New beers from Brasserie Beau’s and B-Side Brewing Label now in Québec
Brasserie Beau’s strong dark wheat beer “Dunkel Buck” and Gigantic Brewing’s bold, citrusy and earthy IPA hybrid “La Formidable” have arrived in Québec
VANKLEEK HILL – (May 15, 2015) Craft beer fans in the province of Québec can now find two new locally brewed beers to try this spring, courtesy of Brasserie Beau’s and B-Side Brewing Label. Located in Eastern Ontario, Brasserie Beau’s brews its own multi-award-winning beers, as well as a selection of beers for B-Side Brewing Label (www.b-side.ca), their “record label, but for beer.” B-Side signs international craft brewer “artists” of renown to the brewing label – the most recent add is Portland, Oregon’s Gigantic Brewing.
The founders of Gigantic (www.giganticbrewing.com) are veterans of the diverse and lively craft beer scene in Portland, Oregon, where their independent, artisanal brewery is located. Despite their tongue-in-cheek name, Gigantic Brewing operates on the principle of “making exceptional beer, rather than a lot of beer,” according to its founders, Van Havig and Ben Love.
“I get excited about trying new beers when I travel, which inspired the idea for B-Side Brewing Label,” says Beau’s co-founder Steve Beauchesne. “With B-Side you get the cool experience of drinking beer from a brewery like Gigantic that’s literally on the other side of the continent, but the beer’s fresh and tasty because it was brewed locally. We’ll keep signing new breweries to the label so eventually we can offer a portfolio of some of the best beers on the planet, made right here,” he adds.
Created by Gigantic Brewing for release in Canada under the B-Side Brewing Label, La Formidable is a 6.9% American-Belgo IPA; a relatively new hybrid beer style that crosses bold, citrusy American-style hop aromas with the signature fruity, spicy and earthy elements of Belgian yeast. The hazy golden ale exudes appetizing aromas of grapefruit and orange, along with light piney notes and white pepper. The flavour offers a firm but balanced bitterness that is complemented by citrus fruitiness. The finish is spicy with earthy undertones.
Gigantic beers have won Platinum at Mondial de la Bière (2013), Gold at World Beer Cup (2014) and Bronze at Euro Beer Star (2015). The recipe for La Formidable was several months (and test batches) in the making, and the brewers are excited to finally see their beer in the hands of Québec craft beer drinkers this week.
In addition, Brasserie Beau’s has launched “Dunkel Buck” dunkel weizenbock for the Québec market: a strong, dark version of a traditional Bavarian wheat beer. Cloudy and unfiltered, Dunkel Buck displays intriguing clove and banana aromas. The flavours follow, adding in a chocolate and mocha undercurrent. The beer finishes dry with a slightly tart spicyness, and the alcohol, at 6.8% ABV, is moderately warming. Dunkel Buck is part of Beau’s Wild Oats Series, which is dedicated to exploring the bold flavours and exciting aromas of challenging styles of beer.
A list of places to find these new beers in Québec (as well as other Brasserie Beau’s beer, including the award-winning Lug Tread Lagered Ale) is available on the Brasserie Beau’s website: http://beaus.ca/fr/ou-nous-trouver.
Brasserie Beau’s All Natural is a local, family-run, award-winning, certified organic, and totally DIY craft brewery. Founded in 2006, Brasserie Beau’s brews interesting, tasty beers, including its flagship Lug Tread Lagered Ale, using best-quality certified organic ingredients & local spring water. In addition to Lug Tread, Brasserie Beau’s offers a growing collection of Year-Round Beers and a rotating Seasonal program, as well as the “Wild Oats” and “Pro-Am” Series. Brasserie Beau’s has been a recipient of more than 70 awards for brewing, packaging design and business practices, including 2 Gold medals at Mondial de la Bière (Strasbourg, France, and Montréal, Québec); 6 Gold medals at the Canadian Brewing Awards, 7-times “Best Craft Brewery in Ontario” (2007-2013) and 6-times “Best Craft Beer in Ontario” (2007-2011; 2014) at the Golden Tap Awards. As a Certified B-Corporation, Brasserie Beau’s meets higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Brasserie Beau’s beer is available in Ontario, Québec, and New York State. Oh yeah!