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Friday Wrap-Up – News from TrailWay, Schoolhouse, Sunset Heights, Boxing Rock, Big Spruce, North and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-09-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Atlantic Canadian Craft Brew Fest, Big Spruce Brewing, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, Bore City Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Cask Beer Throwdown, Escarpment Laboratories, Garrison Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Lazy Bear Brewing, North Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Schoolhouse Brewery, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy first Friday of Fall! Lots of seasonal beers, ciders, and meads have been released this week, so let’s get right to it!

• TrailWay released Rype, their newest American Pale Ale, earlier this week at the brewery. This pale and hazy hoppy ale was brewed with a portion of Rye malt, giving a “noticeable, yet subtle” rye presence in the background. Hopped with Mosaic, Comet, and Topaz (with the high majority being used in the whirlpool and dry hop additions, keeping the IBUs in the low-20s) for plenty of juicy and tropical aromas and flavours, this one will join the regular lineup at TrailWay, with possible hop substitutions in the future. In addition, look for their kettle-soured hoppy beer, Sour 1, to be tapped later today. Hopped with Citra and Galaxy, this 5.0% ABV beer will be available at the brewery today and at select tap accounts in the region shortly.

• Schoolhouse has released the latest version in their locally-hopped series, Big Red Schoolhouse. This take features Galena and Centennial, harvested from Elleslea Farm out of Sheffield Mills, NS. Both varieties were added to a hopback, which the beer passed through twice, first on the way to the boil kettle from the mashtun, and again from the kettle to the fermentor. At 6.5% ABV and 80 IBUs, the brewery describes the finish as having a “mouth-puckering hop bitterness”. Some of the beer has been kegged, with the rest going into 650 mL bottles. Look for it on tap at a few of Schoolhouse’s tap accounts, and their next growler night, October 6th in downtown Windsor (assuming there’s any left!). As well, a special cask of the beer will be pouring at the first session of tomorrow’s Cask Beer Throwdown (more on that in the events section below).

• Good news for Sunset Heights Meadery fans in Fredericton – many of their brands have been bottled and were available for sale at two ANBL stores (York Street and Brookside Mall) as of last Friday afternoon. Sales have been high over the past week, with different varieties of their Still Meads, Sparkling Queens, and Pollen Angels all being available for purchase; drop in both stores (or check online inventory) to see what’s still available. Luckily, this won’t be the only time bottles are available through ANBL, as more release dates will be scheduled for the near future.

• The latest Boxing Rock / Big Spruce collaboration beer, a blueberry Berliner Weisse – was released this week. For the Love of Grimace is made up of a simple grist of half-and-half Pilsner and Wheat malt, and was kettle-soured with the Big Spruce Lactobacillus in-house culture. After being boiled and fermented, it was aged for two weeks on 250 lbs of wild organic blueberries from North of Nuttby Farm. Featuring a beautiful purple colour, it weighs in at 3.9% ABV. This beer will only be available on tap and in growlers, but should make it to better bars across the province, as both breweries in Shelburne and Nyanza are sharing the wealth.

• Boxing Rock also teamed up with the crew at North Brewing recently, and are ready to release Year 4 of their Many Hands collaboration beer. This year’s batch once again features locally-grown and freshly-picked hops, namely Cascade, Crystal, Goldings and Willamette from Wallace Ridge Farm in Malagash. The hops were added in the “first wort” (as the kettle is filled with wort after draining from the mash tun), and then not again until just 10 minutes left in the boil, to preserve the essential oils in these freshly-harvested hops. New this year is the use of locally malted barley from Horton Ridge Malt & Grain, namely 100% Munich malt, which undergoes a higher kiln temperature than traditional Pale or 2-Row malts, thus displaying enhanced colour and flavour character. This 5.7% ABV celebration of local farmers and producers will be available starting tomorrow at both the Boxing Rock and North breweries for growler fills, and their local accounts and Farmers’ Market tables.

• And look for the re-launch of Boxing Rock’s The Darkness Cascadian Ale shortly, which will be available in 355 ml bottle six-packs at the NSLC beginning next week. The 6.5% black, hoppy ale will also see release on tap and in growlers very soon.

• After months of trials, Big Spruce is now putting their own farm-isolated yeast to the test. What first began as 50 samples collected from in and around the farm brewery, with the help of Guelph’s Escarpment Labs, they narrowed down the yeasts to those that produce, and could tolerate, alcohol. From those, a few mini batches were prepared to check the taste and aroma characteristics, with the ultimate Saccharomyces cerevisiae winner being chosen. Originating from a wild pin cherry on their property, the yeast is currently chugging away on a batch of wort, with the beer seeing wide release in the fall. And there has been lots of development across the road from the brewery, as the location of their 20 barrel (2400 litre) production brewery is being built and assembled now. Follow along on their Facebook page.

