Beers You Can Actually Buy: IPAs

Periodically, someone informs me that, "Every time I look for beers you review, I can't find them," so I have decided to start a regular series considering some of the better products that are widely available in the markets I generally cover (Ontario and Quebec).

The criteria here, generally, will consist of brief notes on regularly available beers in these markets.  Though I may mention seasonal products with wide releases, these also tend to be some of my preferred choices in these categories.

Though you may not fancy yourself a fan of the styles mentioned in such a given post, I strongly encourage you to try some of these products throughout the series since doing so will acclimate your palate to newer tastes and will ensure that your dislike of the style at least conforms to its stronger representatives - though if you appreciate others that is certainly fine too!

I will begin with India Pale Ales due to their immense popularity (as probably the most widely consumed ale category amongst beer geeks - new and old, initiates and connoisseurs alike).  Though some find American IPAs too bitter, as I once did, many find them great from the get-go as a craft beer introduction while others (myself included) come to appreciate them immensely over time.

The history of IPAs seems to contain some truths and exaggerations, but there is general agreement that they were more aggressively hopped Pale Ales for export to the warmer colonies, originating in England in the Eighteenth Century.  They have since been embraced by the American craft beer movement who has pushed the style with bolder hops varieties (of higher alpha acid content) and even double and triple versions of the style with a more substantial malt backbone, even more hops (to combat the resulting malty sweetness), and a higher ABV (resulting from the increased fermentable sugars).

Rather than writing off a beer as bitter, try to ask yourself how this bitterness presents: is it earthy, fruity, citrusy, piney, resiny, floral?  Some of the stronger, more well-regarded IPAs (and beers generally) tend to offer a complex flavour evolution that presents waves of different expressions of the hops flowers.  Many examples are dry-hopped or even wet-hopped (with dry or wet hops added again after fermentation) to add additional (primarily olfactory) expressions to the beer.

Quebec:

Though Quebec was long devoid of many strong examples of English (and American) beer styles, the scene is evolving with the times and two of my absolute favourites are now available regularly in the province.

1) Rigaud, Quebec microbrewery, Le Castor's, organic Yakima IPA (6.5% ABV, 90 beeradvocate, 99/100 ratebeer) is a marvellous example of the style and currently tops ratebeers listing as the best IPA in Canada.  It offers a simply magnificent nose reflective of the citrus spectrum of the style, while the taste offers some toasty notes and a fine resiny, lingeringly bitter finish.  It is available in finer deps in Quebec for between $6.50-$7 (plus tax and deposit) for a 650ml bottle.

2) Regular readers know of my love affair with both Montreal/St. Jerome brewpub Dieu du Ciel AND its American IPA Moralité (7% ABV, 92 beeradvocate, 99/99 ratebeer) collaboration with Vermont brewery The Alchemist.  Moralité periodically hits taps throughout Montreal and in draught (and cask, mmmmm) tops the bottle, though the bottle is a now regularly available delight nonetheless which wafts a brilliant orange-tangerine citrus nose and hits the palate with a similar, though more grapefruit-centric quality.  It is my personal favourite Canadian IPA.  Six-packs are now available wherever DDC products are sold for around $14-$15 plus tax and deposit.

3) Montreal brewpub La Succursale's Angus IP "AAA" (7 % ABV, N/A beeradvocate, 90/80 ratebeer) deserves an extra shout-out in my opinion as a highly-drinkable, if un-bottled, brewpub-only option of noteworthy enjoyment, though it is a notch below the tops on this Quebec list.

Ontario:

Ontario boasts wider brewing of English beer styles than Quebec, for obvious reasons, though I do believe the top two Quebec examples above have now trumped my home province's IPAs.  That said, the breadth of English-inspired brewing and scope of LCBO importing make numerous solid options available for Ontarians and visitors.

1) First, two special shout-outs deserve mention here as worthy of the praise.  The first is Toronto brewpub Bellwoods, whose bottles are only available at their own bottle-shop or draught in the bar, though their IPAs, Cat Lady and Roman Candle, and their DIPAs Witchshark and Boogie Monster are delights.  None are always available but some of them always seem to be!  Go, enjoy, you won't be disappointed!

2) The second special mention goes to long-time Toronto brewing masters Great Lakes, who lack a regular IPA but seem to always have a solid seasonal or one-off IPA available (noteably Lake Effect IPA and Robohop DIPA for me personally) and they frequently appear at the LCBO.

