TheFinnFan
Finners
Hooegarden &
Leffe
Leffe
And while not a pale ale or IPA, their really limited release The Abyss Imperial Stout is a "elbow a lid in the throat if you must to get the last one" beer.
![]()





Back in the saddle though with a Timothy Taylor Landlord clone fermenting as we speak.The Abyss is a wonderfully, complex, delightful beer. I recently learned that one of the wineries my company represent supplies the wine barrels for Abyss.
Their annual anniversary release, Black Butte, is also a favourite tipple:
Deschutes Black Butte XXIII (31-May-13) by TorontoBlue, on Flickr
Very partial to Upright 4 - a wonderful Saison-style ale.
Upright Brewing FOUR (09-Sept-11) by TorontoBlue, on Flickr
Can never get enough of this great farmhouse cider from Normandy:
Untitled by TorontoBlue, on Flickr
Can never go wrong with a Fullers Vintage Ale.
Fullers 2010 Vintage Ale Bottle 35823 (24-July-13) by TorontoBlue, on Flickr
And of course, anything from these guys is a must
Russian River Damnation Batch (07-June-13) by TorontoBlue, on Flickr
And finally, Timothy Taylor Landlord has finally made it to Alberta, I'm like a kid in a sweet shop now!!!
We get some serious stuff coming into Alberta, and a lot of it, too. Probably the best beer selection there is in Canada; it's an expensive hobby to be into!
My user pic was actually taken at a beer festival... love American style Pale Ales and IPAs. Love hops, but prefer something with some balancing flavors rather than just a hop brick to the face.
![]()
Dale's Pale Ale.
(in regards to cans, can lining/technology have improved and it's a better for the beer. Zero light damage. Even Sammy Adams Koch, who ripped Oskar Blues for canning Dale's 10 years ago has jumped on board.)
![]()
Odell's IPA
Deschutes - their Mirror Pond Pale Ale and regular IPA (Inversion) are enjoyable, but some of their seasonal releases are fantastic.
![]()
And while not a pale ale or IPA, their really limited release The Abyss Imperial Stout is a "elbow a lid in the throat if you must to get the last one" beer.
![]()
Wait till your taste buds mature... you'll never want another Carling again.
Any of ye brewing your own ale? I moved on from kits this year and started all grain - quite straightforward, buy a sack of grain, make 40 pints.
Results are generally great, although I lost a batch for the first time recently - phenolic infection meant 40 pints down the sinkBack in the saddle though with a Timothy Taylor Landlord clone fermenting as we speak.
Interesting and rewarding hobby - save some money as well (could save serious money if you started scaling **** up).
Any of ye brewing your own ale? I moved on from kits this year and started all grain - quite straightforward, buy a sack of grain, make 40 pints.
Results are generally great, although I lost a batch for the first time recently - phenolic infection meant 40 pints down the sinkBack in the saddle though with a Timothy Taylor Landlord clone fermenting as we speak.
Interesting and rewarding hobby - save some money as well (could save serious money if you started scaling **** up).
I have read it mate, it's a great introduction and I used it to learn the ropes - most of the text is available on his website for free.Would love to, but never tried yet. Have you read John Palmer's treatise?
I don't mix well with heavy hops, some American beers go all in on this and I can only handle so much. Sam Adams Noble Pils is nice for one bottle, but not too many. Even the New Belgium and some Sierra Nevada brews are too hop-heavy for me. I'll look into Deschutes' The Abyss.
I have read it mate, it's a great introduction...