Sunday, July 14, 2013

Quaff Review #28: Shawinigan Handshake

I know it's been a while since I put up one of these, and I don't even have any excuse like "I was running for Mayor of Toronto again." I mean, it's not like I haven't been drinking. Hell, there was a time in the not-so-distant past where I needed to drink, regularly. But that's behind me, for now, and what's ahead is another smooth review. For the first shot in 2013, I present to you a beer that's only recently appeared on the Ontario scene, Shawinigan Handshake from Le Trou du Diable ("The Devil's Hole"), a microwbrewery in Shawinigan, Quebec.

 Some may think that "Shawinigan Handshake" is a strange name for a beer, particularly if you're not well-versed in Canadian politics. For that, let me take you back to those grand old days of the 1990s--specifically February 15, 1996. On that day, Prime Minister Jean Chretien found himself confronted by a group of anti-poverty activists, and reacted as anyone would expect Jean Chretien to act. That is, he grabbed one of them, Bill Clennett, with a chokehold and broke one of his teeth. Perhaps not the sort of thing you'd expect just any politician to do--I mean, you'd think they would have people to choke protesters for them, so they don't have to get their hands dirty--but hardly out of character for Chretien. I mean, just look at the soapstone thing. Appropriately enough, the bottle's label depicts a highly-caricatured version of Chretien executing the famous chokehold on the Devil, and you can't say he doesn't deserve it, either.

 Now, though, for the beer.


Shawinigan Handshake describes itself as a "pugnacious strong ale," but this didn't tell me much--hell, I bought it because of the name and the political undertones. What it means is that it's a rather hoppy pale ale, though not verging on the extreme bitterness of IPAs I've had in the past. I found bitter notes present, though not particularly strong, in the taste from the start, but as I progressed through the stein (which wasn't able to hold the entire bottle at once--a first) I found that there was a definite hoppy taste building up on my tongue, and the more I drank the stronger the bitter taste came to the forefront. This beer wastes no time in wrapping itself around your throat.

 The beer itself is bright with a thick head, but I have to take issue with the label's description--the beer claims to have "notes of bread, banana, and spruce," but aside from a vague scent of spices just after I poured, I didn't detect any of this. Perhaps it's time to replace my tongue with some sort of super-capable bionic tongue, able to pick up and magnify the slightest tastes... but I can imagine how that could quickly go awry.

 Nevertheless, Shawinigan Handshake is a firm hitter. At 6.5% alc./vol., and especially with me not having eaten very much at that point in the day, the one bottle left me spinning for a while afterward. Personally, I wouldn't recommend having it alone; particularly with the bitterness, this is a beer that's best paired with food. Considering its brewpub origins, that's hardly a surprise. Available in 600 mL bottles, you can find it at the LCBO for $6.05 per.

 It sort of makes me wonder how Harper will be commemorated in beer form. Tar Sands Stout, perhaps?

 ANDREW'S RATING: 4/5

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