3) Though not brewed in Ontario, BC brewery Central City's Red Racer IPA (6.5% ABV, 95 beeradvocate, 98/99 ratebeer) is consistently rated as one of the top in Canada and wafts grapefruit notes par excellence with some resinous characteristics as well.  This is a bold and highly drinkable delight and it comes in a can (bonus, despite the haters: no air and no light to preserve the fragile IPA) at a mere $2.45 (tax and deposit included)!

4) Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA (6% ABV, 89 beeradvocate, 98/98 ratebeer) is another citrusy delight with some grapefruit and rind aromas, and a rind-and-pine bitter bite.  Well praised, and well worthy of it, and priced at a mere $13.25 for a 6-pack (tax and deposit included) at your nearest LCBO.

The first honourable mention goes to the baseball-inspired, draught-only brewers, Left Field, who regularly ship their magnificent 6-4-3 Double IPA (8.4% ABV, 87 beeradvocate, 88/43 ratebeer) to beer bars in the Toronto area.  This double IPA boasts a more robust ABV and bolder bitterness than 'regular' IPAs, but smooths out both with a piney resinous finish of noteworthy complexity.

Second honourable mention goes to Amsterdam's Boneshaker (7.1% ABV, 86 beeradvocate, 93/86 ratebeer).  A bit more malty with a neat complexity alongside that unfiltered hoppy goodness makes this beer best when fresh, though cans are an IPA drinkers friends and the new tall-cans of this offer 473 ml for only $2.95 making this a best-fresh-and-fresh-for-longer-than-bottled treat.  Check it out too!

Did I miss something you prefer?  Post it in the comments!

Stay tuned for Saisons soon!

3 Beers You Probably Can't Get Alongside 3 You Probably Can & Should

Occasionally, I get my hands on a rare obscure brew and ponder whether to review.  I mean, 'nothing' (I say facetiously, in a First-World-Problems-kinda-way) pisses me off more than reading about someone's epic Dark Lord or Bourbon County Brand Stout vertical tasting when I can't even get a single bottle, let alone several years' worth of vintages!

But, I rationalized, some might wish to know of the obscure and to appease those wishing for something they can find, I figured I'd place them alongside some others that are more easily procured.  Ironically, many of these beers linked together for me in their consumption and, thus, they also offer a connected story weaving together the obscure with the available.

To begin with the more obscure, my recent indulgence began at Toronto's world-class Bar Volo, where a (reconnected old) friend and I split a bottle of Le Trou du Diable's fantastic barrel-aged La Bretteuse (7.3% ABV).  This one-off brew is an 18-month Shiraz-barrel aged IPA that is perhaps better called an American Wild Ale, since it is secondarily fermented with loads of Brettanomyces (wild yeast) and since IPAs lose their hoppy edge very rapidly.  Indeed, this brew is dominated by Brett but in more of a leathery, barnyard funk sense than a sour/acidic/tart sense.  It presents a murky orange body capped by a foamy white head that lingers and laces down the glass while exuding an evolving aroma beginning with leather before transforming towards more soured vinous notes.  There is a nicely vanilla/oaky woody taste up front that evolves into a linger that balances somewhere between the wine and the barnyard Brett.  This is a fine beer and one to convert wine drinkers, if neither the driest nor the tartest of the style it remains a stellar product exemplary of wild-brewing mastery.  Grade: A  Availability: Sold out in stores, but available in pricey bottles at higher end beer bars.

The very same long-lost friend (and fellow beer geek) who shared the delightful bottle of La Bretteuse then agreed to a trade: I give him a bottle of Trappist Westvleteren 12 (their Quad) in exchange for one of his Westvleteren 8s (8% ABV).  Thus, I finally got to try the famed Westy Dubbel, which impressed immensely with a caveat (at the end).  A creamy, thick, porous off-white head of good retention and thick, clingy, sticky lace wafted a complex aroma of plums, raisins, licorice, brown sugar, and a hint of boozy warmth.  To the tongue, it was similar with dark fruits and some chocolate more discernible here than in the nose, though with a touch of anise and a faint hint of tobacco.  There is a fair warmth and a smooth creaminess to the tongue despite its strong carbonation that smooths it out nicely.  Like the famed Westy 12, however, I think Rochefort offerings (8 and 6)  top this, as I feel the 10 trumps the 12.  This isn't to say this isn't a fine beer - it is indeed worthy of its praise - but rather for two reasons: 1) The Westys are both a bit boozier on the nose and tongue to me; and 2) The Westy's offer more anise notes - which is fine, but for my personal preference isn't as desirable as some of the other notes I love in a good dubbel.  Thus, I respect and I enjoy this beer, but personal taste preferences on this flavour limit my enjoyment here, though they may result in a switched preference for you... still great to even be in the same discussion!  Grade: A Availability: Get your ass to the monastery or be prepared to pay $30+ per bottle at higher end beer bars if you can even find it.

