May 30, 2026

106/4852) Badlands Badio:  Forks of the Credit (2026) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% IPA;hopped with Galaxy, Simcoe and Mutueka; tastes of citrus, pineapple and peaches;

May 24, 2026

104/4850) C'est What Brewing At The Market, St. Lawrence Market, Toronto:  Tailspin IPA by C'est What Durham Brewery of Ontario:  ****; on cask; 6.5%, 32ibu East Coast IPA; 6.5%,a bit grainy and a bit hoppy with a mildly bitter finish;

105/4851) C'est What Brewing At The Market:  DIPA by Double Trouble of Ontario:  ****; I will go along with the discription from the menu card which reads, "big, rich, and complex with a clean, bitter finish;

C'est What Brewing at the Market is their newest venture, located in the lower level of St. Lawrence Market.  On weekends I would recommend entering from the outside as the market gets absurdly busy.  Today was a Cask Social.

May 19, 2026

103/4849) Home:  Fine Young Cannibal Chickens by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 8%, 40 ibu Hazy Double IPA with pineapple; also added are oats and wheat; hazy; pineapple and grapefruit nose; big bold pineapple flavours followed by melon and citrus;

May 17, 2026

102/4848) Home:  Frills by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% IPA; hopped with Freestyle Peacharine, Subzero Hop Kief, HBC586, Mosaic and Simcoe; oats added to the grain bill; hazy/cloudy; their site suggests flavours of yellow Starburst candies and egads, they are spot on; also candied citrus flavours;

Hop Kief is a concentrated lupulin hop liquid with hop resins and oils but no vegetal matter.

May 16, 2026

101/4847) Home:  Whistle Stop by Railway City Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5%, 30 ibu Hazy Pale Ale; grain bill includes wheat and oats; fruity aromas; fruity with a dry edge at the finish;

May 14, 2026

100/4846) Home:  Light Moves by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4%, 39 ibu “Small IPA” with brown rice flakes and rice hulls; hopped with Idaho 7, Sabro and El Dorado, dry hopped with El Dorado, Sabro and Dolcita; mildly hazy; nose of berries, melon and peaches; flavourful for a light beer with notes of  berries, melon, peach; not significantly muted as is often the case with light/session beers;

May 13, 2026

99/4845) Nickel Brook Taproon, Etobicoke:  Riff No. 2 by Nickel Brook of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% “No Coast”  IPA; grain bill includes oats and wheat; Cryo-Fresh Simcoe and Strata hops; hazy; nose is grapefruit with a hint of pine; tastes of grapefruit and pine;

I also bought some from the retail counter.  I hope this place is busy at night because when I go there during the day I am their only customer.

May 10, 2026

98/4844) Home:  Kombine by St. Bernardus of Belgium in collaboration with Weihenstephan of Germany, the world’s oldest brewery:  ***1/2; 6%, 25 ibu unfiltered Helles’/hazy blonde; dry, malty, yeasty nose; it tastes sweeter than the nose would lead one to expect – yeasty, spiced, malty; 

It's a a bit unusual, especially the story:  this is a  bottom fermented beer produced b a brewery known for top fermenting beers.  The word oxymoron is used, as an unfiltered Helles is a contradiction in terms.  In addition, this is the first St Bernardus beer not to undergo bottle fermentation.  They used Weihenstephan 's yeast and hops from each brewery. 

May 6, 2026

97/4843) Home:  St. Ambroise Ale á l’erable/ Maple Ale by Brasserie McAuslan of Quebec:  ****; 4.5% 25 ibu Maple Ale brewed with Crystal malt, local maple syrup and wheat; hopped with Golding and Willamette; clear, copper/dark brown – the same colour as maple syrup; nose is not overly sweet natural maple syrup; maple candy/syrup flavours;

Fram McAuslan's Influencer series.

