Saturday 29 August 2015

August 26, 2015

198/1472) Home:  Anchor IPA by Anchor Brewing Company of California, U.S.A.:  **;  6.5%;  hints of green tea feature in the nose;  resiny bitter hop flavours and after taste;

This was first brewed in 1975.  It is difficult to imagine how much this would have shaken things up forty years ago.


199/1473) Home:  Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale by Rogue Brewery of Oregon, U.S.A.:  **;  6.8%, 20 ibu;  brewed with lemon juice and lemon extract along with marshmallow;  lemon pie nose, in fact it is a lot like I would imagine drinking lemon meringue pie would be;


Yes, now that you mention it I am a bit worried about trying that other one.

August 25, 2015

196/1470) The 3 Brewers, Heartland (Mississauga):  Black IPA by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;  6.9%, 65 ibu;  Very hoppy nose - if i were blindfolded, I might mistake this for a IPA by the nose;  strongly hopped - as much or more so than their IPA but with hints of chocolate;  the hops are citrusy, in the manner of West Coast hops;  this is as close to being convinced by this style as I can be;

197/1471) Home:  Picaroon's Yippie IPA by Northampton Brewing Company of New Brunswick:  **;  6.5%;  malty nose but with citrus notes;  styles itself an "east Coast IPA" and it does have trappings of the Englsih variety;  tastes floral with citrus zest notes and a bit of tanginess and spice;

Yes, this is up there as one of my favourite names for a beer.  It's going to be tough to beat Dude, Where's My Czar? Russian Imperial Stout, though.


August 24, 2015

Yet another Revolting Development, the fourth in recent days.  The Bellwoods Brewery bottle shop has run out of beer,

Yes.

https://twitter.com/bellwoodsbeer/status/635451148649013248

August 22, 2015

193/1467) Home:  All Natural Blonde by Amsterdam Brewery of Ontario:  *;  5%, which goes to show how flexible the definition of light is becoming;  grainy nose;  bland - just a hint of fruit at finish;  I imagine it does pay the rent, though;

194/1468) Home:  Molotov Lite by Eviltwin Brewing of Connecticut, U.S.A.:  **1/2;  8.5% Imperial India Pale Ale;  opaque with a fluffy head;  off-orange;  earthy and resiny with a touch of citrus to the nose;  earthy,  resiny flavours with a bitter astringent after taste;

Well, it's light (or lite) for a Molotov...

195/1469) Home:  Propeller Double IPA by The John Allen Brewing Company of Nova Scotia:  **; 8.2%;  sharp, piney, citrusy nose;  bitter with notes of citrus;  bitter after taste;  purchased at the Bishop's Cellar - growler filling stations are everywhere including here;

Revolting Development III:  The Toronto Zombie Walk is done for good.


Thursday 27 August 2015

August 21, 2015

192/1466) Home:  Crazy Beard Wild Apple Ale by Sage Mixology of Ontario:  *1/2;  5.5%;  sweet apple nose;  refreshing, fizzy apple flavours;  a bit sugary for my liking;

This one is shrouded in mystery, or so some would have us believe.  It is worth noting that the address on the tin is very similar to Trafalgar's.


August 20, 2015

191/1465) Our room at the Hollis, Halifax:  Melon Head by Northampton Brewing Company of New Brunswick:  *1/2; 4.5%;  nose of honey;  mild watermelon flavours with a honey finish;

We are leaving Halifax tomorrow - thanks to Craig at the front desk and Angela at breakfast in what is the Fax Bar somewhat later in the day for making our stay even more pleasant.




August 19, 2015

187/1461) Gahan House, Halifax:  Rogue's English IPA by Gahan House of Nova Scotia:  **;  5.8%, 56 ibu;  another of Karen's beers;  earthy, hoppy nose;  pleasantly hopped;  more West Coast than English but it's a great beer so who cares?;

188/1462)  Gahan House, Halifax:  Espresso Stout by Gahan House of Nova Scotia:  **;  on cask;  dark espresso and chocolate nose;  espresso like flavours and after taste;

Had to go back another time  would have re-visited the Rockbottom if only there were more time.  The Gahan House also pours other brewers' beers but I was most interested in what was being made on-site.

189/1463) Your Father's Mustache, Halifax:  Red Duster IPA by Rockbottom of Nova Scotia:  **;  5%, 35 ibu;  brewed downstairs;  floral citrusy hopped nose;  mildly citrusy flavours;

190/1464) Your Father's Mustache, Halifax:  Hunky Dory Pale Ale by Boxing Rock Brewing Company of Nova Scotia:  *1/2;  5%;  brewed with citrus zest and green tea; malty nose;  very faint hop notes and fruity notes;

One minor frustration in Halifax is that a lot of joints will not let anyone in under 19 after 9PM, or 8PM or 7PM, depending.  This licensing requirement is quite broadly interpreted.  At one spot we had different answers from the bartender and the waitress on this matter.  It's not as though I am going to sit by and watch my fifteen year old consume booze.  One explanation I received is that it was too easy to get a fake ID but I don't see this as being a solution.  When we did eat after 9 it was a a great burger place called Flipburger and they had beer taps so this makes less sense as it goes on.

August 18, 2015

185/1459) Rockbottom Brewpub, Halifax:  Fathom IPA by Rockbottom of Nova Scotia:  **;  6.9%, 70 ibu;  brewed on site;  mildly citrusy, resiny nose;  dry hop flavours;

The Rockbottom Brewpub is downstairs from Your Father's Mustache and it makes the best onion rings ever.  They are better described as onion beinets.

