To celebrate the second day of OCB week I headed to Bar Volo to partake in their BelgOntario beer menu. Primarily featuring Belgian styles as brewed by Ontario brewers, as well there were a few non Ontario brewed Belgian style beers to round out the tap menu. And then…there was the one exception that transcended both categories: The Vrienden Wit – the collaboration brew between Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co(Ontario) and De Koningshoeven (Netherlands). This beer, a Belgian wit, was brewed to “commemorate the 65th anniversary of liberation of The Netherlands by Canadian troops.” Commissioned by the Dutch embassy this beer, Vrienden (“friends” in English), was made using ingredients available in both Canada and the Netherlands and was to feature at the Dutch and Canadian Creative Culture festival in Ottawa this past May. The plan was for a brewer from De Koningshoeven to come to Canada to brew side by side with Beau’s. Due to the gratuitous volcanic activity over Iceland during this period it was not possible for DK’s brewer to fly over at the time of brewing. Per GCBP blog, the DK brewers were able to correspond with Beau’s using the phone and internets to ensure the beer was made to the recipe they had established.
Having read about it on many other sites I did not anticipate being able to enjoy this special edition one-off. A hazy(!) orange-yellow, this medium bodied Belgian wit was full of the standard flavours and esters expected of a wit: cloves, banana, citrus and yeasty notes. Some orange and hint of coriander also came through on the aroma. Overall, a very soft and VERY easy to drink beer. I would not be surprised if this beer will be adapted and brewed as a mainstay on their seasonal rotation. (Or this may already the case!)
Following from the Vrienden I decided to move on to another available beer from Beau’s and THE menu item I had come in search of: Matt’s Sleepy Time Belgian Imperial Stout. Going in I knew this was a seasonal that (according to their website) is currently out of season. That is all. Also, I had no idea what would make an imperial stout Belgian. The midnight black beer was much drier than most imperial stouts I have had. It was not devoid of sweetness, but the opposite end of the ‘stout spectrum’ (if one existed) as a milk stout. Hints of coffee and rich dry cocoa were the primary flavours I detected, as well as rich fruity flavours. Also some subtle flavours I was unable to formally identify – maybe a delicate vanilla? The high ABV (8.5%) was enough to limit me to only one glass, as it was a school night, but I may need to pop back into Volo by the end of the week for some more (especially since this is a one-off, with no confirmation of if and when it will be made again).
I thought I saw Steve from Beau’s near the bar at Volo at one point during the evening but when I looked again he was gone. Missed connection or too much Sleepy Time Stout? (It was Rob from Beau’s – ran into him @ Black Oak on June 30)
BelgOntario goes for only as long as the kegs last. That said, they have noted on Friday they will be putting on some different Ontario treats, including Duggan’s #99 Double IPA. Where do I sign up?
On tap for the rest of OCB week:
Day 3 – Tuesday – Duggan’s Brewery
Day 4 – Wednesday – Cass’ & Troy’s First Annual OCB Pub Crawl
Day 5 – Thursday – Project XXXX at Great Lakes.
Day 6 – Friday – Volo & Night of the Flying Monkeys @ The Only Cafe
Day 7 – Saturday – TBD (wedding to attend)
OCB week, redux:
Day 1 – Sunday – Rebel House and “Granite”
What did I learn?: So what IS a Belgian Imperial Stout. It’s an imperial stout brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. Belgian beers have distinct characteristics and can be (erroneously?) simplified into two categories. Ales and wheats are reknowned for their clove and banana esters, as well as being very smooth and easy to drink. Abbeys and trappists lean heavy towards the rich malts and dark fruit charactersistics as well as high gravity. Sleepy Time did not remind me of a quenching Belgian ale or wheat, so I presume they used one of the abbey/trappist style yeast strains, giving it the deep, rich qualities that made it dangerously delicious.
Beer With Me 