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

HUGHEY’S GOLDEN ALE ~ JUNCTION WITH ROBERY HUGHEY

Hughey’s Golden Ale is collaboration between Junction Brewery and Robert Hughey, beer writer and connoisseur. Sampled on draught on cask. This is an English style blonde ale. It poured a golden yellow with no head and little visible carbonation. The nose was mild but contained some mild malts and hops and an earthiness. My beer was flat, but had a creamy mouth feel. This beer is smooth and quaffable but I would have preferred something with a little more personality.

4.8% from Toronto, 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

AUTUMN SPICED HARVEST ALE ~ WELLINGTON

Sampled on cask. Autumn Spiced Ale, is a Welly one-off. It poured a murky coppery orange colour with a frothy off- white head. Nose had spices with sweet malts and a touch of the woods. The taste was much the same, lots of cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg, with sweet lightly roasted malts, subtle citrus and an earthy note. It had medium carbonation and body. Very pleasant.

5.3% from Guelph, Ontario

HIGH TEA IN EXILE ~ NICKEL BROOK

Sampled on cask. It is an English Mild style beer, brewed with the addition of Earl Grey tea and lemons. It poured a dark golden colour, with a little cloudiness. It is very pleasant. The flavours of tea and lemon are there but not overpowering in the least. The beer contained some lemon and floral notes on the nose. The tea complimented the light malts and the lemon takes the edge of the tannins of the tea. A very nice blend. Unfortunately this was a one-off brew.

5% from Burlington, Ontario

HARVEST ALE BLACKBERRY ~ MUSKOKA

I tried this beer on cask (hand pulled) on a very steamy hot day.  Perhaps not the best choice for a hot day. Being ‘on-cask’ the beer was chilled but not cold.  The nose was very hoppy, but also had an earthiness about it.  Strong malt backbone.  The beer was quite hoppy (piney and resiny) and had little berry taste.   At 7% it finished with a boozy bite, and had lingering bitterness.  Now that the weather has changed, I would like to return to try this.

Reading the reviews of this beer on Untapped, I wonder if each of their casks aged quite differently as peoples experiences with this beer are widely discrepant.

UPDATE:  I did return and try this beer again.  I think the kegs must have been mislabelled because this was a different beer than the one I initially tried.   I sampled this pint ‘on cask’ as well.   This one was a reddish purple hue, stained by the berries.  The berry flavour was more evident, lending only a subtle sweetness.  Hoppy boozy finish.

7% from Collingwood, Ontario