JUPILER ~ BRASSERIE PIEDBOEUF

5.2% from Jupille-sur-Meuse, Belgium

Julpiler is the Molson Canadian/Budwiser of Belgium. Sampled from a bottle on Konigsdag in Amsterdam, when everyone was walking around with travellers. The beer is a light Euro lager in style. It poured a clear golden colour with a thin white head, which did not stick around. The nose was very light and contained mostly grains. The taste is light with grassy, grainy notes along with some caramel and a bitter hop finish. The body is light and thin and the carbonation was average. There are so many better brews to drink than this in Belgium, though in a pinch it is way better than a Bud light.

BERGAMONSTER IMPERIAL WHEAT

7% from Stratford, Connecticut

Bergamonster is a seasonal release (June to August). It is an unfiltered Imperial wheat ale, made with Bergamot Orange peel, raw wheat and both old and new world hops. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a cloudy golden blonde with a thin white head. Cloves, spice alcohol, banana, lemon, yeasts, bergamot, coriander and floral tea were to be found on the nose. The beer was too sweet for my liking, and I could not get past the perfume like quality of the taste. It was quite sweet with banana, yeasty esters, citrus, coriander, bergamot and spice.  The body wad medium and the carbonation was average. Sorry Two Roads, this one isn’t for me.

YUZU ~ RADICAL ROAD BREWING CO.

5% from Toronto, Ontario IBU 40

This brew is a pale ale brewed with yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit, also known as citrus junos). The yuzu was added in the fermenter to give it it’s citrusy tropical fruit flavour. Sampled on draught the beer poured a slightly hazy light bright honey yellow, with a generous white head, and light lacing. The nose contains fruity hops and a hit of tropical yuzu, along with lime, tangerine and other citrus notes. The flavour has lots of yuzu orange, lime and citrus brightness. Grains follow the initial citrus followed by the tropical hops which are not bitter, but give the beer depth and balance. The body is light, carbonation moderate and the finish is smooth. A lovely quenching summer brew.

GENTSE STROP ~ BROUWERIJ ROMAN

6.9% from Ghent, Belgium

Gentse Strop was named an event in Ghent in 1540. At that time the people of Ghent refused to pay extra war tax so Keizer Karel V (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) rounded up notable citizens of Ghent and marched them around the city with a noose around their necks. The noose became a symbol of resistance against tyranny and the nickname of the citizen of Ghent (Gentenaars) are ‘stroppendragers’ (noose bearers). The beer is a Belgian Strong Blond ale that has been top fermented and then had a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Sampled in Ghent from a bottle, the beer poured a slightly cloudy coppery gold with a generous white head that lingered before racing and leaving good amount of lacing. The nose had notes of fruit - banana and some citrus, spice, malts, yeast phenols and esters, and a hint of hops. The palette has sweet malts, spices, yeast, citrus with a little hop bitterness at the end. The beer is medium bodied with average carbonation. A pleasant quaff.

GUAVA SOUR ~ ROUGE RIVER BREWING COMPANY

This brew is a kettle sour made with lots of guava puree (about a pound per gallon). Sampled on draught the beer poured a cloudy amber with a moderate white head that left good lacing. The nose contained guava and lots of tartness. The beer starts off with a touch of grave and other tropicals and finishes up with a refreshing sour citrusy kick. The body is medium light and the carbonation was moderate. This is one of the more successful kettle sours I have had. Quite a nice summer brew.

5% from Markham Ontario 3 IBU

Photo courtesy of Rouge River Brewing

PERSIAN LIME GOSE ~ TWO ROADS BREWING CO

4.5% from Stamford, Connecticut

Sampled at a tap takeover at my Toronto local. This brew is part of Two Roads Tanker Truck sour series (because it is soured in a tanker truck!) and is brewed with the juice from Persian limes (juice from a local juicery), flaked rye and salt. Sampled on draught the beer poured a slightly cloudy light straw yellow with a thin white head that recedes quickly. The aroma has notes of lime and citrus, wheat, and salt. The beer reminded me a little of a margarita. It begins with lots of tart lime, with a little malty sweetness and finishes with a touch of salt. I found this one east drinking, and delicious - an excellent quencher on a hot day. The body is light, and the carbonation was moderate. I really liked this one - good amount of tartness, and very refreshing.

