Alexander Keith's - Ambrosia Blonde

Pours a clear golden colour with a thick but short lived white head.
Aroma of light fruit, berries maybe. That's about all I can get.
Feel is medium, fairly creamy.
Taste has a strong caramel base with a few light hints of fruit. Very little hop presence, just enough to know there are a few in there.
Finish is a light dry bitterness which lasts a long while.
Not too bad, very drinkable and with some actual flavour to it. Probably the closest to an actual named beer style than anything else I have tried from Keith's and a nice step up for them.

Alexander Keith's Dark Ale

Very dark red with a tan head, rocky and short lived.
The aroma is so faint I have trouble finding anything. Maybe a bit of molasses and lemon with a metallic note.
Feel is only medium, it should be fuller to give this thing some body.
Taste is basically weak. A bit of sour, very faint hints of roasted malt (far to timid),maybe a light touch of flowery dry hops, again far to timid.
All in all this is basically a nothing beer.
The brewery does not have the guts to produce a beer with real taste, they hope you wont notice.
Don't bother.

Alexander Keith's Tartan Ale

The Brewery wanted me to sample and rate this beer for them so here goes.
Pours a dark burnished copper with a thick off white head and lots of clinging lace.
Sweet aroma. Carmel and what also seems to be maple syrup but that could just be all carmel and a peat like smokiness. That's what they said about it and they were right.
Quite creamy mouth feel.
A nice sweet start with some smokiness and just a tiny hint of alcohol to start and a little bit of hoppiness in the middle and a nice drying finish. This is way better than main stream and I like it quite a lot. I however am fond of all beers except those that are brewed for people who don't like the taste of beer. Labatt's, (who brew this) and Molson come straight to mind. That being said this is a pleasant change from a main stream brewer. Well done.

Amarcord - La Gradisca

Pours very clear yellow with a full rocky white head.
Slightly skunked aroma, some grass and earth come through.
Feel is full and a bit creamy.
Taste also has a slightly skunked aspect, not overpowering but there.
Some grain tastes, bit of hay or grass and a very light herbal hop finish.
Not a bad beer but not all that much to it. I wouldn't turn it down but I certainly wont go looking for it. It misses the sharp sparkle of good lagers although the grain flavours make up for that a bit.

Amsterdam Brewing - Big Wheel Amber

Pours a dark amber with hints of orange. A full and rocky off-white head which lasts and leaves lots of lace.
The aroma is sweet malt with hints of raisin.
Feel is nicely creamy.
Taste starts malty, bread dough and hints of berries with a light touch of citrus, finish is a mouth drying bitterness which seems just about right for balance. Some hay notes fill in the middle.
A good full flavoured amber ale, very nice on a hot day and mild enough to make a good session beer.

Amsterdam Brewing - Spring Bock

Dark reddish brown with a tan head.
Earthy aroma with some chocolate.
Full, rich, creamy mouth feel.
First tastes are coffee and burnt dark chocolate. Quite bitter to my tastes. The alcohol lurks in the background. It has a nice drying finish which rates it one more star. Other than that I am not impressed.

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
 
Pours very dark and clear garnet colour with a huge and creamy tan head.
Faint aroma of hard water and chocolate.
Feel is very rich and creamy.
Tastes are quite mild for a strong beer. Chocolate and coffee are up front with some dark berry or raisin taste in the middle. The middle is quite subdued and well blended.
The finish is lightly dry with touches of citrus. Quite a clean finish.
This is a very nice doppelbock. Very well blended and fairly mild tastes. I found no hint of the alcohol untill well after the finish and then I could notice a faint burn but only if I looked for it.
Going to pick up a few of these for the winter.
 
 

Bacchus Flemish Old Brown
 
Comes in a Paper wrapped bottle, just like a Christmas present.
Pours a very dark chestnut colour with a medium sized but lasting light tan coloured head.

Aroma is somewhat sour with earth, oak, and cherry aromas coming through.
Feel is quite full and rich with a slightly thin finish.
Taste is noticeably sour but without being overpowering. Oak, earth, lemonny citrus and a touch of sour cherry.
A very pleasant beer that wold go well with a lot of different foods, pork roast comes immediately to mind but duck might be nice as well.
The finish s quite dry with a lingering sweetness. Not bad at all, in fact I like this a lot.
 

Barking Squirrel

Deep orange with a clumpy off white head.
Malty, berry, citrus aroma.
Fairly creamy mouth feel.
The taste is reminiscent of honey to start and heads right for a hop citrus finish.
I could drink these all day.

Bavaria 8.6 Special Blond

Clear yellow. A thick head which disappears quickly.
Almost no aroma, a hint of ginger and dough.
Feel is fairly creamy.
Taste is weird, my first impression was of nuts, where did that come from?
Corn syrup and a hint of ginger under the nuts. The finish is a mild alcohol burn.
That's about it.
More "Tramp Juice".

Belhaven Scottish Stout

Pours black, against a strong light some dark reds show through, the head is large, creamy, and tan coloured.
Aroma is slightly skunked. Damn it.
Hints of burned toast and bitter chocolate come through.
Feel is full, rich, and creamy.
Taste doesn't show the skunk from the aroma thank goodness. Dark chocolate and coffee with hints of caramel and bread dough. A light lemon citrus bitterness comes last and lingers nicely.
A good full flavoured stout in what I think of as a traditional style. If you like stout and can get past the skunk aroma this is pretty good, now if they would put it in a dark bottle we might have something.

Big Rock - Grasshopper Wheat Ale

Pours a clear yellow with a decent creamy but short lived white head.
Aroma is dough, maybe a faint hint of lemon citrus.
Feel is medium, fairly creamy, not watery.
Taste is strong on bread dough and hints of yeast. This one is strongly in the malt end with only faint hints of flowery, citrus hops. Quite different for a wheat beer, a heavier feel and taste than most. I could get used to it, a lot more flavour than some but a hit of hops would help a lot.

Big Rock - Lime

Pours a very pale yellow with a very rough and short-lived white head.
Aroma is quite faint, not what I was expecting from another "Bud Lite Lime" knockoff. A bit of lime rind aroma and that is about it.
The feel is Medium, not watery at least.
Taste is bitter lime, like the rind, and with a sugary sweet finish.
Not much to say about this one. It's not quite as much like Sprite as some other lime beers I have tasted but not great either. A "Lager and Lime" that got out of hand with the lime. No Lager taste left and that may be what some people prefer.

Binding-Brauerei - Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen

Pours a very cloudy pale yellow with a huge rocky white head that just doesn't go away.
Aroma of orange citrus, banana and vanilla with hints of berry and fresh bread dough.
Feel is nicely rich and creamy.
Tastes are very well blended, banana and vanilla with a light orange citrus taste start the parade, followed by an almost milky taste with fresh bread dough and a bit of berry flavour. The finish is surprisingly dry and light, with an almost floral note and hints of earthiness.
A great patio beer for this time of year and an almost classic German Hefeweizen.

Black Creek Brewery - Pale Ale
Cloudy dark copper color with a thick white head.
Citrus, some sweetness and a hint of earthiness make up the aromas.
Full, creamy mouth feel.
Sweet and yeasty with some citrus and some earthiness to start with a lingering sparkly citrus finish. This is not bad at all.
 

Boddingtons Pub Ale

The can contains a "widget" along with the beer.
A full white head on a clear copper coloured beer.
The aroma is very faint, a touch of flowery or herbal aroma.
The mouthfeel is fairly watery.
There is a hint of sour apple taste with a bit of grain and some earthiness.
A very light bitter aftertaste.
A decent session beer, nothing offensive about it because there really isn't anything to it in the first place.

Box Steam Brewery - Dark and Handsome

Pours a very dark and muddy black/red with a decent but short lived off white head.
Aroma of dark berries and licorice, hints of whole grain toast.
Feel is a bit on the thin side, it looked like it would have a fuller mouthfeel.
Taste tends toward roasted and almost burnt grain. Bits of dark berry and some light apple citrus in the finish.
I find the roasted grain taste to be overwhelming in this one, the apple citrus finish saves it for me but only barely.
Not one of my favorites but maybe true to style, I'm not sure. I just know I won't be looking for this one.

Box Steam Brewery - Funnel Blower
 
Pours very dark, almost black with a full and creamy tan coloured head. The head is lasting very well and leaves a nice lace n the glass.
Aroma of coffee and chocolate, quite pronounced with faint hints of some kind of citrus.
Feel is very full and creamy.
Taste is a lively chocolate with touches of vanilla off the top, flavours of coffee and toast come through next with a light and very clean citrus finish.
This is a great porter,  The taste is very full and rich but the finish is so light and clean that you could easily make this a session beer. The low alcohol content contributes to it's 'sessionability' as well. The whole thing just goes together nicely and really works for me. One of my favourite porters from now on.
 
 

Brakspear Triple

Pours a clear dark copper colour with a huge light tan coloured head. There is sediment in the bottle so the last of the pour will be cloudy.
Aroma is surprisingly mild, a hint of berry, alcohol, and earth, all very faint.
Feel is very rich and creamy.
Taste is very nice, dark berry flavours, black berry with a hint of coffee, light flowery hop tastes, well blended and smooth. A light dry finish with a lingering earthiness which is very pleasant.
A very well blended beer and no hint of the high alcohol content other than a light and comforting burn in the aftertaste. This beer just cries out to be paired with cheese. We are going to work on that for a while, it seems like it will go well with most cheese styles. Let you know.
You would have to be careful with this one, it could be mistaken for a session beer which would be a problem.
I'm going to be watching for this one, I'd like to get some more.

Brasserie d'Achouffe - La Chouffe

Cloudy light amber pour with a thick clumpy, long lasting head. Lots of sediment floating around.
Earthy aroma. Smells like a freshly plowed field and new mown hay.
Medium to watery mouth feel.
I'm not happy. It tastes like Stella. Just one step up from a Euro Lager. I don't even have the satisfaction of tasting the alcohol. Did I get a bad bottle. Would someone out there please tell me I got a bad one!
It does have a pretty label and cap.

Brasseurs & Frères - Blanche de Dunham

Pours a hazy pale yellow with a thick, loose, white head.
Aroma of bananas and cloves.
Feel is relatively thick for a wheat beer.
Taste is a touch sour with bananas, cloves and dough. Not much else to it, a faint orange citrus finish and a bright carbon dioxide sparkle.
Not bad and easily drinkable but nothing to write home about.

