October 25, 2022

170/3887) Home:  Greenhouse by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; hopped with Citra, and El Dorado; in celebration of their new indoor space, which becomes infernally hot in the summer; murky; nose of pine, stone fruit and citrus; dank edge, flavours of stone fruit and citrus;

October 20, 2022

169/3886) beerbistro:  Colour & Shape by Superflux of British Columbia: ***1/2; 6.5% American IPA; swampy; tropical and citrus flavours and scent;

Still no recognisable faces.  The servers are nice enough and the food is still good but staff seem remarkably unaware of things like the Oktoberfest menu which was emailed out to subscribers.  I have a feeling there is a back story I do not know but I will give it at least one more chance.

October 19, 2022

168/3885) Home:  Péché Mortel Dulce du Leche by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec:  ****; 9.5%; brewed with sugar, wheat, coffee and skimmed milk powder; jet black; earthy coffee aromas with milky sweetness; dark, bitter coffee with notes of caramel; fits in well as a Péché Mortel variant;

October 18, 2022

167/3884) Home:  Péché Mortel Tajumulco by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec:  ****; 9.5%; brewed with Guatemalan coffee; added sugar; deep dark brown; nose of very dark coffee, sweet, winey notes; dry, nearly astringent, earthy coffee, touch of fruity wine notes from the Tajumulco and a dry finish;

October 17, 2022

166/3883) Home:  Péché Mortel Kumquat by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec:  ****; 9.5%; with malted barley and wheat, sugar, coffee and kumquats; pours very dark; earthy dark coffee nose with citrus which intensifies as the glass warms; dark coffee, bitter chocolate, hints of citrusy fruitiness;

October 15, 2022

165/3882) Home:  Octoberfest Lager by Stonehooker Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.3%, 21 ibu Märzen; the can spells Octoberfest with a C but anywhere I look online they use a K; clear copper; malty, bready nose; malty, bready ever so mild hop bite; a fine example of the style; 

October 14, 2022

163/3880) Home:  Premium West Coast Pale Ale by Blackbird Kitchen & Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 5.5%, 26 ibu; brewed with Canadian and German malts and flaked wheat; translucent; old school grapefruit nose; grapefruit, a bit grassy with a hint of citrus and a dry after taste;

164/3881) Home:  Premium Bitter by Blackbird Kitchen & Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.5%, 25 ibu; brewed with Canadian and German malts; the French indicates flaked wheat English says nothing but both languages concede this may contain wheat;  pours translucent, rich brown; malty nose with a mildly bitter edge; malty, nutty with a mildly bitter edge; 

I have been lamenting on the scarcity of West Coast IPAs and English bitters and Blackbird has me covered.

October 10, 2022

162/3879) Home:  Barberian's Pale Ale by Henderson Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.5% Rare Ale aged on oak staves; brewed for Barberian’s Steak House; with four cans you receive a spice blend; pours pale chestnut, thick foamy head; malty and oaky nose; malty, dry, oaky;

October 9, 2022

161/3878) Home:  Simcoe Smash by Henderson Brewing of Ontario:  **; 4.5%, 25 ibu single malt single hop IPA; Ides of August 2022; ever so mildly hazy; piney aromas; maltier than the nose would have me expect; washed out pine and grapefruit flavours; underwhelming;

While there is no connection between Simcoe hops and Lt. Governor Simcoe, he is depicted on the tin.  Henderson are far from the first to take advantage of the coincidence. 

October 8, 2022

160/3877) Home:  Off The Table by Badlands Brewing in collaboration with Barncat Artisan Ales both of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.9% Bourbon Barrel Aged stout aged in Willet bourbon barrels for sixteen months; added vanilla and hazelnut; a fifth anniversary beer, brewed in 2021; pours very dark; nose of hazel nut, vanilla, bourbon and oak; mild alcohol bite, boozy bourbon finish, sweet vanilla, hint of hazelnut, red licorice; 

At $15.50 per can this is at the very edge of my price point.

October 7, 2022

159/3876) Home:  Pumpkin Spice Espresso Porter by Whitewater Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.4%, 22 ibu; dark brown, nearly black with a sparse head; nose is up front pumpkin and spice with espresso; tastes of espresso and pumpkin spices, particularly nutmeg;

October 5, 2022

157/3874) GLB Brewpub:  Karma Cryo by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 6.6%, 60 ibu American IPA; brewed with fresh frozen hops; strong resiny nose; piney, resiny old school West Coast style IPA;

158/3875) GLB Brewpub:  Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Solstice Stout by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 9.5%, 30 ibu; aged 10 months; vanilla, dark coffee nose; chocolate, molasses, figs, bourbon, oak; quite an imposing, and excellent Imperial Stout;

October 4, 2022

156/3873) Home:  Sweet Tooth Pumpkin Spice Latte by Bobcaygeon Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 8.1%; pours a translucent amber colour; sweet caramel and spice aromas; mostly sweet caramel notes with fresh spice;

Some seasonal beers.

