Sunday 8 July 2018

June 28, 2018

173/2394) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Two Cones; One Cup:  Maple Vanilla by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 8%, 80 ibu; a Thursday cask; their Milkshake IPA with maple and vanilla; cloudy, as the base would suggest; nose is citrusy with vanilla;  getting both vanilla and maple in flavours with citrus very much in the background;

174/2395) Home:  Session Ale by Clear Lake Brewing Co. of Ontario:  *1/2; 4.8%; malty, fruity, berries nose;  berry notes;  more like a lager to me than an ale;


June 22, 2018

171/2392) Home:  Mangos On The Run Mango IPA by Innis & Gunn of Scotland:  **1/2;  5.6%; nose is mango and earthly tannins; it is like fresh, lemony mango tea with a dry tannin finish;

172/2393) Home Gunnpowder IPA by Innis & Gunn of Scotland:  **1/2; 5.6%; "loaded with Citrus hops":  Cascade, Centennial, Mandarina hops; pours clear; citrusy nose with an earthy edge; citrusy flavours with Asian tea notes;


June 21, 2018

169/2390) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Mom...Dad...I'm Juicy by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 6.5%, 30 ibu;  a Thursday evening cask - Saison Farmhouse Ale with orange, coconut, vanilla, Mandarina Bavaria hops, Denali hops;  pours opaque; vanilla and orange nose;  orange, vanilla, bubblegum, some sweetness from the coconut; peppery finish; not especially juicy, though;

170/2391) Home:  Liquid Art Fest IPA by Collective Arts Brewing of Ontario:  **; a 5.9% milkshake IPA brewed with pureed passionfruit and mango, wheat malt, flaked oats, lactose and vanilla;  beyond murky, it's swampy; all variety of tropical fruits to the nose; very bitter citrusy hops to open quickly yielding to passionfruit and mango with a dry finish;

Though their products are radically different, one thing Great Lakes and Collective Arts have in common is that when they brew an IPA, it is uniformly of the first order.



June 20, 2018

167/2388) Home:  Farmstead Ale by Good Lot Farmstead Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.2%; peach nose; orange peach flavours;  a great beer from a brewery that is new to me;



168/2389) Home:  Big Tiki Tropical Punch Blonde by Hop City Brewing of Ontario:  **; 4.5%, 12 ibu; brewed with pineapple. cherry, passionfruit, mango, guava, papaya; fruit punch nose;  a bit sweet for my liking; initially it is a mess but individual flavours begin to assert themselves; bubbly mouth feel;  dry finish; an odd one;


June 19, 2018

166/2387) Home:  UPA by Henderson Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; a "Toronto-style IPA";  brewed in honor of the Union-Pearson (airport) express train which passes by the brewery every six and one half minutes, hence the 6.5% abv; earthy, rooty nose; bitter,earthy flavours, bitter after taste;

The UP Express uses the same line as the GO train from Brampton to Toronto so I can see the brewery whenever I head into town early on a weekday.

June 18, 2018

165/2386) Home:  Trade Routes by Henderson Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with Four Pure of England:  *1/2;  5%; an unfiltered hoppy pilsner; orangey citrus nose; clear;  blend of bitter pilsner hops and fruity North American style hops; bitterness wins, especially at the finish;

June 17, 2018

164/2385) Home:  Bob & Frank's Not Your Mother's Witbier by Henderson Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2; 5.5%; their Ides of May 2018 brew made with orange zest and coriander seeds;  hazy; citrusy, slightly malty nose; citrus, cloves; dry after taste;

It's not just a great label, it's a great story.  From www.canadianbeernews.com: 

"50 years ago Bob Rae hired Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention to play a gig at U of T’s Convocation Hall. The show, called “(B)ABEL: Society as Madness and Myth” was a weeklong ‘happening’ culminating in the Zappa show on the final Sunday night. The Mothers unpacked their unconventional performance against a white backdrop with white balloons filling the room and completed the white theme by “pouring shaving cream in every possible orifice of the huge organ at the front of the hall” so that the cream exploded all over the room at the end of their show. The resulting mess — both literal and figurative — landed in Bob Rae’s lap, and legend has it that much of the following week was spent cleaning it up."