There used to be a a Rockbottom Club in Bramalea but you would be hard-pressed to find any evidence of this.  It had a dubious reputation which I am not certain was deserved.  I never visited - I was too young - but the middle class suburban hysteria tested one's credulity.

186/1460) Stillwell Bar, Halifax:  Hoppy Fingers American IPA by Unfiltered Brewing of Nova Scotia:  **;  4.8%, 25 ibu;  Unfiltered tries a bit too hard to be edgy enfant terribles but this is a fine, citrusy, resiny APA;

Yes, we went back to Stillwell's.  We liked this place quite a lot and the snacks were great as well.

Wednesday 26 August 2015

August 17, 2015

183/1457) The Knot, Lunenburg:  Old English Ale by Hell Bay Brewing Company of Nova Scotia:  **;  brewed with five malts;  rich, and malty  - a hearty English ale;

From the outside the Knot doesn't look like much but a but it is huge on the inside, packed and lively.  Lunenburg seems to close at 5PM so perhaps there is little else to do at the dinner hour.

184/1458) Maxwell's Plum, Halifax:  The Vicar's Cross Double IPA by Boxing Rock Brewery of Nova Scotia:  **1/2;  8.5%;  strong piney nose;  bitter pine flavours;

August 16, 2015

179/1453) Garrison Brewery, Halifax:  India Pale Ale by Garrison Brewing of Nova Scotia:  *1/2;  6.5%, 50 ibu;  malty with a one dimensional hop bite;

This was a $2 taster.  I learned that Garrison also makes root beer, pretty good root beer at that.

180/1454) The Gahan House, Halifax:  Hippie Cousin by the Gahan House of Nova Scotia:  **1/2;  5.9%, 75 ibu;  one of " Karen's Beers";  surprisingly sweet, faintly piney nose;  refreshing and pleasantly bitter;

The first Gahan House is in PEI.  They both have great food especially the fish & chips in a bag and the mussels.

Brewster Karen Allen is not to be confused with that actress.

181/1455) The Gahan House, Halifax:  Iron Bridge Brown Ale by the Gahan House of Nova Scotia:  **;  roasted malt nose;  a roasty, mildly sweet English brown ale;

This was part of a flight - my wife did not fancy as much as I did.

182/1456)  Stillwell Bar, Halifax:  Tim's Dirty American IPA by Big Spruce of Nova Scotia:  **;  6.4%, 69 ibu;  piney nose of Simcoe hops;  a well balanced IPA;

The Stillwell reminds me a lot of the Volo.  It's bigger and louder but the similarities are bar service, chalkboard draught list (only 12, mind), the fact that it opens so late in the day and just the general feel of the place.  The snack menu is described as "playful".

August 15, 2015

178/1452) The Fax Bar at the Hollis, Halifax:  Tall Ship by Garrison Brewing of Nova Scotia:  *1/2;  4.6%, 21 ibu;  an amber with a malty nose; tastes malty with an English hop edge;

In Halifax good local beer is everywhere, save for the airport.  As much as I like Toronto, I have to admit that you need to look for superior beer in T.O. whereas in Halifax it would be a job to avoid it.

August 14, 2015

177/1451) Home:  Home:  Mogonzo Premium Pilsner by Mogonzo BV of the Netherlands:  *1/2; 5%;  organic and fair trade crafted to remove gluten, mind, this "cannot be verified and may contain gluten";  given the the legalese, the name and that this is a pilsner one could be forgiven for thinking this is an American beer but in fact it is brewed in Belgium for Mogonzo;  brewed with barleymalt and rice;  perfectly clear blonde;  strong Eurohop nose;  sweet and grainy, fruity towards the finish;

This is the sort of thing Nicholas Pashley suggests that Belgium sends across the ocean so that we keep our hands off their good stuff.

August 10, 2015

176/1450) Home:  Revenge of the Ginger:  Kickin' Ginger Red IPA by Double Trouble Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2;  6.2%;  brewed with natural ginger flavour;  the tin lists the same address as Wellington which suggests this is a contract brew;  ginger nose;  opens like Canada Dry;  finish and after taste is dry astringent hops;  a nice effort but as gingery beers go there are others I like more;

The tin reads, "…keep an eye on it in the sun".  PC alert:  someone took offense at the shadowy figure in the logo.  Yes, really.



August 9, 2015

175/1449) Home:  Ward 1 Cascade XPA by Muddy York Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **1/2;  5.6%, 45 ibu;  strong, earthy, herbal nose;  sharp, dry hop flavours with a bitter finish;

The label reads, "Taste the Past" which neatly sums up the spirit of this brewery.

August 8, 2015

174/1448) Home:  Simcoe Hopped Ale by Black Creek Historic Brewery of Ontario:  **;  the second of two growlers purchased at the brewery in Black Creek Pioneer Village on the Saturday of the Simcoe Day weekend;  there is precious little connection between Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe and this particular Pacific Northwest hop but local brewers can't get enough of the similar names;  piney nose;  as per usual, this is almost entirely uncarbonated;  refreshing piney hop notes;

Tuesday 25 August 2015

August 7, 2015

173/1447) beerbistro:  Gale's Seafarers' Ale by Fuller's of England:  *1/2;  a 3.6% amber ale;   brewed with Gales yeast and Admiral hops, appropriately enough; sweet malty toffee nose;  flavours of fresh citrus and toffee;

This is also known as George Gale's Best Bitter.  It is brewed in support of the U.K.'s leading maritime charity, Seafarers UK and five pence from every pint sold goes to this cause.