Brasseurs & Frères - La Récompense

Pours a clear golden colour with a huge, rocky, off-white head.
Faint aroma of fruit (apples and pears) with a touch of spice
Feel is nice and creamy, quite full textured.
Taste are definitely English Bitter, pronounced roasted malt and toasted grain with light fruits and a distinct but mild earthiness. A light dry and flowery bitter finish makes you want more.
It's interesting to look at this beer in the glass, clumps of lace hang on the sides and steady streams of bubbles climb around the glass and up from the middle, almost as much fun to watch as it is to drink.

Brasseurs de Montreal - Coeur Brise

Pours clear, dark golden with a pink tint, a thick white head which disappeared instantly.
Aroma of raspberry and dough, Thats about all I can pick out.
Feel is quite full and creamy.
Taste starts with a bright raspberry flavour and lots of fruit acidity. There is a solid doughy malt holding this up and the finish is a nice blend of the lingering berry taste with a sweet and solid bready malt base.
The nice thing about this beer is that the raspberry doesn't completely overwhelm all other flavours.
A good patio beer for this time of year, bright enough to be very refreshing and still a solid beer taste.

Brau Union Romania - Ciuc

Very clear and pale yellow. Shortlived white head, no lace.
Aroma of corn and boiled vegetables.
Feel is medium, not watery and somewhat creamy.
Taste is lacking. Some corn and light grassy notes. Almost no hop presence and a lot of carbon dioxide added.
Some light woodsy and flowery tastes in the finish.
A standard Eurolager, nothing offensive about it but nothing much to talk about either.

Broadway Pub - Dandelions

Pours a very pale amber with a clumpy head and what looks like bits of yeast floating in it. The head is soon gone with just a touch of lace.
Very mild aroma with just a hint of citrus and a mild flower smell. Could be dandelion. It's been years since I stopped to smell one of those pesky critters.
Very creamy mouth feel. Almost like a buttermilk consistency.
Flavor is definitely there. Banana, perhaps some mango and certainly citrus. Very complex and very flavorful. As it warms I get the dubble bubble flavor. This is very nice and most refreshing.

Broadway Pub - Sein Desprit

Pours a hazy yellow with a thick, white head which seems to last well.
Aroma of banana, cloves, vanilla and light berries.
Feel is quite full and not watery like many hefeweizen's.
Taste starts with banana and cloves, a peppery bite comes through along with hints of strawberries. I could find a bit of peach in there as well. The finish is lightly bitter and spicy.
A full flavoured beer with good thirst quenching properties, I'd drink a lot of these in the summer.

BrouCzech Lager (Brouček Beer)

Pours a very clear pale amber with a huge, rocky and short lived white head.
Very faint aroma, hints of hard water and dough.
Feel is quite full and a bit creamy.
Taste is full, lot's of bread dough and a nice flowery bitterness, Some fresh cut hay and honey. Just a hint of apple or pear along with lemon rind.
A very decent lager and I am not a huge fan of most lagers, perhaps I've been ruined by North American mainstreams.
The crisp clean bitter finish is probably the main strength of this beer. Not bad at all and leaves me wanting more.
A good session beer I think.

Cannery Brewing - Anarchist Amber Ale

Pours clear amber with a full, creamy, off-white head.
Aroma of slight citrus, grass and some honey.
Feel is full, rich and creamy.
Tastes of earth, citrus, honey and hay with an earthy finish.
There is lot's of flavour in this brew, a solid malt base with just enough hops to brighten and liven it up.
Not bad but not one of my favorites.

Cannery Brewing - Blackberry Porter

Pours very dark, almost black with a good sized tan coloured head.
The aroma of berries comes through even as I pour, Blackberry is about the only aroma I can find.
Feel is nice and full, rich, a bit creamy.
Taste is full, the berries are present but not as pronounced in the taste as in the aroma, a dark chocolate and roast coffee taste dominates. A nice bit of citrus cleans up the heavy dark malt tastes and gives it a bit of brightness. It's definitely loaded with roasted grain tastes but not overpowering, and the finish is lingering citrus and berries.
I'd drink it often if I could get it.

Cannery Brewing - I.P.A.

Pours a clear amber colour with a full and creamy off-white head.
The aromas are faint, some bitter hop notes and a touch of hard water.
The feel is rich and creamy.
Taste is mostly grapefruit citrus with touches of honey and grass. There is a lingering dryness mixed in with the grapefruit touches.
All in all, this is a pretty decent I.P.A. much like I imagine the originals would have tasted but with a bit of an American touch from the grapefruit hop flavours. I don't think that would have been so 'up front' in the original British I.P.A.'s, Most of the British hops don't have that strong a grapefruit link.

Cannery Brewing - Naramata Nut Brown Ale

Black with a thin tan head.
Roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee are the aromas from this brew.
Citrus tingle up front with some chocolate and coffee followed by more of the citrus making for a drying finish.
Not too bad but definitely not great.

Cap Espoir (beer on lees)

Pours a dark amber with a short lived off white head. Very clingy lace.
Very earthy aroma with hints of berry and citrus.
Mouth feel is quite creamy.
Grassy, earthy taste to start, with a bit of bitterness in the middle and it finishes with a grapefruit like tartness. I wish I had at least one more of these.

Central City Brewing - Red Racer India Pale Ale

Pours slightly cloudy, dark golden colour with a huge and lasting white head.
Aroma is great, grapefruit zest, pine, some light earthiness and hints of bread dough.
Feel is very rich, full, and creamy.
Taste is also great, a strong citrus hop start with grapefruit, pine and a touch of apricot. Hints of berry and even a touch of earth and smoke.
The solid malt tastes follow with fresh bread dough and a honey taste.
Both malt and hops linger long into the aftertaste and leave a clean, fresh and well balanced taste in the mouth.
I like this one a lot. It is probably one of the reference points for the American style IPA.

Cerveceria Bucanero - Cristal

Pours a pale yellow with a short lasting white head.
Aroma of corn and boiled vegetables.
Feel is medium rich and a little creamy.
This is a hot weather beer, drink it so cold it freezes your teeth, Some light honey tastes creep in among the corn and rice flavours with just a hint of bitterness and a light tart flavour in the finish.
That being said, on a hot day with the sun beating down on you this is quite refreshing and easily drinkable.

Christoffel Dry Hopped Nobel

Very cloudy pale orange color with a thick white clumpy head that lasts and lasts.
Aroma is citrus, some berries and earth with a bit of sourness.
Very rich creamy mouth feel.
Instant grapefruit hit followed by some earthiness and a hint of banana and some orange pith bitterness. As it warms it gains in complexity. The grapefruit is still there but now I'm getting some more earth and a kind of clover honey aftertaste. The finish is a definite hop dryness that just begs for more.
Excellent brew this.

Christoffel Winterse Bok

Pours very cloudy dark brown with almost no head.
Aroma is fruit and a hint of lemony citrus.
Full, rich, creamy mouth feel. You can almost bite into it.
Lots of fruit and berry with a sweetness that is nicely cut by a citrus tingle finish. Just a slight hint of alcohol in the aftertaste but not enough to over power by any means. This is very nice. I should have bought more. Oh well.

Cool Beer - Stonewall Light

I should never have taken this off the shelf. No head on a very light amber colored brew with lots of lace and there is where it ends.
Clear bottle = skunked. Behind the skunk, (which is not a good place to be), is just a hint of something. It might be a bit of citrus or not.
Mouthfeel is quite creamy if you can get by the taste.
My word! If you're going to spend all that money to have a custom label put on a beer you're better off spending less and put just a plain label on a dark colored bottle. As the Kingston Trio said way back when: 'When will they ever learn."

Corne de Brume

Pours a dark brown with a tan head that started out clumpy but was gone very quickly.
Earth, raisins and licorice are the predominant aromas.
Medium creamy mouth feel with some carbonation.
Coffee, caramel as well as the raisins and licorice are up front with dark chocolate and just a hint of spices finish it nicely. Amazing. There is no alcohol taste.

Creemore Springs - Urbock

Pours a very dark red with a decent off-white head.
Smell is like ginger-ale.
It feels nice and full, a bit creamy.
It tastes a lot like some berries with a touch of mild coffee and a bit of some kind of citrus, maybe green apple.
It's very nice and only a touch on the strong side.
I think I could drink a lot of this stuff.

Damm Brewing Estrella Cerveza (Beer)

What does it have going for it? Nothing.
End of story!

Damm Brewing Estrella Inedit

Pale very yellow head with lots of heavy lace when the thick head finally goes away. Not really a clear beer but not quite a cloudy beer either.
Spicy aroma with some earth and honey.
Rich, full and creamy mouth feel.
This one is hard to describe. It almost has a perfume like taste but not in a bad way. It's sweet and sour but it has a very nice citrus finish which is a thing I really enjoy.
Quite complex tastes. I like it.
What has me confused is the star on the label. Franco was a fascist but the star to me denotes the reign of Stalin and the boys.

Dark Star Brewing - Sunburst Classic Golden Ale

Pours a slightly cloudy amber colour with a full and lasting white head.
Aroma is mild, a hint of grapefruit citrus and a sour malt aroma.
Feel is full and creamy.
Taste starts with a strong sour malt flavour, Honey and brown sugar with a bit of sourdough bread.
No real middle, but it leads directly to a lasting finish where a hint of grapefruit comes through and the sweeter flavours from the malt linger.
A bit of a different taste in this one, very British and not what we are used to but not bad at all, the strong grain and sour malt taste grow on you quickly and the whole thing is quite pleasant.
At only 4.8% you could make a good session out of this one.

Der Hirschbrau - Neuschwansteiner Das Echte

Pours a clear pale yellow with a huge white head, slowly reduces to leave a thin lace.
Aroma is mild grass and hay, a hint of sour, not much else.
Feel is sparkly and only moderately full.
Taste is mostly in the grassy malt end, some earthiness and a mild citrus hop finish.
The finish is very clean and lingers on the tongue for a long time.
The earthiness seems to be the most prominent taste here, like most Euro Lagers.
Not bad at all but not my style.

Dieu du Ciel - Aphrodisiaque

Pours black as a morning coffee with a tan head and very little lace.
Aroma is dark chocolate and some vanilla with a hint of fruit.
Full bodied, creamy and rich mouth feel.
Tastes like it smells except the the vanilla is up front followed by the chocolate. Slightly watery in the middle with a coffee and cream finish.
Another good one from Dieu du Ciel.
Tried this with a bit of fairly good brie cheese and that is a good combination.

