I became a beer blogger years ago because of the blockchain, my need for a weekly column, and an age-old obsession with beer. Add that to the years I spent brewing for myself, and the breweries I work with now on their technology and marketing, you get the perfect recipe for a #blockchain #Beerologist.
This week, I am proving true to my word and going back to revisit some good beers. They were not great initially or else I would have given them a place in my coveted top 10 or so. Sometimes it takes a couple of samplings to make a good judgement So I classify them as :I would try this again."
The Pint of the Week is a new feature for this weekly report as the restaurants and bars have reopened after the latest lockdown. There is nothing really like bellying up to the local bar, enjoying a fresh pint, and being a part of the community which has done its share of hibernating lately.
This week, I am not alternating back to the Shorty of the Week as I actually didn't pick one up. I had a few pints out on the town for business and pleasure as things start to pick up. Seems Cowbell Brewing https://cowbellbrewing.com/ is doing well with the sales as I am finding at more and more establishments on draft. This Boxing Bruin IPA https://cowbellbrewing.com/beer/doc-perdues-boxing-bruin is obviously a can as all they had were the lighter Cowbell beers on tap at https://stmarysgolf.com/ and was enjoyed doubly as a fun beer and a business meeting.
Even recent followers may recognise this Hazy Town Juice Bomb IPA https://shop.amsterdambeer.com/products/hazy-town by Amsterdam Brewing from a December post. I picked up a seasonal gift pack from a brewery I generally have been unimpressed with because it had numerous IPAs to sample. Perhaps they had upped their IPA game or my palate had evolved and I would become a fan again?
I feel I was initially tricked into buying this beer because of the cool name, neat design, bold white IPA on the can, and New Belgium brand which I had not seen before. Turns out it was just a cleverly disguised Steam Whistle https://steamwhistle.ca/ beer, for which I have had no use for many years. Not bad beer but I am a progressive discoverer and their plain pislners haven't done it for me since before I discovered IPAs.
Still, I am a Beerologist of my word and owe it to any IPA brewer to give the beer a fair shot. There is so much more that could be put on the side label of the can but perhaps they had nothing to say, or felt the beer would speak for itself. Truth be told, it was not bad. Filtering takes away some of the texture and flavour I enjoy as it has done with this beer but it is a legit beer. Not even close enough to make even my top 50 and I will not be fooled thrice into buying this one. I do not hate this though and admire it as a gateway from the plain to the hoppy.
In retrospect, perhaps I should have titled this post "Breweries Zeke doesn't particularly prefer" but that is too much of a mouthful. Lake of Bays Brewing Co. https://lakeofbaysbrewing.ca/ is one of those breweries which do a good job but haven't stricken my fancy like others have. I grabbed a Foghorn and an Off The Grid pair of LOB beers as part of a week of discovering new beers. As it turned out, the latter was a lighter session ale and this one was the clear winner between the two. How would it stand up to the I Would Try That Again challenge?
Of the lot, this one was the best beer. I love a good juicy IPA, especially one that is hazy like this one. 6.2% ABV is legit when it is backed up by a good taste that is strong enough to block out any alcohol elements. I also love a good Mosaic hop and the Cashmere dry-hop treatment after the brewing process added a nice dry edge to it that seems to be over-pronounced in beers when it is used early in the wet hopping stage.
As mentioned, this one gets the coveted seal of approval out of the lot. If I ever get around to officially reassessing the top 20, and get loaded comparing all of the awesome IPAs that currently hold spots, I may just have to shuffle Foghorn into the deck and see how it fares.
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Today we are going to party like it is week 194 of #beersaturday because it is! Starting this week, the magnanimous 
I invite a friend to the party every week and this week it is 
Cheers DOODS!
