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Friday Wrap-Up – News from Loyalist City Brewing, Annapolis Cider, Upstreet, Acadie-Broue, TrailWay and much more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-12-23
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Acadie-Broue, Annapolis Cider Company, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, Good Robot Brewing, Graystone Brewing, Loyalist City Brewing Co, Maybee Brewing, Mill Street Brewpub, North Brewing, NSLC, Saltbox Brewing, Savoie's Brewhouse, Schoolhouse Brewery, Tide & Boar Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Good morning! As we enter the final couple of crazy days before Christmas, beer news is winding down (ever-so-slightly) as everyone rushes to fit in some last minute shopping, cooking, baking, and stressing. As an excuse to step away from it all, even for just a few minutes, let’s take some time to get caught up on what’s happening in the beer world this week…

• Just in time for Christmas, Saint John’s Loyalist City Brewing has launched their first beer, Lupulus Interruptus. This 7.5% American IPA features loads of late and whirlpool hops, for an assertive 90 IBU bitterness, enhanced by juicy notes of citrus and peach in both the flavour and aroma. This first batch is currently available at Uptown’s Cask & Kettle, as well as for growler fills at the Wellington Row ANBL. Drop in today for a fill/pint, as both spots are moving through the beer quickly! To learn more about Loyalist City, check out our Profile on them from the summer. Look for more LCBC beers to be available in early January, with their retail and taproom location on Water Street to open in the coming months. Keep an eye here, as well as on their social media pages.

• In cider news, Annapolis Cider Company in Wolfville has a brand new offering this week in the form of their Old-Fashioned Gravenstein, made with 100% hand-picked local Gravenstein apples, an heirloom variety that’s great for both eating and cooking, but which doesn’t store well on a long-term basis. The apples for this cider were harvested early and pressed soon after picking providing juice that was fermented dry. After fermentation, additional fresh-pressed Gravenstein juice was added for balance and it the cider was finished with a slight effervescence. The final product is pale in colour with a fresh apple aroma and crisp flavor. It comes in at 7.4% and is being sold in a refillable bottle for $19.95; it’s available either on its own or as part of a Holiday 3-Pack for a limited time.

• There’s a whole slew of special one-offs being released right now at Upstreet, and continuing on over the next several weeks. They’ve brewed up another iteration of their Berliner Weisse, with this batch tasting more sour than the first. Still a very-sessionable 4% ABV, four kegs of this one were made available: two plain, and two dry-hopped (one with Centennial, one with Sorachi Ace). They’re available for pints only at the taproom, and they’re going fast!

• Continuing with Upstreet, last week they released Into the Weeds, a “Seaweed Blonde Ale”. This beer was created by employee Jesse H, and featured a simple grist of 2-row and light Crystal malt, with both sea lettuce and dulse added late in the boil, and as a “dry-weed” addition after fermentation. With a blend of “sweet, salty, and umami” flavours, it was another sessionable brew, at 4% ABV. Unfortunately, the two kegs flew out of the taproom even faster than expected! Maybe they’ll brew it again sometime in the future…?

• Finally, expect to see many more one-offs released by Upstreet over the next couple of weeks, including a Vanilla Smoked Porter, Honey Pilsner, and more. And with a fresh delivery of barrels from Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery, there will be some special beers coming in the New Year. As always, we’ll keep you updated!

• If you’re in the Moncton area, you’re in for a special treat – Acadie-Broue officially launched their Lambic-style beer, Zirable, at the Laundromat yesterday evening. Fermented in Hungarian medium-toasted oak barrels, this sour, complex, 5% ABV ale has been maturing for three years. It made a brief appearance at the 2014 Brewer’s Bash as a young release (where, we can attest, it was already tasting pretty fantastic), and at Stillwell in 2015, but the rest of it has been patiently awaiting it’s release to the public, allowing the Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Lactobacillus plenty of time to work their magic. Several batches were actually brewed over this time period, where they were meticulously blended by brewer Patrice Godin, until the perfect balance and blend was found. This award-winning beer (Silver in the 2015 ACBAs) is a very limited release, so don’t miss the chance to try the only Gueuze-style beer (blended lambics) brewed in the Maritimes (to our knowledge, anyway).

• Along with the first can releases of their Good Aura and Rascal earlier this week, TrailWay has a new beer (of sorts) newly available for the holiday. Christmas Rascal is a new take on their Imperial Stout; inspired by Mexican Chocolate, they infused the base beer with Lactose powder, and then aged it (briefly) on cacoa nibs, cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom and vanilla. The result? A rich, full-bodied, and full-flavoured 8% ABV beer, with just the right amount of spice and heat. A small amount of this one is on tap for pints and growlers at the brewery’s taproom, with the rest available this weekend at all ANBL growler stations (except Fredericton and Dieppe).

• River Charlo, New Brunswick’s Savoie’s Brewhouse has settled nicely into their new digs next to Heron’s Nest Pub; they tell us it’s great being right next door to the only craft and imported beer pub in the area, with their own beer exclusively on tap and a variety of alternatives in the fridge. This week they’ll be serving up their Holiday Peppermint Blonde, a 5% ABV beer with both peppermint and vanilla added to the secondary for a seasonal flavour kick.​

• Fredericton’s Bogtrotter has their first Stout appearing in ANBL stores this week. Snapping Turtle has a fairly standard grist with darker malts, as well as some Rye malt and oatmeal, all weighing in at only 4.8% ABV. Hopped entirely with Chinook to 25 IBUs, expect to see 500 mL bottles at the Oromocto, York St., and Prospect St. ANBL stores; it’s also currently on tap at the Cask & Kettle. Also, Bogtrotter launched Snowy Spruce last week, which is their Muddy Mayhem IPA with a Christmas twist – spruce buds (harvested from owner/brewer Rod Croucher’s property) were added to boost the beer’s aroma. This one is available on tap only, at better beer establishments in Fredericton.