Dieu du Ciel - Aphrodite

This is Dieu Du Ciel's Aphrodisiaque re-named for the U.S. market. Apparently the U.S. Food and Drug administration had a problem with the name.
You can find my full review here. http://www.beertaster.ca/content/dieu-du-ciel-aphrodisiaque-0

Corne du Diable (Horn of the Devil)

Dark red with a thick tan head and lots of lace.
Coffee and dark chocolate are predominant aromas. Just a hint of citrus as it warms.
Tastes just like it's aroma except the dark chocolate is stronger than the coffee. The citrus lingers in the back ground and becomes a very nice finish.
Although this has lots of flavor the chocolate and coffee are just too strong for my tastes. It could use something to lighten it up a bit.

Dieu du Ciel - Rigor Mortis

Wonderful Beer!!
Pours slightly cloudy, very dark brown with a huge creamy head which lasts well.
Aroma of toasted grain and citrus, slight dark berry aromas come through.
Feel is very rich and creamy, chewy and full with a bright carbonation sparkle, leaves a sugary feel on the lips.
Taste is very full, and complex, just what an Abbey Ale should be.
Lots of raisin, cherry and dark berry taste with hints of coffee, chocolate, and whole grain toast. A bright berry citrus kicks in and cleans up the sweet flavours and the long lasting finish has a bright clean taste on top of lot's of sweet malt with a light alcohol burn.
Very nice beer, I wish I had picked up a lot of these last summer, I'm afraid it will be a while until I can get more.

Dieu Du Ciel - Rosée D'hibiscus

A great and somewhat different beer.
Pours a cloudy pink colour, you have to work a bit for the head, needs a fairly vigorous pour to produce a light pink and rocky head.

The aroma is very flowery with distinct citrus (grapefruit) notes.
Feel is fairly thick and chewy.
The tastes are so complex and change as it warms. At fridge temperature the first thing that hit me was flowers (I assume this was Hibiscus but I couldn't swear to it) along with grapefruit and lemon zest. This was followed by a lot of raisin, date and plum tastes with a lovely slightly dry finish. There were a lot of tastes that made me think of a fairly fruity wine.
The sweetness is quite subdued and the blend of tastes is excellent.
As the beer warms I noticed the dark fruit and berry tastes a lot more with the citrus seeming to be submerged.

A really great summertime beer.

Dieu du Ciel - Route des Épices

Pours a lightly cloudy dark copper colour with a full creamy light tan coloured head which leaves a nice lace.
Aroma is faint, some rye bread notes and a hint of coffee or chocolate.
Feel is rich, creamy and with a bite.
Taste starts with toasted rye bread and dough, some light chocolate and raisin with just a hint of flowery, citrus hops.
The rye bread tastes linger but a strong black pepper tingle (light burn) hits your tongue and lasts a long while.
I am really enjoying this one, a different combination of tastes but they are all well blended and suit each other well.
Don't think I'd recommend this with hot chicken wings though.

Dieu du Ciel - Solstice d'Hiver

Pours a very deep red with bits floating in it. The head is almost non existent and it leaves no lace. Hmmm!
There is honey, soft fruit and some alcohol and a bit of earth in the aroma.
Full almost cloying mouth feel followed immediately by a citrus bite that washes that away.
I get mostly alcohol at the start with some honey sweetness and some fruitiness but a nice clean citrus finish. I like this but since moderation has never been my strong suit I will stop at one.

Head is average, frothy, tan, long lasting. Body is black (opaque). Real cocoa comes through in the smell, with hints of vanilla and light coffee. Roasted malts and bourbon on the taste buds. Creamy body. Very enjoyable.

Dominus Vobiscum - Triple
 
Pours slightly cloudy yellow, beer coloured, with a huge and lasting white head.
light aroma of cloves and coriander with hints of citrus.
Feel is nicely full and creamy.
Tastes are all well blended and balanced. No one taste jumps out at you. Light flavours of cloves and coriander, hints of green apple and lemon citrus. Touches of candy sugar and very faint hints of bread dough.
I really like this one. Had to bug the stock person at my local LCBO to bring it out but it was worth it.
The finish on this beer makes it one of my favourites, light lemon citrus and quite drying with just a touch of alcohol burn in there. It lingers for a long time and just makes me want more. Watch out for the high alcohol content in this one. Not a session beer unless it is going to be a very short session. The tastes could make you want to try to session it though.
 
 
 

Farmhand Ale

Cloudy orange with a thick clumpy white head.
Aroma is citrus with some spice.
Nice creamy mouth feel.
Tangerine and honey starts it off with a not quite ripe banana flavor in the middle and the finish is a grapefruit with sugar on top tingle.
Very good!

Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby Ale 1905

Pours a dark reddish copper colour with a full and lasting, off-white head.
Aroma is mild, some earthiness and hints of hay but hard to pick out, hints of alcohol and toast.
Feel is very nice, rich and creamy.
Taste is very nice, Bread dough, honey, faint berries and just a touch of alcohol. Some light orangy citrus tastes in the finish. A very full but mild tasting beer, one I could drink a lot of.

Faxe Amber

Clear copper colour, a thick and rocky white head but it didn't last long.
Aroma is much like ginger ale with a floral touch.
Feel is nicely rich and creamy.
Taste is better than I thought it would be.
Starts with some pleasant malt tastes, some grass and hay with a bit of fresh dough.
The finish is very light and slightly citrus. It makes a very clean finish.
This is a completely drinkable beer, the only complaint I have is that long after I have swallowed it I find a nasty stewed vegetable taste in my mouth. It's easily cured by taking another mouthful.

Faxe Fest Bock, Danish Bock Beer

Pours clear, very dark red, almost black. A short lived rocky tan head.
Aroma is minerals, alcohol and dark berries. (Raisins or plums or something).
Feel is quite rich and full.
Taste is dark berries, plums and raisins, a hint of bitter chocolate or coffee, and alcohol.
It's not bad at all but the only thing I really get from it is the alcohol.
I've had much better Bocks.

Flying Monkey's SmashBomb Atomic IPA

A burnished copper color with a light tan head.
Aroma is all about the grapefruit.
Medium mouth feel with just a little creaminess.
Grapefruit, grapefruit and some lemon pith bitterness. Wow is this off the scale for bitter. Boy oh boy is this good. It makes my taste buds sing. I wish I had this with my pizza. This beer and pizza were made for each other.

Flying Monkeys - Super Collider Double IPA
 
Been waiting a long time for this one.
Pours quite dark, garnet coloured with a full off-white head.
Aroma of raisins, dark berries and lemon rind.
Feel is very full, quite creamy and a bit chewy.
Taste is not quite what I expected in a purported hop bomb. This is very well blended. The tastes flow together really well. Starts with a very noticeable licorice hit, laid on top of some fairly mild dark berry and honey tastes. The hop taste comes through largely in the finish with a long and lingering  lemon rind bitterness and the lasting licorice tastes. The alcohol burn is there if you look for it but it doesn't jump out at you.
As this warms a bit more it actually becomes sweeter. Very nice.
 
This was worth waiting for. I'm amazed at how well blended the flavours are in this beer, I expected something that would burn your taste buds out with the hops (160 IBU) but all these flavours flow so well that the hops aren't completely "In Your Face".
With all the hop content I doubt if this would cellar well so I hope this joins the Monkeys regular lineup.
 
 

Flying Monkeys- Nether World

Very dark red, almost black in color with a full tan head and lots of lace.
Aroma is mostly citrus.
Full creamy mouth feel.
Out of the shute this has a sharp citrus bite that dries out the mouth immediately. Beautiful lemony flavor. This is a good one.

Fuller's - Organic Honey Dew

Pours clear golden colour with a full and lasting white head.
Aroma is faint, a hint of earthiness and citrus.
Feel is nice and rich.
Taste is heavily on the malt side, lot's of bread dough with touches of honey, the middle is a bit earthy and the finish starts with some light flowery citrus notes and ends with a noticeable honey taste.
Very drinkable and quite pleasant. The tastes are traditionally British, especially the strong malt flavours.
I thought it was a bit on the sweet side for my taste but it grows on me.

Fuller's - Past Masters XX Strong Ale
 
From their Heritage series.
Pours slightly cloudy dark amber with a very full, off-white head.
Aroma of berries and earth, quite a mild aroma. A touch of alcohol comes through.
Feel is very creamy and a bit dry.
Taste is very nice, a touch of dark chocolate, toasted grains and raisin on bread dough. Hints of alcohol come through mostly in the finish.
A bit of sweet honey fills in the middle and a flowery bitterness with a hint of earth finishes it off along with the alcohol.
Very nice and full flavoured English ale. According to the back label this beer is from a recipe dating from Sept. 2 1891. If this is the beer our ancestors were drinking they were doing all right for themselves.
 
 

Fuller's 2011 Vintage Ale
 
Pours clear, orange/amber with a full off-white head.
Aroma of earth and honey,
Feel is very rich, full and creamy.
Taste starts with honey and brown sugar, a nice dry bitterness kicks in quickly and lingers for a long while. An earthiness floats all through the profile along with the sweet honey. The dryness hangs around well into the aftertaste.
A very nice winter beer, not as complex as some of their other vintages but a very drinkable beer.
 
 

G. Schneider & Sohn - Hopfen Weisse

Pours a light orange color with a clumpy long lasting head.
Lots of spices, banana and a hint of citrus in the aroma.
Mouth feel is full, rich and creamy.
Lots of citrus and earthiness in this one. Strong grapefruit bite that is very refreshing. The creaminess and the complex flavors make this one to buy again and again.

Gaffel Kölsch

Nice golden color with a heavy white head.
Aroma is sweet with berries and some earthiness.
Medium mouth feel with a bit of tartness.
Malty sweet to start with a hop bitterness right behind, and that's the way it finishes. Easy drinking with lots of flavor.
This is quite good.

Gahan Brewery - Island Red Ale
 
Thin white head on a garnet colored brew.
Dough, fruit, hay and a hint of spice make up the aroma.
Full, rich, creamy mouth feel.
Slightly burnt caramel and fruit to start with a clean crisp citrus finish but that is spoiled by a pepper after taste that clouds up the nice flavors that came before.
 

Garrison Brewing - Imperial I.P.A.

