I haven’t posted much about homebrewing recently – but it continues ever on. We’ve done a brown ale, a pumpkin ale, and just today opened up the fermenter and bottled this beautiful taddy porter. Can’t wait to taste the result.

On another note—we’re leaving for Taiwan (and a short visit to Japan) this week. This brew should be ready by the time we return. See you all some time in April!

Craft beer drinkers have a hard time in Japan. Due to restrictive Japanese laws (which have changed, slowly, over time), it’s been difficult to become licensed to brew beer in Japan. For years, you had to be a big company with big equipment to be able to legally sell your product. As a result, it’s hard to get anything very unique to drink. Most bars and restaurants, even in Tokyo, have a limited selection of the same four or five big-brand Japanese beers.

After a while, you might begin think that there is simply no place for craft beer lovers in Japan.

But you’d be wrong.

(Yes, it’s wordless wednesday… whoops)

It is not yet fall. But when I spotted this seasonal pumpkin offering from New Holland during our last grocery outing, I was more than ready to dive in early.

I can see where they got the name for this beer. And, unlike dragon fruit, which I recently discovered is quite mild, this one has the punch to back up the flashy title.

A deceptively strong stout; Dragon’s Milk is not for the faint-beer-of-heart. Aged in oak barrels and given a shot of vanilla, this is a serious beer with a hearty flavor profile similar to a distilled spirit. Still, the alcohol is hidden well. Toasted chocolate, malty flavors and smoke. Not what I would call light drinking. Wow. Just wow.

I drank this with a few pieces of my favorite chocolate, Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt. I would say more, but this beer has just about done me in. Just buy it – it’s good.

Note: I am not drunk at 10 am. It was a few days ago that I tasted this and just posting now.

Picked this up at Giant supermarket today, of all places. I noticed it had a perfect 100 rating on RateBeer, so I couldn’t resist picking it up, even though Belgian beer isn’t always my favorite. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it is fantastic.

Thanks to Tim O’Connell for this post.

Summer is on! During the hot months ahead, let us migrate towards more lighter and crisper beers. One of my favorite warm weather styles is the saison, or farmhouse ale. Saisons are usually noted for earthy and yeasty tastes and tend to be on the dryer side. The label art of this bomber caught my eye; Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales dedicated this one to their Jack Russell terrier who was struck by a car and was able to bounce back “in fine tenacious Jack Russell fashion.”

Thanks to Tim O’Connell for this post.

Salut! As we approach the summer months, let us savor a Canadian brewed spring seasonal. Equinoxe du Printemps (french for Spring Equinox) is brewed by the Montreal based Dieu du Ciel. This is a luxurious sipping beer well worth tasting.