SKUMMKOPPE ~ TEXELS BIERBROUWERIJ

Skuummkoppe (foam head) is a dark wit beer brewed in the Netherlands. Sampled on draught in a cafe on Spaarndammerstraat, the beer poured a hazy amber with a dense cream coloured head, which left streaky lacing. The nose had notes of sweet malts, yeasts, and wheat with a light citrus, spice, floral and fruit notes. The flavour is not overpowering but has some nice notes of malt sweetness, wheat, bread, florals and subtle fruits, a little yeast and some banana esters. There is a little hop on the finish along with a some tartness happening mid sip. The finish is off-dry and the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. The carbonation was on the soft side, and the body was on the medium end of light. Quite enjoyed this brew, and beer always tastes better when you are on holiday.

6% from Oudeschild, Texel, Netherlands

STATE OF MIND ~  COLLECTIVE ARTS

 State of Mind is a session IPA. It is packed with taste, but has a light body and a lower alcohol percentage. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a slightly cloudy yellow gold with a white head with good retention and lace. The nose has a ton tropical fruit, especially mango along with some pine resin, citrus. straw, grapefruit and crackery notes. The taste is hop forward, with grapefruit, grassy notes, tropical fruit, bready malts, pine bitterness at end. The body is medium-light and the carbonation is moderate with a crisp finish. This beer is remarkably full flavoured. A great summer sipper.

4.4% from Hamilton, Ontario 38 IBUs
Flavour Hops: Amarillo and Centennial
Aroma Hops: Amarillo and Centennial
Malt: Pale Ale, Crystal, Carafoam, Toasted Wheat Flakes

THE FACE OF TORONTO ( IDES OF MARCH) ~ HENDERSON

The Face of Toronto is Henderson’s Ides of March Beer, a one-off they do every month. It was made to celebrate Toronto’s birthday - many Torontian faces were used on the labels. The beer is a ‘truffle’ saison made with orange peel, cardamom, and chocolate. Sampled on draught the beer poured a dark ruby-brown (much like a porter) with a creamy beige head that lasted several minutes. The nose has notes of chocolate, and spice, with an earthiness and subtle fruits. The taste had notes of dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, spice, roasted malts, and fruit and florals. The beer has a medium full body, average carbonation and low bitterness on the finish. I enjoyed this one, a very interesting brew.

5.5 % from Toronto, Ontario

STONE  ROAD WHITE ALE ~ BENCH BREWING

Stone Road is a witbier made by Bench Brewing in Beamsville, Ontario. Sampled on draught the beer pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a small white head. The aroma contained spice, banana, fruit with some funk. The taste has some fruity notes, along with some herbals, a touch of funky brett and a little spice. The body is light and the carbonation is average.
Kettle hops: Enigma
Malt: pale wheat malt, german pilsner malt

4.1% from Beamsville, Ontario 15 IBU

BEER 600!

COLLECTIVE ARTS ~ IPA PROJECT #1

This brew is the first in a series of IPA's each showcasing a different combination of hop flavours.This brew features Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe and Citra. The Nelson saurian given the beer tropical fruit flavours and aroma, the Simcoe gives it citrus/pine notes and city imparts a floral citrus flavours. Sampled from a tin, the beer poured a hazy golden amber gold with a good sized frothy head, which left some thick lace. There is lots of tropical fruit on the nose (papaya, mango, tangerine, grapefruit) as well as some resiny pine, earthiness, florals, white wine and crackery malts.The taste is quite hop forward, with a really nice hop complexity - all hops imparting a different flavour - floral, white wine, grapefruit, pine, earthiness. Tropical fruit flavours add a bit of sweetness . The body and carbonation are moderate and the finish has a lingering fruity bitterness. The 7% is quite hidden making this one very drinkable.

7.1% from Hamilton, Ontario

APRICOT ALE ~ BLACK CREEK BREWING

5% from Oakville/Toronto, Ontario

Black Creek’s Apricot Ale is brewed by Trafalgar under contract. Sampled from a 500 ml bottle the beer poured a slightly hazy rust-coppery orange hue with a small off-white creamy head that leaves some adequate lacing. The nose is very aromatic with a ton of apricot up front and fruit, sweetness and a touch of caramel malt in the background. The taste has lots of apricot as well - though not as much as the nose would suggest. Mid sip malts make an appearance, followed shortly by an earth-floral hop bitterness giving it a pleasant balance. The carbonation is on the soft side, the body is medium and the finish is dry. Overall a pleasant quaff.