Pours a cloudy, dark amber/copper with a huge, rocky, off-white head. The head lasts a long time and leaves lot's of lace.
Aroma of grapefruit citrus and pine.
All the flavour is on the hop side. A real 'Hop Bomb".
Lot's of piney grapefruit citrus on a decent brown sugar malt base. Some orange rind and lemon tastes in the background along with a touch of earthiness.
This one is all about the hops, I LIKE hops so I am really enjoying this one but if you don't Really, Really, Like hops this is probably not the beer for you.

Georg Schneider's Organic Weisen Edel-Weisse

A huge white head which slowly reduces but never completely dies. A lot of lacing on the glass.
The beer itself is a cloudy pale yellow.
The aroma is banana and clove with some ginger and a faint metallic smell.
Feel is fairly thin and watery but still chewy.
The taste starts with a big hit of banana, bubblegum and cloves. The metallic taste comes through faintly along with some nice light citrus notes.
The finish is banana with that nice orange citrus brightness lingering for a long while.
I like this beer a lot, as long as they last I will be making this my BBQ beer, both while I am cooking and with the meal. I think it will go well with most anything.

Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor

Pours a very cloudy and very pale yellow, looks a lot like a wheat beer. A huge overflowing white head even with a gentle pour.
Aroma is lightly spicy with hints of pine and banana.
Feel is full and creamy, very nice.
Taste is quite interesting, lot's of wheat beer tastes like banana and bubblegum but with a large piney hop hit and some gentle spicyness in the background, some pepper and faint cloves.
A very different beer and a good one. There are some grass or hay notes like a wheat beer but also a good hit of hop citrus and pine like a decent IPA. Like I said, very different, quite interesting and very good.
A wheat beer for hop heads.

Grand River Brewing - Curmudgeon IPA

A full creamy light tan coloured head on a clear, dark red/copper coloured beer.
Aroma of pine and grapefruit citrus with hints of honey and bread dough.
Feel is nice and full, creamy and rich.
Taste is a great blend. On the bottom end you have a good malt base with hints of honey, berries and bread dough, just a touch of cocoa or coffee. Solid but not heavy. Lot's of bright hop flavours to balance out the malt, pine, grapefruit and a bit of apricot and apple.
The finish is long and lingering and well blended. Slightly dry and bitter but the malt sweetness lasts as well. This is a very well balanced beer from the first sip to the lingering finish.
Leaves me wanting more.

By the way, it went really well with some home smoked salmon from my brother.

Grand River Brewing - Pugnacious Pale Ale
 
Pours a dark amber with a thin but lasting white head.
Aroma is quite light, hints of honey, berry and some floral notes.

Feel is full and creamy.
Tastes start with some solid malt notes, dough, bread and honey with a hint of dark berry followed by a nice bitter hit with light grapefruit flavours and some flowery tastes.
A nice clean and light finish.
This is a great session beer, I could put back a lot of these.
 

Great Lakes Brewery - Crazy Canuck Pale Ale

Pours a clear light copper colour with a huge and lasting white head.
Aroma of pine resin and grapefruit with a hint of honey.
Mouthfeel is quite full and rich, sparkling and a touch dry. Very nice.
Taste is all about the hops, strong pine and grapefruit tastes but with enough malt body for the hops to ride on, quite a bitter beer and more of an American style IPA than a simple Pale ale.
Still, this is not a total hop bomb, their is a good solid honey and brown sugar flavour lurking just under the hops and it has the strength to stand up to the bitterness.
A good patio beer for the summer if we ever actually get a summer.

Great Lakes Brewery - Orange Peel Ale 2011
 
Pinkish amber color with a thick white head and a clinging lace.
Aroma is very slight. Just a hint of citrus.
Mouth feel is fairly thin with a touch of creaminess.
This is all about the citrus tang. It's very pleasant, crisp and clean. I really like this.
Great Lakes is a very consistent brewery. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Amen to that.
 
 
 

Great Lakes Brewery - Sweet Pete's Peach Wheat

Straw color with a short lived but clumpy white head. Lots of clumpy lace on the glass.
Lovely aroma. I grew up in the Niagara area and this just brought me home. Peaches...Yum! They got this right. Even if this tastes like crap the aroma alone will get me by.
Wow! I feel like I should take a bite instead of a sip. This is thick, rich and creamy.
Fruity, peach flavor. I am not usually a fan of fruit flavored brews made with fruit but this is an exception. I love it.

Great Lakes Brewery Winter Ale - 2010

I'm curious to see how this stacks up to their 2009 version.

Pours with a large and rocky light tan coloured head on a clear dark copper coloured beer.
Aroma of light citrus, some pine notes and faint hints of spices.
Feel is very full and creamy, quite nice.
Taste is definitely different from what I remember of earlier versions. The spices are much more subdued and there is a lemon citrus and pine taste coming through which is very pleasant. A good solid bread and toast base with light flavours of cloves and a distinct black pepper note coming through. I like it. The pepper is a nice touch.

Gubernija - Grand 95

This one scares me a bit.
Well, it's beer coloured with a white head that disappears in an instant.
Aroma is faint but there are some apple and apricot notes in there along with a hint of ginger.
The feel is fairly full and the alcohol burn is definitely there.
Taste is not as bad as I expected, hints of apple and apricot with a corn syrup sweetness, then the alcohol takes over and completely dominates anything else.
Drink this one at barely above freezing temperature and don't expect much other than a thorough buzz.
It's basically what the Brit's rightly call "Tramp Juice".

Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold

Clear golden color with a clumpy white head. Lots of lace as I swirl the glass gently.
Earthy aroma with a little of the smell of a new mown lawn.
Full, rich creamy mouth feel.
Citrus hops that dry the mouth almost instantly and a taste of postage stamp glue from way back when there was glue on a postage stamp. This is not negative at all because it's not overbearing but just slightly there.
The creaminess stays right to the end unlike some other brews I've had that just dry out the mouth so you have to have another sip. In this case I WANT to have another sip.
I could make a habit of this one.

Headstrong Black & Tan

A thick, creamy tan coloured head on a very dark red beer. The head hangs around and leaves some lace.
The aroma is very mild, almost non-existent. About all I can get is a faint hint of citrus.
The feel is nicely creamy and full.
Tastes are fairly mild, hints of roasted malt and some light citrus tastes, hints of bread and grapefruit.
It's not bad at all, just not much to it. Black and tan's depend completely on the mild and stout they start with. This one should have started with some outstanding beers, blending tends to hide some of the qualities of both and this one doesn't leave much.

Heather Ales - Alba Scots Pine Ale

Pours a cloudy copper colour with a full but short lived off-white head.
Aroma is faint but off the top I could pick up lemony citrus notes followed by definite pine aroma.
Feel is medium rich and creamy.
Taste is blackberries, strawberries and pine. The pine lingers a long time in the aftertaste.
I could really get used to this taste, reminds me of fresh cut pine or spruce planks and is much better tasting than I thought it would be.

Heather Ales - Grozet Gooseberry & Wheat Ale

Pours a slightly hazy pale yellow with a light greenish tinge. A full and lasting white head.
Aroma of berries, quite faint.
Feel is nicely full and creamy.
Taste has a distinct earthiness to it, some berries and dried hay with a light flowery bitterness to finish. The dry earthiness stands out and, although it makes the beer a bit refreshing, it detracts from the flavour in my mind.
Of the four 'Heather Ales' I have tried recently, this is my least favourite. Might have something to do with the 'Bogmyrtle' used as a bittering ingredient. I guess I am just not used to that.

Het Anker - Gouden Carolus Ambrio

Gigantic thick head that becomes a big clumpy mess as it settles. Very interesting. The lace is very thick and clinging.
Very faint aroma of spice, possibly mace and alcohol in the back ground with the usual hop citrus smell.
Rich, creamy mouth feel.
Banana is right up front with some peach or apricot and just a hint of citrus. I must have a citrus gene. I taste it in almost every beer I've ever had.
As it warms the fruit flavor changes to pear and a whole bunch of earthiness.
That is pretty much how it finishes except the alcohol comes to the fore.
I love this one.

Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew

A fairly thick, rocky, tan coloured head, lasts quite well. A dark copper and slightly cloudy beer.
Aroma of dough, herbs, and some ginger.
Feel is quite full and creamy.
Taste starts with lot's of bready malt, then some light spicyness and ginger begin to come through. The nicest part of this beer is the clean bitter finish with the lingering light ginger tastes.
I was worried that the ginger would overpower the rest of the beer but it doesn't, instead it leaves that nice crisp finish which is great on a hot day and just calls out for more. It IS 7% so you need to be a bit careful with it but I will be picking up a few more this week.

Hitachino Nest White Ale

Pours very pale and cloudy yellow with a full but quickly receding white head.
Aroma of spices, banana and vanilla.
Feel is nicely full and rich, not watery at all.
Taste is very interesting, first hit is a lot of spices, black pepper, hints of clove and cardamon, followed by light banana and vanilla flavours. All this is laid on top of a nice bread dough base with a finish of bright lemon citrus.
Very refreshing and an excellent patio beer on this first really warm spring weekend day of the year.
Going back to the patio now, with another of these.

Hockley Valley Black and Tan

A garnet coloured beer with a medium sized off-white head. Nice lacing.
The first aroma I got was licorice with some hay and berries. I noticed the licorice immediately but it did not last long.
The feel is very rich and creamy.
Taste is fairly complex, it starts with a bit of toast, some dark berries, hay and a bit of roasted grain. Bitter chocolate or burned coffee.
The finish is really bright and clean with light citrus flavours.

This was a pre-release can and the final version might be a bit different.
I can't wait for the official release to see what the final product ends up like.

Hockley Valley Dark

Pours a very deep red with a clumpy off white/tan head.
Aroma is a little chocolate, a little coffee and some citrus. Great start.
Nice rich creamy mouth feel. Getting better.
Starts out with a nice citrus hit with some coffee and chocolate and finishes with a creamy semi-sweetness to balance everything.
Well blended brew with just the right amount of everything.
I really like this one.
Well done Andrew.

We are strong supporters of Ontario Craft Brewers. Ask for them at your local LCBO in Ontario or better yet, visit one or all of their breweries. You will be glad you did.

http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/

Hogs Back Vintage Lager

Pours a burnished copper color with a thick white head.
Very little aroma. Just a little hops. To be expected from a lager.
Rich creamy mouth feel.
Slightly fruity with a sharp hop tingle right behind. Smooth malt base. Quite complex. This is very refreshing.

