Sunday 29 December 2019

December 28, 2019

378/2978) Badlands Beer Bus:  Pedestal Idaho 7 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; soft mouth feel; murky; peach nose with an edge of pineapple; pineapple favours with hints of peach;

I ought to have parked on the side of the road but when in a sea of mud it is a bad idea to stop.  Sorry about all the mud I splattered everywhere.  As the forecast is for rain over the next few days and as I have no intention of driving the car is in the driveway in the hope that the rain will take care of all the mud caked everywhere.  I suspect it will take snow.  I know the weather will oblige.

December 26, 2019

377/2977) Home:  Battenberg Cake, a collaboration between Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario and Cloudwater of England:  **; 11.3% Imperial Stout with almond extract, apricot jam and Madagascar vanilla beans; for fun, Google an image of said geometric cake; apricot, marzipan, vanilla nose; rich, boozy, with flavours of almonds, apricots and dark roasted coffee; a Christmas gift from my eldest son;

In an uncommon move for this modest blog I have made a revision.  I will add that this is best shared - a full glass quickly becomes too much of a good thing.


Yes, I know, Advent is over but this is such a great backdrop.

Thursday 26 December 2019

December 25, 2019

376/2976) Home:  Tournay de Noël by Brasserie de Cazeau of Belgium:  **1/2; 8.2%; bottle conditioned; brewed with five different varieties of barley malt; label claims an ibu of zero; earthy, malty nose; dry, roasty, malty with a touch of sweet, dark fruit;

A terrific way to wrap up this years Craft Beer Advent calendar.  It is also nice that for the first time, this calendar was without any adverse events - no late or nearly late delivery, no empty bottle, no exploding infected bottles.  I am already looking forward to next year's edition.



December 23, 2019

374/2974) Home:  Tekst & Uitleg by Brouwerij de Molen of the Netherlands:  **; 4.6%, 20 ibu; the bottle translates the name as "explain in detail"; described as a "Pale Ale Saison-ish"; the label also breaks down the hops in this manner:  bitter hop:  Premiant, Apollo; late hop:  Citra, Cascade, Chinook; dry hop:  Amarillo; citrus and floral nose; piney, herbal flavours; Advent day 22;


375/2975) Home:  Coffee Ursus Spelus by Sound Brewery of Washington, U.S.A.:  **; a 10% Belgian style Imperial Stout; brewed with dark candi sugar and coffee; coffee nose; strong, unsweetened coffee flavours and roasted malt; caught up to day 23;

December 22, 2019

371/2971) Home:  Wingman Watermelon Wit by Uiltje Brewing Co. of the Netherlands:  **; 6%; brewed in the medieval Dutch brewing town of Haarlem with barley, wheat, oats and watermelon; Glacier hops;  pours opaque; nose of yeast, fruit, watermelon; tastes of watermelon, yeast, dried fruit; refreshing and satisfying; another oddly summery beer in this Advent calendar; this is from day 19;




372/2972) Home:  Mère Vertus by Millevertus Brasserie Artisanale of Belgium: *1/2; 9%; brewed in the Wallonia region of Belgium; "Une Sacrée Triple"; 9%; at first blush a typical Tripel - yeasty and sweet, but a dry bitterness emerges towards the finish that is uncommon; Advent day 20


373/2973) Home:  Saggia Blonde by Birra Dell'Eremo of Italy:  **; 5%; brewed with barley, wheat, oats and spices; unfiltered, unpasteurized; not lacking for carbonation; yeasty nose; yeasty, spiced, sweet; up to day 21 of the Advent calendar;

December 21, 2019

369/2969) The 3 Brewers, Adelaide:  JJ Bean Oatmeal Coffee Stout, also known as Bon Matin by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 6.3%, 39 ibu; brewed with Di Venizia coffee; mildly sweet coffee nose; mild flavours of coffee and roasted malt;

One last visit to this location.  It is a very nice setting with a second level view of a courtyard.  It is like a wake in here.  They are out of the Blonde, which I understand always was the most popular of their beers. 

