CARIB PREMIUM LAGER

5.2% from Trinidad

Shared with my neighbour, poured out of the bottle. The beer poured a clear bright yellow with an average white foamy head, which left no lacing. The nose is mild with hints of cereal, sweetness Glucose syrup is on the ingredients list) , biscuits with a hint of citrus, sulphur and vegetable quality. The taste is very mild too - light lager to begin and the grassy mild grassy hops to finish. This is like a take on an American Macro beer. The body was light and the carbonation was slightly soft. The finish was smooth, crisp and easy drinking. This isn’t a terrible beer - but I do think that sitting in the hot sun on a beach would make it taste better.

ICE HOLE PALE ALE ~ GREAT LAKES BREWERY

5% from Toronto Ontario 40 IBU

Ice Hole is an American Pale Ale is an part of the Project X series. What began as a brew for the staff of GLB has now become a release available from the liquor store and on draught at bars. Sampled on draught the beer pored a slightly hazy bright golden straw colour with a frothy white head. The nose had notes of lemon citrus, grass, pale malts, oregano? and dill (apparently from the Sorachi Ace hops). The taste follows with cereal grain, light malts and a bit of bitterness on the back end. The carbonation is on the soft side and the beer is medium-light in body. Quite drinkable, but not good enough to seek out.

HAWAIIAN UPPERCUT ~ STACK

7% from Sudbury, Ontario

Hawaiian Uppercut is a Belgian style pale golden ale. Sampled on draught the beer poured a lightly hazy beautiful light golden straw yellow colour with a generous white head. The headed good retention and did leave some impressive lacing. The aroma had a ton of tropical fruit; lots of pineapple, citrus (lemon, and clementines, orange, grapefruit), light vinous notes. Belgian yeasts, and a slight resiny note. The beer is only brewed with four ingredients, it is hard to believe those four packed so much fruit flavour. The flavour is slightly sour and which compliments all the sweet flavours of the tropical fruits and citrus. Belgian yeasts appear mid sip and the finish has a nice citrus/leafy hop bitterness. The alcohol is well hidden - there is no alcohol astringency nor is their much evidence of malts. The mouthfeel was full and creamy and the carbonation was moderate. I really enjoyed this! Well done Stack!

LA CLOCHE ~ STACK

6.9% from Sudbury, Ontario

La Cloche is a Belgian style pale ale. Sampled on draught, the beer pours a slightly hazed pale golden straw yellow with a moderate soapy whitish head. The head stuck around for a while before settling into a cap and collar, leaving some decent lacing. The nose contained cereal grains, wheat malts, citrus - lemon and orange i think, some orchard fruits, a touch of clove and banana, and some fruity easy esters. The flavour followed, with pale malts and orchard fruit (apple and apricot) being the more dominant flavours, and cloves, banana, lemon and some residual sugars in the background. The beer is both tart and sweet. The carbonation when poured was overactive but it did calm to a more moderate level after being left to sit for a little while. The body was medium and the mouthfeel has some creaminess. Overall a passable Belgian Pale, but I would have preferred a little less sweetness.

HOLSTEN MAIBOCK ~ HOLSTEN BRAUEREI

7% from Hamburg, Germany

This maibock (helles bock) was sampled from a 500 mL tin. It is advertised as being brewed under the German purity act and only contains four natural ingredients (water, malts, grain and yeast). The beer poured a clear medium amber yellow with an average size bright white head, which disappeared fairly quickly and left no lacing to speak of. That aroma in mostly pale malts, but there are also traces of cereal, bread, alcohol, corn, hay, honey and a little herbal/floral hop. The taste was somewhat sweet, with lots of malts and cereal. The alcohol makes an appearance mid swig and the finish has a light herbal/floral hoppiness to it. The body is medium as is the carbonation. This beer reminds me of an amped up adjunct lager - perhaps not the best example of the style. That being said, it is cheap and cheerful.