Innis & Gunn - Highland Cask

Pours a clear dark copper colour with a thin and short lived white head.
The aroma is all about caramel, A bit of a sour mash aroma and that's about it.
Feel is rich and creamy.
Taste starts with a big buttery caramel hit, Some brown sugar and honey with hints of grass or hay. A light citrus bitterness follows but it's not strong enough to offset the sweet start.
I found the finish too sweet and cloying for me but there is a lot of taste to this and I can certainly understand why some people just love this one.
Just not my style I guess.

Innis & Gunn Canada day 2011

Pours dark copper with no head to speak of.
No aroma.
Pure caramel. I would have welcomed even a touch of alcohol to give this some flavor. Not a good beer.

Jenlain Or
 
Pours clear amber with a decent white head. The head disappears fairly quickly and leaves a fair lace.
When first poured I got a definite wine aroma which quickly vanished and was replaced by Very bright fruit and spice aroma, Cardamom and Coriander.

Feel is nice and rich, quite creamy.
Tastes are all quite dry. Fruit and a white wine taste along with hints of the spices, a touch sour and even a bit of black pepper in the finish.
The start is the fruity wine flavour while the Cardamom and Coriander take over the middle. The finish is sour, dry and a bit peppery.
A very nice beer. Not a pounder but something I can really enjoy over time or with a meal.
 

Kichesippi Pale Ale

Had a bit of a problem tasting this beer properly, the tavern smelled very strongly of deodorizer and made it tough to smell and taste the beer.

It poured a medium dark amber with a thick white head.
I couldn't get any aroma from it.
Feel was smooth and creamy.
Taste started with a solid doughy malt base with touches of caramel then moved into an earthy light bitter hop profile and finished with mild grapefruit tastes.
As the beer warmed slightly (or I got used to the deodorizer) the earthy flavours fadded and were replace by more grapefruit and orange tastes.
I may not be fair to this beer, I'd like to try it again sometime under better conditions.

King Brewery - PilsBock

This beer is a bit unique, It is Phil DiFonzo's creation, Phil is King's brewmaster and owner.

It pours with a medium sized and slightly off white head on top of a clear copper coloured beer.
The aroma was fruit and ginger, fairly faint.
Feel is very rich and creamy, one of this beers strong points.
The taste starts with a lot of sweet malt, a touch of caramel some honey and a bit of fruit (berry).
This leads into a solid bitter hoppiness, light citrus and fairly pronounced earthiness.
I'd drink this again anytime, I found the complex flavours to be very well balanced and the overall taste to be very drinkable. I'd make it a great session beer but you need to watch out for the alcohol content. I'll enjoy it with some BBQ this spring.

L'Alchimiste - Eisbock

Eisbocks are rare in Canada, They are made by freezing the beer and skimming off the ice, this is technically 'distillation' and is illegal in Ontario so don't expect to find any soon in these parts.

Pours a clear, very dark amber/red with a fairly thin and short lived tan coloured head.
The aroma is full of dark berries and raisins with a hint of alcohol, some sherry and rum notes come to mind.
Feel is quite rich and creamy.
Tastes are great, some chocolate and coffee mixed with raisins, dates, half fermented peaches and honey. The hops are very light in this brew, it's mostly about the berries and the sherry/rum tastes, but it is a great blend of tastes. Some light earthiness lingers in the aftertaste.
It's easy to make a beer like this too sweet and cloying but this one walks the fine line and becomes a great after dinner drink. I only wish I had more of them.

La Barberie Lime et Framboise

Pours a reddish amber with a thick clumpy, long lasting head. Very thick, clinging lace.
Delicious aroma. Raspberries and some citrus but mostly fresh raspberry freshly picked.
Thick, full, rich, creamy mouth feel.
Raspberries and a hint of lime are the main flavors and I certainly don't have a problem with that. It has a perfect drying hop finish that keeps me from saying that this is just a soda pop like brew. Far from it. It is complex and the flavors of the malt and hops shine through after it warms a bit.
I want more. Waaah!

La Trappe Tripel
In the U.S. this is sold as Koningshoeven, in Canada you might find it labeled either way.
Pours a cloudy copper colour with a full and creamy, slightly off white head.

Aroma is gingery with hints of orange, pepper and earth,
Feel is very rich and full.
Taste starts with a lot of orange, honey, earth and berry taste,  Some clove comes through along with the faintest touch of banana.
Sweet cherry flavours fill in the middle and linger with the earth and cloves to make a pleasant finish.
The high alcohol content is noticeable but not overwhelming. Very complex and quite a light flavour overall.
I watch for this all the time and grab a couple bottles whenever it appears.
 
 

Lake of Bay's - Rouse - Red Ale Pours a dark garnet colour with a very thin white head. Aroma is sweet malt with a touch of citrus and dark berry. Feel is nicely rich and creamy. Taste starts with a strong roasted malt, toast and dark bitter chocolate. Some dark berry and lemon citrus sit on top. The finish is a bit dry and earthy, quite pleasant. The berry flavours intensify as the beer warms. A very good red ale, it would make a good session beer. I'll be buying it again.

Lake of Bays - Mocha Porter

Pours very dark, almost black with red tints. A medium sized tan coloured head which didn't last all that long.
The aroma when cold was very faint, just the lightest hints of coffee and berries. As the beer warmed in the glass the aromas became much more pronounced, lots of coffee and bitter chocolate came to the front.
The feel was full and rich, like a good porter should be.
Taste also improved as the beer warmed a bit. Coffee, dark chocolate and hard roasted grain up front. The grain tastes were almost, but not quite, burnt. A light lemon citrus and a pronounced earthiness finished it up.
A very pleasant, easy drinking beer. Not as much coffee and chocolate as I expected but very well rounded and a good blend of tastes. I'd drink it again anytime.

Lake of Bays - Mocha Porter

I'm back again.

Pours a dark deep red with a short lived tan head.
Aroma is coffee and dark chocolate. Nice on the nose.
Very rich and creamy. Nice mouth feel.
Chocolte and coffee is what I get at the beginning with some citrus in the finish.
This is very nice. Well done newest craft brewery in Ontario.

Lake of Bays - Pale Ale
 
Golden pour with a thick light tan creamy head.
Sweet aroma. Honey and some caramel.
Full rich creamy mouth feel.
Starts out sweet with the honey and caramel up front and then a hop citrus bitterness to finish it off.
This is very nice indeed.

Le Grimoire - Grimousse

Pours a cloudy dark copper with a thin (almost non-existent) head.
Faint aroma, sour berries maybe, hints of earth and honey.
Feel is nice and creamy.
Taste is soured berries and touches of roasted and burnt grains. Some lemon citrus tastes come through and some milk tastes. Not one of my favourite beers but it is different.

Le Grimoire - Infernale

Interesting label, the eyes Look like the albino in 'The Da'Vinci Code'.
Pours a reddish color with no head, lots of lace and sediment floating all about.
Sweet aroma. Soft fruit with just a hint of citrus and I do believe I detect a bit of molassas. Surprisingly enough there is no alcohol smell at all.
Smooth and creamy mouth feel. I like this.
Very strong berry taste to start, with a citrus middle and a nice mouth drying finish. If not for the high alcohol content, (which I did not detect in the taste), in this one I could drink a few of these.
Not bad at all.

Le Grimoire - La Noire Soeur

Pours thick, black and creamy with a large dark tan coloured head which disappears almost instantly and leaves no lacing.

Aroma of dark chocolate, hard roasted grain, earth and a hint of citrus.
Feel is only medium, the look of the poor made me expect more.
Taste is quite strange for a stout.
A bright lemon citrus hits first followed by deep dark chocolate and hazelnut. That is about the whole profile, and it is certainly different for a stout. I expected the chocolate but the predominant lemon was a complete surprise.

Le Grimoire - La Vie de Château

Pours pink with off white head a good amount of lace that lasts.
Some berry in the aroma as well as a hint of alcohol.
Fairly rich and creamy mouth feel.
Sweet start with a bit of berry, some alcohol and spices. Middle is almost all berry and it finishes with a drying alcohol taste in a very pleasant way.
This is nice. Back to Quebec for more I hope. Soon!

La Vitale (bleuets)

Cloudy amber with little head even with a vigorous pour. No lacing but lots of carbonation.
Aroma is all about the blueberries with just a hint of citrus and hay.
Medium but smooth mouth feel.
Slightly flat tasting but lots of flavor. I love blueberries and that's what this brew is all about.
There is just enough citrus to make it slightly drying which once again makes me wish I had more of this one.

Les Freres Houblon - Blanche Aux Bleuets

Pours a slightly cloudy amber/pink with a full, rocky, but short lived, slightly pink head.
Aroma of sour blueberry off the top, some light dough, earth and grass come through.
Feel is quite rich and creamy.
Taste starts with a strong blueberry and peach taste that has some sour undertones.
There is a distinct malt base, both doughy and full of grass.
The finish is quite dry and the fruit flavours linger nicely.
I don't notice the high alcohol at all but the dough taste seems to linger quite a while.
I kind of like this one, I could sip at these all afternoon with no trouble at all, problem is that it is supposed to be a Belgian style Tripel but it is not very close to the style in anything but the alcohol content.

Les Freres Houblon - Coureur Des Bois

Pours a clear, dark, amber/red with a full. rocky, off white head which lasts a while.
Aroma of hard water, iron, and alcohol.
Feel is medium, somewhat thick and creamy.
First taste impression is roasted malt, way too strong, some dough and earth, then the alcohol taste hits. It's nothing like a Belgian Amber, too much Guiness influence with all the roasted malt tastes, what are they doing in here. No berry or spice tastes that I can detect, the Alcohol tastes seem to overpower everything. The closest I can come to comparing this is to one of the Faxe strong beers which are not brewed for taste, only for alcohol content.
As you can tell, I'm disappointed with this one.
P.S. IF you let this beer warm a bit and then pour all the sediment from the bottom of the bottle into your glass you can get some blackberry and raisin tastes in there, I suspect this is what the brewers found but it disappears if the beer settles a bit and can only come through if the sediments are mixed in and the beer is cellar temperature.
I raised my rating because of this but it is still not enough to make this beer a winner.