• Lazy Bear Brewing in Smiths Cove, NS have released their own harvest beer this week, Binecraft Pale Ale. From 40 hand-harvested and -picked bines of Cascade hops grown by the Hudgins family in Aylesford, the wet hops were added late in the boil, preserving the freshly-harvested aroma, plus a dash of citrus. The yeast chosen for this brew, Midwestern Ale from Yeast Bay, lent some subtle esters to the final beer, enhancing the bright fruit experience. Drop by the brewery during their Thursday night Growler Nights to enjoy the fruits of their labours, and look for it on tap in HRM at Battery Park and for fills at Harvest Wines soon.

• Halifax’s Garrison Brewing has a pair of beers returning this week and next. Released for Halifax Oktoberfest, Hammerschlagen is also available now at the brewery for samples and growler fills. This ‘Fest-style lager is 5.4% ABV and a light 14 IBUs, highlighting an amber colour from the crystal and caramel malts, and the typical toffee, bready, and dark fruit flavours and aromas from them. Also at the brewery are 650 ml bombers of the Sweet Rye’d Harvest Wheat Ale, brewed with bog myrtle.

• And returning next week is Garrison’s Double Jack Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Brewed with loads of Cinderella pumpkins from the Dill Farm, and additions of the spices found in pumpkin pie recipes the world over (allspice, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg). The 8.0% ABV copper-coloured beer is lightly hopped to 30 IBUs to allow the spicing, crystal malts, and light sweetness to shine through. Pair it with your turkey, pumpkin pie, or on its own, this beer is a fun seasonal release for fall. Look for it to be released at the brewery and private stores next Thursday.

• Annapolis Cider Company has released their first Ice Cider, Harvest Gold. This type of cider is typically produced by cryoextraction – the juice is frozen and then allowed to slowly thaw; the “run-off” is, as a result, extremely concentrated and sweet. This is then fermented, and usually results in a high-alcohol cider… in the case of Harvest Gold, 10.5% ABV. The alcohol is hidden quite well, however, as the resulting cider “still retains plenty of sweetness and acidity”; think of this one as a dessert cider, similar to ice wine. It’s available now in 200 mL bottles ($19.95 each), and only at the cidery in Wolfville.

• There’s a brand new cask pouring at the PEI Brewing Co. – The Mayor is described as an easy-drinking, 3.8% ABV Saison that has been spiced with garden-fresh basil. With “lots of fruity esters and a spicy aroma, with notes of black liquorice and fresh-cut grass”, according to the brewery, it won’t last long, as per usual for these special cask releases. Get to the brewery’s taproom now for a taste!

• Moosehead has confirmed that they have secured a location for their new small-batch brewery, scheduled to open in 2017 in conjunction with their 150th anniversary. The new facility will be located on Water Street, adjacent to Pugsley slip at the bottom of Princess St. in Uptown Saint John. Two small-scale brewing systems will be located in the 10,000 square foot space, which will allow the brewery to “explore new product development and new brewing techniques”, according to a recent press release; a tap room and retail area will also be housed in the space. This should mean more beer along the lines of the special releases that have popped up over the last few years, especially at events such as the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival.

Another busy weekend; here are a few of the events worth checking out including the Tatamagouche Oktoberfest, depending on where you are in the world:

• A reminder that the Cask Beer Throwdown is happening at Olympic Centre tomorrow, September 24th. Featuring two sessions (12-3 and 5-8), guests will get a chance to try a whole slew of beers served via gravity pins and hand pumps. The entrance fee includes access to the event, a take-home glass, and your first 12 beer sample tickets. Session One (12-3pm) breweries include: Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Garrison, Good Robot, Propeller, Schoolhouse, Sober Island, and Tatamagouche. Session Two (5-8pm) breweries include: Big Spruce, Gahan House – Halifax, Garrison, Good Robot, Hell Bay, North, Sober Island, and Spindrift. Food courtesy of Bramoso Gourmet Pizzeria, The Food Wolf, and T DOGS will be available as well. Grab your tickets now!

• Also happening tomorrow is the 2nd annual Atlantic Canadian Craft Brew Oktoberfest, at the Moncton Lions Club. Featuring 20 breweries, cider houses and meaderies from Atlantic Canada, there are three ticket types available, each including unlimited samples: regular tickets include a custom tasting glass and entry from 7:30 pm-10 pm; the VIP session, which begins a half hour earlier; and a VVIP session which begins at 6 pm and includes a special glass, industry panel discussion, and guided beer tasting. Tickets can be purchased online ($58, $68, and $75 for regular, VIP, and VVIP, respectively). Proceeds will go to support the United Way.

• And one final reminder for tomorrow – new Fredericton brewery Bogtrotter will be holding their official launch. Their three core beers have been pouring at several establishments over the past week, and are now available in 16 oz bottles at the Oromocto ANBL. Starting with a tasting at the ANBL Train Station from noon – 3 pm, then on to Graystone from 4-6 pm, before finishing off with a Meet the Maker event at the James Joyce from 8-10 pm. There’s no charge to attend any of the events.