At Heartland they have projected that their Blonde will be gone by Christmas with the Amber soon to follow.  Sometimes there are advantages to favouring the less popular brews but I may speak too soon.  I was warned off ordering the nachos at Heartland as they are out of cheddar.  What's more, the final day has been pushed back from the 31st to the 30th.  Believe it or don't they have scheduled a staff party for the 29th.  The latest talk is they were going to close down for this but the powers that be have changed their minds and they are going to try to conduct business while this is going on.  It will be interesting to see the reaction when Vivian is called away from the dip to pour a pint.  I think I will stay home that night and hear the stories later.

370/2970) C'est What:  Elena by Wellington Brewery of Ontario:  *; 11.9%, 60 ibu; a new UVB-76 selection for this year, brewed with chocolate and mint and aged in Bourbon barrels; I am finding the mint nose and flavours a bit much;

December 19, 2019

368/2968) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  The End Of All Things by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2; 6%, 60 ibu; billed as an IPA-Milkshake; their IPA with strawberry, guava, vanilla and lactose; the hops are Amarillo, Mosaic, Mandarina Bavaria and Summit; both fruits are prominent to the nose with a mild bitter edge; fruity, a bit sweet with a lingering bitter after taste;

This is the last cask from Justin.  I will think a lot less of the brewing industry if I learn that his phone did not start ringing off the hook once the bad news was delivered.  Rumour has it he was told that there was a spot for him at The 3 Brewers as a brewmaster - in Montreal...

December 18, 2019

366/2966) Home:  Luvanium Blond by Brouwhuys de Vaart of Belgium:  **; a 7.2% Speciaalbier inspired by the 18th century beers of Leuven, Belgium; brewed with traditional floor malt - the traditional way of malting prior to the Industrial Revolution; also wheat and Belgian hops;  clear, golden; nose of malt and yeast; sweet, malty, spiced; hides the abv very well;

Advent day 17


367/2967) Home:  Rookup Bruin by Brouwerij de Plukker of Belgium:  **1/2; 6.5%, 20 ibu; added sugar; brewed with "homegrown hops" - Hopfarm brewery Pilgrim and Goldings; pours a deep rich brown; malty, mildly fruity nose; malty, mild roast, faint chocolate and cola like notes;

Advent day 18 - caught up again in time to fall behind once more.

December 16, 2019

365/2965) Home:  Home:  Cherry Dubbel by Zip Line Brewing Co. of Nebraska, U.S.A.:  **; 7.7%; brewed with Balaton cherries; cherry nose; yeasty and sweet, downright sugary with cherry flavours and a touch of alcohol;

Brewed in Lincoln, Nebraska - day 16 of the Advent calendar.


It's not so late as last year, only barely, but just the same for the third year running I have managed to try 365 new beers.  It should be getting more difficult and maybe without a 3 Brewers close by it will become so in 2020 but I will give it a try.

Wednesday 25 December 2019

December 15, 2019

362/2962) Home:  Boho Organic Blond Beer by Belgian Brew Factory of Belgium:  **; 4.5%; not exactly blonde, more of an orange-brown colour; rich malty nose; malty with notes of orange;

Advent Day 15 beer


363/2963) Home:  Citra Strata IPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; brewed with Citra and Strata hops; grapefruit and tropical notes;

364/2964) Home:  Provocative IPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; brewed with Galaxy, Citra and Amarillo hops; mostly peach to nose and flavours; a touch of bitterness in the background;

December 14, 2019

359/2959) Home:  Dead Sun Rising by Brouwerij Eutropius of Belgium:  *1/2; an 8.1% Imperial dark smoked saison brewed with cocoa nibs, American hops and oats; brewed by Brouwerij Eutropius for White Pony Microbrewery of Italy; yeasty nose; flavours of alcohol, dank yeast, unsweetened chocolate a hint of what I imagine an ashtray tastes like and bitter hops throughout, especially at the finish;

Advent day 12 - catching up.


360/2960) Home:  Tripel Belgian Golden Ale by Boxing Rock Brewing Company Ltd. of Nova Scotia:  **1/2;  9.2%; sweet, fruity nose; uncommonly sweet for a tripel with fruity flavours, delicious;

The 13th installment of the Advent calendar - who would have guessed such a fine Belgian style Tripel could have come from Nova Scotia?

