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

BUSTED SLED ~ BIG RIG 

5.6% from Ottawa, Ontario 12 IBU

Busted Sled is a seasonal one off from Big Rig Brewery. It is a gingerbread porter. Sampled on draught the beer poured a translucent deep dark brown, with a small beige head which left some lacing . The nose was sweet and rich, containing notes of chocolate, spice, vanilla and subtle roasted malts. The porter itself was also quite sweet with flavours of marshmallow, chocolate, vanilla and hints of ginger. Less like gingerbread more like a sugar cookie. The beer was smooth, but lacked a little body. The carbonation was soft and the finish had a slight hop bitterness. Definitely an after dinner, dessert beer.

AWAKENING ~ BIG RIG

5.8% from Ottawa, Ontario
Awakening is a red IPA. Sampled on draught this beer poured, a slightly hazy reddish amber with a moderate off white head. The froth left lovely lacing as it receded. Nice aroma containing caramel malts and herbal grassy hops, with a hint of fruity esters. The beer was had lovely malty flavours with a hoppy kick (herbal with a hint of grapefruit), and some fruit flavours in the background. The finish was moderately bitter, which complemented the caramel malts. The mouthfeel was slightly creamy, the body was medium and the carbonation was moderate. IPAs are not my favourite style, that being said, I really liked this one. Well balanced with a decent amount of hoppiness.

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

ALPHA BOMB ~ BIG RIG

Alpha Bomb is an unfiltered IPA made with three types of hops and additionally dry-hopped twice. Sampled on draught, this beer poured a hazy coppery colour with a lasting frothy white head, that left good lacing as it receded. The nose has lots of piny and citrus hops with notes of grapefruit, florals, tropical fruit with a malty caramel backbone. So far very nicely balanced. The flavour is not a taste-bud shredding hop explosion, but rather a nice balance of hops and sweet malts. Lots of pine, resin, grapefruit and orange in the hops and a light malty sweetness balance the brew. The finish is moderately bitter…but not too much. The beer had a medium body, with average carbonation and a slick texture. IPA’s aren’t my go-to beer, but I enjoyed not having a palette shedding hop experience and the balance of their smooth and refreshing brew.

6.6% from Ottawa, Ontario 87 IBU

PINK PEPPERCORN SAISON ~ BIG RIG

I went for dinner at a great Italian place on Roncesvalles, food was great but the waitress knew nothing (not even the name) of the rotating taps.  She tried to list a few and told us that they were serving a ‘nut saison,’ intrigued several of us ordered the brew.   Poking around the next day, I could not find the beer anywhere, so sent a little message to Big Rig the brewery, who promptly got back to me, saying that I had imbibed their pink peppercorn beer.  The pink peppercorn is related to the cashew - who knew?  So they must put a nut warning on the beer in case of nut allergies – clearly confusing the waitress.

Sampled on draught the saison poured an opaque golden colour with a moderate white head.  It had a bright orchard fruit nose with a little sharpness from the pepper and a faint nuttiness. The favour was primarily orchard fruit, citrus, grains, light hops and the faintest bit of pepper on the back end.  The carbonation was moderate, the body was medium light and the finish was crisp and slightly off-dry.  I wish there was a little more of the pepper, but a nice light saison none-the-less.

6.1% from Ottawa, Ontario

SUNBURNT SAISON ~ BIG RIG

This is an interesting saison made with the addition of pink peppercorns (the mildest of the peppercorns) Sampled on draught the beer poured opaque yellow gold with cap of generous white foam. There was a subtle whiff of pepper on nose along with a little tropical fruit, apple and pear. The flavour was much as was expected - citrus, other fruits and bready grains, with a little pepper kick and light hops at the back end. The carbonation was lively, but the body was thin and watery at times. The finish was crisp and off-dry. Interesting - I would have liked more body and perhaps a little more peppery presence. 5% from Ottawa 25 IBU

HELLER HIGHWATER ~ 

KICHESIPPI BEER CO.