There is some dispute as to whether today is International IPA Day (I was acting as though it was) or, as I heard later, simply International Beer Day which is so much less specific.

My routines are being confounded:  Revolting Development I:  the Early Music Fair has suffered a change of date and venue.  Life, for me, begins with the Early Music Fair and now it begins three weeks later or perhaps not at all seeing as how I don't like my chances of making out all of a sudden to this year's installment.

Revolting Development II: the McDonald's at Union Station is closing, permanently. With my blood vessels filled with beer and my soul saturated with early music I especially appreciated the coffee or empty calories but it is all over, a victim of Union Station's on-going renovations.  The lines could be pretty long depending on what had just finished at the Air Canada Centre but things moved quickly.  This is going to leave a space in many lives.

August 6, 2015

172/1446) Home:  Dereliction DIPA by Muddy York Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2;  8.2%, 225 ibu;  brewed for Simcoe Day with Simcoe hops as well as Summit and Centennial;    purchased at a pop-up event at the brewery over the Simcoe Day weekend;  very up front hoppiness to the nose with pine and resin;  bitter flavours and after taste;  this one packs a punch - it's a full on hop experience;  very enjoyable;

Muddy York admits that they only perceive about 100 ibu.  This might be analogous to the SPF numbers on sunscreens where beyond a certain point the figures are theoretical.



August 3, 2015

171/1445) Home:  Anne-Marie by Black Creek Historic Brewery of Ontario:  **;  a 5% chocolate-vanilla porter;  this growler was purchased at the brewery;  the most prominent feature of the nose is the vanilla but there is mocha in addition;  tastes of sweet vanilla and roasted malt;  contains lactose;

This beer came about as a result of silent auction:  The prize was the chance to design a beer and brew it with Ed.  It is named for the auction winner's wife.


July 31, 2015

170/1444)  beerbistro:  Shawi Beach IPA by Le Trou du Diable of Quebec:  *1/2;  6.7%, 75 ibu;  surprisingly malty nose with a hop edge coming in to play late;  balance definitely tilts towards malt but with a sharp hop edge at the finish;  a tiny bit disappointing considering the source;

The past two times I have taken the bus to Union Station that wind turbine near the CNE grounds has been perfectly motionless on my journey in and out.  Perhaps more subsidies are in order to make it turn.

July 29, 2015

169/1443) Home:  Summer Weisse by Muskoka Cottage Brewery of Ontario:  *1/2;  5%; cloudy, unfiltered;  what jumps out is the almost pilsner-like Euro hops;  cloves feature in the finish;


July 27, 2015

168/1441) Home:  Gueuze Fond Tradition Lambic by Brasserie von Honsebrouk of Belgium:  **;   5%;  unfiltered;  spontaneously fermented;  sour, cidery nose;  very sour bite;

July 26, 2015

167/1441) Home:  Arcadian Groove Canadian Maple Porter by Flying Monkeys of Ontario:  **;  10%;  very strong, natural (nothing like store bought), maple syrup nose;  extremely sweet through to the after taste;  like maple sugar candy;  this is the strongest maple beer, in terms of how up front the maple is, not just the octane level, I have experienced so far;  hints of vanilla add to the sweetness;  that rating is under the understanding that is to be experienced in limited doses;

Monday 24 August 2015

July 25, 2015

166/1440) Home:  St. Louis Premium Gueuze Lambic by Castle Brewery Eggenberg of Belgium:  **;  4.5%;  the LCBO sticker attached calls this an "alcoholic malt beverage: brewed with barley, wheat, sugar, hops, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and steviol glycosides from steiva,  a somewhat contentious natural sweetener (but aren't they all);  tart, cidery nose;  not as carbonated as many a gueuze;  the sugariness is off-set by a tart bite at the finish;

Steiva is not to be confused with the pharmaceutical preparation Stieva-A.


July 23, 2015

165/1439) Home:  The Mighty Oak by Trafalgar Ales and Meads of Ontario:  *1/2;  a 7% Imperial Oaked Brown Ale;  the nose features wine with hints of chocolate, tastes mainly of caramel with faint chocolate notes;  a little bit hoppy with a sweet oaky finish;

This beer was named in honour of a tree on Bronte Road in Oakville believed to be in excess of two hundred years old - a colleague drives by regularly.  This tree was to be cut down in 2006 but it was spared after enough money was raised to preserve it. Donors include Trafalgar Ales and Meads..

July 20, 2015

164/1438)  Home:  Mojo Citra Rhubarb Wheat Ale by Forked River Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2;  4.6%;  brewed with Ontario rhubarb;  pours cloudy;  bitter citra hop nose with a fresh fruit edge;   strong citra hop and rhubarb flavours;   reminds me of a saison, but with a sharp edge to it;


July 19, 2015

162/1436) Home:  Ninkasi by The Wild Beer Co. of England:  **;  9%;  named after the Sumerian goddess of beer;  a Belgian style saison brewed with New Zealand hops, Somerset apple juice and wild yeast;  it undergoes secondary fermentation using champagne yeast;  the nose is a blend of apple and yeast;  flavours of apple, champagne, yeast; there is a bitterness, uncharacteristic of a style that is usually sweet;


163/1437) Home:  Harbinger by Descendants Beer and Beverage Co. of Ontario:  **;  5.5% American Pale Ale;  nose is bitter and hoppy;  strong malty back bone offsets the hops until the dry finish;


July 18, 2015

159/1433) C'est What:  Andrew's Second Wish by Stone Hammer of Ontario:  **1/2;  7.7%;, 70 ibu;  brewer Andrew's first wish was for a shower;  wort-hopped and dry hopped;  fresh, refreshing hop nose;  citrusy, piney with a bitter after taste;

160/1434) C'est What:  Farmer's Tan IPA by Oast House Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2;  6.2%, 55 ibu;  citrusy nose nicely balanced by malt;  rich citrus and pine notes;

It was a seriously hot day to be watching a ball game.  Applause broke out when a cloud passed in front of the sun.

