Once again JT hosted the COMDB AGM (Annual Golf Meeting) where 7 cranky old men, 6 drinking beer and one token (tokin’) non-drinker, sampled brews and kept the score. The legal department were not invited for obvious reasons. The translation department were also not invited because to be honest they are a bit of a drag. The day started with a round of sub-par golf, meaning that our scores were even higher than usual, as par for the course for us is not par for the course but way above par, which is sub-par for most golfers if you know what I mean.
Brew sampling began after golf and continued until the wheels fell off the proverbial bus. 22 brews* were sampled and the next day my head was like a haunted house** so thank goodness someone took notes. The first few samplings were done in an orderly fashion, glasses rinsed, palates cleansed. As the night progressed to say things got considerably less orderly is a bit of an understatement.
Regardless of however questionable the results are, we do have results. We won’t bog you down with details but will identify five brews in terms of ratings. The top 4 and the one at the other end of the ratings, that being the ass-end so to speak.
Get the Hell Out Stout (6% ABV) by Nine Locks Brewing out of Bedford Nova Scotia was a surprise average 15.5 rating, one of the two highest ratings of the evening. Surprise because not all the COM are of the stout persuasion although no one is wasting away if you know what I mean (the Beach Ball ™ exercise program may be at play here). Regardless of any preconceived notions this brew was well received. It was described as a well-balanced coffee chocolate oatmeal stout, with a chocolate slightly bitter finish.
Aromatherapy (6.5%) is an American Pale Ale by Beyond the Pale Brewing Co out of Ottawa. It also ranked a 15.5. There were some Pale Ale lovers in the crowd but that didn’t automatically guarantee a high ranking as some other pales paled by comparison. Comments included hoppy to the nose with a slightly yellowish haze, smooth and drinkable, piney citrus ,flavourable and favourable ,with a good bitter finish.
Another high ranker at 14.8 was Whitetail Cream Ale (5% ABV) by Kingston Brewery Co out of… you guessed it, Kingston. It was described as having a nice aftertaste, smooth, and easy drinking.
Pakenham Bitter (5.2% ABV) by Cartwright Springs Brewery out of Pakenham ranked 14.7. It is an English Bitter and the reviewers commented that it was aptly named (bitter and from Pakenham), with malt and sweet, but a clean finish. Someone thought they detected cucumber, but that could have been from the salad at dinner. According to Cartwright they used 8 different types of hops in this complex brew.
And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, the award for the least favourite out of 22 brews sampled goes to (drum roll please) Queen of Wheat (5%) by Spearhead Brewing out of Kingston with an average score of only 8.3. To be fair, the COM in general are not enamoured by wheat beers, and there were a number of very good beers quaffed that evening, but this one was the lowest rating.
The 2nd Annual COMDB AGM is now in the books and a recovery period of a year minus a day until the next one will be much appreciated.***
*Editor’s Comment: To be clear, each reviewer did not drink 22 beers that night. This website does not promote or condone binge or excessive drinking. Each beer was poured in equal measure for sampling, so 22 beers divided by 6 reviewers = 3.66 beers each. According to the Lancaster Bomber Amber Ale can , which seems like a reliable source of government policy to us, the UK Department of Health recommends that adult men do not regularly exceed 3 to 4 pints per day. However, some reviewers may have further indulged in additional sampling to confirm first impressions, and that we have no record of or comment on.
**Editor’s Comment: “Head Like a Haunted House” is a song from the Queens of the Stone Age’s 7th album “Villains”. It was released in 2018 and received a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 60th Grammys.
***Editor’s Comment: Oktoberfest is coming up.
0 Comments