Finally, upon my return to Quebec, Dieu du Ciel announced on Facebook that this past Friday would mark the release of the Sun Never Sets IPA (7.25% ABV), a collaboration with Dogfish Head and Beavertown breweries from Delaware and London, England respectively.  This unique IPA blends Indian ingredients of special palm sugar, black pepper, tamarind, and cumin with the quintessential calypso and citra hops for a unique and pleasurable experience.  It pours a standard amber with a decent white head that emits a solid dry-hop citra nose with grapefruit and orange rind notes alongside an almost smoky-spicy pepper quality that takes over as the hops fades.  The taste begins with a tamarind sweetness before a combination pine and citrus finish that is emboldened by a substantial carbonation.  It is good, and unique, and can hold its own after Morality (possibly my favourite IPA which was on tap at DDC while I awaited the tapping of this unique keg), but probably got a lower review from me for following this other mostly-unavailable treat. Grade: A- Availability: one 20 litre keg killed in minutes at DDC, maybe Dogfish Head still has some if you get to Delaware?*

I was next going to review Morality, but having previously done so here, I decided to revert to my Ontario trip to begin mentioning the more-widely-available gems.  Two connected asides, however, still tie this is in.  First, as I have said I prefer Morality (collaboration between DDC and the Alchemist) to the Alchemist's famed Heady Topper some have noted the difference in styles (IPA and double IPA), while others have either agreed or disagreed so this next promises an alike comparison as I jump from IPA to DIPA.  Second, as this began as a partial baseball blog, it seems a shame that it took until now for me to try (and review) beer from Ontario's new(-ish) Left Field Brewery...

and... I have to say, their 6-4-3 Double IPA (8.4% ABV) is a hit and possibly Ontario's best double IPA so far.  Pouring an orangish-amber, it presents a fruity nose full of ripe, fresh citrus and mango alongside some hints of passion fruit and pineapple.  The taste begins with a substantial malt backbone of some bread, before a superbly dry and nearly astringent but complex and delectable grapefruit and lemon-rind finish, coupled with traces of resin and spruce.  On the fuller-side of medium-bodied with a moderate, yet tingly, carbonation, this is truly worth the quest of the hop-heads!  Grade: A (almost A+) Availability: Only on draught at Ontario locations noted on their website.

After my return home, some company prompted a re-visit to Les Trois Mousquetaires' Grande Cuvée Barleywine Américain (11% ABV), which I had had before (and which I have another cellaring bottle).  This remains a delight to me and all involved!  It pours a lightly cloudy reddish-amber, with a fair creamy white head of some retention and lace.  The nose is, of course, malty but coupled with nice citrus dry-hop notes that entice something like an American Strong Ale, before tastes that are predominantly sweet but at least lightly drying after a rich, almost-port-forward beginning and a dryness that is supplied mostly by the alcoholic warmth with only some semblance of the many American hops present.  It is creamy and full to the tongue, if a tad sticky.  Though a bit sweet, it is a barleywine and the dry-hopped nose adds a pretty enticing character.  If you get one, get two and stand one up in your cellar for a year or two noting the changes - I promise my own notes on that transition in, well, a year or two!  Grade: A (almost A+) Availability: Seasonal in Quebec at decent beer stores/deps.

Finally, Brouwerij Bockor's Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge (5.5% ABV) has been a mainstay of my vacation time as an available (for a short time summer seasonal) and affordable sour, in the Flander's Red Style.  This beer pours a reddish-brown with a slight foamy off-white head that diminishes quickly with strong carbonation.  The nose is moderately fruity, in a cherry sort of manner, with a fairly acidic balsamic aroma alongside hints of woody oak.  Flavour-wise, it is dominated by a strong fruitiness coupled with substantial tartness presenting as cherries and currants alongside some vanilla from the wood, while all through (from beginning to end) one gets a solid amount of acidity and clean sourness, without any semblance of funk.  This is a very solid example of the style and one I would love to try alongside a Rodenbach just to compare, though I think this is more tart, if a touch less complex (from memory).  Grade: A/A+ Availability: Summer seasonal at the LCBO - their stock page says discontinued but many stores retain stock at a mere $3.30 per bottle (which is very cheap for a several-years-oak-aged sour ale).

'Til next time, drink well (and responsibly)!  Cheers!

*Note: While waiting, the excellent barkeep at Dieu du Ciel, named Julie, answered questions, helped my French, ensured we got prompt service, kept the busy taps flowing, and generally served as an example of a wonderful human being.  I told her I'd write that she deserves a raise - which she does - and being a man of my word, I have now done so!