161/1435) Home:  Muskoka Cranberry Mead by Trafalgar Ales and Meads of Ontario:  **;  8.5%;  brewed with flower honey and cranberries from Muskoka;  sweet honey nose;  very sweet with a tart cranberry finish;

July 17, 2015

158/1432) Home:  Ayinger Weizenbock by Brauerei Aying of Germany:  **;  7.1%;  an "authentic Bavarian Weizen Bock";  an unfiltred wheat ale;  nose is yeast, bananas, cloves;  similar flavours;  very nice;


July 15, 2015

156/1430) Petrus Aged Ale Grand Reserve by Banik Brewery of Belgium:  **;  7.3%;  a golden blonde ale matured in excess of twenty months in oak;  tart, cidery, winey nose; very tart, dry, cidery;  basically this a sour, though the label does not explicitly say so;



157/1431) Home:  Cause and Effect Blonde by Nickel Brook of Ontario:  **;  4.7%, 19 ibu;  "a miracle of science", brewed with four malts and three hops;  pours a clear blonde; nose is a balanced blend of malt and hops;  hops win out in the taste with more presence in the finish and after taste than the ibu figure would suggest;

July 14, 2015

154/1428)  The 3 Brewers, Heartland (Mississauga):  Summer Fresh Raspberry Ale by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;  4.7%, 17 ibu;   a raspberry wheat ale;  wheat nose with a hint of yeast and a raspberry edge;  wheat & raspberry flavours wthe the edge going to the wheat - it's not so up front with fruit as many of this style;

155/1429) Home:  Premium Pilsner by Stone Hammer of Ontario:  *1/2;  5%;  rather malty for a pilsner;  sweet and biscuity with a mild Eurohop edge;

Sunday 23 August 2015

July 13, 2015

152/1426) Home:  100th Meridian Organic Amber Ale by Mill Street Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2; 5%; an American style craft lager brewed with organic prairie malt, Bravo and Chinook hops;  biscuity malty nose;  a malty lager with an ever so slight touch of hop;

153/1427) Home:  Saturday Night Cream Ale by Stack Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2;   5.3%;  a "prohibition style" cream ale;  not as minerally as cream ales can be;  sweet malted nose;  tastes of biscuity malt with almost no sign of hops;

Yes, Stack Brewing of Sudbury calls this Saturday Night.  A colleague's in-laws are from Sudbury and he reports that Stompin' Tom Connor is very well liked in that area so I will close this entry with a quote from his immortal "Sudbury Saturday Night":

"Well, the girls are out to bingo and the boys are gettin' stinko;
We think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday Night."

July 12, 2015

150/1424) Home:  Blue Buck by Phillips Brewing Company of British Columbia:  *1/2;  5%;  sweet malty nose;  sweet English style maltiness with a mild hop edge;

151/1425) Home:  Ginger Mead by Trafalgar Ales and Meads of Ontario:  **;  8.5%; honey, ginger nose;  honeyed opening followed by sharp gingery notes set against what might nearly be described as a dry white wine backdrop followed by a dry finish;


I have been hearing from people travelling south of the border to regions like California that meads are becoming very popular.

July 11, 2015

149/1423) Carabram - the Carribean/African/Eelam pavilion:  Red Stripe by Desnoes and Geddes of Jamaica:  *1/2;  5%;  made popular by that Tom Cruise movie;  malty, light, refreshing;  it went great with the African doughnuts I ordered;

This year's Carabram featured larger venues with multiple hosts which made for a lot less time spent travelling.  Eelam is the Tamil name for Sri Lanka.

July 9, 2015

146/1420) Home:  La Belle Epoque by Flying Monkeys of Ontario:  **;  a 10% Belgian IPA;  Flying Monkeys' 10th anniversary ale;  10%;  brewed with Belgian yeast which is prominent to the nose, with a hoppy edge;  this is a good balance of yeast and hops;  the opening is sweet and the finish bitter;


147/1421) Home:  Weisse Traditional Wheat by Hacker Pschorr Bräu GmbH of Germany:  *1/2;  5.5%;  brewed folloiwng Reinheitsgebot;  wheaty nose;  wheaty, yeasty flavours;

148/1422)  Home:  Ginger Cat by Mill Street Brewery of Ontario:  **;  5%;  flavoured wheat beer (wit) brewed with candied ginger, orange peel, cane sugar, Belgian ale yeast and hops from New Zealand and Germany;  ginger and malt nose;  sweet ginger cookie flavours;