Les Freres Houblon - Framboise Triple

Pours a burnished copper color with a hint of pink. Short lived thick head with lots of lace.
Raspberries are all I can get in the aroma. Smells great, almost like when you open a jar of raspberry jam.
Creamy mouth feel.
Raspberry and a hint of citrus with some earthy notes are how this starts out and then a tingling sensation on the tongue in the middle with a drying hop finish.
Very nice. The complex flavors make for an easy drinking brew and I sure could use another.

Les Freres Houblon - La Brunante

Pours a deep red with a thick, clumpy tan head.
The aroma is citrus, coffee and a hint of dark chocolate.
Medium mouth feel. It could be just a touch thicker and creamier.
Lots of citrus make this a refreshing brew. It has chocolate and coffee as well as some caramel tones. I like the sparkling finish on this.

Lindemans - Cuvée René Gueuze Lambic

Pours a slightly cloudy pale amber with a full but fairly short lived white head.
Aroma is slightly sour and fruity, like fermenting apples or pears with touches of spice.
Feel is quite full and creamy.
Taste is a sour and bitter start, lot's of fruit underneath. The taste makes me think of the smell of stored hay and silage from my visits to friends farms. The overall taste is quite tart and it lingers into a fairly dry finish.
It's a completely different tasting beer and really takes some getting used to but it is worth it in the end.
That fist sip is a bit shocking if you have never tried a Gueuze before, but that's what Lambic beers are all about. This one is probably more "traditional" than most we have seen in Ontario.
It took me a few sips to get onto it but when I did I wanted more. I could get used to this in a hurry.
This is a blistering hot and humid day here and I find this to be one of the most refreshing drinks I can think of.

Lvivska Premium Lager

A thick creamy white head on a clear light amber coloured beer.
Aroma is of sour malt and earth.
Feel is medium and slightly creamy.
Taste is quite earthy and lightly flowery. A strong sour malt taste and some sweet honey with a hint of green apple.
Not too bad, quite refreshing and the earthy taste is what I expect from a Euro-Lager. Quite drinkable and a lot more flavour than North American mainstream lagers.

Marston's - Old Empire

Pours golden with a nice white fairly thick head.
Smells like a dead skunk.
Full rich creamy mouth feel.
This is road kill. Clear bottle and light = bad beer.
Why can't they use dark bottles. This does have a nice hop tang to it but it is overpowered by the skunk stink.

Marstons Oyster Stout

A black pour with a thin tan head that doesn't last.
Very light earthy aroma.
Full rich, creamy mouthfeel.
This is nice. Coffee, some dark chocolate and a citrus end that tingles. I wish I had stocked up on these.

Matt Brewing - Saranac Pale Ale

Pours a dark red color with a white head that dissapates very quickly but leaves a thick lace coating in the glass.
Slight fruity aroma. Possibly cherry or berry. Hard to tell.
Nice creamy mouth feel. I like this already.
Sweet tastes. Berries and fruit. Easy to drink. $13.00 a six. It's good but not that good. I can get home grown for less and most U.S. imports for less as well. Still and all a very nice brew.

Meantime Brewing - Meantime Coffee Porter

Pours dark red/black with a huge and lasting tan coloured head.
Aroma of hard roasted grains, almost a burnt smell with hints of a citrus sparkle.
This bodes well.
Feel is very full, creamy and chewy.
Taste is much less burnt than the aroma, an almost delicate flavour of burned whole grain toast with a hint of coffee and chocolate but there is a very bright and sparkling lemon citrus taste over the top of it all which makes this a very drinkable beer. The finish is so bright and clean you just want more.
I like this one a lot.

Microbrasserie du Lievre - La Montoise

Pours a slightly cloudy pale amber colour with a full, white, short lived head.
Aroma is faint, some earth and grapefruit pith.
Feel is quite good, creamy and fairly full.
Taste reminds me of grapefruit with corn syrup. It's a fairly bland pale ale, not bad at all but there is nothing to grab onto in the tastes. A fuller malt base would help or a stronger citrus hop taste, either would give this beer a focus, instead it just comes off as a run of the mill pale ale.

Microbrasserie Saint-Arnould - Vlimeuse

Pours a cloudy dark amber/red with a medium sized, slightly off-white head.
Aroma is faint, hints of pine and citrus.
Feel is quite pleasant, fairly creamy and full.
Tastes are a touch sour with a solid doughy base and some piney, citrus notes. Hints of peach, apricot and green apple. The finish is it's best quality with the light sour taste, some mild honey and a faint spiciness (black pepper maybe). The aftertaste lingers nicely.
I like this one, a large range of tastes and all of them pleasant.

Mill St. Brewing - Lemon Tea

A slightly cloudy, slightly dark amber with a moderate white and lasting head.
The aroma of lemon hits you as soon as you start to pour. In the glass the lemon notes are fainter and a distinct tea aroma comes through.
Feel is nicely creamy and fairly full.
The taste is very smooth, a light lemon and even lighter tea taste with a nice wheat beer base, some dough and even a hint of banana come through.
The finish is lightly tart, bitter, and tannin dry.
Nothing overwhelms anything else in here, it is a well blended beer with a different taste.
Perfect for a hot summer day on the patio.

Mill St. Brewing - Pilsner

A bit darker than a traditional pilsner A thick creamy but short lived white head.
It actually has some aroma. A bit of what I think of as a brew-house aroma, some grainy malt and a light bitter tang.
The feel is quite creamy, a lot better than the mainstream "pilsners".
Taste is fairly full for a pils. Grainy and doughy, a light but noticeable flowery bitter tang in the finish.
This is not bad at all, a full flavoured pilsner, one I could drink regularly. I have to find a pub with this on tap.

Mill St. Brewing - Schleimhammer Roggenbier

Pours a cloudy coppery brown with a thick smooth tan head. Leves a good lace.
Aroma is fairly faint, fruit and bubblegum with a hint of sulphur.
Feel is quite full and rich.
Tastes are very nice, some fruit up front, plums and raisins, hints of pear and maybe peach. Banana follows along with a sourdough taste, some rye bread flavours are in there along with just a hint of toasted grain.
The finish is crisp and fairly dry. It calls out for another one.
A darn good rye beer, I hope it is available for a good long while.

Mill Street Barley Wine - 2011
 
Pours slightly cloudy light chestnut with a thin but lasting, slightly off white head.
Aroma of light alcohol, fruit, maybe apple, raisins, and earth with a light sour note.

Feel is wonderfully smooth, rich, and creamy, like a good Port.
Taste starts out with a strong toast, berry and raisin flavour,  Hints of peach and apple come through followed by a brown sugar sweetness. Very nice. The middle is quite a lot like Port, with a sweetness and almost cloying taste but the finish cleans this up very nicely, a long lasting citrus tingle on the tongue and a bright cider cleanness to it.
I like this years better than last years. It has such a clean finish that you just want more. A great after dinner drink on a cold evening. I suspect this would be even better after aging a few years, it certainly has the body for it. I intend to put a couple away for a while and see how it works out.
 
 

Mill Street Brewery, Tankhouse Ale

It is almost red with a thin white head that is gone quickly.
The aroma is earthiness and some citrus. Very mild aroma.
Mouth feel is creamy.
Very strong citrus bite and the earthiness is very prevelant. It's quite refreashing. It has a nice sparkle to it that makes me want another.

Molson 'M'

Very pale gold with a stong white head.
Not much aroma, just a little citrus.
Thin mouth feel with some carbonation tingle.
Not much flavor. Corn up top with just a hint of citrus. Just another mass produced beer for the masses.
If you like good beer, stay away.

Molson XXX

Pours a light amber with a short lived white head.
Aroma is light. Just some corn.
Full, creamy mouth feel.
Very sweet. The corn is overpowering. Can't taste the alcohol but it does give a slight burn going down.
This is just a strong beer brewed for those who don't like the taste of real beer but want to get buzzed in a hurry.

Mount Begbie Brewing - Nasty Habit

Pours a slightly cloudy dark copper colour with a full and lasting off-white head.
Aroma of grapefruit citrus and hard water.
Feel is full and creamy with a good sparkle.
Taste is grapefruit rind citrus on clean hard water. A honey and brown sugar base, very subdued. The hops take precedence in this one but I really like the noticeable hard water presence. The iron and calcium flavours always make me think of growing up in rural Ontario with our hard well water. It's a taste that stays with me.
I think this beer could use a bit more balance with the malt profile, it's a bit weak for me and doesn't seem to give the hops anything to work against.
Nevertheless, I would drink it anytime.
Edit: I had to come back and add a touch to this since I had been tasting only the top of the bottle. When I poured the bottom of the bottle and tasted I noticed a lot more malt flavour, honey, brown sugar and some straw. It made for a much better blend than I found at the start. I have never noticed this kind of separation in beer before, I don't think it is very common. If you know more about this "stratification" I'd like to hear about it.
Mind you, I wouldn't recommend shaking up the bottle before opening it, just sample it all before making up your mind.

Multi-Brasses - La Gladiamort

Dark copper with a thick, clumpy, long lasting tan colored head. Lots of clinging lace all down the inside of the glass.
A bit of earthy aroma but above all 'alcohol'.
Very thin, watery mouth feel.
I'm disappointed. It poured so beautifully but all I can taste is a bit of berry, citrus but mostly alcohol and more alcohol.

Muskoka Brewery - Mad Tom IPA

Pours a slightly cloudy amber colour with a full and lasting white head.
Aroma is citrus, lemon, orange and grapefruit aromas are all in there, some pine and a hint of brown sugar.
Feel is very full and creamy.
Taste starts with a large hit of citrus hops, not overpowering but right up front. The citrus flavours are a nice blend by themselves with a lemon, pine and faint orange start flowing into a grapefruit finish.
The malt base is very nice with a light sweetness and touches of biscuit dough.
The malt is solid enough to carry the hops well and gives this beer some solid legs.
The finish is largely the light and dry grapefruit bitterness with some mild brown sugar sweetness for balance and it lingers for a long while.
I really like this beer and what Muskoka Brewery has been doing lately with some of their new and seasonal beers. Hope they keep it up, Ontario's Craft brewers are beginning to experiment a lot more and as a beer drinker I think that's great.

Muskoka Cottage Brewing - Muskoka Pilsner Light

Pours a clear yellow with a thick but short lived white head.
Aroma is faintly ginger and honey.
Feel is decently full and creamy.
Taste is quite rich, surprising in a light beer. Lots of sweet doughy malt tastes, hints of ginger and honey and a bright bitter finish which cleans out your mouth so you can't wait for the next sip.
This is a great summertime beer, just screams for a BBQ. If the word 'pilsner' makes you think of mainstream slop you are in for a pleasant surprise.

