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Friday Wrap-up – News from Bad Apple, Boxing Rock, Stillwell, Big Spruce, Picaroons, Hell Bay, and more

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-11-14
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Bulwark Cider, Celtic Knot Brewing, Fredericton Poutine Festival, Hell Bay Brewing, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Pump House Brewery, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you’re able to stay dry and warm today, as some wet weather hits our region. Perhaps this toasty beer news will help a bit!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse in Somerset, NS is releasing their newest beer this weekend, Boxcutter IPA. A light coloured ale, weighing in at 6.92% ABV and light-bodied, this IPA is hop-forward without being too bitter. The IBUs are calculated at 45, however most of the secret hop blend was added in a massive charge at flame-out (in the kettle, after the burner is turned off), and then another boost as a dry-hop in the fermenter/conditioning tank. This beer will be making its debut at Stillwell Sunday during their First Anniversary party, and available on tap around the city thereafter, as well as growler fills at the brewery.

• Another beer debuting at Stillwell’s party Sunday is Merci Bière, from Shelburne’s Boxing Rock. The Stillwell crew visited Boxing Rock, and brewed alongside Emily and Henry last month. Their beer is a very special Saison, weighing in at 8.4% ABV and 20 IBUs. However, the numbers definitely do not tell the whole story, as the crew used some Beechwood smoked malt for a smokey hint, and used noble UK Goldings and Czech Saaz hops to complement. And with a French farmhouse yeast to ferment this beer, they were blessed with spicy notes, including clove, allspice, and black pepper. After its release at Stillwell Sunday, it will be available in growler fills at the brewery and Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, and in bottles at the private wine shops.

• Yet another new beer debuting Sunday will be Stillwell’s very own beer, Nuppeppo. Contract brewed at North Brewing, the grain bill reads like that of an Imperial Stout, with lots of oats and flaked barley, chocolate malt for colour and flavour, and some sugar to help achieve terminal gravity. The beer takes a left turn from the style in the choice of hops: UK Goldings for bittering and Czech Saaz for flavour and aroma. And another turn (onto a ramp?) when you realize this is a Saison, and was fermented with a Farmhouse yeast. The main event (or the 24 buses jumped, in this over-stretched analogy) are the 900 grams of spices added in the last minutes of the boil. Chef Graeme used his signature Tokyo Steak Spice mixture (featuring black and Szechuan peppercorns, chilis, and a few other secret ingredients) to complete the notes of heat, chocolate, pepper, and mint on the nose and tongue. While nervous during the process, the beer has turned out even better than the Stillwellers could have expected! This beer will only be on tap at Stillwell, and there are not many kegs, so be sure to drop by Sunday to ensure happiness.

• As if you needed more reasons to visit on Sunday, the SW crew is bringing in some more heavy hitters, including lovingly cellared kegs of Acadie-Broue Kiebitz Coti Berliner Weisse, Grimross Chantelope (100% Brett fermented), Garrison Brewing Grand Baltic Porter (2013), Dieu du Ciel! Bourbon Barrel-aged Péché Mortel (2013), and casks from Boxing Rock (U-889 [2013] and the Merci Bière collaboration), North Brewing (Saison de L’Acadie), and Bulwark (Cask-Conditioned Original Cider). Plus they will have some special bottles pouring by the glass for that day only (Propeller’s Lambic-Style Framboise, The Bruery’s Sour in the Rye, and the Merci Bière collaboration. In addition to the great beers, they’ll be serving cake, and the favourite food menu items from the past year. It will be quite the party, don’t miss it! Full tap/cask/bottle list is available here.

