CANADIAN SHIELD BERRIES ~ KW CIDER

6.2% from Waterloo, Ontario

Canadian Shield is a cider made from the berries available growing on the Canadian Shield including: Blueberries, Cranberries, Currants, Raspberries and Strawberries. Sampled on draught this cider poured a clear beautiful rose colour with tawny hues. The nose contained a plethora of berry notes with the strawberries and raspberries at the forefront. The lovely refreshing flavour is both tart and sweet with a huge hit of berry goodness. There is a nice complexity as the tartness of some berries balance with the sweet juiciness of others. The finish is slightly tart, but there are no lingering aftertastes. A beautiful summer drink.

WATERLOO DARK ~ BRICK BREWING

Brick was one of the first widely available craft breweries in Ontario. I haven’t had one in years! Waterloo Dark is a Euro Dark Lager. Sampled from a bottle poured into a tulip. The beer poured a clear dark cola brown with hints of ruby. It had a moderate light beige head, which dissipated quickly, leaving a ring and light lacing. The aroma was roasted malts and grains, a hint of molasses, with very subtle hops and a slight metallic tinge. The flavour is surprising mild; light roasted malts, a touch of caramel and coffee an occasional sour and metallic note with a grassy finish. The mouthfeel was on the thin side; the carbonation was moderate and a slightly dry finish. This is a smooth, non-offensive, easily quaffed beer.

5% from Waterloo, Ontario 14 IBU

STRAWBERRY CIDER ~ KW CRAFT CIDER

Sampled on draught this cider poured a crystal clear delicate pale apricot colour, with no head – a very pretty cider! The nose contained bright tart green apples and jammy strawberries. The taste was exactly what was expected from the nose: tartness from the apples and sweet strawberry goodness. Though the base of the cider is dry apple cider, it is sweet. The sweetness is not enough to be cloying, and maintains a refreshing quality. Simple tasty and refreshing, especially is our unseasonably hot September.

6.7% from Waterloo, Ontario

BATCH 4 CHERRY SAISON ~ INNOCENTE

Sampled on draught this brew poured a golden colour with a thin white head, which disappeared quickly. Hints of cherries were found on the nose along with white pepper, grainy fresh bread, and a little barnyard funk. The flavour contains very subtle fruits, piecrust malts, a hint of spice, bubble-gum, hay and a bit of funk. The finish had grassy hops and was slightly off-dry. I wish the cherry flavour had shone through more, and the bubble gum a little less.

5.9% from Waterloo, Ontario   20 IBU

WATERLOO 1815 ~ INNOCENTE

Waterloo 1815 was originally brewed or the anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.  Innocente has rereleased the rye saison again this year. The brew contains ingredients from the seven armies that defeated Napoleon. Sampled on draught the beer poured an opaque deep burnt orange colour with a sudsy yellowish-white head that had good retention. Both the colour and the taste had greater depth compared to a ‘regular’ saison. The nose contained toasted bread, some orange and other fruit flavours, yeasty spice, and a whiff of sulphur. Ribbons of streaming carbonation floated to the top. The taste contained spicy biscuity malts (the rye is noticeable), Belgian yeasts, lemon and pepper. The finish was mildly bitter and drying on the palette. A tasty brew.

5.7% from Waterloo, Ontario IBU: 20

CRANBERRY CIDER~ KW CRAFT CIDER

Sampled on draught. This cider is limited edition release from KW Craft Cider. All cranberries that were used were sourced in the Muskoka area. The cider poured a pale yellow colour with lots of effervescence. The nose is full of intense green apples with a lighter but evident berry. It is simultaneously sweet and tart. The finish is dry and refreshing. Though the cranberries lend a subtle tartness, I would like to taste more of them instead of having them in the background.

6.3 % form Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario

PHOTO : KW CIDER INSTAGRAM

INNOCENTE ~ PUGATORY 

Purgatory is a new beer from Innocente, and it is a new beer concoction: Black cream ale. It is a collaboration with ‘Beer Town Public House' (several bars in the Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, Ontario) Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a deep brown-black, with a generous off- white head. Aroma was pleasant with grains, dark toasted malts, fruity hops and perhaps a hint of liquorice. The flavour was somewhat mild, but had a pleasant coffee and roasted malt taste. An earthiness and mild hops follow with a dry finish. The mouth feel was light but creamy. Interesting but just all right.

4.3% from Waterloo, Ontario 16 IBU

YEAH ITS BELGIAN ~ INNOCENTE

Sampled on draught, this beer is Belgian style strong pale ale. The beer poured a golden bronze with healthy white foam. As the head died down, it left some nice lacing down the glass. The nose was what you would expect from a Belgian style beer: yeast, banana, spice, straw and malts. The flavour followed the same profile, the beer began with a straw and grassy notes followed by grainy malts – the malts weren’t as sweet as the banana that was coming through. The alcohol level gave it a slight astringency. The finish was dry and had a pepperiness (coriander perhaps?) to it. I enjoyed this but wish the alcohol level was a bit lower.

7.7% from Waterloo, Ontario

COYOTE HOLE with JUNIPER ~ INNOCENTE BREWING

Sampled on cask, it is a special edition brewed with Juniper berries. Coyote Hole is a California Common in style. Traditionally California Common’s (also known as Steam Beer*) are brewed with yeast that works well at higher temperatures. The beer originated in California in the early 1800’s where refrigeration was a great luxury, so beer was cooled using shallow fermenters, and yeast that worked at a higher temperature was necessary. The beer poured dark amber with ruby hues, with a small head. The nose contained a boozy aroma, dark berries, bread and biscuits, some woodiness and a bit of spice. Taste had red berries, citrus, roasted malts, bready graininess, earthiness and perhaps a touch of spice. The sweetness was counteracted by a pleasant bitterness (but not hoppy) at the end. This beer reminded me of an ESB. A very nice complexity in flavour.

5.1 % 25 IBU from Waterloo, Ontario

~ WATERLOO GRAPEFRUIT RADLER ~ BRICK BREWING (Waterloo Brewing)

This grapefruit Radler is a seasonal offering from Brick Brewery in Waterloo. Ontario.  It is small batch brewed in the traditional German Style according to their website.  Radler is German for bicycle and was designed to be refreshing on a hot day without the alcohol, presumably from cyclists on a long journey.

Pour hazy light straw yellow, good head of big bubbles, which quickly dissipate.  The nose is simply grapefruit soda, somewhat like an Orangina © or a San Pellegrino © Grapefruit soda.   Flavour not like beer at all, much more like a soda.  There is plenty of grapefruit, but it is too sugary for me.  Very much like a soda.  Good and refreshing on a hot day when quenching a thirst but I prefer Steigl’s version, as it tastes crisper and less sweet. 

3.1 % from Waterloo, Ontario

SOUTHERN JUSTICE ~ INNOCENTE

Southern Justice is a limited edition one-off.  The brewery made 600 bottles that were sold only at the brewery store, which sold out very quickly.  Select bars were lucky enough to get a cask.  The beer is a saison that has been aged in Jack Daniels Bourbon casks for 6 months with Ontario peaches (from Herrles farm).  Sampled on draught, the beer poured a translucent honey amber with a small white head.  Peaches and whisky are all over the nose.   This beer is incredible, beautifully made and balanced.  The whiskey makes a smoky appearance but does not overpower the delicate flavours of the saison.  Sweet peaches also make an appearance, but compliment rather than compete with the whisky.  The beer does not taste as boozy as it is, not knowing what the alcohol content was, I would have guessed around 6%.  This one is a sipper for sure.  An exquisitely balanced brew. 

 

10.5% from Waterloo, Ontario