Thursday 13 August 2015

July 6, 2015

145/1419) Home:  Death Valley by Les Brasseurs RJ of Quebec:  **;  8%;  described as a triple hop strong beer on lees;  unfiltered, dry-hopped with Bravo, Saaz and Amarillo hops;  cloudy;  nose is yeasty with dry, biting, astringent hop notes and a hint of tannin;  tastes a blend of sweet yeast and astringent hops;


July 5, 2015

143/1417) Home:  Electric Unicorn White IPA by Phillips Brewing Company of British Columbia:  **;  6.5%;  pours opaque straw colour;  strong hoppy nose with green tea notes;  mellow green tea flavours;  astringent finish;


144/1418) Home:  Stargazer Summer Ale by Mill Street Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2;  4.1%;  light copper colour;  malty nose;  English hop edge;


July 4, 2015

142/1416) Home:  Golden Rail Honey Brown Ale by Cassel Brewery of Ontario:  *1/2;  5%;  pours orangy red with a scanty head;  dedicated to those who contributed to the construction of the railroad;  rich sweet honey nose;  prominent flavours of honey;


July 2, 2015

141/1415) Home:  Premium Light By Stone Hammer of Ontario:  *;  4.2%;  part of a four-pack;  malty nose;  suitably bland taste;  fresher than many light beers, I will give them that;


June 29, 2015

140/1414) Home:  MacLean's India Pale Ale by MacLean's Ales of Ontario:  **;  6.5%;  an Ontario Pale Ale;  sweet malty nose;  malty opening with a sharp hop snap at the finish;  went very well with the Indian snack I was having;


June 28, 2015

139/1413) Home:  Ontario Pale Ale by Hogsback Brewing Company of Ontario:  *1/2;  5.5%;  biscuity malty nose;  mildly hopped;  milder than many Ontario Pale ales;

June 27, 2015

138/1412) Home:  St. Joseph's Wort by Wellington County Brewing of Ontario:  **;  4.1%, 20 ibu;  a basil coffee porter;  brewed with basil and cold brewed Pilot Bean Sidamo coffee;  strong coffee nose;  with an herbal basil edge;  roasted coffee notes, mild herbal finish counters the sweetness of the porter base;

June 25, 2015

137/1411)  Home:  Red Racer India Session Ale by Central City Brewing of British Columbia:  **1/2;  4%;  tropical nose and flavours with a  bitter finish;


June 24, 2015

134/1408) C'est What:  Super Collider 2.0 by Flying Monkeys of Ontario:  **1/2;  10.4%, 102 ibu;  strong piney, resiny nose;  strong but not over-powering bitter resin notes;  quite the hop bomb;

135/1409) C'est What:  Raspberry Ale by McAuslan of Quebec:  **;  5%, 22 ibu;  fresh raspberry nose;  fresh, tart raspberry flavours;  perfect for a summer day;

136/1410) beerbistro:  Flight Delay IPA by Barnstomer Brewing of Ontario:  **;  6.5%, 85 ibu;   tropical fruit nose;  tropical notes with resin;  bitter finish;

June 23, 2015

132/1406) Home:  The Four Surfers of the Apocalypso by Le Trou du Diable of Quebec:  **1/2;  6.5%;  brewed with wheat and barley;  described as a Tropical Strong Beer;  nose is fresh exotic fruits;  rich and fruity with pine and resin notes;  the label reads "mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua.  Aloha 'oe", which I believe is Hawaiian for thank you for celebrating with us, farewell to thee.


133/1407) Home:  Orach Slie by Harvieston of Scotland:  **;  6% (mind, the LCBO label attached reads 6.1%);  a  golden ale matured in oak casks used to mature Glenfarclas' Speyside Single Malt Whisky;  translates as golden nectar;  signed by Head Brewer and Master of Wood; bottle # 01267;  brewed with barley and wheat;  nose is strong whisky with notes of malt;  whisky and oak flavours with a sweet English ale finish;


June 22, 2015

130/1404) Home:  Legends of the Bay - Ghosts of Hope Island by Hockley Valley of Ontario:  *1/2;  5%;;   brewed by Hockley Valley for Midland Beer Works of Tiny, Ontario;  this the the second edition of a "limited series";  malty, bitter Eurohop nose;  single dimension hoppiness;

The story goes like this:  according to local legend, a pair of fishermen were murdered by an anti-social lighthouse-keeper.  There bodies were not found where they were said to have been left and today, owing to numerous unexplained  phenomenon, no one will live on Hope Island.

131/1405) Home:  Legends of the Bay - Giant's Tomb by Hockley Valley of Ontario:  *1/2;  5%;  somewhat similar to the one above, especially the nose;  sweet almost honey like malt;  as above, Hockley Valley brewed this for Midland Beer Works;

This legend comes from the Hurons of Kitchikewana, a god and giant who was guardian of Georgian Bay.  Rejected by his choice of wife, he hurled fistsful of earth from Beausoleil Island into Georgian Bay in his rage, creating the 30,000 islands and the five bays of Georgian Bay in the process.


Wednesday 12 August 2015

June 21, 2015

129/1403) Home:  Toasted Oak IPA by Innis and Gunn of Scotland:  **;  5.6%;  hops are added at three points during the festivities and aged over toasted oak for 41 days;  this is more the English variety of an IPA;  dark sugary nose;  the sweetness overshadows the hops which come into play near close and in the dry after taste;


June 20, 2015

128/1402) Home:  Lite by Miller Brewing Company of Wisconsin, U.S.A.:  **;  4%;  "A fine pilsner beer";

There's not much I can add to that.  There are lots of memories here from the great ads to the days when beer was first allowed at ball games and you could only get light beer.  It somehow feels right to drink this from the can and I swear I can taste the corn.

