HAZY AFFAIR ~ MUDDY YORK BREWING

Hazy Affair is an American style Wheat beer. There has been a late hop addition along with dry hopping in the brewing process (Sorachi Ace and Galaxy were used). Compared to their “German cousins’ style wise the yeast qualities are dialled down. Sampled on draught the beer poured a cloudy straw yellow with a moderate foamy white head. Aroma has lots of lemon and some wheat, with citrus hops at the end. Flavour follows nose – lots of citrusy goodness with a good kick of grapefruit hops. Lots of flavour in this one! The carbonation was moderate-soft and the mouthfeel was medium. Great flavour – wheat with an edge! A nice transitional beer as summer finishes and cooler breezes prevail.

4.5% from Toronto, Ontario 21 IBU

WATERLOO DARK ~ BRICK BREWING

Brick was one of the first widely available craft breweries in Ontario. I haven’t had one in years! Waterloo Dark is a Euro Dark Lager. Sampled from a bottle poured into a tulip. The beer poured a clear dark cola brown with hints of ruby. It had a moderate light beige head, which dissipated quickly, leaving a ring and light lacing. The aroma was roasted malts and grains, a hint of molasses, with very subtle hops and a slight metallic tinge. The flavour is surprising mild; light roasted malts, a touch of caramel and coffee an occasional sour and metallic note with a grassy finish. The mouthfeel was on the thin side; the carbonation was moderate and a slightly dry finish. This is a smooth, non-offensive, easily quaffed beer.

5% from Waterloo, Ontario 14 IBU

BRETT FARMHOUSE (LAB SERIES 2 – 2016) ~ NICKEL BROOK 

Yet another great offering from the ‘Funk Lab.” This brew is farmhouse ale brewed with brettanomyces. Sampled on draught the beer poured a slightly hazy rich golden yellow with a moderate bone white head. The head didn’t last long, and only left scant lacing. The nose has lots of stone fruit, along with cereal grains, citrus, spicy Belgian yeast (three strains of saison yeast were used), pepperiness and funk. The flavour followed the nose with hints of funk and sour, Belgian yeast, wheat, light fruitiness and pepperiness at the end, along with citrusy-grass hops. The beer was not as sweet as the nose may have suggested. The body was light to medium, carbonation was lively and the finish was quite dry. This beer is crisp and bright and nicely balanced. Will revisit this one.

5.8% from Burlington, Ontario 23 IBU 

SAISON DANS LA MAISON ~ MUSKOKA & LE TROU DE DIABLE

This saison is another in a series of anniversary collaborations and one-off beers marking Muskoka’s 30th birthday. This was a collaboration with Quebec’s Trou du Diable and is a saison brewed with guava. Sampled on draught the beer poured a slightly hazy unfiltered golden straw colour with a thin white head, that reduced to a ring. The aroma contained lots of citrus, with some fruity esters, sweet malts, spice and grassy/floral hops. This was a decent saison, but I got very little of the guava, until a touch in the finish. It was light and fruity, with subtle notes of tropical fruit, tart citrus, floral hops. The beer was light and crisp, with little sweetness. Quite decent!

6.5% from Bracebridge, Ontario & Shawinigan, Quebec

  COFFEE TOP ~ HENDERSON’S BREWING

Coffee Top is not actually a beer but a beer cocktail, served at the Henderson’s Brewery.  The beer is Henderson’s Best, their flagship Amber Ale, served with a top of cold brewed coffee from Station Brewers.  Sampled at the brewery the beer cocktail was a clear amber colour with a generous frothy bone coloured head.  The amber ale and the coffee worked remarkably well together.   The sweetness from the malts and the hoppiness of the ale married nicely with the coffee.  Who knew?

4.8% from Toronto, Ontario   40 IBU

Coffee Top is the last in the row.  