I might not have believed otherwise that a premier of Ontario/interim federal Liberal party leader-to-be would have crossed paths with Frank Zappa.  Bob Rae was invited to the release party but he is a busy individual so it cannot be a big surprise that he was unable to attend.  Still, it would have been fun to hear his side of the tale.



These were purchased at the brewery which is on the same street as the Neilson chocolate factory.  It is a great smelling street.

June 14, 2018

162/2383) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  The Grisette by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *; 4.2%, 21 ibu;  Opaque, straw colour;  yeasty, musty nose;  mildly dry, grainy, slightly floral; they describe it as "working class";

163/2384) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  I've Got Wood by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; cask; 6%, 30 ibu;  Westhoek Saison with Nelson Sauvin and Ekuanot hops and French oak;  opaque, golden;  white wine nose;  wine oak citrus;  sweet wine finish;

June 11, 2018

161/2382) Home:  Commuter Session IPA by Hop City Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; 4.1%, 40 ibu; dry hopped with Mandarina hops; barley and wheat;  nose of Asian tea; tea and citrus flavours; bubbly mouthfeel;

A beer for us 905ers who are the target of such urban disdain, even as we operate the city of Toronto for them.  Hop City is located not so far from me in Brampton, though to my knowledge they do not have a retail counter and they do not have a tasting room which seems a missed opportunity.  A brewery employee mentioned to me at the most recent Péché Day that he feels like he has dropped off the edge of the craft beer earth when he venture into Brampton or Mississauga.  I have observed in this space that much smaller towns have much livelier craft beer cultures.


Saturday 7 July 2018

June 10, 2018

160/2381) Home:  Al's Coastal Pale Ale, a collaboration between Great Lakes and C'est What, both of Ontario:  **1/2; 4.5%; from Great Lakes' 7 Barrel Series; brewed for the 30th anniversary of C'est What; opaque; nose is peaches and pineapple; citrus and stone fruit flavours; delicious;  purchased at Great Lakes Brewery;


June 8, 2018

158/2379) Home:  A-Bay Pale Ale by Beaches Brewing Company of Ontario:  **; 4.5%, 28 ibu; referred to on the tin as a "Canadian style wheat beer: but only usual four ingredients are listed, no wheat mentioned anywhere else;  unpasteurized;  hazy like a wheat; dark tea nose; Asian tea flavours;


159/2380) Home:  Mayday Belgian Pale Ale  by The Napanee Beer Company of Ontario:  **;  5.7%; usual four ingredients plus wheat and orange peel;  nose is banana, cloves, yeast, orange zest;  quite yeasty with a hint of zest towards the finish;


June 7, 2018

157/2378) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Mouth Party by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 4.7%, 18 ibu;  a Thursday evening cask;  their White with guava, Mosaic and Galaxy hops;  guava is prominent in nose;  opaque peach colour;  tropical and citrusy;

June 4, 2108

155/2376) Home:  Corona Extra by Cerveceria Modela of Mexico:  *; 4.6%; "La Cerveza Mas Fina"; comes in a clear bottle which is a bad sign and sure enough it was a bit skunky; mostly malt, minerally notes;  it might be passed off as a cream ale;

Another contribution from that mutual fund company.


156/2377) Home:  Masala Chai Mead by Trafalgar Ales & Meads of Ontario:  **; 7.0%;  brewed with honey, barley, tea, hops, cloves, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, yeast; colour of tea; spicy nose, pepper is especially forward; cardamom, honey, cinnamon, cloves all feature strongly in flavours;  odd but nice;


Tuesday 3 July 2018

June 3, 2018

153/2374) Home:  The World Renowned Budweiser Lager by Anheuser-Busch Inc. of Ontario:  *1/2; 5.0%; "The King of Beers"; strictly speaking, it is brewed by Labatts in London, Ontario;  among the ingredients is rice;  it seemed appropriate to drink it from bottle; having said that, I am trying not to be a snob - some very fine individuals, including Re-enactment Dan, drink this at Tracks Brewpub;  I found it harmless and inoffensive - a bit sweet for my liking and I really think I can detect the rice;  I would take this over many a sour or gose;

Believe it or don't I had never tried this one before.  It is another beer from that unnamed mutual funds company.  I may not have bought this one but I did intend to try one some day.  It is listed in my copy of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, likely for its cultural significance.  I have often reflected on how my life would be easier and less expensive if I liked this sort of beer.