• Already on tap in the city and at the brewery is Big Spruce’s Statler & Waldorf Proprietary IPA. Weighing in at 6.4% ABV, it is their first ever beer brewed using 100% of their own farm-grown hops (located just behind the brewery building). Cascade, Centennial, Nugget, Chinook and Mt Hood were the 5 varietals used, dried in their own oast house, and stored until brewday late last month. It is a tannin rich, hop forward beer with deep citrus flavour and character. While Statler & Waldorf are famous for their heckles and puns on the Muppet Show, we don’t think anyone will be complaining about this beer and its #MuppetLevelHops! The beer will be on tap at Stillwell, The Stubborn Goat, and Lion & Bright in Halifax, and the Townhouse in Antigonish. While the IPA is not scheduled to be on tap for the Anniversary party, Big Spruce’s The Whole 9 Yards (their own First Anniversary beer) will be pouring Sunday afternoon at Stillwell. And don’t forget to submit your registration information for their Second Annual Home Brew Competition before the 21st. Beers are due at the end of the month, and the winner will be brewing their beer in Nyanza for release at the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration, Jan 15, 2015.

• Fredericton’s Picaroons has released a returning favourite, Feels Good Imperial Pilsner. Featuring a grain bill of Bohemian Pilsner malt with some malted wheat, this beer usually features traditional Saaz hops, however this release also features hops grown in New Brunswick, specifically Magnum, Nugget and Centennial. As the beer is brewed to support the local arts through Feels Good, it made sense to feature local hops. While the name may imply a lager, this beer was fermented with Picaroons’ house ale yeast, Ringwood. The beer weighs in at 7.0% ABV. Also, big congratulations to Picaroons for achieving B Corporation recognition. To become certified, they must demonstrate “social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency”. They join only a handful of other companies in NB, and one brewery in all of Canada (Beau’s in Vankleek Hill, Ontario)

• Hell Bay Brewing in Liverpool, NS has released a brand new beer today, Chocolat. This 6.0% ABV beer is a Chocolate Wheat Ale (ala Brown Porter style), using a malt bill highlighted with wheat, oats, and darker roast and crystal malts. While these malts alone would offer a full chocolate aroma and flavour, cocoa and vanilla beans were extracted with a generous portion of  rum to really bring out its namesake characteristics. The hops used in this brew were all local Mt Hood and Challenger varietals, grown at Hightide Hops, in Dayspring. Grab it in a growler at the brewery, or on tap only at your favourite local watering hole.

• Like last year’s event, the 2014 Fredericton Poutine Festival was a great success! With over ten different poutines being served and over twenty different beers pouring, the sold-old evening session was hopping with great food and drink. This year’s “Best of the Fest” award went to the Doghut Canteen; they had three different poutines, including Traditional, Newfoundland, and Donair. Check out the festival’s Facebook page for lots of photos of the fun!

• Celtic Knot announced last week that they would be brewing their first batch of Toque and Mitts, an English Barleywine, for the season. Like last year, it’s a dark and malty beer brewed with Maris Otter, Chocolate Malt, Wheat Malt, and Crystal 120 L malts, and is hopped with Willamette, East Kent Golding, and Belma hops to approximately 33 IBUs. This batch has something new, however; Bourbon-soaked oak chips have also been added to the beer. A big beer at 7.5% ABV, it will require a bit of aging, but look for it to pop up on tap at Celtic Knot accounts sometime around Christmas. And, speaking of Celtic Knot accounts, the Old Triangle in Moncton just tapped the Dubh Loki (a Black IPA), their first CK beer!

• Pump House Brewery has released their latest seasonal this week, Schwarzbier. This is a traditional German-style black lager, featuring light hints of chocolate and coffee. Being a lager, it still manages a crisp mouthfeel and light-bodied, clean finish. It is available on tap now at the Brewpub, and at ANBL Dieppe this weekend for growler fills. Readers in NS and PEI should keep their eyes open for Pump House Stonefire Ale, their limited edition Steinbeir, which has been hitting the shelves in those two provinces.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has released North Shore Lagered Ale this week. A light and refreshing brew, it is lightly hopped, and cold conditioned. Available at the brewery in growlers, and on tap at your favourite watering bar. They also brewed up a holiday-themed beer earlier this week that will be out in December. We do not have any details, but gather it will be a “flavourful and festive ale”, out in time for the holidays.

