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

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9%
Presentation: Single 750 ml brown caged and corked bottles
Brewery: Unibroue
Country: Chambly, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

When you set out to explore the world of beer, and then quickly realize how vast it is and how much there is out there that you’ve yet to try, at times you can get a bit overwhelmed and lost.  Perhaps a bit compulsive in your quest to discover it all.  Because of moments like this I recommend keeping a handful of old favourites in mind, as a way of going back and grounding yourself for a bit, just sitting back and enjoying the company of an old tried and true winner.

One overlooked ale that I love to spend some down time with, and sadly not often enough, is Don De Dieu from Québec’s renowned Unibroue Brewery.  It’s not so complex that I have to grab a thesaurus and pull out a slide rule in order to get the full experience out of it, instead there’s enough subtle goodness in the guise of what seems on the outside as a big beer.  At a hefty 9% alcohol content, this beer can be a bit deceptive if you haven’t defined your personal limits ahead of time.

Another beautiful thing is that almost every beer that Unibroue puts out seems to have some sort of story behind it, some interesting reference from history or folklore.  Don De Dieu is no exception.  In fact it translates as “Gift Of God” from French, which to my mind makes it aptly named.  It doesn’t end there though.  The original Don De Dieu was the galleon that Samuel de Champlain sailed to the New World on the commission of King Henry IV of France himself.  It was with this vessel that Champlain sailed up the St Lawrence Seaway and came to found and settle what is now Québec City.

Although I try to keep things fairly general with my beer descriptions here in KANPAI!, and allow you the reader and beer adventurer to use it a starting point to expand your own personal experience from each new beer you try, I’m going to totally geek out this time around and provide my initial description from back when I first tried this gorgeous Belgian-styled ale, and how it converted me on the spot, making it a long-term favourite ever since.  Consider yourselves lucky that we have this ale so easily accessible now too, I initially had to get my first bottle on a trip out to Vancouver at one point.

Best served in stemware such as an oversized wine glass or brandy snifter, or a Belgian tulip glass or chalice if you have one.  It’s also much more pleasant and subtlely complex the closer it gets to room temperature.  With that preliminary business taken care of, here we go!

“Initially pours out with an aggressive foamy white head that eventually settles down to a solid creamy 1 finger cap in my chalice. Serious carbonation action within this cloudy apricot-hued body, when held up to the light it reminds me of the predominant colour scheme of the label.  The nose is light yet assertive with a parade of aromas, an underlying spiciness that reveals citrus, pepper, vanilla, clove, orange rind, candied banana and cinnamon, which gives way to the fruity esters of apple, pear and pineapple, along with a yeast and wheat presence blanketed within all of that, alcohol is very faint.  Mouthfeel is delicate and creamy, smooth except for a bit of an alcohol bite that rubs its supple hands across your palate, a most welcome texture.  The flavour is just one big magic carpet ride, so much going on that it’s like the many major cities of the Earth whizzing by beneath you too fast to completely take in, but leaving you in awe all the same. Green apples dipped in caramel at first, smothered in a cinnamon/vanilla/pear compote, rolled in bitter orange peels, cloves and pepper, and washed down with the smoothest of hefeweizens with an aged Grand Marnier chaser. And that doesn’t even do it justice. A 1001 Arabian Nights of an ale.”

Well then, back to reality, that was how this ale first caught my attention, and continues to enchant me whenever I can make the time to come back and revisit it.  Not only that, but hopefully this shows you how creative and descriptive you can get if you decide to make notes from all the different beers you are trying.  Make it fun, and make it personal.

