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Weyerbacher Brewers' Select: Canis Minor

Canis Minor, a Brewers' Select beer from Weyerbacher, was released on draft throughout Weyerbacher's distribution footprint around a month ago (early September).  It is also available in 12 oz. bottles in Weyerbacher's visitor center while supplies last!

Weyerbacher had previously used the NATO phonetic alphabet to name their Brewers' Select beers. After reaching the end of the alphabet, they decided to start using Northern Hemisphere constellations (in alphabetical order, of course), to represent their one-off beers.

Why not learn a little astronomy while enjoying some (hopefully) fantastic beer?  Here are some facts about the Canis Minor constellation, followed by some notes on the Canis Minor beer!

Canis Minor (constellation) (from Top Astronomer)
  • In Latin, Canis Minor can be translated to "Lesser Dog"
  • Along with Canis Major (Greater Dog), they are said to be following Orion
  • Canis Minor is home to 2 bright stars
    • Alpha Canis Minoris, also known as Procyon
      • 7th brightest star in the sky
      • a binary star system (apparently there are lots of opportunities for a Tatooine out there)
      • 11.41 light years from Earth
    • Beta Canis Minoris, also known as Gomesia
Canis Minor (the beer!)
  • Saison
  • 6.9% ABV
  • Brewed with Pils, Wheat and Carapils malts
  • Apollo, Perle and Brambling Cross hops were added
  • Fermented with Belgian and French yeast strains
  • Weyerbacher tasting notes:  grapefruit nose and a spicy, herbal, dry finish
Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Canis Minor, Brewers Select Series, Craft Beer
Weyerbacher Canis Minor, 6.9% ABV Saison
The tasting notes from Weyerbacher were pretty close to my experience with Canis Minor.  The aroma and flavor were full of citrus:  orange, grapefruit, lemon.  A bit of spice, yet not too much to be overpowering.  Perhaps a little soapy.  Overall, Canis Minor was terrific.  It is not one of your funky saisons, but its still worth a pint if you see it at the bar. I would pair it with a light salad and sushi.

Check out my posts on some other Weyerbacher Brewers' Select beers:

Aries (Blend of Imperial Pumpkin / Old Heathen)
Auriga (American Stout)
Bootes (American Strong Ale)
Camelopardalis (Belgian-style Imperial IPA)
Canes Venatici (Maibock)
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Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 7, 2014 at 10:08 AM

    You have no idea how much I envy you that you've been getting these. This is exactly the kind of posts I'd have been writing for these beers (with maybe a little mythology mixed in), and I'm sure the beers are top notch. Can't wait to read your thoughts on the rest of them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 7, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    As much as I enjoy Weyerbacher's core lineup (Blithering Idiot, Merry Monks, Old Heathen), it is nice when they release these unique beers. In general, their brewers do knock them out of the park. Canis Minor is one of my favorites from the Northern Hemisphere constellations so far.

    Thanks for reading!

    ReplyDelete

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