JEVER PILSNER ~ FRIESISCHES BRAUHAUS ZU JEVER

Sampled from a tin, this pilsner pours a fairly clear golden straw yellow with a frothy white head, and a steady steam of effervescent bubbles. The head lingered and left nice lacing as it receded. The nose was fairly mild with notes of faint malts, light citrus, lightly toasted bread and grassy hops. The flavour is sharp – light crackery malts and grassy/herbal hop bitterness. I thought it missed a little sweetness to complement the hops. The finish was light, dry, sharp, and had a little bitter bite. The mouthfeel was the medium end of light; the carbonation was lively and prickly. Jever has all the typical lager flavours, just a little amped up from the usual fare. Straight forward, simple and crisp but a little lack-lustre.

4.9% from Jever, Germany

DUPLICITOUS (LAB SERIES 7 2016) ~ NICKEL BROOK

Duplicitous is a dry hopped gose from Nickel Brook’s funk lab. I believe Nickel Brook and Collective Arts have either combined forces or sharing a brewery. ickel Brook’s old brewery in Burlington has now become their Funk lab releasing their Brett based and sour beers. Sampled on draught the beer poured a light lemony yellow with a thin white head. The nose has a light sourness, little briny and grains and citra hops. The taste is quite bright and not too sour. The flavour has lots of lemon, a bit of sweet wortiness, a subtle amount of salt and that lovely dry hooped flavour from citra hops. The mouthfeel is on the thin side. The beer is refreshing and very approachable. Really enjoyed the funk labs offerings this year.

4% from Burlington, Ontario 0 IBU

ABBOT ALE ~ GREENE KING

Abbot Ale is an ESB and is Greene King’s flagship beer. Sampled from a tin the beer poured crystal clear rich dark orange-brown amber with a dense white creamy head that left excellent lacing. The nose contains some caramel malts, yeasty bread, stone fruit, floral /leafy hops. The leafy hop comes forward on the taste balanced and complemented by the toasted malts; there is also subtle florals, fruits, caramel and an earthiness. The finish is slightly drying with a mild bitterness, and metallic taste. The body was at the low end of medium, the carbonation was soft, and the mouthfeel was smooth and somewhat creamy with help the nitro widget. This beer hit the spot as a neighbour and I chatted on a hot day. Simple but nicely balanced.

5% from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

KELLERBIER ~ SMITHAVEN'S

(formerly SMITHWORKS)

Kellerbier or cellar beer is an unfiltered lager. Sampled from a bottle, the beer poured a cloudy golden yellow, with a two finger billowy white head that receded to a cap, leaving some nice lacing. The nose is mild with subtle noble hops and light cereal grain malts. The is a lovely effervescent stream of bubbles that give you a little bite off the top, followed by crackery cereal grains and dry floral/herbal hops. There is a very light sweetness complemented by some bitter citrus. The beer is medium bodied with prickly lively carbonation. The finish was off dry. This is quite a palatable and flavourful straightforward brew, I look forward to another.

5.2% from Peterborough, Ontario

FLIGHT DELAY ~ BARNSTORMER BREWING

 

Flight Delay is a delicious IPA with mango. Sampled on draught the beer poured an unfiltered deep golden-amber with a generous frothy off-white head, that left thick lacing. The nose contains some bready malts, yeast, mango, tropical fruit, oranges, grapefruit and resiny hops. The taste is well balanced. A solid malt backbone stands up to the juicy bitter grapefruit-pine hops. More subtle caramel malts, citrus and mango linger in the background. The sweetness of the fruit and bitterness of the hops are an excellent marriage in this bold flavour explosion. The palette was medium bodied and the carbonation was moderate, and the finish was dry but had a lingering bitterness.

6.5% from Barrie, Ontario IBU 85+
Malts: Canadian two row and Crystal
Hops: Magnum, Chinook, Centennial and Citra
Yeast: California Ale

BATCH 5000 ~ BEAU’S

Batch 5000 is a limited edition celebratory brew (In their Wild Oats Series) from Beau’s marking their…you guessed it 5000th batch of beer and 10th anniversary. It is “Wild Ontario Farmhouse Ale” made with Ontario wheat, hops and wild yeast from the Escarpment yeast lab. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a slightly hazy yellow gold with a moderate white billowy head, which left great lacing. The nose contains lots of tropical fruit especially pineapple, a little bretty funk, lemony citrus, herbals, wheat malts and some wine like characteristics. The taste has lovely levels of complexity, white pepper, lemony citrus, herbal notes, Brett sourness, subtle yeast and wheat malts. The finish is drying with leafy hops, and citrus. The carbonation was fine and lively, and the body was medium-full with a creamy feel. This is one of the nicest saison I have had in a while…I just wish the draught wasn’t so expensive! Congratulations Beau’s! Bravo on the brew!

