Alley Kat Amber - Craft Brewed Brown Ale

This afternoon I thought I would talk about a local beer, crafted by a small brewery in Edmonton called Alley Kat Brewing Company. Started in 1994, Alley Kat has grown from a small home brew operation to become Edmonton's oldest running, as well as Alberta's most successful microbrewery. This Amber is one of two original brews Alley Kat started off with.

It pours a deep amber color, with a fluffy foamy head that begins to retire fairly quickly. I get the feeling I've chosen the perfect beer for my early afternoon relax. Some old school Foo Fighters playing in the back ground and clear sunny spring afternoon, so far so good.

It smells sweet and lovely. A tinge of hops and a rich malt aroma, fruity caramel notes. It coats the mouth briefly, with a pleasantly sweet malt base. The caramel really comes through, staying on your tongue so you can enjoy the flavor until you take your next sip. Its has a very delicate bitterness, and a laid back effervescence that barely lets you know its there. Better seen than heard in this situation. I think having any more carbonation would distract from the round caramel sweet this ale lends.

I think this beer would be a suitable match for a home cooked meal like roast chicken, beef, or any BBQ. I'd say it's a decent brew, something I'd visit from time to time. I look forward to writing about it's brothers and sisters to taste what they have to offer. Alley Kat has a loyal following here in Edmonton, offers tours of the brewery twice a week, and is the monthly meeting place for the Edmonton Homebrewers Guild. If I'm planning to brew beer on my own, I think these guys are good people to get to know.

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

I love hops.

There is something about the floral aroma from a well hopped beer that makes my brain float. I've been on a mission to drink the hoppiest beer alive, and although this one isn't it...it's still pretty good.

The Brooklyn East India Pale Ale pours a light amber color, with a short and quickly retreating head. Fresh from the bottle is smells great with loads of floral hops, lots of orange-citrus tang, and peppery notes. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to stick around, and dissipates into a skunky mash. I figure this might have something to do with the fact that this particular bottle is on the cusp of that not so fresh feeling.

As soon as it hits your tongue you get the bitter bite, a lingering bitter too. Its medium body plays in your mouth briefly before fading in to the back of your throat. There is something else that reminds me of grass tea, or leafy bitter greens and sweet undertones that help balance out the overzealous use of hops.

I drink this particular beer fairly often at work, and I'm beginning to wonder how accurate it represents a traditional IPA. I could use some suggestions of more traditional style English IPA's to construct a better opinion of what it is I'm looking for.

Honestly the more I think about it the more I realize how little I know about beer and these flavors that are popping on my taste buds. It seems so overwhelming and I'm finding it a challenge (a good challenge) to taste what is going on in the brew and what it is that contributes to these subtle variations in flavor, color, scent and body. You might be thinking "Dude, chill out and just enjoy your beer!" But tasting beer and drinking beer I'm finding are two very different activities. I read everything I can about brewing and what each ingredient brings to the party, but until I start brewing my own beer and seeing first hand how everything falls into place I don't think I'll have a solid grasp of what it is I'm tasting. Soon enough I suppose. Until then I will continue to drink, taste and write.

Corporation Brewpub.

Last night ended with a quick stop at Edmonton's one and only brewpub, Brewsters. It feels like your typical Alberta corporate restaurant only this restaurant has a gorgeous brewery built in the middle of it. I was accompanied by my friend Karl who used to serve, manage and even spent some time as the Brewmasters assistant at this particular location (Oliver Square).

Edmonton boasts a whopping five Brewsters locations, thirteen in total, the others being in Calgary and Regina, Saskatchewan (Regina being the birthplace). The Oliver location is actually the only Edmonton restaurant with an actual brewery, which apparently brews and shares a smaller amount of beer with the other locations. The rest of the beer being brewed in a large facility in Calgary and shipped around the province. They have an impressive amount of brews for such a small space, all available fresh from the tanks. Hand crafted by a talented German brewmaster. From what Karl tells me, this gent is the "creative brain" behind the Brewsters seasonal beers, and the most consistent brewer in the Alberta sector of Brewsters.

The restaurant itself is a cliche Alberta corporate eatery (this being a large building run by fresh faced post-teens, multiple dinning areas, two bars, Flat screen TV's everywhere, loud obnoxious pop music, and uninspired North American style bar food). But the beer....is actually decent.

I had the Brewsters sample platter consisting of five 5oz draft pours of my choice. I decided on: Czech Pilsner, Flying Frog Lager, Rig Pig Pale Ale, Lanigan's Irish Ale, and The Shaughnessy Stout. My seemingly 17 year old barkeep poured my platter, and I dove in. I brought a notebook with me to write stuff down, but between my conversation with Karl about beer and our current lives, I soon realized that my investigatory journalism skills are lacking and I was more into the drinking than the drink. Although, the beers that did stand out in my platter were 1) The Rig Pig Pale Ale. It had a potent hops punch right off the bat with a delightful full flavor and floral nose. Pale Amber in color, and a finish that decided to stick around for a while so you didn't lose interest in coming back for more. 2)The Shaughnessy Stout. Now, this stout isn't amazing, but its a smooth drink. A beginners stout if you will. Medium body with a nice mouth feel, not to complex. Creamy, dry and finishes fast and clean. The hops barely make an appearance. She's easy.

There are plenty more beers to try at Brewsters in the future. Next time I'l try to be more focus on the beer, but this trip was all about the good company. The sample platters are great when you want to try everything they have quickly, but the tiny glasses don't let the beers show their true colors. Its nearly impossible to agitate any life out of the brew, so getting a good deep breath of the aroma is tough. And they get warm fast, so if you want a crisp fresh drink at number 4 or 5 you must act fast.

Overall, since it's Edmonton's only brewpub you take what you can get. Try to block out the annoying kids and tv's in the background and admire the beautiful copper fermenting tanks behind the glass. The beer is fresh and extremely drinkable. They have a large patio in the summer so bring a friend and enjoy!

Gotta start somewhere...Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

I currently work in a busy University hang out with a fairly adventurous beer list. Working here has opened my eyes into the possibilities of what beer is and can be. I have since began my search for other beers available in my region, and the few beers brewed here in Edmonton.

But today I have decided to start this online rant with one of my regular after shift drinks:

Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

This particular beer is brewed in Oregon, USA. It pours velvety and viscous, with a deep coffee like color. The head settles to the top extremely thick, with tan-mocha colors.

This beer looks serious.

Its smells of lightly burnt coffee and dark chocolate. It really paints a picture of perfectly roasted dark malts.

The taste is rich, and coats your entire mouth. It has a slight bitterness, but nothing off putting. The coffee and chocolate flavors really shine through with a rich creamy texture brought to you by the the rolled oats. And there is a nice vanilla accent which adds to the sweetness of the brew. The hops are present adding the bitter, and rounding out the overall flavor of the beer.

Overall, I think this beer is something Rogue should be proud of. The roundness of this beer is enjoyable and extremely filling. It pours beautifully, looks super sexy, and is very satisfying to say the least.

I really enjoy all of the Rogue Brewery products that I have tasted so far, and I look forward writing about them. Stay tuned for more Rogue love.

Well....here I go.

So after reading the humorous, and witty beer blog (please read: Small Beer) written by my buddy Dan, I decided I would copy him and try this "blogging" thing out. I too enjoy drinking beer, and I have recently begun to acquire the equipment to set up a small home brew operation. I figure I could share my experiences of drinking and brewing with the unknowns of the interweb. I cannot promise the well written experience or the funny English bred discourse of Dan, as he is very well educated and I sadly am not. But I do love to drink, and I will write about it.

So welcome, and enjoy!

Brayden