361/2961) Home:  KlevereTien Zwart & Straf by Het Nest Brouwerij of Belgium:  *1/2; 10.0%; "Ten of Clubs"; brewed with sugar and herbs, aged in oak barrels; brewed to promote the Flemish town of Turnhout, Belgium, a worldwide centre of the playing card; nose of roaty malt, raisins; raisins, faint licorice mild roast; the alcohol is very well hidden;

Taking advantage of the fact that people were around on a Saturday to share these with I have caught up to day 14.

December 13, 2019

357/2957) Thirsty and Miserable:  Black Hand Stout by Blood Brothers Brewing of Ontario:  **; 7%; mildly sweet mocha nose; similar flavours;

358/2958) Thirsty and Miserable:  1000 Victories, a collaboration between Left Field and Dominion City, both of Ontario:  **1/2; a 6.8% IPA brewed with Chinook and Centennial hops, barley, wheat and honey; sweet citrusy nose; honey adds an interesting dimension; lingering sweetness, reminds me of juice;

This beer was named in honour of the Ottawa Lynx baseball team of the Triple A International League who won exactly 1,000 ball games between being established in 1993 and leaving Ottawa in 2007.

They were an affiliate of the Montreal Expos from 1993 to 2002 and won the International League championship in 1995.

Following this they were affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles from 2003 to 2006 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007.  A change in ownership led to the team relocating to Allentown, Pennsylvania where they became known as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

To my mind, their most notable player was Matt Stairs.


December 11, 2019

356/2956) Home:  UFO White by Harpoon Brewery of Massachusetts, U.S.A.:  **; 4.8%; brewed with orange peel and coriander; yeasty nose; finish is orange and spice;

Advent day 11.  It feels a bit odd drinking such a summery beer in December.


December 10, 2019

354/2954) Home:  December DIPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 8.2%; brewed with Galaxy, Vic Secret, Sultana and Nelson Sauvin hops; peaches and pineapple nose; pineapple and citrus flavours;


355/2955) Home:  Sheamus Amber Ale by Crazy Mountain Brewing Company of Colorado, U.S.A.:  **;  5.25%, 25 ibu; nose is sweet and malty; faintly reminiscent of a Scotch Ale but with old school bitter hops; uncommonly sweet and fruity with a mildly dry finish;


Advent Day 10

December 8, 2019

351/2951) Home:  Freakshow Crush Hazy IPA by Flying Monkeys of Ontario:  **; 6.3%; pours hazy; tropical nose; fresh tropical flavours; a bit washed out;


352/2952) Home:  Blanka by Brewhouse Karbo Oude Geelscbaan of Belgium: *1/2; 6%; malt bill contains both barley and wheat; also brewed with spices and herbs; spiced nose with a touch of smoke; spicy, herbal flavours; dry aftertaste; an odd one;


December 7, 2019

349/2949) Badlands Beer Bus:  Dorado Shoes by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe and El Dorado hops; strong peach nose; flavours of peaches and mango, not a hint of bitterness;

350/2950) Home:  Brune by Brasserie Cooperative Valduc-Thor of Belgium:  **; 9.5%, 20 ibu; nose of sweet candied licorice and chocolate; sweet, malty, sugary flavours;

Day 7 of Advent.


December 6, 2019

348/2948) Home: Liquid Gold Belgian Style Ale by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company of New York, U.S.A.: **1/2; 6.5%, 15 ibu; sugary, yeasty nose; flavours of honey, spice and yeast;


Day 6 of the Advent calendar.

Some very discouraging news today:  https://www.canadianbeernews.com/2019/12/06/3-brewers-closing-four-ontario-locations/

The 3 Brewers is closing four locations in the greater Toronto area, among them the Heartland (Mavis) location.  The Oakville and Yonge at Dundas locations will remain.  This is heartbreaking.  I enjoy the company of the regulars and the service is outstanding.  A lot of good people will be looking for work by the end of the year.

What bothers me is this location seemed to be doing well.  There were groups every night and today it was closed entirely for a private event.  I have commented on the struggles of the Adelaide location, in a very much nine to five setting and there is a lot of competition in Liberty Village.  I cannot comment on Richmond Hill.

I am reminded of a brewery employee I met at Peché Day who commented that he felt like he was falling off the edge of the earth in terms of good beer when heading west from Etobicoke and it felt that way until he reached Oakville.  This was a small exception to that rule and now we are losing it.