• In St. John’s, Mill Street pub’s head brewer Dan Boldrini has come up with a new beer that celebrates a native Newfoundland foodstuff, the touton, a pancake of sorts often made with leftover bread dough and traditionally cooked in rendered pork fatback (although more often in canola oil or olive oil and clarified butter these days). Touton Topper is an Imperial Stout infused with Crosby’s Molasses, a favourite go-with for toutons. The beer has a bit of a smoky nose and brings blackstrap molasses flavours with dark chocolate, roasted coffee and 25 or so IBUs providing balance. At a hefty 9.1% ABV it’s not for the faint of heart.​

• Starting yesterday, and continuing today until 4 pm, Moncton’s Tide & Boar Brewing began selling growlers to go of their beer for the first time. Set up in the adjoining Duo Cafe, a limited supply of kegs have been pouring several beers, including the recently-released Peach Ale Shake and Sour Otis Cranberry, as well as two brand new beers, Herbie’s Oatmeal for Breakfast Stout, and Simcoe IPA. ANBL-branded growlers will be on-hand for purchase, but they will also fill any (clean) 32 oz or 64 oz growler. In addition, branded men and women’s t-shirts will be available, just in case you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for the beer lover in your life (or yourself)!

• Graystone has a couple of new beers on tap, bringing the grand total of their beers at their taproom to 10, a new high. Summit IPA (6.9% ABV, 74 IBUs) is not a single-hopped beer, but does feature plenty of Summit for a “subtle, earthy sweetness and clean finish”, according to the brewery. They’re also now pouring their Holiday Stout, which is their Pitch Stout infused with cranberries and cocoa nibs; this one weighs in at an easy-drinking 4% ABV, and 38 IBUs. Both beers are available now for growler and crowler fills, as well as pints, and have been spotted at other beer bars/restaurants in Fredericton.

• Earlier this month we told you about Ask & Embla, the first beer in North Brewing’s “Finite Series” of experimental beers, when it was released to local taps. That beer is now available in 650mL bombers at both North bottle shops. It’s the same beer at 5.2% ABV and 16 or so IBU, with 20% oats in the grist, Timothy hay added to the mash, a yeast pitch collected from Saison de Pinot and 3 weeks of aging on driftwood collected from Cow Bay, but now it’s been conditioning in the bottle for an extra month. Given the mixed strain nature of the yeast, the extra fermentables used to bottle carbonate could definitely make some differences to the finished product and make it a candidate for cellar aging as well.

• We also told you a few weeks ago about North’s new Artist Series of labels. One beer in particular, the Farmhouse Red Bière de Garde, isn’t just sporting a new label by Nicole G. (who you may know from the Halifax bottle shop), it’s also rocking a slightly new formulation: although the recipe is essentially the same as their Farmhouse, the new batches of this beer contain malt from Horton Ridge for additional local cred.

• The gang at Good Robot is laying fairly low this week in terms of releases and events, but it sounds like this is the calm before the storm and they’ll be revving back up to full speed in the new year. This week does see the re-release of Whackity Shmackity Brew, a 5.8% ABV and 25 IBU American wheat beer featuring orange zest added to the fermenter and Magnum, Amarillo and Mandarina Bavaria hops, brewed in tribute to comedian Patton Oswalt.

• Coming early in the new year, with more info to come, are three new beers: Sickbot Epidemic ESB, a collaboration with Sickboy Podcast, a collaborative brew with North Brewing that might be named 220 Volts, but then again might not be, and an as-yet totally unnamed Barleywine. We’ll have more details as the release dates approach.

• If you’re looking for a place to have a beer on one of the days most bars are closed over the holidays, remember that Good Robot is looking out for you. They’ll be open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, “at the staff’s request.” (Tune in this summer when the staff “requests” the honour of digging a defensive trench around the Gastroturf.) And on New Year’s Eve the GR gang will also be celebrating a No Frills New Year’s with nothing but beer, glasses to serve it in and some finger foods from Rinaldo’s.​

• Mahone Bay’s Saltbox Brewing has a pair of new beers pouring at their taproom on Main Street these days. Irish Red is a 4.8% ABV malt-forward Red Ale, light and easy drinking, with some pleasant fruity hop and light roasted notes. Due to its popularity, it will be joining their flagship lineup. Also drop by for a pint or growler of Batch 56, a light-bodied lager with a nice malt character and light fruity hops. Weighing in at 5.4% ABV, it hits all of the right buttons. Their taproom is open Christmas Eve until 6pm, and will re-open December 27 for a Family Pot-Luck event from noon, bring your leftovers and share with the local beer community.

• Be sure to drop by Schoolhouse Brewing‘s new location at 40 Water Street in Windsor today, as Class is in Session! Grab flights and growlers of their core lineup noon to 8pm, as well as a brand new brew, Vice Principal Pale Ale. The 5.2% ABV American Pale Ale is a bigger take on the Principal Pale Ale, with a crisp finish and lighter aromatics. Look for it to be pouring at the Local Connections Craft Beer and Local Food Event January 12th.

• Fredericton’s Maybee Brewing has a new English Ale out now, Slanty Shanty Best Bitter, which we mentioned briefly last week. A higher-proof Bitter at 5.0% ABV, it features authentic Noble spicy hop notes (ending up at 35 IBUs), with a touch of honey and grain in the glass. It is available at the brewery for growler fills, and making its way to better beer bars around the province.