Muskoka Harvest Ale - 2010

Pours a dark copper colour, clear and with a huge light tan coloured head which hangs around for a long time and finally leaves a full lacing and a nice ring.
The aroma is quite malty with maple sugar and grass along with a light citrus tang.
Feel is very rich, creamy and sparkling.
Taste is a great blend of flavours with grassy malt starting and citrus hops finishing, some nice dark berry and honey or syrup tastes along the way. The whole blend is great and the long and lingering citrus finish with a touch of earthiness and a satisfying dryness makes this a winner in my books.
Kind of a shame that it only comes out once a year, but then again, it gives me something to look forward to.

Muskoka Summer Weiss

A cloudy yellow with a full, creamy, white head.
An aroma of fruit, dark berries and hints of banana or vanilla.
The feel is full and creamy.
Taste is very complex, lots of berry flavours at the bottom with a bright light lemon citrus top. Vanilla and banana come through strongly and make a pleasant lingering finish.
I could drink a lot of these, they make a great summer session beer.

Nektar

Clear amber with a nice clumpy white head. Fair amount of lace.
Slight skunked aroma.
Full creamy mouth feel.
The taste is grapefruit citrus with some honey sweetness, but I may have got a bad batch. It is fairly skunky. This really spoils what otherwise could be a very good beer.

Newcastle Brown Ale

Dark red with a thin off white head.
Very faint aromas. Some fruit and grass.
Medium mouth feel. Typical for English Ales.
Citrus and a hint of cherry with some chocolate and coffee. All the flavors are very mild with nothing dominating. Could be a little more hoppy for my tastes.

Niagara's Best Premium Logger Lager

Slightly cloudy, could be chill haze, a dark yellow and no head.
Aroma of faint citrus and not much else.
Feel is medium and slightly creamy.
Tastes of dough, earth, corn and hints of light citrus.
Not bad up until the finish which is muddy with a nasty and unpleasant bitterness and leaves a coat on the mouth.
Not very pleasant at all due to the finish.
I understand that the brewery is in the process of some changes with a brew pub just opening and I hope they will be putting out some different beers and maybe updating some of their old recipes like this one.

Nøgne Ø - Imperial Stout
 
Pours an inky black with a huge dark tan coloured head which slowly shrinks but never quite disappears completely.
Aroma of roasted coffee, bitter chocolate and a hint of licorice.
Feel is very thick, chewy and good, just like a heavy stout should be.
Taste starts with a strong coffee and bitter chocolate flavour quickly followed by a light citrus taste with a touch of licorice. Lot's of dark berry flavours come through along with a slight burnt whole grain toast.
The finish is milk chocolate and a touch of lingering citrus to brighten it all up.
Very nice beer and just right for a long winter evening. Enjoy this one, it's a keeper. Putting a couple into the stash.
 
 

Nørrebro Bryghus - La Granja Espresso Stout (Ontario Maple Syrup Edition)

Pours a very dark, black with hints of red. A full tan coloured head which vanished quickly.
The bottle was filled right up to the cap, Maybe a quarter inch of space in the neck.
Aroma of maple syrup, hints of citrus (lemon maybe but it's hard to tell) and not much else.
Feel is moderately thick and a bit creamy.
Taste is much milder than I expected. I was looking for a lot more coffee and roasted grain than I found, The coffee, maple syrup and roast grain is there but is faint and moderate. Not much jumps out at me from this one and it is quite pricey at 10 bucks a bottle.
It's a pretty easy drinking stout, no bad habits at all but nothing very special about it either, except for the price.
One is enough for me, I wont be trying to stock up on it but I would certainly drink it if offered.

Nørrebro Bryghus - Nørrebro Julebryg

Pours a cloudy, very dark red/brown colour with a full, creamy, off white and lasting head.
Aroma is full of spices, cloves and ginger come through very strongly. Smells great.
Feel is very rich and creamy.
Taste is very nice, lot's of spicyness with a nice sour touch. A good malt base with touches of dark berries and plums, the clove and ginger tastes are subtle enough to be pleasant without overwhelming the taste and there is a nice clean lemon citrus finish which gives just a touch of sour and cleans things up very nicely.
This is a great Winter Warmer sort of beer, the spicyness is just right and I love the light clean finish.
At $7.50 a bottle it is about the cheapest of the Nørrebro Bryghus line which is currently being featured at the L.C.B.O. and well worth the price to me.

Nørrebro Bryghus - VårTripel 2010

Pours a cloudy straw colour with a huge, rocky, white and lasting head.
Aroma of apples, Ginger, lemon and vanilla.
Feel is very full, rich and creamy.
Taste is quite light. A lot of light fruit flavours, apple and pear. Touches of strawberry and lemon with some light spicyness. Ginger and a hint of cloves. A light citrus sparkle in the finish and a lasting touch of honey and dough to round things out.
A very pleasant beer with almost no alcohol taste despite the 9% content.
Getting a touch pricey at $9.30 a bottle but nice to try once. I don't think I will be stocking up at that price.

Ola Dubh - Special Reserve 12

The first of a series of Ola Dubh beers, all aged in oak Scotch barrels of various ages (the Scotch was aged in the barrels for years, not necessarily the beers).
This one was aged (I don't know how long) in Highland Parks 12 year old single malt Scotch barrels.
On with the review.

Pours a thick viscous deep dark red, almost black. A full tan coloured head which is lasting quite well and leaving a heavy lace on the glass.
The first hint of aroma was there while I poured, alcohol and raisins or maybe prunes. Molasses and dark berries, blackberries I think. A hint of earth and hard water.
Feel is very chewy, rich and thick.
Taste is very full and complex. Starts with raisins and berries, a strong note of roasted grains, like whole grain toast, some nice citrusy brightness over top of a strong sweet berry and honey taste. Any Scotch taste is very subtle but there is an alcohol burn, quite light and mild.
Mostly the tastes are about the raisin, berry, and toast, like a barley wine. The citrus notes are almost a feel rather than a taste and tend to linger a long while, leaving a clean feel in your mouth.
A very good tasting beer but not something I want more than one at a time of. Too complex to appreciate if you had more than a couple.

When I have reviewed all 5 of the Ola Dubh series that is currently available at the L.C.B.O. I hope to do a comparison blog. With that in mind, a 330ML bottle of this "Special Reserve 12" costs $5.95.

Ola Dubh - Special Reserve 18

The third of a series of Ola Dubh beers, all aged in oak Scotch barrels of various ages (the Scotch was aged in the barrels for years, not necessarily the beers).
This one was aged (I don't know how long) in Highland Parks 18 year old single malt Scotch barrels.
On with the review.

Again a viscous and very dark red/black beer with a medium sized tan coloured head which leaves a decent lacing.
The aroma is still heavily into the roasted grain and molasses side but stronger notes of vanilla, peat smoke and alcohol are coming through, still some raisins and dark berry aromas.
The feel is quite similar to the others, thick, rich and creamy.
Tastes are a bit smoother than the others with more of a vanilla and butterscotch hint, The peat smoke is noticeable in this one as is a hint of alcohol. The raisin and dark berry flavours are in there but a little more subtle, competing with the stronger scotch tastes from this one.
The finish is still very clean and refreshing with a berry citrus lingering along with hints of the smoke and light caramel.
I think this is my favourite of the three I have tried so far, more complex flavours and nothing overpowering the other tastes. Everything seems to blend nicely.

When I have reviewed all 5 of the Ola Dubh series that is currently available at the L.C.B.O. I hope to do a comparison blog. With that in mind, a 330ML bottle of this "Special Reserve 18" costs $7.95.

Ola Dubh - Special Reserve 40

The fifth of a series of Ola Dubh beers, all aged in oak Scotch barrels of various ages (the Scotch was aged in the barrels for years, not necessarily the beers).
This one was aged (around 6 months) in Highland Parks 40 year old single malt Scotch barrels.

Pours thick and viscous, like the others. A thin tan head which is disappearing quickly.
Aroma of alcohol, fruit (maybe apples or pears and dark berries), faint hint of smoke and lemony citrus.
Feel is very thick and rich.
Taste starts with a heavy roasted grain flavour, lot's of raisin and plum taste with a strong molasses and chocolate flavor. Any scotch tastes are well hidden but the alcohol does come through noticeably.
I can pick out hints of vanilla and light peat notes.
The finish is chocolate with a nice bright berry and lemon citrus flavour lingering a while.
This is like a good port wine. quite nice as a sipping beer on a cold evening.
I am enjoying it a lot but I keep asking myself whether or not it is worth $18.95 for a 330ml bottle.
I think I will forget the cost for a while and just enjoy the beer as it is.

Old Speckled Hen

I like to call it "That Poxy Chicken Thing" to tease a friend of mine who thinks it is the best there could be, but is really not bad at all.

A deep copper colour with a full and slightly off white head. A perfect looking beer.
Earthy and slightly citrus with geranium stems for the aroma.
Feel is quite thick, more than I expected. A nice surprise.
Tastes start with a lot of malt, grains, bread, toasted grain and some light coffee flavours.
The fairly bright citrus and flowery flavours come through later and are fairly subdued. This beer is mostly about the malt flavours and they are very good and well balanced.
The finish is still toward the sweet side and quite clean. I think this would make a pretty good session beer, I know I could make an evening out of it.

Ölvisholt Brugghús - Lava

Black as tar pour with a clumpy tan head.
Smoky aroma with some soft fruit undertones. Apricot or peach with a hint of apple. Very pleasant this aroma.
Full, rich, creamy mouth feel. Very thick but not cloying.
Complex flavors here. The smoky aroma comes through in the taste and so does the fruit. There is also some earthiness and the finish is a lemony citrus that tops it off just right. I am so surprised that the alcohol taste isn't at all noticeable. Once again I wish I had more. The good ones come to our area in small batches and disappear quickly.

Very Clean tasting Lager with no strong after taste. Almost taste like water so you can chug it with ease! Two thumbs up!

Palm Speciale

Pours a clear dark amber with a thick and rocky white head.
Aroma of orange citrus and honey.
Feel is nice and creamy.
Taste is largely in the citrus hops side with a good solid honey and grass base.
A bright and refreshing light flavoured ale with enough tastes to make me want to drink it.
An orange/peach taste comes through with a very dry finish, nothing overpowers which makes it very drinkable. A good flavourful session beer.

