off-white head that never fully dissipates.  To follow is an aroma of grassy and floral hops, some light orchard fruit, rounded out with some light biscuit malt.  No disappointment in the flavour either, it delivers what the nose promises with a seamless blending of malt and hops.  Assertively crisp biscuit and caramel malt up front with hints of peach arising in the middle, while dry floral hops round things out accompanied with some light pear and fresh grass.  All this riding on a creamy smooth and lightly effervescent mouthfeel.  All in all a classy session beer.

If pairing with food, it would be best to stick with milder fare as to not overwhelm this St-Ambroise Pale Ale.  Chicken, white fish, and pasta dishes with white sauce is safe ground.  For a more ethnic twist consider mild curried dishes, along with Vietnamese or Mexican food so long as the chilies aren’t too intense.  For those planning a session with this ale and only considering finger foods you can’t go wrong with salsa and tortilla chips, or a platter of mild and tangy cheeses to munch on between sips.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

In Style:
Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
Yukon Gold
Pike Pale Ale
Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Lagunitas Censored
Alley Kat Full Moon Pale Ale
Erdinger Weisse
Duvel

For The Adventurous:
Tree Hophead
Wild Rose IPA
Anchor Liberty Ale

Style: English Strong Ale
ABV: 7%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Yukon Brewing Company
Country: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

An aptly named dark ale, this one easily remains at the head of the pack.  It even has the credentials to prove it.

In the Spring of 2009 Yukon Brewing’s head brewer Alan Hansen was invited to take part in an annual Real Ale competition in England, the J.D. Wetherspoon Beer Festival.  It was there with the drawback of using foreign equipment and ingredients that he managed to brew up two improvised batches of Lead Dog Ale to naturally condition in casks and enter into this 18 day international invitational.  Not only that, out of the 50 breweries represented Hansen managed to bring home a 2^nd place win with the Lead Dog Ale, no small feat against the home turf competition.  All things considered, a silver medal under such circumstances is as good as gold.

Then again, this is also a fitting style to win over a crowd of classic British ale drinkers.  Also known as Old Ales or Stock Ales, Lead Dog Ale emulates the robust and malty strong dark beers that were traditionally nursed in front of a fireplace to help satiate the spirit and take a bit of chill out of the bones during the winter months.  Variations and interpretations abound, it seems that an Old or English Strong Ale tends to fall somewhere between regular strength Pale Ales and high alcohol Barleywines, with a brewery’s seasonal Winter Warmer much of the time getting lumped into the mix, additional spices and all.  The major prerequisite however is that it has to taste good, not any old generic high test will do.

Because it’s such a hearty ale Lead Dog will do well in almost any beer glass you choose, be it mug, pint glass or brandy snifter.  Yet because of the rich and complex flavour profile I’d let the bottle sit out a good 20-30 minutes before opening and serving.  If you have the discipline then slightly chilled beyond room temperature is a more traditional approach.

Once in the glass Lead Dog is a deep russet brown in colour, nearly but not quite opaque.  There won’t be much of a head retention beyond the quick splash of a spongy tan cap.  By allowing your nose to follow that receding foam an encounter with notes of roasted malt, toffee, dark dried fruit, treacle, some earthy, spicy hops, as well as a bit of alcohol warmth will ensue.  Whew, and that’s just brushing the surface, feel free to finish that list off from your own experience.  Not one to tease, this dark ale delivers a flavour of robust roasted malt at first, followed with toffee, molasses, figs, a bit of nut, finishing with some dry wood and faint spicy, grassy hops.  To match it all is a full, creamy mouthfeel with low carbonation and dry finish.  Really, an ideal companion for a cold winter night.  And if I had to play favourites I will openly admit that Lead Dog is easily my favourite beer from Yukon Brewing, although the remaining competition from them is by no means a push over for my affection.