• Nova Scotia’s breweries received some good news earlier this week, with an announcement that there are changes coming to the controversial Retail Sales Markup Allocation. The RSMA is collected by the NSLC on all beer that breweries sell directly to customers and licensees (i.e., not through the NSLC). Promoted as an ostensible means to track the volume of beer sold outside the Corporation, the $0.50/litre tax is charged in addition to excise and other taxes required by legislation. Halifax’s Unfiltered Brewing launched a lawsuit against the NSLC in August characterizing the RSMA as a tax and calling its validity into question based on the further question of whether the NSLC has a mandate to tax producers in this way. Unfiltered raised awareness in October with the release of their RSMA Double IPA and has seen support from Big Spruce’s open letter to Nova Scotia as well as a donation of malt from Horton Ridge that they used to brew their most recent batch of DOA. The province says that as of April 1, 2017, the RSMA will be reduced to 5% of wholesale costs, which should lead to a reduction of the overall amount collected from brewers in Nova Scotia to one-third of current levels. While a noble start, and the first time breweries will be treated in the same was as other alcohol producers, many breweries (including Unfiltered) would prefer to see this fee eliminated completely. Credit is certainly due for the inclusion in the press release of Craft Brewer’s Association of NS president Emily Tipton’s comments regarding the extended economic impact of craft beer and brewing in Nova Scotia. The province’s press release can be read here.

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That’s all the news fit to print this week, folks! Have a safe and happy holiday, and we’ll see you back here next week with the final Wrap-Up of the year!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Hammond River, Mama’s, Celtic Knot, Graystone, Good Robot, and so much more it look two extra hours to write!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-10-07
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Bad Apple Brewhouse, Bissell Brothers, Brasseurs du Petit Sault, Breton Brewing, Cask Days, Celtic Knot Brewing, First City Brewery, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Gahan House Harbourfront (Halifax), Garrison Brewing, Garrison Home Brew-Off Challenge, Good Robot Brewing, Graystone Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Mama's Brew Pub, Mikkeller, Mill Street Brewpub, North Brewing, Orono Brewing Company, PEI Brewing Co., Propeller Brewing, Pump House Brewery, Railcar Brewing, Roof Hound Brewing, Savoie's Brewhouse, Sea Level Brewing, Sober Island Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, Stillwell Beer Bar, Sunset Heights Meadery, Tatamagouche Brewing, Tide & Boar Brewing, Unfiltered Brewing, Upstreet Craft Brewing, West Avenue Cider, YellowBelly Brewery. 1 comment

Good day, and welcome to another beautiful Friday! Before diving headfirst into your long weekend, there is a ton of beer news to get through, so sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy!

• With expansion soon underway at Hammond River, brewing – luckily for fans of their beer – hasn’t slowed down a bit! Two favourites were rebrewed earlier this week: White Walker White Stout (a pale-coloured Stout brewed with Java Moose Foghorn coffee, Madagascar vanilla beans, and cacoa nibs) was brewed on Tuesday, and Imperial Breakfast Stout (featuring more local coffee and cacao nibs, along with Applewood home-smoked bacon) yesterday. Owner/brewer Shane Steeves also has two new beers in the pipeline, to be brewed very soon. First up will be a new Imperial IPA that will be hopped continuously with Simcoe during the 90-minute boil (with a large dry-hop addition as well, of course). With a grist composed of Pale Ale, Pilsner, and Vienna malt, along with some Carapils, expect this 9.2% ABV, 101 IBUs DIPA to be very hop-forward, as expected. Shortly after, Steeves will be brewing a new take on his The Vegas SMaSH, with this iteration featuring the extremely-popular Citra hop variety. We’ll keep you updated as to the release of all four of these beers in the future.

• The beer keeps flowing at Mama’s Brew Pub, as yet another couple of new brews became available on tap earlier this week. Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout features a grist of 2-row and Medium Crystal, with some Carafa III and Chocolate malt to darken the colour and add some roasted notes to the beer. Hopped lightly with Goldings to 20 IBUs, dehydrated chocolate peanut butter powder was added to both the boil and secondary to add the eponymous flavours; it weighs in at 7.1% ABV. Next up is Pumpkin Patch IPA, an interesting take on the love-it-or-hate-it Pumpkin Ale. This 6.7% ABV beer uses 2-row as the only malt, but gains colour from the addition of pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar, and molasses. “Generously spiced with brown baking spices”, and hopping with Cascade, Amarillo and Summit to 37 IBUs, it’s available just in time for the holiday weekend, as it will be released today. Finally, good news for those of you unable to make frequent trips to the Northside brewpub – Mama’s is currently installing three new 3 BBL (350 L) fermentors, and a crowler machine. This means more beer of course, but more importantly, some of this beer will be available for off-site sales at local beer bars/restaurants in Fredericton.

• Celtic Knot has released Murky Depths, a new take on their Dark Passage Oatmeal Stout. Featuring the addition of the meat and water from local wild oysters, it’s a great beer to pair with a variety of salty cheeses. Still quite drinkable at 5% ABV, it’s been pouring at a few select locations throughout Moncton; look for it to hit the taps at Tide & Boar very soon (if it’s not on already). If you missed out, fear not – owner/brewer Bruce Barton has confirmed that a new batch has just been brewed, and will be available on tap, soon. And in other Celtic Knot beer news, their 7.5% ABV Toque and Mitts Barleywine should be released this coming December. Perfect for sipping on cold winter nights, this will mark the third year for the annual release of this full-bodied ale.

• Graystone Brewing hasn’t had any trouble breaking in their new brewing equipment – they’ve got several beers in the pipeline, one of which – the first “new” beer brewed on their in-house system – is being released today. Base Camp Idaho is their newest India Session Ale (aka Session IPA), brewed entirely with Idaho 7 (to 60 IBUs), a new experimental hop variety. Described as displaying characters of tropical fruit, stone fruit, citrus and pine, this could very likely be the first time this variety has been used by a brewery in Atlantic Canada. Supremely sessionable at 4.1% ABV, look for it at the brewery for pints and growler fills.

• The bigwigs at Good Robot are a sentimental bunch, and with the departure of Liam, a beloved employee who has returned home to Australia, they’re releasing Chazzwazzers, an “Oceanian Ale” today. Yellow-coloured thanks to a fairly-simple grist of Maritime, Vienna, and Golden Promise malt, plenty of New Zealand and Australian hop varieties were added: Ella and Rakau as whirlpool additions, and Dr. Rudi, Kohatu, and Wakatu in the dry-hop. Expect big aromas and flavours of tropical and stone fruit. Fermented with an American Ale strain to keep the hops front and center, the beer comes in at 7.2% ABV and 46 IBUs. Look for it on tap at Good Robot, and at better beer establishments across the HRM.

