Beer #8, Tree #3

Hi All!
On the menu for today is Tree Brewing Co's "Thirsty Beaver" Amber Ale, ABV 5.0%.

Appearance: Since it's an amber ale, this ale is amber coloured! Having compared this brew to some real amber, I'd say it's spot on.


Aroma: A little toasty, and it smells a little bit sweet too. I assume that would be the malt.


Initial Taste/mouth feel: A very smooth ale, with a bit of fizz to keep things interesting. along with the light carbonation it's also mildly sweet on the tongue to begin with.

After Taste: This ale has a nice clear bitter finish. Not much else to say really, pretty straightforward!


Thoughts/Conclusions: Is it possible for things to be bitter and sweet at the same time? I suppose semi-sweet chocolate falls into that category. Another one I'd stick in there would be a Thirsty Beaver, though maybe it isn't quite as obvious ans the aforementioned chocolate (and in no way does this ale taste like chocolate, don't let this confuse you). What I like about this brew is that although it's flavours aren't complex or numerous, it's still a great session beer because it's both slightly sweet on the intake and mildly bitter yet fairly full bodied on the finish. Nice one, Tree ;)



That's all for now, next week will be my 4th and final Tree brew (at least for a while). Since I am actively searching for my absolute favourite brews and beers, Once I have found one I would like to signify it by awarding that particular brew some type of symbol. Have any of you got some ideas about what I could use? If you do, please comment and let me know. Also, this will not be a rating system. Just a way to let everyone know I love said beer in a special way.

thanks for reading!

- The Parched Paige

B No. 7

Greetings! Today I have the second of four brews By Tree Brewing from Kelowna B.C.!

I am Happy to say: Welcome Pilsner, you are the first Lager in the blog!
officially this brew is called Kelowna Pilsner. Winner of the Silver Medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards in 2007, this Brew is weighing in at a spritely 4.8% ABV!



Pilsner being one of 4/5 styles of Lager. Also it is the most widely brewed and consumed style on Earth! Most mega breweries feature several versions of the pilsner style and...nothing else, haha.

You may get confused at this point since Indian Pale ales, Pale ales, Pilsners can all look virtually the same at times. Also, there are lagers that are black as the night and as heavy as a dark ale. Here is the predominant difference: Lagers are "bottom fermenting" beers, and are brewed in colder temperatures for a longer period of time than most ales.The reason they are called bottom fermenting is, because of the colder temperatures(usually around 6 degrees Celsius compared to temperatures as high at 20 degrees at times for ales), the type of yeast used to ferment the beer does do at the bottom of the fermentation tank. simple!

Whats it lookin' like?: Like a pilsner should! Super Clear, very pale and with a little head of foam. This pilsner is nearly the colour of straw, or even a yummy glass of apple juice. But don't fool yourself when staring down a glass of "pil". When this baby hits your tongue, you will NOT be tasting apples.

Aroma: Some yeast, right away and a little bit of the flowery smell of hopps. Even further down on that ladder of aromas, I smell a faint toasty malt. Having this sit on my desk while I type and smell, I notice that the longer it sits the less yeast you can smell and the more the hopps come through.

Initial Taste/mouthfeel: It is indeed very light. The first thing I notice is that it really feels like i'm drinking water. Not it doesn't taste like water, I must be very clear on this haha; but it does feel as light and ...free and a cool glass of water, it's very refreshing. other tastes and flavours are again mild hops but the malt is more in the drivers seat here.

After Tastes: Since this is such a clean drinking lager there isn't a whole lot to speak of other than the nice simple flavors of the hops, you get a soft bitterness and a faint taste of yeast as it fades from your pallet.


Thoughts and conclusions: I do like a pilsner, and I do like this pilsner. What sets this apart from others I have tried, is the aroma. Though this is a European style pil (meaning it's just water/hops/malt...a touch of yeast. No "adjunct malts" such as rice or wheat or rye for filler), you don't get the little bit of funk attributed to long bouts on the shelf and in a shipping container and UV pollution through those popular green bottles. It doesn't sock you in the face with hopps, it blossoms with them. Also, it really isn't overly bitter which is something I don't really care for in Pilsners either. I'll be havin' this one again.


thanks for readin'!



- The Parched Paige

Beer#6 : presenting TREE BREWING

Hiya Reader(s),

As Promised, today I will be starting a new trend for my blog. I am now blogging my beers per brewery instead of hitting random beers from all over the shop. I hope this will help me keep things more organized and a little more focused. Now, since some breweries around here (B.C.) don't bottle everything they brew so to speak, I will be doing a sampling of beer from each brewery hopefully around 4 beers, but absolutely more than that if I can get my hands on a bottle/can/pint; then moving on to the next brewery (exceptions are: finding a seasonal beer form an already visited brewery or a discovery of a new brew that peaks my interest). Also, since discovering CAMRA Vancouver I have found that there are "Cask Nights" at some brew pubs and tap houses 'round here that I would really like to try. This "real ale" thing i've heard of sounds marvelous!


Onto Tree Brewing Co.'s...Brews
Today from tree brewing I have for my own consumption is: Cutthroat Pale Ale - "A classic pale ale, perfectly balanced". so says the bottle. This beer' is a standard 5% ABV by the way.
Let's have at it!

I know it looks cloudy, but that is because of the temperatures of my apt/beer. I assure you, you could read a book while looking through it, it is so crystal clear.

Appearance: Looks a tiny bit darker than most pale ales that i've seen/had (though i'm no expert) It didn't have much of a head either. HOWEVER, it is VERY hot in my apartment and I cooled the ale a little too much in order to compensate...at the expense of the head, I suppose.


