marcology

theblager: Wondering What To Get for V Day? Fear not, beer is...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:59:11 -0500

Wondering What To Get for V Day?

Fear not, beer is DEFINITELY the answer. I mean, no doubt most of us ladies love chocolate. But beer with chocolate notes? That’s a win. Especially appropriate for a holiday that falls mid winter, and well let’s admit - a holiday many of us might spend by ourselves at a bar. If this is your scenario, you are certainly allowed to gift yourself a beer on this occasion.

Which brings me to a round of suggestions for stouts & porters, which are great winter warmers. And if you are planning on having oysters as part of your romantic-night meal, you are in luck - the creamy mouth feel of a stout pairs fantastically with those delicious bivalves. Here are some of my favorites that I have tried, as well as a few I have yet to try but are certainly on my list of things-to-drink-before-the-snow-melts-2013.

The Grid lays out a few good selections. Amsterdam’s Tempest Imperial Stout has definitely been on my list for some time now, however I can’t say i’m a fan of recommending serving beer “warm” (what does that even mean, you microwave before serving? Gross). Additionally, if you are looking to start experimenting with cellaring/vintaging beers, this would be an excellent place to start. I would also like to add a couple other of their selections to my want-to-try list - Lion Brewery’s Sinha Stout, and Great Lakes 25th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a definite must. Frankly, I like everything they make - try their Harry Porter as well if you haven’t. Last pick of mine on this lit is Granville Island’s Lion Winter Ale. Not a stout or a Porter, but a very interesting, chocolatey ale. And it pairs fabulously with an aged hard cheese. Try it with a Dutch Beemster.

Still others I would love to try, and would make a handsome gift would include Muskoka Brewery’s Winter Beard - Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout. Though the price tag might make you shiver, your recipient will truly appreciate this bottle. Howe Sound Brewing’s Pothole Filler Imperial Stout is another pricey choice - but with a 96% on RateBeer you can feel confident those hard earned looneys (loonies? IDK, new to this bird coinage) will be well spent. An last, the much harder to find (only on tap, only this winter, and likely only around Ottawa) and probably also the most adventurous pour would be HogsBack Brewing Co’s Aporkalypse Now. That would be a bacon-oatmeal stout. Yep, you read that right. And can you please just look at the adorable farmer couple posing with their prize pig? That little pork chop it’s just the sweetest thing, and I would be delighted to taste his bottled demise.

So that rounds up the want-to-try’s, and I will leave you with two other options that I HAVE had - and are delightfully fantastic. The first would be Grand River’s Russian Gun Imperial Stout. Made in southern Ontario and encapsulating a historical reference, this beer will warm any beer geek’s (or geek-geek’s) heart. And it comes with an irresistible price tag. Might as well buy 6. Also fantastic is Saw Dust City’s Skinny Dipping Stout- a perfectIy suggestive name for the occasion. I definitely taste some cinnamon in there, and I definitely like it.

On a closing note - major props (yes, I really did just use that phrase) to all the Breweries on this list for resisting the urge to give rhyming names to their stouts (Although Lights Out Stout is fantastic to hear in a Canadian accent).

inrng: How high is Mont Ventoux?

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:15:12 -0500

inrng:

How high is Mont Ventoux?

fuckyeahcycling: Cycling Revolution 2012-2013: Round three. No...

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:19:13 -0500

fuckyeahcycling:

Cycling Revolution 2012-2013: Round three.

No prizes for guessing whose thighs are getting measured. It could only be one man!

(via Timeline Photos)

This man is a monster.

Best of 2011 - A.W.

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:25:24 -0500

Best of 2011 - A.W.:

Turns out I was listening to a lot of hip hop this past year. 2011 saw some big name releases as well as many smaller names starting to move into the spotlight. Bon Iver and The Weeknd,…

G.R.O.s Best of 2011

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:27:52 -0500

G.R.O.s Best of 2011:

It’s time to break the radio silence on BTA, and bring you my best albums and tracks of the year 2011. A year that belonged to Ms. Harvey. Since Let England Shake was released early in the…

Newfie Cliff Jumping (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:59:57 -0400

Newfie Cliff Jumping (Taken with instagram)

Fix This!