7% From Vankleek Hills, Ontario

SUN KICKED (FATES & FURIES) ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE 

Sun Kicked is part of Indie Ale House’s “Fates and Furies” series. The series looks back to older brewing styles and wild yeast or barrel aging is often part of the process. This beer is an Imperial Wit made with blood oranges, that has been barrel aged in cognac and tequila barrels and then re-blended. Sampled from a Growler, the beer poured a hazy golden orange colour with a white head. The nose contains lots of tartness, fruit , with hints of booze and wood. The flavour has a nice complexity to it: sourness first, with a bit of funk, bready yeasts, some wood, wisps of cognac, citrus, tart berries, and fruit. The body was medium, carbonation was soft and the finish was smooth and buttery. A very delicious sour beer that could easily compete with its European counterparts. Bravo, what a treat!

7,5% from Toronto, Ontario IBU < 10

POKÉ MANGO FIND YOURSELF (IDES OF AUGUST) ~ HENDERSON’S

Poké ManGo Find Yourself is Henderson’s Brewing seasonal for the month of August. The beer is a passion fruit and mango infused IPA. Sampled at the brewery, the beer poured bright golden orange amber with a thin white head. The aroma had some tropical fruit and a good hop bite with notes of tropical fruit and subtle pine (Comet, Bell and Nugget hops were used in the brewing). The beer has some subtle fruitiness and a little tartness, but the fruitiness is not easily identifiable as mango. The body was medium, carbonation moderate and the finish was clean with a good bitter hop kick. IPA’s are not my favourite style but I enjoyed this one very much. Another hit from Henderson’s.

4.8% from Toronto 50 IBU

FOOD TRUCK ~ HENDERSON'S BREWING

Food Truck is a blonde ale, brewed to go with a variety of food. It is meant to complement a meal, rather than compete with it, leaving the food in the spotlight. The beer is mild, easy drinking, thirst quenching and easily sessionable. Sampled on draught, at the brewery, the beer poured a clear light golden colour, with a moderate white head. The head lasted for a while before leaving some nice lacing as it receded. The nose contains bread crust, stone fruit and citrus, and some floral hop notes (Nugget and Ella hops). The flavour has a nice balance of light malts and light bitterness, with some stone and tropical fruit notes. The body was light and somewhat creamy and the carbonation was moderate. Very simple, very drinkable.
4.8 % From Toronto IBU 19

RADICLE WHEAT (IDES OF JULY) ~ HENDERSON’S BREWING

Radicle Wheat was Henderson’s limited edition brew for July 2016. It was brewed for Toronto’s 55th Annual Toronto Art Exhibition. The beer uses prairie wheat and Belgian yeast in its recipe. Sampled on draught the beer poured a cloudy golden straw colour. The aroma contained the typical hefe aromas of orange peel, banana and coriander. This was a very nice example of the style and with lots of fruits esters ands spicy Belgian yeast. There was lots of fruit and a subtle sweetness before a crisp tart finish. Very pleasant on a hot day.

5.2% From Toronto 20 IBU

HEFFY ANNIVERSARY ~ MUSKOKA AND HOWE SOUND BREWING

This is collaboration between two breweries, each celebrating their twentieth anniversary this year: Muskoka in Collingwood, Ontario and Howe Sound in Squamish, British Columbia. This collaboration is a limited release. Heffy anniversary is a dry hopped hefeweizen. Sampled on draught the beer poured an opaque rich gold, with a billowy white head. Citrusy and floral hops were dominant in the aroma with more subdued banana, clove, and biscuity malts in the background. The hefe flavours lose some of their nuances, as they are overpowered by the hops. The beer starts with lots of hops, with a touch of grapefruit, and then some of the hefe flavours come through with faint fruity esters and wheaty grains. The beer had a medium mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. The finish was crisp, dry and slightly bitter. I enjoyed this one, but it could have been a little subtler.

