August 3, 2025

158/4639) Home:  Tokyo IPA by Omnipollo of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.4%; brewed to mark the anniversary of Omnipollo’s bar in Tokyo; billed as a rice IPA though while whole barley is listed on the package, rice is not; hazy, golden yellow; nose of tropical fruit and lemon; lemony tropical flavours feel mildly washed out;

This was brewed in Ontario, but as Omnipollo is a Swedish company I never know how to list things like this.

August 2, 2025

157/4638) Home:  Hoperator by Frank Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 5.1%, 32 ibu American Pale Ale brewed in the West Coast style; translucent at first, but settles to become clear; nose of grapefruit and citrus; dry, bitter throughtout, mostly citrus flavours;

July 30, 2025

156/4637) Home:  Rebel Yell by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.7% red ale; brewed with the addition of corn; translucent; sweet, malty nose; mildly sweet and malty, finishes with sweet caramel notes;

July 29, 2025

155/4636) Home:  Dammit by Lake of Bays Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 4%, 11 ibu hazy light IPA;  hopped with Citra Dynaboost, Citra and HBC1019; dry hopped with Citra and HBC1019; brewed with additions of flaked wheat and rice; hazy yellow gold; lemony citrus nose; mostly washed out lemon flavours; 

July 28, 2025

154/4635) Home:  Tesla's Revenge by Broken Rail Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.4% American IPA; grain bill includes wheat and oats; opaque; nose of grapefruit with mild pine; hint of lemon and grapefruit; 

Broken Rail is housed in a former Grand Trunk Railway station in St. Mary’s.

July 22, 2025

153/4634) Home:  Super Dry by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 4.9% Japanese Rice Lager; nearly clear, nearly colourless; lemony nose; mild lemon flavours;

July 20, 2025

152/4633) Home:  D$Duties by Aqua Nova Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****1/2; 7.0%, 58 ibu Double West Coast IPA; brewed with the traditional four ingredients; translucent; nose of grapefruit and resin; old school pine and grapefruit flavours;

July 14, 2025

151/4632) Home:  WaterShed Tempest by Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 7.5%, 26 ibu Strong Ale; made with local honey from Honey Bee Inc.; Clear, amber; nose of honey and caramel with herbal notes; honey takes the edge of strong maltiness; one for colder weather than currently;

July 13, 2025

150/4631) Home:  Hopeye by Rouge River Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 6.8% hazy IPA with oats; hopped with Citra and Riwaka; “fermented with a special thiolized yeast"; cloudy yellowy gold; nose of citrus and tropical; citrus, tropical, fresh sweet candied notes;

One of the best labels in recent memory.

July 12, 2025

149/4630) Home:  Seeing Double by Grain & Grit of Ontario in collaboration with BAOS podcast:  ***1/2; 8% Double Pale Ale with wheat and oats; hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, Galaxy and Nectaron;  translucent orange with very little in the way of head; nose of orange and mixed tropical; tastes like a sweet tropical salad with orange, mango, papaya and pineapple; this would have been 4 but for the unpleasant industrial grade alcohol notes ;

untappd.com lists a different hop lineup.

July 8, 2025

148/4629) Home:  Iris by Hatch Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5% IPA with oats; hazy, golden-straw colour; nose of stone fruit and lemons; I taste mostly stone fruit, if somewhat muted;

July 7, 2025

147/4628) Home:  Hatch by Slake Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.2% Pale Ale with oats; pours orange-gold with a frothy head; citrusy nose and flavours; a month fresher than the previous two entries and it shows;

July 6, 2025

146/4627) Home:  Super Sunset by Slake Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 4.6% American Pale Ale with oats; hazy yellow gold; lemon and mixed citrus nose; subdued lemon and lime against a mixed citrus backdrop; here again, the freshest I could find was packaged in April, though I wish otherwise;

July 5, 2025

145/4626) Home:  Slow Slow by Slake Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 6.5% IPA with oats added to the grain bill; opaque; nose of mango, papaya and lemon; somewhat muted and bland notes of mango, papaya and mixed citrus;  undoubtedly I would have liked this more had it been fresher;

From the tin:  “Slow is the way.”

July 3, 2025

144/4625) Home:  Baby Nelly by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 5.6% Pale Ale; hopped exclusively with Nelson Sauvin; cloudy, yellow gold; nose of white wine and tropical fruit; tastes of white wine with tropical fruit; mildly sweet;

July 2, 2025

143/4624) Home:  Summer Buzz (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 5.6% Pale Ale, hopped with Peacharine, Mosaic and Motueka; cloudy; nose of lime and stone fruit; dank with flavours of lime with peaches;

July 1, 2025

142/4623) Home:  Amber Ale - Ice Aged by Old Credit Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 5%; amber/red colour; malty nose; sweet with flavours of honey and toasted malts;

June 30, 2025

141/4622) Home:  Apollo Seven by High Gravity Brewing under contract from the Apollo Brewing Company, both of Ontario:  **1/2; 7% lager; clear, golden; sweet, malty nose; tastes malty, mildly sweet, save for the abv, this is not much different than most lagers;

Apollo Seven was the first Apollo mission, in the wake of the Apollo 1 tragedy.  The astronauts orbited the earth and paved the way for Apollo Eight to orbit the moon.