If you’re looking to pair this ale with something beyond a comfy chair, a roaring fire and some good company, consider a platter of assorted nuts along with some earthy and tangy cheeses.  When finger food just won’t cut it the rich and roasty character of Lead Dog is a welcome companion to almost any grilled or roasted meats.  Gamier meats such as venison, pheasant or duck are also worthy options if they are available to you.  This Lead Dog Ale will definitely not lead you astray.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Yukon Gold
Yukon Red
Chilkoot Lager
Yukon Cranberry Wheat
Discovery Ale
Ice Fog IPA
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

In-Style:
Cooper’s Extra Strong Vintage Ale
Wellington Iron Duke
Fuller’s Vintage Ale

Lateral Steps:
McEwan’s Scotch Ale
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Rochefort 10
Traquair House Ale
Paddock Wood London Porter

For The Adventurous:
Rogue Imperial Porter
Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - North Coast

Style: Double India Pale Ale
ABV: 8%
Presentation: Single 341 ml brown bottle, green wax seal
Brewery: Half Pints Brewing Co.
Country: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

I may not be overly fluent in Latin, but my taste buds know that Humulus Ludicrous indirectly translates into English as “contains a ridiculous amount of hops.”  To slip into a quick lesson in botany, the Latin name for the common hop is Humulus lupulus, which has a nice ring to it all on its own.  Hops are small green pinecone-like nuggets that grow on vines, and provide the balancing and bittering ingredient to the otherwise cloyingly sweet malt in the brewing of beer.  Besides acting as a balancing agent they can also provide aroma and flavour, depending on the beer style and the brewermaster’s discretion.

That being said this Double India Pale Ale from Half Pints should probably be filed under “For The Adventurous” for many of you in the crowd.  However for the die hard “hopheads” it’s time to step right up.  This rendition of the style is a whopping 100 IBU’s (IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a universally recognized scale used to measure how potent the alpha acids found in hops are), which is nearly double the amount found in many regular India Pale Ales.  Before you start involuntarily puckering from the very thought of it, the tendency with the DIPA style is to have nearly as intense of a malt presence in order to balance out the massive hop whollap, or at the very least to keep it in check so it’s not some one-sided runaway train of bitterness.  The beauty of Humulus Ludicrous-which was brewed to mark the Half Pints Brewery’s anniversary–is that it manages to pull this off while still delivering the goods promised.  It’s one of the few times a beer label doesn’t lie to you or offering false promises.

For glassware the usual suspects of a mug or a pint glass will fit the bill, although if you wish to accentuate the floral and citrus aromatics awaiting you the moment you open the bottle, us an oversized red wine glass, or a Belgian chalice or tulip glass if you have one handy.  Keeping those aromatics in mind let the bottle stand at least 10 minutes after you take it out of the fridge.  Once poured you’ll be introduced to a beer that is cloudy deep amber in appearance, with a short tight creamy off-white head.  As you gaze you will have already noticed fairly intense aromas of lemon and orange, possibly even the moment the bottle cap was pried off the bottle and you had a chance to pour it.  A deeper inspection will unearth hints of sugary sweet malt, burnt toasted notes, then a parade of hops including tangerine, light lemon zest and fresh white grapefruit, with faint traces of pine and spicy earth.  This all carries on in the flavour with sweet, toasted mildly bready malt that effortlessly blends with grassy, herbal, earthy, citrus rind hops, almost equally as sweet on the finish, with the hops eventually lingering on longer in the aftertaste.  Deceptive enough that, while hoppy, you’d never guess there was 100 IBU’s of hops lurking in there.  As intense as the flavour is the mouthfeel is not as overwhelming, being a user-friendly medium-body without much carbonation.

With such a strong hop presence Humulus Ludicrous would match well with old, sharp cheeses, matching it blow for blow in dynamic tango of flavours.  Spicy dishes are the ultimate dance partner however, take your favourite personal pick from the Mexican, Thai or Cajun styles, or set it head to head with the most daring serving of Buffalo wings you can muster up.  This will also slice through a pesto based pasta dish.  For dessert?  If one of your favourites is carrot cake like mine this DIPA will prevent the richest of cream cheese icings from overwhelming your palate.  It will also harmonize with and balance out any sweets of desserts with a prominent ginger component.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Burley Wine
Humulus Ludicrous
Phil’s Pils
Little Scrapper IPA
Sweet Nikki Brown

