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Friday Wrap-Up – News and Beers from TrailWay, Tatamagouche, Big Spruce, Bad Apple, Railcar, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-12-19
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Basset Hound Brewing, Big Spruce Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison 2015 Home Brew-Off Challenge, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, King Street Ale House, Propeller Brewing, Railcar Brewing, Red Rover Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Stillwell Beer Bar, Stubborn Goat, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. Leave a Comment

Welcome to the last Atlantic Canada Beer Blog Friday Wrap-Up for 2014! There’s lots of new beers (many of which are Christmas-themed) and other news this week, before the true craziness of the holidays really begins, so let’s get cracking…

• Fredericton, your wait is over: TrailWay Brewing will be officially releasing their beers to the public this weekend! Beginning with a launch party at the King Street Ale House tomorrow at 7:00 pm (open to all), their beers will then be on tap regularly at the KSAH and 540 Kitchen & Bar. They will be bringing four beers to the launch party on Saturday: a 6% ABV hoppy Amber Ale with lots of finishing hops to boost the aroma; an American Pale Ale that is also heavily hopped, with Cascade and Apollo, and dry-hopped twice; another APA hopped entirely with Comet; and a Coffee Stout brewed in the American Stout style, but with less Roasted Barley than is typical, in order to let the added coffee (from Fredericton’s Whitney Coffee Co.) shine. Sounds like some tasty beverages! They’ll have two of these beers available for sampling, and all four can be purchased as full pours. Hope to see you there! For more on TrailWay, check out our original post.

• Last week, we reported on a collaboration beer being brewed at Tatamagouche Brewing with the folks from The Stubborn Goat in Halifax, for the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration on January 15th. We know now that the beer in question is an 8% ABV Imperial IPA, featuring large amounts of Centennial, Columbus, and Chinook hops. It is also dry-hopped with a new variety called Azacca (which is very difficult to obtain), which features notes of citrus, melon, orchard fruit, and pine. The beer hasn’t been named yet, and they’re looking for your help! Head to Tata Brew’s Facebook page and submit your goat-themed beer name by commenting on their contest status; if your name is chosen, you’ll win a free party keg rental and a $100 gift card to the Stubborn Goat! The contest closes on December 22nd.

• And don’t forget that the winning entry in the Big Spruce 2nd Annual Homebrew Competition will also be making its debut at the Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration. Homebrewer Eric Gautier just brewed his American Wheat Ale, Bráthair Éric, on the Big Spruce system; along with Simcoe and Cascade hops as late additions in the boil, Eric has also chosen to dry-hop the beer with the Wakatu variety, from New Zealand. Sounds delicious!

• While on the topic of Big Spruce, they just brewed up a new beer to be released in the New Year. The style is Winter Warmer, and it features an interesting ingredient – Gila Squash. This is a type of squash not grown commercially in Canada; however, Michelle Smith of North Wind Farm in Skye Glen, Cape Breton was lucky enough to obtain 21 Gila seeds from the National Seed Bank, according to Big Spruce. After successfully growing over 30 mature squash this summer, Michelle passed on 7 to Big Spruce, where owner/brewer Jeremy White sugar-roasted the flesh and added it to the mash on brewday. This beer also features local hops from Southan Farms, the Doyle Family farm in Nova Scotia, and the farm at the brewery. White plans on adding black strap molasses as well, bringing this monster of a beer to about 9% ABV. Stay tuned for info on the beer’s release over the new few weeks. And look for their Spruce Bringstein to be released today!

• Bad Apple Brewhouse has brewed up another batch of their Barrel-Aged Black & Tackle Russian Imperial Stout, with a different twist. For this batch, the beer spent some time in barrels from Planters Ridge, a winery in Port Williams, giving it a sherry-like finish. This big beer (10.5% ABV) will be on tap only at the brewhouse, and may show up at one or two BAB accounts in Halifax. Owner/brewer Jeff Saunders has also brewed the second version of his Box Cutter IPA, and has assured us it’s even hoppier than the first beer! Look for this one to be available on Boxing Day (just a coincidence). Also, if you happen to see a beer from BAB named Winter Whistler on tap, it’s their Summer Slurper, renamed.