What a cleaver name for a Helles lager! Sampled on draught, this Bavarian style lager poured a fairly clear golden amber colour with a sudsy white head that receded, and left a sheet at the top, and some lacing. The nose contained lots of earthy-bready-grains, honey-caramel malts, with floral and grassy hop notes. The taste too was very grain forward, with honey sweetness, bready malts, a slight pepperiness and a touch of lemon citrus. The grassy/floral hops at the end impart a slight bitterness and a crisp dryness. The body is medium and smooth, and the carbonation is on the soft side. I found this a very pleasant lager, but perhaps not a session beer, as the honey sweetness becomes a little cloying after the second pint.
Hops: German noble hops
Yeast: genuine Munich yeast

4.8% from Ottawa, Ontario IBUs: 19

RYE~IT PUNCH ~ BIG RIG

Rye-It Punch is a new seasonal offering from Big Rig Brewery. It is a Roggenbier, a traditional German style beer that contains a large amount of rye (roggen). It was a traditional Medieval Ale that are unfiltered, bottle or keg conditioned and are lightly hopped to allow for the rye spiciness to show through. Roggen biers lost popularity when rulers of the day decreed that certain grain only be used to bake with. The motive behind this was so that the poor would eat rather than imbibe. The Bavarian Purity law that states only Barley could be used in beers. Barley was not suitable for baking and more suitable for brewing. Rye became the grain for the masses and wheat, being expensive, was limited to only the rich.
Sampled on draught the beer poured a very murky golden orange with a generous cream head, that dissipated to a cap. The nose contained sour notes, along with grains, banana, cloves and spice, bubble gum and fruit. The taste was very similar to the nose with refreshing citrus, orchard fruit, spice, doughy grains, and slight sourness. The hefe yeast gives distinct notes of banana and clove; the rye spices things up and gives an earthy finish. The carbonation is fine and soft, and the body is medium-light.

4.5% from Ottawa, Ontario 

CINCO DE HABERNERO ~ BIG RIG

Cinco De Habanero is a one-off from Big Rig Brewery in Ottawa. It is a light lager brewed with Habanero peppers. Sampled on draught, the beer [poured a light golden colour with a tight white head. The nose contained subtle pepper spiciness along with typical lagery smells. The beer begins with a light refreshing clean lager, with light malt and subtle hops. The peers are found at the end, when a subtle kick of hotness finds the back of your throat. The finish has both black pepper and hot pepper spiciness along with an earthiness. The hotness is not overdone in fact it is a little understated, but adds a surprise at the end. I thought I’d just have one to try but ended up having several. This beer is surprisingly drinkable and interesting in a good way. The finish had some lingering spice but was otherwise dry. The carbonation was moderate and the beer was light bodied. Worth a try.

4% from Ottawa, Ontario

PINK HEFE’N BOMB ~ BIG RIG 

This brew was a most delicious spring treat. It was advertised as A North American Pale Wheat with grapefruit – I think it delivered as a wheat, and as a pale ale and as a fruit beer as well – great combination. Sampled on draught from the cask – hand pulled with natural carbonation. The beer poured a murky golden apricot colour with a small off white head. The head left nice lacing as it dissipated. Orange, grapefruit and grains were predominant on the nose but there were also subtler banana hefe notes in there as well. The taste was chocked full of flavour, fresh and tart pink grapefruit and orange appear at first sip. The middle has a lovely citrusy sweetness and other tropical fruit notes before finishing off with bitter grapefruit and Pale ale hoppiness.

5.4 % from Ottawa, Ontario 40 IBU

MIDNIGHT KISSED THE COW ~ BIG RIG

Midnight Kissed the Cow is a double chocolate milk stout out of our Nation’s capital. Sampled on draught the stout poured a very dark mahogany colour with mocha coloured head that left lovely lacing. The nose contained sweet chocolate, roasted malts, lactose, subtle coffee, vanilla and light hops. Chocolate was the dominant taste, with creamy notes (the beer is made with Belgian cocoa and sweet milk sugar). Light coffee, roasted malts and vanilla were also evident. Low bitterness and creamy mouthfeel finished the beer. A very pleasant full-bodied brew.