Lastly we’ll still get to some food pairings.  As complex as the flavour of this golden ale sounds when described above, much of it is subtle nuance, I really picked this baby apart to its bare elements, and perhaps did not give credit as to how surprisingly mellow this 9% beer really is.  As a result of that, robust and rich foods are out to eat alongside this particular beer, the beverage will get drowned out as a result.  Keep in mind something of an ambitious salad, with elements of baby spinach, dried cranberries, pine nuts, perhaps a citrus based vinaigrette, even topped by chicken or salmon.  Predominantly white fish would match well with the subtleness, even lightly seared scallops.  Lobster or crab too if you`re feeling ambitious or want to celebrate something special.  Consider this heads up about the Gift Of God as my gift to you.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Blanche De Chambly
Chambly Noire
Maudite
Ephemere (Apple)
Ephemere (Blackcurrant)
La Fin Du Monde
Trois Pistoles
Unibroue 16
Unibroue 17
Quatre-Centieme

In-Style:
Duvel
Delerium Tremens
La Chouffe

Lateral Steps:
Chimay White
St. Bernardus Tripel
Gouden Carolus Tripel

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

Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Presentation: 330 ml brown Euro stubby bottle
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Country: Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Duvel, pronounced doov’l or doovelle or doo’fl (depending on who you ask), means “devil” in a few Flemish dialects, and one thing is for sure, it is overwhelmingly deceptive at first.  Considered the first of the Belgian Golden Strong Ales ever brewed, it is light, sweet, almost a golden cloud in a glass, yet delivers an almost unnoticeable high alcohol percentage that is not for the faint of constitution, or to be mistaken as a session ale.  That’s something that would end in tears…..

Moving along to the brewery itself, in 1871 a brewery-farm was founded by the Flemish Moortgat family in the municipality of Puurs, Belgium, and has remained a family run operation to this day, already into its 3^rd generation of management.  Duvel was originally produced in 1923 as a way to commemorate the end of World War One, and as a tribute to the English and U.S. soldiers who helped fight the occupying German army.  Because of this it was initially intended to be called “Victory Ale”.  The now legendary story is told that upon initially tasting this potential Victory Ale an employee of the brewery exclaimed, “Da’s nen echten duvel!” which was a local slang saying that translates to, “Damn, that’s a devil of a beer!”  Supposedly the comment struck a chord and stuck in the minds of the brewery’s management involved at the time, leading to a last minute name change to what we now know as Duvel.

An ale that is viewed as something as an anomaly even to this day, there was nothing like Duvel at the time of its inception.  First off the higher alcohol content of 8.5% was a direct reflective response to a law passed in Belgium in 1919 banning the serving of spirits in cafes.  This only resulted in several breweries producing high alcohol beers as a loophole.  What started to make Duvel stand out from the rest however was the mashing of very pale malt, so pale it was steamed rather than traditionally kilned in order to produce as pale of a malt as possible.  To keep things remaining light, a fair amount of corn sugar was added to the brew tun instead of more malt.  Flowery, aromatic hops from both Bohemia and Slovenia were used, combined with well water drawn directly from wells sunk beneath the brewery site itself.  Perhaps the most unique ingredient was the use of a distinct strain of Scottish ale yeast from the McEwan’s brewery of Scotland.  Some say the Moortgat’s acquired it after intense negotiations with McEwan’s, others claim it was “appropriated” from the sediment at the bottom of a bottle of McEwan’s bottle-conditioned export Scotch Ale of the time.  Regardless, the alchemy that is Duvel is completed through a triple fermentation process, including a lengthy cold lagering after the initial fermentation to round out the flavours and lighten up the body, then more yeast and priming sugar are added to aid it in bottle-conditioning after it leaves the brewery.  The end result is magic, perhaps with a bit of divine contribution or, ahem, otherwise….  Thusly a new beer style was born!