October 2, 2022

154/3871) Home:  Il Bacio Della Morte by Third Moon Brewing Co. in collaboration with Volo, both of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% Oatmeal Stout with Baci chocolates, Ladyfingers, cocoa nibs and hazel nuts;  pours as dark as any stout;  nose reminds me of the Second Cup’s hazelnut vanilla coffee blend; rather sweet with vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut; a bit doughy – all of the components make an appearance; sweetness compels this to be a slow sipper; 

What?  No lactose? 

155/3872) Home:  Base On Balls by Furnace Room Brewry of Ontario:  ****; 6.6% American IPA;  old school hoppiness;

October 1, 2022

153/3870) Home:  Bestowed-Cinnamon Roll by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2;  11% Imperial/Double Pastry Stout; brewed with cinnamon rolls, cinnamon, vanilla and lactose; pours black with minimal head; smells just like a cinnamon roll with notes of vanilla suggesting icing and a touch of alcohol; again, tastes very much like a cinnamon roll, right down to the icing, vanilla is nearly a bit too much, alcohol is moderately present;

September 30, 2022

151/3868) Home:  Good As Gold by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  ****; 6% IPA with Galaxy and Riwaka hops; also dextrose and oats; somewhere between hazy and cloudy; nose of tropical fruit and oranges; flavours of mango, papaya, orange, grapefruit;

152/3869) Home:  Old Jock Imperial Stout 20 Years Old by Broughton Brewery of Scotland:  ***; 8%; vintage aged 20 years; in 2000 Broughton brewed an Imperial stout for an export customer who promptly disappeared; it was left maturing in barrels until it was rediscovered; wax sealed; First Gold, Fuggle and Perle hops; brewed with barley and oats; mildly tart scent, I am reminded of raspberries, with oak, burnt malt and dark chocolate; up front tartness, again, reminding me of raspberries, woody, roasty; mouthfeel is a bit thin; rather pricey, all things consider I am nonplussed; did not live up to that great story;

September 29, 2022

150/3867) Home:  Bob's Best by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  ****; 4.4%  English ale; grain bill includes barley and oats; malty aromas; malty, grainy, caramel notes; 

I cannot take credit.

September 27, 2022

149/3866) Home:  Fleet by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; “Hopped with some hops we like a lot.”:  Citra, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin; murky yellowy gold; nose is white wine, grassy with citrus zest; faint touch of alcohol, tropical and lemon zest; 

 “The summer has fleeted.”

September 26, 2022

148/3865) Home:  Transcendence by Collective Arts of Ontario:  ****; 6.9% West Coast IPA; clear; hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic and Citra; nose is topical with berries; mild pine with tropical fruit notes;

September 24, 2022

147/3864) Home:  IPA No. 22 by Collective Arts of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.3%; hopped with Sabro, Lotus and HBC472; hazy, golden; nose of Asian tea, lemon and grapefruit; lemony citrus with grapefruit, mild astringency; not getting the expected coconut notes from the Sabro;

September 22, 2022

145/3862) The 3 Brewers, Yonge Street:  Cicogne by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  ***; 5.5% Italian style pilsner; clear, pale straw; sweet grainy nose; candied grain, fruity, light hop presence;

I took a chance, and this time out the IPA was not nearly so bad as last time which suggests it was a matter of freshness.  I am not quite ready to give up on The 3 Brewers.  I am waiting for this year's Winter Warmer/Festive Ale.  

146/3863) beerbistro:  Henry's Irish Ale by Publican House of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.6% Brown Ale; chestnut colour; nose is sweet and malty; malty, very Irish, hint of peat;

I did not recognise anyone at the beerbistro today, not even the regulars.  I understand Lesli has moved on but being bar manager was a temporary gig for her, she has another career to tend to.  I hope to be back soon and among familiar faces.

September 18, 2022

 144/3861) Home:  Out Of Office Tropical IPA by Muskoka Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 6.3%; brewed with malted barley, malted wheat, flaked oats and “sugars (pineapple puree, guava puree)”; hazy; bright peach colour; strong pineapple and guava nose; mild bite from the pineapple followed by full guava flavours;

September 15, 2022

143/3860) Home:  Major Tom Hazy DIPA by Muskoka Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 8.0%; brewed with malted barley, malted wheat, flaked oats and hopped with Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe; hazy; nose is pear, melon and oranges; flavours of cantaloupe, melon and a hint of orange, especially at the finish;

September 13, 2022

Earlier this week, Pierre Poilievre was elected as the new leader of Canada's Conservative Party.  The campaign featured a couple of beer moments.

First off, a fund raiser was held in Steamwhistle's events space.  After a couple of people whined on Twitter a statement issued disassociating themselves from the party and the individual. Steamwhistle pointed out that they regularly host events of a political nature though, when asked, they were unable to cite an example where they took the money and quickly distanced themselves from their customer.  This succeeded in upsetting those were were for Poilievre as well as those against, which is perhaps not the wisest of business decisions.