In-Style:
90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head
Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. - He’Brew
Hardcore IPA - Brew Dog
Storm IPA - Brew Dog
Bad Hare Day - Sherbrooke

Other Hoppy Beers:
US Alive - Mikkeller
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Santa’s Private Reserve - Rogue
Lagunitas Imperial Red

For The Adventurous:
Old Crustacean - Rogue
Paradox - Brew Dog
Samichlaus Bier

Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Wild Rose Brewery
Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

The Brown Ale style was the first to become my personal favourite when I initially discovered there were so many different styles to begin with, and remained a long time favourite for years and years.  After all, they were not too intense or intimidating, offered a welcoming malty flavour with a minimum amount of any discernible hop bitterness, and in general provided a fantastically friendly session beer for any occasion or season.

Really, for the past 800 years Brown Ales remained a ubiquitous, if not practically anonymous style since it was so common and standard.  Until more modern kilning techniques were developed (introducing the world to “Pale Ales” as a result), almost all beers were some sort of denomination or variety of a Brown Ale, although not necessarily similar to the kinds we know of today.  Perhaps as a result of that sort of forced monotony the lighter styles that developed over the subsequent centuries-English Bitters, Belgian Golden Ales, Hefeweizens, Lagers of all kinds!-became more and more popular.  On the other end of the spectrum even the Porter, the grand daddy of the Stout, developed from the near universal Brown.  Although it’s still one of the most approachable and accessible of all styles, especially ales, the Brown Ale has turned into something of a wall flower in comparison these days.  A shame, since it knows most of your favourite dances, and is always up for a lengthy make-out session, really it’s almost the ideal low maintenance date!

In the case of Wild Rose’s Brown Ale, it has been there since day one since 1996 as part of their original line up, and was their initial best selling beer.  What helped it stand out from the crowd was that it was much more robust and flavourful than most of the lukewarm Brown Ales available at the time.  Even now that there is more healthy competition on the shelves these days, it still holds its own in good company.

As stated earlier, Brown Ales are pretty versatile and low maintenance.  Your favourite beer glass, or the closest drinking receptacle within arm’s reach, hell, even a flower vase will serve the purpose, it’ll taste good out of practically anything.  Browns are warm and attractive to look at however, so a clear and classy glass will accentuate it, going from Sandy Olsson at the beginning of Grease to the belle of the ball, no tight leather pants required.  Allow things to warm up a bit as well, the reward for your patience will be more complexity apparent from the malt.

The Wild Rose Brown Ale greets you with a ruby brown body in appearance, capped by a loose frothy beige head.  Greeting your nose will be a toasted aroma of nuts and soft coffee notes, even hints of smoky char.  Keeping that same theme but expanding more in the flavour is toasted, nutty malt up front, with a mild dry chocolate finish, some roasted coffee, while dry wafer crisp cocoa lingers on in the aftertaste.  In contrast the mouthfeel is on the lighter side, making this an easily quaffable session ale.

Where’s the beef?  That’s what you should be asking when searching for an ideal food pairing with this Wild Rose version of Brown Ale.  Look no further than beef based stews, chili, roasts or grilled steaks.  Fajitas and burritos with a healthy helping of cheese will be carried into another realm of dining experience.  On its own soft, earthy and nutty cheese will combine so well you’ll think you’ve discovered a secret recipe for the ultimate comfort food combo.  Camembert is a good starting point.  Along the lines of earthiness, most mushroom dishes will provide a surprising and complimentary dining companion for this Brown Ale.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
WRaspberry Ale
IPA (India Pale Ale)
Velvet Fog
WRed Wheat
SOB (Special Old Bitter)

In-Style:
Newcastle Brown Ale
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale
Alley Kat Amber
Brooklyn Brown Ale
Mt. Begbie Tall Timber Ale

Lateral Steps:
Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
Negra Modelo
Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
Lobkowicz Baron

For The Adventurous:
Aventinus
Rogue Mocha Porter
Fuller’s Vintage Ale
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon Brewing

Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
ABV: 8.7%
Presentation: Single 330 ml white enamel bottle, blue foil around the cap
Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
Country: Melle, Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

What’s more intense than a lone beer that is not only named after a morbid medical condition that it can induce through excessive consumption, but also has an official public fellowship?  Throw in some pink elephants to seal the deal and what you have is a force to be reckoned with.  A delicious force to reckon with, no doubt, but a bit of caution would be wisely in order.

