Friday, July 31, 2009

Beer of the month - July



Yeah, yeah - I'm a couple of months late on this one *blush*

This months beer of the month is Creemore Springs Kellerbier, much like Greg Clow over at tasteTO it's also only my second Kellerbier...

I was sorry to miss the launch party at Victory Cafe a little while ago, so I was very glad to grab a 6 pack from the LCBO today..

Here's my notes and scores

Appearance: Pinkish orange with a small off white head and good visible carbonation. Aroma: Slight perfume, some grassy hops, malt, some light lemon peel and grain. Flavour: Initially malt, nice grassy hops (as opposed to the grassy hops that I personally dislike) a good creaminess to the body with a sweet hop finish, the more I’m drinking it - the better it’s getting. Good work Creemore, a solid brew. Oh - refreshing too!

Aroma 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Flavour: 7/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 17/20

Total score: 3.9 out of a possible 5

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Beer of the month


My beer of the month for April is most definitely Brooklyn Black Ops:

With thanks to HogTownHarry for picking this up in Buffalo for me! Appearance: A lovely used motor oil body with nice thick creamy brown head. Aroma: Chocolate-peat, bourbon, leather, vanilla, lots of malt, alcohol, yeast, some almost strawberry notes with a nice hint of whiskey in the finish of the aroma. Flavour: Tremendous, lots of oak, smoke, bitter chocolate, with burnt malt and coffee. There’s some alcohol but it’s not overpowering, thin but somehow creamy body with nice tingly carbonation on the tip of the tongue and a very long malt-whiskey-chocolate finish. Just superb.

Appearance: 4/5
Aroma: 9/10
Flavour: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall impression: 18/20

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/brooklyn-black-ops/82103/30639/


Saturday, March 21, 2009

Six Nations - Grand Slam


I can't recall the last time, if ever, a radio broadcast made me cry. Well today it happened. Congratulations Ireland - you made us proud, from Dublin to Cardiff to Casablanca then Toronto. You've lifted the spirit of the nation in a time of horrible uncertainty.

Friday, March 6, 2009

The Spring

Today was finally above freezing. I left work and it was 10c there was a slight breeze in my face. I flashed back to Dublin at the end of the summer. I suddenly missed the sights and sounds of home. The smell of the trees as I walked to the shops. The friendly nod of the odd passer by I knew. The familiar sights and sounds of the main street in my town. The bellows of laughter and chat coming from the pubs.

Immediately I was back in Toronto. I could see the city in the distance, it beckoned me. It screamed of a new home, a new place. Nothing will replace Ireland but my God, Toronto takes a good crack at it. I gladly got on the streetcar and made my way home.

Sometimes happiness comes from the simplest of things, today it came from the wind.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

I'm pretty jarred. 'Jarred' is Irish for 'locked' which is Irish for 'pissed' which is Irish for 'Baloobas' which is Irish for 'Scuttered' which is Irish for 'Walloped' which is Irish for 'GaGa' which is Irish for 'Smashed' which is Irish for 'Locked'

Has it almost been a year?



I read somewhere that 90% of blogs once created are never accessed again after the first couple of months by the owner. Well, I guess this almost happened to me. It's one of those things, I keep meaning to do it; but I put it on the long finger.

So I've been living in Canada for over a year now, I came across this list of things and find myself agreeing with a lot of the topics

  1. You stand in "line-ups" at the movie, not lines.
  2. You're not offended by the term, "Homo Milk".
  3. You understand the sentence, "Could you please pass me a serviette, I just spilled my poutine."
  4. You eat chocolate bars instead of candy bars.
  5. You drink pop, not soda.
  6. You know what it means to be on pogey.
  7. You know that a mickey and 2-4's mean "Party at the camp, eh?!"
  8. You can drink legally while still a teen.
  9. You talk about the weather with strangers and friends alike.
  10. You don't know or care about the fuss with Cuba, it's just a cheap place to travel with good cigars and no Americans.
  11. When there is a social problem, you turn to your government to fix it instead of telling them to stay out of it.
  12. You get milk in bags as well as cartons and plastic jugs.
  13. Pike is a type of fish, not some part of a highway.
  14. You drive on a highway, not a freeway.
  15. You know what a Robertson screwdriver is.
  16. You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers
  17. You know that Thrills are something to chew and "taste like soap."
  18. You know that Mounties "don't always look like that."
  19. You dismiss all beers under 6% as "for children and the elderly."
  20. You know that the Friendly Giant isn't a vegetable product line.
  21. You know that Casey and Finnegan are not a Celtic musical group.
  22. You participated in "Participaction."
  23. You have an Inuit carving by your bedside with the rationale,"What's good enough protection for the Prime Minister is good enough for me."
  24. You wonder why there isn't a 5 dollar coin yet.
  25. Like any international assassin/terrorist/spy in the world, you possess a Canadian passport.
  26. You use a red pen on your non-Canadian textbooks and fill in the missing 'u's from labor, honor, and color.
  27. You know the French equivalents of "free", "prize", and "no sugar added", thanks to your extensive education in bilingual cereal packaging.
  28. You are excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.
  29. You make a mental note to talk about it at work the next day.
  30. You can do all the hand actions to Sharon, Lois and Bram's "Skin-a-ma-rinky-dinky-doo" opus.
  31. You can eat more than one maple sugar candy without feeling nauseous.
  32. You were mad when "The Beachcombers" were taken off the air.
  33. You know what a toque is.
  34. You have some memento of Bob and Doug.
  35. You know Toronto is not a province.
  36. You never miss "Coach's Corner".
  37. Back bacon and Kraft Dinner are two of your favourite food groups.


Like everywhere, it has its ups and downs but I have to say, Toronto has mainly ups. Although I whinge about the public transport (TTC) it's generally clean, on time and very frequent. The people are friendly, the food great, the beers great and the standard of living is really high. The downsides? Well the novelty of snow wears off pretty quickly and standing waiting on the streetcar in -28c weather isn't my idea of fun to say the least.

But all in all, I've feck all to complain about.. it's a Thursday evening, I've no work tomorrow (I work a short week once a month). It's snowing out but I have the heating on, I'm curled up on the couch and I've a St. Ambroise Oatmeal stout in my hand.

Life is great.

Himself

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Beer lover, Loving Husband and Dad :-) - oh and I'm an expert recruiter