June 29, 2025

140/4621) Home:  Wood Woods by Bellwoods Brewery collaboration with Wood Brothers Brewing both of Ontario:  ****;   8% Double IPA; added oats; murky, straw colour; nose of peaches, grapes and a hint of pine; dry lingering dank stone fruit flavours with a hint of white grape;

Brewed to commemorate the 6th anniversary of Wood Brothers Brewing Co.

June 28, 2025

139/4620) Home:  Dreamy by Willibald Farm Distillery and Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.0% IPA; hopped with Nelson Freestyle, Motueka Freestyle, “and a touch of Citra and Mosaic”; cloudy; nose of pineapple with hints of melon; mostly pineapple flavours with an herbal dankness;

June 27, 2025

138/4619) Home:  Velocipede by Bicycle Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 6.0%, 70 ibu West Coast IPA with malted rye and malted wheat added to the grain bill; translucent dark amber; nose of grqpefruit and zest; tastes of resin, zest, grapefruit and mixed citrus against a sweet malt back drop, but overall dry and bitter;

Velocipede is the original name of the bicycle.

June 24, 2025

137/4648) Home:  Wrecking Ball by Radical Road Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2;  7% “hazy IPA” according to the tin; with wheat; mildly hazy with a frothy head; nose of grapefruit and pine; basically a hazy IPA with West Coast flavours and mouth feel;

June 22, 2025

136/4617) Home:  #Select Riwaka (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; cloudy; aromas of berries and tropical fruit with mild dankness; tastes of red berries and tropical fruit;

June 19, 2025

135/4616) Home:  #Select Nelson Sauvin (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; cloudy; there is an element of the white wine associated with these hops along side passsionfruit and mixed topical, particularly pineapple;

June 18, 2025

134/4615) Home:  #Select Nectaron (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; hazy; nose of stonefruit; stonefruit and pineapple flavours, moderately dank;

June 16, 2025

133/4614) Home:  #Select Mosaic (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; not quite cloudy, but very hazy; nose of berries and tropical fruit; tastes mildly dank with tropical fruit notes and  berries;

June 14, 2025

132/4613) C'est What Beer Garden:  Three Blokes by C'est What Durham Brewing of Ontario:  ****; on cask; billed as a hazy pale ale but the bartender is selling it as an English IPA which seems more accurate; clear; fruity, hint of apples; 

Today is a Cask Social.  The Hot Fives summer ensemble is playing, featuing a clarinet/saxophone player, a horn, banjo and a stand up bass.  As the garden is outdoors, and several steps from the kitchen, the food comes in take away containers.

June 13, 2025

131/4612) Home:  #Select Motueka (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; cloudy; nose is primarily lime with mixed citrus and tropical notes; lime lingers into the after taste with mixed citrus and tropical flavours;

June 12, 2025

130/4611) Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Toronto:  Kuronama Black Lager by Godspeed Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 4.7%; pours black with a pale tan head; nutty, toasty nose with mocha; mild roast, mildly sweet mocha flavours;

Tonight is the opening night of the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.  "Cells At Work!" is beimg screened.  I must remember to always attend opening nights.  In addition to this lager, the bento, scotch, gin and tea were complimentary.  I received full value long before I was seated.

June 11, 2025

129/4610) Home:  #Select Citra (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA hopped exclusively with Citra; cloudy, nearly swampy; orange is prominent to the nose among mixed citrus; tastes of mixed citrus, just a hint of dankness; 

Badlands' annual #Select release is like a tutorial on the topic of hops.

June 9, 2025

128/4609) Home:  Get Off My Lawn by Badlands Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with BAOS on their 10th anniversary:  ****;  8.2% DIPA hopped with Peacharine, Riwaka and Super Sauvin; cloudy; nose of white grape, berries and stone fruit; mild sweetness with berries, grapesand sweet peach; 

"Get off my lawn" is not something one hears at Badlands.  Every weekend they throw their lawn open with picnic tables and lawn games for a great experience.

June 7, 2025

127/4608) Home:  June DIPA (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.5% Double IPA hopped with Riwaka and Nelson; hazy; aromas of gooseberries, white wine; mild herbal dankness, berries, white wine flavours;

June 2, 2025

126/4607) Home:  Dora #80 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; hopped with Citra; the change this time is the addition of malted red wheat; cloudy; strong fresh citrus nose; strong citrus flavours; soft mouth feel;

May 30, 2025

123/4604) Bar Volo:  40 Anni by Volo of Ontario:  ****; 8.5%, 75 ibu Imperial IPA; brewed in collaboration with all seven former House Ales brewers; mildly cloudy; nose is grapefruit; dry, nearly bitter grapefruit and resin; Volo 40th anniversary weekend;

This weekend marks the 40th anniversary of Cafe Volo, now Bar Volo.