Released upon the world on December 26^th, 1989 Delirium Tremens needed less than a decade to be nominated for “best beer in the world” in 1997, and lived up to that recognition the following year in Chicago by earning a gold medal at the World Beer Championships.  Perhaps some of this was drawn about with the assistance of the “Confrerie van de Roze Olifant” that was formed in 1992, in English known as The Brotherhood of the Pink Elephant.  Far from having sinister intentions, this group has taken up the charge of promoting Delirium Tremens and other local beers of Melle, Belgium, along with more altruistic pursuits within the community.  It is said that to become an honourary member of this order you have to swig back your first glass of Delirium Tremens in one shot.

Now as you know by now I’m not a doctor, but like to play one on television, and as a result would have to advise you to do such a thing at your own discretion.  This Belgian ale is a formidable 8.7% in alcohol content after all.

Speaking of overindulgence, delirium tremens is the Latin term for “trembling madness”.  This affliction of the mind and body is what may take hold of an individual who’s been overindulging with alcohol for a period and then suddenly stops, a sort of severe shock from withdrawal.  It may constitute uncontrollable shakes and seizures, and may even lead to fatality.  Based on that sort of prognosis consider yourself lucky if you merely get away with hallucinations of pink dancing elephants.

With all that out of the way we can get back to the beer.  Even without all the aforementioned brouhaha this fine golden ale speaks for itself and stands on its own.  Triple fermented with the aid of three separate yeast strains, it unravels itself as complex yet refined.  Ideally it is served in a tulip or burgundy glass, although a trusty large brandy snifter is just as good.  Trust me, it just won’t be the same in a pint glass or something similar.  Plus in order to release some of the complexity allow Delirium Tremens to warm up at least 15 minutes before opening and pouring.

Once in the glass you’ll discover a dense white meringue-like head resting upon a hazed yet bright golden body in appearance.  The nose will pick up grainy and light bready malt, with floral notes and a mild orange citrus.  A few sips will reveal a mellow crispness of malt up front, spicy pepper notes which immediately follow, with a graceful zip of citrus hops on the finish, which dries out very quickly within the aftertaste.  This is all accompanied by a dry, lightly carbonated mouthfeel.

If you are planning on becoming an honourary member of The Brotherhood of the Pink Elephant it would be a good idea to have a bite to eat with it at some point along the line.  It’ll accentuate a serving of steamed mussels if you’re looking for some light fare.  Either seared or grilled salmon and Ahi tuna are some other good seafood selections.  Baked poultry or braised beef are more heartier options.  For a more authentic pairing some Belgian cuisine highlighted by some sort of game meat and thickly sliced frites will offer a well-rounded experience.  However when you find yourself surrounded by dancing pink elephants, it’s a pretty good indication to call it a night already, especially to avoid the tremens.

The next step in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Floris Kriek
Floris Ninkeberry
Fruli

In-Style:
Duvel
Piraat
Pranqster - North Coast
Affligem Blond

Lateral Steps:
Konig Ludwig Weiss
Augustijn
Gouden Carolus Tripel

For The Adventurous:
Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René
Le Merle - North Coast
Petrus Oud Bruin

Style: Double India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.8%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Co. exclusive for Sherbrooke Liquor
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

This one’s for you dedicated Hopheads out there, and the adventurous amongst the crowd.  The name, the label…..loaded with puns, I’ll let you connect the dots yourself.  Instead let’s start off with pedigree:  Bad Hare Day was the first Double IPA brewed in Alberta, back in the Spring of 2008, and remains a rotating seasonal offering in the Sherbrooke beer pantheon, and currently on the shelves in its second run.  I’ll be honest with you folks, this is my personal favourite style, as rare as it is around these parts, although it took me years and years to develop a palate that appreciates its intense hoppy nature.  I’m well aware that many people out there consider India Pale Ales as too much to handle as it is, trust me, I used to be amongst you on that one.

