ISSEKI NICHŌ ~ BRASSERIE DIEU DU CIEL! 

Isseki Nichō is an Imperial Dark Saison made in collaboration with Tanamura Honten Co., a microbrewery from Nagano, Japan. The name of the beer translated roughly means, “two birds One Stone” in Japanese. Some tout this brew as a hybrid between a stout and a dark saison. Sampled on draught, in a tulip glass the beer poured a rich dark brown-black with a finger of tan head. The head receded after several minutes leaving lacing along the glass and finishing in a ring around the glass. The nose like the beer has a fair bit of complexity containing notes of roasted malts, dark fruit, molasses, faint smoke, coffee, dark chocolate, leather, touch of funk and peppery spice. The taste is fairly bitter, matched by strong dark roasted malts, under this cloak other flavours emerge: molasses, spicy Belgian yeast, coffee, cocoa, dark cherries, liquorice, and fruit. The finish is off dry and has a lingering bitterness - a spiciness lingers as the booziness warms.The body was creaming and medium and the fine carbonation was average. This was quite an interesting brew, not for the faint at heart, but definitely worth a try.

9.5% from St. Jerome, Quebec

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.

#8 ~ SAWDUST CITY 

#8 is an Imperial Schwartzbier. It is a Sawdust City one-off and was sampled on draught at the Sawdust City tap takeover at the Only Café in Toronto. The beer poured very dark brown. There was lots of dark roasted malt sweetness, as well as hints of chocolate. The finish had a hint of smoke. Nicely balanced and very drinkable.

8% from Gravenhurst, Ontario