• And speaking of BAB, they’re holding their one-year Anniversary party on December 31st! There’ll be lots going on, including door prizes, gift giveaways, food… and most importantly, a special beer on tap (details TBA in the near future)! Keep your eyes on BAB’s social media pages for more details on the party, soon.

• Railcar Brewing will have two new beers on tap for growler fills starting tomorrow. Both beers were brewed in collaboration with and designed by homebrewer Justin Tompkins of Basset Hound Brewing in Perth-Andover; Justin hopes to go pro sometime in the not-too-distant future, so this is a great opportunity to get a feel for his brewing style early! First up is the  Blonde Ale, brewed with the purpose of transitioning Light Beer drinkers into the world of craft beer. It features a grist of Pale malt and Carafoam, and is lightly hopped with Centennial and Hallertauer. Fermented with an English ale yeast, it clocks in at 5% ABV.  The Cherry Chocolate Stout is at the other end of the spectrum – featuring Roasted Barley and Chocolate malts, lactose sugar, Fuggles and Cascade hops from Southan Farms, “various forms of cocoa” in the mash and secondary fermentation, along with real sweet cherries, this will definitely not be a light-tasting beer (but is still quite sessionable at 4.5% ABV)! Get down to the brewery if you can, these beers won’t be around for long!

• Just in time for Christmas, Boxing Rock is releasing a new beer today that’s perfect for pairing with “Christmas cake and holiday cheer”. Blue Toboggan is a Spiced Winter Ale; the spices in question include ginger and cinnamon that were added in the brewing process. As well, a little Haskap juice – provided by Haskapa, out of Blockhouse, NS – was added to give this pale-straw beer a slight red-blue color (Haskaps are small blue berries, sometimes referred to as “Blue Honeysuckle”). The ginger and cinnamon, combined with the tartness from the Haskap, are supported by the malt backbone, as well as a “mild bitterness and smooth finish”. Sounds like a great take on a Christmas beer! Look for it on tap at the brewery, select bars/restaurants in Halifax, and in 650 mL bottles at the private liquor stores in the HRM starting today; it should also be available at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market tomorrow.

• The newest One Hit Wonder from Propeller is out this weekend. Snowblower Winter Ale is described by the brewery as a “Darkish British-style brew”, a 6.2% ABV malt-forward beer brewed with Melanoidin, Munich and Roast to complement the base malts. English hop varieties, including Fuggles, are used to balance and enhance the flavour and aroma, to 31 IBUs. On tap now at Gottingen, and soon at the Windmill location, this beer is only available in growlers, with a limited number of kegs around the city.

• A reminder that Propeller’s second Lambic release, Blackberry, is being released Monday, Dec 21st. To celebrate, the launch party will be taking place at Stillwell tomorrow, starting at noon. You’ll be able to buy the beer by the glass or bottle, and from 1-3pm will have the chance to sign up for a pre-release bottle to be picked up Sunday (limit one per person). The beer goes on sale Monday at opening at Gottingen (10am) and Windmill Rd (noon), with a strict one-bottle per person limit. Show up early to avoid disappointment, the Framboise sold out within minutes of opening!

• Jake Saunders just took over the role of Brewmaster at Rockbottom in Halifax, and his first creation is already on tap at the brewpub! An Extra Special Bitter, The Loyalist ESB weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 35 IBUs, and was hopped heavily (~8.5 kg) with East Kent Goldings. Copper-colored with an aroma of “toast, honey and pears”, this malty beer features flavors of coffee, toffee, and an earthy, balanced bitter finish. Get down there to give this new beer a try, before it’s gone!