154/2375) Home:  Monogamy Double Dry Hopped IPA by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.4%; this version uses Ekuanot Lupulin powder; another opaque one -  it looks like lemon juice; nose is pineapple, grapefruit; fresh citrusy flavours with bitter zest (grapefruit) notes; dry finish and after taste;

June 2, 2018

150/2371) Home:  Stiegl Radler by Stieglbraueri of Austria:  **;  2.5%; a true radler:  50% beer, 50% juice, in this case lemon, grapefruit and orange;  pours foggy;  grapefruit is the most prominent to the nose but the others are present;  fresh juices and malt;  delicious and refreshing;  I may have to try one after running;


I may as well explain this now.  In case you had wondered what mutual fund companies do with those management expense ratios and the like, a certain fund company came by the office with six beers for everyone, even lowly types like me.  They also dropped in on my former office so it was more than one.  The Radler was the first one I wanted to try.  That's it in the bottle.  When I went to the LCBO to get a second one they were only available in cans.  The bottle was not expired but it is older stock.

I am going to refer to this gift from a mutual fund company a couple more times in upcoming days.

151/2372) Home:  Runes by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  **; a 6.7% double dry hopped IPA; this edition, picked up at the brewery, features Motueka, Enigma hops, lupulin powder; pours murky;  citrus and musty nose;  citrus, pineapple flavours;


152/2373) Home:  YY*-->KOA Mango Nectarine Milkshake IPA by Bandit Brewery of Ontario:  **; 6.6%; pours opaque; nose of mangoes, nectarine;  lactose is understated, lets fruit shine through; 


Here again, I picked this one up at the brewery.

May 31, 2018

148/2369) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  This S@#!? Is Bananas by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 6.3%, 26 ibu;  cask;  their Amber with banana, hazelnut liqueur, lactose and cinnamon; the server described it as Bananas Foster in a glass;  I am tasting it all;  the cinnamon is the touch of genius,otherwise it would be too sweet;

149/2370) Home:  Woodrunner Barrel Aged Stout by Kingsville Brewery of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; grainy, roasty nose; very mild hint of vanilla;  I wouldn't have guessed it was barrel aged;  a reasonable stout but it pales against so very many excellent barrel aged stouts;


Monday 2 July 2018

May 30, 2018

147/2368) Home:  Stenhouse Porter by Amsterdam Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2; 5.8%, 30 ibu; an Adventure Brew; mocha and vanilla nose; very roasty with mild mocha flavours;

May 27, 2018

146/2367) C'est What:  Bleep Bloop IPA by Calabogie Brewing Co. of Ontario:  *1/2; 5.5%, 60 ibu;  hazy with a soft floral nose;  mildly herbal, bitter after taste;

It occurs to me that had C'est What held their Spring Festival of Craft Beer, which usually takes place on this weekend, I might be comfortably ahead of the pace for 365 beers in 2018.  I gather the staff do not like the event but I am hoping the Fall edition takes place as in previous years.

May 26, 2018

145/2366) Home:  Distorted Re(ale)ity Pale Ale by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 5.6%;  delicious peach aromas and flavours;

Badlands Brewery is very close to my place and even closer to a colleague's in-laws.  My wife bought this at The Beer Store, of all places.


May 25, 2018

144/2365) Thirsty and Miserable:  Bikini Beer by Eviltwin Brewing of Connecticut, U.S.A.:  **; 2.7%;  the conceptual opposite of the Imperial Biscotti Break I just drank;  peach, guava nose;  bubbly mouthfeel, not washed out;  light, frothy stone fruit flavours;

When asked what have she had in the kitchen, Katie replied, "Plain and barbecue".

May 24, 2018

143/2364) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Birds Suddenly Appear by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;  6.5%, 35 ibu;  cask;  described as a Saison Farmhouse Ale;  their Westhoek Saison with Simcoe and Zythose hops;  nose features citrus zest, bread;  citrusy, yeasty;

Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric from 1977 was playing while I was there!