• There’s a head-to-head Gose competition underway on PEI, featuring brewers from the PEI Brewing Co. and the Gahan House brewpub, who split up and developed two brand new Gose recipes for draught release only. Let’s start with the PEIBC version, Spiced Gose – brewed with Pilsner malt and a blend of malted and torrefied wheat, it was kettle-soured before being boiled with toasted coriander and a portion of PEI seawater. Hopped-to-style – that is, extremely lightly, to 7 IBUs – with the German Saphir variety, the resulting 3.5% ABV beer is described as “malt-forward, with a balanced salinity and acidity; very drinkable”. A very limited supply will be pouring at the PEIBC taproom and a few regional beer bars, with the rest heading to New Brunswick, where it will be available this weekend at all five ANBL growler stations. Unfortunately, we do not have much information on Gahan’s entry to this friendly competition, but will be sure to share it next week!

• Railcar Brewing brewed a special seasonal batch on October 5th that will be hitting the taps in a couple of weeks: Smoked Apple Ale features 25 pounds of locally picked apples added to the mash, a little smoked malt, and a touch of brown sugar at the end of the boil. Look for more details as its release approaches!

• Don’t be surprised if you see a lineup Friday at noon at Unfiltered Brewing, as they bring us another entry in their SMaSH series this week. Spec’d very much like its siblings DOA and Deity, and made with brewmaster Greg Nash’s unique SMaSH technique, the new RSMA is 7.5% ABV, 100+ IBU, and features Mosaic hops. This variety, also known as HBC 369, was released in 2012 by the Hop Breeding Company and has become a favourite in hop-forward beers across North America. It’s known to provide a complex combination of floral, fruity, earthy, and especially tropical flavours. If you’re lucky enough to be going to Cask Days in Toronto later this month, you’ll find this one alongside Unfiltered’s Flat Black Jesus West Coast Stout and a bevy of other Maritime brews. If you’re not so fortunate, you can head on over to the brewery or Charm School Pub for a pint or a growler fill. Get on it!

• Savoie’s Brewhouse, way up north in River Charlo, New Brunswick, has two items of interest for us this week. The first is the impending release of their new Fall Fair Harvest Ale, containing selected malts from their four main brews into one. This year it uses Chinook, Magnum, Palisade and Cascade (all of which are also featured in their regular line), but going forward it will feature locally grown hops. It is amber in colour and has a slight bitterness. The second piece of news is a move of the brewhouse just down the road to the Heron’s Nest Cottages, home of the Heron’s Nest Pub, where Savoie’s brews are exclusively on tap (where you’ll also find a wide selection of craft and imported beers). This move has also given them the opportunity to follow a welcome trend in the region by expanding their brewhouse capacity from 80 gallons to 160.

• Sea Level Brewing is extremely excited to announce the arrival of a true farm-to-glass Nova Scotian beer this weekend. Brewmaster Randy Lawrence has been dreaming of a beer made solely of locally-sourced ingredients since he began growing his own hops in 1983, and the new Indigenous Pale Ale sees his dream become reality. The barley was grown in Port Williams at TapRoot Farms and malted at Horton Ridge Malting Company. The bulk of the hops are of the Cascade variety and were harvested from Sea Level’s own hop farm, while the small remainder comes from other Nova Scotia growers. The beer is 5% ABV, with a smooth malt flavour that allows the floral and citrus notes from the wet-hopped Cascade to shine. A pre-release took place on Thursday at the Port Pub in Port Williams, with cans and 1L growlers available at the brewery today. If you’re in HRM you’ll be able to find this truly Nova Scotian Ale this weekend at Bishop’s Cellar and at select tap accounts around the city. 

• Launched during their epic takeover of Battery Park’s taps last night, there’s a brand new Tatamagouche brew now flowing this week. Batattery Pale Ale has all the hop character of a West Coast IPA, but in a smaller ABV-delivery system, at 60 IBUs and 5.6% ABV. Battery Park’s head bartender Marc Wilson, a native of the West Coast, and BP/North Brewing’s Peter Burbridge made a trip to Tatamagouche to brew up a special collaboration in September. Featuring Malagash-grown Cascade hops added during the mash, with loads more hops added during the boil (namely Cascade, Chinook, and Simcoe), and through even more of the local Cascade in a hopback, then with extra dosing of Cascade and Chinook dry hops. Though an ode to hops, the use of Horton Ridge Pale Malt helps to complete the local twist on a West Coast-inspired beer. The beer is available now at Tatamagouche for samples, growler fills, and cans, and will be available at licensees within the next week.

• Attendees to the Tata Takeover were also treated to a sneak peek of their next Berliner Weisse release, Philomenaroma. This 4.0% ABV kettle sour features dark cherries, for a brilliant colour and bright fresh cherry aroma. Look for the full release of this beer next week, on tap and in growlers only. Also launching this coming week is Tata’s collaboration with the crew from Bishop’s Cellar, Cellar Slammer Session IPA; at 4.4% ABV, it features the same light malt recipe from the first release, but is further enhanced, aromatically, with a pass through the hopback with some of their own home-grown whole leaf Cascade. Grab the beer at the brewery in growlers and cans, rotating through the growler station at Bishop’s, and on tap at favourite bars in HRM.

• And speaking of North Brewing, they are releasing a brand new beer today, Headline Milk Stout. It features big chocolate flavour from three different chocolate malts (including debittered chocolate malt), complemented with toasted nut and coffee notes. The addition of lactose lends a creamy and lightly sweet finish to the beer, for a full 360° experience. This 5.5% ABV beer is lightly bittered to just under 30 IBUs for balance. It is available now at their Ochterloney and Agricola locations in 650 mL bottles and 750 mL swing tops, growler fills, and sure to be available at your local watering hole shortly.