In the case of a “Double” or “Imperial” India Pale Ale (an IPA being a hoppy enough style on its own!), we are pushing the ticket and adding even more hops and bitterness to produce this style.  Truly an invention of the American craft brewing scene, more specifically the West coast (where the mentality usually tends to be go big or go home to say the least), the Double IPA was said to have originated in the mid-1990’s at a brewery in San Diego completely by accident, when a recipe was slightly botched and then entirely overcompensated for.  The end result was the epitome of hophead heaven.  They tasted the finished product and deemed it not only drinkable, but worthy of mass consumption and repeated production.  Yet another historical incident of a happy accident that became a groundbreaking milestone.

For a lot of people an India Pale Ale seems like a daunting style, hoppy and bitter and beyond the capacity of where their taste buds are able to humanly endure, whereas a Double IPA should be twice as intimidating based on theory.  Fair enough, yet allow me to bust and elaborate on certain myths and misconceptions.  First off most DIPA’s are produced with American variations of hops, it being an American invention in the first place.  A lot of people tend to overlook that the predominant domestic varieties of hops tend to be the citrusy ones, lending characteristics of tangerine and lemon, to the more common and familiar grapefruit qualities.  Also being rounded out by earthy pine notes.  And whereas many regular IPA’s can be a bit on the lopsided scale sliding dramatically towards the bitter end of the spectrum, what makes Double IPA’s more unique is that with more hops comes a necessity of more malt to help keep it all in check, if not to lend a more cohesive balance.  A proper DIPA requires a strong enough backbone of malt to help keep everything in check.  From earthy grainy malt, to sweet toffee malts or anything in-between, it will be there to greet you up front in the flavour even if the hops manage to get a leg up and a head start on things too.  Sometimes they can even seem like young tasting barleywines.

Given that sort of background, let’s see how Bad Hare Day holds its own in light of it all.

Allow about 10 minutes of warming up after pulling a bottle right out of the fridge, there’s a lot of flavour and aroma to be discovered within.  A pint glass will be the most ideal receptacle as well, unless you want to accentuate the aroma more, then grab an oversized snifter or wine glass.  When poured the appearance is an inviting hazy deep amber, topped by a tall spongy cream coloured head that slowly settles to a thick frothy cap.  Things jump up several levels in the aroma with an intense hoppy profile revealing notes of citrus, blood orange, pink grapefruit, even some papaya and pineapple, rounded out with some fresh pine. When I close my eyes it almost smells like a bowl full of gummy bears.  A bit of bready caramel malt manages to come through in the flavour before the hops grab the spotlight for the rest of the show. Yet it’s fairly refined, not out of control. It tastes like a few layers of hops as well, with the citrus coming up first, but notes of floral and herbal hops wash up to shore as well on the finish. The lingering aftertaste is more herbal, but also combined with white grapefruit rind, and a bit of sticky pine. Yet as it warms even more the malt becomes even more apparent, adding a refreshing balance to it all.  The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, but somewhat sticky on the finish.  Complex yet refined, this is a big beer with manners.

Keeping that in mind this bold beer requires fairly intense foods to pair up with.  For the cheese lover this balanced hoppy beer will compliment something sharp like Gorgonzola better than most wines.  Tex-Mex and Thai cuisine, with its contrast of chills and lime, spice and citrus, have also found their match with a beer like Bad Hare Day.  If dessert is on the menu consider something rich and savoury such as carrot cake, cream cheese icing and all.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Alley Kat Amber
Charlie Flint’s Original Lager
Olde Deuteronomy
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale

Also From Sherbrooke:
Sherbrooke Shamrock
Chocolate Cherry Ostiarius
Pi Jiu
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!
Van Helsing’s All Natural Mouthwash

In-Style:
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Rogue XS India Pale Ale
He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.
Hardcore IPA - BrewDog
Storm IPA - BrewDog
Half Pints Humulus Ludicrous

Style: American Amber/Red Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Yukon Brewing Company
Country: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

When I first met this red ale over a decade ago it used to be called Arctic Red.  Due to some legal issues a couple of years ago, regarding Molson’s apparent trademark over part of that name for some of their own defunct products, Yukon Brewing chose to tweak things around a bit.  Fortunate for all of us they simply dropped the offensive aspect that was causing all the litigation, but the beer itself stayed the same as it has been the past 13 years.

