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;

January 15, 2026

15/4761) Home:  Maple Strong and Free by Caledon Hills Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **1/2; 5%, 20 ibu brown ale; with locally sourced maple syrup; brown, translucent, thin head; malty, sweet maple nose; the maple makes this too sweet for my liking;

16/4762) Home:  Pirate Smile by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 6.4% West Coast Inspired IPA; clear, straw colour; floral nose with lime zest; tastes floral with notes of lime zest and a hint of tropical fruit at the finish; not quite working for me but it seemed to improve on warming;