• A cross-harbour collaboration was released late last week, between Halifax’s Gahan House and Dartmouth’s Spindrift Brewing. Yser is a 20 IBU, 5.9% ABV Saison, featuring light amounts of both flaked rye and flaked wheat in the grist for a light spiciness and haze, and persistent head retention. Lemondrop and Meridian hops lend a bright lemon citrus aroma, which is offset with an addition of pink peppercorns late in the boil. With the yeast drying the beer out (taking the final gravity quite low), the wheat and rye help to maintain a pleasant full body mouthfeel. This is one complex beer, perfect for pairing with oysters (the beer was released in celebration of last weekend’s Oysterfest), or your favourite cheese. Grab it on tap at Gahan and Spindrift for growler fills, and there are a few kegs in the wild around the HRM, too.

• There are a pair of other new beers flowing on the Halifax side of the harbour at Gahan as well. Dead Drift Double IPA is definitely American in inspiration and execution, featuring Chinook, Palisade, and Simcoe hops for pine, citrus, and stonefruit flavours and aromatics, but with a restrained 45 IBUs. At 8.2% ABV, the grist is made up solely of 2-Row malt. A light heat does come through, but only serves to deliver more of the hop aromatics directly to the nose.

• The third new beer is Tommy’s Chocolate Orange, a 4.0% ABV Hefeweizen brewed in collaboration with Gahan’s Chef, Thomas Hulford. The aim was to achieve a blonde-coloured beer reminiscent of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, featuring notes of chocolate, citrus, and maybe some banana. The German weizen yeast helps to bring in the banana, while aging on fresh orange zest and cacao nibs bring in the other flavour and aromatic notes. From head brewer Kyle Jesspsen: “While the aromatics are big, the flavour is still very light, quenching and approachable.” Grab all three new beers, as well as core beers Maritime Brine Gose and Night Vision American Porter on tap and in growler fills now, and keep an eye open for a new version of Crosscurrent Pale Ale (this time with Centennial and Comet) releasing Monday.

• Mill Street Brewery St. John’s has released a new batch of their Capelin Hound, their 4.0% ABV Session IPA. Plenty of hops are used in this small package, to the tune of 50 IBUs, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story of the big grapefruit and melon aromatics, thanks to a boatload of dry-hopping. While originally brewed to enjoy in great volume while awaiting the Capelin to roll, this beer can definitely be enjoyed into fall. They are also releasing Leder-Helles next week, their Oktoberfest-inspired Munich Helles beer. At 5.2% ABV and 20 IBUs, this golden lager is medium-bodied and malt-forward with a sweet, grainy, and nutty aroma. Light hopping from Hersbruker and Saaz hops give a light spiciness, pairing with the dry finish. Grab these two beers, as well as Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale, on growlers to go, upon release.

• Digby’s Roof Hound Brewery is releasing a special collaboration brew this Saturday, brewed with the help of local beertographer and beer fan @kelticdevil (aka Phil Church). Kelticdevil Pumpkin Spiced Latte Strong Porter is an 8.0% Porter, featuring light pumpkin spicing, Sissiboo Coffee Roaster Honduran Coffee, and lactose. The result is more than the sum of its parts, with the cream and coffee coming together with the light spicing for a special seasonal release. To celebrate the release, there will be live music tomorrow night from 10pm, featuring Marc Durkee. Learn more at RHB’s Facebook page.  And there are still a few tickets available for their October 20 Supper Club, more details and the menu are here. And keep an eye out in HRM for their Rooftop Rye-It beer, as kegs were delivered yesterday to Battery Park, Good Robot, Stillwell and Bishop’s Cellar for growler fills.

• Attention homebrewers, the style for this year’s Garrison Home Brew-Off has been announced! Wee Heavy (Category 17C of the 2015 BJCP Guidelines) is a Scottish style of beer, 6.5 – 10.0% ABV, malt-forward and low bitterness, with a full mouthfeel from the crystal and caramel malts. The judging will take place in February with the Gala shortly thereafter. More details will be available soon, and Garrison’s Brew-Off page will updated soon after. Get those test batches on the go now!

• Saint John’s First City has been busy lately, with one recent new beer release and two others on the way. Out now at a handful of beer bars is their American Pale Ale, brewed with “four West Coast ‘C’ variety hops”; it comes in at 5.5% ABV and 42 IBUs. In the next few days, look for Spiced Pumpkin Ale (6% ABV, 25 IBUs) to join the flurry of pumpkin beers currently hitting bars. Finally, their Red IPA (7% ABV, 60 IBUs) will be returning within the next week or so as well.

• In celebration of this year’s Celtic Colours Festival (Oct 7-15), Breton Brewing has just released their Celtic Colours Maple Lager. Featuring more than 20 litres of local maple syrup in the batch, this 5.5% ABV and 15 IBUs Helles is pouring at the brewery and at local bars now. And releasing later today is their Jack’d Up Pumpkin Ale, at 5.5% ABV and 20 IBUs, featuring more than 100 kg of roasted pumpkin added to the beer. Today, and into the weekend, they are featuring musicians in their taproom, in celebration of the Festival. Check out the listings here.

• Propeller Brewing has brought back their ode to next weekend’s “Art at Night” festival, Nocturne. The 4.8% ABV Nocturne Dark Lager is now available in 500ml bottles and growler fills, and is only available at the Prop Shops on Gottingen and Windmill. And during Nocturne, drop by their Gottingen location from 6 to midnight, when they will be hosting a local artist. A percentage of proceeds of the sale of this beer go to the Nocturne Festival.

• Sober Island Brewing has taken to Kickstarter to help fund the next steps in their expansion on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. With rewards ranging from stickers, cooler backpacks for that perfect picnic, to designing and brewing your own custom brew, there are benefits to everyone who takes part. Be sure to check out their campaign and be a part of their exciting future!