• Grimross Brewing has announced that, inspection and licence-pending, their new location at 600 Bishop Dr. in Fredericton will be open this coming Monday, December 22nd, from noon – 10:00 pm. There should be two beers on tap on opening day: a Belgian Blonde Ale test batch, and one of their popular flagship beers, the Saison Cheval D’or; both will be available for growler fills (750 mL and 1.89 L), and samples or full pours! They’ve also just brewed a batch of their popular  Belgian Rye IPA, which has been renamed Grimross Rye IPA. For the most up-to-date status on their opening, keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter accounts on Monday morning.

• The 2015 Garrison Home Brew-Off site is now live! This is the 7th year for this homebrew competition, with this year’s style being a Robust Porter, a “substantial, malty dark ale with a complex and flavorful roasty character”. Entries are due by February 12th, and will consist of six bottles of homebrew and a $15 registration fee. Taking part gets you entry to the gala and awards ceremony on March 5th, along with a souvenir glass, a Growlito and your first fill. Your homebrew will be evaluated by BJCP-certified judges, and the winning brewer will get to brew a full batch of his or her beer on the Garrison system with brewmaster Daniel Girard. Get brewing!

• Speaking of homebrew competitions, we’re down to the last month before entries are due for the 1st Annual Hammond River Brewing Homebrew Competition. Your Christmas / Winter Specialty Beer entries are due by January 16th. For more info, check out the link above, and our previous post.

• Are you having a big party at your house on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve? Or, maybe you’re just going to be in the mood for some cider and snacks one of those nights, and don’t feel like leaving the house? Well, Red Rover is pairing with Real Food Connections to offer delivery to your home (within Fredericton only). Just follow the directions on this link to make your order; delivery charge will be only $5, and if your order is over $100, delivery is free!

In closing, if you happen to be out skiing at Mont Farlagne this weekend, all three flagship beers from Petit-Sault are now available on tap and/or in bottles at the bar! A reminder that their event at Le Deck on Saturday will feature several special one-offs (check out our previous post for more info). And look for their Louis XVII to be available in bottles in early 2015! Picaroons finally broke ground on their new brewery this week, so they’re on their way to another expansion! For those not able to make it to the Brewtique every day at 4pm to be enjoying their 12 Beers of Christmas, be sure to visit Stillwell on the 23rd to have your pick of them all!

As hinted at above, we will be taking next week off for the holidays. We’ll still be updating our Twitter account with new beer releases and interesting events during the next couple of weeks, but we’ll be sharing the full details with you all when we return in the New Year. In the meantime, drink local… and have a safe, happy, and beer-filled Christmas!

Friday Wrap-Up – News and Brews from BarNone, Big Axe, Hammond River, Sea Level, Tatamagouche, and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2014-12-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: BarNone Brewing, Big Axe Brewery, Burgers n' Beer, Distillerie Fils du Roy, Hammond River Brewing, Ladies Beer League, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Railcar Brewing, Sea Level Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Tatamagouche Brewing, YellowBelly Brewery. Leave a Comment

Good morning! After a couple of very busy beer-news weeks, it looks like things have slowed down a bit… but there’s still quite a bit going on in the Atlantic Canada beer world!

• We have some more info on the new Sweet Stout (aka Milk Stout), La Vaca Loca, brewed by BarNone. This complex, dark beer was months in the making; co-owner/brewer Don Campbell had long wanted to brew a Sweet Stout with cacoa nibs from Island Chocolates in Victoria-by-the-Sea. Brewed with seven different malts, the beer has lactose powder added late in the boil to increase body and sweetness. During secondary, there are additions of the cacoa nibs (which have been soaked in alcohol), vanilla bean (also soaked in alcohol), and Belgian candy. On top of all this, Campbell saved some of the cacoa nibs for a final addition, or “dry-nibbing”. This 6.4% ABV Stout should be available soon! And their Imperial IPA, The Little DIPA, should now be on tap at The Pilot House and Baba’s Lounge in Charlottetown… go get some!