From the blog's standpoint, I am set to achieve three hundred and sixty five new beers for the third year running and some fifteen percent of that can be attributed to The 3 Brewers.  It remains to be seen if the IPA factory that is Badlands Brewing can make up for this.

Monday 23 December 2019

December 5, 2019

347/2947) Home:  Triporteur Hell by Belgian Original Maltbakery of Belgium:  **; 6.6%; nose of chocolate, licorice; cherry flavours, licorice, hint of dark sugar;

Advent Day 5




December 4, 2019

345/2945) beerbistro:  Big Cat Roars Double India Pale Ale, a collaboration between Collective Arts of Ontario and Alvarado Street Brewery of California, U.S.A.:  **;  8.2%; citrusy, tropical nose; fresh citrusy notes; scant hint of that abv;

346/2946) Home:  Devotion Blonde Ale by The Lost Abbey of California, U.S.A.:  *1/2; 6%; nose of malt and sweet yeast; malty with a dank yeast edge;

Day 4 of the Advent calendar.


December 3, 2019

344/2944) Home:  Rebel Kent Amber Ale by 3 Sheep Brewing of Wisconsin, U.S.A.:   *1/2; 5.0%, 23 ibu; "Brewed with heart and science"; nose of caramel, yeast, spice; caramel notes, sharp spice, sweet yeast and malt; a tiny bit like a Dubbel;

Brewed in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for Day 3 of Advent.


December 2, 2019

342/2942) Home:  Imperial IPA by Fuller's of England:  **; 10.5%; bottle conditioned; brewed with three U.K. hop varieties:  Target, Goldings and Fuggles; also black pepper is added which reminds me of their addition of rosebuds to their Imperial Stout; nose of pine, resin; bitter, herbal and piney, I'm not sure that the pepper adds much - it might even detract a bit;


343/2943) Home:  VI Wheat by Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouelle of Belgium:  *1/2; 6.0%; hopped with Simcoe and an experimental Yakima Chief hopcultivar; brewed with barley malt aswell as wheat malt; hazy; fruity nose of orange; orange, wheat, a bit peppery;

Advent Day 2



December 1, 2019

341/2941) Home:  Love Child by Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.:  **;  9.2%; a Belgian style ale aged on fruit - passionfruit, cherries and raspberries - "traditionally unique to lambics…why should they get all the fun?"; grainy, fruity nose, mildly medicinal;  all three fruits make their presence known against a backdrop of a fine Belgian golden ale;

This is the first entry for this year's Advent Calendar.  The theme this year is "in honour of Belgium".

Wednesday 11 December 2019

November 30, 2019

340/2940) Thirsty and Miserable:  Sunsplit IPA by Dominion City of Ontario:  **; 6.5%;  hazy; tangerine like nose and flavours; Dominion City bill themselves as, "Makers of very good beer".

Plainly I am very predictable.  Katie asked me which beer release I was in town for before I could place my order.  I was here for Bellwoods' Bounty Hunter but I gave up waiting for the Westbound Dundas streetcar after thirty minutes.  With luck, there will be other occasions to purchase Bounty Hunter - possibly when (if?) there is a 2019 Bring Out Your Dead release.

November 29, 2019

339/2939) Home:  Plaid Habit by Boulevard Brewing Company of Missouri, U.S.A.:  **1/2; 13.9%, 9 ibu Canadian Whisky barrel aged Imperial Brown Ale; matured 18 months in ten year Canadian rye whisky barrels; boozy nose with licorice, oak and raisins; boozy flavours with hint of cherry and sweet licorice;


November 28, 2019

337/2937) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Celebration by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2; cask; 6%, 60 ibu; their IPA with Citra and Simcoe hops;  billed as an American IPA; in effect the harsh edge is taken off; citrus notes mellow the dank, herbal hoppiness of the original IPA;

338/2938) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  La Festive Licorice by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.6%, 25 ibu; presented as a festive New England India Pale Ale; hybrid of a winter warmer and a NEIPA; multi grain ale with lactose and licorice; dry hopped with Simcoe; nose is sugary (dark sugar) and fruity; sugary with mild licorice and fruit;

I think the festive aspect marginally outweighs the NEIPA aspects. 