124/4605) Home:  Amici M.L. by Volo in collaboration with Mike Lackey of Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:   ****; 6.5%”Old School IPA”;  Old School is what the board says but elsewhere it is called a hybrid IPA, a mix of old and new school; cloudier than the above; grapefruit nose; tastes of grapefruit with mild pine;

125/4606) Bar Volo:  Amici M.T. by Volo in collaboration with Matt Tweedy of Tooth & Nail both of Ontario:  ****; 5.6%, 40 ibu London Porter; deep rich brown with a thin but persistent tan head; mildly sweet mocha nose; mild mocha flavours;

May 27, 2025

121/4602) Home:  Birthday Bestowed 5th Anniversary by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 11.5% Imperial Stout with chocolate cake, chocolate, vanilla and sparkles; jet black, thin, wispy short lived head; nose of chocolate with a  hint of vanilla, chocolate icing and coffee; tastes of chocolate and vanilla, only mildly sweet for all that;

“Features more cake than ever before.”

122/4603) Home:  No-Coast IPA by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 7.0%, 55 ibu; the GLB website calls this an American IPA; brewed with wheat and Centennial hops; clear; malty nose with citrus and pine; tastes of grapefruit and pine; not at all bitter but to my mind the West Coast wins out here; sweet and fruity but not quite juicy;

Quotations from the can:  The everybody pleaser”, “You don’t have to pick sides.”, “a beer with no rules”

May 26, 2025

120/4601) Home:  Quintuple Dry Hopped Quintuple Bone Tree 2025 by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 13.5%;  Quintuple dry hopped quintuple IPA hopped with Citra, Citra Cryo and Citra Hyperboost; cloudy; bitter alcohol nose with citrus; taste of citrus with a dank alcohol burn; soft, creamy mouthfeel;

From the 5th annoiversary pack.

May 25, 2025

119/4600) Home:  Soul Sucker by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario in collaboration with Mortalis Brewing Co. Of New York, U.S.A.;  ***1/2; 10.5% Triple IPA, New England style; hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic and Motueka; very hazy, nearly cloudy; dank nose with berries and tropical notes; alcohol burn throughout along side citrus and berries; 

Also from the 5th anniversary pack.

May 24, 2025

118/4599) Three Speed, Toronto:  Codswallop by Blood Brothers in collaboratio with Three Speed, both of Ontario   ***1/2; 4.5% English Mild Ale, on Nitro; malty and biscuity nose and flavours;

One might imagine that the absence of a deep fryer (everything comes with a side salad, no French fries available) would be a hinderance but the place was packed and rightly so.  We had a great dinner.

May 23, 2025

116/4597) Home:  Low Lands by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario in collaboration with @interbeer:  ***1/2; 8% Double IPA with added oats and hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, Waimea and Nelson Cryo; cloudy; nose is dank, nearly burnt, white grapes; dankness and alcohol with sweet white grapes;

117/4598) Home:  King of Fire by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario in collaboration with Messorem of Quebec :  ***1/2; 8% Double IPA with oats and hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Riwaka and Mosaic Hyperboost; cloudy; mildly dank tropical nose; dankness throughout with tropical notes;

Both are from the 5th anniversary mix pack.

May 22, 2025

115/4596) Home:  Bone Tree Double Dry Hopped 5th Anniversary by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5% Double dry hopped IPA with the addition of oats and hopped with Citra and Citra Cryo; murky; nose of candied citrus; bitter alcohol throughout, prominent citrus;

 “...we went over the top with the amount of Citra we packed into this.”

May 21, 2025

113/4594) C'est What, Toronto:  Swell by Slake Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5% hazy IPA; hopped with Peacharine, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand;  closer to cloudy than hazy; nose is mostly peach with an edge of dankness; tastes of sweet peach with hints of citrus;

114/4595) C'est What:  West Coast IPA by Elora Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 6.5%; hopped with Chinook and Citra; clear; nose is mild apple; mostly apple flavours with faint citrus notes; a bit  sweeter than any West Coast IPA that I have encountered;

May 20, 2025

112/4593) Home:  Withered Corpse by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario in collaboration with BAOS podcast:  ***1/2; 6.5% West Coast IPA ; hopped with Peacharine and Galaxy; clear, golden; nose is dry mango and stonefruit; dry, nearly bitter throughout with flavours of mango and stonefruit; 

Luke A. on untappd.com says, “You can really taste the corpse.”

May 19, 2025

111/4592) Home:  Selected - 5th Anniversary by Third Moon Brewing in collaboration with Blood Brothers Brewing and Badlands Brewing Co., all of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% New England IPA with oats and wheat added to the grain bill; hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Superdelic; murky, pale straw; nose of candied citrus and tropical; not quite up to the promise suggested by the nose but mildly dank citrus and tropical; a bit thin;

May 17, 2025

110/4591) Home:  East of the Sun by Bellwoods Brewery in collaboration with Dominion City Brewing Co., both of  Ontario:  ****; 6.5% East Coast IPA; oats added to the grain bill; cloudy; nose of peaches and melon; melon and peach flavours with a touch of dryness;

May 16, 2025

109/4590) Home:  Vert Doubles by Collective Arts of Ontario:  ****1/2; 7.0%, 58 ibu Double West Coast IPA; brewed with only the traditional four ingredients; translucent; nose of grapefruit and resin; old school pine and grapefruit flavours;