• Big Axe, meanwhile, has also provided more details on their newest beer, Wrath of Putin Imperial Pale Ale. A stronger beer at 7.5% ABV, it is hopped to 75 IBUs with two varieties – Centennial and Goldings – from Southan Farms. It is described by the brewery as having a “golden amber color” and “strong hop flavor with a clean malty sweetness”; look for it on tap in Fredericton at 540 Kitchen & Bar and Vault 29. Also note that Big Axe is currently closed for growler fills and retail sales until December 28th.

• Hammond River‘s Chocolate Coconut Porter, Into the Dark, is finally ready! Along with the toasted cacao nibs and toasted coconut, owner/brewer Shane Steeves decided to go ahead and add some steeped coffee from local roaster Java Moose as well. Sounds like a good idea to us! Look for this 6.3% ABV Porter on tap at the usual Hammond River accounts in New Brunswick over the next few days.

• Sea Level Brewing is bringing back one of their seasonals, High Street Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. Brewed to style, it’s a malty beer with a “sweet caramel taste”, accompanied by toasted and roasted flavors. A dark-amber, 6.4% ABV ale, you can find it now at the brewery in cans, and for growler fills. Look for it on tap in Halifax and the Annapolis Valley at select beer bars/restaurants, and in cans at the private liquor stores in Halifax.

• Tatamagouche Brewing has released their Festive Ale this week, Maple Squash Ale. Organic, locally grown and roasted Red Kuri Squash from Waldegrave Farms in Tatamagouche, along with organic Maple Syrup from Acadian Maple, were used to create this special beer. Malagash-grown Goldings and Willamette hops were used to balance  for a nice smooth finish, with a hint of spicing and sweetness on this 5.1% beer. It is on tap for growler sales at the brewery now, and will hit the local bars and be in bottles next week. For those not lucky enough to have picked up a ticket to the Festive Brunch with the Ladies Beer League at Bar Stillwell Sunday at noon, we expect there to be some still on tap at 4pm, when the bar is open to all. Look for merch and goodies from both TataBrew and the LBL that afternoon. And the LBL crew will be on hand to answer questions and chat about their membership and discount card, which will be released in January 2015. We have a preview of the discounts available here, looks like a great value for $25!
• Coming soon from TataBrew is their Oyster Cloister, an Oyster Stout. Yes, you read that correctly, an Oyster Stout! Brewed with the dark and roasty malts characteristic of a stout, Malagash-grown oysters were added to the boil for a special kick, and a faint saltiness to complement the roast character. Weighing in at 5.3%, it also features Tata farm-grown Willamette and Goldings hops. This brew will be released in growlers and 650 mL bottles, and your friendly neighbourhood pub, on December 31st.
• In preparation for their participation in the Craft Beer and Local Food event January 15th, the TataBrew Crew invited the Stubborn Goat Crew over for a brewday last week. Tyler, Evan and Josh assisted with the milling, mashing in and out, and measuring and adding of hops. Look for this special collaboration beer to debut on the 15th, and we’ll have more details closer to that date.

• Yellowbelly Brewpub in St. John’s has released their annual Mummer’s Brew seasonal beer. This year’s style is a Chocolate Coffee Porter, and weighs in at 6%. Maris Otter base malt with a healthy dose of Baird’s Black and Thomas Fawcett Roast Barley malts complete the bill. Light additions of East Kent Goldings and Willamette hops were used to balance the beer, to 30 IBUs. After primary fermentation (using a blend of American and British Ale and Champagne yeasts), Newfoundland Chocolate Company cocoa nibs were added to the tank, and Fixed cold-steeped coffee was blended in during transfer to the packaging tank. The resultant dark ruby-coloured beer features roast and chocolate notes, with some noble hop character, and a slight warming characteristic. The beer is on tap now, and bottles should be available next week.

• Coming soon from Yellowbelly is a Christmas Cider. This special release features fresh-pressed cranberry juice from the West Coast of Newfoundland, and is  drier than their Yellow Mellow Cider. The cranberries lend a pink hue to the body, and a fruit aroma that melds nicely with the apple character. This cider weighs in at 6.5%, and will only be available in bottles at Yellowbelly and the local NLC locations. Look for it in the next week or so.