Aroma: A hint of hops, and an almost "woodsy" smell. It is enchanting...there's a some citrus as well.


Initial Taste: Really Light, and smooth on the tongue!



After Taste: A soft, bitter finish. Not too bitter, still crisp and clean.


Thoughts and Conclusions: This is honestly the best pale ale I have ever tasted. I know that I really didn't write paragraphs of text up there in my tasting categories. This may make the ale seem too simple or unremarkable; but it isn't! The flavours are there whether subtle or not. Whats great about this ale is that it's light enough for lager lovers, and has enough body for those amber and dark enthusiasts. I think the bottle had it right. though, it said "perfectly"...I can't say at this juncture whether something is perfect, but this is a very very well balanced ale. As I said before, by far my favorite to date!
I recommend this to everyone!



A Note about the brewery: Tree Brewing says they take brewing very seriously. Using no preservatives (other than some hops, perhaps). Their beer is also unpasteurized, and brewed as they say on a "small scale"...which is one of the main characteristics of a microbrewery. Tree Brewing Co. has a 20,000hl capacity, though I don't know if they are actually brewing to that scale.
They are located at 1083 Richter Street, Kelowna, B.C. 


- The Parched Paige

Tutti Fruli #5

Hey Readers!

It is time for One more random fruit beer before I kick this thing into a new format. Said format is beers by brewery. It seems easier to keep track, and focus if I tackle one brewery at a time and move through every beer they produce. Though, I'll have to double back for seasonal beers but that's fine.

I didn't take this photo...stole it from The CBC

OK! Today for you consideration and my satisfaction is Fruli!
Brewed in Belgium by the Van Diest Beer Company; this beer is a 4.1% ABV Belgian Wit beer brewed with the juice of strawberries. Before you scoff and pshaw at the mention of a strawberry flavoured beer, please note that this very beer claimed the 2009 WBA (World Beer Award) for World's Best Fruit Beer. I've got a really hard time not ingesting a fruit beer, so I hope I enjoy this.

Appearance: A very very light pink, so pink I initially mistook the colour as white.


Aroma: A very strong tangy sweet strawberry scent. That is all.


Initial Taste: Very light tasting on the tongue, it is also effervescent like a soda pop. It's also very sweet, but not overpoweringly sweet like say...maple syrup, but for beer I'd say it's at the top of the chart as far as sweetness goes. Of course it tastes like strawberries but it isn't as overpowering of a flavour as you would expect from the smell. It is slightly less overt that you would think. I do like that little bit of tang you get though, even though it is sweet. Along with a really short lived milde bitter taste,one more flavor comes through a bit...it's vanilla and it's pretty far in the background.


After Taste: Well if this was a blind and deaf test, I would assume I was drinking strawberry soda. that is until I get that unmistakable warmness in my throat that only an alcoholic beverage would bring. Um, I get a really clean smooth finish with strawberries.


Conclusions: I don't want this to sound insulting to any Fruli lovers or brewers (should they EVER read this); but I don't think I've ever had a beer that has tasted less like a beer. That's not to say I would consider it beer. I mean...if you use the same process what else can you call it? I like this beer, it's very tasty...there's enough to contemplate while drinking it. It isn't one dimensional at all which is nice, and it's also quite crisp and very very light. A perfect little appetizer, or even a desert beer...or just a treat on a hot day (like today: it is 32 degrees Celsius in my apartment as I'm writing this).




so there you have it! FRULI! Go try some, you might like it. If you see this on the shelf in your local beer store and you've got a few bucks changin' around in your pocket, don't turn your nose up and walk on. In the words of George Wendt:"What if it's good?" Take that beer in your hand, buy it, and get some place where you can open that beer and consume it legally.

By the way, a beer store is the only place you will find this beer in Canada. Except for ONE bar in Ottawa. According to frulibeer.com "Pub Italia" is the one place that serves the stuff. I don't know if that is on tap, or in the bottle, but by golly this stuff is hard to come by!

That's all for now! The following posts, I will be covering the Tree Brewing Co.
I'm off to get a white freezy.

  


Over and out,
The Parched Paige.

Beer #4 - Bring it on

Alright, this beer caught my eye while I was picking my beers for the week with it's interesting name.
It is "Kwak", Allegedly originally brewed by a man named Pauwels Kwak in 1791..and been in the family ever since. According to my book "Tasting Beer" it is brewed at the Bosteels brewery in Bruggenhout. (although, through google search I found out that the town is actually called Buggenhout. No "r"!) It is also what you would call a "strong" beer at 8%/Vol.


Aroma: a touch of hops, and their bitterness and some of that lovely "bready" smell I like so much. I don't know if it's right or wrong but I like it!!!

The Look: A great amber colour...um, a nice fine head and some great bubble action to boot.

Initial Taste:Very creamy, and a little bit of a caramel flavour but only a tiny bit, has a really soft feel to it.

Aftertaste: um...almost neutral? I taste the flavour of a high alcohol content haha and basically the same flavors I get initially, but the subtle caramel lingers.

Overall...conclusions/impressions:
A surprisingly gentle...full bodied beer. Gentle in that...for a relatively high alcohol content it doesn't kick you in the face the way you might expect.Though it IS definitely full of lovely flavor. It tastes a lot less fizzy than it looks, it's almost a flat beer. Overall though, I like it very much. It's a complex (but in an inviting and comfortable way) and elegant beer! I would recommend this beer to anyone, and also to myself.

I                                              Kwak!






   




-Sincerely, The Parched Paige.