5% from Collingwood, Ontario and Squamish, British Columbia 40 IBU

PIE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS ~ BRIMSTONE BREWING

This saison, with a very long name is a collaboration between Brimstone Brewing Co. and Piskie Pie’s in St. Catherine’s. It is a one of limited edition brew. The saison was brewed using fresh pies in the mash and adding fresh strawberry and rhubarb in the secondary fermentation. Sampled on draught, the beer pours an opaque golden orange, with hints of pink. The nose contained biscuity grains, subtle strawberry and rhubarb. The delicious saison had lovely flavours. The biscuit malts mimicked a piecrust. The fruits were subtle but the sweet strawberry was perfectly complemented by tart rhubarb. The beer has a smooth, dry crisp finish with fruits lingering in the aftertaste. A most delicious brew – so good I had two and hope fully it will be on draught for a little longer.

5% from Ridgeway, Ontario 30 IBU

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER ~ ROYAL CITY BREWING

This beer is a little bit of a mystery for me. My local has it labelled “Last day of Summer,” but I suspect it also goes under the moniker of “Carden Street Raspberry Wheat.” – perhaps it is a regional thing. The beer is supposed to be a raspberry wheat beer, which is my second mystery – I get no raspberries at all in this brew.
Sampled on draught, the beer poured orangey- golden in colour with a generous white head with good retention. There was a lovely refreshing crispness in this sessionable brew. The mouthfeel was medium as was the carbonation and the finish had a pleasant hop bitterness. I would not classify this as a wit beer as I go no typical (banana, etc.) flavours of the style, it almost tasted more lagerish. A pleasant drinking beer with a whole lot of mystery, and no raspberries.
5.2% from Guelph, Ontario
Photo courtesy of Royal City Brewing

STRAWBERRY CIDER ~ KW CRAFT CIDER

Sampled on draught this cider poured a crystal clear delicate pale apricot colour, with no head – a very pretty cider! The nose contained bright tart green apples and jammy strawberries. The taste was exactly what was expected from the nose: tartness from the apples and sweet strawberry goodness. Though the base of the cider is dry apple cider, it is sweet. The sweetness is not enough to be cloying, and maintains a refreshing quality. Simple tasty and refreshing, especially is our unseasonably hot September.

6.7% from Waterloo, Ontario

CITRA GROVE ~ BENCH BREWING

Bench brewery is a newly opened micro/nano brewery in the Niagara escapement surrounded by vineyards and orchards. Located in Beamsville, in an old school house, Bench Brewery is striving to stay local in their ingredients. Citra Grove is dry hopped sour beer. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a slightly opaque pale yellow, with a thin white head. There was lots of dry – hopped citra on the nose as well as a tart sourness and fresh lemony citrus. The favour follows just as you expect from the nose. The beer is pleasantly sour, not too mouth puckering, but just enough (not quite as sour as a Berliner weisse, but getting there). The dry hopping imparts it’s own unique flavour. The citrus takes on a grapefruit quality with the hops. This is a simple brew and an interesting idea. Bright and refreshing.

6% from Beamsville, Ontario 14 IBU

WALKERVILLE WIT ~ WALKERVILLE BREWERY

Sampled on draught Walkerville Wit poured a hazy opaque yellow gold with a small white head. The head had little retention, and diminished to a film, leaving some lacing behind. The nose contained notes of citrus, Belgian yeast, wheaty grains, with hints of orange and coriander. The taste, which was slightly sweet, contained light malts, yeasty esters, light coriander, doughy graininess, a pinch of pepper, and orange and lemon citrus. The finish had a lingering citrus and little bitterness. The body was on the light side the beer was carbonated moderately with fine bubbles. This is quite a serviceable example of the Wit style – thirst quenching and refreshing but a little on the safe side.