• Distillerie Fils du Roi est situé à Petit-Paquetville, sur la Péninsule acadienne de nouveau brunswick. Ils produisent des esprits il y a deux ans, et ont récemment acquis l’équipement supplémentaire pour brasser de la bière. Leur première bière est Caraquet Flyer, nommé d’après un train qui a été utilisé dans la région dans les années 1880. La bière est du style Eisbock, en utilisant un procédure de congélation et l’enlèvement de l’eau de la bière pour permettre le niveau d’alcool se élever à 8,5%. La bière a a été approuvé par Revenu Canada, Agence canadienne d’inspection des aliments et de la sécurité publique, mais est maintenant en attente d’approbation de la ANBL, qui malheureusement ne peut être accordée qu’après une réunion du conseil en Février 2015. Nous avons hâte d’essayer cette nouvelle bière, et futur bières saisonniers de la Péninsule acadienne.

 • Distillery Fils du Roi is located in Petit-Paquetville, on the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick. They have been producing small batch spirits for two years, and have recently acquired the additional equipment to brew beer. Their first beer is Caraquet Flyer, named after a train that was used in the region in the 1880s. The beer is an Eisbock, using a method of freezing and removal of water from the beer to allow the alcohol levels to rise to 8.5%. The beer  has been approved by Revenue Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Public Safety, but is now awaiting approval from the ANBL, which sadly may not be granted until after a board meeting in February 2015. We look forward to trying this new beer, and future seasonal brews from the Acadian Peninsula.

•  Railcar Brewing in Florenceville-Bristol is now offering CSB shares. Community Supported Brewing shares are available from the $125 to $500 level, offering at least 20% bonus return in beer and merchandise, plus invitations to special events, dinners and free brewery tours. Contact Mitch at the brewery for more details, and help support your local brewery!

• Unfortunately, the third Burgers n’ Beer event in Fredericton, which was scheduled for earlier this week on December 9th, had to be cancelled again due to poor weather conditions. However, it has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 6th (still at the uptown reLiSH location from 8:00 – 10:30 pm), and there’s still a few tickets available! Here’s hoping for better weather this time around!

• A reminder that today is the first day of the Picaroons 12 Beers of Christmas; the first beer will be released for growler fills (two per person maximum) at the Brewtique, and the style/beer will be announced online at noon. For those of you outside of Fredericton who are disappointed you won’t be able to take part, good news… Stillwell will be featuring a tap takeover on December 23rd, where all 12 Christmas-themed beers will be on tap at the same time! No charge, just show up to sample one, two, or all twelve beers while you’re out doing your last-minute shopping/trying to get away from the in-laws already.

Here’s hoping your weekend is filled with good beer! Shiretown has their Honey House Ale back on tap for growler fills at the brewery, and Garrison’s Spruce Beer is definitely being released at the brewery this morning (the bottling issues were resolved), and on its way to the private stores and other provinces as well. And congratulations to Jake Saunders, who is now the Brewmaster at Rockbottom Brewpub. Be sure to drop by and wish him a warm welcome, and look out for his first brew on the RB system to be released soon.

Friday Wrap-Up – News and Brews from Hammond River, Shiretown, Petit-Sault, TrailWay, Granite, Boxing Rock, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2014-11-21
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Boxing Rock Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Bulwark Cider, Garrison Brewing, Granite Brewery, Hammond River Brewing, RockBottom Brewpub, Rogues Roost Brewpub, Shiretown Beer, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing. 3 comments

Happy Friday, everyone! Another hefty week of beer news for Atlantic Canada, so let’s get cracking…

• Last month, we mentioned that Hammond River was planning on brewing a Coconut Porter in the near future. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves has confirmed that he will be brewing this beer, Into the Dark, this coming Monday. A Robust Porter, the beer will have both toasted coconut and toasted cacao nibs added in secondary (after primary fermentation has completed); there may even be some local coffee added! The beer should come in at about 6.3% ABV and 38 IBUs; we’ll keep you updated on its progress. And don’t forget to swing by the KV ANBL this weekend, where Hammond River’s Red Coat India Red Ale is available for growler fills!