5.6% from Ottawa, Ontario 40 IBU

EARL GREY MARMALADE SAISON ~ DOMINION BREWING

 

This saison was sampled on Draught at the 613 takeover, at the Only Café on the Danforth, Toronto.  The beer poured a hazy golden copper colour with a creamy white head, which left nice lacing.  The aroma contained citrus (especially orange) and spice (ginger, bergamot), peppercorns, ester-y saison yeasts, tea and some subtle malt notes.  The flavour begins with sweet malts, lots of orange flavour (it is brewed with fresh zested oranges), and spices.  Marmalade also makes an appearance giving a nice puckering contrast to the sweetness.  Hoppy bitterness, slightly astringent tea tannins, and citrus balance and finish the beer.  The carbonation is moderate the beer has a medium body.  This brew is packed with a variety of flavours, I again enjoyed this, but I could see how others may find this perfumy.    A very unique pint!

Dominion Brewery has brewed this beer with Bridgehead organic Earl Grey tea, and organic wheat grown and malted close to the Ottawa area.  It makes me happy that Dominion Brewery is working with local hop producers.  Ontario was once a great hop growing province, the spirit of which they are trying to bring back.

5.5% from Ottawa, Ontario IBU 21

DARTMOUTH COMMON ~ KICHESIPPI BREWING

Dartmouth Common is a Damphbier (translated from German – Steam beer). The style, which is hundreds of years old, was originally made in South East Bavaria. This style took off in the southern United States because the beer is warm fermented and California had a lack of refrigeration. The American version is known as a Steam Beer, or a California Common and is made with different yeast. Damphbier is traditionally made with all barley, but is fermented with a weissbier yeast, which gives it a slightly phenolic after taste. This beer was one is a series of “staff picks” at the Brewery and is a seasonal brew. The beer poured a deep slightly cloudy golden colour with an off white head, that left lacing. The nose was primarily grains and weissBeir yeast (clove and banana). The very mild taste has some banana and clove, citrus, florals and bready malts and a sweetness about it. The carbonation was low (characteristic of the style) and the hop was very mild. At times I found the mouthfeel a little thin and light. A nice interpretation of a steam beer, it would be very quaffable on a hot day.

5.1% from Ottawa, Ontario IBU 14

BIG RIG ~ SESSION IPA 

Sampled on Draught. This session IPA poured a clear amber colour with coppery hues. It had a small off white head. The nose contained caramel malts, citrus and earthy floral hops. It is fairly mild with grapefruit citrus, subtle malty sweetness and earthy floral hop bitterness. The bitterness is nicely balanced and not overpowering. Overall quite palatable and easily quaffed.

4.9%from Ottawa, Ontario

CHAMPION PILSNER ~ BIG RIG

Champion Big Rig Pilsner won the Gold at the 2013 Ontario Brewing Awards in the European Style Lager category (King Pilsner came second and Steam Whistle third.)

It pours golden coppery colour with a thin white head.  It has a light beginning with biscuit and grassy notes but an assertive bitterness at the end and a slight funky aftertaste.  Resiny hops stand out. A palatable brew but nothing to write home about.

4.8% From Ottawa, Ontario

ORANGE PEEL IPA ~ BIG RIG BREWING

This beer pours a beautiful coppery colour with am off-white foamy head.    The nose has an inviting orange scent with grains, malts and a grassiness.  The flavour has a sweet malty caramel with orange peels, it reminded me of marmalade.  The finish was under hopped for an IPA.  The beer was being marketed as refreshing for hot weather, but I think this is more suited to fall drinking as a chill replaces the summer heat.  I have returned to this one several times.  Very Enjoyable!

4.8% from Ottawa, Ontario
-beer 105-