PARADISE LOST: RAZZLE DAZZLE ~ BLOOD BROTHERS BREWING 

6% from Toronto, Ontario

Well this one was trip! Razzle Dazzle is one in the “Paradise Lost” series, and it a sour ale brewed with raspberry and vanilla. Sampled on draught it pours an incredible colour of bright intense pink. The nose is really sweet, with vanilla and berries reminding me of cream soda. I think this beer tastes like cream soda with a little extra added sourness. Lots of vanilla and berries gives it a cream soda - jam - Jolly Rancher flavour. I enjoyed one but by the end it was getting cloying. A unique brew.

photo courtesy of Blood Brothers Brewing.

RASPBEERY COCO LAIT ~ MUSKOKA

4.5% from Bracebridge, Ontario 25 IBU

Raspbeery Coco Lait the Moonlight Kettle offering for Febrewary. It is milk stout with chocolate and raspberry. Sampled on draught the stout poured an opaque deep brown black pour with a creamy beige head and some nice lacing. The aroma contained notes of raspberry, roasted malts, and chocolate. The taste was beautiful, the raspberries make an appearance but the brew still retains its ‘stoutness.’ Notes of raspberry and chocolate provides a nice contrast to the roasted malts. The carbonation is soft, providing a creamy mouth feel. I think this is nicely balanced stout, best drunk after dinner in lieu of a dessert. Well done Muskoka!

LOCK MONSTER ~ BEAU’S & TOOTH AND NAIL

5.7% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario 30 IBU

Lock Monster is a collaboration between Beau’s and Tooth and Nail Brewing out of Ottawa. It is the third in a series of collaborations celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday. A portion of the proceeds of these brews support charity (this one goes to Children’s Hospitals of Eastern Ontario) The brew is a fairly traditional Extra Special Bitter. Sampled on draught the beer pours a slightly opaque coppery colour with an off-white foamy head, with some nice lacing. Citrus, apricot, caramel and biscuity malts round out the nose of this traditional brew. The flavour is nicely balanced with malt sweetness and light hop bitterness. The flavour is on the mellow side with notes of toffee, fruit and light citrus, biscuity malts, contrasting with an old world hop bitterness. Some oakiness is present in the aftertaste. The carbonation was moderate.on this medium bodied brew. Overall very drinkable and a pleasant example of this style.

INGREDIENTS: Local spring water, organic barley malts, organic hops, brewer’s yeast.
MALTS: Pale Ale, Caramel 60, Acidulated, Caraaroma (all organic)
HOPS: Organic Goldings, Organic Fuggles
YEAST: English Ale Yeast

HIGHER DIMENSION ~ NICKEL BROOK 

7.5% from Burlington, Ontario

Higher Dimension comes out of Nickel Brook’s Funk Lab. It is a dry-hopped Belgian Amber ale with brett. It is also a collaboration with VQH farms - who are Canadian Hop farmers, and breeders. Sampled on draught the beer poured a murky orange brown with a generous sudsy white head. Some tropical fruit, florals, toffee, dark bread, spice, funk and a touch of rubber on the nose. Those flavours are found in this muddled mixture too. Caramel malts mix with grapefruit and other tropical fruits, with bretty barnyard and a little spice. There is a lot going here, bitter and sour and sweet. The finish has a bitter bite, the carbonation was average and the brew was medium bodied. An interesting experiment but this one misses the mark for me, however it raises awareness of a great cause.

DEAD STICK STOUT ~ BARNSTORMER

5.9% from Barrie, Ontario 24 IBU

Dead Stick is a milk stout. Sampled on draught the beer poured an opaque brown-black pour, with a lasting creamy dense beige head. Lacing was on the thin side. The nose was a melange of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, fruit and some sweetness. The flavour followed suit, with lactic sweetness, coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and a little hop bitterness at the end. The body was medium with a creamy mouthfeel and low carbonation. A smooth stout. Quite drinkable, I would order this again.