We’ve got a few more parting shots this week:

– Bore City has confirmed the name of their new DIPA – Tipsy Giant will be pouring at the Atlantic Canadian Craft Brew Oktoberfest, with one keg likely to make it to one of their Moncton licensees, soon. For those of us who are missing out, fret not – Tipsy Giant will most likely be joining the regular Bore City rotation. For more details on the beer, check last week’s post.
– Hell Bay has brought back their Black IPA, Black Flag IPA; brewed with dark malts and Demerara sugar (to add a touch of rum flavour), the beer is hopped with Chinook and Ahtanum to 55 IBUs. Weighing in at 6.1% ABV, it’s available on tap at the brewery now and should pop up at select accounts, soon.
– Propeller Pumpkin Ale is back, in both 6-packs and 500 mL bottles, as well as on tap; brewed with a combination of real pumpkin flesh and spices, it comes in at 5% ABV.

Friday Wrap Up – News from Hammond River, Big Spruce, Bore City, North, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-09-02
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Annapolis Cider Company, Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Bore City Brewing, Celtic Oktoberfest, Falmouth TrALE Run, Good Robot Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Mill Street Brewpub, North Brewing, PEI Beer Festival, Picaroons, RockBottom Brewpub, Schoolhouse Brewery, Sea Level Brewing, Uncle Leo's Brewery, Wayfarers' Ale. Leave a Comment

Good morning, and welcome to another long weekend! Some big news for a couple of breweries in our region, and the usual plethora of new beers, beer events… let’s get started!

• Well, it’s official – Hammond River Brewing is finally expanding! Owner/brewmaster Shane Steeves confirmed in a Facebook post yesterday that the brewery will be moving to a newly-constructed building that will house the DME-constructed 15 BBL (1750 L) system… that’s 15 times the size of Hammond River’s current brewery, making it the largest microbrewery in the Saint John area. The brewery will also be attached to the Barrel’s Head Gastropub & Wine Bar, and will have a tasting room where customers can order pints, have their growlers filled, and purchase bottles of HR beer. A barrel-aging program is currently in the plans as well. Look for the new brewery to open in early 2017, if all goes according to plan, and don’t worry – it will be business as usual for the current brewery until the new location opens, meaning your favourite HR beers will continue to be brewed. Congratulations, Shane!

• Hammond River also has a new brew in the making, a Berliner Weisse named Paisley Park. This is the first foray into sour beer territory for HR; brewed with Pilsner and Wheat malt and lightly hopped to only 4 IBUs (as is typical for the style), it was kettle-soured to give it the characteristic tartness of a Berliner Weisse. In addition, 34 lbs of fresh local raspberries from Balemans U-Pick were added in secondary. Keep your eyes open for this 3.2% ABV refreshing sour beer in the near future.

• And speaking of brewery expansions, more details on the currently-underway Big Spruce embiggening are now available! Construction on the brand-new, 5400 sq-ft building has begun on the Big Spruce property, which will eventually house a 3-vessel, 20 BBL (2300 L) brew house – that’s about three times larger than the current brewery. With 40 BBL fermentors and an automated, 30 can-per-minute canning line, we can all expect to see a heck of a lot more Big Spruce beer in the near future! Look for everything to be completed sometime in March, 2017.

• Let’s stick with Big Spruce for a while longer, as they have some new and returning beers on the horizon. In new beers are two collaboration kettle-soured ales, similar to their popular Silver Tart. Both Certified Organic Berliner Weisse/American Sours, soured with the BS in-house Lactobacillus culture, they’re made up of a grist of 50% Pilsner and 50% Wheat malt. One was brewed with Tatamagouche Brewing and will be conditioned on organic ground cherries from Taproot Farms, while the other beer, brewed with Boxing Rock, will feature organic blueberries from North of Nuttby Farm (the blueberry Berliner Weisse is based on a beer brewed by our own acbbshawn). We’ll have more details on the release dates of these beers as they near completion, and if either of them will be packaged outside of kegs.

• And in even more Big Spruce news, they have released I’m Wit Chris Lemon Ginger Wit this week. This local twist on a Belgian Wit features 6.5 kilograms of locally-grown ginger from Jody Nelson’s LocalMotive Farm and Tim & Estelle Levangie’s Thyme for Ewe Farm. The brew is further spruced up with the zest of 80 lemons, completing the beer with a great citrus aroma, and both a bite and pleasant aroma from the ginger. First available in 2015 as Cold Remedy, accbchris wrote about his experience assisting with the scale-up of his recipe previously. Grab it on tap at the brewery, and around HRM this weekend. And remember to drop by the brewery this weekend for The Big Pig Roast!