November 27, 2019

336/2936) Home:  Mosaic Idaho 7 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; nose of peach and pineapple; I am getting peaches in the taste with a hint of bitterness at the finish;

Sunday 8 December 2019

November 21, 2019

335/2935) Home:  The Kid With The Golden Shoes by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; a 6.5% IPA; brewed with Simcoe and Mosaic hops; nose of peaches and tangerine; tropical flavours with peach notes;

The story goes that on Badlands' first anniversary a young person chose to colour his shoes instead of the "tag-it" wall and this beer commemorates that individual.

November 20, 2019

334/2934) Home:  I'm A Tax-Paying Citizen by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; a 6.0% Porter; coffee and mocha nose; roast and chocolate flavours;

From their Pretentious Porter series.


November 17, 2019

333/2933) Home:  The Wolf of the Glen by Windswept Brewing Co. of Scotland:  **1/2; 9%, 56 ibu; a Dark Scottish ale aged in Glen Moray Whisky casks and finished in a port cask;  my bottle indicates on a handwritten label that I have bottle 1193 of  4344; very dark; large foamy head; nose of whisky; tastes of whisky, port, roasted malt;

It is the sort of beer I would not be surprised to see from Innis & Gunn.


November 16, 2019

331/2931) Badlands Beer Bus:  Dora#17 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; opaque as a milkshake; peach, mango, pineapple nose; tastes of peach, pineapple with a mildly bitter finish;

I do miss those old school clear, bitter IPAs.

332/2932) Home:  Shirtless At The Kremlin by Refined Fool Brewing of Ontario:  **; 11.2%, 90 ibu; barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout; aged four months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels;  a very hefty bottle, even when it is empty; nose of roasted malt, bourbon, alcohol; tastes dark coffee, dark fruit, oak,  bourbon, booze, vanilla;

November 15, 2019

330/2930) Home:  Faces Mosaic and Citra Double IPA by Wellington Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2; 8.5%, 80 ibu; dry hopped with Mosaic and Citra; citrusy with notes of mango and grapefruit flavours and a hint of bitterness at the finish;


November 14, 2019

329/2929) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Dumbbb Thick by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; cask; 6%, 20 ibu; described as a S'Mores Milkshake IPL; their Honeydrop with lactose, marshmallows and cocoa nibs; dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Summit hops; aggressively sweet nose of marshmallow, honey and particularly maple; sweet sugary maple and marshmallow, little sign of the cocoa; I was glad I ordered only a half pint - while I liked it clearly a little of this beer goes a long way;

November 13, 2019

328/2928) Home:  Barrel Series No. 1:  Gin Barrel by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  **; an 8% oat ale brewed with hibiscus and cacao; cola like nose; flavours of chocolate and cola with enough juniper to make this an odd one;


Tuesday 3 December 2019

November 11, 2019

327/2927) Home:  King In The North by Ommegang Brewery of New York, U.S.A.:  **1/2;  11%;  an Imperial Stout aged six months in bourbon barrels; nose of vanilla, oak, dark coffee; uncommonly strong vanilla flavours and roasted malt, dark coffee; only a hint of alcohol in spite of that abv;


 "a beer for John Snow"

November 9, 2019

326/2926) Wellington Brewery, Guelph:  Ivan by Wellington Brewery of Ontario:  ***; an 11.9% Cognac barrel aged stout with coffee and almonds; dark coffee nose; boozy, sweet almond notes with dark coffee;

Today was Wellington's UVB-76 release event which threatens to become as big a part of the calendar as Bring Out Your Dead day.  I also sampled Roman 2018 which was excellent.

November 7, 2019

324/2924) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Big Lips; Checkered Past by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2; 5.2%, 24 ibu; on cask; a sour blonde ale with lychee, French oak, Jarrylo hops;  tart nose;  it's all tartness and lychees with a dry fruity finish;

325/2925) Home:  Terra Oatmeal Stout by Birra Dell'Eremo of Italy:  **1/2; 5.2%; brewed with oats and cocoa beans; roasted malt and chocolate nose; semi-sweet chocolate notes; very nice;

To mark International Stout Day.

