HALIFAX & PORT WILLIAMS, NS

ALPHA%DOG Wet Hopped Collaboration Ale is described in a press release as follows:

The copper coloured beer is brewed with 100% local Cascade and Willamette hops from Lazy Acres and Sea Level hop farms in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. These hops are harvested and shipped as “wet” un-dried hops to Propeller Brewery in Halifax where Sea Level brewer Randy Lawrence adds them to the brew kettle while their oils and resins are still at their peak.

ALPHA%DOG will be available later this summer at both the Propeller Cold Beer Store and Sea Level Brewing Company, and also at select private liquor stores in Halifax.

In New Brunswick, CBC News reports that Happy Hopyard hops farm near Anagance has had requests for their first crop of organic hops from a number of breweries in the region, including Picaroon’s, Propeller and Garrison. They don’t expect they’ll be able to meet the full demand this year, but hope to increase their yield next year.

In Nova Scotia, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald reports that Garrison has brewed their first wet hop ale using hops from Happy Hopyard as well as two Nova Scotia farms – the Ross Farm Museum in New Ross, and Meander River Farm in Hants County. The beer should be ready for release in late September.

In Ontario, Heritage Hill Organics in Dalston has harvested what is believed to be the first commercial batch of hops in Ontario in almost 85 years.  The hops were picked last weekend with the help of staff from Duggan’s Brewery in Toronto, which will be one of the first breweries to craft a beer using the historic harvest.

If you know of any other hops being harvested or fresh/wet hop beers being made elsewhere in Canada, please feel free to mention it in the comments section below.

Photo from Chronicle-Herald website

This summer seasonal is a filtered Weissbier. Don Harms (brewmaster at Propeller) explains “The banana and phenolic (clove) characteristics are more subtle in this filtered version, than in its unfiltered counterpart Propeller Hefeweizen.” The style is common in Europe, many producers include both Hefe (unfiltered) and Kristall (filtered) Weizens in their repertoires.

Kristall Weizen is available now in 500 ml bottles at the brewery, and will be on shelves at 28 NSLC locations in coming days.

Deep golden, medium bodied & nicely bitter, Hopyard Pale is exceptional in the West Coast style. Generous hopping in the boil & further dry-hopping produce a fruity/floral aroma & refreshingly bitter finish.

Also out now from Garrison is a brand new summer seasonal, Blackberry Wheat, which replaces the now retired Blueberry Wheat. It has the following tasting notes:

Light amber in colour and crisp in body, Blackberry Wheat Ale perfectly balances refreshment with natural fruit flavouring.

Both beers are available now at the brewery and various NSLC outlets.

Dubbed Hop Ness Monster, the beer is described by Nash as follows:

At 11% ABV with calculated theoretical IBUs of 533 the Monster is NOT to be messed with. Pummeled with 11 lbs/bbl of hops there’s little doubt ‘Messie’ is the hoppiest beer to ever have been brewed in this country. Brewed with hop pellets as well as whole hops throughout each stage of the brewing process the beer is a testament to just how wonderful these glorious flowers can be – it’s been mash-hopped, 1st wort-hopped, hop-bursted and dry-hopped (again and again) with more hops stuffed in there wherever I could fit them. Hell I ate a hop cone when I brewed it just for shits and giggles.

Hop Ness Monster will be tapped today at 5:00 PM.

Double Citra SMaSH is a 7.5% double IPA brewed with all Citra hops and Canadian Pale Ale malt. According to Nash, it’s “mash-hopped, 1st-wort-hopped and dry-hopped with massive amounts of the new Citra cultivar”, resulting in a calculated bitterness of 131 IBU.

Following in mid-May will be Hop Mess Monster, described as “a Triple IPA, the likes of which this country has never seen [...] clocking in at a deliciously insane 533 calculated IBU’s and 11.0% ABV”.

As originally announced last November, the event was intended to “bring together craft breweries, home brewers, industry experts, and beer lovers” from across Canada for a combination consumer tasting festival and industry professional conference.

The reason for the cancellation is unknown to CBN at this time.

A new 6000 litre fermenter, as well as a new keg washing system, are expected to arrive this week. Over the past three years the brewery has added 6 fermenters totaling 27000 liters, as well as upgraded packaging equipment.

Propeller Hefeweizen will be available in six-packs at the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) on May 1.

1st place: Scott Tilford
2nd place: Brian Harvey
3rd place: Steve Trickett
runner-up: John Garland

The styles of the beers submitted by the winners have not yet been announced online.

The event also served as a launch for Harvey’s Bitter, a new beer brewed using the recipe that Brian Harvey used to win the 2009 competition. It’s described as “mild in maltiness and hop aroma, this highly sessionable beer delivers on taste and character.”

• Melissa Buote on beer and food pairings and the best pubs in Halifax.
• A profile of Hart & Thistle brewmaster Greg Nash (pictured) by Christine Beevis.
• Craig Pinhey’s investigation of the long lost recipes of Keith’s Brewery.
• A guide to St. Patrick’s Day festivities by Holly Gordon.

The Coast is distributed for free at many locations in and around Halifax.