The promotion goes that this is the first time Miller Lite is available in Canada.  It may well be the first Canada wide release but it's what we would drink in the mid-1980s at the first place I owned.

Goodbye, street cred.


June 18, 2015

127/1401) Home:  Lion Grass by Highlander Brew Co. of Ontario:  **;  5.4%;  brewed with lemongrass and dandelion (dente de Lion) leaf;  malty nose with fresh leafy notes and lemongrass;  malty with lemongrass edge;  I suspect this would work well with Thai food;  interesting and unusual;


June 11, 2015

126/1400) Home:  Goose IPA by Goose Island of Illinois, U.S.A.:  **;  5.9%;  55 ibu;  Goose Island is owned by Labatts and it is great fun to watch snobs twisting while they admit they actually like this one;  hops from Elk Mountain Farms;  citrusy nose;  mildly hopped ;  dare I say this is a pleasant Ontario style pale ale?;  who knows?, this could become a gateway beer - I hear tell if you look really hard you can find it at the Skydome/Rogers Centre;


June 8, 2015

125/1399) Home:  Gregorius Trappistenbier by Stift Engelszell of Austria:  **;    10.5%;  the usual four ingredients, complimented by honey;  bottle fermented;  dried fruit and honey nose;  deep rich chestnut colour;  tastes of rich dark fruit and alcohol with a touch of sweetness;  aftertaste of alcohol and dried fruit;


June 7, 2015

124/1398) Home:  Chimay Premiere by S A Bières de Chimay of Belgium:  **1/2;  7%;  brewed at Scourmont Trappist Abbey;  unpasteurized, unfiltered;  sweet yeasty nose;  rich dried fruit, burnt sugar flavours;

It's hard to understand why this one hasn't bee listed yet.


June 6, 2015

123/1397) Home:  Red Sky At Night by Wellington County Brewery of Ontario:  **;  8.2%;  a wine barrel aged imperial stout;  aged in Cabernet Franc barrels for three months;  a "Welly one off";  the  nose is cherry, grape, oak and wine;  mildly cidery mouthfeel;  a complex blend of flavours of cherry with hints bitter chocolate and red wine;

June 1, 2015

122/1396) Home:  Resinator American IPA by Wellington County Brewery of Ontario:  **;  6.9%;  the name suits this beer very well;  the nose is very bitter and resiny with dry astringent flavours to match;  brewed with Columbus, Chinook, and Amarillo hops;

I will insert my standard "for those who buy their art by the yard" disclaimer before noting that a visit to Wellington County can be quite expensive and I feel that I get more at Bellwoods for same money.  I am not sure how often I will make the trip to Guelph.  I have to mention that what I buy at Bellwoods is uniformly outstanding while there is an element of hit and miss with Wellington.


Tuesday 11 August 2015

May 28, 2015

120/1394) Home:  Red Racer IPA For Autism by Central City Brewing of British Columbia:  **1/2;  6.5%;  smaller in alcohol and package size than last year's edition; earthy piney nose;  rich piney flavours;  a true hop bomb;

121/1395) Home: Ola Dubh Special 21 Reserve by Harviestoun of Scotland:  **1/2;  8%; aged in oak casks formerly used to mature Highland Park's 21 year old single malt whisky;  bottle # 14748;  the alcohol is very well disguised;  rich mocha nose with sweet notes of caramel;  fully flavoured coffee taste with vanilla;  another in a series of slow sippers;

May 26, 2015

118/1392) The 3 Brewers, Heartland (Mississauga):  Sutherland's Strawberry Saison by the 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;  6.1%, 25 ibu;  brewed with extract of strawberry;  peppery, yeasty nose;  a saison with strawberry notes and a dry finish;

Plainly, I only like saisons with added fruit which probably means I don't really like saisons.  This is the Neighbourhood beer for this location.  It was named for Captain Edward Sutherland, a widower who moved to the area with his seven children in 1856.  He grew strawberries and raspberries and his success was such that by 1915 a plaque was put up at Clarkson Railway Station reading, "Through this station passes more strawberries than any other station in Ontario".  I pinched this from the coaster.

119/1393) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  La Pamplemousse by the 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2;  4.4%, 21 ibu;  brewed with grapefruit, pilsen and corn malts, Chinook hops and American ale yeast;  vaguely citrusy nose;  mix of citrus and yeast flavours;

The joke was that it was up to you to decide if this counted as a serving of fruit or not but what I was wondering was if one can drink this while on various medications or not what with that grapefruit.

It will be no surprise that I am delighted to have a 3 Brewers so close to home and this is a particularly nice one with a great patio and terrific staff.  I have been doing my research and a ten minute bus ride flanked by a pair of ten minute walks will get me there.  It would be about forty minutes if I was brave enough to cycle on those roads.

In my dreams, Brampton would get a 3 Brewers but even if we did there is a strong chance this one would be more convenient for me.  I am going to visit regularly.