• Drop by the Brookside Mall location of ANBL this evening from 5 to 8pm for a taste of some seasonal releases from Sunset Heights Meadery. In addition to Queen’s Nectar, Punky Pie and several other expressions and still meads will be available. Tomorrow, drop by the Train Station for their “Saturday Sips” from 11 am until 3 pm. They will be serving Queen’s Nectar, Punky Pie, Latifah, BluePrintz, and a new cocktail they’ve temporarily named “Morphine Dance” in honour of author Shelia McPhee’s book The Naked Wine & Morphine Dance, with whom they are sharing the space. It features Queen’s Nectar, Fils du Roy Absinthe, Egg White and Lemonade.

• In case you missed our post earlier this week, Moncton’s Tide & Boar Gastropub is now brewing their own beer onsite. After only a week of availability, they have gone through at least six different flavours, the latest of which, at time of publishing, are: Forum Pale Ale, a 5.8% ABV cloudy hoppy ale with flavors and aromas of melon, lychee and peach; and Amarillo, Citra and Summit Pale Ale, a 5.9% ABV ale featuring loads of the eponymous hops for notes of citrus and apricot.

• Good news for New Brunswickers who are fans of PEI’s Upstreet Brewing – the brewery has confirmed that kegs of several of their beers have been sent to the province for the first time. Look for these to pop up at select bars and restaurants this weekend. If your favourite local watering hole is missing out, be sure to put your request in!

How about some upcoming events to get you inspired?

• The I Love Local Halifax City Harvest is being held October 22nd. This celebration of local businesses is a great excuse to get out and visit the many breweries in our city. Among them, Garrison will be setting up an outdoor bar, sampling some special one-off beers, and will be welcoming Halifax Press to sell grilled cheese sandwiches. Other participants in the event include Bishop’s Cellar and Stubborn Goat.

• November and December are going to be busy for beer and cider fans at Stillwell’s Barrington Street location. On November 5th, they will be hosting their first-ever cider Tap Takeover, featuring West Avenue Cider from Hamilton. Look for a dozen-plus blends to go on tap from opening Saturday. On November 20th, Stillwell will be celebrating their 3rd anniversary with some great blasts from the past, as well as the celebration and release of their latest beer, brewed at North. We now know that the Bissell Brothers / Orono Brewing Co tap takeover will be happening Saturday December 10th, and will be sure to be a Maine-iac of a weekend! And while no date has yet been set, they have announced that Danish gypsy brewery Mikkeller will be sending a full 24 beers to invade their taps during an epic weekend some time in December. Keep your eyes peeled here for the details on this event. And be sure to drop by the Beergarden this weekend, before the outdoor space closes for the year. The crew from Rinaldo’s are serving up some Italian inspired sandwiches and dishes today from 4pm.

Wow, do things seem busier today, or is it just us? Be sure to check ahead on breweries’ and bars’ status over this long weekend, as some may be closed (in addition to the provincial stores). A few more parting shots:

– Bad Apple Brewhouse has released their collaboration with the Delta Force homebrewing collective. Operation Green Ring is a 5.0% Cucumber Mint Wheat beer. Also keep an eye out for their BAB’s Russian Imperial Stout, as the latest batch of this 9.0% ABV roasty beast is hitting local taps shortly. These, as well as a handful of others, are available at their Somerset location now.
– Petit Sault‘s Oktoberfest, La Padrix, is back on tap for a limited time; with a “rich malty taste, and light biscuit notes”, it comes in at 5.6% ABV.
– Speaking of Oktoberfest beer, the Pump House Oktoberfest is back out in six packs. At 5.5% ABV and 12 IBUs, this amber-coloured lager can be found at ANBL stores, and likely on tap at the brewpub in Moncton as well.
– Yellowbelly Brewpub have released a brand new beer, Flatrock Freshie. This 5.6% ABV Saison features loads of locally-grown Blackcurrants, and is available on tap and in bottles to go, at both the brewery and NLC stores shortly.

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Tatamagouche, Meander River, Roof Hound, First City, Port Rexton, Mill Street, and more!

Posted by acbbshawn on 2016-08-26
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing, Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, Bore City Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Cask Beer Throwdown, First City Brewery, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, Mama's Brew Pub, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Mill Street Brewpub, Port Rexton Brewing Co., Roof Hound Brewing, Saltbox Brewing, Savoie's Brewhouse, Tatamagouche Brewing, TrailWay Brewing, Trider's Craft Beer, Unfiltered Brewing, Unibroue, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Good morning, and welcome to another weekend! As per usual, there’s plenty going on in beer news this week, including yet even more breweries opening up soon in our region. For news on Fredericton’s newest brewery, Bogtrotter Craft Brewery, check out yesterday’s post. We have also posted a profile on Saint John, NB’s new Loyalist City Brewing, late Friday.

• Although the Cherry and Blackberry variation of the Barrel-aged Belgian Golden Strong isn’t quite ready, there’s plenty of action this week from TataBrew; Thursday saw two releases, a new brew of a favourite from the Giant Beer Series and a brand new seasonal offering. First, the CBA Gold Medal-winning Russian Imperial Stout has been brewed again with a similar recipe, but slightly subdued on the hop side and with more richness and mouthfeel. Although it’s ready to drink now, at 8.5% ABV it’s sure to develop in the bottle, so when you head down to the brewery maybe grab a couple and set one aside for a winter night in 2017 or beyond. Second, and coinciding with the Wild Blueberry Harvest Festival underway in the northwestern part of the province, Blue Bales is a blueberry wheat beer featuring 300 pounds of local organic berries from North of Nuttby Farm on which it aged for 5 days. At only 8 IBUs from a single Bramling Cross addition and 4.8% ABV, the blueberries are bound to take center stage.

