What kind of Codswallop is this?
Codswallop? What kind of a name is that for a beer, sounds like nonsense to me.*
I remember going fishing with the old man in the cedar strip boat. After we found our spot the mercury outboard got pulled up and the oars got put into the water. For the uninitiated, one paddle takes two hands, an oar goes into an oarlock in the gunwale and you need at least two oars or you end up with the proverbial “one oar in the water” situation. ** So in my mind an oar is an upscale paddle. So too is The Oar restaurant in Gravenhurst, an upscale dining establishment with an interesting selection of crafts brews from which to choose. ***
One brew that caught my eye was a Nitro English Mild from Blood Brothers in collaboration with The Three Speed. A Codswallop Nitro? I couldn’t resist.****
The Nitro bomb defusing instructions were quite clear; Shake can, Open quick, Pour hard, Serve cold. Funny it didn’t mention the most important step, “Drink”, but then again that goes without saying, doesn’t it, and it did. Following the instructions to the word, as opposed to the letter, gave the best results. A classic cascade pour which settled into a nice clear amber brown shade with a heady dome of foam. Love me a nitro most times, time to see if this time is most times.
A malty earthy creamy presence on the nose. A full creamy mouthfeel with malt bread body and English bitters, all well balanced. A classic English ale. Very nice, this is the perfect beer to have as a nitro. The bitters back off a bit but the earthy malt body stays the course, and starts to evolve at times to an almost porter like presentation.
Great food, great service and a nice atmosphere at The Oar. Highly recommended. And this beer was Codswallop in name only. A very good no nonsense English ale and another super suds offering from the Brothers Blood.
*Editor’s Comment: Codswallop means nonsense. The word’s origins are thought to be from “cod walloper” or a person who deals with or handles fish. It somehow also became associated with a foolish person. In the early 1900’s it was British slang for an overly talkative woman, but the current meaning of the word seems to have been popularized by the comedy show “Hancock’s Half Hour” in the 50’s.
**Editor’s Comment: Much like this review, going in circles.
***Editor’s Comment: Definitely one of your more awkward segues.
****Editor’s Comment: You never can.
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