May 5, 2026

96/4842) Home:  Whatevs by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **1/2; 5% 25 ibu lagered IPA; “Lightly dry hoppedwith Luminosa and Sabaro”; golden and mildly hazy; faint tropical and peach aromas and flavours;

“As if we even care”

May 4, 2026

94/4840) Mugshot Tavern, Toronto:  Outside Jokes by Town Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 5% pale ale; golden, hazy; mildly sweet citrus nose; pleasantly sweet citrus flavours, particularly grapefruit;

95/4841) Home:  How To Pretend You're A Normal Human Family by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 6% Hazy IPA; grain bill includes wheat and oats; hazy yellowish colour; nose of orange, tangerine and grapefruit; juicy, mostly orange and tangerine; just a touch sweet;

May 3, 2026

92/4838) Home:  Kicked Out Of Another Tickle Party by Refined Fool Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 7% “West Coast Style IPA”; clear, golden with a frothy white head; dank, citrusy nose; dry astringent citrus flavours;

93/4839) Home:  Uncles In The Wild by Refined Fool Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.6%, 30 ibu IPA with wheat; hopped with Sabro, Simcoe and Citra; hazy, golden, white foamy head; nose of citrus and stonefruit; tastes of citrus and stonefruit with a hint of coconut;

From their IPA Fun Box, 12th Edition mixed pack.

May 1, 2026

91/4837) Home:  Donnybrook Easy IPA by Cowbell Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.3% 24 ibu; with oats and wheat; hazy, amber; lemony citrus nose; tastes of mixed citrus with lemon the most prominent;

“Named for a well known local crossroads – and a good old fashioned Canadian barn burner."

April 30, 2026

90/4836) Home:  White Faced Monster by Whitewater Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%, 17 ibu Canadian Hazy IPA with oats and wheat; cloudy, golden with a creamy white head; nose of fresh mango; similar flavours;

 The name was “inspired by legendary wave on the Ottawa River”, a Class IV rapid it turns out.

April 28, 2026

89/4835) Home:  Paddy O'Beer by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.7% Irish Red Ale; grain bill includes wheat; deep, dark red; malty nose; malty with notes of toffee;

April 27, 2026

88/4834) Home:  Witchshark 14th Anniversary Edition by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 9% Double IPA; brewed with Skyform Pineapple Terpene, oats and wheat; cloudy, yellow; dank pineapple aromas; dry, dank pineapple flavours;

April 26, 2026

87/4833) Home:  Jutsui (2026) by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario in collaboration with Kilter Brewing Co. of Manitoba;  ****;  6.5% IPA; with oats and wheat with the addition of Manilita, "a relatively new experimental New Zealand hop"; between cloidy and murky; nose of mango and strawberry, similar flavours;

This is their second collaboration - I missed the first - described as a "recipe blend' of Kilter's Jucii IPA and Bellwoods' Jutsu:  for Bellwoods's 14th anniversary.

April 25, 2026

86/4832) Home:  Double Monogamy Riwaka by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 8.5% Double IPA; cloudy; nose of strawberries; flavours of strawberries and tropical fruit; 

April 24, 2026

85/4831) Home:  Strange Anmial by Merit Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 7.1%, 33 ibu “Juicy IPA”; brewed for Merit by Lake of Bays Brewing Co. grain bill is flaked oats, wheat malt and barley; hopped and dry-hopped with Sasquatch – Canada’s first homegrown hop – and Mosaic; cloudy; nose of pineapple with hints of melon; flavours of pineapple and berries;

Was it inspired by this?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJMKXgrJDnc

April 21, 2026

84/4830) Home:  St. Ambroise West Coast IPA by Brasserie McAuslan of Quebec:  ****1/2; 7%, 65 ibu; dry hopped with Sabro, El Doradoand Citra; pours clearand golden; pine nose; flavours of pine with hints of caramel;

From their Influencer series.

April 17, 2026

83/4829) Home:  Flipped by Aqua Nova Brewing Co.in collaboration with Sawdust City Brewing Co., both of Ontario:  ****1/2; 7.2%, 12 ibu “DDIPA”' opaque; nose of grapefruit and yeast; tastes mostly of grapeefruit with a dry finish;

March 30, 2026

82/4828) Home:  Home and Home Mosaic by Great Lakes Brewery:  ****; tropical and citrus nose and flavours;

March 28, 2026

81/4827) Home:  Gnome Offerings by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 7.1%, 14 ibu Belgian Golden Strong Ale; clear, golden; persistent, frothy white head; sweet aromas with a hint of coriander, bananas and clove; tastes of candy sugar, cloves, mild citrus zest and coriander; 

“Drink responsibly.  Gnomes have been known to collect interest.”

