The beer was flowin’ so we were goin’. Flowfest Niagara was the big event, with over 20 brewers and too many taps even for me. One and done was not an option as every brewer was keen to fill my 5oz sampler rim to the brim.
It is well known that I am a flight risk, so it was decided that I required some adult supervision. With that in mind the Department of Morality, the residing chairperson of my liquor control board, attended. Her beer of choice was of the root variety provided by the popular brewer and burger flipper A&W.
Speaking of food, there was quite a selection of healthy fare at the fest. Heart smart selections such as poutine, pizza and ice cream were all available. Since I had not had a debilitating stroke since my last golf tourney, I thought a heart attack in a box would be a nice pairing with any and all samplings, so poutine it was.
The COMDB guide to beer tasting specifically states that you have to drink a whole beer to rate it, so 5-ounce snifters of different brews one after another did not qualify for any ratings, but I can give you a brew by brew overview.
Blood Brothers, being the crafty crone coiffures they are, served up a snifter of Witch’s Hair. A 6.2% Pale Ale that was hazy, smooth, balanced and unaggressive. Nice.
Bellwoods filled it to the rim with a not at all grim Lil Reaper. A 6.5% double IPA collab with Messorem Bracitorium out of Montreal. Lotsa head on this super hazy creamy pineapple fruit tasty double that doubles as single with a smooth body and minimal bitters.
Third Moon was out in full and their 5.2% Kills Pils sounded like a beer to die for. A nice malt aroma with a great pils flavour and a smooth easy going crisp finish that belied its name. I’ll be looking for this one again.
Tooth and Nail is not in fact a combination dentistry nail salon or even a veterinary clinic, but an Ottawa based brewer festing with the best. Their 4.8% Premio is what they call an Italian style Kellerpils which they tell us “has little in common with the Italian imports found on NA shelves.” In your face Signore Moretti and Peroni. This unique combo had a nice mild malt aroma with malt and bitters in tandem, some lager sweet showed up on a second swig. I would have liked more, it was quite good. But 5 ounces only goes so far. And other more exotic samplings were calling.
It was a very hot day so when our old friends at Slake offered us some Shade, we couldn’t resist. A 7% IPA, and once again Quebec brewer Messorem Bracitorium shows up in the mix. A hazy OJ pour and not coincidentally an OJ tropical juicer that’s not far off a double.
We couldn’t leave Flowfest without doing a Rorschach test, and quite the test it was. A Slurpee Strawberry Banana Fruited Ice Cream Smoothie Sour was quite a mouthful, literally. This super thick 7% sour was not that sour but was a very creamy, banana strawberry tasty fruit treat. The guy beside me said it was his mother’s favourite beer! My old man would never have drank it but I enjoyed it.
From slurpee to S’mores, the grand finale was an Imperial Dessert Stout from Fine Balance out of Kingston. Their Stuck on S’more Pastry Stout with marshmallows, graham cracker, chocolate and coconut glazed donuts at 10% was almost s’more than I could handle. Dark body, tan head and a licorice cocoa aroma, it was a complex taste meant for sipping and savouring. Strong and smooth, by which point in the Flowfest I was neither.
It was around this time that the Department of Morality was hinting that it was time to go. I think her exact words were “it’s time to go.”
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