Traditionally Duvel is served in a burgundy glass, however a large snifter or oversized wine glass will suffice, or better yet a Belgian tulip glass if you are into collecting proper beer glassware.  If you wish to go all the way and track one down Duvel offers their own specially tailored burgundy-style glass.  There is going to be an extraordinary amount of chunky, frothy white head with exceptional retention, so the extra room in the glass will be gratefully appreciated, trust me on this.  It’s stated by the brewery that the ideal serving temperature ranges between 5-10 degrees Celsius, so by the time you pull the bottle from the fridge and get it fully poured into your glass it should be in this range.  If you manage a pour without getting any yeast sediment into the glass expect bright a pale golden body that might be slightly hazed and bursting with active carbonation, yet can nearly be confused for a craft lager.  If the yeast sediment does get poured in, no worries, it’ll just look a bit cloudy but will not detract overall.  In the aroma you’ll encounter clean notes of citrus, faint spice, malt sweetness, and even some alcohol warmth.  The mouthfeel will be smooth, with some more warmth from the alcohol, finishing crisp and dry similar to champagne.  As we head into flavour country be prepared for a more subtle palate, mild sweetness from the malt, patches of fruit and spice from the yeast, with a lemon-rind and herbal green bitterness attributed to the hops, all rolling through your mouth in waves of intermittent harmony.  Citrus and spice lingers in the aftertaste.  Suddenly it’s all over and gone before you know it, like a golden cloud that briefly caught your attention in a mesmerizing moment of bliss, short and sweet, but who can decide whether it was more shorter or sweeter.  You want to reach for another one.  Perhaps that’s when the alcohol percentage may start to finally catch up with you.  May I point out once again the 8.5% alcohol content?  Deceptive indeed.  The devil’s always in the details, isn’t it?

When it comes to pairing with food, Duvel is as versatile as it is deceptive, able to handle being set up with flavour profiles that are sweet, spicy, herbal, salty, savoury, creamy or fruity.  It scrubs and cleanses the palate, and can act as either an aperitif or digestif.  In fact there’s not much it won’t go with fairly well with, and would be worthwhile experimenting on your own with whatever strikes your fancy.  But you didn’t think I’d just leave you hanging like that, did you?  Duvel is great to serve if you’re planning a Thai or Cajun themed dinner.  Salmon or chicken dishes would be a good place to start as well, especially if they have a prominent garlic presence to them.  Yet it’s mild enough to not overwhelm shellfish either.  For the cheese lovers in the crowd this beer is an ideal counterpart to strong cheeses, such as stilton or blue.  Think of Duvel as the classy multitool of beers, there’s not much it can’t handle, yet remains unique and enjoyable on its own.  The perfect place to start for people interested in checking out Belgian beers.

The next steps in the cooler:

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

Lateral Steps:
La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue
Chimay White
St. Bernardus Tripel
Corsendonk Agnus Pale Ale

For The Adventurous:
Mikkeller  US Alive
Le Merle
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Petrus Aged Pale Ale

Style: Amber Ale
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 500 ml single cans
6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Tree Brewing Co.
Country: Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

From my experience Thirsty Beaver seems to be the most popular offering from the Tree Brewery of Kelowna (although I’m more partial to their Hophead myself).  Heck, there’s even a local softball team named after it.  When Tree first started brewing this ale back in the Spring of 1996 it was simply called Amber Ale, however in 2005 not only did the name get changed to Thirsty Beaver but the packaging also underwent a total facelift to the cartoony and somewhat goofy incarnation we all know and love these days.  I’ll let you come to your own conclusions regarding any double entendres or innuendo possibly involved…..  More notoriety attributed to this amber ale is that Thirsty Beaver was one of the first craft beers ever to be offered in 500 ml cans in Western Canada, as Tree was the first regional brewery to utilize this format.

In a sense the Amber Ale is an ambiguous umbrella term used to describe a loose style of beer that started to become prominent in the U.S. around the turn of the 20^th century, especially flourishing in the Western states.  Darker than an English Bitter, maltier than the usual Pale Ale, it can range between light copper to light brown in appearance, generally is quite balanced in flavour, tending to lean towards the malty side, however snappy, hoppy versions are not uncommon, especially among Pacific Northwest brewers.  For many they make an ideal gateway beer into the realm of ales from commercial domestic lager drinkers, usually unintimidating and appealing to those comfortable with maltier, sweeter flavour profiles.  Although it’s not very complex, Thirsty Beaver offers a great starting point for the style, especially for people who have only ever sampled something like a Rickard’s Red previously.