May 21, 2018

142/2363) Home:  San Rafael '71 4:20 Pale Ale by Amsterdam Brewery of Ontario:  *1/2; 4.2%, 42 ibu; green tea nose;  tastes of peach and tannins;  I am left feeling something is missing;


Purchased at the brewery on the waterfront.

May 20, 2018

141/2362) Home:  8 Track XPA by Sons of Kent of Ontario:  **1/2; 5.7%;  from Chatham, like the great Ferguson Jenkins; "Citra hops that come at you from all angles, not dissimilar from the delicious quadrophonic sounds from your favourite 8 track cartridge in the HIFI"; nose of peaches, grapefruit;  similar flavours; the alcohol is very well hidden;  a very easy going IPA;





May 19, 2018

134/2355) Birreria Volo:  Vicious Monkey Session IPA by Redline Brewery of Ontario:  **;  4.8%; brewed with Vic Secret, Ekuanot, Amarillo and Citra hops;  peach, grapefruit nose;  peach and citrus flavours;

Today is Sour vs. Bitter 2 at Birreria Volo

135/2356) Birreria Volo:  Karmic Pardon Pale Ale by Dominion City of Ontario:  **1/2; 5%;  specifically this is an American style pale ale brewed with Simcoe and Mosaic cryohops;  hazy with a tropical nose;  tropical flavours, mild bite at finish;

It seems I only make it out to Birreria Volo for occasions and events but it is somewhat out of my way.  Weather permitting I can walk from Union Station but it makes for an ambitious walk.

136/2357) Birreria Volo:  Pedestal Enigma by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2; a 6.5% single hop IPA with Enigma hops; musty nose;  mild fruit, berries, leather aromas;  seems a bit off;  leathery with tropical notes poking through;

Everything was a five ounce pour today.

137/2358) Birreria Volo:  Ochame Green Tea IPA by Godspeed Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2; 6.9%; green tea nose;  mild fruitiness, largely astringent tannins in the flavours;

It wasn't especially crowded while I was there but things began at 5PM on the Thursday.  Fortunately, nothing I was looking for had run out by Saturday.

138/2359) Birreria Volo:  Byte by Signal Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2;  7%; citrusy nose, zest;  delicious citrusy tropical flavours;

My concession to the sour side of the board was a glass of Cantillion Rose de Gambrinus, a Lambic with raspberries which I think I first experienced at the old Volo one New Year's Eve.

139/2360) Birreria Volo:  May Day by Stone City Ales of Ontario:  **1/2; an 8.7% Double IPA with Mosaic, El Dorado and Idaho 7 hops;  tropical nose;  mild tropical flavours;  dry, astringent tropical notes at the finish;

I am looking forward to the next event to drag me out to College Street between Bathurst and Ossington.  Maybe New Year's but I am hoping the original Volo will be back in operation by then.

140/2361) Birreria Volo:WHIP Smoothie IPA by Left Field Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2;   a 6% Lactose IPA with peach, mango and black raspberry;  sweet fruity nose;  refreshing berries are the most notable but peach and mango are very present;  delicious and refreshing;  would be super on a patio, mind I prefer the indoors when the sun is out;

Sunday 1 July 2018

May 18, 2018

132/2353) Home:  Komes Porter Baltycki by Browar Fortuna Spókla of Poland:  **1/2; 9%; sweet maple syrup-like nose;  sweet latte flavours, warming alcohol;  interesting, unusual and very nice;


133/2354) Home:  Through The Glass by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%;  nose of peaches, citrus zest;  up front peach flavours, fresh and fruity;



My wife picked these up at The Beer Store of all places.  Badlands is on Chinguacousy Road in Caledon, not so far from me and very close by a colleague's in-laws.