May 14, 2025

108/4589) Home:  My Favourite Leg by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 7.1% Hazy Double IPA brewed with added wheat and oats; Polaris, Hüll Melon hops; hazy; nose of melon and lime; fleshy melon and lime with mixed citrus;

May 13, 2025

107/4588) Home:  Pants by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **1/2; 5% Lagared IPA/India Pale Lager; pours clear; fruity, citrusy nose; bitter edge throughout, mild, washed out citrus flavours;

May 12, 2025

106/4587) Home:  Lake Sauce by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.7%, 30 ibu Juicy IPA; grain bill includes pilsner wheat and flaked oats; hopped with Mosaic, Citra and El Dorado; between hazy and cloudy; nose is a blend of tropical and citrus; similar flavours;

May 11, 2025

105/4586) Home:  Fat Baby by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6%. 100 ibu continually hopped IPA; hops added at thirteen points, beginning with the mash; Apollo, Simcoe, Zythos hops; translucent, amber; dry, piney aromas; dry piney flavours, a bit one dimensional; 

From Refined Fool's IPA Fun Pack #10.

May 8, 2025

103/4584) Third Moon Taproom, Milton:  Twin5 by Third Moon Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with 5e Baron of Quebec :  ****; 5.6% American Pale Ale hopped with Citra, Columbus and New Zealand Cascade; pours clear; mildly citrusy, especially grapefruit nose; mildly bitter edge, dry throughout, with citrus featuring mild grapefruit; 

5e opened the same day as Third Moon.  This is part of Third Moon's 5th anniversary special release.

104/4585) Home:  Pocket Panther by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 5.4% Tropical Stout brewed with espresso, vanilla, yerba mate, coconut and “fancy molasses”; deep dark brown, nearly black with a tan head; sweet vanilla, coconut nose; tastes of coffee, sweet coconut and vanilla; very nearly a bit too much;

May 6, 2025

102/4583) Home:  Purish by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with BAOS podcast, of which I know nothing:  ***1/2; a 5.5% Kiwi Common, “Steam beer brewed in the hop forward New Zealand style”;  pours clear; nose is mixed citrus and tropical; flavours of lime, mango, papaya; an interesting interpretation of the style;

May 5, 2025

101/4582) Home:  The Only Thing We're Good For by Steadfast Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6% Maple infused red ale brewed with maple syrup, Candian barley and oats;  pours ruby red; nose is mild maple; malty with not overly sweet maple;

The name is in response to heckling during the final game of the 4 Nations Face Off hockey series, which Canada won, as expected.

May 4, 2025

100/4581) Home:  Oeselian's Imperial Stout by Steadfast Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 11%; grain bill includes rye malt; pours dark with a tan head; nose of cocoa and licorice; licorice is very prominent with cocoa, a hint of mocha and a touch of smoke at the finish;

The reference is to the historic name for residents of the Estonian island of Saaremaa in the 13th century.

April 28, 2025

99/4580) Home:  Brockton Bitter by Steadfast Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.4% Extra Special Bitter with all English malts and hops; pours clear copper; malty, biscuity nose; dry herbal hop edge, malty, nutty, biscuity;

April 27, 2025

98/4579) Home:  Vienna Lager by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 5.0%, 15 ibu with Noble hops; dark reddish amber; aromas of toasted malts; malty, not a typically crisp lager but rather flavourful, with biscuit and nutty flavours and a "full" mouth feel;

At the GLB Brewpub Cask Social, Troy said they were very proud of this one and the Dortmunder, in spite of the fact that GLB may be better know for its IPAs.

April 26, 2025

97/4578) Home:  Vanilla Porter - Hops for Hunger by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 6.5%; brewed with additions of wheat and vanilla - whole hand processed Madagascar vanilla beans; deep rich brown with a tan head; opens with vanilla, chocolate emerges towards the finish;

$1 per can is donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. 

April 25, 2025

96/4577) Home:  Decoy by Badlands Brewing in collaboration with Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery both of Ontario:  ****;  8.2% DIPA hopped with Nelson, New Zealand Cascade and Simcoe; cloudy; nose of grapes and pineapple; tastes of pineapple and grapes with mixed tropical;

April 24, 2025

95/4576) Home:  April DIPA (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2% DIPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe; Badlands :tweaked" the malt base to make it paler; cloudy; orange stands out among mixed citrus to the nose; tastes of orange, mango and mixed citrus;

April 23, 2025

94/4575) Home:  Dora #79 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; uses a new blend of pale oats and wheat; hopped with Citra; cloudy; nose of mixed citrus; almost no dankness; mixed citrus with a hint of citrus;

April 22, 2025

93/4574) Home:  IV IPA by Four Fathers Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 6% IPA with wheat; hazy; nose is mixed citrus and tropical; mango, citrus and pine flavours;

April 20, 2025

92/4573) Home:  Cream Egg Bestowed (2025) by Third Moon Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 11.5% Imperial Stout with Cream Eggs and chocolate; they dropped the lactose for this edition; pours jet black with a thin, wispy head; sweet dark chocolate nose; not so overy sweet as when the used the lactose; chocolately with a cream egg vibe;