IDES OF FEBRUARY (THE HENDERSON CUP) ~ HENDERSON BREWING

7% from Toronto, Ontario 60 IBU

The ides series are a one-off brews. This one is named the Henderson Cup because the brewery put out a contest to home brewers. The winner of the best beer would win $1000 dollars and an opportunity to brew it on a large scale for release. This black IPA with raspberries, made by Ed Hitchcock, took home the cup this year. Ed’s winning beer was a raspberry lambic, but in the name of time, a black IPA was created to incapsulate the spirit if his beer, that wouldn’t take as long to ferment. The beer pours an opaque very dark brown - almost black with a generous beige-khaki head. Lots of dark roasted malts, some raspberry and a variety of hops on the nose. The flavours had notes of chocolate, coffee, and raspberry - kind of like a bitter Black Forest Cake. The taste starts off semi sweet and finishes on with a bitter end. I really liked this, it works.

REGAL LAGER ~ ROYAL CITY BREWING

Regal lager is an unfiltered lager (wouldn’t that make it a kellerbier?) that has been dry-hopped with Hallertau. Sampled on draught the beer poured a clear bright golden yellow with a generous off white sudsy head, which left nice lacing. The nose was ready with some citrus and hops. This is more malty than I would usually expect from a lager, but it is nicely balanced with the hop bitterness. There are also some bright citrus notes before a slightly piney finish. Quite drinkable.

5% from Guelph, Ontario 12 IBU

SQUEEZE PLAY ~LEFT FIELD

Squeeze Play is a small batch kettle sour ale, with blood oranges and Montmorency cherries. It is a one-off brew. Sampled on draught the beer poured a beautiful colour of warm pink, with a golden hue. The beer was almost clear and a moderate white head sat atop the pour. The nose had a tartness with the cherries being the predominant fruit. I have had this ben several times, the first time was the first pour of the keg. The first sample I had a nice light sourness, but also had a little wortiness and sulphur on the finish. Sampled a few days later, the sulphur finish had dissipated considerably. The fruit flavours are there, beginning with the cherry and finishing with the orange. The sour is mild due to the process of souring. Liked it more the second time I drank it. The body is light and the carbonation was on the active side. Simple, but refreshing.

Photo courtesy of Left Field Brewery
5.3% from Toronto, Ontario 8 IBU

RICHARD FINGERS AND THE HANDFULS: HOBO JUNGLE ~ SAWDUST CITY

This limited release is the 6th is Sawdust City’s Winewood Series. It is a blend of two different beer styles, both barrelled in Ontario red wine barrels, one for 20 months and the other for 24 months. The bottles are then bottle conditioned for an additional three months. Sampled on draught, the beer poured an opaque medium rusty red, with a modest off white head. The nose had tons of tart orchard fruit, cherry, with some subtle wood, earthiness, funk and vinous qualities. The taste reminded me of a Flander’s Red. It was lightly sour, with a vinous-vinegar notes, along with lots of fruit, a base of caramel malt, and subtle notes of oakiness and funk. THE finish has tannic tea like quality, the body was medium and the carbonation was on the soft side. This was very flavourful and quite drinkable.

9% from Gravenhurst, Ontario 22 IBU

Photo courtesy of Sawdust City

DESTRUCTOR SERIES 3: WINTER BOCK ~ JUNCTION CRAFT

6.5% from The Junction, Toronto 30 IBU

This doppelbock is the third offering in Junction Craft’s Destructor Series. Sampled on draught the beer poured a fairly clear orange amber brown colour with a thin off white head. The nose contained caramel, some orchard fruits, subtle mineral notes and spice. This beer is quite malt forward with caramel and fruit first, followed by spice, a roasted grains, and grassy hops. The finish is off dry. The body was medium and the carbonation was average. Not spectacular but a very passable bock.

Photo Courtesy of Junction Craft website.