3 beers discovered during the great beer fridge clean out of summer 2016
Cleaning out a fridge is rarely a pleasant a task. What treasures lie hidden among the secret meetings of mould, the softening vegetables, the cold cuts with their suspicious sheen? Nothing good.
The beer fridge is different. Recently, I dealt with a collection of singles that had inexplicably gone neglected (I can get carried away at the liquor store on this project) and was rewarded with a stunning IPA from Bench Creek, a lager with a twist from Big Rock, and a sturdy brown ale from Wild Rose.
If every job was as enjoyable as that chore, I'd get a lot of stuff done. And the kitchen fridge would probably be immaculate.
White Raven Bench Creek Brewing 6.5% ABV
Let's start by calling White Raven a beautiful IPA in every way. It's a lovely mahogany colour with a pillowy, off-white head, stiff like meringue and nearly as persistent. Pine and citrus hops compete to produce an aroma of invigorating freshness.
The flavour is balanced as precisely as a pendulum swing. At one end is exceptional malt richness, accented by soft honey and toffee sweetness and easy-going guava. The swing back to the finish reintroduces the hops, bearing citrus, mint and reasonable bitterness.
The can describes the white raven as a rare bird. Two gold medals earned at the 2016 Canadian International Beer Awards in May, certainly help set this Bench Creek IPA apart from the flock.
Mosaic Lager Big Rock Brewery 5.5% ABV
I suspect this is a love-it-or-leave-it kind of beer. My brother buys a Big Rock mix pack to get at the Purple Gas and hands the Mosaic Lager over to me. He can't get get past the India pale lager's 70 IBUs.
I'm grateful for the gift because I love the crispness of this limited-edition, incredibly hop-forward brew. In scent and flavour, there's something bossy about the character of this clear golden lager, making the malt subservient.
(And maybe brewmaster Jody Hammell, too, who explains, "I ferment it low and slow then age it until the beer tells me it's ready. I don't put a time frame on it. It puts the time frame on me.")
That character, however, isn’t one dimensional. Mosaic hops are versatile, bred for aromas including fruit, bubblegum and all kinds of fruit. That's why the scent isn't just grapefruit, but crabapple, passionfruit, mint and a hint of sour. The result is a big, palate-cleansing bitterness.
And yet there’s still a malt profile. Look for it in the warmer, bottom half of the glass where you'll find caramel, though not enough to call this a conventionally balanced beer. But I don't feel like that is the point with this lager. It's meant to dazzle, unconcerned that some, like my brother, might be blind to its virtues.
Barracks Brown Wild Rose Brewery 5% ABV
Canadian Brown ale, as Wild Rose describes Barracks Brown, is not included in the Beer Judge Certification Program style guide, which means we're on our own. What makes it Canadian? I see a few similarities between it and Canada:
Barracks borrows from the red of the maple leaf, for example, its colour leaning more toward a deep ruby than plain brown.
The cumulonimbus mass of its puffy white head recalls spectacular and quintessentially Prairie thunderstorms.
Canada is a nation built on diversity. Barracks's strength is its mosaic of flavours: roast malt, sweetened espresso, a touch of bright citrus.
Like Canadians tend to be, the brewers seem considerate and conscientious, keeping drinkers' best interests in mind by recommending they try their beer at 8 - 12 C, when it's at its most flavourful.
This beer respects the preciousness of summer, just like we do, and works to accommodate it. Though dark as midnight in December, it's light enough to qualify as a warm-weather patio beer.
Canada isn't flashy. We rarely seem worried about being the world's best at anything. Culturally, the country may be as complex as any Western nation, but it still seems an uncomplicated, comfortable place to call home. To me, Barracks Brown seems an appropriate beer to raise in toast to all of that.