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

LON’S ESB ~ BIG RIG

Lon’s ESB is an English inspired ESB, brewed with a whole leaf hops from East Kent, England and using a heap load of Hugh Bairds Crystalized barley to give it its rich colour and caramel flavours. Sampled on draught the beer poured a fairly clear dark amber with garnet hues. It has a small off head head which disappeared quickly, but did leave some patchy lacing. The nose had notes of caramel, bread roasted malts, English herbal hops and a hint of nuttiness. The flavour also has notes of lightly roasted malts, caramel, grainy cereal, nuts and grassy herbal English hops. The beer was medium bodies with moderate carbonation and the finish was mildly bitter. A decent ESB.

5.2% from Ottawa, Ontario

ACROSS THE POND ENGLISH SPECIAL ALE ESB ~ HIGH PARK BREWERY

High Park Brewery is still relatively new (it started summer of 2015) and I believe still brewing under contract. Sampled on draught this beer poured a lovely clear coppery orange colour with a small off white head, which receded quickly. The nose had the qualities typical of an English bitter, with some English floral hops (and some notes of North American ones too), caramel, bread, and some subtle herbal and mineral notes. The taste follows, with caramel, grass, and toasted bread to begin, with a toasty herbal bitterness emerging mid sip. The body was medium and the carbonation was average. A lovely example of the style. I look forward to more brews from this brewery.

5.5% from Toronto, Ontario 42 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

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

CHESHIRE VALLEY ~  ESB
(unfiltered)

My local was lucky enough to get a keg of unfiltered ESB. Sampled on draught the beer poured a hazy honey golden amber colour with sudsy bubbles, much like you find on a cask pull. The bubbles quickly receded leaving light lacing. The nose has notes of floral English hops, hint of piney hops, bready malts, caramel, touch of citrus and a subtle fruitiness. Taste much as would be expected from the nose. The toasted caramel malts are nicely balanced with floral hop bitterness. Notes of delicate fruits, spice and nuts are also present. The carbonation is soft and the body is medium. The brew is chocked full of flavour, easily quaffable and because of its ABV very sessionable too. A proper English Ale.
4.8% from Toronto, Ontario

ESB ~ COUNTY DURHAM BREWING COMPANY

Sampled on draught, this ESB poured a coppery orange with a white head, which left streaks of lacing. The mild aroma contained notes of plums, molasses, caramel, light malts, floral hops and a sweetness. The taste contains lots of biscuity malts, fruit (like plum perhaps), a little citrus and mild floral earthy hops. The beer was sweet and malty, and lacked some complexity. It had a thinner mouthfeel than I would have expected from an ESB and the carbonation is soft. A pleasant very drinkable but innocuous brew.

5% from Pickering, Ontario

FIRESIDE ESB ~ COLLINGWOOD BREWERY

Tried this British style Extra Special Bitter on draught. The beer poured a clear coppery hue with a resilient off white head, which left some webby lacing. There was little visible carbonation. It had a typical ESB nose with caramel and biscuity malts up front and plum and dried fruit in the background. A little spice and earthy floral hops were also evident but buried. The taste contained lots of malt, grains, with a mild bitterness and plum and other orchard fruit in the background. The finish was drying. The brew was smooth with a moderate body and medium-low carbonation. Very nicely crafted, a safe bet to those who like the British beers.

5.8% from Collingwood, Ontario

EQUILIBRIUM ESB ~ NICKEL BROOK 

Sampled on draught, this beer poured a hazy copper with a frothy white head. The head retention was average and it left spotty lacing as it disappeared. The subdued nose had biscuit malts with mild nuttiness, fruity yeasts, leafy hops and toffee. This ESB, as the name may suggest, was hoppier than I am used to in an ESB. Nickel Brook made a concerted effort to balance the sweet malts with a generous amount of hops, and have achieved a satisfying balance. The taste mostly follows the nose with grainy caramelly nutty malts, fruity yeast, an earthiness and a leafy English hops. The carbonation is moderate giving the beer a creamy mouthfeel and crisp finish. The body has a medium mouthfeel. Overall I very much enjoyed the balance in this beer, I can definitely see myself quaffing more.

5.5% from Burlington, Ontario IBUs: 43

BEST ~ HENDERSON’S

Move over, there is room for all; there is a new kid on the block. Henderson’s is a brand new brewery in Toronto; currently contract brewing while their new space in the Junction is completed. Henderson’s is an up start by Steve Himel and brewmaster Mark Benzaquen, two industry veterans. This interpretation of an ESB was sampled on Draught at the release party. The beer poured the most beautiful colour of deep amber with red highlights. The small off white head lingered and left some lacing. Lovely floral fragrant hops dominated the nose with subtle malts in the background. The beer is based on a traditional ESB recipe with the English hops removed and replaced by North American west coast hops (Amarillo, cascade and one other). The beer has also been late hopped and dry hopped. Needless to say the beer is quite hop forward for an ESB…more like the offspring of an English IPA and an ESB. This is a very sessional beer and I look forward to a broader release.
The beer is named after Robert Henderson, believed to be the first commercial brewer in what was then York, but now Toronto. The original Henderson’s brewery dates back to 1800 and was located at Clinton and Henderson Street, (where the Monarch Tavern now sits and was the location of the flagship’s beers release).

5% from Toronto, Ontario

C2C ~ FLYING MONKEYS

Flying Monkeys motto is “Normal is Weird” so it seems fitting that this concoction is brewed by them.  This is a really bizarre beer…in a good way.  It is a Sour ESB.  The beer pours a very strange off-putting murky brown orange, not unlike something you may find in a diaper.   It has lots of sour apple, and berry and acidity on the nose. It is mouth-puckering sour with a plethora of different flavours.  The smorgasbord of flavour included raspberry, sour green apple, apple cider, and a touch of vinegar, spice, subtle maltiness and herbal flourishes.  A strange one, but I enjoyed it!

5% from Barrie, Ontario