Similarly, M. Poilievre was photographed drinking Oast House beer.  Oast House, reacting to Twitter, was quick to take pains to disassociate themselves.   Years ago when we were there I did not think it worth mentioning how rude one of their employees was to my African born wife but maybe this is less an aberration than I thought at the time.

September 12, 2022

142/3859) Home:  Glen Haffey by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.5%;  from their “Spotlight Caledon” series;  dry hopped with Citra and Cashmere; nose of oranges and lime; lime with off-putting vegetable notes;

Glen Haffey is  "located at the crossroads of the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges Moraine”.  I was there as a Cub Scout way back.

September 11, 2022

141/3858) Home:  September DIPA (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2%; very murky yellow this month; softer malt base; hopped with Galaxy, El Dorado and Idaho 7; full grapefruit pulp and zest nose; mostly grapefruit, nearly bitter zest;

September 10, 2022

140/3857) Home:  Dora #52 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; this time out the base malt was modified “to try to amplify softness”; dry hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe; grapefruit dominates tropical notes in the nose; grapefruit, orange and melon flavours;

September 6, 2022

139/3856) Marcus Aurelius by Badlands Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with Brasserie du Bas-Canada of Quebec:  ****; 8.2% Double IPA; hops were selected by Brasserie du Bas-Canada: Citra, only; citrusy orange nose; strong orange and citrus flavours with a hint of alcohol;

Marcus Aurelius; reigned from 161 to 180 A.D and was considered the last of the “Five Good Emperors”.  He was also the father of Commodus for fans of the Film “The Fall of the Roman Empire” or the wildly over-rated remake (with "Spartacus" grafted on), “Gladiator”.

September 5, 2022

137/3854) Home:  The Master Blend by Badlands Brewing in collaboration with Blood Brothers and Third Moon, all from Ontario:  ****; 10% Triple IPA; hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe; cloudy; nose is fruity; a citrus and berry fruit salad;

138/3855) Home:  I Can Make A Mess by Badlands Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with Messoreum Bracitorium of Quebec:  ****; 6.5%; Mosaic and Citra hops were selected by Messoreum; citrusy nose; tastes of citrus with dry lemon notes;

September 4, 2022

135/3852) Home:  #Superselect IPA by Badlands Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with Superflux Beer of British Columbia:  ****1/2; 8.2% DIPA brewed with Citra, Citra Cryo and Mosaic; Badlands' DIPA base was employed and the hops were selected by Superflux;  murky; nose is citrus with tropical, mango and papaya; ripe tropical fruit with citrus;

While it is spelled this way on line, the can reads "Super#select".

136/3853) Home:  The Big Lebadsky by Badlands Brewing of Ontario in collaboration with Pub Brewskey of Quebec:  ****; 8% (though on line, perhaps out of habit, this is listed as 8.2% abv); Badlands created the DIPA base and it was dry hopped with hops chosen by Brewskey:  Citra and Idaho 7;  nose is candied citrus with tropical notes; sweet citrus and tropical flavours;

“It abides”

September 2, 2022

134/3851) Home:  Pilsner by Broadhead Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.3%, 22 ibu; clear, straw colour; fluffy, foamy head; grainy nose with a hint of lemon; grainy, mildly grassy with lemon notes but not the sharp bitterness of many a pilsner; a fine beer for a hot day;

August 27, 2022

133/3850) Badlands' Beer Garden:  Five by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% fifth anniversary IPA; hopped with Riwaka, Nectaron and Citra; nose of pineapple and tangerine; flavours of pineapple tangerine, mango with a hint of bitterness at the finish; pours murky;

I was here against medical advice.  I had received laser surgery for cataracts that morning but I had also placed an order for two each of Badlands' anniversary beers for pick-up.  I had imagined that my wife would drop me off at home and be my mule but instead I was guided around and used as a place-holder in the lines for the anniversary celebrations.  For my trouble I also had a half pour placed in front of me once we were seated, which was also against advice.

August 23, 2022

132/3849)  Home:  Mingle August (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; Badlands used a brand new the new trial hop blend called "Trial Blend 303" which is composed of Citra cryo, Mosaic cryo, Simcoe cryo and Phantasm powder (sauvignon blanc grape skins from New Zealand that were dried and powdered, rich in thiols); this blend was used in the whirlpool, then they dry hopped it with Citra, Mosaic and Moutere; nose of grapefruit primarily; tastes of grapefruit and white wine;

August 22, 2022

131/3848) Home:  Really Innocent Curse by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% IPA with Citra and Motueka hops; murky, nose of orange, papaya; flavours of orange, papaya with a hint of lime – very fresh flavours;