Whether you picked it up in the can or the bottle, this is an ale you can gladly pull out your favourite pint glass or mug for, nothing fancy is required to fully appreciate it.  Although it’ll taste alright straight out of the fridge, I’d recommend letting it sit for 5-10 minutes to warm up slightly, in order to help release the sweet malty goodness waiting inside for you.  Expect a ruddy translucent copper colour with a fairly tall white head that lingers a while.  The aroma will be somewhat toasted, sweet at times with a mild caramel character, juxtaposed with hints of floral citrus hops.  With a mouthfeel that is light yet not watery this amber ale remains approachable yet satisfying, easily keeping it within the realm of a session beer.  The taste up front contains moderate amounts of caramelized malt, toasted and dry.  This continues to be the predominant flavour until it is joined by a slight amount of citrus and grassy hops on the finish, although the malts linger on once more in the aftertaste with just a touch of lemon zest.

If served with food I’d suggest trying Thirsty Beaver along with some comfort food, paired alongside burgers, chicken wings or nachos, heck, even poutine.  The malt base would also go well with beef and pork dishes, from a roast to a sandwich or wrap.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Kelowna Pilsner
Cutthroat Pale Ale
Hophead IPA
Spy Porter
Hefeweizen (seasonal)
Raspberry Porter (seasonal)

In-Style:
Pumphouse Fire Chief Red
Yukon Red
Mill St. Tankhouse Ale
Lagunitas Censored
Fish Tale Organic Pale Ale

Lateral Steps:
Fuller’s London Pride
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale
Mt. Begbie Tall Timber Ale
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

For The Adventurous:
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Rogue XS Imperial Red Ale
Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head
Olde Deuteronomy - Alley Kat

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 8%
Presentation: Single 750 ml brown caged and corked bottles,
6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Unibroue
Country: Chambly, Quebec, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

The first time I ever wrote down an initial description of this ale many years ago I said that the flavour hit me like a velvet canoe paddle.  It wasn’t a bad thing, in fact it was quite enjoyable, simply more intense than almost any beer I had tried up until that point.

For those of you who enjoy drinking and cussing, Maudite may be right up your alley.  Pronounced “moe-dzit”, Maudite translates as “Cursed” or “Damned” from the Quebecois dialect, and refers to the gentlemen in the flying canoe on the gorgeously rendered label on the bottle.  Of course the smarmy winking devil offers a good hint as well.  What’s going on here is a reference to the old Quebecois legend of the “Chasse-Galerie”, The Legend of the Flying Canoe.  There are several variations on it but the gist goes like this:

It was near Christmas-time when 8 French Voyageurs were out deep in the woods trapping and collecting pelts, and were too far away from home to be able to get back in time to spend the Holidays with their families.  Somehow they made a pact with the devil, which made their canoe sail across the sky in order to make it home in time.  However one of them must have had pangs of regret, as the moment he invoked the name of God out of lament he freed himself from their diabolical pledge, unfortunately sending the whole lot of them and their canoe plunging back to earth.  None of them were ever seen again.

There’s actually a variant on this tale stating that they made the pact for the flying canoe in order to get back in time before all the good beer had been consumed during the celebrations.  Some people and their priorities….

Now to fully enjoy this strong red ale you’re going to have to start off with the proper glassware.  Anything with a wide brim is going to be ideal, be it an oversized red wine glass, a large brandy snifter, or if you’re in a pinch, a wide mug will do.  Because this ale is conditioned and re-fermented in the bottle, that means there’s going to be some yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle, so be prepared for that.  Also this means that there will be extra flavours and aromas as a result of the yeast, so I’d recommend letting this beer sit at least a good 15-20 minutes before opening once you’ve pulled it out of the fridge.  One other point regarding the bottle-conditioning from the yeast, and in combination with the higher alcohol content, is that this beer can be cellared and aged like wine for about 5 years or so, and over time the character of the flavour will subtly shift and change.

On to the pour!  When dealing with bottle conditioned beers that contain yeast at the bottom is to stop the pour once you’re down to the last half inch of beer left in the bottle, thus still containing the yeast and preventing it from getting into your glass.  No worries if some does get poured, the yeast is harmless, and in fact is fairly healthy, being loaded with B vitamins.  At worst it will cloud up the beer in your glass and might add a bit of tart off-flavour.

