BEER MONDAY REVIEW (takeover by Trevor Adams): Gahan – Sir John A’s Honey Wheat

photo 2We’re back at the Gahan House Brewery in Charlottetown, P.E.I. to sample Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale. The brewer describes this as “a light golden brew with honey-ish notes on the nose and a rounded, off dry and slightly citrusy body,” which is true, so far as it goes. I just don’t know about calling this a honey wheat ale. In character and style, it’s far closer to a blonde.

Appearance: Light, golden and clear, with a thin head that dissapates quickly.

Aroma: Hoppy and citrusy—almost limey. You know what I’d expect to smell here? Honey. Alas, no honey.

Taste: Very crisp, with a nice punch of citrus that quickly fades into a slow heat. The flavour profile is more simplistic than I’d like (or hope), but it’s clean and drinkable.

Mouthfeel: Light and unremarkable; closer to a macro-brewery beer.

Overall: This one isn`t going to change your life, and it`s not a great example of a wheat ale. But taken on its own, it`s pleasant and drinkable‑a good beer for a hot summer day. Its most outstanding quality is its crispness, so it pairs nicely with fatty-porky dishes; the hops cut right through that rich fat. At the Gahan House, they recommend pairing with their dry ribs. I’ve tried with both smoked pork belly and bacon-wrapped scallops and was happy with the results.

72/100

Guest reviewer Trevor J. Adams is senior editor with Metro Guide Publishing and the editor of Halifax Magazine. In 2012, he published his first solo book, Long Shots: The Curious Story of the Four Maritime Teams That Played for the Stanley Cup (Nimbus Publishing).

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BEER MONDAY REVIEW: Picaroon – Yippee IPA

20140420-080537.jpgPicaroons Traditional Ales is located in Fredericton, NB. Operating since 1995, its growing range of beers are brewed with traditional English roots, hand crafted in small batches.

From the brewery:
“An East Coast-style India Pale Ale that weaves hop bitterness and aroma throughout a blanket of malt backgroung. This beer may change from batch to batch as we explore the various interpretations of the style.”

And what did I think?

Appearance
Golden orange in colour, and somewhat cloudy. With off white head and some lacing.

Aroma
Hops, front and centre. Mainly citrus, with some flowery, earthy, and dank note. Slight malt. Caramel.

label

Taste
Lots northwest hops – citrus and dank. Leather. Not much malt. The hop bitterness is lasting on the palate.

Mouthfeel
Light to medium body. Good amount of carbonation.

Overall
With the brewery describing this as an “East Coast” IPA, its understandable that it may not be a hop bomb like is found on the West Coast, but still a very good IPA. Lots of hops with a solid backbone to support the hop lead. Quite drinkable even with the large amount of hops that lasts on the palate. Leaves you wanting more.

80/100

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BEER MONDAY REVIEW: Gahan – Island Red

20140414-175413.jpgThe Gahan is a brewpub located in Charlottetown, PE. Produced and exporting by the PEI Brewing Company across Canada, they’ve earned a reputation for production quality beers.

Their website describe their Island Red as:
“Island Red Premium Ale is an amber, medium bodied handcrafted ale with a smooth caramel overtone and bitter finish”.

And what did I think?

Appearance

Amber red colour with a slight haze. Thin white head that left a nice little lacing.

Aroma

Malt with some hops. Bready with hints of caramel. Light toast notes.

Taste

Some malt coming through, but more balanced towards the bitterness. Some hop flavour, flowery and fruity. A bit of caramel. A touch of lemon peal/rind in the after taste.

Mouthfeel

Medium to light bodied. Average or a bit better carbonation.

Overall

Nice, easy drinking North American styled amber ale (not as potent as something from the West Coast). No flaws stand out in this beer, but at the same time it is fairly pedestrian, not to say its bad in anyway, but may not stand out in a crowd either.

70/100

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BEER MONDAY REVIEW: Schneider Weisse – Tap 6 Aventinus

IMG_1091Tap 6 is Schneider Weisse’s version of a weizenbock. Described on the bottle as Wheat Dopplebock, this dark, strong wheat beer is something to experience.

From Schneider Weisse’s website:

“Deep and complex – for big and relaxing moments by the fire.

Darkruby colored wheat doppelbock with a creamy fine head. Strong notes of ripe bananas, raisins and plums meet liquorice and roasty aromes. Full-bodied and warming, with a well-balanced and smooth finish. Oldest wheat doppelbock of Bavaria.

Food recommendation: hearty roast meat, venison and also fruity Chocolate desserts as well as blue mold cheese.

Mathilde Schneider, widowed wife of Georg III, created the first wheat doppelbock of Bavaria in 1907. The recipe for TAP6 Unser Aventinus is so unique that is has remained unchanged until today.”

And what did I think?

Appearance

Muddy looking, not pretty at all. Thin off white head.

Aroma

Sweet malt with molasses and dark fruit. Slight note of alcohol, banana, and liquorice.

Taste

Impression of sweet caramel, but not actually sweet. Very drinkable. Dry finish. Malt, chocolate, and caramel with dark fruit with hints of liquorice, tobacco, and leather. Slight tartness, but no apparent hops of alcohol.

Mouthfeel

Medium to full body, but with a good amount of carbonation to keep it light.

Overall

Very good. Quite drinkable. Rich and full-flavoured, but keeps dry enough to make it an enjoyable drinking beer. The 8+% alcohol is well hidden and you could easily have several in a sitting.

85/100

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