Posted by Greg Clow in beer, beverages on September 25, 2007 at 4:19 pm
It may still feel like August outside, but we're in the first week of fall, and the Autumn Ales promotion is underway at the LCBO. So heat be damned, I'm drinking cool weather beers!
My reviews of the brews available as part of the Autumn Ales release actually started last week with Black Irish Plain Porter, and this week it's another porter, although this one comes from across the pond courtesy of the Burton Bridge Brewery in Burton-on-Trent, England.
Those with a taste for beer or business trivia might know Burton-on-Trent as the birthplace of Bass Ale, the classic pale ale with the red triangle logo which was registered as the first trademark in Britain on January 1st, 1876. In fact, the town became well known in the 1800s as being a perfect place for brewing pale ales in general due to the particular mineral content of the local water and the hop and malt strains that tended to be used by the brewers in the area. By the late 1800s, over 30 breweries were located in the town, helping to quench the UK's increasing thirst for pale ale. Although many of them made other styles as well, including porter.
Burton Bridge Brewery is a more recent addition to the local brewing scene, with their first batches coming out of the tanks in 1982, although the building they're located in has a very rich history, being built in the late 17th century and operating as the Fox and Goose Inn for almost 300 years. Owned by Geoff Mumford and Bruce Wilkinson, Burton Bridge specializes in classic British ale styles, and make most of their beers exclusively for draught accounts in their tied houses and other area pubs, but a few are bottled as well.
One of them is Burton Porter, a beer that is quite different from the roasty, stout-like versions that are common from many North American craft brewers. As I mentioned in last week's column, it's believed that the original porters were essentially aged brown ales that were often a bit sour due to the addition of old beer to new in order to help speed up the aging process.
That description fits this beer to a T. The colour is dark and murky reddish-brown with a good sized tan head. The aroma is slightly fruity and a bit musty, with a faint hint of celery in the background. The body is quite light in comparison to a modern porter, and the bottle conditioning gives it a soft mouthfeel that compares well to a cask ale. The flavour is malty off the top, with some typical ale fruitiness, while the finish is refreshingly bitter thanks to the ample application of the classic UK hop duo, Target & Challenger.
Burton Porter is available now at select LCBO outlets (LCBO 926162, $3.50/500 mL). With a bit of searching, you may also be able to find several other Burton Bridge beers - like their full-bodied Bramble Stout and wickedly strong Tickle Brain Ale - at some of the city's better beer bars.
Speaking of which, three of Toronto's top beer establishments are holding events this coming weekend. First up on Friday night is the 19th Annual Fall Festival of Craft Brewers at C'est What, which will feature fifty beers from breweries such Scotch Irish, Grand River, Mill Street, Trafalgar and more, including several festival exclusives.
On Sunday, Volo will be opening at 11:00am to sell tickets to their upcoming Cask Days festival. Owner Ralph Morana promises that a surprise cask will be tapped for those who show up for tix, and doors will be open until 2:30pm, but given the buzz about the main festival, both tickets and beer are bound to sell out quickly. And that evening, beerbistro will be participating in the North America-wide toast to renowned beer writer Michael Jackson who passed away on August 30th, with partial proceeds from the night going to the National Parkinson's Foundation in Jackson's memory.