• Moncton’s Bore City is releasing a hoppy Wheat Ale, I’d Radler Not. With a grist comprised of ~40% Wheat malt, the beer was hopped with Equinox, Hallertau Blanc, and Vic Secret, giving a big blast of tropical fruit in the aroma and flavours. Described by the brewery as “juicy, light, and refreshing, yet well-balanced”, it comes in at 5.2% ABV and 44 IBUs. Don’t be fooled by the name, there’s no juice or soda in this one! Kegs have been sent to both Marky’s Laundromat and the Tide & Boar in the city.

• Halifax (and Dartmouth’s) North Brewing is releasing a very special beer today at noon. They have taken a funky path with their Glenora Barrel Aged Strong Dark Belgian: they pitched Brettanomyces from Escarpment Labs into one of their Glenora barrels, and allowed their SDB to re-ferment and age in the barrel for seven months over the winter. After a further two month conditioning, the beer is now ready for the public. Both the Brett and barrel aging add their own notes of leather, vanilla, cherry and oak to the already complex 10.5% ABV dark Belgian brew. With the higher ABV and bottle conditioning component, this beer will continue to develop over the months and years to come, so it is certainly advisable to pick up a few bottles. Due to the limited numbers, only one barrel (less than 20 cases), there is a 12-bottle limit per person.

• Two new beers hit the taps at Rockbottom Brewpub this week with a bit of a yin and yang feel that celebrates both the end of the summer and the approaching fall. The first, dubbed Fuzzy Pucker, is an American sour fermented on the last of the summer fruits, peaches. The aroma features stewed peach and pie crust with a touch of floral esters. At only 4 IBUs and carrying 5% ABV, it’s tart on the palate with a drying acidic finish; definitely a late summer sipper. On the other side of the coin, reminding us that cooler weather is just around the corner, the Baltic Porter is a rich, multilayered, lagered beer in the tradition of the Baltic states of Europe. Strong, dark and roasty, with featured flavors of sweet malt, liquorice, and dried fruit, this complex 8% ABV brew comes in at 30 IBU and is a sipper of a different sort. Both beers are available at the pub, either to sit and drink or in growlers to take home.

• Last Friday, Big Tide released Barrelled Life, their first Barleywine. After being brewed on the Big Tide system, the beer was barrel-aged for 6 months by Dunhams Run winery, out of Kingston, NB. According to the brewery, the beer was aged in a Frontenac Reserve barrel, and blended with Black Mamba, a mead made by Dunhams Run. The resulting product is a “silky smooth”, 10.5% ABV monster of a beverage. Available at the brewpub for 12 oz pours only, once it’s gone, it’s gone, so hurry down for a pour!

• Wayfarers’ Ale Society has a new beer on tap, One-Eyed River Hog IPA. Featuring a larger malt bill than their EPA, it likely falls in the English IPA category, described by the brewery as having “some wonderful hoppy overtones, with a big body and a little bit of sweetness in the finish”. Brewed as a special-release small batch, this 6.2% ABV beer won’t be brewed again until sometime in November.

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has a brand new beer out this week. Primal Wit is a 5.7% Witbier, featuring kaffir lime leaves, Lemongrass, Star Anise, and Ginger, for an Asian-inspired twist on this Belgian style. Bright citrus, light licorice, and ginger lend a savoury theme to this brew. Brewed exclusively for Halifax’s Primal Kitchen, it’s on tap there now, as well as at the brewery in Somerset. Also look out for BA’s Mosaic DIPA, the 8.0% ABV Double IPA featuring loads of Mosaic hops, available at better bars in Halifax now. They recently brewed their APA (American Pale Ale) with a high portion of the grist with Horton Ridge Malt, and the upcoming brew of their Russian Imperial Stout will also feature a healthy dose of the locally-malted grain in the malt bill. And Operation Green Ring, the collaboration with Delta Force Brewery will be brewed on the weekend, featuring loads of cucumbers and fresh mint on top of an American Wheat base.

• Schoolhouse Brewery allowed visitors a sneak peek at their new brewery and retail location yesterday, as part of their new monthly Growler Night. Open the first Thursday of the month at their new 40 Water St location in Windsor, customers can purchase growlers of their beer, as well as merchandise, and track their progress as they work towards the opening of their location in December. For now, these nights will replace their delivery schedule, as they work tirelessly towards that opening. Keep an eye on their Instagram feed for the latest developments! And there is still a bit of their collaboration with Good Robot, Skratch Plaskett, a 5.8% ABV Pale Ale, brewed for the Evolve Festival.