• Bulwark Gold is heading to shelves in NS shortly. This cider is made from fresh-pressed apples and honey. 5.0% ABV. It will be joining Bulwark Winter already on the shelves, their spiced seasonal cider. We will have more details for next week’s write-up.

Finally this week, PEI Brewing has announced that they will be serving light food at their brewery location at 96 Kensington Rd. Enjoy nachos, chicken wings, poutine or pulled pork sandwiches while tipping a pint of their fine beers. Food will be served daily 4-7pm, except Sunday. The full menu is here.

Friday Wrap-Up – News and new beers from PEI Brewing Co, PEILCC, BarNone, North Brewing, Hammond River, Petit-Sault and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-10-24
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Bishop's Cellar, Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Celtic Knot Brewing, Celtic Oktoberfest, Hammond River Brewing, North Brewing, PEI Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Red Rover Brewing. 2 comments

Good morning, beer lovers! What better way to warm up and dry off from this miserable weather than with some beer news from our region?

• The PEI Brewing Co. has a new beer exclusively on tap at the brewery – Scary Saison is a very small test batch that was brewed back in the summer. Featuring a simple malt bill (“Belgian Blonde” style, according to brewmaster Chris Long) fermented with a Saison yeast, the beer went on to have lemon juice added directly to the keg for additional acidity. Coming in at 6.5% ABV and 25-30 IBUs, it has a “crisp and acidic finish, and is fantastic with rich foods”, according to Long. Get down to the brewery to try it out, it won’t last long!

• In other good news for Islanders, CBC news recently reported that changes to the liquor control act will now allow craft breweries on PEI to brew beer above 6.5% ABV. This previous limitation resulted in breweries (and consumers) being boxed-in to a certain number of beer styles. With more choices now being opened up, expect to see more offerings available soon! PEI Brewing Co.’s Chris Long has confirmed that the planning has already begun, and that beer drinkers can expect to see some new styles available from them soon.

• With this news, BarNone Brewing has a new beer scheduled to be brewed tomorrow, when the law change takes effect. What’s up first? An Imperial IPA, naturally! We don’t have many details on this beer yet, but we can tell you it will be named The Little DIPA (because something “even bigger and badder” is being planned for the future, says BarNone brewer/co-owner Don Campbell), and clock in at about 8.5% ABV. Stay tuned for more information!

• North Brewing in Halifax are releasing a special hybrid today, Saison De L’Acadie. This wine and beer hybrid was brewed in collaboration with Ben Swetnam of Avondale Sky Winery. After primary fermentation of 1100 litres of a Saison (brewed with pilsner and wheat malts), they added 200 litres of  L’Acadie Blanc grape must and 10 kg of Cosman and Whidden honey to the secondary. Featuring a dominating grape character, with the malt and yeast to balance and complement. Some lucky folks were able to get the first taste of it last night at Stillwell, and it is available today at the brewery, tomorrow at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market, and may make an appearance back on tap (and in cask) shortly.

• More news on the new beer from Hammond River: a “bold” American Brown Ale (style selected by popular vote on their Facebook page) named Switchback, the grist contains Pale Ale malt, Carapils, Caramunich II, and Chocolate malt. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves went on to hop the beer aggressively (in the mash and boil) with Northern Brewer and Falconer’s Flight; when fermentation is complete, it will be dry-hopped with Centennial. It should come in at about 6% ABV and 62 IBUs. We’ll keep you updated when the beer is ready and available. Shane continues to develop new recipes… he’s got a Coconut Porter in mind for the near future!

• Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault has a new beer on the way as well. A currently-unnamed Amber Ale brewed with local specialty malts, it will feature “upfront caramel notes with a toasted bread aroma, and hints of toffee, roastiness, and fruitiness”, according to the brewery, and will be “well-rounded with a balanced bitterness”. This amber-colored ale should come in at about 5-5.5% ABV and 27 IBUs when it is ready. Look for it on tap and at the brewery for growler fills in early November, and should be bottled early next year. They’ve also got a special-release Christmas beer planned for early December; more news on both beers soon!