With all that behind them now this Red Ale from Yukon Brewing gained national recognition the  past year, bringing home not only a gold medal for its style, but also beating out all other gold medal winners to take the best in show and “Beer Of The Year” award for 2009.  The event was the Canadian Brewing Awards in Toronto, which has been running the past 7 years, although this year was the first to be sanctioned by the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program), with certified and seasoned beer judges picking out the cream of the crop this time around.  That’s the kind of street cred that gives Yukon Brewing even greater bragging rights in light of this newfound exposure.

After this sort of build-up here’s a beer not to be missed if you haven’t tried it before.  Really, it offers the best of all worlds, a balance of sweet malt, some crisp hops with a dry finish, yet not too complicated.  It’s even a safe way to start accustomizing your palate to a bit hops without being overwhelmed.   Let me help walk you through your first glass of this award winning ale from the frequently frozen North.

This particular style is pretty versatile as it is, you can grab your favourite glass to enjoy this one.  And even though there’s some hearty flavoured to be discovered, you can still drink it fairly chilled and not miss out on all it has to offer.  When this red ale makes its way into your favourite glass you’ll get a nice big hello from the clean mahogany appearance, and when held to light will reveal a rich clear garnet hue.  Rounding off that hello is a thick, creamy off-white head that will retain for a short while but will leave lacing down the inside of the glass as it recedes.  The texture is as enticing as it looks too, creamy and smooth mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.  There’s a simple yet effective bouquet on the nose, sweet, caramel malts with some green floral hops.  This balance continues on in the flavour with a healthy dose of toasted and caramel malt notes at first, ending with crisp spice and citrus from the hops in equal measure, the two blending once more in a dry aftertaste.  There’s something for everyone in here, enough hop bite to draw the hopheads away from their precious IPA’s for a spell (no offense, as I’m one of them, guilty as charged….), and enough backbone from the malt to keep those hops in check in order to keep this red ale still approachable for those who are still exploring and defining the boundaries of their palates.

Yukon Red remains just as versatile and user-friendly when it comes to serving with food.  The healthy combo of the malt and hop present will do well to both compliment and contrast beef or pork roasts, along with almost anything you can think of pulling off the barbecue grill.  The hops will accentuate mildly spicy dishes, although the malt might be a bit of a third wheel when too much heat is involved.  However anything you choose from an appetizer menu will play well with this red ale, especially saltier choices.  I also noticed that the Springbank Cheese Co. recommends pairing this particular ale with some Cambozola, which makes absolute sense as they are both somewhat sweet yet sharp, it’d almost be like the two were double dating.  All that aside this has been one of my favourite session beers since I first tried it several years ago, it seems to hit all the right spots without making me have to work too hard in the process.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Yukon Gold
Chilkoot Lager
Chilkoot Lead Dog Ale
Yukon Cranberry Wheat
Discovery Ale
Ice Fog IPA
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

In-Style:
Lagunitas Censored
Santa’s Private Reserve Ale - Rogue
Broken Rake Amber Ale - Pyramid
Fish Tale Amber Ale

Lateral Steps:
Fuller’s London Pride
Warsteiner Dunkel
Tall Timber Ale - Mt. Begbie
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Ale
Full Moon Pale Ale - Alley Kat

For The Adventurous:
Trappistes Rochefort 6
Paddywhack IPA - Nelson Brewing
Shakespeare Stout - Rogue

Style:  Strong Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:  9%
Presentation:  single 750 ml caged and corked brown bottle
Brewery:  Brooklyn Brewery
Country:  Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

What’s not to like about a beer that cost around $300,000 in essential preparations?  Along with all the initial test batches this was the price tag for the new specialized bottling line and extra facilities required to produce the first of the Brooklyn Brewery’s line of unique limited edition beers.

