Ides 68: Earl Grey's Cup

Name: Ides 68: Earl Grey's Cup
Brand: Henderson Brewing Company
Price: 3.5 CAD
Availability: OutOfStock

English Brown Ale6%

On December 4, 1909 at Rosedale Park, 3,800 lucky fans cheered on as the University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeated the Parkdale Canoe Club 26–6 in Canada’s first Grey Cup.

Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey, Governor General of Canada and grandson of the 2nd Earl Grey (Prime Minister of the UK for whom the popular tea was named), had planned to donate a new trophy to Canada’s senior amateur hockey championships, but Sir Montague Allan beat him to it with the Allan Cup, so Grey offered his award to the fledlging Canadian amateur “rugby football” championships beginning in 1909.

Grey forgot to actually order a trophy, though, so the winning Varsity Blues weren’t presented with the Cup until four months later, in March 1910.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Dark brown with ruby highlights and a tan head
Aroma: Toasty malt, caramel, earthy black tea, floral notes, raisins, bright citrus notes poking through the rich malts and tea, chestnuts
Taste: Nutty caramel, toasty malts, earthy tea with a tannic kick, craisins, tart citrus
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a round malt sweetness to start that leads into a drying, tannic finish
Overall: Double British hit of brown ale and a cup o' tea. Nutty, earthy, fruity.

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