• Shiretown has a new one-off beer almost ready to be packaged: Hop Hash Strong Wheat Ale is hopped exclusively with… Hop Hash! This is a relatively new product composed of the sticky, resinous hop lupulin glands, supposedly giving lots of hop flavor without the bitterness. For this batch, the hash comes from Goldings hops grown at Southan Farms. Lots of Wheat malt goes into this 6.2% ABV beer (50% of the grist), along with 2 Row, Munich, Vienna, CaraMunich, and Toasted Wheat. The Hop Hash was used in three different additions during the boil. Due to the nature of the additions, the calculated IBUs aren’t known, but owner/brewer Derek Leslie has confirmed the bitterness is in the “medium” range. Look for it soon (probably next week) at the brewery for growler fills, and likely on tap shortly after at the King Street Ale House in Fredericton.

• In even more new beer news from New Brunswick, Les Brasseurs du Petit Sault will be releasing a one-off holiday beer next Wednesday, Nov 26th at noon, at the brewery for growler fills. The name is a secret for now; the brewery is currently dropping small clues in the form of a picture puzzle on Facebook and Twitter. The beer is described by the brewery as a “spiced winter ale” (think Winter Warmer); they’re keeping a few details secret for now, but we can confirm that it will come in at 7.3% ABV and 28 IBUs, and pour with a dark-brown body. “Spicy, and with a nice molasses aftertaste”, it sounds like a great beer for the holidays!

• As their opening date gets closer, the brewers at TrailWay Brewing have been testing out their new equipment with some test batches, including an American Pale Ale and American Stout. Recently, they brewed up something new, an Imperial Brown Ale named Grizzly Oak; as the name suggests, the beer will be aged on oak when fermentation is complete. Including Victory and Honey malt in the grist, it should clock in at around 7.5% ABV and 40 IBUs. While only a test batch now, hopefully we’ll see it on tap around Fredericton when the brewery officially opens; at the very least, this should be representative of future beers from Fredericton’s newest brewery!

• On to Nova Scotia! Granite Brewery is releasing a new beer soon, a Black IPA named Dark Side. Brewed with 2-r0w, Carastan and “Black malt”, the beer is hopped with East Kent Goldings and Cascade to 60 IBUs. It’s a stronger beer at 6.8%, and should be available by the first week of December at the latest, at the Beer Store for growler fills. It will follow afterwards on tap at select locations in Halifax.

• Speaking of Black IPAs, Boxing Rock is releasing a new beer today, The Darkness Cascadian Dark Ale. Brewed in the IPA style, with strong bitterness and fragrant hop characteristics, the CDA features a roast character from the dark malts used in the mash, also lending the signature ink-black colour. 2014-harvest Canadian-grown Centennial hops are featured in the dry-hop with Simcoe, both of which lend their characteristic citrus and piney flavour and aroma to the beer. The beer weighs in at 6.5% ABV and ~50 IBUs. Bottles are available at the brewery and the four private wine shops and Market, as well as on tap at better beer establishments. This was a one-off brew, so best to grab a bottle or pint when you see it!

• And good news for beer drinkers in New Brunswick: after a year of Boxing Rock’s great offerings being available only in Nova Scotia, they are now available on tap at a few bars in your province! Look for their beers on tap at Ducky’s Bar in Sackville, Marky’s Laundromat and Tide & Boar in Moncton, Lemongrass Thai and Peppers Pub in Saint John, and 540 Kitchen & Bar and King Street Ale House in Fredericton.

• Rockbottom Brewpub is releasing their newest seasonal tomorrow, Smoke and Mirrors. This is a classic Rauchbier, reminiscent of the iconic beer from Bamberg, Germany, Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen. Brewmaster Greg Nash used over 80% Beechwood-smoked malt, with Munich malt making up the rest of the grist, and Hallertauer Tradition hops used for a balancing bitterness. The result is a 5.3% ABV beer featuring both smoke and malt character, and a light 21 IBU bitterness. The beer hits the tap at opening at 4pm, and the RB kitchen will be serving grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches to pair with the beer.