May 25, 2015

116/1390) Home:  24- Cheli's Pale Ale by Lake of Bays of Ontario:  **;  7%, 40 ibu;  from the NHL Alumni series, True Grit Edition III:  in honour of Chris Chelios;  Son number two asked how long it was aged and well he might seeing as how Chris Chelios appeared in more games than any defenceman in NHL history;  he won three Stanley Cups;  the usual 4 ingredients with the addition of wheat flakes and oak chips; citrusy nose;  not so hoppy to palate;  very smooth;  like an English style cask ale with a hoppy edge;


117/1391) Home:  Celeia Hop Ale by Alexander Keith's of Nova Scotia:  **;  5.5%  from the "hop" series;  Celeia is a Slovak hop;  lemony, black pepper nose;  almost like some saisons I have tried;  black peppery finish;  very unusual;


May 23, 2015

115/1389) Mill Street Beer Hall:  Minimus Dubbel by Mill Street Brewery of Ontario:  **;  8%;  a dark brown abbey style brewed with candi sugar;  sugary nose;  sweet with fruity notes;

May 22, 2015

113/1387) Harbord House:  Dancing Duck Summer Ale by County Durham of Ontario:  *1/2;  on cask;  sweet, mildly gingery nose;  mildly spicy with a bitter finish;

114/1388) Thirsty and Miserable:  Lord Simcoe's Revenge IPA by Forked River Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2;  7%;  citrusy nose;  fresh, bright citrusy flavours;

It was unusually dark inside Thirsty and Miserable tonight.  Tonight's beers were before and after a performance of the Play of Daniel, the last show of the Toronto Consort's 2014-2015 season.  It was fun to see an anti-global warming banner adorning Trinity St. Paul's United on a night of record-breaking cold temperatures.  


Monday 10 August 2015

May 21, 2015

112/1386) Home:  Hopraiser West Coast IPA by Howe Sound Brewing of British Columbia:  **1/2;  6%, 50 ibu;  brewed with Pacific Northwest hops;  strong piney nose; rich piney green tea flavours and a very bitter finish;

May 20, 2015

111/1385) Home:  Grind Stone Amber Ale by Broadhead Brewing of Ontario:  **; 5% , 25 ibu;    clear, amber;  nose has hints of caramel which carry on to the flvaours;  a great English style ale - I would like to try it cask;


May 19, 2015

110/1384) Home:  Quick Brown Fox by Wellington County Brewery of Ontario:  **;  6%;  sweet, malty nose;  caramel, alcohol, malty, bready flavours with a bitter after taste;  would be great on cask;

May 18, 2015

109/1383) Home:  Lot 9 Pilsner by Creemore Springs Brewing Company of Ontario:  *1/2;  4.7%;, 25 ibu;  in the Czech style with Eruohops and grain profile;  sharp Czech hop edge;  a great summer pilsner;

I badly needed to cool down and this did it.  The founders of the town of Creemore turned rugged Lot 9 into wheat fields.All I did was run too far in the heat.


May 17, 2015

108/1382) Home:  Premium Lager by Triple Bogey Brewing Company of Ontario:  *1/2;  I am not normally a lager fancier but there has been a bit of a buzz around this one;  pours clear;  approaches the border with pilsners;  there is a mild Eurohop edge to the nose; mild hop bite;  as lagers go it's not so bad;


May 13, 2015

105/1379)  Monk's Kettle, Etobicoke:  La Formidable by Beau's All Natural Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2;  6.9%;  floral, piney nose;  sharp, bitter lingering after taste;  bitter hop flavours;

This is also available bottled, much less successfully in my experience.  My notes make mention of musty yeast and hospital sanitizer notes.  This is originally by Oregon's Gigantic Brewery.  The idea behind Beau's b-side brewing label is to allow foreign brewers to make their beer at Beau's location and avoid the red tape of importing their wares into Ontario.


106/1380) Monk's Kettle, Etobicoke:  Dutch Pale Ale by Oast House Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2;  5.5%;  I am told it is the yeast strain makes it Dutch;  sweet, malty, fruity, yeasty nose;  yeasty malty nutty flavours;

107/1381) Monk's Kettle, Etobicoke:  Release The Hounds by Big Rig of Ontario:  *1/2;  6.2%, 75 ibu;   a black IPA;  malt and coffee nose with a hopped edge;  hoppy bite with a malty after taste;

May 10, 2015

104/1378) Home:  Goat Boy Imperial Weizenbock by Southern Tier of New York, U.S.A.:  **;  7.5%;  brewed with two hops and five malts;  deep red;  yeast, banana nose;  faintly sweet banana flavours;

Let's all say it together:  It can't touch the bock I used to drink at Growlers.


May 9, 2015

103/1377) Home:  Game of Thrones:  Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale by Brewery Ommegang of New York, U.S.A.:  **;  8%;  yeasty nose with wine notes;  sweet dried fruit, notes of cola - surprising;

I was also surprised to read, "part of the Duvel family of fine Belgian Ales" on the label but Ommegang is indeed owned by Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat.

For a show I don't watch I am making a habit of buying the beers but they say when you don't know the horse you bet on the jockey and Ommegang makes a number of very good beers.


