According to Breakwall “The Lock Tender, much like the Brewer, is a solitary folk.” They use words like “curmudgeonly” and of “stern demeanor” to describe the aforementioned lock tender/brewer persona. Interestingly enough, the Lock Tender on the can has more than a passing resemblance to the Breakwall Brewmaster Dean. Coincidence? I think not.*
If you are passing through the Welland Canal ** and having a brew or two at Breakwall you could well be locked and loaded. Lock No.8 is the final lock travelling South and the entrance to Lake Erie. And yes, there are still Lock Tenders who manage the locks although these days they are pushing buttons rather than cranking the chains to close and open the locks. ***
A dark orange peach pit pour, with a full lock lift of head.**** A fresh citrus tropical juicy aroma, hops in waiting. First taste is juicy stone fruit with some fizz and mild hoppy mini grapefruit bitters. Nicely balanced and with a full mouthfeel. The mild bitters produced some subdued backend funk which worked well with this fruit forward juicer.
Dean has tended this lock well.
*Reviewer’s Comment: Dean confirmed that to me on my last visit to Breakwall. I’m not sure whether he posed in historic Lock Tender garb for the pic, but I wouldn’t put it past him.
**Editor’s Comment The Welland Canal connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie bypassing Niagara Falls. It consists of 8 locks over its 44 kms. Lake Erie is 99.5 meters (326 feet) higher than Lake Ontario. The canal provides Atlantic Ocean access to major manufacturing hubs in the US on Lake Erie including Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago.
***Editor’s Comment: Many of the historic canals still have Lock Tenders as well as the Lock Tender houses onsite. Operations these days are mechanical rather than manual so the role has changed quite a bit over the years.
****Editor’s Comment: Since Lock No.8 at Port Colborne is the control lock, it doesn’t have a set lift height. It adjusts for the varying levels of Lake Erie. A typical Lock No. 8 lift would be from 2 feet to 11 feet, as opposed to the other locks on the canal which have lifts ranging from 43 to 49 feet.
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