Beer to my Heart

Boreal Dorcee: Never been a big fan of Boreale but decided to try this brew on a larf. Never seen this one before.  Hey, it’s good! Fresh, tasty. Not decadent but a delicious brew nonetheless. You see Boreale stateside on occasion and they are never fresh. Even in Montreal, Boreale was never good. Well, this one is and it goes down smooth. “Silky, but not sweet. Easy drinking ale. Subtle flavours of summer honey.” All hooligans concur.

 

Blonde de Chambly: 5% abv. Yet another Unibroue joint. An effervescent brew that is nearly unremarkable save for the coquettish minx adorning the bottle and clever backstory. “Blonde de Chambly honours the heroic Filles a Marier (marriageable girls) later known as Filles du Roi (King’s daughters). These brave single young women came to Nouvelle France in 1665 to help populate the colony. Many of them married officers and soldiers of the Carignan-Salieres Regiment, who built Fort Chambly on the Richelieu River and forged the legendary Iroquois peace of 1667. Most French Canadians are direct descendants of these extraordinary ancestors.  – Mild and refreshing Blonde de Chambly has a floral nose and light citrus bouquet. With its foamy white head and lively effervescence, it is an ideal partner for an unforgettable sensory experience.”  Mmmm…indeed. Go ahead, try one. And while you’re at it do yourself a favor and stare into those coquettish eyes, so wanton for the lonesome traveller.

Brune d’ Achouffe: 8.5% Just another run of the mill delicious French Canadian craft beer. Nothing extraordinary. You expect it to be good and it is. The label is a delight and adds to the enjoyment. A strong brew at 8.5% and a perfect complement to lunch. Baguette with pate and cheese perhaps? Mmm…perhaps. Like so many of these artisanal Quebecois brews, Brune d’ Achouffe is in perfect harmony! Cheers!

Overawed

I’m in Quebec City.

I’ll be here for two nights. 300 mile day today.

Rough on a 500cc Honda twin.

But that’s enough of that. Lets get to the good stuff shall we?

Imagine my delight with whilst stumbling upon this market looking for a baguette and cheese. My God, what have we here. Quebec man, can be a fucking fabulous place.

Such incredible and fabulous brews, each more artisanal than the next, replete with carefully and thoughtfully rendered labels. I chose two Unibroue for this evening’s libations. I’ve come a long way and deserve it.

You only live once.

Or an infinite number of times.

Blanche de Chambly: 5% abv. Most definitely a white ale.
Well balanced. Typical Unibroue. A strength of character that belies its low abv. In terms of taste, this brew has bite. Well thought out and well crafted beer. It is hard for me not to love any and all Unibroue products. The backlabel, and backstory, reads: Blanche de Chambly honours the Captain Jacques de Chambly, who built historic Fort Chambly on the Richelieu River in 1665 to defend Montreal and the colony. Dispatched by King Louis XIV to lead the
fighting Carignan- Salieres Regiment, he achieved the legendary Iroquois peace of 1667. He was awarded the title of Seigneur of the region (today Chambly). Officers and soldiers were also encouraged to stay. Many of them married Filles du Roi and prospered.

Ephemere Black Currant: 5.5% abv. Like I said, it is really
difficult for me to find fault with Unibroue’s brews. So I won’t, at least not with Ephermere. Sumptious, delicious, and decadent. Fruity, you can taste the currant, but not unpleasant at all. This is hard to do. A truly perfect blend. Bravo Unibroue! Smells great as well! Goes great with the Legendary Pink Dots in a hostel in Quebec City.

 

And the final reviews are in…

Zero hour approaches and stress levels skyrocket. Lot’s of what-ifs and should-i’s. The end-of-the-world cometh, and goeth. Gatherings and get-togethers galore, cuz everyone wants a piece of the manboy before he departs.

I’ve been drinking lots lately, for both merriment and medication. Maybe I’ll dry out on the great Canadian leg of my exodus. Maybe not.
Regardless, the final reviews are in.

Look, people have been clamoring for these reviews; for they need to know what to drink!

