Un petit goût de Canada - Dave takes to the North with Labatt Porter

Enjoy another great review from Dave!


I recently got back from a weekend jaunt to Vermont and Montreal and got to sample a variety of microbrews up there. I tried several flavors from Magic Hat in Vermont (#9, Circus Boy, Lucky Kat, Vinyl, Blind Faith, Single Chair Ale, Wacko), Le Cheval Blanc in Montreal (Blonde, Stout, and Bauweaerts Golden Ale), and Les Brasseurs du Nord (Boreale Blanche, Blonde, and Rousse). I also brought some back from me (1 from Vermont and 5 from Quebec) to write up. I’ll do one every few days or so...

First is the only non-microbrew I brought back: Labatt Porter





Labatt is a larger Canadian brewery, and stouts are one of my favorite varieties, so I thought I would give it a go...

The first thing I noticed is that though it pours dark, it is very clear, much more translucent than most stouts or porters. There is virtually no head. The scent is stout-chocolate/coffee, but very very weak overall.

First taste: tastes like old chicken. From there it expands to old beer (think natty light (previous review) with chocolate syrup). Very watery-easily the most watery “dark” beer I have ever had. Nasty.The body is smooth and feels pleasant on the tongue (.com).Would probably go well with anything spicy, as your dead taste buds will be grateful for not having to taste this. The finish is alcohol-y- again like a cheap American lager.


Flavor: Smooth, old, chicken, with a lager-y body and nasty finish.
Color: Clear and dark
Alcohol Content: 5.0% (by volume)
Average Price: $9.99 CAD (6 pack)




Mmmmm....

My grandma and your grandma - Abita Jockamo IPA

Seems like my blog has been very "IPA" centric over the past few weeks...I am almost through with my current 6, so I will be certain to mix things up with the next 6. If you feel like there are any you would like me to test out, let me know (although I have some ideas that I think might be entertaining/funny).

Up today for tasting is the Abita Jockamo IPA:





Abita Brewing Co. is a new brewery to me, so I decided to do a little research into what they were all about before I sampled this beer. The brewery is located in Abita Springs, Louisiana and they actually make quite a few beers which I have heard of (the most famous I suppose would be the Purple Haze). If you get a chance, check out their website...it is one of the nicer ones I have seen from a brewery: http://abita.com/


The beer is a very pale amber color, which seems unique among many of the other IPAs I have tried...a nice head that, while decreases in size, has yet to fully disappear entirely (which I am not certain has anything to do with the quality of the beer, but I always find it desireable to have a few bubbles in my beer). The taste is smooth and mildly hoppy...a nice compliment to the look of the beer. Within writing this last paragraph, I have nearly completed my beer and cannot find anything to complain about it. A very tasty beer!

Here is some food pairing (directly from their website): "The spicy aroma of the hops contrasts nicely with the pleasant sweetness of the malts. Jockamo has a flavor that entices and excites the palate. The intense hop character makes it among the perfect choice to team up with many spicy dishes. Cheddar and strong farmer cheeses stand up well to Jockamo’s hoppy character. Cajun food is a natural pairing, as is Thai, or Mexican cuisine."


All in all, I would not only call this a wonderful IPA, but a great beer overall as well. The unassuming flavor is a nice introduction to IPAs for those who are unfamiliar, but will also please those (like myself) who are looking to test the ranges of beer from top to bottom. Beeritarian approved!


Flavor: Smooth and mellow hoppiness...not overpowering, but still noticeable
Color: Light amber/slightly reddish
Alcohol Content: 6.5% (by volume)
Average Price: $8.99 (6 pack)





Also, as a little aside, I wanted to let everyone know about my intentions on trying to brew and (eventually) sell my own beer. Dave and I have discussed this, and given our love of beer, this seems a logical conclusion. So, if you have any advice, words of encouragement, or ideas, please let me know!

Micro-post: Guinness

As my tribute to St. Patrick's day (and general lack of creativity), my micro post today is about Guinness. A very well known stout with a celebrated history that has been around for over 250 years. I really love Guinness and highly recommend you share one with me soon!





Flavor: Delicious choclate stout
Color: Black (although Guinness claims it is a very dark red)
Alcohol content: 4.0% by volume (but interestingly enough only 3.2% by weight!)Average price: $7.99 (6 pack)


Random factoid: The world's largest Guinness brewery is in Nigeria...

Anniversary Post - Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale

So, this weekend was my 1 year anniversary with Jess...I had intended on not updating the blog, but was introduced to a very nice beer while we celebrated: Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale...






Kona Fire Rock was one of the tap beers at the hotel bar that Jess and I went to before dinner (but was also the featured beer for the dinner luau as well). I assumed that since the hotel was island themed, this beer might have been specialty made for this hotel, but apparently it can be purchased pretty much anywhere. The Kona Brewing Co. is based out of Waikiki beach in Hawaii and, judging from their website, brew a few other varieties of beer.

At first glance, this pale ale was unassuming...it looked very much like a pale ale. The aroma was light, flowery, and very inviting (Pale ales often have a stronger aroma, which I like, but this was a nice change of pace). The first taste instantly had me hooked...Kona Fire Rock is very mellow and smooth with a nice degree of hoppiness that doesn't overpower the other flavors of the beer. For those that might think a pale ale is too bitter, I would highly recommend checking out this beer: it gives you a nice stepping stone into the realm of beers with a bite without pushing you over the edge too quickly.

Kona Pale Ale goes great with Hawaiian foods (roast pork, fresh fish) as well as traditional American fare (chicken fingers drizzled with honey mustard)...Do yourself a favor and pick up a 6 pack of this today because you will not be disappointed! Remember to save one for me though...I will be asking for one when I come to visit.


Flavor: Smooth and mellow with a nice degree of bitterness
Color: Amber and gold
Alcohol Content: 5.9% (per volume)
Average Price: $7.49 (6-pack)