Panil Barriquée Sour

Pours cloudy brown with a clumpy off white head.
Smells like wine with just a hint of alcohol.
Full, creamy mouth feel.
Tastes like a good dry white wine. There is just a hint of alcohol but much lighter than one would find with a true wine. Crisp clean drying finish. Doesn't really taste like beer but it is still quite good. Very interesting idea to age it in old wine casks.

Phillips - Hop Circle I.P.A.

Pours a slightly cloudy amber with a full, coarse, white head.
Aroma is of hard water, raspberries and grapefruit, quite a different aroma from what I expected.
Feel is nicely full and creamy.
Taste is all about the hops, a grapefruit bitterness hits first but is laid onto a nice honey malt base which actually shows hints of cherries or raspberries. Quite nice, a bit different and very hard to describe. A lot of subtle hints that I don't expect in an I.P.A. but which I am certainly enjoying.

I wish I could get more of these but it was a one time gift from a friend.

Picaroons - Feels Good Imperial Pilsner
 
Very cloudy dark yellow with a thick white head.
Hay, citrus and raisin are the aromas I detect.
Very rich and creamy mouth feel.
What a surprise. For a pilsner the citrus hit came as a very pleaseurable experience. Behind that is a good solid malt base. Hay and grain flavors finish this off very nicely. I like this very much. Thanks Mikey!
 

Pump House - Cadian Cream Ale
 
Pale slightly cloudy yellow color with a white head that was gone in seconds.
Slight yeasty aroma, not much else.
Fairly full and creamy mouth feel.
Floral, yeasty flavor with a floral hopped finish that cleans the palate very nicely. I would like another.

Renaissance - Stonecutter Scotch Ale
 
Pours very dark copper, slightly cloudy with a full tan coloured head.
Aroma of earth, raisins, hints of coffee and chocolate and just a touch of alcohol.

Feel is very rich and creamy.
Taste is very good, starts with coffee and dark berries, raisin or dried plum. Honey and rum fill in the middle with a light citrus finish.
A bit on the sweet side but the citrus in the finish cleans it up fairly well. It still leaves coffee and a sweet liqueur feel lingering in the mouth. Reminds me of rum in a lot of ways.
I like this as an after dinner drink but I wouldn't want too many at a sitting.
 

Photos from the "Roast of Sharon" beer tasting.
Click on an image for the full size version.

Rogue Brewing - Chipotle Ale

Slightly cloudy rose with a nice off white head.
Berries and honey make up the aroma.
Full, rich, creamy mouth feel.
Berries right up front with a peppery middle and a drying finish. As it warms the pepper comes to the front. Lots of flavor but as it warms it's starting to hurt a bit.

Rogue Brewing - Morimoto Soba Ale
 
Pours a light orange with a good thick head and lots of lace.
A sour yeasty aroma with some citrus lurking.
Nice and creamy with rich after taste.
Dough and citrus start this off with a some earthiness and a sweet hint of honey finishing with a cleansing citrus hit that rounds it out very nicely. Not bad.
 

Ruddles County English Ale

Dark amber with a thick creamy white head that lasts.
A bit of berry and a bit of earthiness make for a pleasant aroma.
Medium mouth feel.
Fruity malt with a touch of earthiness and a citrus drying finish. Not too bad but certainly not great.

Saint-Arnould - L'Espiègle

Pours a cloudy burnt red color with an off white head.
Aroma is earth and some mild spice.
Full, rich, creamy mouth feel.
A bit of sweetness to start with a bit of dough. It finishes with a hop citrus drying finish that screams for more. Wish I had more.

Samuel Adams Noble Pils

Pours pale yellow with thin white head.
Some citrus, some floral and just a hint of earthiness make up the aromas.
Very earthy. Almost muddy but the citrus levels it out and brings a tingle that lingers on the tongue. It finishes with a mushroom like earthiness and some of the floral flavors to make it a fairly well rounded brew.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Pours golden with a thin white head.
Mostly citrus aroma. Maybe a little spice.
Nice full mouth feel.
The lemon zest stops this from being one of the great ones. Nice tang from the lemon but not enough malt to balance it.

Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry Ale

This is REALLY GOOD!!
I have tried many fruit flavoured beer, the Lambics have always been my favourites by far. This beer gives them a real run for their money.

It pours a cloudy muddy red on amber somehow. The colour is hard to describe and I have done the best I can. The head is large, long lasting, pink and leaving a lot of lace.
The raspberry flavour is predominant but there are other notes in there as well, some sour malt and citrus with a touch of earth.
The feel is quite full and creamy.
Tastes are so complex it is hard for me to describe. The raspberry is up front but there are so many subtle flavours and tastes in there that it is hard to pick them all out.
I get grass and old hay, some earth and various fruits. a green apple tang and even some earthiness.
The finish is a satisfying dry which just makes me want a whole lot more.

This is May 24 weekend, unofficially dedicated to beer so I think I will go crack another one of these, it's a warm and slightly humid day here and this is going down really well. Thanks to the LCBO for getting it on the shelves in time.

Southern Tier - 2XIPA

Pours slightly cloudy, pale gold colour with a huge and lasting white head.
Aroma of pine, citrus and earth with hints of fresh bread dough.
Feel is very rich and creamy.
Taste is a strong hit of pine and grapefruit of the top with a nice sweeter honey and berry flavour underneath.
Bit's of bread and biscuit dough fill in the profile.
The aftertaste is fairly sweet which surprised me after the strong bitter hop start. The sweet malt kicks in and lingers nicely.
I like this one, a great patio beer with a nice full range of tastes and a very clean finish but at 8.2% you best be careful. I suspect that the sweet finish would contribute to a nasty morning after if you over indulge.

Southern Tier - Imperial Choklat Stout

Very dark pour with a brown clumpy long lasting head.
Aroma is chocolate with just a hint of alcohol and citrus.
Beautiful rich creamy mouth feel. Just wonderful on the tongue.
Chocolate, toasted grain, citrus and berry are blended very nicely with just a hint of alcohol in the background.
Finishes with a nice citrus bite that calls for more.
Very nice indeed, but the price is the same as a six pack of everyday big boys junk.

Southern Tier - Imperial Gemini

Slightly cloud, peach colored pour.
Aroma is berries, a touch of citrus and earth and just a hint of alcohol. As it warms an aroma of honey comes forth.
Full rich creamy mouth feel.
The citrus is the first hit followed by a berry like sweetness and some alcohol in the finish. It has a kind of bitter citrusy aftertaste that is not at all offensive in fact it makes it more enjoyable. This is not hard to take.
American brews are getting better and better.

Southern Tier - Imperial Pumking

Pours cloudy amber with a short lived white head, lots of lace on side of glass.
Slight grapefruit citrus aroma with some spice, mostly nutmeg.
Full, rich creamy mouth feel.
Starts out with a malty sweetness which rushes right into a citrus pith flavor. It isn't a bad brew but it just doesn't live up to it's name. I can't detect any pumpkin in either the aroma or the taste. The sweet start and the buttery richness are the best parts of this beer.

St. Ambroise - Russian Imperial Stout
 
Pours thick, black and creamy looking with a full dark tan coloured head.
Aroma of raisins, citrus, a touch of smoke and a light earthiness. Just a hint of alcohol.

Feel is very full and chewy, thick, almost like a milkshake.
Taste is great, lot's of dark roasted coffee and chocolate with raisins, dates and dried apricots mixed in. Just a bit of peat smoke comes through.  A light citrus finish with a touch of earthiness cleans it up nicely and a milk chocolate flavour lingers for a long while. The citrus leaves a clean feeling tingle along the sides of the tongue.
Very good beer, I thought McAuslan's Oatmeal Stout was their best but I think this just beat it. Going to pick up a bunch more for the long winter ahead.

St. Ambroise Vintage Ale 2010

Pours a slightly cloudy dark copper colour with a large, creamy, off-white head. The head slowly reduces to leave a lovely cap and lots of lace.
Aroma is quite faint with hints of toast and raisin.
Feel is very rich and creamy.
Taste is full of rich dark berries and roasted whole grains. Raisins, pears and apple flavours come through with a strong alcohol taste. A bright grapefruit citrus finish gives the beer a clean overall taste.
I drank this one a wee bit on the cool side of what it probably should be served at but it was still excellent.
Treat it like a barley wine. It is a rich beer and deserves to be aged and served at cellar temperature, perhaps I will be more patient with my second bottle.

Stiegl Pils

Pours clear yellow with a very full white head.
Faint aroma of dough and citrus.
Feel is quite full and a bit creamy.
Taste is very doughy with hints of earth, faint citrus and hay.
Quite flavourful although it's all in the doughy malt end. Light enough to session and with some actual flavour. I have had this on tap as well and it is much better from the keg than it is from the can.

The Celt Experience - Golden Ale

Pours a clear golden colour with a thin white head.
Aroma is faint, Hints of citrus and earth is about all I can find.
Feel is quite full and creamy.
Tastes start with a noticeable doughy malt flavour but are quickly overlaid with a nice light grapefruit and floral hop taste. Hints of pine,earth and pepper linger.
There is a good solid bready and sweet malt base and a healthy dose of bitter from the hops to balance the whole thing.
It's definitely a British style pale ale but it is a nicely hopped version which appeals to my North American taste buds.
I could make this a session beer with no problem at all.

Trafalgar Brewing - Bock

Very deep red in color with a short lived off white head.
No aroma I can detect. I don't know if this is good or bad.
Medium mouth feel.
Lots of citrus and some hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Can't taste the alcohol at all. I kind of like it.

Trafalgar Brewing - Bock Lager

Dark red with a short lived off white head.
No aroma. Now I'm worried.
Watery mouth feel.
Mostly alcohol taste with some berry, roasted malt and chocolate. Not too bad at all but I've had better from Trafalgar.
What is the abv on this one?

We are strong supporters of Ontario Craft Brewers. Ask for them at your local LCBO in Ontario or better yet, visit one or all of their breweries. You will be glad you did.

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Trafalgar Brewing - Cherry Ale

Pours a pinkish red color with almost no head to speak of.
Smells a little on the skunky side. This is not good.
Taste is rich and creamy and thats all folks.
Sour cherry taste which is almost totally hidden by the skunky flavor. I live in the Niagara area only 40 miles from Oakville where this is brewed so I am going to Oakville to pick up a couple of these to see if the LCBO somehow messed up this brew in transit. I'll get back to you on this.