WINTER LAGER ~ WELLINGTON 

6.8% from Guelph, Ontario
This winter lager is a helles bock. Sampled on draught the beer poured a very lightly hazed deep golden-orange with a small white head. As the head dissipated, small wispy lacing remained on the glass. The aroma has notes of grainy malts, light caramel, subtle fruit, and earthiness and herbal earthy hops. The flavour followed as expected from the nose (bready malts, caramel, noble hops). The beer had a slightly warming booziness not the finish. The body was medium (on the heavier side) and the carbonation was moderate. Very pleasant.

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.

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.

SIDE LAUNCH - GERMANIC BOCK

This Germanic Bock (strong, dark German style lager) is part of the ‘Ships of Collingwood Series’ ~ somehow this pays homage to the last wooden ship built in the Collingwood Shipyards in 1899. Sampled on draught the beer poured a tawny amber colour with a frothy head. The nose contained lots of caramel, roasted malts (Munich malt was liberally used in brewing) and a very subtle dark fruit. The flavours follows as would be expected, lots of malty goodness, with enough hops to complement the malts. Caramel and berry fruitiness become more evident as the beer warms. The berries linger in the finish. A very nice offering.

6.1% from Collingwood, Ontario