4.9% from Windsor, Ontario

TSINGTAO ~ TSINGTAO BREWERY 

青岛啤酒股份有限公司

Tsing Tao is China’s second largest brewery. It was founded in 1903 by German occupiers and settlers. It is a Euro lager. Sampled from a green bottle, the beer poured a very clear light golden yellow with a small white head, that had little retention. Mild malt, slight earthiness and rice and grains met skunk on the nose. The taste, which is very mild, included a tiny bit of graininess and some funky skunk. The finish was crisp, mouthfeel watery and carbonation was prickly. I am not a fan of the style, which I find less than mediocre but I suppose that a non-skunky bottle would pair well with some Chinese food.

4.7% from Qingdao, Shandong, China

RHIZOME ~ FOLLY BREWPUB

Every time Folly brews a new batch of Rhizome, their rye infused American Farmhouse ale, they choose two hops to blend and use in their brew – so each batch is different. This time the combination was Centennial and Cascade. Sampled on draught the beer poured a light golden yellow with a generous white head, which left nice lacing. The nose was light and what you would expect from farmhouse ale with touches of citrus. The taste was combination of saison with an American hop presence. There is a little sourness, a touch of rye, funk, spicy yeast with floral, pine and citrus grapefruit hops at the end. The finish is dry and a somewhat bitter the carbonation was average and the mouthfeel was medium. An interesting brew!

6% from Toronto, Ontario

PEACH UBER ~ NICKEL BROOK

Peach Über is a release from the 2016 Lab Series, from Nickel Brook. It is Nickel Brook’s Berliner Weisse (soured with lactobacillus during the sour mash process) with the addition of peaches. Sampled on draught the beer poured an opaque yellow body with the slightest hint of peach colour, with a generous foamy white head, which disappeared quickly. The aroma contained fresh peach and sour Berliner weisse traits, lemon and some subtle grains. My first sip was very peachy – not artificial peach, but a juicy peach picked right from the tree. After the first sip I found the peach to sit more in the background, as moderate sourness and citrus did it’s refreshing magic. There is a very subtle graininess and floral notes hat compliments the sour. The carbonation was lively, the mouthfeel was medium and the finish was tart, lightly drying and thirst quenching on an unseasonably hot day. A nice summer sour bomb!

4% from Burlington, Ontario

SPIRIT OF INDIA ~ REVEL CIDER

Revel Cider has produced some stellar and creative ciders this year. This is another winner. Spirit of India is a cider aged on gin botanicals with tamarind fruit, no added sugar and wild yeast. Sampled on draught the cider pours a slightly opaque straw yellow, with the slightest tinge of green with a small ring of bubbles. The smell of fresh baked spiced apple crisp is most prominent on the nose but the gin botanicals (juniper) are also evident. The cider begins with tamarind and juniper first. The tamarind offers a rich tangy sweetness, followed by subtle fruit. The cider then finishes tart with notes of the gin botanicals and spicy wild yeast. The carbonation was moderate and the body was medium. This is a lovely combination of flavour. Revel Rocks!
6.9% from Hamilton, Ontario
Photo Courtesy of Revel Cider

MAGIC MISSILE ~ HALO BREWING

Magic Missile is an incredibly tasty dry hopped pale ale. Sampled on draught the beer poured a slightly hazy deep golden orange colour with a moderate foamy head. The head did not linger but left some lacing. The aroma contained notes of tropical fruit – papaya, orange, and mango with a biscuit bready body, floral and earthy notes and piny resiny hops. The taste to has lots of tropical fruit notes, with some discernible grains and citrusy-piny hops. The hop presence if abundant but not overly bitter. The hops lingered in the aftertaste. The beer was full bodied with moderate carbonation. I really enjoyed this one and will and can’t wait to return to it. Looking forward to trying more from this newish brewery. Excellent drinking.

