I am FINALLY through my Christmas beer and ready to see what is new in the realm of new and exciting regional IPAs!

Source: https://www.pinterest.pt/goldensaintbeer/ with a little Zeke design on top.

It has probably been a month of gift pack reviews for #beersaturday and my legions of IPA addicts are probably ready to get back into the newest hoppy discoveries. I cannot blame them though it was nice to break from the norm and sample so many different types of beers that come in those seasonal gift packs.

It is goddamn IPA time now as I pick 3 gems off the shelf.

Shorty of the Week!

As we settle back into the groove, I have added the Shorty of the Week once again. One of my favourite beer drinkin' tactics is to have a few short 355ml cans in the fridge along with the tall/pint cans. That way, when you could use another beer but it is too late to crush a pint, you can have a shorty! Plus, they tend to be neat one-off brews for somethi9ng special and different.

This week, I am augmenting my beer supply with Dovetail Hazy Pale Ale from local Jobsite Brewing Company https://www.jobsitebrewing.ca/ I threw an extra Impact IPA in there just in case this new one wasn't great but it was unnecessary. Making for a couple neat late night pints this week!

Artistic DIPA!

It seems every months or so, I have a whole new IPA to taste from https://collectiveartsbrewing.com/ with their numbered IPA series. This month, we are on number 15 https://collectiveartsontario.com/collections/ipas/products/ipa-15 which is actually a double IPA. Generally sport hopped and strong in alcohol, I appreciate the extreme tastes but these are hit or miss for me of late. This one boasts a hazy body, 8.2% ABV and some recently popular Citra and Simcoe hops so we are starting out on the right foot.

Another neat thing about Collective Arts and this series is the fact that they showcase independent artists for the label and branding. It makes for a nice sentiment and unique splash of colour to go along with the beer.

Speaking of this brew, I was pleasantly surprised as with my DIPA smaller sips, I was not assaulted with overwhelming bitterness or alcohol taste. It was serious because of the simcoe but pleasant because of the citra and a touch of lactose sugar sweetened it up just a little. This is a damn fine beer and I have already bought it again!

Hoppy Blast from the Past

Great Lakes Brewery https://www.greatlakesbeer.com/ has been in my top 3 preferred breweries for so long, when I reopen my international brewery tours after the lockdown, I am sure everyone will be requesting this stop. Lake Effect American IPA https://greatlakesbrewery.myshopify.com/collections/cans-bottles/products/lake-effect-ipa-2 is in part responsible for my discovery and obsession with IPAs so many years ago. It is a seasonal beer or else it would be in my top 10 as I need a beer to be available year round in order to give them that classification.

I am not a big fan of the illustration used in the older beers but luckily Great Lakes shares my sentiment that the "mind-numbing drivel" on their labels have nothing to do with the wonderful beer. Lake Effect is clearer than the murky Lake Ontario which stands between the brewery and the inspiration that sits on the south shore. I love discovering this beer on the shelves every year and always pick up a couple while supplies last.

Sinister Minister!

This is my first taste of Brimstone Brewing http://www.brimstonebrewing.ca/. It wasn't just the brewery that is new to me as I have never even heard of Ridgeway Ontario. Turns out, it is fairly close to Buffalo and finds its home in a repurposed church! May as well lean into the sacrilege with reference to a sinister minister with tattooed hands.

This devious beverage of heathens boasts unfiltered, aggressively hopped, and dry hopping to make sure they have the bitterness covered. It is orangy and hazy which I like and the typical key words do describe the taste fairly well. There is a nice bitter piney aftertaste but it is rounded out a little with a hint of malt body which is atypical with many IPAs.

This is a fine and evil discovery! I will have to buy this again to stand it up against some of my other favourite IPAs. For now, it gets my coveted seal of approval and I encourage you to search it out if you are in the region.

Amen.

#BEERSaturday!

Thanks again for this wonderful #hive #beer gift by @spirall on Twitter! Join the Hive push with us.

It is week 187 on an undercover cop! https://hive.blog/hive-187719/@detlev/it-is-sataturday-and-this-means-beersaturday-week-187-calls-you-to-join is your link to meet some of the #beersaturday characters, hear some tasty tales, tell some suddsy pub stories of your own and perhaps become a Beerologist yourself.

I invite a friend to the party every week and this week it is @c0ff33a who has had my witness vote since the blockchain we will not name. Legit and authentic person and a great leader on #HIVE if you are expanding your network.

Cheers DOODS!