After all that build up expect a tight spongy off-white head, with a translucent slightly hazed dark mahogany amber body.  The aroma is fairly complex yet will probably come across as predominantly yeasty, spicy, with hints of citrus, although there is a sweet and toasted malt backing it all up.  The more attention you pay to the smell the more different aspects you’ll be able to pick out.  The flavour is just as complex with bready malt, dark fruits, spice, and citrus, with faint peppery and leafy hops on the finish.  Carrying this all across your tongue and palate is a smooth textured mouthfeel with a medium-bodied fullness, yet a slick lower carbonation.  There will also be a bit of warmth in the flavour and mouthfeel from the higher alcohol content.

Maudite is just begging to be paired with food.  For this particular beer of theirs Unibroue suggests stews, pasta, red meat and spicy dishes.  To this I would add that it’s a great match with strong cheese, this strong Belgian brew will hold its own and go blow to blow with the sharp and intense flavours.  Oddly enough Maudite will accentuate and bring out the rich flavours of artisanal chocolates, the darker the better, or provide a balanced contrast for sweeter, milkier variations.  From roasts to grilled meat, on to pungent and savoury dishes Maudite is a great accompaniment.

No need to sell your own soul or lose your head over this stuff, fortunately for us Maudite is easily and readily accessible.  Although if you consume too many of these in one sitting you’ll start to think the devil did get his due after all.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Blanche De Chambly
Chambly Noire
Don De Dieu
Ephemere (Apple)
Ephemere (Blackcurrent)
La Fin Du Monde
Trois Pistoles
Unibroue 16
Unibroue 17
Quatre-Centieme

In-Style:
Trappistes Rochefort 8
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Chimay Blue
Gulden Draak

Lateral Steps:
Duvel
Chimay Red Cap
St. Bernardus Tripel
Augustijn

For The Adventurous:
Trappistes Rochefort 10
Black Albert
Pannepot Grand Reserva
Koningshoeven Quadrupel
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Thomas Hardy’s Ale

Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 4.7%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Mt. Begbie Brewing Co.
Country: Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Contrary to an unsettling common misconception Cream Ales possess no milk products whatsoever.  Some brewers use lactose, which is milk sugar, in order to sweeten their darker ales like stouts and porters, but this is far from the case regarding the Cream Ale style.  Even the expectation of a full, creamy texture is getting out of bounds.  It’s the newer nitrogen injected Irish ales that are adding “Cream Ale” to their names that are advertising this sort of fullness and delivering it, however they are fairly recent innovation and considerably off the mark from the traditional incarnation of this style.

In essence a Cream Ale is practically a loose American version of the rare German Kölsch style, a pale, light refreshing beer that remains a sort of hybrid between a lager and an ale.  Back in the late 1800’s American ale brewers were looking for ways to both to cut corners and to compete with the ever increasingly popular lager style.  Since refrigeration still wasn’t commonplace at the time many of the ales were produced at room or cellar temperature with bottom-fermenting lager yeast that is normally required to be fermented at colder, near freezing temperatures.  Without the colder “lagering” temperatures to help clarify the beers they retained the sweeter, fruitier notes that are associated with ales.  Brewers also added corn sugar to lighten the body and mouthfeel more akin to lagers as well.  Some brewers would cheat by blending in some actual portions of lager too.  During the American Prohibition this style was actually kept alive by Canadian Brewers here in the great white north, who also found it an easier method to produce light and quaffable beers within a shorter processing time.  Nowadays the small faction of modern brewers who tend to produce this style do so in the opposite way it used to be fashioned, thanks to common technological advancements. Although it still remains a hybrid, commonly now brewers will produce a light ale and then cold mature it for a shorter time than they would a lager.