• Annapolis Cider has released the latest entry in their Something Different series of ciders, Citrus and Plum. This unfiltered cider features fresh-pressed juice from Golden Plums that were grown just down the road from the cidery. In addition, a small batch of dry cider was added, that had been infused with the zest of oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, giving the final product a “mouth-puckering zing, and a cleansing finish”. Note that this 6.1% ABV cider contains the first apples from the 2016 harvest, including fresh-pressed juice from three different varieties: Vista Bella, Close, and Jersey Mac. Available only at the cidery in Wolfville, don’t expect this one to last long (especially with the return of Acadia students!). And as with all of their Something Different blends, a portion will be going to a local group. This batch’s beneficiary is The Flower Cart, empowering local adults with intellectual disabilities through vocational training and job placement assistance.

• This week saw Good Robot bringing out another stylistic mashup that reminds us once again where they stand on the East Coast/West Coast beef. Ol’ Scurvy Bastard, a Marga-RZA and/or Dirt McGirtarita Ale sees an ultimately Belgian style, Witbier, that was brewed with coriander and fermented with the St-Remy Abbey strain from Escarpment Labs, then a-salted Leipzig-style like a Gose, peppered with Japanese Sorachi Ace hops to the tune of 14 IBUs, and finally smacked down with lime zest. Pale gold in colour and hazy with a white head, you’ll find aromas of lemon and lime, vanilla, honey and agave with floral and briny hints. On the palate you’ll be tasting those same citrus and sweet notes along with the salt. Both mildly tart and a touch boozy, it’s 6.2% ABV and carbed right up for a crispness that accentuates the acidity. Protect ya neck!

• Mill Street St John’s has released their latest brew, Jigger’s Delight California Common. This 5.7% ABV, 18 IBU hybrid beer uses lager yeast fermented a little bit warmer, allowing some of the aromatics of ale yeast to shine through, while maintaining a smooth finish. Notes of grain and a light honey sweetness sit upon a medium body with toast and caramel flavours. The beer is available on tap now, and will rotate into their growler bar when possible. Mill Street is currently recruiting a Head Brewer for this location, as current Head Brewer Alexis Wagner is heading to the UK to complete her Masters. Click the St. John’s tab here for more information.

• It’s that time of year again – Hop Harvest! Several breweries in our region have wasted no time, and have brewed (or will very shortly) Wet (aka Fresh Hop) beers with locally-grown hops. While hops are usually dried, and possibly pelletized before use to help extend their storage, wet hops can be used immediately after picking, for an extra aromatic blast fresh from the plant.

Big Spruce rounds up plenty of community hop pickers for assistance in harvesting the aromatic varietals grown on their property. Last year they released their wet-hopped Craig Goes Yard; no word on what exactly they have planned for this year’s harvest, but we can definitely expect the style to be another IPA.

Meander River will be brewing several batches of their Home Grown Ale, thanks to the bountiful harvest of eight different hop varietals grown right at the brewery, as well as some grown in a test hopyard in Aylesford.

Schoolhouse Brewery grabbed some 70kg of hops from a local family farm, some of which will be used in a soon-to-be-brewed beer; the rest will be dried for later brews.

Sea Level has been brewing a wet-hopped beer for years; this year, they’ve brewed up a new one, Indigenous Pale Ale (5% ABV). Featuring freshly-harvested Cascade grown on-site, and organically-grown malt from Horton Ridge, it should be available in kegs and cans by mid-September.

Uncle Leo’s brewed their 2nd Annual Harvest Ale with hops from Bramble Hill Farm and malt from Horton Ridge Malt and Grain. Look for it in a couple of weeks; it went fast last year, so watch for updates!

And the fun isn’t only in Nova Scotia – New Brunswick brewery Picaroons will be continuing their Harvest Ale series; we’ll have more details on that series of beer, soon.

• The NSLC released their First Quarter Results this week, and the sales of NS Craft Beer continue to show great growth, rising by almost 50% over last year’s Q1, while overall beer sales grew by only 9.6%. Any concern that the number of small local producers has reached saturation is far from true, as they still only account for less than 4% of the entire beer sales in the province. Massive growth in NS-produced cider continues as well, clocking in at over 80%, still accounting only a small percentage of the overall “Ready-to-Drink” market. The full report can be read here.

There’s a few events coming up that we’d like to mention before signing off:

• The 2016 PEI Beer Festival is being held this weekend at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. There are three sessions: Friday and Saturday, 6:30-9:30, and Saturday 2-4:30. Featuring a wide variety of the PEILCC‘s regular offerings, there will also be some special casks from PEI Brewing Company, as well as new beers from visiting breweries Boxing Rock, Collective Arts, and Propeller. Check out the beer and brewery list here, and grab your tickets online or at the door ($50 for tonight’s session, $40 for tomorrow afternoon’s, Saturday evening session is sold out).

• The Falmouth TrALE Run is scheduled for October 1st. Featuring a challenging 5km route through the woods at Castle Frederick Farms, water stations along the way are amped up with beer from nearby Schoolhouse Brewing. The event will not be timed, so enjoy the view and the beer while you make your way along the route. Your $40 ticket includes beer samples and a souvenir glass. All proceeds from the event are going to support West Hants Ground Search and Rescue, and you can pledge more through the online registration.