April 19, 2025

89/4570) Steadfast Brewing Company:  Experimental Hop Pale Ale by Steadfast Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; on cask; hazy; nose is melon; dry hopped with HBC630 and HBC1019; malty with notes of melon;

90/4571) Thirsty and Miserable:  Voice of the People by Dominion CIty of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA dry hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic; murky; citrusy nose and flavours;

91/4572) Thirsty and Miserable:  Free Form by Town Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.4% New England IPA with Simcoe, Citra, Belma and Krush hops; cloudy; notes of tropical fruit, peaches and berries;

April 17, 2025

87/4568) Home:  Bell Tree (2025) by Third Moon Brewing Co. in collaboration with Bellwoods Brewery both of Ontario:  ****; 10.5% Triple IPA with oats and hopped with Riwaka, Citra and Loral; cloudy; nose is lemony citrus and dank berries; dank with citrus and berries, less lemony than the nose;

The bottom of tin reads, “Happy birthday Bellwoods”

88/4569) Home:  Moonbelly by Bellwoods Brewing in collaboration with Third Moon Brewing Co. both of Ontario:  ****; 10% Triple IPA with oats; murky; nose of mildly dank citrus, melon and berries; dank, berries are more prominent here, also citrus;

April 13, 2025

86/4567) Mugshot Tavern, Toronto:  West Coast Pale Ale by Black Lab Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 5.5%; a bit cloudy; dry and malty with notes of citrus and grapefruit;

April 11, 2025

85/4566) Third Moon Tap Room, Milton:  Left Hand Path - Peacharine by Third Moon Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5% American IPA; nearly clear; stonefruit nose; flavours of stone fruit, particularly peach, mild dankness;

April 10, 2025

84/4565) Home:  Hillbilly Export by Caledon Hills Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 5.0%, 19 ibu lager; brewed with the traditional four ingredients; clear, amber; crisp fruity aromas; malty with a mild hop presence at the finish;

April 9, 2025

83/4564) Home:  Splitting Hairs by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.1% India Pale Ale; “Hella tropical IPA with Talus, El Dorado & botanical extracts”; hazy; nose of mango and lime; flavours of lime and mango with mild hints of the botanicals;

April 8, 2025

82/4563) Mascot Brewery, King Street:  Frost Hammer by Mascot Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 7.8% Double IPA;  dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin; clear; piney nose; tsates of pine against a strong malt backdrop;

April 7, 2025

81/4562) Home:  Stand Together by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2;  4.5%, 15 ibu New England Pale Ale with oats and wheat; hazy, golden; nose of mango, melon and strawberries; mildly dank with notes of melon, mango and strawberries; 

$1 from each can sold goes to Ernestine’s Shelter.

April 5, 2025

78/4559) C'est What:  Purple Pacer by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario in collaboration with The Veil Brewing Company of Virginia, U.S.A.:  ****; 6.5% American IPA brewed with oats; murky; nose is dank with mixed tropical and hints of grape and orange; mildly dank tropical notes with a bit of orange; dry after taste; remarkably smooth;

The intent was to create a hybrid between Bellwoods' Purple Paisley and The Veil's V Car series of beers.

79/4560) C'est What:  Krush by Town Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 6% hazy IPA; somewhere between hazy and cloudy; fresh citrus and tropical nose; citrus outshines tropical in the flavours;

80/4561) C'est What:  Almond Joy Roller by Counterpart Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6% stout; dark with a scanty head; sweet vanilla and coconut nose; flavours of vanilla, coconut and chocolate; 

Today was a Bellwoods beer release but was disappointed at lack of selection across participating pubs.  I interpreted the emails to indicate that there would be a series of one offs available across Ontario but it looks like I would have had to wait in the rain to get into the Brewpub on Ossington Avenue.

April 3, 2025

77/4558) Home:  Mohawp by Big Rig Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 10.3% Triple IPA; brewed with the addition of mango puree and oats; hops from northern and southern hemispheres; mildly hazy/opaque; nose of mangos and alcohol; tastes of mangos with an unpleasant alcohol edge;

March 31, 2025

76/4557) Home:  Alien Mastermind by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 10.3%, 42 ibu Mango Haze Triple IPA; brewed with wheat malt, flaked oats, “Sugars (mango purée)”, lemon haze terpenes and hopped with Idaho 7, Krush (HBC586) and HBC1019, dry hopped with same; only the tiniest bit hazy; nose is mango; tastes of mango with a bitter edge, likely from said terpenes; 

At what point do we call these stunt beers, without sounding dismissive?