IPA #2 ~ COLLECTIVE ARTS

7.1% from Hamilton, Ontario 80 IBU

Collective Arts IPA series showcases different combinations of hops, this one uses Mosaic, Simcoe and Waimea hops. Sampled from a tin, the beer pours a hazy golden orange colour with a large off white head,. The retention is quite long and leaves abundant spidery lace on the glass. The nose contains lots of tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, papaya, citrus), earthiness, florals, and resinous piney hops. This beautifully balanced brew also contains a plethora of tropical fruit flavours, followed by a wallop of citrus and piney hops with a lovely rich malt backbone. The carbonation is very active, the beer is full bodied and has a slightly creamy texture. The finish is dry with a slightly lingering bitterness. The beer is bold and has a lovely complexity. Really enjoyed this one! Recommended.
Hops: Mosaic, Simcoe, and Waimea
Malt: Pilsner, 2-Row, Oats, Flaked Oats, Flaked Wheat.

BUZZ ALDRIN ~ BARNSTORMER BREWING

Buzz Aldrin is part of Barnstormers sour series and was a seasonal release. The beer is flavoured with peach. Sampled on draught, the brew poured a slightly hazy golden yellow with a thin white head. The nose is very mild with a little sourness, a tiny bit of funk and very light peaches. The taste has a lingering sour, with a light but detectable tart peach taste. It is not as peachy as I would have expected. Not bad, a nice summer sour.

3.8% from Barrie, Ontario IBU 15

LENTEBOCK ~ KONINKLIJKE BRAND BIERBROUWERIJ

6.5% brewed in Wijlre, Limburg Netherlands

Lentebock, a helles bock, brewed under the Budweiser umbrella, is only available in the spring. Sampled on Draught in Amsterdam, the beer poured a clear coppery amber with a small white head, that receded quickly, and left scant lacing. The nose had sweet malts, Belgian yeast, caramel and cloves, with subtle fruit notes and floral and lemony hops. The flavours on the nose continue on the palate (bread, caramel, fruit, cloves, yeast), with floral lemony hops making their appearance at the finish. The aftertaste is slightly bitter, but also has traces of orchard fruit. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, the body is on the light side of medium and the carbonation was average. Quite a pleasant, drinkable beer after a long day of walking.

BALL’S FALLS ~ BENCH BREWING

4.5% from Beamsville, Ontario 30 IBU

Ball’s Fall is a session IPA. It is names after a historic waterfall in the Twenty Mile Valley. Sampled on draught the beer poured a clear pale golden colour with a lasting generous thick head, which left nice lacing. The nose is fresh and contained notes of lemony and grapefruit citrus, toasted cereal grain, tropical fruit and peaches. The taste is clean with , cereal grains, citrus notes and some subtle fruity sweetness. The finish has a citrus and a little pine hop bitterness. The body is medium-light and the carbonation is lively. There is quite a lot of flavour for a low alcohol beer. Very sessional and rather tasty.

BROWN PLUS ~ BLACK BELLOWS

7% from Collingwood, Ontario 

23 IBU

Brown Plus is a Belgian Dubbel that has been soured and aged in a Collingwood Whiskey barrel. The beer pours a hazy light brown colour. Fruit, malts, sweetness and tart sourness are found on the nose. The taste features notes of tart dark cherries and other fruits, a touch of oak, a little coffee and a moderate malt backbone. The melange of flavours almost give it a sweet and sour quality. The barrel ageing enhances the flavour and lends a little complexity. The finish is clean and the body is moderate-light. The lightness makes this easy drinking, despite the warming alcohol. Worth a try.

RED DRAGON ~ COUNTY DURHAM BREWING

Red Dragon is an Irish Style Red Ale. Sampled on draught the beer poured a light brown-copper colour with an off-white head. The head lasted a good log time leaving some nice lacing as it receded. The nose was very malt forward with notes of caramel, chocolate, biscuits, light fruitiness and some grassy British hops. Notes Caramel malts, some fruit and berries, slight lemoniness, chocolate, sweet grains and delicate grassy hops dance on your tastebuds. This is a rich beautiful balanced, smooth beer. The body is medium-full, the carbonation is medium-soft and the mouthfeel is creamy and lush. A very flavourful brew for low ABV, making it quite sessionable. A lovely brew from start to finish.

4.7% from Pickering, Ontario 

 35 IBU

PARADISE LOST: WHITE LIES ~ BLOOD BROTHERS

6% from Toronto, Ontario

White Lies is one in the Paradise Lost series. It is a golden ale brewed with Sauvignon Blanc grapes and dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin. Sampled on draught the beer poured a fairly clear golden straw colour with a small foamy white head. The nose had a sour quality with, vines notes, fruit, lemony citrus and light grains. The tart flavour, also had some white wine like qualities, with a touch of lemon, and a little cereal graininess. The carbonation was moderate and the body of the brew was almost medium and the finish was dry and tart. Quite refreshing and easy to drink.

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.