LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2015

BEER  HIP HOPS

GRANITE PECULIAR STRONG ALE

When creating a classic English ale, a brewer would be very foolish not to embrace a classic English hop, of which there are really only two: Golding and the one used in the Granite Brewery’s Peculiar Strong Ale ( LCBO 686980, 650 mL, $5.75), Fuggle. Frequently partnered together, the latter hop could almost be said to define the English ale template with its brown spice and dark fruit character, both of which are in ample evi- dence in Peculiar’s nutmeg and plum-accented aroma and rich, malt-dominated but vaguely nutty body and finish. Here is a hop displaying well its subtle side, and turning what could be a bruising strong ale into a tame and appealing quaffer.

A not-really-assertive hop and a smoked malt beer might seem like an odd mix, but in the Highlander Brew Company’s Blacksmith Smoked Porter ( LCBO 362772, 650 mL, $5.00) the relatively subtle nuances of the Fuggle hop shine as a foil to the inky, dark and smoked maltiness of the beer. So, in place of ashtray or smoked ham, the aroma is more of well-roasted and lightly spicy nuttiness with a whiff of campfire, while the body offers dried fruit notes like date and prune with a decidedly smoky edge that grows in the finish. This is hoppiness as a moderating force, and a highly successful one, at that.

HOS T A HOP TA S T I NG PAR T Y

➤ Make sure you know the hop makeup of the beers being tasted. If it’s not apparent on the label or online, don’t be afraid to call the brewery and ask, since brewers are gener- ally pretty open with their recipes these days. ➤ Because most hops are heavy on the olfactory, request that your guests refrain from wearing perfumes and colognes that can mask the wonderful hop aromas. ➤ Visit a home-brew shop in advance to pick up small samples of the hops that people can sniff and compare to the aromas of the beers. If you want to get really fancy, you can even make some hop teas! You’re sure to raise the beer-tasting-party bar a few notches higher when you host a sampling focused on the hop char- acteristics of the beers presented. Here are a few tips to ensure that things go smoothly:

SMOKED PORTER

HIGHLANDER BLACKSMITH

BOTTLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL MAHOVLICH; HOPS GRAPHIC: STOCK VECTOR © MART_M

62  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2015