Unibroue Don de Dieu: 9.8%. pours w/ a small head. fizzy. smells like La Fin Du Monde, a tasty smell. Very similar LFDM. Strong, yet not hearty. Definitively Quebecois. Not French, but French Canadian. Goes down smooth, creamy, and sweet: a testament to the north and a great brew. Would pair well w/ some good cheese, perhaps some Gorgonzola? Mmm…perhaps!

Unibroue Mauditte: 8%. pours dark and woodsy like a casked scotch. Tasty. A strong brew no doubt with a high abv but not overpowering. Pleasant. Delicious. There is no syrupy taste, so common with red ales. In fact, it is crisp. Noble, even. Would pair well with some freshly caught game.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid: 8%. Deliciously fresh as if poured from a cask. A delight. Truly hoppy! Extremely so, even. But yet, a perfect blend of bite. Lagunitas got this one right. High abv content, which is offset extremely well and bears little notice and serves to add to the taste even (a hallmark of a good brew). Delightful aroma and finish. Little head, big brains. A beer for the intellect.
Update: a great beer and makes all those who drink it warm and fuzzy, wistful for the future which lies ahead. Fuzzy. Drink at your peril, or not. Hip HOPs hooray.

Mother’s Milk

Note: While it may appear that this website is descending into a hodgepodge of beer and/or bicycle related news bits, please note that the original intent and mission remains true. As the countdown to zero hour approaches, it is hoped that such articles will be of some interest to the like-minded reader/adventurer in the meantime, at any rate.

Now, I know what you all are thinking.

Know that I know about all those thoughts rattling around in your skull like so many dum-dum bullets.

“I wish there was a website that spoke to me directly as a person and not as a dollar sign.”

“Why isn’t anyone talking and/or writing about the things that I care about?”

“Why can’t I find a website loosely devoted to beer reviews, that otherwise doesn’t appear to make any sense?”

“Why can’t I find a website that caters to my perspective/dynamic, the Manboy perspective/dynamic?”

The answer to all of your questions and concerns lies within these pages, so, do not fear!

On the docket for today we have several beer reviews. Pipe Adams has been a busy boy as of late, drinking his fill of delicious tipples and chronicling his thoughts in his diary. The beer store near his house offers a wide variety of all sorts of intoxicating brews from around the globe. A staggering array really, enough to keep any manchild busy.

A constant attractant for the author is anything that comes from Quebec, an exotic Northeast hinterland that enraptures the lonely traveller with adventure served up on an icy platter at all times. Hazy memories of drunken times in Montreal are rekindled when a bottle of Unibroue’s Trois Pistoles is spied, plucked from the shelf, and spirited home. As noted in my previous installment, Unibroue’s attention to packaging is wholly apparent, as Trois Pistoles’ vehicle of choice is a beautiful corked bottle with an image of a winged horse flying majestically over a church through ruddy skies.
Fair enough.

excerpt from Pipe Adam’s beer journal:
Trois Pistoles: 9% alcohol. Delicious. A quality brew worthy of all hooligans. Grapey, winey taste. As noted on the label, “…a remarkably mellow dark ale. To compliment its aroma of ripe fruit, it has a pleasant aftertaste that lingers on like old port wine.” An apt description if there ever was! A beer that should be drunk in a cabin in the woods in the dead of night! In the dead of winter!

Again, I can’t quite say enough about Unibroue’s wonderful and thoughtful approach to quality. They even make up a little story about each of their beers. Please follow this link to learn the legend of Trois Pistoles and become enraptured in ecstasy. Wunderbar!

On a separate note, whilst searching for decadent and quality beers it came to my rapt attention that many, many beers of high quality are brewed by monks. Now, why would monks, a pious lot not necessarily associated with alcohol consumption, feel it necessary to produce excellent beers? An internet query yielded the answer. Apparently, in days long ago it was not always safe to drink water. Beer provided a safe alternative to merely drinking water because, although unknown at the time, the alcohol contained within destroyed harmful bacteria and parasites that made drinking water so dangerous. Of course, this doesn’t really make sense because alcohol dehydrates you. But, we’re talking about the Dark Ages here, so whatever. In addition, the carefully made brews produced by the monastery yielded a relatively nutritious and caloric intake during times of fast. As such, many of these quality brews can be sipped and/or supped as a meal replacement. Travel Tip: You will likely get pretty drunk if you do this.