August 21, 2022

130/3847) Home:  Blood River Prophecy by Third Moon Brewing Co. in collaboration with Rouge River Brewing both of Ontario:  ****; 8% Double New England style IPA;  with oats as well as Riwaka and Citra hops; murky; nose is a blend of stone fruit and tropical fruit; peaches, nectarines; mild pine increases in intensity towards the finish;

August 20, 2022

129/3846) Third Moon Tap Room, Milton:  Barrel Aged Birthday Bestowed by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11%; brewed for Third Moon's second anniversary; made with chocolate cake, chocolate, sprinkles, lactose and aged twelve months in bourbon barrels; sweet oaky vanilla and bourbon nose; raisins, oak, vanilla, chocolate and burnt malt flavours; outstanding;

August 6, 2022

128/3845) Home:  Zina by Volo of Ontario:  ****; 4.9%, 35 ibu Bitter with Challenger and East Kent Golding hops; malty, biscuity nose; malty, nutty, biscuity, herbaceous hops; a great find;

August 5, 2022

125/3842) Bar Volo:  Lino by Volo of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; translucent; sharp citrusy nose; dry but not bitter with citrus flavours; 

Today is International IPA Day.

126/3843) Bar Volo:  Amado by Volo in collaboration with Amsterdam Brewery both of Ontario:  ****; 7.4% West Coast IPA; fruity nose; mildly bitter edge, pleasantly fruity; clear; 

I got the last pour of this one.

127/3844) Bar Volo:  Pippa by Volo of Ontario:  ****; 5.5% American Pale Ale; translucent; zesty, citrusy nose; citrus, zest, lemon;

July 21, 2022

124/3841) Big Rig Kitchen and Brewery, Mississauga: Shakedown:  The Awakening West Coast IPA by Big Rig of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.1%; clear; citrusy nose; dank, nearly smokey with lemony citrus flavours;

July 18, 2022

122/3839) Home:  Errorr by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% IPA dry hopped with Citra and Idaho 7; murky; nose of grapefruit; tastes of pink grapefruit and mixed citrus;

123/3840) Home:  July DIPA (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2%; hopped with Citra, Cashmere and Motueka; sweet citrusy nose; uncommonly sweet for Badlands; sweet mixed citus and mango flavours;

July 17, 2022

121/3838) Home:  Dora #51 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 6.5% IPA;hopped with a Cryo blend with the working name “Mango”, followed by Citra, Mosaic and Motueka; murky; nose is stonefruit and some bizzare herbal vegetable notes; stonefruit with off-putting garlicy notes;

July 16, 2022

120/3837) Badlands' Beer Garden:  Belfountain by Badlands Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; “Spotlight Caledon” release number 4; hopped with Simcoe, El Dorado and Belma; murky; dank pineapple and strawberry to nose; dank pineapple, wild strawberry, citrus flavours;

July 11, 2022

119/3836) Home:  Islay Whiskey Cask by Innis & Gunn of Scotland:  ***; 7.4% Scottish Red beer matured for twelve weeks in Laphroaig Quarter casks; Super Styrian hops; deep rich chestnut; roasty malt noise with peat and smoke; notes of caramel but mostly peat and smoke with a touch of salt; like others have said, I would rather a wee dram of the Scotch in question;

July 10, 2022

118/3835) Home:  Breaking The Enigma by Grey Matter Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.0% grisette; nose is yeasty with notes of cloves; very Belgian; yeasty with cloves and dry, herbal hops;

July 9, 2022

117/3834) Home:  Holy Roller by Toboggan Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 4.7% lager; clear, straw; nose is grainy maltiness with mild spice from the hops; similar flavours with a bit more snap from the hops;

This beer is named for a tank (AFV) currently residing in Victoria Park, London, Ontario.  It landed on D Day at Normandy and managed to survive the war.  A portion of sales support its upkeep and goes to Canadian veterans.

July 8, 2022

116/3833) Home:  Dark Side of the Moon by Grey Matter Beer Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.0% Black IPA; earthy, piney nose; semi-sweet chocolate, resiny, earthy flavours;

July 6, 2022

115/3832) Home:  Layback IPA by Wellington Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 5.6%, 60 ibu; brewed with guava and coconut flavour; also oats and “may contain wheat”; dry hopped with Sabro; opaque; strong mango and coconut nose; overwhelming coconut – many compare it to suntan lotion; is coconut really necessary when you are using Sabro hops?