• As the colder days roll in, that means that Picaroons Winter Warmer is on its way! This 7.3% ABV English Barleywine is always a popular slow-sipper in Fredericton, and should be available on tap at bars/restaurants in the province, and in bottles, during the first week of November. Picaroons is planning a special launch party for the beer around that time – more details on that next week.

• The NB brewers have been busy this week! Celtic Knot Brewery has put together a brand new brew this week, Angry Willy. Described as a hybrid of a Scottish Export and American IPA, using the body of his Caledonia, but hopped to excess with New Zealand Waimea for bittering and primarily Amarillo for flavour and aroma. Low alcohol content, but high hopping will make for a tasty beer. Look for this on tap mid-November around Moncton.

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is going through a consultation process, in order to modernize the way beer is labelled, identified, and described in the country. Your comments can help shape the way beer is treated in Canada. The 10-min survey can be found here, it closes Nov 17th.

• Looking for something to do after work this evening? If you live in the HRM, Bishop’s Cellar is holding a Craft Beer Tasting today, from 5-7pm. While primarily known for their solid wine selection, in recent months, Bishop’s has been expanding their craft and import beer selection, from Atlantic Canada, the rest of the country, and also imported craft beer. Attendees can look forward to a handful of local and imported beers, each paired with special snacks. Tickets are available online now.

• If you’re in Cape Breton this weekend, remember that the Celtic Oktoberfest is happening in Port Hawkesbury tomorrow evening. This all-=inclusive event with have beer from 9 NS breweries, and 8 local restaurants, each bringing their best to share with you. There are still tickets available for purchase. And be sure to drop by the Port Hawkesbury Yacht Club 2-4pm to witness the Pumpkin Launch! The breweries and other teams have been sharing jabs on social media, as they work to perfect their trebuchets, click here for a video from Big Spruce.

Remember to grab a pint, bottle, or growler of something local this weekend: Red Rover White Witch is now available in flagons at the Ciderhouse, Petit-Sault Bob LeBoeuf is in growlers at ANBL in Fredericton this week, and Boxing Rock’s Unobtanium is available in bottles today at the brewery and private stores. And speaking of the ANBL program, Hammond River will be back on the taps in November, and Big Axe will be taking part for the first time November 5th in Fredericton, with their award-winning Shakesbeer Chocolate Oatmeal Stout.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Shiretown, Big Tide, Boxing Rock, Hammond River, Railcar, Sunset Heights, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-10-17
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Tide Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Cask Days, Ducky's Bar, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Hell Bay Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Sunset Heights Meadery. 2 comments

Happy Friday folks! Another busy week in our region, with plenty of new beers, and new news to share. Grab a pint of bitter or mug of coffee, and let’s dive right in!

• Shiretown has a new beer available exclusively for growler fills at the brewery. Runnin’ Down the Road Amber Ale comes in at 5% ABV and 30-35 IBUs, and was hopped entirely with an unknown variety grown at the brewery. Featuring “a beauty grapefruit aftertaste” according to the brewery, the beer was brewed as a small batch only, so won’t last long.

• Big Tide also has a new beer, currently on tap at the brewpub. The Darkening Imperial Stout is a big beer, clocking in at 8.2% ABV and 70 IBUs. Brewed with a grist containing both 2-row and Pale Ale malt, along with lots of Chocolate malt and some Caramunich, the brewery describes the beer as “rich and malty, sure to warm you up” with the high alcohol.