March 30, 2025

75/4556) Home:  Imperial Stout by Wellington Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 8%, 40 ibu; “May contain wheat”; pours black with a tan head; very roasty nose; strong roasted malt flavours; sometimes all you want is a solid, unadorned stout;

March 29, 2025

74/4555) Home:  Péché Mortel Whisky by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec:  ****1/2; 9.5% Imperial Stout with added wheat; aged five months in whisky barrels from Cote des Saints of Quebec; pours black with a thin, wispy, tan head; earthy dark coffee and whisky nose with a faint whiff of alcohol; coffee flavours are overshadowed by whisky and oak; an intriguing variant;

March 28, 2025

72/4553) Home:  Wizard Wolf - Sterling by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.8% pale ale with oats; cloudy; nose is lime and citrus zest; a bit like lemon pie, lemon with lemon zest, not overly strong but far from washed out;

73/4554) Home:  Péché Mortel Framboise Bourbon 2024 by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec:   ***; 9.5% Imperial Coffee Stout; courtesy my son who currently resides in Quebec; brewed with wheat, sugar, coffee, raspberries and aged in bourbon barrels; dark with a thin wispy, short lived tan head; nose is the muddy aroma typical of Péche Mortel with tart raspberries; sharp, tart raspberries cross swords with earthy coffe notes and oak; tartness lingers to the after taste; perhaps the slightest misfire here;

March 27, 2025

71/4552) Home:  Monogamy (Galaxy) by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.4% IPA brewed with the adition of oats; cloudy; nose of grapefruit and citrus zest; grapefriut juice and zest flavours;

March 25, 2025

70/4551) Home:  Bootlegger by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario in collaboration with Smugglers' Trail Caskworks of British Columbia:  ****1/2; 7% West Coast IPA dry hopped with Vic Secret; and hopped with Chinook and Simcoe; clear, copper; nose of grapefruit and pine; mildly bitter with a faint sweet malt backdrop featuring pine, grapefruit, and resin;

March 24, 2025

69/4550) Home:  Sleigh Queen! by Crooked Stave of Colorado, U.S.A.:  ****1/2; 6.2% spiced holiday ale with nutmeg and cinnamon; pours amber with a pale tan head; aromas of nutmeg and cinammon with a gneneral gingerbread feel; tastes of gingerbread with allspice - warming and delciious;

This is the final installment of the Advent Calendar.  I spite of a number of beers that I found ordinary, not to mention the difficulties involved in actually receiving it, I expect I will be a repeat customer should the price be within my generous price point.

March 23, 2025

67/4548) Home:  Bridge Mas by Bridge Brewing Company of British Columbia:  ***; 6.5%, 18 ibu cream ale, with “Christmas spices” – vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise; pours clear; of the four, vanilla is the most prominent to the nose; again, strong vanilla but anise, nutmeg and cinnamon are more prominent here; an odd one;

68/4549) Home:  Twenty Trains by Copenhagen Commons of Denmark:  ***; 8.5% hoppy Danish golden strong ale with French Strisselspelt, Polish Sybilla and Slovenian Celeia hops; also Belgian yeast and sugar; naturally carbonated; cloudy/opaque; sweet, yeasty nose with a mild herbal edge; opens with strong herbal edge which returns at the finish, between it is sweet and yeasty;

A bit of a United Nations beer

Today's beers represent days 22 and 23 of the calendar.

March 22, 2025

65/4546) Beaches Brewing Co., Toronto:  Vibe Out by Beaches Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.5% Double Dry Hopped New England IPA; hopped with Motueka, Southern Passion and El Dorado; nose of citrus, particularly lime; flavours of lime and citrus zest, dry after taste;

66/4547) Beaches Brewing Co.:  St. Carl's Gate by Beaches Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.2% Irish Stout; a bit like Guinness but drier, a touch bitter; 

The brewer’s name is Carl which makes this a bit of a goof on St. James Gate, where Guinness is brewed.  

Beaches Brewing is a great new discovery for us.  We had a terrific dinner here after the annual Happy Birthday Bach Walk.

March 21, 2025

64/4545) Home:  Renegade by Shades Brewing of Utah, U.S.A.:  ***; 7.7% Imperial lager brewed with four ingredients; clear, golden; sweet, yeasty nose, nearly reminiscent of a Belgian golden ale; similar flaours with midly off-putting, nearly metallic after taste;

"Advent" day 21

March 20, 2025

62/4543) Home:  Public Transportation Ale by Hutton & Smith Brewing Company of Tennessee, U.S.A.:  ****; 5.2%, 20 ibu pub ale; nut brown; nose is nutty, malty, biscuity; mild bitterness, malty and biscuity with a hint of caramel;

“For when you get to where you are going.”  As a beer drinker. I am particularly grateful for public transit.

63/4544) Home:  Dave's Coffee Stout by Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island, U.S.A.:  ***1/2; 6.3% coffee stout; one pound of locally roasted coffee per barrel; jet black, fluffy tan head; strong coffee aromas, might be cold brew; dark coffee flavors, mildly sweet;

Days 19 and 20 of the celandar - all caught up for the moment

March 19, 2025

60/4541) Home:  Train Wrecked by Origin Malting and Brewing Co. of Alberta:  ***; 5% lager;  pale, golden; malty, mild herbal nose; typical crisp clear lager, inoffensive if a bit ordinary;

61/4542) Home:  Warp Speed Peddler by Noon Whistle Brewing of Illinois, U.S.A.:  ***1/2; 4.6% Amber lager; clear, amber; nose is rich and malty with a mild hop edge; sweet and malty with mild hop notes;