What I enjoy about Mt. Begbie’s interpretation of their Cream Ale is that they take an already uncommon style and make it their own.  It doesn’t require anything fancy to be served in, a mug or pint glass will be fine if you don’t own any fancy beer glasses.  It’ll be nice and crisp if you drink it straight from the fridge just as with any lager, however if you allow it to warm up a bit there is a decent flavour profile waiting to be discovered.  You’ll be glad you poured this stuff into a glass as it’s a rather attractive beer with a clean light coppery amber body crowned by a tall creamy, frothy white head that possesses impressive retention.  Unlike many Cream Ales you’ll be greeted first by some light spicy, grassy hops in the aroma, complimented by some flowery honey sweetness and mild toasted and biscuity malt.  The flavour also has more personality to it than the average Cream Ale, as subtle as it still remains.  Biscuity malt that’s laced with a honey-like sweetness, crisp and dry from the middle to finish, with faint notes of green spicy hops on the finish, although not much in the way of any lingering aftertaste.  One thing I did notice is that honey sweetness might get a little too bold and out of place if this ale is allowed to warm up too much, so perhaps don’t nurse it for too long if that’s something you’re not looking for.  Lastly, although it’s quite smooth, don’t expect any serious creaminess in the mouthfeel, simply a medium-bodied ale with light dry carbonation on the finish.

For the most part this style of beer is produced to be consumed in a session, such as hanging out with your friends on a patio for an afternoon, or throughout an evening in your favourite social setting.  As the flavour profile is fairly mild, consider this when you feel like pairing this Cream Ale from Mt. Begbie along with food.  The brewery’s website recommends pairing their Cream Ale along with pasta or pizza.  It’ll balance out foods with mild salty or citrus characteristics, and I’d recommend sticking to starters and finger foods such as sweet potato fries, deep-fried wontons or calamari, in order to not overpower the beer itself.

A cream ale with a personality beyond the norm, this a proper stepping stone for those wishing to cross over from lagers to ales, especially as it’s already a bit of both.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
High Country Kölsch
Tall Timber Ale

In-Style:
Eric’s Red Cream Ale
Bowen Island Irish Cream Ale
Warthog - Big Rock
Sleeman Cream Ale

Lateral Steps:
Dead Guy Ale - Rogue
Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale - Tree
Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat - Grizzly Paw
St-Ambroise Pale Ale

For The Adventurous:
Czechvar
Paulaner
Innis and Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Yukon Red

Jason Foster

I realize that even for a column designed to teach the basics about beer, a piece distinguishing ale from lager has the potential to insult the reader’s intelligence. It is the most fundamental division in beer and so talking about it can devolve into obviousness. But trust me for a minute and read on. The differences between lager and ale are both more profound and less demarcated that one might think.

Let’s, briefly, start at the beginning. There are two essential determinants for classifying a beer as “ale” or “lager” – and they are interdependent. First, and most fundamental, is the temperature at which the beer is fermented. Ales are fermented at room temperature (about 18-20 degrees Celsius); lagers colder (below 11 degrees). Lagers also get a period of “cold conditioning” near freezing temperatures, in German called “lagering” (hence the name – aren’t those brewers clever?)

Inherently connected to temperature is the second component – the strain of yeast used. Some yeasts perform best at room temperature, others at cooler levels. Over the centuries, brewers have isolated different types of yeast best suited for particular beers. The distinction between lager yeasts and ale yeasts evolved slowly, but is today quite clear.

Part of the explanation for the difference is historical. Ales are older - going back probably 2000 years. But brewers are an innovative lot, and 500 years ago, someone tried storing their wort (beer juice prior to fermentation; pronounced “wert”) in a cave to make it last longer. To their surprise it both fermented and tasted unlike any other beer they had experienced. Lager was born.

But this is the boring part. More interesting is the effect on flavour. Lagers are cleaner, crisper, with a more thirst-quenching effect. This is due to the cold-aging. Ales, on the other hand, are fruiter, more complex on the tongue and have a rounded finish.

If I stopped here, I would definitely be insulting your intelligence. For as informative as that may be, it doesn’t actually tell you much about either variety of beer.

Because what it doesn’t say is that this clear demarcation can get very fuzzy very quickly. Certain lagers can have ale-like complexity and some ales have an obvious lager-ish cleanliness. As some quick examples, compare Ayinger Celebrator dopplebock with Yukon Arctic Red, or even Kilkenny. Celebrator is rich, dark, intensely malty with dark fruit notes. It is complex and warming. On the other hand, Arctic Red is abundantly crisp with a lovely balance of caramel malt and light hoppiness. Kilkenny is smooth, refreshing and clean.