March 25, 2026

80/4826) Home:  Riff IPA No. 1 by Nickel Brook of Ontario:  ****; 6.7%; with oats and wheat; hopped with Krush and Nectaron;  hazy/cloudy with globules; nose of berries, pine and tropical fruit; dry resiny flavours with mixed tropical fruit and berries;

Small Batch series

March 24, 2026

79/4825) Home:  Old Primeval Bourbon - Vino de Naranja 2026 by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.5% Bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout aged for twenty one months in second fill bourbon barrels intially home to Vino de Naranja; grain bill includes rye and oats;  thin tan head, deep dark brown; nose of wine, bitter orange, dark roasted malts, oak; orange notes, wine, oak, mild bourbon; thick heavy mouth feel;

Vino De Naranja is an orange wine, a style which seems to be fashionable of late.

March 23, 2026

78/4824) Home:  Old Primeval Bourbon Red Vermouth 2026 by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.5% Imperial Stout aged for sixteen months in second fill bourbon barrels that initially held red vermouth; brewed with wheat and oats; deep brown with a scant tan head; nose of oak, bourbon, vermouth and alcohol; Manhattan-like throughout, as Bellwoods suggests, dark roasted malts, raisins, vermouth, bourbon, alcohol;

Old Primeval is the nickname of a giant snapping turtle in Georgian Bay.

March 19, 2026

77/4823) Home:  Hop Gun by Aqua Nova Brewing Co. in collaboration with Shawn & Ed Brewing, both of Ontario:  ****1/2; 7%, 28 ibu NEIPA; hazy; earthy nose with citrus zest; citrua zest and earthy hop flavours;

 “a wingman beer collaboration”

March 17, 2026

76/4822) Home:  Saintly by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.1%, 4 ibu Dry Irish Stout; dark with a tan head; roasty aromas; mildly sweet and roasty; uncommonly thin mouth feel; 

We are instructed to “Shake the can & pour vigorously.”

March 16, 2026

75/4821) GLB Brewpub, Toronto:  Rookie Card by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%, 28 ibu Debut Pale Ale/American style pale ale with oats and wheat; pours clear; peach, white wine nose; wine is muted in the flavours;

March 15, 2026

74/4820) Home:  Double Monogamy by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 8.5% Double IPA exclusively brewed with Peacharine and Peacharine hop Kief; added oats and wheat; cloudy; strong peach aromas; mostly peach flavours with a hint of citrus; hop kief is a cryogenic dry hop product;

March 14, 2026

73/4819) Home:  Winter Dunkel by Whistler Brewing of British Columbia:  ****; 5%, 24 ibu; with wheat malts, Nugget, Challenger and Williamette hops, chocolate, orange and coriander; featuring 100% organic chocolate from Whister Chocolate Co.; orange zest and coriander added during the boil; chocolate and orange aromas; a festive beer, very much a chocolate orange style like Terry’s with chocolate with sweet orange notes;

March 13, 2026

71/4817) C'est What, Toronto:  The Day We Hit The Coast by Sawdust City of Ontario with Microbrasserie 5e Baron of Quebec:  ***1/2; 7% West Coast IPA brewed with keen euphorics, Motueka and Nectaron; hazy, golden; peaches and pine nose; dry flavours of peaches, pine, hint of citrus, lingering dry after taste;

72/4818) C'est What:  Decadence Milk Chocolate Stout - Cookies and Cream by Rorschach Brewing Comapny of Ontario:  ***1/2;   7% cookies and cream stout; “contains dairy”; pours black with little head to speak of; very sweet coffee nose; flavours of vanilla and coffee;

March 11, 2026

70/4816) Nickel Brook Etobicoke Taproom:  Peppermint Stout by Nickel Brook of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.5%; deep rich brown; nose is toasty; peepermint mostly appears in the flavours;

March 10, 2026

69/4815)  Home:  Fruit Helmet by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario in collaboration with Evil Twin Brewring of New Yorkm U.S.A.:  ***1/2; 6.5% IPA with fruit:  gollden raspberry, peach and mango puree; also oats; yellowsih brown, swampy; nose of citrusy hops, raspberries, peach and mango; rather tart owing to the raspberries, with mango overshadowing the peaches; 

On seeing me drinking this murky one my  wife asked if I had opened the mahgo juice she had bought that day.