November 3, 2019

323/2923) Home:  I'll Have What Fran Is Having Amaretto Porter by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; a 5.6%, 25 ibu Amaretto Porter brewed with almonds, peaches, cinnamon and vanilla;  typical roasty porter nose; amaretto like notes increase through to the finish and after taste; mild astringency from the cinnamon, touch of sweetness from the peaches; a very nice porter;


Sunday 1 December 2019

November 2, 2019

322/2922) Badlands Beer Bus:  November DIPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 8.2%; brewed with Galaxy, Citra, and Cashmere hops; citrus and pineapple nose; mildly sweet pineapple notes;

In preparation for the cold weather, the people at Badlands purchased a "retired" school bus and installed draught lines and space heaters.  It is comfortable, cozy and a great space for conversation with newly met acquaintances.

October 31, 2019

321/2921) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  You're My Boo by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2; 4.7%, 28 ibu; cask for a Thursday; Brown ale with candy corn; not all that much different than the Brown but it is a shade sweeter with candied notes alongside the sweet flavours of the brown ale;

October 28, 2019

318/2918) Home:  Dora #16 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; murky; brewed with Galaxy and Vic Secret hops; nose of peaches and pineapple; similar flavours with citrusy sweetness;

319/2919) Home:  Pedestal (Sultana) IPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; the Sultana hop was formerly known as Denali and Experimental #06277; citrus and pineapple nose; similar flavours; touch of dank bitterness at the finish;


320/2920) Home:  Allgauer Hüttenbier by Privatbrauerie Hoss of Germany:  *1/2; 5.2%; this is the last of my Oktoberfest beers; sweet malty nose; malty, a bit grassy; very German;



The packaging is a whole lot of fun.


October 26, 2019

316/2916) Badlands Bottle Shed and Beer Garden:  More! by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; brewed with Mosaic and Eureka hops;  they are using two letters from each hop's name to make the name of the beer; citrus, pineapple, peach to the nose; similar flavours but with a touch of the candied hop flavours they so typically create;

It is such a nice experience to visit Badlands.  They have set out picnic tables on the grounds, including tables for small people, and a variety of lawn games.  It makes for a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

317/2917) Goodlot Farmstead Brewery:  Brown Ale by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **;   5.2%, 26 ibu; rich and malty with a touch of sweet chocolate, especially at the finish;

October 25, 2019

315/2915) beerbistro, Toronto:  Inner Eye Pale Ale by Blood Brothers Brewing of Ontario:  **; 5.5%; fresh citrusy nose; mango and citrus flavours;

It has become nearly a tradition to dine at the beerbistro after the Phantoms of the Organ.  This year it was at the Church of the Holy Trinity, tucked in behind the Eaton Centre.

October 24, 2019

314/2914) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Honey Drop by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2; 5.3%, 35 ibu;  the appearance is that of a golden ale; tastes like a golden ale with honey; brewed in support of bee conservation;

This is the newest Feature beer for The 3 Brewers.  It was supposed to be a Bock and I was quite looking forward to experiencing Justin's efforts as it is one of my favourite styles but plans change sometimes.

October 23, 2109

313/2913) Home:  Nebuchadnezzar by Omnipollo of Sweden, though it was actually brewed in Toronto:  **1/2;  an 8.5%, 100 ibu Imperial India Pale Ale; stone fruit nose; reminds me of Badlands' offerings; peach, pineapple, candied hop flavours;



October 22, 2019

312/2912) Home:  Farmstead IPA by Goodlot Farmstead Brewery of Ontario:  **; 6.2%; purchased at the brewery; herbal, resiny nose; resiny, strong malty backdrop; bitter after taste;


October 20, 2019

311/2911) Goodlot Farmstead Brewery:  Double IPA by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; 10%, 100 ibu; brewed with Chinook, Magnum and Centennial hops and honey from Goodlot bees; opaque; herbal nose; dry, bitter flavours with a lingering bitter after taste;

October 19, 2019

310/2910) Sin and Redemption:  Troubadour Obscura Stout by Brouwerij The Musketeers of Belgium:  **; 8.2%; refermented in the bottle; very roasty nose; roasted malt, mild coffee flavours; the alcohol is very well hidden;

This was from Sin and Redemption's bottle list.