• Port Hawkesbury will once again be hosting the Celtic Oktoberfest on October 22nd. An all-inclusive event with live music, food, wine and beer, this is the third year for this great event. Featuring products by Authentic Seacoast, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Breton, Eileanan Breagha Vineyards, Garrison, Hell Bay, Spindrift, Tatamagouche, and Uncle Leo’s. Check the website for the full food and music run-down, too!

Have a fantastic long weekend! Looks like some mighty decent weather to unofficially end the summer; be sure to enjoy it with your favourite craft beer(s)! And as usual, a few parting notes…

– Petit-Sault‘s 8.5% ABV Pumpkin Ale, Bonhomme Sept-heures, has been brewed and packaged for release this weekend. This year, however, a portion has been bottled; bottles will be available for purchase at the brewery only, along with growlers. It sold out quickly last year, so don’t wait! A few kegs may make it to licensees.
– Due to great response from customers, Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewery will be taking this weekend off, but will be open again next Saturday 10-2 for growler fills and merchandise sales, before their full launch mid-September.
– York County Cider has announced that their bottle distribution has increased, as several of their brands are now available in bottles at the ANBL on Mountain Road in Moncton.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from PEI Brewing, Upstreet, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Unfiltered and much more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-08-05
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Alexander Keith's History Brewery, Annapolis Cider Company, Big Axe Brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Garrison Brewing, Good Robot Brewing, PEI Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, York County Cider. Leave a Comment

Welcome once again to the weekend, and the end of another week chock-full of Atlantic Canada beer news! Yesterday, August 4th, was IPA Day, so naturally many breweries in our region released several new IPAs to celebrate this national holiday. Let’s begin with that…

• First off, PEI Brewing Co. has an Oat Session IPA now available, an unfiltered beer that Brewmaster Chris Coles is describing as “cloudy-golden, pungent, and refreshing”. Featuring a simple grist of “mild-ale malt” and Flaked Oats, it’s hopped with Mosaic and Huell Melon, the high majority of which were added as whirlpool and dry hop additions, giving the beer a huge tropical fruit, citrus, and spruce aroma, with just a slightly-bitter finish. Weighing in at just 4.2% ABV and 30 IBUs, look for it at the brewery and at the Gahan House in Charlottetown, and maybe one or two beer bars in the province. It’s also at all five ANBL Growler stations this weekend, so fill up, New Brunswickers!

• Staying on the Island, Upstreet has released their first American IPA, Island Hopspitality. Described as a “West Coast IPA”, the grist is made up mostly of Maritime Malt, with a little Crystal and Melanoidin as well. Four Southern Hemisphere hop varieties (none of which have been used at Upstreet before) were added to the beer: Ella, Sticklebract, Pacifica, and Wai-iti. About 75% of the hop addition was added 5 minutes before the end of the boil, with the rest making up the dry-hop addition, so expect plenty of citrus and floral notes in the aroma and flavour. Look for this 6.5% ABV, 50 IBUs IPA at the brewery now, and at select tap accounts.

• On to Nova Scotia! Big Spruce and Boxing Rock have teamed up to release a collaboration, Shame on You IPA. Brewed to protest “Crafty” beers, and raise awareness of locally-owned and run NS Craft Breweries. Bittered with Bravo, with late flavour/aroma additions of Amarillo, El Dorado, and Centennial, it was then dry-hopped with Chinook and Citra. The result? Plenty of fruity, tropical, piney aromatics and flavours, all in an authentic 6.0% ABV and 41 IBU package. A single batch of 1700 litres was brewed, so be sure to get it while you can. It is available at both breweries now, at this evening’s session of the Seaport Beerfest, and on tap at finer establishments this weekend.

• Meanwhile, Unfiltered has – of course – brewed up a new hoppy beer for the special day. Deity SMaSH DIPA was brewed entirely with 2-row malt and the Columbus hop variety, to 7.5% ABV and a calculated IBUs of 100. Described by the brewery as “massively juicy, with a spicy, herbal nose”, think of this one as the fraternal twin to their popular Double Orange Ale (which features Citra instead of Columbus). On tap now at Charm School and the brewery for pints and growler fills.

• Truro’s The Nook and Cranny has their new IPA out just in time for this week. Coming in at 6.0% ABV, it was dry-hopped with Moutueka and Centennial for a big blast of fruit and citrus in the aroma and flavour, balanced with some malt sweetness to even it all out. Be sure to drop by the brewpub to give it a try while it lasts!

Don’t worry, there’s lots of other beer news that doesn’t necessarily revolve around IPAs!