March 9, 2026

68/4814) Everyside, Toronto:  (Just) Twice As Easy by Everyside of Ontario:  ****; a one off West Coast IPA twist on their Easy IPA; cloudy yellow gold; nose is floral and piney; dry floral flavours with grapefruit and pine;

March 8, 2026

67/4813) Burdock, Toronto:  Bears by Burdock of Ontario:  ****1/2; 5% West Coast IPA with "new age hops"; nearly clear; piney nose;  dry pine flavours;

March 6, 2026

66/4812) Home:  Achel Tripel by De Achelse Kluis of Belgium:  ****; 8.0% Blonde Abbey Ale; referments in the bottle; hazy deep gold; yeasty, fruity, spiced aromas; mild malt flavours with spice and fruit;

March 5, 2026

65/4811) Home:  Monk's Cafe Grand Cru by Brouwerij van Steenberge of Belgium:  ***; 5.5%, 22 ibu Flemish Sour Ale; blend of aged and freshly brewed triple ales; brosn; very tart nose; dry reaspberry like tartness;

March 4, 2026

64/4810) Home:  Baptist by Brouwerij van Steenberge of Belgium:  ***;  5%, 15 ibu wit/blonde/white; with wheat and sugar; undergoes a secondary fermentation; opaque; nose of coriander and cloves; tastes malty with coriander and cloves; a good example of the style;

March 3, 2026

63/4889) Home:  Piraat Triple Hop by Brouwerij van Steenberge of Belgium:  ****; 10.5%, 35 ibu Belgian style golden ale; four different hops added, three times during the brewing process:  Saaz, Tetra and Aurora, these are added twice in the brewhouse then it is dry hopped with Cascade; clear, amber; malty, sugary nose; sweet flavours of many a Belgian golden ale;

March 2, 2026

61/4887)  Bar Volo, Toronto:  Winterseed by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% hazy IPA; hopped wuth Mosaic, Talus and Lotus, grain bill includes oats, wheat; berry, citrus nose; as designed, earthy notes with berries and a touch of citrus;

62/4888) Bar Volo:  It's Basically Juice by Wood Brothers of Ontario:  ****; 8% hazy DIPA; hopped with Citra, Nectaron and Motueka; citrus, tropical nose; juicy, yes, mainly mango;

March 1, 2026

60/4806) Home:  We're Going To Grandma's House by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 9.1%, 14 ibu Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Cake Imperial Stout; brewed with wheat, oats, coffee, vanilla beans and spices; pours dark with a wispy tan head; aromas of coffee, bourbon, cinnamon and vanilla; tastes of sweet bourbon, vanilla and cinnamon with coffee in the background; very nearly too much -  I couldn’t manage a full pint but mercifully this was a 355ml tin;

February 28, 2026

58/4804) Home:  Brad Still Thinks He's Going To The Big Show by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5%, 20 ibu Blonde Ale; with wheat; clear, golden; mildly fruity nose; more hop presence than many a blonde ale; also more bitterness than many blonde ales; 

“An (sic) delicious easy drinker that’ll make you feel 20 years younger, for better or worse.”

59/4805) Home:  Esports Training by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.6% Amber Ale; grain bill includes wheat; pours amber; malty sweet caramel nose; sweet biscuity maltiness with notes of molasses;

February 27, 2026

57/4803) Home:  Twelve Second Injury by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***; 5%, 30 ibu Kolsch; clear, golden; malty nose; malty with hints of apple;

With the FIFA World Cup coming to town, this is very appropriate.

February 26, 2026

56/4802) Home:  Riding Around In Tiny Cars With My Friends by Refined Fool Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 4%, 15 ibu light lager; clear; sweet, fruity aromas; crisp and fruity, a standard lager; 

Those were good times.

February 25, 2026

55/4801) Everyside, Toronto:  SmaSH by Everyside Brewey of Ontario:  ****; It is difficult to find details but this is an American Pale Ale, brewed with a single malt and a single hop, in this instance pilsner malt and Mosaic hops; translucent; mixed tropical nose; fresh tropical flavours;

The Brewmaster came downstairs to give what details I am able to report.

February 24, 2026

54/4800) Home:  Mediocre Bowler and Friend by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 6.8%, 25 ibu Hazy IPA with wheat, oats and pilsner malt, and a touch of lactose”, hopped with Strata, Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and El Dorado; somewhere between hazy and cloudy; nose of strawberries and lime with mixed citrus; sweet citrus flavours with strawberry standing out; thin mouth feel; 

February 22, 2026

53/4799) Home:  Physical Inactivity by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 5.0%, 30 ibu pale ale;grain bill includes wheat and oats;  Galaxy, Nectaron, Citra, Vic Secret hops; pilsner and wheat malts; translucent; mango and pineapple stand out in the aromas among a tropical fruit blend; tastes of mango with mild pineapple;

From Refined Fool's Beer League Mix Pack.

