GO AHEAD ~ LEFT FIELD BREWERY

Go Ahead is a seasonal one off from Left Field Brewery. It is a rose with raspberry and hibiscus. Sampled on draught the beer poured a cloudy pink with an average white head. The nose contained lots of raspberry, hibiscus, and bright citrus. The beer was very flavourful: tart raspberry and floral hibiscus, and lemony citrus abound. The fruits and florals give way to a gentle saltiness and a little spice. The saltiness is noticeable but gentle as is the sourness. The carbonation was average and the body was on the full side of medium. I really liked this one, a nice melange of flavour.

4.8% from Toronto, Ontario   15 IBU

Photo courtesy of Left Field Brewery

GRAMMA’S STRAWBERRY RHUBARB ALE ~ OAST HOUSE

I love the seasonal summer brews made with fresh Ontario fruits. Gramma’s Strawberry and Rhubarb ale was sampled on draught. The beer poured a hazy orangey apricot colour with a small frothy bone coloured head. The head receded quickly leaving a cap and some lacing. The nose was subtle and simple: light strawberry and fruits, and a bready graininess. Taste follows the nose. The strawberry and rhubarb are not too over powering neither are they too subtle. There is a lovely fruity flavour mid sip, beginning with sweet strawberries, followed by a little rhubarb tartness and mild biscuit yeasts. The flavour is fresh and quenching. The body s medium-light and the carbonation was moderate. Love this one for summer patios! Thanks Oast!

4.8% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

MILL STREET ~ FRAMBOZEN

Mill Street Frambozen brewed using traditional Belgian methods. It is brewed with a Belgian yeast used for making wit beers and given a secondary fermentation with whole raspberries. Sampled on draught at the brewpub, the beer poured an intense garnet, purple topped with a pink head. The head lasted several minutes leaving good lacing as it disappeared. Fresh raspberries, with more subtle malts and bready grains, dominate the nose. The taste has tons of raspberry flavour – balanced between tartness and jammy sweetness. The base malt provides some nice complementary flavours. The carbonation is on the soft side (thebeer is naturally carbonated) giving the beer a slightly creamy mouth feel. The finish is semi dry with a lingering raspberry flavours. This is an easy drinking medium bodied fruit beer – great summer sipper.

5% from Toronto, Ontario

APRICOT WHEAT ~ ST. AMBROISE

This apricot wheat is lovely!  Sampled from a tin, the beer poured deep golden amber, with moderate carbonation and white head that dissipated quickly.   Apricot was the show stealer on the nose.  The smell was that of sweet real apricots, with touches of wheat and malts; little hoppiness was detected.  I thought this beer was beautifully balanced.  This ale was not as sweet as it smelled, A malty breadiness started the beer, followed by a slightly bitter hops (Wilmette and Golding) and a long apricot finish.  This would be a beautiful summer beer!

5% from Montreal, Quebec                         15  IBU

FRÜLI ~ BROUWERIJ HUYGHE

Früli is a Belgian Wheat beer (70%) with strawberries (30%). It is brewed in a 300-year-old brewery that has been in the De Laet family for 100 years. Barley malt and wheat are first heated in water using the ‘infusion mash method.’ The mixture is then boiled with coriander, hops and dried orange peels. Yeast is then added for a top fermentation. Strawberry juice is added for the second fermentation of ten days. The beer is then matured for another ten days before bottling.
The beer pours a slightly hazy pinkish-red, with a white head. It smells of fresh strawberries and not much else. The strawberry smell is not artificial or chemically, just fresh strawberries. The taste is much the same. Loads of fresh strawberry jam at the front with a little tartness at the end. This really doesn’t taste like beer at all. I’d have this as a dessert beer, but couldn’t commit to pints of it as it is very sweet.
4.1% from Melle (near Ghent), Belgium
-beer 89-

FRAMBOISE ~ AMSTERDAM

This is a refreshing and delicious beer made  with Belgian wheat and fresh British Columbia raspberries (about 6 pounds go into every case).   The beer is double fermented giving it an intense raspberry smell and taste.  The Framboise pours a slightly opaque ruby red with a light pink head.  The nose and the favour both burst with both sweet and tart raspberries with hints of other ripe berries.  The tartness is different from a lactic fermentation as it is only the raspberries lending their flavour.   There is no artificial taste or cloying syrupiness to this beer.  It is a pleasure to drink, very refreshing on a hot day, but is rich enough to transition into the autumn.  A favourite of mine!   6.5% from Toronto    14   IBU
-beer 77-

CRUCIBLE ~ AMSTERDAM BREWERY

A Framboise that has been aged in Cabernet/Merlot Barrels for 8 mouths.  I have always thought that Amsterdam’s Framboise was excellent.  By aging it in wine barrels the beer takes on quite a a lot of the wine flavours and tannins, almost tasting like a sangria.  I enjoyed drinking this and went have been back for a few pints, however I do find the wine slightly overpowering and would like to taste a little more of the tartness of the raspberries. 

6.4%  from Toronto, Ontario
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 ~IT TAKES TWO TO MANGO ~ 

INDIE ALE HOUSE

A Mango Saison.  Available only in the summer. Fruity and pleasant.  The mango was very subtle, with a trace on the finish. Very mild, nice refreshing brew, I expected more mango, or spice, or….

4.5% from Toronto, Ontario
-beer 5-