Entre Nous

Last Friday I was introduced to Nova Scotia’s newest brewery, The Rusty Anchor Brewing Company in Cherry Hill, Lunenburg County. The staff at nearby Lane’s Private Inn, Liverpool had just unloaded their first shipment of the company’s two draft beers – the Anchor’s Aweigh Pale Ale and the Hell Bay English Ale. I was told that I was probably the first person in Nova Scotia to actually taste these two new brews at a commerical establishment.

I am not a beer connoisseur by any means, but I do appreciate the differences between the products offered by local microbreweries and the large brewing companies trying to emulate them. These two ales were among the best draft beers I’ve ever tasted, although I must say that I preferred the Pale Ale over the English Ale. According to a company handout, this traditional, golden-coloured, Pale Ale was produced “with “just enough hop bitterness, balanced by malt sweetness”. It was the sweetness combined with a fruity hop taste that did it for me.

The English Ale was an exceptional beer as well, although it was difficult to leave the sweet lingering taste of the Pale Ale. The English Ale was a little bitter, but good! Named after Hell Bay (more commonly known as Cherry Hill Beach in Lunenburg County) this English-style beer “has a distinct malty, toasted flavour with a medium body.” The beer is a combination of five “carefully selected malts.”

The Rusty Anchor plans to produce several other beers on a seasonal basis as well. Depending on the availability of ingredients, the company hopes to add an Octoberfest, a Lemon Grass Wheat and a Scottish “Robbie Burns” Ale on a rotating basis. According to their Facebook page, last Saturday the company produced their first series of bottled beer. From what I gather, the run was a huge success.

All in all the visit to the Capt. Barss Pub at Lane’s was a great experience, one I will no doubt repeat again, as summer approaches.