Days 17 and 18 of the calendar

March 18, 2025

58/4539) Home:  Blonde Candy by Lagabière of Quebec:  ***; 5.8% Belgian style Blonde ale brewed with the traditional four ingredients; clear, golden; sweet malty aromas; honeyed notes, mild yeastiness;

59/4540) Home:  Splitty Open Road by Hinterland Brewery of Wisconson, U.S.A.:  ***; 5.2% Amber Ale brewed with Cascade hops; dark brown; nose is sweet and malty with a pine edge; sweet malitiness, typical of reds, with mild pine at the finish;

Days 15 and 16 of the calendar

March 16, 2025

56/4537) Home:  Tandem Double IPA by Sawtooth Brewery of Idaho, U.S.A.:  ****1/2; 8%, 65 ibu DIPA;  hopped with Chinook, Simcoe, Citra, Idaho 7, Cascade, Centennial and Mosaic; nearly transparent orange/gold; resiny pine aromas; mild caramel backdrop, pine, resin, grapefruit; very old school – my favourite so far from the Advent calendar;

"We did a huge dry hop, twice...”;

57/4538) Home:  Heli Drop by 8 Wired Brewing of New Zealand:  ****; 6% hoppy stout brewed with four ingredients, unfiltered, unpasteurized; nose of roasted malt and coffee; similar flavours, not uncommonly hoppy; a good solid, unadorned stout;

Days 13 and 14 of the calendar 

March 14, 2025

54/4535) Badlands Greenhouse:  Dora #78 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5%; hopped with Citra; features a new pale wheat malt from Europe; pours opaque; citrus and tropical nose and flavours; no dankness but not overly sweet;

55/4536) Badlands Greenhouse:  March DIPA (2025) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 8.2%; hopped with Peacharine, HBC1019 and Sabro; opaque; nose of coconut and citrus; flavours of coconut with citrus;

March 12, 2025

52/4533) Great Lakes Brewery:  C Student by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6%, 55 ibu; West Coast IPA; pours clear; with Centennial hops and wheat; mild nose and flavours of citrus and pine;

53/4534) Home:  Cloud Fall by 71 Brewing of Scotland:  ***1/2; 4.5% Pale Ale; with wheat, oats and hopped with Chinook, Citra, Motueka and Amarillo; translucent; nose is pine with tropical notes; similar flavours with a touch of citrus; I wish this had been fresher; 

Advent calendar day 12

March 11, 2025

50/4531) Home:  Wish You Were Here by Pocock Brewing Co. of California, U.S.A.:  ***1/2; 5.8% Coconut Cream Ale; their webiste describes it as a Coconut Vanilla Cream Ale, mind it also give the abv as 5.5% - likely this was a batch specially brewed for the calendar; pours hazy; minerally nose with vanilla and coconut; typically minerally cream ale flavours but with vanilla and coconut and a hint of chocolate - surprising;

"Advent" Day 11

51/4532) Home:  The Reaper Vol. 4 by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario in collaboration with Messorem Bracitorum of Quebec :  ****; 8.1% Double IPA brewed with oats; cloudy, nearly swampy; aromas of strawberry and melon; flavours of strawberry, melon, citrus and candied hop notes reminiscent of Badlands; no hint of the alcohol;

March 10, 2025

49/4530) Home:  Otto Pilot by Echoes Brewing Company of Washington, D.C., U.S.A.:  ***; 5.6%, 35 ibu pilsner; clear, straw; nose has a sharp Saaz-like bite; mellow, smooth pilsner flavours;

Day 10 of the calendar

March 9, 2025

48/4529) Home:  Suds by Double Vision Brewing of New Zealand:  ***; 5.4% West Coast Lager, hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Riwaka; pours clear straw; nose of fresh candied citrus; crisp like a lager but with flavours that don’t quite live up to the promise of the nose, only mild citrus notes;

Day 9 of the calendar

March 8, 2025

46/4527) Home:  The Aviator by Origin Malting and Brewing Co. of Alberta:  ***; 5% coconut sour; brewed with coconut; between hazy and cloudy; sweet coconut nose with a raspberry like tartness; an unusual blend of sweet coconut and tartness; an odd one, but not so traumatic as I feared; 

Advent day 8

47/4528) Home:  New Growth by Wellington Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.2%, 45 ibu West Coast IPA with Ontario grown Cascade and Chinook hops; translucent straw colour; citrus and pine nose; classic grapefruit and pine flavours;

Statements like, “May contain wheat” cause one to wonder if they truly know what is in their products.

March 7, 2025

45/4526) Home:  Rampaging Red by Tool Shed Brewing Company of Alberta:  ****; 8% Imperial Red Ale; their Red Rage amped up; opaque, amber; nose is sweet dark sugar and malt with an earthy hop edge; sweet and malty finishes with dry, bitter herbal, resiny hops;

The seventh entry from the calendar.