From my descriptions you might label Celebrator as an ale, and Arctic Red and Kilkenny as lagers. You would be wrong – proving the point that the lines are less clear than first thought.

Beer is a complex creature. Many variables shape the final impression of the beer. Celebrator is ale-like because of its bold malt profile. Arctic Red is intentionally brewed clean. Some beers are designed to blend the qualities of both ale and lagers. Such are the wonders of beer.

Making it more complicated is that malt sweetness and/or hop bitterness are equally likely in each type – as is colour. For example, Pilsner Urquell – a lager – displays a rich hoppiness, just like Alley Kat Full Moon – an ale. The differentiation lies elsewhere.
So what does this mean for you, the drinker? First, it does give you a starting place for evaluating your beer appreciation. Do you prefer a beer that is quenching and crisp, like Creemore Springs, Sapporo or Paddock Wood Black Cat Lager? Then you tend toward lagers. If nutty, fruity, more rounded beers appeal to you more – like Big Rock Traditional, Mill Street Stock Ale or Alley Kat Full Moon – then ales are your bailiwick.

Of course, you are free to appreciate both (as I do), and this is where the second benefit arises. It can develop your beer appreciation by informing you, in general terms, what to expect from a beer. By knowing how a beer is brewed, and what that means for the final product, you can better evaluate how well a particular beer meets expectations. Using your judgement, you can break through the marketing spin produced by some beer companies. Alexander Keith may call his beer an India Pale Ale, but one sip will tell you it is a standard pale lager.

Third, understanding the nature of the difference allows you to move beyond what the large brewers are pushing on you. It may surprise you to learn that the majority of beer styles are ales, given that the bulk of beer on liquor store shelves are lagers. This is due to large, corporate brewers building beers that appeal to the largest possible segment of beer drinkers. The result is beers that taste essentially the same.

By appreciating that some beer is INTENDED to taste different, you open yourself up to new possibilities for beer flavour. Not all beers are supposed to taste like Budweiser. That fruitiness or some bitterness or a sweeter finish might just be what that beer is supposed to taste like. And that allows you to experience it for what it is. And maybe buy another.

And you come to realize the only one’s insulting your intelligence are the marketing departments of the big breweries.

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Wild Rose Brewery
Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

No my friends, this isn’t a write-up on jazz or Mel Torme, although something nearly as smooth. The thing is, back in 1998 Wild Rose brewed the first commercially available unfiltered wheat beer in Alberta, which in a glass would have appeared as some sort of “fog” to the masses of those uninitiated to such a thing. However with a malt bill of 50% wheat rounded out with the other 50% of barley, a smooth flavour and mouthfeel can be expected as well. Almost velvety smooth one could say. I’ll let you piece it all together. In the end what we have here is an accessible introduction to unfiltered wheat beers for those of you who were always curious, but were unsure where to start without getting too overwhelmed.

A tall fluted weizen glass would be ideal to serve this in, however a pint glass will work too. Expect a short spongy white head that will probably not linger long, while the beer itself is more hazy than cloudy and a bright golden hue. Regarding the aroma, it is not as intense as many wheat beers can be, offering some mild sweet wheat with light touches of bready malt. Some might even pick up faint notes of citrus, of lemon zest. Another point of note is that the mouthfeel is also a bit fuller than would be expected for this style, which is a nice touch, while some light carbonation is also effective in carrying a clean zippy texture. Bready malt up front in the flavour, mild grainy tart wheat on the finish, and the faintest of spice in the aftertaste, with hints of citrus zest at time.

Velvet Fog would pair surprisingly well with egg dishes, from omelettes to quiche, and is also an ideal partner for salads of almost any incarnation. Mild white fish is also an ideal match, along with sashimi if you don’t go too heavy on the soy sauce. This is also a refreshing wheat beer for sitting in the sun on the patio or balcony, although an accompanying wedge of lemon or orange, while a refreshing addition, is purely optional based on personal taste.

