I remember when I first started writing my beer columns, from time to time I struggled to find something new and interesting to write about. That particular problem is long gone. There have been so many new entrants to the Alberta market in recent years I have the complete opposite problem – which ones to choose?

But sometimes it is a no-brainer. A case in point is my latest Vue Weekly review (which you can read here). I take a look at The Bruery, the young upstart California brewery started in 2008 by an avid homebrewer. The Bruery is known for its Belgian styles and a particular knack for barrel-aged beer.

For the review I selected White Oak, which is a blended beer of 50% Belgian strong and 50% barrel-aged wheat wine. I could have picked others, but this one caught my curiousity the most. There is not question this is a complex, intense beer. A grainy, fruity start is matched by a vanilla, woody middle and finished with some spicy Belgian yeast notes. There is a lot going on in this beer. Oak provides a solid backbone upon which the pepperiness and sweet grain malt can build around.

I found it much sweeter than expected – I suspect from the wheat wine – and actually hoped it would dry out a bit more in the finish. More importantly, I think I drank this beer too soon. It seemed young. The intensity of it seemed unblended and lacking a rounded character. Had I note been doing it for a review, I think I should have stuck it in my cellar for 12 to 18 months. I think in the spring of 2015 it will be a more well finessed beer and just that much better.

Oh well, lessons learned. Good thing I can go buy another one and do just that.