July 5, 2022

114/3831) Home:  Blackfriar's Bridge Vanilla Stout by Toboggan Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6%, 35ibu; brewed with natural vanilla extract; vanilla, roasted malt nose; creamy vanilla notes;

July 3, 2022

113/3830) Home:  Grand Classique Isseki Nichō by Dieu du Ciel! of Quebec:  ****1/2; 9.5% Imperial Dark Saison aged in Pinot Noir barrels; brewed with oats and sugar; dark as any stout with a touch of red; red wine, oak, burnt sugar, raisins to nose; dry red wine, oak, mild tannins, hint of unsweetened chocolate and roasted malt;

July 1, 2022

112/3829) Home:  Double Nelly by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 8.2% DIPA, single hop:  Nelson Sauvin; nose of white wine and tropical fruit with herbal notes; tastes dank with a herbal edge, tropical fruit, white wine;

June 30, 2022

111/3828) Home:  Dora # 50 by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% with a new hop from YCH called “Mango”; dry hopped primarily with Citra and also Galaxy and Sabro ;murky; mango, coconut nose; tastes of mango, dank hops, coconut towards finish;

June 29, 2022

110/3827) Home:  Mingle (June 2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA with Citra, Cashmere and El Dorado hops; cloudy; mildly dank, citrusy nose; flavours of lime and tropical fruit with a slight earthiness;

June 28, 2022

109/3826) Home:  St. Ambroise Pamplemousse IPA by McAuslan of Quebec:  ***; 6.2%, 46 ibu grapefruit IPA; brewed with dried grapefruit and hopped with Nugget, Citra, Cascade and Centennial; grapefruit soda like nose; it's like a Radler made with an IPA instead of a lager;

I felt this was the weakest entry in a very fine mixed pack.

June 25, 2022

105/3822) Birreria Volo:  Lupo by Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery in collaboration with Volo, both of Ontario:  ****; 8.4% Double West Coast IPA; translucent; nose and flavours of grapefruit; 

Today was the Willibald Summer Jam tap takeover at Birreria Volo.

106/3823) Birreria Volo:  Amnesia by Willibald Farm Distillery &Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 10.5% Triple IPA with Nelson, Motueka and Citra hops; swampy; citrusy nose, unexpectedly sweet; citrusy, sweet (lactose?) odd herbal edge; 

In future I will show up a day or two after the event.  There are regularly leftovers and GO Transit to and from Brampton is unconscionably poor on weekends.

107/3824) Birreria Volo:  Wood by Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% IPA dry hopped with Citra, Freestyle Nelson and Galaxy; another swampy one; citrus and grapefruit nose; fresh citrus and grapefruit taste;

I heard bartender say it has “bite”.

108/3825) Birreria Volo:  Wild Thing by Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA with Motueka, Citra and Vic Secret; citrusy tropical nose; sweet tropical fruit and citrus flavours;

June 18, 2022

103/3820) Badlands' Beer Garden:  Behind the Mask by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2% DIPA; hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Riwaka; nearly astringent edge to nose and flavours; citrus and tropical nose and flavours; 

Behind The Mask is also the title of Bill Freehan’s diary of the 1969 baseball season.

104/3821) Badlands' Beer Garden:  Mantra by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; hopped with Citra, Amarillo and El Dorado; astringent stone fruit nose and flavours;

June 15, 2022

102/3819) Home:  Glowride Double IPA by Fixed Gear Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.1%; opaque; stone fruit and pine nose; wonderful flavours of stone fruit, citrus and melon with pine at the finish;

June 12, 2022

101/3818) Home:  Coyote Lookout by Furnace Room Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.3%, 20 ibu dark lager or Schwartzbier; grain bill includes wheat and oats; malty, grainy nose; roasty with a touch of sweetness;

June 11, 2022

100/3817) Sin and Redemption:  St. Paul Double by Brouwerij Serkens of Belgium:  ****1/2; 6.9% Abbey Ale; this was a bottled selection; rich brown; bottle conditioned; boozy nose of raisins and currents; rich flavours of over ripe dark fruit;

I am not sure why it took so long to be able to list this one.  I have known of it for a long time.  Perhaps I was hoping to see it on draught.

June 6, 2022

99/3816) Home:  Double Lunatic Fridge by Toboggan Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2;  7%, 45 ibu; clear, golden; brewed with West coast hops, to wit Cascade and Simcoe; nose is a blend of pine and melon; dry melon and pine notes with a bitter after taste; 

June 5, 2022

98/3815) Home:  Mosaic Single Hop Pale Ale by Furnace Room Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 5.2%, 35 ibu; grain bill includes wheat; citrusy nose; pours clear; stone fruit and citrus flavours;

June 3, 2022

Referring to the entry dated February 14, 2020, Ontario residents cast their ballots yesterday in a provincial election.  In the riding of Niagara West, Sam Oosterhoff was returned having received twice as many votes as the candidate who finished second.  Residents appear to have taken the advice of that shrieky individual from Left Field who was triggered at the notion that his photograph had been taken, to wit "Vote!".  I wonder how she slept.

June 2, 2022

96/3813) Birreria Volo:  Péché Mortel Bourbon ‘21 by Dieu du Ciel! of Québec:  ****; 9.5%; nose of sweet bourbon and vanilla; rather flat which is not the beer’s fault as it had been sitting for a while; sweet bourbon flavours with a splash of coffee; I deducted one half for flatness just the same; 

Péché Day was several days ago.  These are leftovers from the event.