• Big Tide is celebrating their 7th Anniversary today, and have brewed a new edition of their Anniversary Amber to celebrate! This year’s batch features seven varieties of malt in the grist, and a total of 2009 grams (get it?) of local Cascade and West Coast Willamette hops. Brewmaster Wendy Papadopoulos describes it as “malty with a moderate bitterness of 50 IBUs”, it’s available on tap for pints and growler fills starting today at the brewpub, and clocks in at 7% ABV (naturally). And look for their Valley View Saison to make a return next week, as well as a special raspberry version.

• TrailWay had a special sneak preview of their newest beer earlier this week during the Fredericton Beer Run. Luster is their latest hoppy session ale that the brewery is describing as “hazy and bright, with tropical-juicy hops, and full-bodied with a pillowy mouthfeel” (thanks in part to the generous use of Flaked Oats). Heavily-hopped (all late-additions and dry hops) with Comet, Galaxy and Topaz, it weighs in at a very-low 3.7% ABV and somewhere around 25 IBUs. Available now at the brewery for pints and growlers fills, and on tap at select tap accounts in Fredericton.

• Propeller released their latest One Hit Wonder, Pokemon Pilsner, last Friday afternoon. Billed as an American-style Pilsner, the addition of Acid malt to the grist provides a slight, crisp tartness to the beer, and the Northern Brewer hops give a “spicy, herbaceous profile” to the 5% ABV, 20 IBUs beer. Described as “clean, dry, and super-drinkable, with a creamy white head and balanced taste profile”, sounds like there’s still a little of this left for growler fills at both Prop Shop locations, select private stores, as well as on tap at a few accounts in the city.

• Good Robot is releasing a new beer today, 4th Chamber – Brew-Tang Ale – that they’re calling a Berliner Weisse/Witbier/Gose hybrid. Brewed with Pilsner, Wheat, and Acid malt, it was hopped entirely with Sorachi Ace, and fermented with Abbey IV, a Belgian yeast strain. With the addition of salt, coriander, and Lactobacillus bacteria, the result is a pale, effervescent, fruity, sour beer that is super-sessionable at only 3% ABV. Get down to the brewery to give this one a try!

• There’s lots going on at Tatamagouche Brewing, so let’s get to it! First off, they’re releasing Ace of Lace, a Witbier at their retail store tomorrow, and it’s an interesting one! Brewed mainly with Pilsner malt and Wheat, with a bit of Rye, Queen Anne’s Lace (a medicinal wildflower) and Indian Plum berries were added to the hopback, along with coriander. In addition, the beer was lightly dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace and Amarillo, and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. The resulting beer has herbal tea and orange zest notes in a 4.3%, 18 IBU package. Available in cans and growlers, and hitting tap accounts soon, a cask version will also be tapped this weekend at the brewery.

• In more TataBrewNews, early next week, they will be releasing a second batch of their collaboration with Bishop’s Cellar, Cellar Slammer Summer Session, the 4.4% Session IPA featuring loads of Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc, and Amarillo. Look for it in cans and growler fills (both at the brewery and Bishop’s Cellar), and kegs at your local watering hole. There is also a cask earmarked to be served next Friday Aug 12 at Tata itself, with even more hops added in the firkin. On hand that Friday and Saturday will be The Food Wolf food truck, serving up food to complement to beer sampling.

• And finally in Tata News, look out for several special releases beginning Wednesday of next week.  First up, they are releasing a series of Barrel-Aged Belgian Golden Strong ales. The 7.8% base beer was brewed earlier in the year, and had been aging for several months, before fruit was added to each one: Raspberry, Strawberry & Ginger, and Cherry & Blackberry. The first two releases will happen next week, with the cherry & blackberry beer coming a little later. These will be available in very limited amounts for sampling at the brewery, with bottles available for purchase. Joining these will be the next pair of beers in their Giant Beer Series. For the first time in this higher-ABV, bottle-only brews, they are going Belgian, with an 8.4% ABV Belgian Tripel. Brewed with primarily Pilsner malt, and Saaz with a touch of Mallertau Mittelfruh hops for bittering, this beer is bottle conditioned for higher carbonation and to extend the lifetime of the beer. Joining the Tripel is a small release (only 15 cases) of the Barrel-Aged Two Rivers Baltic Porter, the 8.0% ABV big brother to the Two Rivers, which spent 4 months in Ironworks barrels. Look for exact release details on their social media pages, as they roll out beginning Aug 10!

• There are several new beers available now/coming soon at Gahan House – Halifax. First up is Crosscurrent American Pale Ale, which is currently pouring and will be joining the regular lineup at the brewpub. Planned to evolve over time, the beer will showcase different hop combinations while incorporating the same malt bill (Pale malt with small amounts of Flaked Oats and Red Wheat); the current hops being used are El Dorado (whirlpool and dry hop) and Amarillo (dry hop only). Currently 5.5% ABV and 35 IBUs, it has lots of hop flavour, but low bitterness for the style. Also on tap at the brewpub is a new 4.0% ABV wheat House Beer. Brewed in the German Weizen style, with notes of clove and banana, the beer was partially cleared, but still retain some of the characteristic haziness from the yeast and high wheat content in the beer. A dry-hopping with Saaz completes the beer. And next week, the brewery will be releasing Maritime Brine, a Gose described as “delicately acidic, salty, and lemony” that comes in at 3.8% ABV and 8 IBUs.

