July 4, 2011

237)  Home:  Noble Pils by Samuel Adams (or the Boston Beer Company) of Massachusetts, U.S.A.:  **;  from the neck label:  "made with all five Nobel hops from the world's oldest growing regions";  basically it's a strongly hopped pilsener;  it works for me in a way that other hybrids, for example the aggressively hopped porter from Durham, do not; 

July 3, 2011

236)  Home:  Brutal IPA by Rogue Brewery of Oregon, U.S.A.:  **;  similar to their Northwestern IPA but more so:  richer aromas, deeper hop flavours;  I recall a beer from Rogue called Brutal Bitter but I have no idea if this is the same one with an altered name or not;  speaking of altered names, I read in the Canadian Beer News where Trafalgar Ales and Meads re-branded Elora Grand Lager as Maple Leaf Lager in honour of Canada Day so my speculation re. Patrick's Pick might be on the mark after all;

July 2, 2011

235)  Home:  Northwestern Ale by Rogue Brewery of Oregon, U.S.A.:  **;  a west coast style IPA, nicely hopped;

July 1, 2011

234)  Home:  Canada Day 2011 by Innis & Gunn of Scotland:  **;  I had been saving this one for today;  given the contributions that the Scots have made to Canada, going all the way back to our first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, it is appropriate that a tribute beer would come from Scotland;  this one has been aged in oak bourbon barrels for fifty four days;  this gives the beer notes of vanilla and caramel among a blend of wonderfully complex flavours;  not one to cool down with - try and make it last as long as you can;

June 30, 2011

232)  Home:  Duggan's #9 IPA by the Cool Beer Brewing Company of Ontario:  **;  agressively hopped, formerly the signature beer of Duggan's Brewery in Toronto; 

233)  Home:  Schofferhofer Hefeweizen by Binding-Brauerei of Germany:  *1/2;  a summery wheat beer with refreshing citrus notes;

June 29, 2011

231)  Home:  Sparkling Ale by Cooper's Brewery of Australia:  *1/2;  top fermented and bottle conditioned;  sediment collects at the bottom, the choice to leave it behind in the bottle or gently mix it in before pouring is left to the drinker;  I mixed it in;

June 28, 2011

230)  Home:  Green Tea Ale by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  *1/2;  brewed with organic green tea and ginsing;  in the manner of their Orange Peel Ale, it is very subtle and summery;