May 17, 2018

130/2351) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Cat's Pajamas Nitro IPA by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 5.1%, 49 ibu;  the base is a blend of their White and their IPA - I will let Justin add the details:  "Super experimental session white IPA served on nitro… oats, flaked wheat…late hop additions including Pacific Gem, Amarillo, Wakatu, Mosaic and Belma"; absolutely, solidly opaque;  citrus zest nose;  lemony notes, dry finish and after taste;

This new beer, called the "Brewer's Tap" replaces the 3 Brewers' Neighbourhood Beer and will change every six months.  Like the Neighbourhood Beer, each location has a unique Brewer's Tap selection available only there.

131/2352) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Wildest Dreams by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2; a 5.2%, 24 ibu sour-gose;  this Thursday cask is their Blonde with watermelon, mint, lactic acid and sea salt;  opaque but not so much as the previous entry - light will pass through;  I am sensing the watermelon in nose as well as lime and mint;  opens off-puttingly salty then lime, melon and mint all come through;  summery enough but odd;

May 14, 2018

129/2350) Home:  Lady Friend IPA by Elora Brewing Company of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.0%; grapefruit and tropical fruit nose;  bitter grapefruit notes; excellent;


May 12, 2018

128/2349) Sin and Redemption:  Vuur & Vlam IPA by Brouwerij de Molen of the Netherlands:  *1/2; 6..2%, 63 "ebu";  one of Sin & Redemption's bottled selections; brewed with Cascade hops then dry hopped with Amarillo, Columbus and Citra hops;  surprisingly sweet caramel nose;  faint bitterness but beyond that I am not noticing the hops so much;

Vuur & Vlam translates as Fire & Flames.

May 10, 2018

127/2348) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Nona's Birthday Suit by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2;  4.8%, 28 ibu;  a cask featuring their Brown ale with espresso, vanilla and Amaretto; Justin is going for tiramisu in a glass for their 3rd Anniversary celebration; vanilla is up front in the nose; vanilla, cocoa powder flavours, very much like tiramisu;

May 9, 2018

126/2347) Home:  Honey Cream Ale by Bayside Brewing of Ontario:  **; 5%; to the usual four ingredients they have added wheat and honey; sweet honey nose;  the typical minerally flavours of a cream ale are very nicely off-set by the honey;  a pleasant surprise;


May 8, 2018

125/2346) Home:  Salty Caramel Truffle by Muskoka Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2; 5%; brewed in collaboration with Kawartha Dairy, who make great ice cream;  brewed with salted caramel extract, cocoa powder;  sweet chocolate nose;  sweet and chocolatey with scarcely a hint of salt (mercifully);  I was dreading this one but no need;


May 7, 2018

124/2345) Home:  Radler by Warsteiner Brauerei of Germany:  **;  2.5%;  a  50:50 blend of "grapefruit flavoured drink" and Warsteiner Premium German Pilsner;  nose is fresh grapefruit;   tastes only a touch artificial or soda-like, with pilsner hops;  rather nice;

With Radlers becoming increasingly popular I think it is neat how Sin and Redemption lets patrons design their own Radlers by adding grapefruit juice to their choice of German lager.


May 6, 2018

122/2343) Home:  Paddle On Session Ale by Lake of Bays Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; 4.5%, 40 ibu; brewed  "In partnership with Algonquin Outfitters"; usual four ingredients plus wheat, "pure lemon zest"; all natural, partially filtered; uses Perle, Chinook, Cascade hops; nose of lemon zest and grain; lemon zest features in flavours, overshadows hops mostly; not that strong a malt backdrop;  the lemon makes this summery, outdoorsy;  with those hops it may have been just as interesting without the lemon, mind any beer with lemon notes makes me think of fish and chips so I will let it slide;

123/2344) Home:  Midway ISA by Goose Island Beer Co. of Ontario:  *1/2; 4.6% India Session Ale; brewed with barley and wheat;  faintly tropical nose; mild tropical flavours;  feels a bit washed out; I can understand why Lake of Bays would add lemon zest to a session ale;


A pair of session ales.

May 5, 2018

121/2342) Home:  Oude Gueuze by Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V. of Belgium:  **; 6.7%;   brewed in 2015, bottled in 2018;  brewed with barley and wheat;  tart nose;  very dry;  gueuzes are beginning to blend together for me;

The label reads, "Anno 1702 - The World's Oldest Lambic Brewery"