Those who follow the ins and outs of the Ontario brewing scene will know that the last few months have been interesting ones for Waterloo's Brick Brewery. Founder and craft brewing pioneer Jim Brickman left the company in February, and his departure was rapidly followed by the resignations of Tom Gilchrist and Scott Uffelman from the Board of Directors where they had sat since the company was founded in 1984.
Following this shake-up, it didn't take long for the remaining management team to start making changes. The three beers in the J.R. Brickman Founder's Series were retired (much like their namesake, I guess), and a one-off brand from a couple of years back, Waterloo Wheat, was brought back and added to the core line-up. And of course, government legislation raising the lowest legal price of beer in Ontario meant that Brick had to retire the famous "A Buck A Beer" slogan for their discount Laker brands.
Another change - perhaps the most interesting in the bunch - has been somewhat under-the-radar, and was actually in the works well before Brickman's departure: the creation of a speciality import portfolio in partnership with American beer agents Latis Imports. Well, "portfolio" might be a bit of an exaggeration, as Palm Ale is the only beer being imported so far, but at least they've picked a pretty good one to start with.
The flagship beer from the family-owned Brouwerij Palm in Steenhuffel, Belgium, and known as Palm Speciale in its home country, Palm Ale is a bit of an anomaly in the world of Belgian ales. Bearing little similarity to the strong, malty and robust Trappist and Abbey-style ales that Belgium is most known for, Palm is instead a mellow amber ale more suited for quaffing on a patio than sipping by a fireplace.
This light and drinkable character was exactly what brewmaster Arthur Van Roy was attempting to capture in 1904 when he first brewed the beer that came to be known as Palm Speciale. Worried by the increasing popularity of Pilsners and other foreign lager styles throughout Belgium, a number of brewers in the province of Brabant started to craft beers that were lighter than typical Belgian ales but still brewed using traditional Belgian methods.
The resulting beers were branded as "Speciale", and once Van Roy's proved to be the most popular, he added "Palm" to the name, indicating it to be an award winner. Over a century later, Palm Speciale is now the best selling ale in Belgium, and while "best selling" isn't always analogous with "good quality" when it comes to beer, it is in this case.
Pouring a bright, clear golden amber with a creamy white head, Palm is visually attractive, especially when served in the distinctive branded glass. The aroma is mild, likely due to the thick and persistent head, but the notes the peek through are appealing, with hints of caramel malt and cut grass. The flavour is more noticeable, but still mellow and balanced, with some light fruitiness (peach and melon) and toasted malt, a hint of yeast in the middle, and a surprisingly dry finish with crisp hop notes. The finish in particular makes this a very drinkable beer, and at 5.4%, it's possible to enjoy a couple without doing your head in; something which certainly can't be said of many Belgian ales.
Palm Ale is currently available on draught at both Bier Markts and other bars around Toronto. Bottles will be available in six-packs at the LCBO later this year.