97/3814) Birreria Volo:  Like Elvis by Short Flinger of Ontario:  ***1/2; 10%; Imperial Stout with peanut butter, banana and bacon;  fresh banana bread nose with peanut butter; banana is the most prominent flavour alongside the peanut butter; the bacon adds saltiness; rather sweet; an odd one but I am glad to have tried it;

June 1, 2022

95/3812) Home:  Grate Slam by Furnace Room Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.4% American Pale Ale; brewed with malted barley and wheat; foggy appearance; dank citrusy nose; flavours of citrus with a dank edge;

May 31, 2022

94/3811) Home:  Fermentator Double IPA by Furnace Room Brewery of Ontario:  4.5; 8%, 49 ibu; grain bill includes oats and wheat, in the American style; pours clear; pine, grapefruit, citrus nose; resiny pine with a hint of grapefruit;

It sounds like something Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz would have named.  

May 29, 2022

93/3810) Great Lakes Brewpub:  Zwei Ziegen by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 8.5% 20 ibu; Doppelbock; dark brown; sweet, almost sugary nose; reminds me of Growlers’ bock; rich and malty; 

The name translates as two goats.  GLB Brewpub is a new venture by Great Lakes.  Best of all, Andrew, late of the 3 Brewers, Mississauga is managing!

May 24, 2022

92/3809) Home:  Blueberry Wheat by Merchant Ale House of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.5%, 12 ibu; fresh blueberry nose; flavours of blueberry and grains;

May 23, 2022

91/3808) Home:  Quantum Hugs Cold IPA by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:   ***; 6.1%, 52 ibu; hopped with Azacca, Idaho 7, Motueka and Sabro and dry hopped with Azacca, Motueka, Sabro and Strata; translucent; mildly citrusy nose; citrusy flavours, floral; flavours seem muted;

May 22, 2022

90/3807) Home:  Drifter Hazy Pale Ale by Muskoka Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.6%; hopped with Chinook, Simcoe and Citra; grain bill is malted barley, malted wheat and flaked oats; mildly hazy; nose and flavours are mostly apricot;

May 18, 2022

89/3806) Home:  Ontario IPA (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; all Ontario ingredients down to the water from their own well;  hopped with Chinook, Centennial, Columbus and Cascade; nose is grapefruit; tastes of pink grapefruit and pine;

May 17, 2022

88/3805) Home:  May DIPA (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2%; this month they are using more wheat than they usually use; hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and El Dorado; only cloudy, not murky; nose is dry white grapes, pineapple, candied hops; pineapple and candied hops flavours;

May 16, 2022

87/3804) Home:  Hopster IPA by Bench Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.8%, 70 ibu IPA; pours clear; hopped with Mosaic, Idaho 7,  Azzaca and their own home grown Cascade hops; grain bill is malted barley and wheat; nose of mangos and pine; flavours of pine, grapefruit with mild tropical notes;

May 15, 2022

86/3803) Home:  86 Extreme by Bavaria Brewery of Netherlands:  **; 10.5%; translucent; sweet, nearly cloyingly so, malty nose; cherry licorice sweetness, alcohol; 

I am not entirely sold on this one.

I wish I could say this was chosen because I knew I was at beer number 86 of the year but that is not the case.

May 14, 2022

84/3801) Badlands' Beer Garden:  Theodore by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; named for Matt's newest arrival; hopped with Nectaron, Talus and Simcoe; mellow stonefruit flavours and citrus;

85/3802) Badlands' Beer Garden:  The Root by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2% DIPA; with Simcoe hops from Yakima; dank edge; plenty of stonefruit;

May 12, 2022

83/3800) Home:  Cold Call by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.8% Cold IPA; brewed with corn and hopped with Idaho 7, Simcoe and Hallertau Blanc and using lager yeast; cold aged India Pale Lager; honeyed citrus sweetness to the nose; mild resin, citrus and melon flavours;

I still do not know that I am entirely convinced by this style of beer.

May 11, 2022

82/3799) Home:  Bad Blood by Merchant Ale House of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.1% dark lager; deep, dark brown; malty, nutty nose; faint, nearly soured edge but mainly malty with nutty flavours;

May 10, 2022

81/3798) Home:  SkullKrusher by Merchant Ale House of Ontario:  ****1/2; 10% bourbon barrel aged brown ale; sweet bourbon and vanilla nose; notes of oak, bourbon, vanilla and cola; sweeter than many barrel aged beers;

May 9, 2022

79/3796) Home:  Hope Less by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 7.4%, 65 ibu; hazy, golden; nose of pineapple, oranges; flavours of pineapple, oranges, grapefruit; 

 “Not just any IPA”

80/3797) Home:  Porter Porter by Beau's All Natural Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.6%, 35ibu; with barley and rolled oats, chicory root and vanilla extract; nose is mildly smoky with vanilla; vanilla up front, dark chocolate, mild roast;

Brewed for Porter Airlines.

