YOUR BREWHOUSE OR MINE ~ MUSKOKA & BARRELHOUSE BREWING

“Your Brewhouse or Mine?” is a collaboration between Ontario’s Muskoka Brewery and California’s Barrelhouse Brewing. This beer is a tasty cranberry and clementine IPA. Sampled on draught the beer poured a clear golden colour with an average white head that left leggy lacing as it receded. The nose included grassy hops. Subtle fruits and a faint smell of soft crumbly cheese. The beer itself was a lovely IPA, not too hoppy, with a good citrus bite at the end. The fruit was very subtle, especially the cranberry, it did however, lend a faint sweetness. More of the fruitiness came out as the beer warmed. The carbonation was lively and the been had a medium body. A really pleasant IPA, I would have liked a little more presence from the fruit.

7% from Bracebridge, Ontario 50 IBU

IPA ~ STONE BREWING

RED, WHITE & BREW ~ Sampled on draught, Stone IPA poured a slightly hazy amber golden colour with a soapy off white head. The head had great retention and left lots of lacing as it crawled down the glass. The aroma was hop heavy with piny and citrusy hops mixing with bright notes of orange and grapefruit, subtle cracker malt and an earthiness. The taste too was fairly hop heavy with piny hops dominating a more subtle malt backbone and an earthy grassiness. The flavour had some complexity as sweetness mixed with the bitterness. The carbonation was crisp and moderate and the body was medium to full-bodied. The beer was smooth and slightly sticky and the finish was dry and clean. An excellent offering, really enjoyed this one!

Hops: Magnum, Chinook & Centennial

6.9% from Escondido, California 77 IBU

IPA ~ LAGUNITAS

RED, WHITE & BREW ~ Sampled on draught, this beer poured a clear amber gold colour with lots of bone white head, that had good retention and then left some nice lacing. The somewhat muted nose contains toasted malts and piny citrus hops and some fruitiness in the back (both stone fruit and citrus). Flavours follow the nose; a nice balance between hops and malts. The beer has notes of citrus (orange and lemon) along with piny hops and a biscuity graininess. The carbonation was moderate and the body medium. IPA’s aren’t my go-to beer – I have had some mouth shredding hops that have left me unable to taste anything else, but this is a really pleasant, easy drinking IPA.

6.2 from Petaluna, California 46 IBU

ARROGANT BASTARD ALE ~ ARROGANT BASTARD BREWING (STONE)

This was another really delicious brew from the RED, WHITE & BREW event at the Only Cafe in Toronto. Sampled on draught, this beer poured a reddish chestnut dark brown with a foamy beige head, which lasted. As the head receded, it left some spidery lacing. The bouquet was intense. Lots of hops were evident on the nose along with a dark caramel, chocolate, and subtler dark and tropical fruits, and a hop-earthiness. The taste is similar to the smell. This is beautifully balanced with the strong caramel malts playing off grapefruit citrus, floral hops. The finish long with bitter hops being followed by burnt sugar and caramel. The carbonation was moderate, the beer was on the full-bodied side of medium and the mouthfeel was a bit oily, and slick. This beer had a nice complexity and balance to it. Smooth and very tasty, I totally would buy this if spotted at the liquor store.
7.2 % Escondido, California