BEAU’S ~ IRON SHIRT

6.8% from Vankleek Hill, Ontario

Iron Shirt was a Beau’s Fe’brew’ary release. It is a collaboration with Montreal’s Brasserie et Distillerie Oshlag. The collaboration, one among many, is a celebration of Canada’a 150th birthday. The beer is a pale ale brewed with ice wine vidal grapes that has been aged on oak spirals that have been soaked in Oshlag’s hopped vodka. Sampled on draught the beer poured a hazy bright yellow gold with a good white head. The lasted a while before leaving scant lacing on the glass. The nose had bright citrusy notes, along with grape, apple (and orchard fruits), malts, a hint of resin and a touch of oak. The flavour is crisp with notes of grapes, fruit, woodsiness, malt and a balanced citrus and pine hop bitterness. The finish is dry with some lingering bitterness. The body is medium and the carbonation was average to lively. An interesting brew.

FARM TABLE: DUNKEL ~ BEAU’S

5.7% from VanKleek Hill, Ontario IBU 25

This Dunkel is the latest in Beau’s Farm Table Series. The farm table series is inspired by traditional brews from all over the world, and brewed to the classic style. Dunkel is a malt forward Bavarian brew. Sampled on draught this brew poured a mahogany colour with a generous off white foam. The head settles quickly leaving lovely sticky lacing around the glass. The nose contained bread crusts, roasted grain, light caramel with hints of chocolate, nuts and fruit, and leafy hops. The flavour follows with dark malts, caramel, hints of chocolate and fruit and floral leafy hops in the finish. This finish is clean and crisp. The body was medium and the carbonation was average.
Overall, a nice version of this traditional brew. Very enjoyable!
INGREDIENTS: Local spring water, organic barley malts, organic hops, brewer’s yeast.
MALTS: Munich, Caraunich, Acidulated, Caraaroma, Carafa (all organic)
HOPS: Organic Pacific Gem, Organic Triskel
YEAST: German Lager Yeast

TRICERATOPS TRIPEL ~ BEAU’S

9% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario

Triceratops is a triple gruit was made for the 5th annual International Gruit Day day and Beau’s Fe’brew’ary. This gruit is a marriage between a Belgian style triple and a great, which were flavoured with a variety of botanicals. This one includes bog myrtle, lavender and heather flowers. Sampled on draught this brew poured a hazy orangey yellow with a modest light white head. The head stuck around before settling into a cap and leaving lacing behind. The nose is quite floral with hints of fruity Belgian yeast. Notes of grass, lemon, lavender, pepper, fruit and grains are present. The flavour is a melange of spicy, fruity, herbal, sweet, floral, earthy and lightly bitter. The finish is off dry and has a warming boozy quality. The beer was medium bodied with moderate carbonation. This is an interesting hybrid recommended to the adventurous.

LA FORMITABLE ~ BEAU’S B SIDE

La Formidable is a hybrid American-Belgian IPA, made with America style hops but retaining the fruity and spicy elements of a Belgian Ale yeasts. Beau’s B-side welcomes breweries from other places in the world produce fresh beer for the Canadian market. This is a collaboration with Gigantic Brewing Company from Portland, Oregon. The recipe was developed exclusively for a B-side brew by the brewmasters at Gigantic. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured an opaque coppery amber with lots of floating sentiment. It had a finger of white head, that left lacing as it receded. The nose contained notes of grapefruit, orange citrus, peppery yeasts, pine resin, subtle fruit and florals. The taste is balanced between bitterness of American hops and the fruitiness of a Belgian style ale. There is lots of grapefruit upfront, with spice, funk, floral, fruit, pine and an earthiness underneath. Bitterness lingers in the aftertaste. The beer is medium bodied, with a dry finish and soft carbonation. This is an interesting melange of the two styles.

6.9% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario

BOG FATHER ~ BEAU’S

’This Imperial Gruit is the Big Brother of the “Bog Water”, reviewed August 2015. (Bog water review here).  I was under the impression that gruit’s were bittered by botanicals other than hops, but this one contains hops as well as an array of other botanicals. That being the case, I am not sure why they can call this a gruit. Gruit can take on many flavours of the local flora and fauna, and taste varies widely. Sampled on draught, during Gruit week, this beer poured a dark brown with a honey amber hue much like a porter or a stout. A generous cap of white head sat atop the beer, and lasted for quite a while. The nose reminded me of a Belgian triple. Raisins and dates, Belgian yeasts, cola, dark toast, liquorice, fruity esters, Demerara sugar and herbs and spice make up the nose. The taste was very similar to the nose with fruits, spice, toast and Belgian yeasts. The double mash of dark malts, Belgian Trappist ale yeasts and bog myrtle, used in the brewing all lend a character to the brew. Bog father had a medium body with a creamy warming feel. I very much enjoyed this!
This beer was originally brewed in very limited release in 2008. This is its second appearance since then and a big fan favourite.
8% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario 43 IBU

Malts: Munich, pilsner, caramunich, carafoam, acidulated, carafa (all organic)
Hops: Organic simcoe
Yeast: Monastery ale

Other: Organic sweet Gale, Organic Yarrow, local spring water.

WEISSE O’LANTERN ~ BEAU’S

Weisse O’Lantern is No. 13 in Beau’s Wild Oats Series and was part of the 2015 Oktoberfest four-pack.  It is a weisse beer, brewed with pumpkin (350 pounds of pumpkin go onto each batch), making it a new hybrid, a pumpkinweisse.  All ingredients are organic.  Sampled from a 60 mL bottle, the beer pours an orange hued gold, with a good creamy off white head.  The head lasts for a while, and leaves good amount of lacing as it dissipates.  The aroma is very typical of a weisse beer, with hints of pumpkin and citrus in the background, and in the forefront spices (clove and ginger), yeasts and bready malts.  The taste is also very typical of a weisse beer with bubble gum and banana, but also the spice (ginger, cinnamon, and clove), citrus peel and a very subtle pumpkin.  Cinnamon lingers in the aftertaste.  This is a very interesting hybrid, though if you were looking for a pumpkin beer I may start elsewhere - this tastes much more like a weisse.  Drinkable and much enjoyed, but a little steep in price.

 

5.6% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario    17 IBU

Hops: Wheat, pilsner, carafoam, caramunich

Malts: Organic Hallertau tradition

Other : orange peel, ginger, cinnamon and brewers yeast