• After quickly selling out of their last “Something Different” cider, Garden Strawberry, Annapolis Cider Company luckily has brewed up a new entry, Sour Cherry. Made by infusing a dry cider with sour cherry juice – and then sweetening it with a touch of fresh-pressed apple juice – the result is a “fairly dry, very food-friendly cider”. It’s available right now for 750 mL bottle fills; the charity receiving part of the proceeds for this one will be Camp Brigadoon.

• Mill Street St John’s has released their latest beer, Brehm’s Blueprint. Named after the German Brewmaster and architect who designed the Bavarian Brewery on Leslie Street, this German Pilsner features traditional Hersbrucker hops for floral and earthy notes on a crisp base beer. An ode to the familiar Newfoundland brands of Blue Star and Jockey Club once brewed at Bavarian, this 5.0% ABV, 30 IBU beer is available now on tap for pints and growler fills. Keep an eye out for upcoming releases, including an IPA and California Common.

• Garrison has released their latest one-off creation, Peanut Butter Honey Ale. The base beer is their Roggen Dunkel (aka Klingon Warnog), with real peanut butter and honey blended into the beer post-fermentation. This 5.3% ABV beer is only available at the brewery for samples, so you’ll have to visit their Marginal Road location for a taste!

• There’s a new beer available from Big Axe in Nackawic, Sea Buckthorn Golden Sour Ale. As with many Big Axe beers, the beer features an ingredient found in New Brunswick, in this case, Sea Buckthorn. A type of berry that the brewery says has been used as a cure-all for thousands of years, it was used amply in the beer to help result in ale that is “slightly sour, yet refreshing and bitter”. Hopped with Palisade, the beer comes in at 4.8% ABV. Look for it at the brewery now and on tap at several Big Axe accounts; it will also be making an appearance at this weekend’s Halifax Seaport Beerfest.

• Halifax’s Rockbottom Brewpub has a pair of new beers on tap these days, including the 5.0% Blanched Blonde Witbier, brewed in the traditional Belgian style, with low bitterness (25 IBUs), with orange aroma and a slight phenolic spiciness. Also on tap is the Dark Mild, which, when served on nitrogen, has a nice creamy mouthfeel and notes of toast, treacle, and quince fruit from the English yeast-derived esters. Upstairs at sister-bar Your Father’s Moustache, the entire Nine Locks complement is available, including the latest Watermelon Blonde release. And available this afternoon will be a special house-only beer, a 4.1% ABV Berliner Weisse. This traditional style features wheat notes on a sour base, not unlike a tart lemonade with a hint of citrus dry hopping.

• The latest beer from Alexander Keith’s Historic Brewery is now available, Fundy Low Tide White IPA. The 5.7% ABV was brewed with 50% torrified wheat and 50% Golden Promise, for a bready, wheat character, with a solid 60 IBU bitterness from Amarillo, Cascade, Mosaic and El Dorado hops in the boil and dry hopping. 7 kilograms of locally-harvested seaweed was added to the boil, a 50/50 blend of dulse and sea lettuce harvested by Seaboost during low tide off Grand Manan Island. The mild saltiness plays off the bold hop character, with notes of grapefruit rind and melon. It is available on tap at the brewery on Lower Water Street, and at the weekend’s Beerfest.

• Speaking of the Seaport Beerfest, there will be several special casks pouring at the Ladies Beer League / Brewnosers Cask Pavillion, including a special cask of Red Rover Dragon Slayer (featuring local cranberries), named Hop the Magic Dragon, after the hops added to the cask. Also pouring will be some special one-offs from Gahan, Boxing Rock, Garrison and Moosehead. Be sure to check the full beer list here, and we’ll see you there!

A few more parting shots before we call it a wrap:

– Port Rexton Brewing has added a third beer to their lineup this week, the Island Blonde. This 5.6% ABV beer is available on tap, joining their Horse Chops IPA and Night ‘Bous Porter.
– York County Cider is on tap for the first time, with their Like an Academic – a 6.5% ABV blueberry cider – on tap now, and their hopped cider, An Apple a Day, on deck. Drop by the Cidery today for samples of their next special blend, details of which are under wraps.
– Picaroons has re-released their Pride Sally Pride, a 4.5% ABV Pale Ale brewed with Amarillo hops and apricot flavouring; look for it on tap now at the Brewtique and General Store, as well as several Pics accounts.