October 17, 2019

308/2908) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Tear Stained Monster Manual by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2; 5.5%, 26 ibu; Thursday cask; a blend of the Munich and the Amber with cherry wood spirals and "rare elixir hops"; boozy cherry nose; flavours of oak, alcohol and cherry with a dark sugary sweetness, nearly cherry-vanilla like; very nice;

309/2909) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Super Dark Shadows by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  *1/2; 5%, 20 ibu; a soured brown ale aged on American oak spirals; faint coffee nose; sour edge throughout but one can sense the fine brown ale beneath; shame about the souring;

October 16, 2019

307/2907) Home:  Madrugador Session Stout by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  **; 4%; brewed with coffee from Detour Coffee Roasters; strong, mildly sweet coffee nose; tastes mostly of cold brewed espresso, with mild notes of milk chocolate; 

"Madrugador" is Spanish for early riser.

October 15, 2019

306/2906) Home:  Melange Imperial IPA by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  **; 9%; melon and citrus nose; hazy; low bitterness; hides that abv well; mildly resiny and citrusy;


October 14, 2019

305/2905) Home:  Hazy by Overhop Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; a 6.5%, 50 ibu New England IPA; brewed with wheat and oats; in spite of the name it's only mildly hazy; nose is floral and citrusy; a tad soapy, not as "juicy" as many NEIPAs; features citrus, particularly lemon;


October 13, 2019

302/2902) Home:  Lunatic Fridge IPA by Toboggan Brewing Company of Ontario:  **; 6.2%; brewed with "west coast hops"; nearly transparent; nose is rather grainy with faint pine; malty, mostly bitterness with faint citrus; bitterness continues into the finish;


303/2903) Home:  Knucklebone IPA by Skeleton Brewing Company of Ontario:  **;
6.5%, 65 ibu; featuring Galaxy, Azacca and Mosaic hops; brewed at Cameron's Brewing in Oakville; resiny nose; old school piney flavours; 




304/2904) Home:  Combat Wombat by Rogue Ales Brewing Company of Oregon, U.S.A.:  *; 7.2%; billed as a sour North East style India pale ale with blood orange and grapefruit; also wheat, oats and lactose; dank tart nose; mild fruitiness but it's mainly sour flavours and tartness;


I hung on to this one until there were people to share it with.  They liked it more than I did.

Sunday 27 October 2019

October 12, 2019

301/2901) Home:  Flight Plan DIPA by Lake of Bays Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; 8%, 84 ibu; brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo hops as well as Magnum - it was dry hopped with the first two, and kettle hopped with all three; oats were added to the malt bill;  it pours clear which is uncommon of late for an IPA;  mild citrus nose; flavours of pine with light citrus;


October 10, 2019

299/2899) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Curtains and Drapes by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2; 4.8%, 34 ibu; La Florida (no, not the Blonde) dry hopped with Cascade, Summit and Mandarina Bavaria hops; a lot like La Florida; the herbal aspect to nose is new and so are the amped up citrusy flavours;

300/2900) Home:  Jai Alai IPA by Cigar City Brewing of Florida, U.S.A.:  **; 7.5%, 65 ibu; brewed with wheat and oats; nose is tangerine with floral notes; citrusy with an herbal edge at the finish;


October 8, 2019

297/2897) Pub On Main Street, Brampton:  House Lager, she's not sure who makes it for them:  *; I did not ask further questions; a pretty ordinary lager;

The place has been open more than a year but scarcely anyone was there.  This was more of an exploration than a beer tasting.  To enter you have to climb a steep flight of stairs between the shops along Main Street South.  I had the impression it would be a lot smaller given the entrance and the exit-only door out back but it is roomy and there is even space for a pool table.  If my visit was typical I cannot speculate how they manage keep the doors open.