• As if that wasn’t enough new beer, Friday night will see the release of a brand new IPA, Strikhedonia. A little heavier than the Deception Bay IPA at 6.7% ABV and 70 IBU, this one is bittered with Chinook and features aroma and flavours from late additions of Citra, Huell Melon and Mosaic, that bring a dank and juicy fruitiness along with classic IPA flavors. Both the Blue Bales and the Strikhedonia will be available in growlers from the brewery this weekend and with draft and cans starting next week. There are also pins of each that will be tapped at the brewery over the next two weekends, so keep an eye on social media for announcements from TataBrew and your favourite taproom to see where and when they can be found.

• Meander River has a new beer pouring at their brewery in Ashdale, NS – Creamsicle of Wheat is a sessionable (3.9% ABV) Wheat Ale that the brewery is describing as a “light summer beer with a hint of citrus”, thanks to the addition of peeled oranges during the fermentation process. Available for growler fills at the brewery, you can also find it on tap at a few licensees and their table at Saturday’s Halifax Forum Farmers’ Market. In other Meander River news, they will be extracting their raised-on-site honey over the next few weeks for their annual batch of Ashdale Honey Brown, a 5.2% ABV Brown Ale brewed with toasted malts. They also plan on harvesting their locally-grown hops this weekend and again in early September; check out their social media accounts for updates, and feel free to contact them for more details on how you can be involved. And finally, they will be once again participating in Open Farm Day on Sunday, September 18th; if you’re in the area, be sure to drop by for tours and tastings.

• Digby’s Roof Hound Brewery is releasing their newest beer tomorrow, Wasted Days Chocolate Peanut Butter Wheat. This mouthful of a name is a mouthful of a beer! Building on a 5.1% ABV North American Wheat base, the addition of cocoa, peanut butter, and lactose come together for a wonderful meeting of the minds. Light hopping to 16 IBUs allows the specialty ingredients to take centre-stage. To launch the beer, Roof Hound is inviting several musical guests to the tap room, including Jeremy Outhouse of Tide and Timbre and Curt Leblanc of Rain Over St. Ambrose, whose Wasted Days song inspired the name of the brew. Wasted Days joins Little Pup Pale Ale and Rooftop Rye-It on the taps, with several new beers in the pipeline to be released in the coming weeks.

• Saint John’s First City has released a new beer, Wheat IPA. Approximately half of the grist is made up of Wheat malt, giving the beer a “crisp and light body”, according to the brewery. Hopped primarily with Chinook and Summit to 70 IBUs, it features “strong aromas of pineapple and citrus”, and weighs in at 7% ABV. You can find it on tap now at select First City accounts around the city, and at the James Joyce in Fredericton.

• Port Rexton Brewing released a small batch of a brand new beer this week. Nar Bitter Bitter is a 5.7% ABV ESB (Extra Special Bitter), featuring a malt-forward flavour with caramel undertones thanks to the traditional English malts used. As this was a smaller-than-usual batch, you’ll have to enjoy it on tap at the brewery, where you can also grab a pint of their Horsechops IPA, T-Rex Porter (formerly known as Night ‘Bous), and Baycation Blonde. They are open 2:00-10:00pm daily on Ship Cove Road. Late Addition: Well, that didn’t last long! The NBB has finished, so the PR crew have tapped Mr. Wheaty Pants at the brewery. A 4.4% ABV wheat beer with body, and a touch of Centennial bitterness to complete the package. Grab it today.

• Mill Street Brewpub in St John’s has a new beer on tap these days. Come From Away IPA is an English-style IPA, with 5.6% ABV. With a hearty 60 IBUs bitterness and floral & fruity hop aromatics, the clean fermented features a balanced body with amber colour and caramel notes. Available by the pint, or in growlers to go now. And a trial batch of a special beer flew like hotcakes earlier this week: Rhuby Cove was a tart beer, aged for 2 months on strawberries, raspberries, and rhubarb grown in Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s. Due to its big success, look for this beer to be released in a bigger batch in the future!

• Mama’s Brew Pub has been receiving positive customer feedback on two of their latest brews. First up is their Old World Pale Ale, which brewmaster Ryan Kingston brewed in the style of a traditional British Pale Ale. Featuring a grist of Maris Otter and Crystal 70 L, the beer was hopped with Goldings sourced from Southan Farms, as well as the American variety, Amarillo, for an interesting twist to the style; 5.1% ABV, 16 IBUs. Their Blueberry Wheat was also released recently; Kingston brewed a wheat beer and fermented it with a Hefeweizen yeast strain, for plenty of banana, clove, and a “Juicy Fruit bubble-gum aspect”. After fermentation, 50 lbs of blueberries were added to secondary, giving the beer a purple hue and hints of blueberry flavour. Weighing in at 5% ABV, and available now with the Old World, at the brew pub for pints.

• Grimross Brewing is releasing a new beer – Grimdonk – later this afternoon at the brewery. Designated as a Belgian Blond Ale, it was fermented with a new-to-Grimross yeast strain that originates from the Breendonk region of Belgium (hence the beer’s name). It comes in at 7% ABV; expect plenty of fruity esters and spicy phenols, as well as a dry finish, characteristic of this style. Swing by for a pint or growler fill today, and look for it to be hitting taps in the Fredericton area soon.

Lots of new events coming up, and as always, keep an eye on our Calendar of Events page to see what’s on the horizon.

• Savoie’s Brewhouse and the Heron’s Nest Pub are holding a Customer Appreciation Day tomorrow, August 27th, at the Heron’s Nest in Charlo. Starting at 3 pm, there will be a free corn boil, live music, and plenty of beer available for purchase – including Savoie’s Buller’s Blueberry Blonde; the first 24 people that order a Savoie’s beer will receive a free glass.

• Big Spruce is kicking up their weekly visits from Cruisin’ Cuisine by hosting a Pig Roast on September 4th. Featuring two 40kg roasting pigs and locally-inspired sides, there will be plenty of food to complement the full taps flowing at the brewery. A few new beers, along with previous rare releases will grace their taps, adding to the solid regular lineup of beer. A massive tent will mean room for more people, and there will be live music all day, with everything kicking off at noon.