March 6, 2025

43/4524) Home:  Pineapple Express by Frontaal Brewing Co. of the Netherlands:  ****; 5.2%, 49 ibu Pineapple witbier; brewed with added oats and pineapple puree; hazy; fresh pineapple nose with sweet yeastiness; tastes of pineapple, yeast, hint of clove; remarkable;

“Beer for thought” 

Day 6 of the calendar

44/4525) Home:  Bounty Hunter with Chocolate, Coconut and Vanilla by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 10% Imperial Stout; conditioned on toasted coconut and vanilla beans; pours black with a thin, wispy tan head; nose of coconut, vanilla and chocolate; coconut throughout, complimented by sweet vanilla with chocolate in background; just a hint of alcohol; thick, syrupy mouthfeel;

March 5, 2025

42/4523) Home:  Boat by Carton Brewing Company of New Jersey, U.S.A.:  ***1/2; 4.2% Session Ale; brewed with Kolsch yeast, hopped with Centennial, Citra, Cascade, Chinook, Nugget, Galaxy and Amarillo; grain bill is Bohemian Pilsner, Wheat Malt, Carahell and Flaked Barley; hazy, golden with a soapy head; citrusy nose; tastes of citrus, Asian tea, bitter citrus zest and bready malt; remarkably flavourful for a session ale;

“Drink off the beaten craft.”, "Pairs Best With: Drinking"

Day 5 of the calendar

March 4, 2025

41/4522) Home:  Railjet by Brewster's Brewing Company of Alberta:  ***1/2; 4.6%, 26 ibu Czech dark lager;  named for the Czech (now Chechian) railway; very dark brown, nearly black; very well carbonated, it took a long time to settle which caused me to worry it might be spoiled; roasty, malty nose; roasted malt and raisins;

Day 4 of the calendar

I thought I had a spoiled, perhaps and explosive beer on my hands but this was not the case.

March 3, 2025

40/4521) Home:  Apple Wheat by Long Trail Brewing Co. of Vermont, U.S.A.:  ***1/2;  4.8% “American Wheat Ale with apples and natural Flavor”; clear, golden; aromas of fresh apples; mild sweet apple flavours; if I did not know what I was drinking I could be fooled into calling this a cider;

From the can:  "Take a hike!” and  “A tribute to the state fruit of Vermont”

"Advent" day 3

March 2, 2025

38/4519) Home:  Hello Velo by Wold Top Brewery of England:  ***1/2; 4.2% English pale ale brewed in Yorkshire; sustainably brewed, gluten free, vegan friendly - more than can be said of me; brewed with Goldings First Gold hops; clear; nose of sweet marlelade; malty, honey, marmelade, herbal hop notes; reminds me just a bit of Fuller’s Vintage Ale;

39/4520) Home:  Lunar Transit by Epic Brewing Company of Utah, U.S.A.:  ***1/2; 5%, 15 ibu hazy IPA brewed in Salt Lake City; hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe; hazy; nose of fresh mixed citrus; juicy and citrusy;

The 2024 Beer Advent Calendar's delivery was delayed due to a labour dispute at Canada Post.  I was unsure how to mark the days but finally I decided to act as though it was December in March.  Today's beers are days one and two of the calendar.  

February 28, 2025

37/4518) Home:  Greenbelly (Krush) by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 10% single hopped Triple IPA, New England style; with oats; hazy, dark gold, looks a lot like honey; nose of citrus and pineapple; flavours of pineapple, lemon, mildly dank with hints of alcohol and strawberries;

Krush was previously known as HBC586.  I think HBC stands for Hop Breeding Company.

February 27, 2025

36/4517) Home:  Greenbelly (Galaxy) by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 10% Triple IPA; with the addition of oats; cloudy, nearly murky; nose is dank with pineapple and herbal notes; tastes of dank herbal pineapple, citrus and strawberries;

February 26, 2025

35/4516) Home:  Frills by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5% IPA; hopped with Sabro Dynaboost, El Dorado, Simcoe, Krush and with the addition of oats; cloudy with a persistent white head; nose of dank pineapple; dry, dank pineapple and citrus flavours; 

This is part of a series dedicated to using “hop products”.  Dynablast is an oil enriched hop product derived from Sabro in this instance.

February 24, 2025

34/4515) The 3 Brewers, Yonge Street:  Carnival by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.2%, 23 ibu spiced Dubbel; malty, spiced nose; rich, malty, sweet, mildly spiced;

February 22, 2025

32/4513) Home:  An APA Brewed with Simcoe, Citra, Rakau and Laurel by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 7.1% American Pale Ale; addition of wheat and oats; solid orange-gold; thin head; aromas of orange and nectarine; tastes of stone fruit, orange; there is more “heft” to the moutfeel than the previous entry;

33/4514) Home:  Bring Out Your Dead (2025) by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.3% Imperial Stout;  40% aged 30 months in Armagnac barrels, the balance 14 months; additions of oats and wheat; deep reddish brown; aromas of armagnac, alcohol, dark, ripe fruit and oak; tastes sweet and boozy with cherry, armagnac, dark fruit; thick, heavy mouthfeel

The original name, not just the initials, has returned.

February 21, 2025

31/4512) Home:  An APA Brewed with Sterling, Simcoe and Southern Cross by Bellwoods Brewing of Ontario:  ****;  5.6% American Pale Ale; solid yellowy gold; nose of candied grapefruit and melon; tates of grapefruit, apricot and melon with a dank after taste; thin mouthfeel;