May 8, 2022

77/3794) The 3 Brewers, Yonge Street:  35 Years by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  ***1/2; 7.5%, 30 ibu Blonde from Flanders;  opaque, mildly hazy; nose highlights the typical 3 Brewers' yeast and malts; sweet, mildly fruity, grainy with a mild bitterness at the finish with sweet candied fruit and berry flavours; 

An anniversary beer.

78/3795) Home:  Double Hopped Every Day IPA brewed by me in Ontario:  ****; this is a Brooklyn Brewshop kit; Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, two kits worth of hops; opaque; mildly fruity; malty with pine and floral notes;

The second dose of hops traces back to an experiment where I swapped out the hop pellets from the kit for my own hops grown in the back yard. 

May 7, 2022

76/3793) Home:  Jacked & Juicy by Merchant Ale House of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% hazy IPA; it is indeed hazy; juicy, mildly bitter nose with a touch of lime; juicy, pulpy lime flavours;

May 6, 2022

74/3791) Home:  Baltic Porter by Shawn & Ed Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 7%, 25 ibu; purchased at the brewery; roasty with sweet chocolate notes; somewhat lacking the “heft” of many a Baltic Porter with notes of toasted malt, chocolate notes, hint of vanilla;

75/3792) Home:  Fuufu by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6% IPA with Cashmere, El Dorado and Sorachi Ace hops; hazy; nose is oranges and tropical fruit; tastes of sweet orange with mild resin and tannins;

May 5, 2022

73/3790) Home:  Border Crossing IPA by Collectives Arts of Ontario in collaboration with Thin Man Brewery of Buffalo, New York:  ***1/2; 6.0% IPA; hopped with Vic Secret, Simcoe and Cascade; purchased at Collective Arts' Hamilton location; mildly hazy; lemony nose; lemony with mild floral notes and a dry finish;

May 4, 2022

72/3789) Home:  Malevolent Benevolence 2021 Templeton Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.9%; aged eighteen months; thick, heavy mouthfeel; nose of oak, rye whiskey; similarly, tastes of oak, rye, mild roast with notes of chocolate;

May 1, 2022

71/3788) Home:  Malevolent Benevolence Imperial Stout 2021 Woodford Reserve Barrel Aged by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 11.9%; brewed with oats, sucrose, lactose; aged in small batch Kentucky Bourbon barrels for eighteen months; almost no carbonation; nose is alcohol and oak with sweet vanilla; sweet with strong roasted malt, caramel, plums; not sure that the lactose was necessary;

April 30, 2022

69/3786) Home:  Fanfaronade by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 8% double dry hopped Double IPA; oats and wheat; Galaxy, Citra and Sabro hops; murky; nose of stonefruit, candied hops, lime, pine; tastes of lime, pine with tropical notes; 

Fanfaronade is defined as arrogant or boastful talk.

70/3787) Home:  Padadigm Shift by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 8.5% Triple hopped double IPA; brewed with lactose sugar, oats and wheat; hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy and El Dorado; murky appearance; nose is pineapple, tropical, pine; pine,tropical, candied hop, grapefruit and pineapple flavours;

April 29, 2022

68/3785) Rogers Centre, Toronto (fifth level):  Blue Wave by Mill Street Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 4.8%, 30 ibu; billed as a hybrid traditional light lager and juicy IPA; stupid expensive, but I had to expect that; opaque; mildly hoppy; goes very well with a hot dog at a ball game, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Houston Astros in this instance;

April 28, 2022

66/3783) Home:  Pareidolia by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11% Quadruple dry hopped Triple IPA; with wheat and oats, Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Vic Secret hops; murky, dull golden colour; nose reminds me of Badlands’ candied hop effect, with stone fruit; similar flavours with tropical notes; no hint of that abv; 

Pareidolia is defined as seeing images and patterns amidst seemingly random chaos.

67/3784) Home:  Master Status by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6% double dry hopped IPA with oats and wheat, Galaxy, Sabro and Sultana hops; nose is primarily lime; flavours of lime and pine;

April 26, 2022

65/3782) Home:  Ill Gotten Gains by Eastbound Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.8% Irish Stout; nose is roasty with mild smoke/peat; mild peat, roasted malt, dry;

April 25, 2022

64/3781) Home:  Midnight Cow Tipper Milk Stout by Eastbound Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.2%; brewed with with lactose; roasty nose; roasty, nutty with hints of chocolate and molasses;

April 24, 2002

63/3780) Home:  Let's Go Exploring by Eastbound Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.0% double dry hopped IPA with Idaho 7 and Simcoe hops; nose is pine with a touch of melon; pine and citrus flavours, hint of melon; very nice; 

Eastbound is on Queen St. East in Toronto, not very far from the site of Kim’s Convenience.