The Brooklyn Local 1 is an ale that tends to start falling through the cracks when it comes to a definitive style, where the boundaries of specific guidelines tends to get even hazier than the actual appearance of the beer itself.  Not that there’s anything wrong with this, except for the uptight purists who get more than a little uneasy when confronted with things that land outside the box of convention.

Of course if every brewer decided to defy loosely based yet traditionally established criteria then a trip to the beer cooler would turn into a confusingly chaotic experience, even more than you may consider it now.  Still, it’s no problem to turn a blind eye, if not fully applaud when brewers choose to experiment and push the limits every once in a while.  In the case of Local 1 it’s more a matter of experimental finesse, blurring the lines between a few similar styles to create what brewmaster Garrett Oliver considers his showcase beer, and his brewery’s first attempt at a Belgian style.

The Brooklyn Brewery has officially released Local 1 under the guise of a Belgian-inspired Strong Golden Ale, however it also has the alcohol content and characteristics of a Belgian Tripel, and the brewmaster prefers to refer to it as a “Strong Saison”, the latter of which I tend to agree with most.  Confused?  Then let’s stop nitpicking over technical classifications and jargon, and confirm that this big bottle of beer is worth the fuss.

Speaking of which, the large classy brown bottle is specially made in Germany, and is thicker and sturdier than average beer bottles in order to accommodate the bottle conditioning of the live yeast introduced to it prior to corking.  As a matter of fact this beer is completely filtered of all yeast before bottling and is completely flat.  The subsequent carbonation is all thanks to the live yeast working their magic between the time that each bottle leaves the brewery and you uncork it.

Because of the large bottle format it makes Local 1 a great option for sharing.  If you choose to tackle it on your own you can pop it open as soon as you pull it from the fridge, and then see how the flavour reveals itself as it warms and you work your way down the bottle.  Although a bit of chill is desired and will benefit this particular beer, somewhere around cellar temperature will be the most enjoyable, so perhaps allow it to warm for about 20 minutes first.  I’ll confess I’ve sampled several bottles of this stuff since its been released, and practically any glass will do, however I’ve noticed that stemware tends to accentuate it a bit more, but even then take your pick:  anything from champagne flutes to a Belgian tulip glass, to whatever type of wine glass you have around (red or white varieties) is fine.  They help set a mood too, or add a touch of class if pairing with a meal.

Once the cork is popped this stuff pours out a cloudy marmalade hue, with a tall creamy white head that exhibits great retention, and settles to a dense sponge cake cap.  If you hadn’t started picking up on the aroma as soon as you opened the bottle then now is the time to be introduced to prominent citrus notes, such as lemon zest and clementine, along with some spicy warmth, honey sweetness, and a dry grainy character from the wheat.  Both the texture and the flavour are dry, with some complex citrus notes and mild spice, a bit of sweet tartness from the wheat, finishing with light floral and leafy hops.  When Local 1 was originally released it had more of a creamy smooth mouthfeel, but now that it’s had time to age there is more of an effervescent, spritzy carbonation to it, making it a good substitute for champagne at get-togethers and special occasions.

Here is an ale that begs for food pairing, I have no doubt it was developed with this in mind.  Nearly any pork dish you can fathom has just found a mate for life with local 1, from a fully dressed pulled pork sandwich to a glazed baked ham to your favourite Chinese take-out barbeque pork.  Thai food is also a great option full of complimentary flavours, while the crisp carbonation of the beer will hold up to any heat and spice.  For those with a dairy fetish, you’ll be in safe territory pairing with soft and tangy cheeses.  The Brooklyn Brewery website also recommends spicy seafood for a culinary companion.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Brown Ale
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Brooklyn Lager
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Brooklyner Weisse

In-Style:
Duvel
Delerium Tremens
Unibroue Don De Dieu
Kwak

Lateral Steps:
Le Merle - North Coast
Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René
Westmalle Trappist Tripel
Tripel Karmeliet