298/2898) Home:  After Hours Old Fashioned Cocktail Pale Ale by Central City Brewers and Distillers of British Columbia:  **1/2; 6.5%, 35 ibu; inspired by the Old Fashioned whisky cocktail; brewed with orange peel, whisky, cherries, Lohin McKinnon single malt whisky and house made bitters; I can smell the cherry, the whisky and the zest; tastes very much like an Old Fashioned what with the cherry, essential oil of orange and whisky; it is delicious; I like it even more than the similarly inspired Henderson beer;


October 7, 2019

296/2896) Home:  Secret Wave by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; brewed with Vic Secret hops; nose is pine and citrus; sharp pineapple flavours with citrus and stone fruit;

October 6, 2019

295/2895) Home:  Dora # 15 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; brewed with lactose and dry hopped with Galaxy and Mosaic; peach and pineapple to the nose; I do not particularly notice the lactose; mostly it is pineapple with a hint of sweetness at the finish;

October 5, 2019

294/2894) Badlands Bottle Shed and Beer Garden:  Lil Cashmere Shoes by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 3.6%; described as a Table IPA or a milder version of their The Kid With The Cashmere Shoes; brewed with Cashmere hops; tastes a little washed out; citrusy nose and flavours;

The bottle shop and beer garden is a very nice setting with lawn games and picnic tables.  They have purchased and refurbished an old school bus to use when it gets cold.


Saturday 26 October 2019

October 3, 2019

293/2893) The 3 Brewers, Heartland:  Basic Witch by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **;5.2%, 25 ibu; a pumpkin spice latte cask designed for their Oktoberfest party; described as a Munich Marzen with coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, vanilla and honey;  mercifully some of these are not prominent in the least; to the nose it is mostly nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon; basically, a pumpkin pie spiced Marzen; 

Justin expressed disappointment that not all of the ingredients were detectable.  I can only comment on the beer that he made and not the one he wishes he had made.  I found this one very nice.

October 2, 2019

292/2892) Home:  H² Golden Ale by Herald Haus Brewing Co. of Ontario:  *; 4.7%; grainy, malty nose; a standard, grainy, golden ale;




October 1, 2019

291/2891) Home:  Snooze You Lose by All or Nothing Brewhouse of Ontario:  **; a 5.0% honey brown ale brewed with wildflower honey; pours very dark; roasty malt nose; mild hint of honey but mostly roasted, perhaps a touch burnt, malt; very hearty;


September 30, 2019

290/2890) Home:  The Darcys Poolside Grapefruit Lager by Big Rock Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2; 4.0%, 13 ibu;  grapefruit nose; flavours of grapefruit with a grainy maltiness; summery but also somewhat watery;

The Darcys are a Toronto music duo who to this point had escaped my notice.



September 29, 2019

288/2888) Home:  September DIPA by Badlands Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2; 8.2%; brewed with Galaxy, Mosaic and Simcoe hops; murky as per usual; getting tangerine to nose; pineapple, tangerine, mild pine; the abv, again, is very well disguised;

289/2889) Home:  Dora #13 by Badlands Brewery of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; dry hopped with Galaxy and El Dorado hops; their stated intent was for more "assertive bitterness" than usual; nose is mostly peach and pine; swampy; some piney bitterness but there is a large dose of what they have referred to as "candied hop" flavours with peaches and pineapple;

September 28, 2019

285/2885) Home:  Citra Cashmere IPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; dry hopped with the aforementioned hops; melon and citrus nose with similar flavours;

286/2886) Home:  Crop Circles by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  *1/2; a 6%, 51 ibu Belgian IPA; brewed with Centennial, Azacca, Galaxy and Sabro hops and wheat; nose is wheat malt, yeast and citrus; citrusy with mild yeastiness and a sweet finish;


287/2887) Home:  Hop Side IPA by Perth Brewery of Ontario:  **; 5.5%, 52 ibu; delightfully Old School; nearly clear; malty nose with a bitter edge; bitter, herbal flavours;

Perth Brewery was established in 1993 but I am only discovering this brewery now.


September 27, 2019

283/2883) Home:  Lumber For Ale by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  **; 6.5%; brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo hops; mildly sweet pineapple nose; pine and pineapple flavours;

The name of this beer refers to an exchange of beer for a stained wood table, not an expansion for The Settlers of Catan.

284/2884) Home:  Astrolabe Session IPA by Whitewater Brewing of Ontario:  *1/2; 5%, 60 ibu; touch of citrus to the nose; mostly one note  - very bitter and resiny;

This is another example of the expansion of the meaning of "Session IPA".  At 5% it's not exactly a session beer in my view.