It’s barely started to feel like fall, and the Calgary area is getting its first taste of snow. Mostly in the higher elevations outside of town, but it’s a sign that winter is coming.
Like clockwork, our tastes in beer have started to shift as well. Heavier flavours and beers of fuller body seem to be what a scoundrel is looking for.
Stouts, porters and dark ales are what tantalize my taste buds when the temperature drops.
And thankfully, many breweries are catering to that.
Sure, a Guinness goes well with the fall weather, but there are several other options out there.
Like Cannery’s Maple Stout, for instance. I happened upon this deliciously sweet stout at Willow Park Wines & Spirits’ Beer Bash last November and was instantly hooked.
In the “winter ale” category, Granville Island and Howe Sound breweries, both out of B.C., have respectable entries. Granville Island’s Lions Winter Ale is a robust brew with a vanilla-like finish, while Howe Sound’s Father John’s Winter Ale builds on that with a bit more spice.
Out of Kelowna, Tree Brewing is offering its Vertical Winter Ale (pictured above), which the company calls “a medium bodied ale with nut and caramel flavours. Smooth Finish with a subtle hint of vanilla to keep you warm all winter.”
Vanilla, beer and winter aren’t the three things I would naturally put together, but it does work.
Closer to home, Big Rock, which used to produce a Winter Spice Ale, is standing behind its new Scottish Heavy Ale as its seasonal feature. And it is a standout. Fellow scoundrel Shawn Logan and I were both taken by our first taste at the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival a couple of weeks back.
Here’s hoping it is more than a seasonal offering.
Wild Rose Brewery, meanwhile, launches its hugely popular Cherry Porter Oct. 27. It doesn’t last long on the shelves, folks, and it’s not hard to see why, with it’s sweet cherry undertones, and a slightly smoky flavour, it is made for a Calgary Christmas.
But what about you? What do you like to drink when the weather turns cold? This scoundrel is always looking for something new to try.
Tags: ale, big rock, cherry porter, Granville Island, Howe Sound, Tree Brewing, vanilla, Wild Rose, Winter, winter ale
Travelling in the U.S. over the weekend, I tried a Southern New York microbrew for their winter package. These guys (http://www.saranac.com/#) know what they’re doing, but “Hoppy” seems to be their only flavour. Whether it was the vanilla stout, chocolate lager or india copper ale, it all seemed to be a variation on the same theme, rather than new and fresh explorations. Overall, a little disappointing, and a good sign that our more westerly and northerly friends know what they’re doing when it comes to winter beer.