Beers #10-18 of 365 (Blue Canoe in Titusville)

On Saturday, Jan 19, I made a trek up to Titusville, PA (home of Drake's Well) to have lunch and sample beers at the Blue Canoe Brewery.  From home (or even from my parent's house), this is far enough away that I can't just 'drop in' to visit - it's a bit of a commitment. I had been meaning for years to get to Titusville to try Four Sons, but then it closed and was reinvented as the Blue Canoe.

For lunch, I tried their wonton of the day and a cup of soup - both delicious - while settling in to a beer sample paddle (plus a few others).

10/365: Blue Canoe Flashlite Lager:

Light sweet malt aroma with notes of honey. Beany noble hops. Pale golden yellow clear with thin white lacing head. Light body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with a bit of pilsner malt sweetness. Nice noble hop buttering with light carbonic tang. Finish is dry with medium bitterness. Premium Lager 60/100

11/365: Blue Canoe Titusville Gold Lager:

Very similar nose to the Flashlite but sweeter and a bit more depth to it. Deeper golden yellow clear with white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation and fizzy on the tongue. Mild lager flavor, sweeter than the Flashlite and less hop bite. Nice bitter finish with lingering sweet after. Smooth and clean.  Dortmunder/Helles 64/100

12/365: Blue Canoe Heavy Kevy:

Mild sweet nose. Rich roasted malt sweetness with a bit of brown sugar and molasses. Dark coppery brown clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts medium sweet with brown sugar and dark brewed tea. Very mild bitterness at the finish. Hint of tannins but not detracting. Clear light nutty sweet after. A little light for a Scotch ale.  Scotch Ale  60/100

13/365: Blue Canoe Alepocalypse:

Great spicy sweet nose with clove and cinnamon. Coppery amber clear with thin foamy off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Smooth. Starts sweet and spicy like Christmas cookies. Great spice flavor throughout without being overpowering or cloying or bitter. Light carbonic tang at the finish, with spicy sweet after.   Spice/Herb/Vegetable 74/100

14/365: Blue Canoe Dead Tony's Belgian Tripel:

Very light sweet nose with a bit of honey, coriander, and Beeman’s gum. Light alcoholic vapor. Dull golden clear with light haze and thin white lacing head. Medium silky body with medium-smooth carbonation. Starts sweet with wheat, honey, light bubblegum. Alcohol warming with sweet finish. Light teaberry chalkiness and smooth sweet after. Abbey Tripel  76/100

15/365: Blue Canoe Smooth Criminal:

Beautiful chocolate malted nose. Sweet, lactose, hot chocolate. Like opening a can of chocolate powder. Dark black opaque with rocky sudsy thin head. Medium-light body with cask-like carbonation; it’s on nitro. Sweet chocolate stout with tons of chocolate flavor, though a bit watery. Smooth sweet chocolate after, not cloying at all. Great dessert beer. Sweet Stout  82/100

16/365: Blue Canoe Oatmeal Brown Ale:

Dusty grain and roasted malt aroma, with a bit of tang and mild hops. Dark coppery brown clear with thin off-white head. Medium body, high carbonation. Starts dry with roasted grain, light carbonic tang, some caramel and a mild hit of hop bitterness. Nutty bitter finish with a bit of strong brewed tea in the after.  Brown Ale  56/100

17/365: Blue Canoe Joe's Electric Bill: 

Thin sweet nose with mild beany noble hopes. Dark golden amber clear, hazy with thin white head. Medium body with fizzy carbonation. Starts dry and grainy with little sweetness. Medium bitter hop flavor with carbonic fizz and nutty hoppy finish. Smooth after.  Amber Ale  60/100

18/365: Blue Canoe Big Weezy's Big Ass Barleywine:

Sweet vaporous aroma with butterscotch and caramel, oak, vanilla, a bit of chocolate. Roasty and toasty. Awesome nose on this. Just a hint of diacetyl but in no way a detraction. Dark brown-black opaque with creamy light tan lacing head. Heavy oily body with medium carbonation and tons of warming. Starts sweet with tons of flavor. Oak, vanilla, rich roasted and toasted malt, light hop buttering. Undertones of chicory, molasses, and caramel. Big warming finish, sweet and oaky. Nice barley wine. Barley Wine  84/100

All in all, this was a nice way to spend an early afternoon for lunch. The decor was pretty cool and the pub itself is very easy to find downtown (not that Titusville is all that big). The service was outstanding, and the beers and food were solid. Best of all, you get great value here. Their snifter of the barleywine was only $3.75!

If you happen to like biking on Rails to Trails, the Oil Creek State Park trail runs between the north end of Oil City and dumps out right near the Drake Well.  It's probably less than a mile to the Blue Canoe from there.  

Up next: A few saisons at The Knick ....