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;

30/4775) 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;