February 21, 2026

50/4796) C'est What, Toronto:  Shifty by Wave Maker of Ontario:  ***; 6.0% IPA; hopped with Cascade and Simcoe; nearly clear, pale yellow; mild orange, mango and pine nose; pine is more muted in the flavours;

51/4797) C'est What:  DDH Nectaron Sunsplit by Dominion City of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Freeestye Hops Nectaron; cloudy pale yellow; nose is pineapple and peaches with a hint of pine; mostly peach and pineapple flavours;

52/4798) C'est What:  Iron Eye by Blood Brothers of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4%  dry Irish stout on nitro; thick, foamy tan head; mocha nose; mild mocha flavours, heavy mouth feel;

February 20, 2026

49/4795) Home:  Macaroon Machine by Moorsleutel Beer Engineers of the Netherlands:  ****; 10% 55ibu Coconut Patry Stout brewed with wheat, coconut and vanilla beans; deep dark brown, scant tan head; nose is alcohol, coconut and vanilla; tastes of boozy coconut and vanilla with a hint of chocolate; heavy mouth feel;

February 18, 2026

48/4794) Home:  Eat The Salad by Fuerst Wiacek of Germany:  ****; 6.8% 44 ibu DDH IPA with oats and wheat; dry hopped with Vic Secret and Citra; absurdly carbonated; honey coloured cloudiness; treopiocal notes to the nose especially pineapple and mango with citrus zest; tastes of pineapple and mango with a hint of zest; 

This was brewed in Ontario for a German brewer.

February 17, 2026

47/4793) Home:  Whirl Domination by To Øl of Denmark:  ***1/2; 6.2% 69 ibu India Pale Ale; grain bill includes wheat and oats; hopped with Idaho 7, Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra; hazy orange gold; apricot notes to the nose; flavours of apricot and citrus;

This is the first IPA brewed in the new brewhouse in Svinninge.

February 16, 2026

46/4792) Home:  Maredret Alstus by Brewery John Martin & Brewery Timmermans of Belgium:  3.5; 6.8% 36 ibu Belgian Abbey Beer; brewed with barley malt, roasted barley, sugar, wheat and “natural flavours”; translucent; nose is spice; tastes of bitter ashes with mild sugar notes; 

Brewed by the sisters of Maredret Abbey with spelt and plants, inspired by Hildegard

February 15, 2026

45/4791) Home:  Hoser Juice by Double Trouble of Ontario:  ***1/2; 10.8% Triple IPA; murky; nose of citrus and pine; tastes of pine, citrus and alcohol with a bitter finish;

It was difficult to ascertain exactly who brews this.  Undoubtedly it is a product of  current events – “Not for sale in the US”.  This was formerly known as “Grim Reaper”.

February 14, 2026

44/4790) Home:  #DIPA by To Øl of Denmark:  ***1/2; 8.7%, 50 ibu DIPA with oats and flaked wheat; “dry hopped to the brim with Cascade, Citra and Simcoe”; pilsner malt; murky; floral, piney aromas; pine and floral flavours; 

“The mighty Double IPA”

February 8, 2026

42/4788) Home:  Winter Warmer by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 9.3% “Strong beer conditioned on raspberries, wildflower honey, vanilla and ginger"; opaque with a foamy white head; nose of ginger, raspberry, honey; sweet vanilla flavours with honey notes, especially at the finish, raspberry moderately overshadows ginger;

43/4789) Home:  Barrel Stock by Nickel Brook of Ontario:  ***1/2; 10% barrel aged strong ale brewed with oats; aged for one year in barrels previously used for Kentucky Bastard Imperial Stout; brown with a thin white head; nose of piney hops and oak; tastes of dark sugar, alcohol, oak and pine; a bit like a barley wine;

Here again, I must admit that I do not fully understand the style.  Strongly hopped beers like Headstock should be consumed fresh.  The idea of aging them does not feel entirely right to me.

February 7, 2026

40/4786) Home:  Thomas Hardy's ALe - Vintage 2024 by Hepworth & Co. of England:  ****1/2; “Barley wine style ale”; brewed with cane sugar; translucent amber; nose is sweet and boozy with dark fruit; rich and sweet, but not overly so, with notes of dark fruit and berries; bottle #10885

The label applied by the brewery reads 11.3% while a label applied by the LCBO indicates 10.2%.

