Hello readers! We hope that midterms aren’t bringing you down and that you are happily awaiting reading week like us. Just a reminder that we are graduating at the end of this term and we need new people to continue the beer column from the spring term onwards. If interested please send an email to Jacob Terry at jrterry@uwaterloo.ca (he’s The Iron Warrior’s Editor in Chief for spring term). The last few weeks have been insanely busy for us and we will be newly ringed as of Saturday, February 11th. With IRS and disorientation week came plenty of opportunities to conduct lots of beer research. So later in the article we will be taking a look (and taste) at barrel aged ales. However, one thing we both noticed with all of the hullabaloo surrounding IRS is that it is very drinking intensive. We figured it may be time for the beer column to take a quick look at responsible drinking.
A lot of responsible drinking habits are obvious, such as not drinking while sick or taking medications, not drinking before driving, never leaving a drink unattended, and eating food while you drink to slow the absorption of alcohol. However, there is a lot out there about alcohol that people don’t know – like that drinking alcoholic carbonated beverages increases the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, and that a survey of Canadian campuses in 2004 found that 32 per cent of undergraduates drink at a dangerous level (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health).
While researching for this article we learned of several serious health problems that long-term heavy drinking can cause. They include liver damage (you only have one, back in second year Rebecca was convinced she had two), heart disease, stomach ulcers, blood vessel disorders, impotency in men, menstrual irregularities in women, and even some types of cancer (Health Canada). As if these long term effects are not scary enough the short term effects of binge drinking can be deadly – a person with alcohol poisoning needs immediate medical attention or they risk death. Alcohol poisoning has the following symptoms: Cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin, unconscious or unable to be roused, slow or irregular breathing, and vomiting repeatedly or uncontrollably. You should call 9-1-1 if you see someone exhibiting the above symptoms, and remember that saving a person’s life is far more important than any trouble you or they get into. After you call 9-1-1, place the person in the recovery position (on his/her side with knees bent to prevent choking from vomiting). Do not leave that person alone!
The best way to avoid the negative effects of alcohol is to know your limits. We are all for enjoying a few beers with friends (we even encourage it) but please drink responsibly when you are out there exploring the world of beer (and other alcoholic beverages). Good drinking tales are those you can remember clearly 🙂
Now, let’s get on to the beer! Beers are generally best drunk fresh – however, there are a few exceptions. Barrel aged beers are usually brewed with some level of aging in mind and have the benefit of taking on the taste of whatever was previously in the barrel. Oak is the most common wood to use in barrels and adds a lot of sweet notes to whatever liquid resides in it. Almost all barrel aged beers are put into casks from distillers of rums, bourbon, and whiskey.
Today’s tasting selection is the Scottish Harviestoun Brewery’s Ola Dubh. It is an ale matured in whiskey casks for a whopping 12 years. Ola Dubh means ‘Black Oil’ and this name is perfect since the ale is gloopy and viscous. Beers like this one need to be drunk at a temperature between 7°C and 13°C (leave it sitting out for a bit to achieve this). In addition, a strong beer like this one should be drank out of a snifter glass (the narrow top will trap the aroma in the glass). The bottle came with a fancy tag that read: This ale tastes chocolatey with whiskey notes and has a roasty, bittersweet aftertaste.
The beer pours a deep cola black with very light lacing but no head retention. The aroma is composed of oak smoke with hints of vanilla and molasses. The taste is the most notable aspect this beer with a very pronounced mix of whisky and chocolate flavours. In addition to the main flavours, coffee and dry malts add to the taste on the palate to make a very complex flavour. The mouth-feel is very light with little carbonation. Overall this beer is exceptional and is a perfect beer for someone that likes coffee and whisky.
If you are keen to find some barrel aged ales another brand which makes tasty and affordable ones is Innis & Gunn – their products can easily be found year round at the LCBO. We hope that we have inspired you to seek out some barrel aged ales, and that you learned a bit about responsible drinking. Best of luck on those pesky midterms and have a great reading week! As we always say, Fear No Beer!!!
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