• We have more details on the new Amber Ale brewed by Boxing Rock – Unobtainium is a 5% ABV beer with a dark-mahogany color, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a “malty-rich backbone supporting some unexpected hop flavors”. The hops used for this brew include Simcoe, Centennial, Amarillo, and the hard-to-find Nelson Sauvin variety from New Zealand. Known for its strong fruity flavors and aromas that resemble white wine, or gooseberries, the brewery was able to get their hands on some whole-leaf Nelson… and won’t be able to again anytime soon. So, grab your chance to try this heavily-dry hopped beer! Look for it on tap around Halifax soon, and in 650 mL bottles at all four private liquor stores in the city, and at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market.

• Boxing Rock also hosted some special visitors this week for a big brew day… the crew from Stillwell Beer Bar in Halifax made a visit to the Shelburne brewery to brew up a special collaboration beer, to be released in celebration of their First Anniversary. Details are being guarded closely, but we do know that Merci Biere is an 8.4% ABV Ale, and Smoked Malt was used in the mash. We’ll keep you up-to-date with this and other developments ahead of the Nov. 16th Anniversary party, where it will be launched, and then available in bottles shortly thereafter.

• Last month, we mentioned that Hammond River was brewing up a new beer, Imperial Vanilla Porter. Well, that 8.1% ABV beer is now ready, and pouring at The Barrel’s Head, 540 Kitchen & Bar, and the Saint John Ale House, alongside the version that has Maker’s Mark Bourbon added (exclusive to the SJAH).  Look for it to follow soon at Ducky’s in Sackville.

• Speaking of Hammond River, they’re planning another couple of new beers to be brewed in the near future. One will be an American Brown Ale; this style was chosen by popular vote on their Facebook page, beating out Black IPA and Coffee Porter. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves admits the beer will be “a fair bit bolder than other Browns here, and will no doubt be slightly out of style”. Sounds good to us! Not to disappoint Black IPA lovers, Hammond River has also confirmed that they will be brewing this style as a collaboration beer with newly-opened Railcar Brewing. Stay tuned for more news on these two beers soon.

• And while on the topic of Railcar Brewing, they’ve just announced that their retail location will be officially open for growler fills on Saturday, November 1st. Their Railcar Red and Artisan Brown Ale will be available that day; fill prices will be $5 for 1 litre growlers, and $10 for 1.89 litre, and they will happily fill any growler from any brewery!

• The first kegs of mead produced by newly-opened Sunset Heights Meadery has been delivered to Isaac’s Way in Fredericton! Queen’s Nectar is the 7.5% ABV base mead; it can be consumed as-is, or added to a variety of “mixers” to make different flavors of mead (all coming in at 5% ABV), such as Naughtea (Iced Green Tea), Shipwrecked (India Pale Mead), and Tart’n (Cranberry Pollen Angels). They’ll also be serving up some MeadMosa, which is, of course, a mixture of base mead and orange juice.

• If you live in Fredericton, your options for craft cider continue to grow! Red Rover Brewing has paired up with Real Food Connections (a local-foods grocery store) to make their ciders available to order online, to be either picked up at a later date, or delivered to your door (within the Fredericton/Oromocto area). Order by Tuesday to pick it up any time from Thursday  to Saturday.

• Grimross has updated us on the progress of their ongoing expansion. Owner/brewer Stephen Dixon is travelling to British Columbia this weekend to check on the progress of the 10 bbl brewing system being built by Newlands Systems, that will soon be shipped to the new location of the brewery at Bishop Dr. in Fredericton. They hope to begin brewing on the new system sometime in November, and open their tasting room the following month, where they will have growlers and cans of beer for purchase, as well as space to enjoy a pint or two. We’ll continue to keep you updated!

• After almost 10 years brewing for Picaroons (with about 4 years as the official Head Brewer), Andrew “Esty” Estabrooks has decided to leave the brewery to spend more time with his family. His position has been filled by one of Picaroons other brewers, Myles MacKenzie, who has been with the brewery now for several years. We wish Esty the best in his future endeavours!

• Ducky’s Bar in Sackville is celebrating their 25th Anniversary, and they have lots scheduled for the event! Starting last night and continuing through the weekend, they have several bands providing live music, as well as special cask offerings each night. The cask beers include Picaroons Best Bitter, dry-hopped with Chinook, Gahan Tall Poppy (Sir John A’s Honey Wheat with New Zealand Motueka hops), and a new beer from Garrison, Unfiltered Wheat, a slightly hazy, sweet and malty American Wheat Ale with ~13 IBUs and 5.4% ABV. There will also be lots of other local beers pouring (as usual), including Garrison Double Jack (it’s first appearance outside of NS) and Hammond River Harvest Ale and Imperial Vanilla Porter. Congratulations to Ducky’s on 25 great years!

• Rockbottom Brewpub is bringing back their Ultimate White IPA. Brewed in collaboration with Halifax Ultimate, this beer is a hybrid of a Witbier (Belgian Wheat Ale) and IPA (hoppy, hoppy goodness). Brewed with 2-row, Crystal 15, wheat and rolled oats, along with bitter orange peel and coriander, plus a blast of Comet, NZ Cascade, and Magnum hops, this beer features orange and citrus flavours, along with a low, but balancing, bitterness. The beer weighs in at 5.7% ABV and 8 IBUs (calc). To celebrate the new beer, a launch party is taking place tomorrow (Oct 18th), beginning at 4pm at the ‘bottom. In addition to the new beer, Halifax Ultimate member Cyra Belbin will be on hand with her award-winning Mexi Mac n Cheese Bites (as seen on CBC’s Recipe to Riches), raising money for Children’s Charities. We’ll see you there!

• Hell Bay Brewing has brought back another batch of their R.I.P.(A.) this week. Available only in growlers and kegs, look for this on tap at better beer bars around the South Shore and HRM shortly. They’ve also released a Honey Blonde recently, available in kegs, growlers and bottles.

• Cask Days is a three-day celebration of cask-conditioned beer, held annually in Toronto. Run by the folks behind Bar Volo, breweries from across Canada, and the US and UK, share their best cask beer. For the second year in a row, several Maritime Breweries will be sending up their best wares to take part, with the crew from Bar Stillwell there to serve and show off the great beers from our part of the world. We know many local brewers and good beer fans from the Maritimes will be in attendance, so if you’re free Oct 24-26, it would be worth a trip! Tickets are now sold out for the Fri and Sat sessions, however you can still drop by the Sunday “Last Call for Cask” session, to bat cleanup and grab some tasty beer.

Here are the beers the local breweries are sending up. The full list of beer from the rest of Canada, California, and the UK is also available. The list is subject to change, we know that cask beer can be temperamental!

Bad Apple / Delta Force Operation Green Ring (Cucumber Mint Pale Ale)
Bad Apple Black & Tackle Wine Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout
Big Spruce Mr.IncREDible (Dry Hopped Irish Red Ale)
Big Spruce Cereal Killer (Oatmeal Stout)
Boxing Rock Temptation Red (American Red Ale)
Boxing Rock Crafty Jack (English Brown Ale)
Greg Nash/Bad Apple Terroir Wethop (Harvest IPA)
Grimross Chantelope (100% Brett Saison)
North Brewing Belgian IPA
North Brewing Winter Saison (Saison With Pepper and Ginger)
PEI Brewing Workshop (Wild Ale Barrel-Aged Saison)
PEI Brewing Blood Orange On The Tracks (India Pale Ale W/ Blood Orange)
Propeller Extra Special Bitter
Pumphouse 4 Alarm (American IPA)
Pumphouse Premium Lager (American Lager)
Uncle Leo’s Smoked Porter
Uncle Leo’s Dry Hopped IPA (American IPA)

Get on out for a pint or two this weekend; why not drop by the NBNano Takeover at Stillwell Saturday (tickets still available for the noon session), PEI Brewing Company to grab their re-release of Blood Orange On The Tracks IPA, The Stubborn Goat for their Nocturne Halifax kick-off party, or your other favourite local pub. Remember to drink local this weekend!