The next steps in the cooler:

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

In-Style:
Pyramid Hefe Weizen
Pyramid Crystal Wheat Ale
Okanagan Springs Hefeweizen
Tree Hefeweizen

Lateral Steps:
Konig Ludwig Weiss
Erdinger Weissbier
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse
Blanche De Chambly - Unibroue

For The Adventurous:
Impériale Weizen Grande Cuvée - Les Trois Mousquetaires
Schneider Aventinus
La Fin Du Monde - Unibroue

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

Style: India Red Ale
ABV: 5.3%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Rogue
Country: Oregon, U.S.A.

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Some of you out there in the crowd have already recognized what this is all about, but for those not in the know (or without cable t.v.) I’ll bring you up to snuff.  The man from the title of this ale is the captain of a crab fishing ship called the Northwestern on the show The Deadliest Catch, and has appeared on every season so far. A dedicated man who has been fishing since he was 14, and even used to cut school to do it.  He begun fishing full-time after high school, and started running the Northwestern at the age of 24.  Part of the current crew are Captain Sig Hansen’s brothers Edgar and Norman, and this offering from Rogue is dedicated to the 3 Hansen brothers.  Not only that, but a portion of the proceeds go towards the Fisherman’s Fund, a non-profit organization set up by the Hansen families to help benefit Pacific Northwest charities.

Rogue has come up with a bit of a curious anomaly by labelling this as an India Red Ale.  Traditionally a red ale tends to be fairly balanced, with sweet and lightly toasted malt, usually focusing on the malt.  A few breweries keep the malt sweetness but lean towards a more bitter, hoppy intensity, yet this is not the norm.  By adding “India” to the style one can only deduce that this India Red Ale is akin to an India Pale Ale, which is defined by a higher alcohol percentage and an intense hoppy presence.  So rather than remaining an anomaly, Rogue decided to openly account for that extra hop presence within this style and relabel it.  Or so I’m assuming…  Let’s check it out!

A pint glass or mug will work fine for this stuff, and perhaps let it sit 5 or 10 minutes after removing the bottle from the fridge before you open it and pour.  From this India Pale Ale expect a deep cloudy nutty amber appearance, with a tall frothy cinnamon coloured head.  There’s a clean malty aroma, with floral and citrus notes, and mild earthy spice.  The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with a smooth, clean texture.  Now rather than a caramel sweetness to the flavour you’ll encounter an earthy toasted malt at first, with balanced grassy, herbal, citrus hops on the finish.  It’s only in the aftertaste where it picks up any real bitter hoppy intensity, with a soft astringency and some white grapefruit zest.  Certainly closer to the English IPA style of hopping than the American, and even along the lines with the malt.  I’d go a step further than Rogue and label this an English India Red Ale.

Rogue recommends pairing this India Red Ale with beef and seafood, and I can only imagine Alaskan King Crab being what they predominantly had in mind (wink wink).  The earthy and herbal qualities would also pair well a pork or lamb roast, and oddly enough this would balance out a decent shrimp scampi quite nicely.  Or perhaps keep a couple handy for the next time you’re watching an episode of The Deadliest Catch, and cheer on Captain Sig.  Hey, the man works so hard they named a beer after him.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
American Amber
St. Rogue Red
Kell’s Irish Lager
Brutal Bitter
Chipotle Ale
Chocolate Stout
Dad’s Little Helper
Dead Guy Ale
Double Dead Guy
Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Juniper Pale Ale
Mocha Porter
Morimoto Black Soba Ale
Shakespeare Stout
Summer Orange Honey Ale
Santa’s Private Reserve
Younger’s Special Bitter
XS Imperial Porter
XS Imperial IPA
XS Imperial Red
XS Imperial Stout
XS Old Crustacean Barleywine
XS Younger’s Special Bitter

Other Amber Ales:
Yukon Red
Fish Tale Amber Ale
Broken Rake Amber Ale

Lateral Steps:
Yukon Ice Fog
Samuel Smith’s India Pale Ale
Marston’s Old Empire Ale

For The Adventurous:
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Tree Hophead
Olde Deuteronomy - Alley Kat