100TH MERIDIAN ORGANIC AMBER LAGER ~ MILL STREET

100th Meridian is an amber lager made only with organic ingredients from west of the 100th meridian - (where the great plains begin). Beer always tastes better when you are at the ball game and the home team is winning in the post season (GO JAYS GO!) It was sampled at the ball park, so that means draught in a plastic cup. This beer poured a clear coppery amber colour with a white head that settled into a cap. The nose was quite mild, but notes of bready malts, fruity notes and earthy hay and leafy hops. Flavour had biscuit-bread notes, sweet grains and malts and caramel. The finish was clean and had a little leafy hop bitterness. The body was a little thin and the carbonation was soft. This beer is pretty standard, and very drinkable – a great ball-park beer!
5% from Toronto, Ontario 24 IBU
Hops: Bravo and Cascade

DISTILLERY ROOT BEER ~ MILL STREET BREWERY

I have to admit, Root beer is a guilty pleasure. I am long since a teenager, but still love a cold root beer on a hot day. This was my first foray into hard root beers. I know, I know, this is not really a beer, but a hard soda, but I am going to review it anyway. It is made by Mill Street Brewery who has combined their own non-alcoholic Root Beer (which they have been making for quite a while) with Vanilla Porter Bierschnaps, which is also made at their brewery in Toronto. The ingredient list looks far more like a commercial pop than a ‘naturally brewed’ distillery drink. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a clear, medium dark brown with lots of snap and crackle from the carbonation. It smelled much like root beer, with a lot of vanilla, sassafras, cola, licorice and spice. It tasted like….root beer…but a very sweet root beer with vanilla and licorice, and subtler woody notes. I did not get much of an alcohol taste at all. Overall way too sweet for me, I would have liked a pricklier carbonation (after initial opening carbonation was soft), less sweetness and more of a bite. Glad I tried it, but won’t be returning to it any time soon,

5.2% from Toronto, Ontario

NAVIGATOR II ~ MILL STREET

Sampled from the cask, on draught.  This version of Navigator (an American IPA) was extra hopped in the cask and aged in oak.  It had a citrusy nose and flavour, while retaining hints of wheat.   The bitterness was moderate but not overpowering.  The hops gave it some pine/resin character.  The alcohol content was a little astringent, but an enjoyable brew.  I am sorry a multinational corporation has bought out this brewery.  Though they will still brew in the same brewery with the same recipes and care, I am sorry to see Canadian ownership slip away.

6.7% from Toronto, Ontario

~ VANILLA PORTER DRAUGHT ~ 

MILL STREET

Sampled from a tin.  There seemed to be a widget at the bottom on the tin that I assume contained nitrogen.   This porter poured a dark brown with a slight ruby hue, with an off white head.   The nose is dominated by vanilla with notes of roasted grain, coffee and chocolate.    The taste has a lot of vanilla, followed by roasted malts, and mild bop bitterness.  The vanilla may have been a little over the top on this one.   The mouth feel was a little thin, as the carbonation was very low.

Hops: Washington State Nugget

Yeast: Mill Street House Yeast

Other: Pure Vanilla extract – made from cold pressed vanilla orchid bean pods.  – Apparently cold pressing gives 5 times more flavour notes than the conventional hot extraction.

Multinational Labatt’s purchased Mill Street earlier this month.  Mill Street will remain an  ‘independent brewery’ (what ever that means) and continue to produce the same product, but I am sorry to see Canadian ownership go.

5% from Toronto, Ontario    IBU 29

STARGAZER ALE ~ MILL STREET

This is made to be a summer session ale.  It is designed to be low in alcohol with a moderate hoppy finish.  It is made with four malts and three hops (a blend of Canadian, English and German).

Simple but very drinkable.  It pours a light copper.  Mild malts in the middle give way to a small hop kick.  Could be more full bodied.

5% from Toronto IBU 40
-beer 78-