Next up on the docket is Anchor Steam Brewing Company’s 2009 Christmas Ale. Like Unibroue’s beers, Anchor Steam’s Christmas Ale suffers not the detriment of age and its constitution will, in fact, improve over the years.

2009 Christmas Ale: 5.5% alcohol. Also good. Delicious even. Tastes similar to a Manhattan Special soda in beer form. Name does not disappoint and all the joys of Christmas are imparted unto drinker. Special. Hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

In addition to the aforementioned alcoholic tipples, our author was lucky enough to meet up with old time crony and enigma unto himself, DJ Jared as a trip to the Peekskill Brewery was in the works! Our dynamite and dynamic duo was able to thoroughly sample both food and fare. A sampler round of eight beers was ordered as the hooligans saddled up to the bar to munch on sandwiches and artisanal meats.

The Peekskill Brewery is a carefully thought out establishment with an air towards quality. Our chums were immediately delighted with the bar seating arrangement, for at each of the corners of the wooden bar a half circle is built into it; which, if you and your buddy sit on either side, functions like a bartop/table hybrid. The best of both worlds!
This establishment is similar in appearance and style to most other brewpubs in that the interior is softly lit and contains lots of wood, which provides for the appropriate atmosphere. The staff is friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable about their products.

Now, although I truly wanted to love this place with all my heart, I found the beer to be lacking…something. I could not quite put my finger on it. Now, it is quite possible that our old friend from Unibroue hath visited this site as an impish saboteur, but this is only theory.

Peekskill Brewery journal excerpt…

Keegan Ales‘ Mother’s Milk: An average brew at best. Nothing remarkable. Only 3.2% alcohol. A tasty stout no doubt but nothing more. Imagined this would be creamier, owing to its name.
Peekskill Brewing Hop Common: Hoppy. Pilsnerish. Nice bubbly bite to it.
Peekskill Brewing Ry Guy’s Rye: Strong alcohol taste that does not quite jive. Not great but not terrible. Fresh.
Peekskill Brewing Cha Cha Chai: Gimmicky. Literally tastes like Chai tea. Halloweenish pumpkiny brew. Another stupid name.
Old Wagon-Ale: Tasty, high alcohol content brew at 8.2%. Nothing special.
Captain Lawrence Double IPA: eh!
Pussy Sweat Pale Ale: Salty and sweet, a true beer lover’s treat!
Lagunitas Brown Shugga: eh. Another stupid name.
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout: a little watery. DJ Jared did not like it. enough said.

And there you have it. I was not impressed, really. Just wasn’t feeling it that day.

We often speak of quality here at the promised land, but one must never confuse quality for the act of trying too hard. I hope you catch my drift. Emoticon: wink!

It is a very hard thing to produce something that is wonderful. You can never really blame someone for trying…can you?

An Exercise in Taste

Short of doing pushups with your tongue, Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde represents the latest, greatest exercise that one can do with their taste buds.

La Fin du Monde is a beautiful beer in a beautiful bottle that looks great on a shelf next to other beers, or even beets as beers is sometimes misspelled. La Fin du Monde looks better than beets. This is why I picked it out of a sea of different craft and imported beers lining the shelves at my local beer distributor. It’s stopped with a cork and bears a stylish rendering of Quebec and all of its icy northlands. The bottle and name of this beer, translated as The End of the World, draw on powerful images of quality and excite the subconscious. Carefully chosen, no doubt,  by Unibroue’s creepy Bruce McCullochy propagandist to snare the curious drinker (please, please see video here).

Excerpt from Pipe Adam’s beer journal:

Very strong. 9% alcohol. Truly the champagne of beers! (this is because it tastes like champagne) The quality is unmistakable. It tastes like hefeweizen with champagne in it, but in a good way. The high alcohol content is no detriment, and adds to the taste. This beer tastes better when swished about in the mouth, drinking slowly. As recommended on the bottle, a snifter would be most beneficial in enjoying the complex subtleties of La Fin du Monde.

Almost like a meal, hours later I am still sipping and full.