FULL ORCHARD FARMHOUSE IPA ~ OAST HOUSE

6.1 % from Niagara on the Lake    70 IBU

Full orchard is a Farmhouse IPA, fermented with Brett and then barrel aged for one month. Sampled on draught it poured a Hazy golden orange with a small white head that quickly dissipated. The nose contained grapefruit and lemony citrus, tropical fruits, stone fruits and a light spice. The beer did not taste anything close to the 70 IBUs it boasts, though it did have a distinct happiness and bitterness. The flavour also included lots of tropical fruit and stone fruit, providing a great contrast and balance to the bitterness of the hops, and the funky brettiness. The body and carbonation were average. IPA’s are not my ‘go to’ beer usually but this one had some complexity and though it was a little astringent at times, I did enjoy the brew.

COUNTRY BUMPKIN ~ OAST HOUSE

Country Bumpkin is a seasonal offering from Niagara Last house featuring fresh pumpkin and acorn, butternut, and hubbard squash that have been roasted then mashed with the malt and a load of pumpkin pie spice that has been added in the boil. Sampled on draught the beer poured a fairly clear deep orangey amber with an average cream coloured head. The aroma was a pumpkin pie! - lots of baking spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves), pumpkin, and roasted malts. Taste follows as would b expected, spices up front, followed by pumpkin and then toasted malts giving it a crusty pumpkin pie impression. There is very little hop bitterness. The body was medium and the carbonation was average to soft. This is one of the nicer pumpkin beers I’ve had.

5.5% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario 18 IBU

GRAMMA’S STRAWBERRY RHUBARB ALE ~ OAST HOUSE

I love the seasonal summer brews made with fresh Ontario fruits. Gramma’s Strawberry and Rhubarb ale was sampled on draught. The beer poured a hazy orangey apricot colour with a small frothy bone coloured head. The head receded quickly leaving a cap and some lacing. The nose was subtle and simple: light strawberry and fruits, and a bready graininess. Taste follows the nose. The strawberry and rhubarb are not too over powering neither are they too subtle. There is a lovely fruity flavour mid sip, beginning with sweet strawberries, followed by a little rhubarb tartness and mild biscuit yeasts. The flavour is fresh and quenching. The body s medium-light and the carbonation was moderate. Love this one for summer patios! Thanks Oast!

4.8% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

BLACK SOW’R STOUT ~ OAST HOUSE

This is a bit of a crazy and daring brew…I have never had anything quite like this before. This beer is a sour stout aged in red wine barrels! Sampled on draught the beer poured a very dark brown –black with almost no head. The nose had quite a lot of complexity: roasted malts, red wine, wood, tart acidity, and dark fruits. The taste is really busy with tons going on. The first sip was very sour – a really tart sour. Dark fruits, currants, raisins, chocolate, caramel, licorice and coffee then follow the sourness. The finish returns to tart. The sourness from the first sip fades a little and the complexity of flavours emerges as the beer warms. The carbonation is soft and the body is on the thin side. A very interesting and innovative brew, but I would not want more than one. I think I would like this more if accompanied by food, perhaps some creamy blue cheese or Brie.

5.5% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

OAST HOUSE ~ BIERE DE MARS 

SWEET'N SOW’R

A bottle of this at my local bar was my celebratory drink for starting summer holidays. The price is quite steep, so this was a once in a blue moon treat. The beer is one of Oast house’s bottle conditioned saisons. This one is a Biere de Mars, because traditionally this beer would be brewed in March to be ready for the farm hands in the summer. The bottle we enjoyed had been aging in the bottle since March 2015. Sampled for a 750mL caged and corked bottle, the beer poured a hazy orangey amber colour with plenty of creamy head, and lots of snap and crackle. The head left impressive lacing as it receded into a cap. The nose had lots of sherry, orchard fruits, especially peach, lemony citrus, Belgian yeasts, peppery spice, and tartness with a little astringency. The beer had a nice complexity and funky peach and other orchard fruits, melon, brown sugar, some herbals, slight sourness, and a hint of oak. Sweet fruits and mild caramel malts developed as the beer warmed. The sweet and sour were well balanced as was the dry mouthfeel at the end. The finish reminded me of champagne or cider. The carbonation was fairly lively and the body was medium. This a very approachable beer, lovely to sip on in the warm summer months, when you are feeling like a splurge.

5.5% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

EISBOCK ~ OAST HOUSE

Bocks are a traditional German dark lager, brewed since the 1700’s. There are several sub groups: maibock (a lighter and hoppier version), doppelbock (maltier and higher in alcohol) and Eisbock (the strongest of the group.) Eisbock was traditionally made by freezing doppelbock and removing the ice crystals, therefore making it a more concentrated in alcohol. Sampled on draught this beer poured a deep brown with coppery highlights. There was a small beige head that left a collar and nice lacing. The nose was quite mild, with hints of malts, fruit and alcohol. The taste was full of flavour and quite boozy, which lends itself to sipping. Dark fruit and rum soaked candied peel emerge first followed by coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, burnt sugar, Belgian yeast, and caramel. Some may find this too sweet, but on an unseasonably cold April night, this sipper was super.

10.1% from Niagara, Ontario
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