COFFEE TOP ~ HENDERSON’S BREWING

Coffee Top is not actually a beer but a beer cocktail, served at the Henderson’s Brewery.  The beer is Henderson’s Best, their flagship Amber Ale, served with a top of cold brewed coffee from Station Brewers.  Sampled at the brewery the beer cocktail was a clear amber colour with a generous frothy bone coloured head.  The amber ale and the coffee worked remarkably well together.   The sweetness from the malts and the hoppiness of the ale married nicely with the coffee.  Who knew?

4.8% from Toronto, Ontario   40 IBU

Coffee Top is the last in the row.  

BEST ~ HENDERSON’S

Move over, there is room for all; there is a new kid on the block. Henderson’s is a brand new brewery in Toronto; currently contract brewing while their new space in the Junction is completed. Henderson’s is an up start by Steve Himel and brewmaster Mark Benzaquen, two industry veterans. This interpretation of an ESB was sampled on Draught at the release party. The beer poured the most beautiful colour of deep amber with red highlights. The small off white head lingered and left some lacing. Lovely floral fragrant hops dominated the nose with subtle malts in the background. The beer is based on a traditional ESB recipe with the English hops removed and replaced by North American west coast hops (Amarillo, cascade and one other). The beer has also been late hopped and dry hopped. Needless to say the beer is quite hop forward for an ESB…more like the offspring of an English IPA and an ESB. This is a very sessional beer and I look forward to a broader release.
The beer is named after Robert Henderson, believed to be the first commercial brewer in what was then York, but now Toronto. The original Henderson’s brewery dates back to 1800 and was located at Clinton and Henderson Street, (where the Monarch Tavern now sits and was the location of the flagship’s beers release).

5% from Toronto, Ontario