• After a few-month hiatus, Acadie-Broue will be available once again very soon to their thirsty fans in the Moncton area. Now brewing onsite at the Université de Moncton student bar Le Coude, A-B’s 50 litre system will be putting out more German- and Belgian-inspired beers come September, with their launch party being held September 8th. Drop by for the “5 à 7” (happy hour), being held, not surprisingly, 5-7 pm. Chat with A-B’s Patrice Godin to learn about his beers, and take a peek at the brewery on-site.

• Trider’s Craft Beer will be opening soon in Amherst, NS. To celebrate, they are hosting a Pre-Launch party at Sociables Pub in Springhill on September 10th. Featuring live music and appetizers, attendees will be the first to try Trider’s offerings. Tickets are $15 (which includes your first pint) and on sale now at Sociables, and are sure to sell out. More details can be found here. Trider’s storefront will be opening September 20th, and they will be taking part in the Rocktoberfest at the Amherst Fire Hall October 1st. We’ll have all of the details on Trider’s with a full profile next week!

• As part of this year’s Growing Green Festival in Bridgewater, Crave Local: A Taste of Home will be held on Friday, September 16th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Several different juices, wines, and beers (including newly-open Saltbox, as well as Boxing Rock, Hell Bay, and Bulwark) will be available for sampling, as well as appetizers. Held at Wile’s Lake Farm Market, tickets are only $20 (if purchased by September 2nd; $25 after), and can be purchased directly at the market, or by calling 902-543-0434.

• The Halifax Beer Run is taking place September 17th. Mixing many folks’ love of both running and beer, this 11km route takes runners from Garrison Brewery, with four tasting stations along the way. After a sociable at Garrison, runners will make their way to the Good Robot and Propeller breweries for drinks and a quick tour, before visiting a satellite Spindrift location. The run ends with folks returning back to the South end at the Halifax Oktoberfest, already in full swing. The ticket includes a t-shirt, your drinks along the way, and entry to the Oktoberfest grounds. Grab your entry today!

• As mentioned yesterday, the official launch of Bogtrotter Craft Brewery will happen on Saturday, September 24th. With a tasting at the ANBL Train Station at noon, and a TBD second location afterwards, they will finish up with a Meet the Maker event at the James Joyce at 8 pm. All three of their initial beers will be pouring (Muddy Mayhem IPA, Angry Otter Pub Ale, and Osprey’Orange Pale Ale), and owner/brewmaster Rod Croucher will be available to chat all things beer and Bogtrotter.

• The Cask Beer Throwdown is happening at the Olympic Centre on 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, Tatamagouche, and more TBA. Session Two (5-8pm) breweries include: Big Spruce, Gahan House – Halifax, Garrison, Good Robot, Hell Bay, North, Spindrift, Sober Island,and more TBA. Food courtesy of Bramoso Gourmet Pizzeria, The Food Wolf, and T DOGS will be available as well. Grab your Early Bird tickets now!

• Big Spruce has announced the details for their 4th Annual Big Spruce Home Brew Challenge. Interested homebrewers should email Big Spruce for an entry form, which should be filled out and submitted by November 23rd. The entry fee is $25, which entitles you to this year’s one-of-a-kind T-shirt, as well as entry to the post-judging party in HRM on November 27th. Homebrewers may submit an entry in one, two, or all three of the featured style categories: Double IPA, Dark Mild, and Experimental Sour (check out the 2015 BJCP Guide for details on each style). Three bottles for each style entered are required; these must be submitted to Big Spruce by November 25th for judging (a Halifax drop-off point will be coordinated in the near future). As in last year’s competition, first, second and third-place winners in each category will receive a swag package, and the Best of Show winner will have the opportunity to brew a full-size batch of their beer at Big Spruce, for release at the 4th Annual Craft Beer and Local Food Celebration, put on by Local Connections Halifax, in January. Good luck, homebrewers!

Believe it or not, there’s even more beer news we want to be sure you read before heading out for a pint:

– Big Spruce’s hoppy collaboration with Stillwell, Gimme Citra, is back for a limited time. Hopped entirely with Citra, it’s tropical, fruity, and extremely quaffable at 4.7% ABV.
– Bore City has brewed their last batch of Equilux – an American Pale Ale featuring Citra and Equinox hops – for the year; two kegs have made their way to the James Joyce in Fredericton. If you haven’t tried this one yet, we encourage you to seek it out! It won’t be around again until sometime next year.
– Keep an eye out for Hammond River‘s Too Hop to Handle Double IPA at better Saint John bars now. This 8.4% ABV and 150+ IBUs beer is only brewed a few times a year, and is always a quick seller.
– Boxing Rock‘s collaboration with Gahan House – Halifax, Over the Top!, has returned. A 4% ABV “sour mash cranberry wheat ale”, it features an addition of Nova Scotia cranberries to complement the already tart and dry finish. Look for it in growlers and on tap around the province now.
– Upstreet‘s Eighty Bob, their 4.5% ABV Scottish Export Ale, is now in regular rotation, and is also available in bottles for the first time, at the brewery and PEILCC stores, as well as at Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax.
– TrailWay just tapped a new batch of their IPA, Hugh John Hops, and it’s tasting super-fresh! Drop by the brewery for a pint and/or growler fill.
– After a brief hiatus, Unfiltered‘s Riddle of Steel is back today. This 7.0% ABV IPA is full of hops, weighing in at approximately 80 IBUs, brewed with the famous Conan/Vermont Ale yeast. Growler fills and pints from noon!

Thanks to all who entered our Beer and Food picture contest, for the Unibroue 17 Grande Reserve Launch @ The Port. We’ve randomly picked our winner, and it is @shawnahazz! For those who’ve missed out, there are still a few spots available for this evening’s food and beer tasting (and first chance to try and buy their 6 litre bottle of the 17 Grande Reserve), grab your tickets at The Port today.

And a big thanks to Aaron for helping out with this week’s blog, we’ll be tapping him for more help going forward.