For The Adventurous:
Petrus Oud Bruin
Duchesse De Bourgogne
Verhaeghe Echte Kriek
Liefmans Goudenband

Style: American Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9%
Presentation: Single 750 ml brown bottle coated with red enamel
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Country: Newport, Oregon, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

For those of you already familiar with Rogue’s best selling and most widely reviewed Maibock, Dead Guy Ale, here is a souped up version that will knock your socks off.  Regarding the rest of you who are unfamiliar with either, please save yourself the hassle and remain barefooted, and perhaps best return to a seated position as well.  Don’t anticipate to be completely overwhelmed, but please be forewarned that you are about to enter Flavour Country here.

As mentioned above, while its predecessor of Dead Guy Ale is more of a Maibock style that is a rich fuller-bodied lager, Double Dead Guy seems to fall through the cracks a bit.  While the most logical step would be to categorize it as a Doppelbock, a double strength Bock, it fails to fit into any semblance of what that particular style traditionally is.  We enter a bit a grey zone that is simply a stronger, more intense version of Dead Guy that seems to go off in its own direction and heads off the map.  I like that, it helps the Rogue brewery live up to its namesake and delve into new territory without any apology.  So come on pilgrim, let’s explore!

First of all this mysterious ale comes in an attractive red enamel-coated bottle, a pair of skull and crossbones up near the shoulder of it.  There’s no true proper glassware to prescribe for this wayward style, although I’d recommend something with a wider rim, be it stemware or a mug.  I would suggest allowing it to warm a bit however, there’s a fair share of bounty to discover that would be otherwise muted by serving it chilled.  This stuff is a bit of an investment so there’s no point in cutting yourself short of the full experience.  Now it’s time to check out what lies inside…..

Springing from the bottle will be a rich hazed rustic copper beer, capped by a dense chunky off-white head, with an aromatic symphony starting with chewy caramel, then toasty, bready, honey malt sweetness, faint alcohol, and earthy, spicy, citrusy hops.  There’s definitely a lot going on here, and we’re just getting started.  The flavour rolls in like waves, something new surfacing and crashing on the shores of the palate almost with every sip.  Malty billows of thick chewy caramel, bready toasted notes, oats and honey sweetness, equally blended with floral, herbal, spicy and citrus hops, almost more going on than can be easily broken down into a linear description.  As strong of a backbone that the malt provides, it seems the hops tend to overwhelm it at times in a friendly, tasty tug-of-war, which in the end leaves you the real winner every single time.  Delivering this whole epic adventure is a full, yet smooth and creamy mouthfeel;  a bit sticky and oily near the finish as the malt and hops still battle for the upper hand even in the texture, although in the end the finish remains dry.

The Rogue brewery recommends pairing this robust ale with pork or hot and spicy dishes, and I can’t argue that.  I must admit that this particular beer has stumped me a bit for matching with food.  It’s intense and diverse enough in flavour that it almost puts the drinker into a position of trying to decide by process of elimination what it won’t overwhelm or create a cacophony of extreme contrasts.  So think intense when matching with foods such as chili based dishes, robust lamb or game, barbecue that is slathered in sauce such as ribs, or even pesto or garlic focused pasta dishes.  When it comes to comfort food forget burgers or pizza, this Double Dead Guy Ale is chomping at the bit to go head to head with a plate of Buffalo wings.  After taking the journey that this bottle has to offer, it might not be such a bad idea to grab a bite with it, or at least pack a lunch, as you never know where it’ll lead you or where you may end up.

The next steps in the cooler:

Other Rogue Double Ales:
XS Imperial Porter
XS Imperial IPA
XS Imperial Red
XS Imperial Stout
XS Old Crustacean Barleywine
XS Younger’s Special Bitter

Lateral Steps:
Lagunitas Imperial Red
Hitachino Nest XH
He’Brew Rejewvenator
Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head

For The Adventurous:
St. Bernardus Abt 12
La Trappe Quadrupel - Koningshoeven
Old Fisherman’s Ale - Pannepot
Rogue Chipotle Ale