Railway City porter early for Santa’s list
Is it too early to think about Christmas?
Not if you’re in St. Thomas, where Santa Claus is teasing us with what’s ahead next December.
Railway City Brewing Co. has shared an early batch of a new chocolate cherry porter which should be the star attraction in the brewery’s 2018 Christmas pack.
With a tip of the tuque to Santa and his meticulous naughty or nice lists, Twice Checked was brewed early to wend its way through the LCBO approval process. Meanwhile, at the brewery, Railway City decided to can it in 473 ml tallboys and share it early with customers, whose feedback has been highly complimentary.
It’s easy to understand why. Twice Checked is a dignified sipper which the brewery suggests pairing with black forest cake. Who’d argue with that?
If you’re like me and a fan of dark chocolate, Twice Checked has special appeal. Think of it as the beer version of quality dark chocolate with some cherry sweetness and the requisite coffee notes. It is 5.2 per cent alcohol.
It’s no surprise that a gem of a porter such as Twice Checked should come from Railway City. This is the brewery, after all, which gives us Black Coal, an award-winning stout, which was included in last Christmas’s gift pack. They know their dark beers.
As far as this early batch is concerned, there’s a dilemma: Do we finish it now and move on from Christmas or hang on to it for two more weeks and pair it with Valentine’s Day chocolate?
There is no wrong answer.
Railway City isn’t the only brewery clinging to the holiday spirit.
Cowbell Brewing Co. of Blyth has a keg-only Belgian Eggnog, which was being poured at the recent Wine and Food show in London. I didn’t sample it — okay, I wasn’t at the show — but it was special enough to prompt reader feedback raving about it.
If high-alcohol beers are your passion, Railway City has your beer and a tip (other than to drink this one at home or arrange a designated driver).
The latest Strong Man is in the cooler, packaged in 650 ml bottles suitable for sharing.
At 10.3 per cent alcohol, this Belgian quadrupel, a deep garnet in colour, is not for neophytes, which I mean in the kindest way. It’s a beer to which you graduate.
The malty style was developed by monks and we praise them for it.
Strong Man, named in honour of St. Thomas’ circus history, is the star attraction of Railway City’s Side Show series of limited edition beers. The bottled Strong Man is available exclusively at the brewery and was at centre ring for a launch party last Friday. It should be noted the 2016 version was a gold medal winner for its style at the Ontario Brewing Awards.
Strong Man pairs well with duck, quail, or roast beef. Enjoy the 2018 in a tulip glass and you should be quick to pick out an intriguing cola aroma.
The tip with Strong Man is cellaring it for a year or so in a suitably cool, dark environment will improve the flavour. To prove the point, Railway City held back some of its 2017 batch for sale now. It’s an unusual opportunity to compare both vintages.
It would also be interesting to cellar some of the current Twice Checked Chocolate Cherry Porter and open it next Christmas.
What’s the number one reason for visiting the Ottawa Valley?
If you’re a kid, it might be Parliament Hill. If you’re a big kid, it’s the Beau’s offshoot, Halcyon Barrel House.
Halcyon was ranked fourth among new breweries in the world by the rating and review site RateBeer.com.
Launched in May, Halcyon brews wild and sour ales using wood fermentation and bottle conditioning. For those not up for the drive, its releases can be ordered online through the LCBO.
Among the releases so far: Infinity Mirror Brett IPA and Shifting Sands, a sour golden with fruit.