Malts: Bohemian Pilsner, Carapils, Caramel 40L, Special W, Toasted Flaked Wheat
Hops: Magnum, Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, Citra
Yeast: London III Ale
Adjuncts: Dextrose

5.6% from Toronto, Ontario 34 IBU

Photo Courtesty of Halo Brewing

BATCH: 1904 ~ BRICKWORKS CIDERHOUSE

Batch 1904 is a cider modelled after the British dry tart ciders. Brickworks Ciderhouse uses only Ontario heritage apples (Ida Red and Macintosh) from Georgian Bay and Niagara in their single ingredient cider. It is named after the date of the great Toronto fire, which wipe out much of downtown. Sampled from a tin the cider pours a clear bright straw yellow with a small cap and moderate carbonation. The nose was fragrant and full of fresh orchard apples, a hint of wild yeast and perhaps some floral notes. The taste is a pleasant balance between tartness and a gentle fruity sweetness. It has a crisp acidity, an almost dry finish and a lightish body. A solid and straightforward cider.

5% from Toronto, Ontario

GRASSHOPPER WHEAT ALE ~ BIG ROCK BREWERY

I have not had a Grasshopper in many years. It, at one time, was my go to beer. I remember it as being mild and citrusy. I ordered it for a trip down memory lane. It is a kristallweizen, which means it is a filtered Wheat beer. The wheat all comes from the Lethbridge area and the malts from central Alberta. Sampled on draught with a wedge of lemon the beer poured a clear bright straw yellow with a moderate billowy off white head. The head left scant lacing as it receded. The aroma was very mild, with hints of bready wheat, and citrusy fruit. There was also sweetness in the smell and some malts. The beer was much milder and sweeter than I recalled. The beer begins with sweet malts, followed by lemon citrus and finished with very mild hops. The body was light and the carbonation was on the low side of average. Refreshing, and easy to drink but a little pedestrian.
5% from Calgary, Alberta
Hops: Willamette and Saaz Hops
Malt: Pale and Wheat Malt

BEER SNOB ~ SHILLOW BEER CO.

“Beer Snob” is Shillow’s brewery second flagship beer. It is Belgian Rye Ale. Sampled on draught, it poured orangey amber with a good-sized white head, which left nice lacing. The aroma contained spicy rye, and a fruit, with floral hops and estery Belgian yeast. I really like the combination of the spice in the rye malts (It’s brewed with pale malt base with rye malt and a touch of Abbey malt) and complexity of the Belgian yeasts. The English floral hops provide a nice finish and complement the spiciness of the beer. The carbonation and body were both medium. A very pleasant beer, I will return to this one!
5.6% from Toronto, Ontario

MOONLIGHT KETTLE SUMMER SAISON ~ MUSKOKA BREWERY

This beer was the very first ‘Moonlight Kettle’ when the series started; it seems to be a rerelease of a popular ‘kettle’. Sampled on draught the beer poured a dark unfiltered gold- amber with a generous off dense white head and great lacing. The nose contained notes of spicy Belgian yeast, clove, tropical and citrus fruit, cereal grains and pepper. Though Muskoka has called this a summer saison, judging from the boozy ABV and the full-bodied taste, this seems more like autumn drinking to me. This is an amped up saison, lots of flavour – light caramel malts, peppery Belgian yeasts, fruit, earthiness, breads, clove and coriander. The body was medium and the carbonation was on the lively side of moderate. I really enjoyed this; it is nicely balanced, complex but approachable.

7% from Bracebridge, Ontario 31 IBU

MUDDY BEAGLE ESB ~ MUDDY YORK BREWING

I have been pretty impressed with some of the offerings from this Brewery. Muddy Beagle is an ESB and part of their Commonwealth series. The Commonwealth Series are all collaborations with other breweries or restaurants or in this case a home brewer. This ESB was developed in collaboration with home brewer David Green and named after his puppy. Green, originally from England, developed this beer looking for a taste of home and entered into the “People’s Pint Event” which earned him the opportunity to brew with Muddy York. Sampled on draught the beer poured a slightly hazy amber colour with a moderate bone coloured head. Caramel malts begin the nose followed by with roasted grains, an earthiness and hops. The flavour followed the profile of the nose with a rich malty caramel flavour to begin along with roasted grains and a good dose of hops at the end. The body was medium and the carbonation was moderate. Really enjoyed this, another winner form Muddy York.

5.5 % from Toronto 40 IBU