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:38:10 -0400

Fix This!:

Has anyone else picked up on the impatience of the music press right now? Over the last couple of week’s journos have been falling over themselves to proclaim the best albums of the year so far, even…

Bandstand Busking

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:58:06 -0400

Bandstand Busking:

Summer in London means snacking on bread & hummus on a picnic rug; sipping Pimms and lemonade whilst basking in the sun; watching the deluded hysteria over a Brit winning Wimbledon and Bandstand…

Driver Drive Faster!

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:19:13 -0400

Driver Drive Faster!:

Ever since I relented and joined the Apple cult, John Hilcock’s weekly New Noise podcast has proved essential listening. The sheer diverse array of sounds on offer in each morsel amaze,…

Live Review: Benjamin Francis Leftwich

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:30:31 -0400

Live Review: Benjamin Francis Leftwich:

Singer-songwriters rarely successfully walk the tightrope of critical acclaim and commercial success. Having already secured support from Edith Bowman (BBC Radio 1) and Mark…

The RAA release Departing to Canadians ahead of schedule

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:46:23 -0500

The RAA release Departing to Canadians ahead of schedule:

The Rural Alberta Advantage notified fans via Twitter yesterday that their new album Departing is available to Canadian iTunes customers ahead of the scheduled March 1st…

G.R.O.s Best of 2010

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:59:10 -0500

G.R.O.s Best of 2010:

Here’s my round-up of the year that was 2010.

Album of The Year: Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM

Runners Up:
2. Everything Everything - Man Alive
3. Yeasayer - ONE
4. Avi Buffalo - Avi…

Cloud Nothings

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 15:18:53 -0500

Cloud Nothings:

Cloud Nothings are Cleveland lo-fi garage rockers that will appeal greatly to fans of Black Lips, No Age, et al.

They’re currently supporting Les Savy Fav on their European tour…

New Radio Dept. and more.

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:30:35 -0400

New Radio Dept. and more.:

Here are some playlist boosters from across the board, highlighted by The Radio Dept.’s new song from their “Never Follow Suit” single. Other songs below from accomplished producer Ski…

Link

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:23:13 -0400

Link:

Very groovy.

The BLager: Oktobeerfest: Ich bin ein bier trinke

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 10:08:20 -0400

The BLager: Oktobeerfest: Ich bin ein bier trinke:

theblager:

Let’s face it, German is probably the most foul sounding language in the world. Try to read this entry-title without sounding like you have the gnarlies in your throat (you can’t). This phenomenon might give us some insight into Merkel’s perma-frown. And, if there is there is one thing that…

Friday Five

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:56:51 -0400

Friday Five:

Inspired Flight is a San Diego guitarist/dj duo making down tempo pop featuring some very talented rappers including Inspectah Deck and underground/backpacker troupe Living Legends. They…

Latitude Revival Mix

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:05:02 -0400

Latitude Revival Mix:

“If you ever needed evidence of how middle class a festival Latitude is, Marcus Brigstock is your paper boy”. A line delivered as he dispensed the Guardian to a member of the crowd…

New Gregory Pepper Project: Common Grackle

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:36:18 -0400

New Gregory Pepper Project: Common Grackle:

Mr. Pepper has been a favourite of this blog since we started, back then with an amazing release fronting The Dymaxions, later on with Gregory Pepper & His Problems. His new project Common…

Inbox Wednesday: Boats

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:36:18 -0400

Inbox Wednesday: Boats:

As I skimmed the almost 9,000 emails that remained unread in the BTA inbox, one caught my attention, in the subject it had the word “Winnipeg” the city from which Boats hails. I don’t…