Henderson
is tucked in a little industrial area just if of Dundas Street in
Toronto's west end. It's a cute little spot that has a lot of nice
touches--free popcorn, a cool Rube Goldberg machine that opens and pours
a beer, and a bottle shop on site. What really made me settle on this
brewery though was their monthly beer series, "The Ides of". While this
is a cool idea generally, it was the Ides of October on tap in October 2016 that
truly sealed the deal.
Called Rademuller's Refusal,
this English strong ale is named in honour of J.P. Rademuller, the late
lighthouse keeper at the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse on the Toronto
Island. Rademuller died a violent death, his murder was never solved,
his ghost is said to haunt the lighthouse, and he's a favourite villain
of my buddies The Stormalongs. According to the legend as told on the
Henderson advertising copy, Rademuller was an amateur brewer whose
strong ale was much in demand. When thirsty soldiers showed up at the
lighthouse in 1815 demanding beer Rademuller refused ... and was never seen
again.
The brew, a 12oz draught, was hazy,
mauve-brown, and covered in a thin cream head. It contained a bruising
9% alcohol, and packed a mighty aroma of dark fruit and roasted malt.
The beer proved to be extremely flavourful and smooth. It had date and
raisin notes, as well as a decidedly boozy vibe.
Strangely
for such a strong ale, I found Rademuller's Refusal to be a bit thin of
body. Certain elements put me in mind of a Belgian dubbel, minus the
funky yeast. It tasted great and I'd gladly drink it again.
RADEMULLER!!!
Rating: 8.0 out of 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment