GOLD STAR ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

5% from Toronto, Ontario IBU <10

Gold Star is a lovely saison from Indie Ale House. Sampled on draught it pours a slightly hazy golden hue with a small white head, that left some scant lacing . The nose had some funky brett notes along with citrus, light pepper, biscuity malts, straw and floral hops. The taste also has notes of funk, pepper, spice, light fruity esters, lemon, hops and a grassiness. The brett is not over done and leaves a pleasant taste. The finish is off dry and moderately bitter, the mouthfeel is clean, the body is moderate and the carbonation is on the soft side. A very peasant brew, not overly done, with a slightly sour refreshing quality.

GRENDEL’S REVENGE ~

INDIE ALE HOUSE 

Grendel’s Revenge is part of the Fates & Furies Series and is a blend of an Old English Ale and a Flanders Sour Brown Ale. The beer is brewed with a house wild yeast strain and then aged in port, red wine and Medeira barrels for one to three years. Different vintages have been blended together for limited edition releases. I was lucky to have tried this on draught and have returned for several times to have some more. The ale pours a cloudy reddish amber brown colour with a small beige head, that left nice lacing. The nose is both sour and woody, with lots of vinous and dark fruity notes along with rich malt, spice, and other orchard fruits. The taste has a lovely complexity to it. It is rich, funky, tart and sweet. Again there are lots of wine and dried and fresh fruit notes on the palette, along with an oakiness, light spice, subtle brett and sweet malts. None of the flavours predominate. The beer is medium bodies with lazy carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. The finish has a very mild bitterness with a long sour finish. Overall a beautiful beer.
8.5% from Toronto, Ontario IBU 25—30
Key Ingredients: Dry English Ale Yeast

RITUAL MADNESS ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Ritual Madness, a Flanders Dark Red Ale,  is another offering in Indie Ale House’s Fates and Furies Series. It is a traditional Belgian Flanders barrelled on grape must in red wine barrels. The final product was blended to achieve the final product. Sampled on drought the beer poured a clear dark coppery-red cola colour with a small off-white head. The nose has some complexity with notes of tart berries, wood, leather, musty and lactic notes. The flavour is a balance of sour, tart fruitiness and rich malts. Notes of cherries, and dark fruit, wood, and wine are also evident. The finish has a lingering tanginess. The body is medium to full, the carbonation was slightly soft and the alcohol is well hidden. A beautiful example of the style!
8% from Toronto, Ontario 20 IBU
Key Ingredients: Flanders Yeast, Belgian Malts, Wine Barrels

Photo Courtesy Of Indie Ale House

SUNKICKED ANEJO ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

This brew is a barrel aged imperial wit. This is the second version being barrelled aged in tequila barrels instead of cognac barrels. Sampled on draught the beer poured a hazy laden orange with a finger off- white head. The head left very nice lacing as it receded into a cap. The aroma contained bread grains, tequila, wood, a bit of funk, booziness, and hints of floral and citrus. The flavour had lots of bread grains, sourness from the barrel aging, touch if funk, citrus notes, tequila, pepper, and a tart fruity quality. The finish has a citrusy bite and lots of warming alcohol. The body is medium and the carbonation was average to lively. An interesting treat - I was very pleasantly surprised.

8.1% from Toronto 10 IBU

FURLONG ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Furlong is Indie Ale House’s take on a traditional Franco-Belgian saison brewed with Brettanomyces. Sampled on draught the beer pours a cloudy light golden straw with a small white head. The aroma was tart and bright, containing notes of spice, lactic-sour, spice, funk, hay and unripe orchard fruit. The taste has lovely spice notes with a tart citrus. Bretty funk, spicy yeast, grains, fruit, straw and bread also make an appearance. The mouthfeel is fairly light and the carbonation is moderate. This is a refreshing brew, light, but layered. 

4.5% from Toronto, Ontario IBU: 18
Key Ingredients: House blended yeast

LOVE TRIANGLE ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Love Triangle is a three hop IPA from Indie Ale House in Toronto’s west end. Each time it is brewed a different combination of three hops are used. I believe this batch used Ahtanum, Cascade and Centennial hops. Sampled on draught this brewed poured a slightly cloudy golden yellow with a hint of orange. It had a very generous frothy white head with good retention before receding into a cap and leaving some lovely lacing. There ware lots of citrus (grapefruit and orange) and tropical fruit, along with a herbal quality and mild malts on the nose. The flavour is quite hoppy – impressive for the not so high ABV. Notes of tropical fruit, citric hops, a touch of resin and a subtle malt made up the flavour profile. The finish was dry and crisp, with a lingering astringent bitterness. The carbonation was lively, and it had an average body with a creamy mouthfeel. I am fast becoming a big fan of IPAs. Nice one Indie Ale house!

6 % from Toronto, Ontario 40 IBU

INTERLOPER ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Interloper was a collaboration brew, created for Toronto Beer Week 2016 - so it is a limited edition. It is a barrel aged and blended non-traditional saison/farmhouse ale. The brewery describes it as “a complex, a mixture of cultural influences and tastes, balancing a rich flavour while being approachable for everyone.” – just like Toronto. Sampled on draught the pour was a hazy golden colour with a moderate white head, with great staying power. The nose contained some barnyard funk, grains, pale malts, tropical fruits and touch of wood from barrelling. Flavour also had funk, tropical fruits, grains, citrus and a touch of wine and the barrel. A little bitterness at the end finished the deal. The body was moderate as was the carbonation. Too bad, this one isn’t going to linger, Yum!

6.1% from Toronto, 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

BARNYARD BELGIAN IPA ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

This beer is a hybrid I have seen more and more of lately. It has the base of an American IPA and the spicy Belgian yeast. Rye malts have been used to give it some extra oomph. Sampled on draught the beer poured a hazy golden amber colour with a persistent off-white head, which left lovely lacing. The nose contained notes of spicy Belgian yeast, citrus and subtle herbals and florals. The flavour follows much as would be expected with Belgian yeast, spice, some citrus, mild malt, florals and grassy hops. It is a little hoppier than one would expect from the nose, but nicely balanced. The finish is a lingering moderate bitterness. The beer was medium bodied with average carbonation. The flavours of this brew work nicely together without one stealing the show. Pretty decent brew!

6% from Toronto, Ontario IBU 80-90
Ingredients: Belgian Yeast, Galaxy Hops, Rye Malt

WIT'NER TOQUE ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

This most interesting brew is seasonally available winter wheat ale. The beer is the winter version of their summer wheat ale but uses much darker malts, and includes some winter spices. I ordered it on draught not knowing what to expect and was first really surprised by its colour. The beer poured a deep amber coppery colour with an off white head, which left some lacing. The nose is primarily toasted malt and fruit (some tropical, some orchard), but spice, caramel and a little smoke are also evident. The beer had a nice complexity to it. It began with fruit especially plum, and caramel malts, dried fruit and spices also made an appearance. Very subtle chocolate makes an appearance, as does a restrained sweetness. A little hop bitterness and smoke are found on a slightly tart finish. I thought this wasn’t entirely unlike an ESB, but contained much more carbonation. For a darker beer, I found this easy drinking and quite refreshing. The body was light to medium and the carbonation was bright and effervescent. An interesting beer from people who make some great products. Definitely worth a try.
5% from Toronto, Ontario IBU 30
Key Ingredients: Midnight wheat, Belgian yeast, orange.

FALLEN IDOL ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Fallen Idol is a sour wit, made with rhubarb.  The beers pour an opaque gold with a hint of a peachy hue.  Lemon, herbal notes, and wheat dominate the nose, with a touch of sourness.  Taste is sweet wheat with lots of lemon and other citrus with herbals flavours, with a pleasant Brett-y/lactobacillus sourness.  The beer has some depth, really well done, highly drinkable, and thirst quenching.

The beer so far has only been made once and is available on draft.   “Fallen Idol” was actually made by accident, when rhubarb was added to their wit beer, it turned out really well and Indie Ale house will be attempting to recreate the accident

5%  from Toronto, Ontario    25 IBU
Key Ingredients: Lactobacillus, Rhubarb

RABBIT OF CAERBANNOG ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

The Rabbit is a White Pale Ale made for the end of summer and beginning of Fall and is a collaboration between Bar Hop and Indie Ale House.  It is wheat based IPA, which uses New Zealand Hops and Belgian Yeast. Like its namesake (A reference to Monty Python*) Its mild first impression (a fruity nose)  soon leads to a bitter bite. 

Pours a cloudy pale golden colour with a foamy white head.  Nose is citrus especially grapefruit, wheat and a piny resin.  Flavour packs a punch – lots of tropical and citrus fruit, pine and wheat.  No malty sweetness and a bitter finish, which lingers long enough.

* The white bloodthirsty rabbits were responsible for offing King Arthurs’ men in their quest for the Holy Grail in Monty Python's Holy Grail.

5% from Toronto, Ontario            80 IBU
-beer 97-

COUCH SURFER ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Couch surfer is an India Pale Ale, made for summertime drinking.  It is made with tropical hops (Tropical Hops, Citra and Calypso), to impart tropical fruit aromas, while still packing a bitter punch.  It pours a golden colour with a white head.  Nose is citrus and mango and hops.  Taste is citrus and hops.  A lighter bodied IPA with full hop flavour.

5% from Toronto    IBU: 60—65
-beer 96-

BROKEN HIPSTER ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Broken Hipster is a traditional Belgian Wit.  Indie ale house brews it with rose, lavender, ginger, orange and ‘other stuff.’  The beer pours a murky unfiltered light gold.  Nose is banana, bubble gum and spice.  Flavour is yeasty/bready with citrus, clove, bubble gum and very subtle peppercorn.  I wish that some of the herbs would pack more of a punch, but this is a very drinkable wit for a hot summers day. Very enjoyable!

5% from Toronto, Ontario  

IBU 25 to 30
-beer 88-

SHOTGUN WEDDING ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Shotgun Wedding is a Cantaloupe pale ale  that has been aged in Chardonnay barrels.  The name made me laugh,  ‘can’t elope’ - ‘shotgun wedding’.   It pours a hazy golden amber colour.  Nose is fruity, funky with a touch of wine.  Beer itself is quite tart and sour (possibly lactic fermentation?).  Flavours of lemon, melon and yeast.  I enjoyed this.  Interesting.

5% from Toronto, Ontario
-beer 33-

SKYFALL ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Saison’s (Farm House Ale) are my new favourite beers.   They were originally made to keep the farm workers happy and give them an alternative to grotty water.  This beer seems to be a ‘one-off’ limited edition.  Cloudy gold in colour.  A little tart at first, with some fruity flavour, Pleasant bitter finish.
-beer 6-

5% ~ Toronto, Ontario

 ~IT TAKES TWO TO MANGO ~ 

INDIE ALE HOUSE

A Mango Saison.  Available only in the summer. Fruity and pleasant.  The mango was very subtle, with a trace on the finish. Very mild, nice refreshing brew, I expected more mango, or spice, or….

4.5% from Toronto, Ontario
-beer 5-