April 23, 2022

60/ 3777) Rorschach Brewing Co.:  Absolute Knowledge Triple IPA by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 11%; brewed with oats and wheat, hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic; opaque; nose has hints of resin, grapefruit, citrus; mildly dank, fruity citrus and grapefruit; 

61/3778) Rorschach Brewing Co.:  Benevolent Malevolence Coffee and Doughnut by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 11.9% Imperial Stout; nose of dark, bitter coffee; dark bitter coffee flavours with sweet doughy notes; brewed with Hibiscus Tea doughnuts;

62/3779) Rorschach Brewing Co.:  Benevolent Malevolence Birthday Cake by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 11.9% conditioned on birthday cake Oreos, birthday cake coffee, and a birthday cupcake; as dark as the previous incarnation; nose is like vanilla icing; sweet vanilla, oddly doughy notes; not nearly so successful as the variant above;

Today is Record Store Day.  I purchased "Wireless World" by Nick Lowe.  This album never existed previously except as a rumour.  Tickled at the notion that his "Jesus of Cool" LP was released under the name "Pure Pop For Now People" in North America, Nick began talking about an album with this name.  If truth be told, there is nothing here that is not on either of these releases when combined.  All can be found in one spot on the 30th anniversary resurrection of "Jesus of Cool". 

April 22, 2022

59/3776) Home:  Rush:  Moving Pitchers by Henderson Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.9% Belgian style extra strong pale ale with Pinot Noir must; also dextrose, wheat; a slow sipper; nose is sweet with grapes, wine; like a Belgian Tripel, on the sweet side, sugary with grape and stone fruit notes;

Brewed in collaboration with the surviving members of Rush.

April 21, 2022

58/3775) Home:  Belmont Village Session Ale by Stockyards Brewing, aka “Beverage Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5%, 18 ibu; brewed with barley and wheat; hopped with Cascade, Citra and Centennial; nearly clear; I wish my tin had been fresher (this one is from November); bready nose with tropical notes and citrus;

April 19, 2022

57/3774) Home:  Party Shark Foggy IPA by Refined Fool Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%, 35 ibu; grain bill is barley, wheat and oats; hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic; strong tropical fruit nose; flavours of guava, papaya and other tropical fruit; very nice;

April 17, 2022

56/3773) Home:  Black Liquids Vol. 9 by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 10% Imperial Stout with chocolate and orange, brewed with orange peel, oats and wheat; nose is chocolate and mildly roasted malt; sweet chocolate flavours, essential oil of orange is nicely subtle;

April 14, 2022

55/3772) Home:  Witchshark X by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 9% Double IPA; tenth anniversary release, using ten hops; Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Columbus, Galaxy, Loral, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe; swampy; typical Badlands style nose of tropical, citrus; flavours of citrus, tropical fruit, mild resin, juicy; as one might expect, a variety of hop flavours share the spotlight;

April 13, 2022

54/3771) Home:  Greenbelly X by Bellwoods Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 10% triple IPA brewed for Bellwoods’ tenth anniversary;  packaged exactly one week ago; nose of berries, mango; tastes of mango and other tropical flavours; murky; 

I have used this phrase before:  dangerously drinkable.

April 5, 2022

53/3770) Home:  I See (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% IPA; with Citra, Simcoe and Riwaka hops;  nose is citrusy; tastes citrusy with tropical notes and berries;

Badlands has begun adding (2022) to their beer in recognition of how hop flavours change from year to year, owing to a variety of factors.

April 4, 2022

52/3769) Home:  Inky (Green) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 11.9% Imperial Stout with Madagascar vanilla beans, aged in Heaven Hill and Willet Bourbon barrels; uncarbonated; nose is oaky, with notes of vanilla; very sweet, with vanilla, bourbon, dark coffee and licorice with a mild alcohol burn; a bit beyond what I consider my price point but I had worked a few extra hours last week;

April 3, 2022

51/3768) Home:  Into The Glow (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 8.2% DIPA; hopped with Citra, Talus and Nectaron; murky; mostly grapefruit to the nose; grapefruit flavours as well with papaya;

April 2, 2022

48/3765) Badlands' Greenhouse:  Mingle March (2022) by Badlands Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%; hopped with Citra, Mosaic and new hop called Vista; stone fruit nose and flavours; flavours are mild with only the faintest hint of bitterness;

49/3766) Badlands' Greenhouse:  #Select (Mosaic 2022):  ****; 6.5%; brewed with Mosaic hops hand chosen from Yakima; tropical fruit and only mild bitterness;

50/3767) Badlands' Greenhouse:  Frozen Pipes (2022): ****; 6.5%; with Mosaic, Cashmere and El Dorado hops;  odd burnt paper nose; dry tropical flavours;

April 1, 2022

47/3764) Home:  Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2018 Oak Aged Quadrupel Anno 1856 by Brouwerij de Halve Maan of Belgium:  ****; the label reads 11% but a sticker applied by the LCBO indicates 10.0%; barrels are of “diverse origins”; 35 ibu; tart nose; notes of red wine, oak, caramel;