41/4787) Home:  Thomas Hardy's Ale - Vintage 2024 the Historical Aged with French Oak by Hepworth & Co. of England:  ****1/2; 11.3% Barley wine style ale brewed with cane sugar; deep amber/brown, translucent; boozy, oaky, nearly sherry-like aromas; tastes of dark sugar, cranberry, booze, oak;  bottle 01751;

Thomas Hardy's is no longer brewed by Meantime, having been acquired by SABMiller in 2015, and subsequently transferred to Asahi Breweries in 2016.

February 6, 2026

39/4785) Home:  Pancake Bay Sweet Brunch Stout by Something In The Water of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.3%, 34 ibu; brewed with five malts, flaked oats, milk sugar, coffee and maple syrup; pours dark with a tan head; nose of coffee and roasted malts; maple is subdued, dark roasted coffee flavours with a sweet finish;

"named after a sandy stretch on the eastern shore of Lake Superior” 

February 5, 2026

38/4784) Home:  Sweater Weather by Grain and Grit Beer Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.6% Oatmeal Stout with Coconut; brewed with wheat, oats and toasted coconut flakes; dark, little head to speak of; nose of coconut against a chocolate background; coconut is especially strong in the finish, with notes of chocolate;

February 4, 2026

37/4783) Home:  Chockie Wockie by Cameron's Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.8% 30 ibu Chocolate Milkshake Stout; brewed with East Kent Golding hops and wheat; rich, deep dark brown with a thin tan head; malty nose with chocolate notes; mildly sweet chocolate flavours; thin mouth feel;

February 3, 2026

36/4782) Home:  Light Moves by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 4% “Small IPA”; clear, yellowish; nose is citrus, especially lemon; sweet, lemony flavours; the flavours are not particularly strong;

February 2, 2026

35/4781) Home:  Ale for ALS by Colllective Arts in collaboration with Granite Brewery, both of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% Red IPA hopped with HBC522, Simcoe, Mosaic, HBC1019 and Krush hops; pours translucent red; aromas of pine; flavours of pine with hints of caramel; mildly astringent;

February 1, 2026

34/3780) Home:  Cup of Sugar by Great Lakes Brewery in collaboration with Fern Farm, both of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5% East Coast IPA; brewed with oats, wheat and “Dan’s yeast”; hazy; nose of melon and tropical fruit; similar flavours; 

"Back in the day, when Dan was working at a brewery down the road, he’d pop over to borrow a little yeast the way neighbours borrow a cup of sugar. For this collab, he’d (sic) returning the favour with flavour by bringing a fresh pitch of his own carefully propagated yeast."

January 30, 2026

32/4778) Amsterdam Brew House:  Double Tempest Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2025 by Amsterdam Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.9%, aged in Woodfor Reserve barrels; dark as night; thin wispy tan head; nose is boozy bourbon with chocolate notes, similar flavours;

33/4779) Amsterdam Brew House:  Stocke Alt by Amsterdam Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.7%, 30 ibu Altbier – Sticke/Latzenbier;  dark with a tan head; boozy chocolate nose; raisins, caramel chocolate and booze flavours,dry with dry hop finish;

The surprise cask was going to be Amarillo Pale but it broke, like due to being over-pressurized, and I took up the offer of this in its place.

This edition of Double Tempest is not going top be bottled which means this is the only way to try it.  In the wake of a recent change in ownership, Amsterdam seems to be backing away from events like Calm Before the Storm and one-off beers in general.  I hope this is not the last release of Barrel Aged Double Tempest.

January 29, 2026

31/4777) Home:  Robohop Double IPA by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 8.5%, 100 ibu Double West Coast IPA; grain bill includes oats and wheat, this one has been somewhat re-tooled snce I first listed it; translucent; nose of grapefruit and pine; similar flavours;

January 27, 2026

29/4775) GLB Brewpub, Toronto:  Market Ale by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 5.4% American Pale Ale; clear; malty, pine nose; malty dry pine notes;

30/4776) GLB Brewpub, Toronto:  East Bayfront IPA by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.3% Classic IPA; grapefruit nose; pine and grapefruit flvaours; classic, indeed;

January 26, 2026

28/4774) Home:  Paulie's by Maxot Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 5.5% Lager Italiano; dry hopped with “Noble Saaz”; hazy, golden; aromas of malt and spice; mildly sweet with mild spice and maltiness; pleasant and, as lagers go, flavourful;

January 24, 2026

27/4773) The Village Idiot Pub, Toronto:  Averbode by Brewery Huyghe of Belgium:  ****; 7.5%, 34 ibu; clear; sweet, malty, mildly spiced nose; sweet, malty, yeasty flavours;

They were out of Delirium Tremens and this was recommended in its place.  The Village Idiot was The Village Genius for a while before reverting to its original name.  