• As promised last week, we have some more information on the Tatamagouche Brewing North Shore Lagered Ale. Weighing in at 4.7% ABV, the beer was lagered for 3 weeks before hitting the taps and bottling line. With that extra conditioning time, the beer has time to meld the light Pale Ale body with the hop bitterness and aroma, measured at 15 IBUs, thanks to Ahtanum and Hallertau Mittelfruh. And good news everyone, it is still available on tap in Halifax, as both Bar Stillwell and the Stubborn Goat received a reload this week.

• Tatamagouche also went through a small (but critical) expansion this week, adding capacity to their mash tun and kettle. The folks from Purity Stainless were in and chopped the top off of both vessels, and added 5 hl (500 litres) additional capacity to their 10hl brewhouse. And the Tata Crew wasted no time in testing out the system, and everything worked great! Staying true to their goal to not run out of their two core brand offerings, Hippie Dippie Pale Ale and Butcher Block Red, will now be that much easier thanks to this extra volume. It will also mean more access, and greater frequency, to special brews and one-offs, like a new one-off RR#2 Lager coming next week (brewed using their own Malagash-grown hops), and the return of their Dreadnot IBA, with the next batch hitting the taps in the first week of December.

• Rogues Roost Brewpub released their newest one-off beer last week, Double IPA. The 8% ABV, light-bodied ale features 2-Row, Wheat, Crystal, and Melanoidin malts, with Falconer’s Flight and Cascade hops throughout (including dry-hopping) for a massive hop aroma and assertive, but not punishing, bitterness. Notes of citrus and floral come to mind while sipping the beer. Assistant Brewer Jake Saunders took the reins with this beer, developing the recipe himself, and it is a beer to be proud of. Cheers!

• Garrison Brewing has released their newest seasonal, Winter Warmer, this week. Weighing in at 7% ABV and 20 IBUs, this beer is a great accompaniment to those cool nights we are experiencing in our region. 2-Row, Munich, Caramel and Chocolate malts make up the grist, with Brewer’s Gold hops used to balance the rich mouthfeel of the beer. Notes of cinnamon, clove, dark fruit and citrus are present. It is available now in 6-packs in Nova Scotia, and in 500ml bottles in New Brunswick. Last week, we spied the Garrison crew braving the weather and visiting Meander River Farm to pick Spruce tips and branches for their annual Spruce Beer. Look for that to be released in December, we’ll have all of the details then!

• We have more details to share on two ciders that are hitting shelves (and a few taps) in Nova Scotia these days, both from Bulwark. Bulwark Winter is 7.0% ABV, and is their Original Cider infused with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger. It offers a fuller mouthfeel due to a slightly higher alcohol content. It can be enjoyed either chilled, or try warming it up to release even more of the great spice aromas. It has been on the shelves at the NSLC and private wine stores for a few weeks, and as it has been so successful, a second run will be released in the next two weeks. Bulwark Gold is 5.0% ABV, and is infused with honey and orchard fruit, for a subtle sweetness and notes of apricot or peach. The Gold will be hitting the NSLC shelves this weekend, and can be sampled at the Barrington St location Sunday 1-4pm. Both ciders, as well as their Original and Blush, use a blend of Macintosh, Golden Russet, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp and Spartan apples, all from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

In a promising final word this week, the ANBL growler program has expanded to their Sackville location. This week’s offerings will be Picaroons Winter Warmer, Muskoka Brewery Cream Ale, and Le Trou du Diable L’Amère Indienne (American IPA). And speaking of Muskoka, their Mad Tom IPA and Winter Beard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout will soon be available in Nova Scotia, and they are holding a launch party at Stubborn Goat Wednesday (Nov 28, 6-8pm) to celebrate. Contact Lara to secure your spot.