May 4, 2015

101/1375) Home:  MacLean's Pale Ale by MacLean's Ales of Ontario:  **;  5.2%; MacLeans is going for a UK style pale ale with British malts, English Fuggles and Goldings hops and English ale yeast;  the nose is yeasty and biscuity;  tastes of caramel, biscuit;  very English with a dry hop bite at the finish;  it may have been something like this that Nicholas Pashley was thinking of in that TAPS interview where he answered that if he was limited to only one style of beer he would choose an English style ale;


102/1376)  Home:  Dry Stout by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  *1/2;  4.5%;  comes with the  generic label, at least for the time being;  nose is mocha;  it lives up to the name; notes of coffee and mocha but it is a bit yeasty for my taste;

May 3, 2015

99/1373) Home:  Green Devil IPA by Oakham Ales of England:  **1/2;  6%;  brewed with both barley and wheat;  pours perfectly clear;  blend of fresh hops to nose;  tropical fruit and bitter citrus notes with a dry after taste;  very nice indeed;

100/1374) Home:  Rodenbach 2012 Vintage Oak Aged by N. V. Palm Breweries SA of Belgium:  **1/2;    7%;  Barrel No. 170 Limited Edition;  a Flemish red brown sour ale aged for two years in vats as old as one hundred and fifty years;  mixed fermentation; among the ingredients is corn;  nose is cider and red wine;  fully carbonated mouth feel; sour, funky, sharp and cidery with hints of cherry;


May 1, 2015

98/1372) Home:  Double IPA by Midtfyns Bryghus of Denmark:  **1/2;  9.2%;  dry hopped, post-fermentation with Cascade, Chinook and Centennial hops;  fresh, citrusy piney nose  rich. citrusy, piney, earthy flavours;  the variety of hops produces a range of flavours;


Sunday 9 August 2015

April 30, 2015

96/1370) Home:  Heelch O'Hops by Anderson Valley Brewing Company of California, U.S.A.:  **; 8.7%;  floral, piney nose;  citrus and earthy pine flavours;

Is that a bear with antlers on the label?


97/1371)  White Oat Savant Brown Ale by Cameron's Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2:  named for a legendary samurai so skilled he fought in armour made of white oats;  4.8%;  pours a deep brown;  rich sweet nose;  rich sweet maltiness;  a fine example of an English ale;


April 29, 2015

95/1369) Home:  Jitsu Pale Ale by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2;  6%;  pours cloudy;  rich tropical nose;  delicious citrusy tropical flavours;

April 28, 2015

94/1368) Biermarkt, Mississauga:  Imperial Hatter India Pale Ale by New Holland Brewing Company of Michigan, U.S.A.:  **;  this was from their bottle list;  9.3%;  from New Holland's High Gravity Series;  Vintage 2014; pours opaque;  strong, earthy, resiny nose;  dry earthy hop flavours with lingering after taste;

The Biermarket is an odd place.  Some beers are remarkably inexpensive and sometimes, like today's choice, a beer can be quite uncommonly expensive.

April 26, 2015

92/1366) Home:  Boogie Monster by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2:  an 8% abv Imperial IPA;  tropical nose with an earthy edge;  blend of fruit and pine with a resiny finish;

93/1367) Home:  Norseman by Bush Pilot Brewing Company of Ontario:  **;  14.5%;  an eisbock aged in armagnac barrels;  designed and brewed in co-operation with Nogne Ø and Nickel Brook;  inspired by the Noorduyn Norseman, a Canadian designed and built bush plane;  very sweet dried fruit nose;  sweetness lasts into the taste with oakiness and sweet dried fruit;  very complex, rich, and warming due to that alcohol;

They do things big at Bush Pilot.  At 750 ml, this is one for sharing.


April 24, 2015

86/1360) C'est What:  Hop Noggin by County Durham of Ontario:  **;  on cask;  5.2%, 80 ibu,  an English ale;  pale, clear appearance;  mildly piney nose;  very fresh tasting and mildly hoppy;

87/1361) C'est What:  The Princess Wears Hot Pants by Sawdust City of Ontario:  **; on cask; 9.0%, 45 ibu;  hot peppery nose;  hot jalapeno chili flavours with notes of pineapple;  lingering after burn but very tastefully and flavourfully done;  like a glass of Mexican food;

88/1362) C'est What:  Hopsta La Vista by Longslice Brewery of Ontario:  **;  6.5%, 69 ibu;  clear copper colour;  I found it surprisingly malty and biscuity for all those ibu but the intent is a hybrid English/American  IPA;

89/1363) C'est What:  Portage Ale by Mill Street Brewery of Ontario:  *1/2;  13 ibu, 5%;  pours a clear amber;  yeasty nose;  yeasty malty flavours;

90/1364) C'est What"  Deforestation, a collaboration between Forked River and Sawdust City, both of Ontario:  **;  9.1%,, 30 ibu;  bourbon barrel aged;  very cidery nose partially obscures a hint of mocha in the background;  notes of cider, delightfully cheap red wine, mocha and a bit of sour funkiness;  sharp, fizzy mouthfeel;

 91/1365) The 3 Brewers, Adeliade Street:  Witteke by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2;  6%, 30 ibu;  a Belgian style white beer brewed with orange zest and coriander;  pours cloudy with the familiar 3 Brewers yeasty nose;  sweet with sharp wheat flavours;

I wasn't sure about some of these so, yes, there were some small glasses ordered.

April 23, 2015

85/1359) Home:  Yukon Gold by Yukon Brewing Company of Yukon Territory:  **;  a 5% English pale ale brewed in Whitehorse;  the label reads, "Beer worth freezin' for";  malty nose with a hopped edge;  malty, bready with a dry finish;


April 19, 2015

84/1358) Home:  Mons by Brasserie Belgh Brasse of Quebec:  **;  5%;  "Belgian inspired";  brewed with coriander and orange zest;  the water is sourced from the Abitibi Esker;  pours opaque;  coriander and yeast nose;  yeasty with coriander and hint of orange oil at finish;

The snob in me wasn't expecting all that much seeing as how it was purchased at The Beer Store.