360 weeks of #beersaturday! I was talking to a Cicerone-designated Beerologist who was impressed with how long #beersaturday has been a thing and we are working on a project we will bring to Hive!
Being The Blockchain Beerologist definitely has its perks, including but not limited to getting paid to tour breweries and sample new beers! When I am not globetrotting or brewing my own beer, my fridge looks like a colorful mosaic of regional craft beer I enjoy sharing with the #beersaturday alliance of #beer bloggers on #hive.
This week, I couldn't help but grab another Octo Pack so that I could sample the illusive New England and grabbed a new one from a familiar regional brewery.
Great Lakes Octo Mix Pack!
Last week, I tucked into the Great Lakes Brewery Octo Mix Pack which boasted some variations on one of my all-time favourite IPAs. Octopus Wants to Fight IPA is one of my go-tos when visiting the beer store and there is nothing new to discover and sample. Always available, always bold, sweet bitter and awesome. So, I went out and bought another Octopack this week to enjoy the variations again.
New England Octopus Wants to Fight
Octo NEIPA is usually a seasonal beer that I see from time to time but don't always catch in its limited run. You can tell what comes to mind even up here in Canada when you mention New England by the label on this one. Most couldn't give a shiny shit about college football, few even care about the CFL but all self-respecting sports fans have a favourite NFL team. With the wig and old fancy clothing style in the 3-point stance, this is a hoser's image of NE!
Tank 10 is a sub-brand at the brewery that began as an experimental fermenter back when IPAs were fringe beers and they didn't want to jam their regular line with sport-hopped experiments. A New England IPA yeast on an old favourite has got to turn out well and this is the beer is the one that made me want to purchase a second one of these mix packs. Hazy as all get out, and perhaps a little sweeter than normal octopus but with that same smooth oats texture and that same 6.2% ABV to make it a substantial beer.
I gotta give this mix pack, and NEIPA Octopus in particular, my coveted seal of approval. Not often do I buy a mix pack twice and I am damn glad I did this time. Hopefully we will see NE Octo on its own on the shelf at some point. Well done again old friend GLB.
Lady Friend
It has been quite a while since my last Elora Brewing Company beer despite me enjoying every beer I have tasted from them. They have a really good pale ale I grab occasionally and a good sour game though I am more partial to their IPAs when I see them.
This brand and label suggests a tale of a strong beauty that will boldly sock you in the mouth and leave you stunned. Definitely looking forward to getting into this one. You can tell by the pour that I was either a little excited or this is one fresh and foamy pint!
Apparently, the Elora beer section of the website is under construction so I can't link Lady Friend IPA directly except from their drinks menu. Not much on the side of the can besides a shallow reference to the ethos of the brewery and plain wish that you enjoy the IPA. According to the drinks menu, "This IPA has a firm bitterness & big body. It has bold notes of sweet papaya, ripe melon & young spruce tips, balanced with a round malty character & firm bitterness." Much better description of the beer itself as the lighter colour will fool you if you expected a pale ale dominated by hops without any malt. Despite the slightly lower 6% ABV, this packs equal parts juicy, dank, bold and dry at the finish. Damn fine beer that keeps my attention on Elora in anticipation of the next beer from them. I will grab this again when there are no new and thrilling ones on the shelf.
#BEERSaturday!
Probably why my first beer looks all slanted like this one! Join me,
, and the other beerologists because there is always room for more beer bloggers at this week's Beer Saturday gathering... @detlev/beersaturday-360
This week for #BeerSaturday, I am inviting Hive legend and founder 
Cheers to our global family of beer-drinkers!!
