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

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