January 23, 2026

26/4772) Home:  Duvel Tripel Hop Cashmere by Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV of Belgium:  ***1/2; 9.5% Belgian IPA: brewed with sugar, hop extracts plus the usual four ingredients; hopped with Cashmere, Saaz and Styrian Golding; pours a clear straw colour with a foamy head; nose of dry earthy hop notes with tannins; tastes of citrus, melon and tannins with an earthy bitterness;

January 22, 2026

25/4771) Home:  Super Pale by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6% Extra Pale ale; hazy, yellow; lemony nose; notes of lemon and citrus zest;

 “Icy pale ale brewed with more and more and more hops! Alas, it’s never enough.”

January 21, 2026

24/4770) Home:  Vintage Ale 2025 by Fuller's Griffen Brewery of England:  ****1/2; 8.4%, 31 ibu Old/Stock ale;  bottle conditioned; brewed with invert sugar, Pioneer and Phoenix hops, extra dark Crystal malts; nose of toffee and Christmas cake; wonderfully warming with notes of mildly spiced fruit cake, marmelade and caramel; muted hop presence;

“Brewed beside the Thames since 1845”  Bottle #137265

January 20, 2026

23/4769) Home:  St.-Ambroise Vintage Ale 2025 by Brasserie McAuslan of Quebec:  ***1/2; 9.2%, English style barley wine; Golding and Cascade hops, addition of wheat; dark copper with a persistent pale head; aromas of caramel, burnt/dark sugar and marmelade; dry astingent bitterness throughout and into the after taste with flavours of caramel, marmelade, Christmas spices; shame about that bitterness;

January 19, 2026

22/4768) Home:  La Fin du Monde 30th Anniversary Brew by Unibroue of Quebec:  ***1/2; 9%, 22 ibu Belgian style Tripel with juniper berries; brewed with wheat and dune pepper which is also called alder pepper; golden, foggy; lemony, peppery aromas; tastes of pepper, lemon and mild spice;

“A special cuvee inspired by Quebec terroir."

January 18, 2026

21/4767) Home:  Chimay Grande Réserve Barrel Aged Calvados Edition by S. A. Bieres de Chimay N. V. of Belgium:  ****1/2; 10.5% Belgian strong dark ale; aged in 30% French oak, 45% American oak, 25 % Calvados, then Chimay Bleu barrels; addition of wheat; unfiltered, unpateurized; nose is spiced and fruity – pears, apple, oak; warming with flavours of apples, pears, oak and spice; modestly sweet;

January 17, 2026

19/4765) Home:  Oatmeal Stout by Broadhead Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 5.5%, 26 ibu; grain bill includes wheat and oats; pours a deep dark brown with a fluffy tan head; nose of roasted malts and semi-sweet chocolate; mildly sweet with notes of chocolate, toasted malts and nutty flavours – a solid unadorned stout;

20/4766) Home:  la Devine by Brasserie de Silly of Belgium:  ***1/2; 9.5% top fermented tripel; brewed with four ingredients; Kent and Hallertao hops;  amber with a frothy head; sugary oak nose; sweet and spicy flavours;

Brewed in the town of town of Silly in Belgium.

January 16, 2026

17/4763) Home:  Piranha by Stadshaven Brouwerij of the Netherlands:  ***; 8.0%, 20 ibu Tripel;  brewed with sugar, kumquat, mango, chili pepper, pilsner malt and German hops; pours hazy; both fruits are present in the aromas as well as the chili pepper; flavours of kumquat and mango, the heat kicks in at the finish;

“a beer with bite”

18/4764) Home:  Fudgy Brownie Sundae by Whitewater Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6%, 30 ibu Nitro Stout; brewed with lactose, cocoa and vanilla extract; deep dark brown with a tan head; nose of fresh baked brownies; tastes of vanilla, cocoa – doesn’t quite live up to the nose; a bit thin;