Well my grandparents just came back from St. Lucia and brought me a 6 pack of the local beer there named after the Piton Mountains in the Caribbean. Piton is brewed by the Windward and Leeward Brewery in St. Lucia. My grandparents said that the only 2 beers on the island available were Heineken and Piton. After a little digging I found that the Windward and Leeward Brewery was founded by Heineken in 1974 and started brewing in 1975. Piton Beer is a %5.0 pilsner lager with a very crisp and refreshing taste. With a bit of a flowery hoppy aroma, I had a bit of a citrus taste to it but that just could be me. Now unfortunately this is not available in Canada or the US but if you are ever in the Caribbean this is a must have must try.

Country:          St. Lucia

Type:               Lager

Alcohol:          %5.0

Rating:            9/10

Cheers

Tyler

Barside Beer Reviews

Ok been putting trying this beer off since the freezer incident I have always liked Sol but in the “The things that make you go hmmm” Blog I had hit a wall with Sol basically it was a wall of fear. Sol was originally available in the 1890’s in Mexico, brewed by Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery when it comes to the podcast I am so gonna butcher that name. Anyway they produce beers such as Dos Equis and Tecate founded in 1890 by Jose Muguerza in Monterrey. During the Mexican revolution the breweries family backed the wrong horse and ended up fleeing to Texas. Which has to this day been a strong tradition in the Mexican culture, I’am so getting a bunch of angry emails on that one. They eventually got the brewery through Russian and American diplomatic intervention. On January 11, 2010 Heineken announced that they will be acquiring the parent companies that own Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery.

Ok the beer

It’s a %4.5 lager like Corona it really goes well with a lime and TexMex food. Its very smooth and has a nice clean and crisp taste with a hint of citrus in it. It has a pale golden colour with a pleasant aroma. I would definitely try it out. I got another 6-pack and again tried to freeze a bottle in someone else’s freezer and again no ice the bottle had a wack of frost on the outside but the contents didn’t freeze. If you can past this it’s a very good beer and I will continue drinking it this summer. I am told there will be a Sol Lime out next year so there is definitely going to be a comparison between Sol with a lime and Sol lime when it comes out this summer.

Country:          Mexico

Type:               Lager

Alcohol:          %4.5

Rating:            7/10

Cheers

Tyler

Barside Beer Reviews

Ok heres a request that I’ve gotten and a story so first the story from Jim of Ottawa

The Story

1985, my wife and friends Dave and Joyce are travelling the countryside in Portugal when we come across this beautiful cobble-stoned town, famous for shoes.

Only interested in beer, Dave and I send the girls on their way with coin, a kiss and a promise to remain put at this very old outdoor cafe.   Dave says "Don't forget us', HUH, I got the keys. 

What can I serve you, the owner said In broken, but understandable English.

Two beers, what type? SURPRISE us, I will return in a moment gentlemen. Gentlemen!! (if he only knew)

TUBORG GOLD, remember that name. 11/2 hours later, 4 BORG'S each and still no sign of the girls.  OH, oh, here they come bags in hand, quick order a couple of travelers (after all neither one of us can drive in this condition).

One of the smoothist and most distinctive tastes I can ever recall.  The Beer Store does carry a couple of varieties and I do recommend picking up a 6 pack or two.

Ok so here is a little on the history of the brewery and beer.

Tuborg Brewery was founded in 1873 by Carl Tietgen originally it was producing a pale lager. In 1894 it was then merged with United Breweries, which had a profit sharing agreement with Carlsberg at 1903. Carlsberg bought United Breweries in 1970.

The Beer

The beer itself is a %5.5 lager and has a nice pale golden colour to it, with a bit of a hoppy taste. It has a little bit of a bitter aftertaste but that’s common in many Danish beers and it is a good thing. Very smooth with a pleasant aroma, I agree with Jim that you should go and get at least one 6 pack. I tried this with a nice T-bone steak and baked potato I also used a little bit of it to marinate the steak. It did very well in this regard but I wouldn’t relegate it to marinating duty since it is a very fine beer for drinking indeed. I have yet to taste a bad Danish beer. Tuborg Gold definitely gets high marks.

I appreciate the story Jim and I hope to see more from people you never know it might get put up on the website or read during the podcast.

The Rating

Country:          Denmark

Type:               Lager

Alcohol:          %5.5

Rating:            9/10

Cheers

Tyler

Barside Beer Reviews

Ok this is going to be short since I’ve done the history of the brewery already for this company. Bavaria Light is a %4.0 lager that is smooth, crisp tasting and refreshing. Being a light beer it is a little watery but not overly such. Basically like Bavaria regular its cheap it comes in Tall Boys and its everywhere and it will get you there. That’s basically it unfortunately. This will also be the podcast beer this week since I don’t have anything else in the apartment at this time and I used the Maclay’s for the rabbie burns day podcast on Monday.

Country:          Holland

Type:               Lager

Alcohol:          %4.0

Rating:             6/10

Cheers

Tyler

Barside Beer Reviews

So I mistakenly called this a lager during the podcast I did put an correction in the podcast since I caught it during editing. So please stop emailing. I’am also aware that this beer is brewed under license in Canada by Sleeman’s and you are correct but the LCBO has the imported Maclay’s brewed under license by Belhaven Brewery which is in Scotland and currently owned by Greene King. Ok the history of the Brewery is gonna be short this week. In 1830 James Maclay founded James Maclay, Ale, Porter, Table and India Beer Brewer of Alloa after passing away in 1875 his two sons took over then sold the company in 1896 to a family grocer chain in 1994 the company stopped brewing its own beers and licensed out the beers to be brewed by Belhaven Breweries in Scotland and by Sleeman Breweries in Canada. The Original brewer in Alloa has been demolished and a has been replaced by a strip mall and some flats. That’s it that’s all I could find.

Maclay’s  is a %5.0 India Pale Ale and has a really clean and crisp taste. There are lots of brewers that go for a unique taste that appeals to people since its good and unique. Maclay’s seemed to have focused on straight up smoothness and refreshing. This beer is one of the smoothest I’ve ever had. There’s no after taste theres no bitterness or harshness to it. It’s simply a smooth refreshing beer. Give it a try

Country:          Scotland

Type:               India Pale Ale

Alcohol:          %5.0

Rating:            8/10

Cheers

Tyler

Barside Beer Reviews