VIENNA WHEAT ~ NEUSTADT SPRINGS BREWERY

Vienna wheat is a golden ale, as is either a seasonal brew or a one-off from Neustadt Springs. Sampled on draught the beer pours a cloudy deep amber with a generous cream head. The head leaves patchy lacing before reeding into a collar. The nose had notes of caramel malts, grains, and a distant earthiness. This was quite easy drinking, reminiscent of a Vienna lager. There is little evidence of ‘wheaty’ taste. Very pleasant, very sessional, very smooth, but a little innocuous.

5.5% from Neustadt, Ontario 18 IBU 

 

THE PRINCESS WEARS GIRL PANTS ~ SAWDUST CITY BREWING

This princess is a hoppy Belgian inspired Golden Ale. Sampled on draught the beer pours a hazy light golden with a generous frothy white head. The head had both good retention and lacing. Lots of effervescence is visible. The aroma contains lots of tropical fruit (pineapple, mango) peach, citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit) pine hops, grass, and spicy Belgian yeast. The flavour has complexity with waves of flavour. There is a spicy Belgian yeast , sweet malts and grains, tangy tropical and other fruits, grapefruit and lemon rind bitterness, a medium bitter hop kick and warming alcohol. The finish is bitter and drying, but still retaining some fruitiness. The mouthfeel is medium heavy and the carbonation is lively and prickly.This beer is an interesting mix of old world and new world host and flavours. Worth a purchase and a try.

9% from Gravenhurst, Ontario 35 IBU

BASIL BEACH ~ SAWDUST CITY

Basil Beach is Sawdust City’s Golden Beach Pale ale brewed with fresh basil. It is a limited edition one-off. It was sampled on Sawdust City’s massive tap (25 taps and 5 kegs) takeover at the Only Cafe in Toronto. Sampled a pint, drawn from one of the kegs. The beer pours a hazy bright sunny gold with a small bubbly head. The nose contains citrusy lemon, grass, basil and floral hops. Taste follows as expected: citrusy and herbal hops, a little orchard, fruit, grass and a light basil, which became a little more pronounced as the beer warmed.The finish is a little astringent and bitter. The carbonation is active and lively.  

5% from Gravenhurst, Ontario IBU 25

WATER: pure Muskoka water
BARLEY /MALT: Canadian 2-row barley, wheat
HOPS: galaxy, mosaic, Sorachi ace, summit
YEAST California ale
OTHER: Basil

VINTAGE ALE 2016 ~ COLLINGWOOD BREWERY

Vintage Ale (a golden harvest ale) seems to be an annual autumn tradition, this is its third release and according to the brewmaster, the best to date. The beer is made using local and all natural ingredients, including same-day fresh hops from Meaford, Ontario (Chinook and Cascade added after fermentation) and 60 kg per brew of local wild flower honey. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured an unfiltered hazy coppery amber with an average off-white frothy head. The head lasted a while before leaving nice lacing on the glass. The nose contained notes of caramel, honey, roasted malts, spicy herbals, bread, a little fruit and earthy hops. The flavour follows: bread and roasted malts, honey sweetness, spicy yeast, soft bitterness from earthy and leafy hops. The body was medium, carbonation was average and the mouthfeel was creamy and smooth. I thought the sweet and bitter were nicely balanced, and the warming alcohol is a reminder that cold nights to come.

6.9% from Collingwood, Ontario ABV  35 IBU

GOLDEN ALE ~ EXCHANGE BREWERY

This beer is a real treat – I look forward to more from this brewery. This golden ale is made in the style of Belgian Ale. It is brewed with Belgian house yeast and aged in French oak barrels with . Sampled on draught the beer poured a golden yellow with a white head, which left fabulous lacing. The nose was as complex as the taste with notes of white wine, slight sourness, light fruits, and a little funk. The taste had plenty of white wine (from being aged in Chardonnay barrels), Belgian yeasts, subtle fruitiness, vanilla, oak, hay and grassy hops. Beautifully complex and nicely balanced.

Hops: Cascade and Mosaic.
7.6% from Niagara on the Lake      33 IBU

BIG WAVE GOLDEN ALE ~ 

KONA BREWING COMPANY

RED, WHITE & BREW ~ This light bodied golden ale was sampled on draught. The beer poured a crystal clear golden yellow, with a white soapy head, that left traces of lacing. The nose contained notes of tropical fruit (mango and pineapple), some orchard fruits, lemon citrus with hints of caramel malts and piny hops. The taste too is very mild: sweet subtle notes of fruits, lemons and other citrus, subtle caramel malt and piny hops are most noticeable. The body is quite thin and then carbonation is lively. This is perfect beach beer on a super hot day – low in alcohol – innocuous - easy drinking – refreshing.
4.4 % Kailua, Kona, Hawaii IBU 21
Malts: Pale (Premium 2-Row), Caramel
Hops: Galaxy, Citra

BRAKEMAN’S SESSION ALE ~ JUNCTION

This Golden Ale was Sampled from a 473 mL tin. The beer poured a slightly opaque golden yellow colour with a good head. The head lasted several minutes then left good lacing on the glass. The nose was simple and contained a little citrus, grains and fragrant hops. The taste was surprisingly hoppy for Golden Ale. The brew was made with two malts and three hops (“Admiral”, “WGV” and “Super Galena) and ‘hopbacked’ with dry leaf Cascade and Super Galena hops. The beer is sharp right off the top, and bitterness dominated the taste. When chilled the hops had lots of pine and grapefruit flavour, but as it warmed the hops became more perfumy and floral. The malts also became more evident as the beer warmed and hinted at sweetness. The finish was dry and the hops lingered on the aftertaste. The carbonation was moderate and the mouthfeel was a little thin. The beer was simple and refreshing but it was a little too hoppy for me to be a session ale.

4.6% from Toronto, Ontario        40 IBU
Silver Medalist at the 2014 Canadian Brewing Awards

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

GOLDEN ALE ~ SWEETGRASS

Sweetgrass brewing is the Danforth’s Auld Spot Pub’s foray into brewing.  Presently Sweetgrass is contract brewing with Wellington Brewery in Guelph. 

The beer, described as an unfiltered Belgian-style ale pours a beautiful clear pale  straw colour, with a minimal white head.  The nose is subtle with a hint of hops, light fruit and breadiness and caramel.  The taste is subtle too, clean with a hint of honey sweetness.  Not much in the way of hops with a slight malty aftertaste.  A balanced and quaffable brew, but nothing outstanding.  A good summer porch ale.

4.9% from Toronto, Ontario and Guelph, Ontario

photo by michealcrictonphoto

HILL 145 ~ SILVERSMITH BREWERY

Hill 145 is a Golden Ale (sometimes known as American Blonde Ale).  Pours a coppery gold colour with a white foamy head.  Aroma is a light maltiness, a subtle rye and some floral notes.  Flavour begins with malty sweetness and finishes clean and crisp, with some rye flavour.  It is a remarkably full-bodied for a beer that is only 4%.  Lovely malty session beer.

4% from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario 

15  IBU  -beer 93-

The name is a reference to a Vimy Ridge Battle.  More than 15, 000 Canadian Infantry marched towards Germans at the front at Vimy.  With incredible discipline and bravery the Canadians continued to move forward in heavy fire and forced the surrender of German machine-gun nests and protective dugouts.  Hill 145 is the highest hill and the site of the present day Vimy Monument.  The hill was overtaken in a frontal bayonet charge versus German Machine guns.