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;

March 31, 2022

46/3763) Home:  Goodbye Gravity by Imperial City Brewhouse of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.0%, 18 ibu; a  Cream Ale with Madagascar vanilla, corn and rice; Sarnia born Chris Hatfield is featured on the tin – the real McCoy; pours clear and golden; described as “cream soda for adults”; with Hallertau, Mittelfrueh hops; vanilla nose with some graininess; only a hint of the minerally notes typical of a cream ale, otherwise sweet with caramelly vanilla;

Imperial City Brewhouse is on Exmouth Street, Sarnia.

March 30, 2022

45/3672) Home:  Raised In A Barn by Quayle's Brewery of Ontario:  ****; 5.6%; hopped with Cascade and Centennial from their farm as well as Citra and Tallis; nearly perfectly clear; nose is stonefruit with floral notes; floral notes with a hint of citrus, resin towards finish;

March 29, 2022

44/3761) Home:  White Out by Sleeping Giant Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%, 25 ibu; Hazy India Pale Ale; unfiltered, unpasteurized; grain bill includes oats, what; only mildly hazy; brewed with Vermont style yeast; hopped with Columbus, Citra and Mosaic; nose is mainly oranges and tropical fruit; tastes of oranges with floral and tropical notes;

March 27, 2022

42/3759) Home:  Philsner by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing of Ontario:  ***; 5.2%, 35 ibu; brewed with Patagonia Pilsner malt and Hallertau hops; clear; aged two months; earthy, bready floral nose; grainy with a mild bitterness at the finish;

43/3760) Home:  Pink Fuzz by Beyond The Pale Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6%, 20 ibu; Grapefruit Wheat; brewed with wheat, grapefruit pulp and grapefruit zest; hazy, yellowy colour; nose of grapefruit and zest; dry tasting, citrusy hops, bitter grapefruit zest;

March 25, 2022

40/3757) Home:  Country Dark by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.4%, 35 ibu; Brown Ale; translucent, rich deep brown; hoppier than is traditional; earthy, malty nose; rich and  malty with an earthy hop edge;

 

41/3758) Home:  Top Of The Morning by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing of Ontario:  **; 4%, 40 ibu; Irish Stout; dark as night; mildly smoky nose; smoky, salty, roasty; I like my bacon this way but not my beer;

March 24, 2022

39/3756) Big Rig Kitchen and Brewery, Heartland (Mississauga):  It's Pronounced Märe-t-zen by Big Rig Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 5.4%,16 ibu Oktoberfest lager; hopped with Hallertauer and Mittelfrűh; maltiness over all else;

March 23, 2022

38/3755) Home:  Nanaimo Bar Imperial Porter by Muskoka Brewery of Ontario in collaboration with Vancouver Island Brewing of British Columbia:  ****; 9.0%, 50 ibu; with wheat and almonds; nose is roasty with sweet chocolate; tastes of chocolate, coffee, sweet caramel notes; very nice;

March 22, 2022

37/3754) Home:  Dark Side of the Dune by Prince Eddy's Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; 10.2% bourbon barrel aged Imperial stout; brewed with wheat, coffee, cocoa, vanilla; dark as cola; thin head; nose of roasted malt, alcohol, oak, bourbon; tastes of vanilla, bourbon, roasted malt, dark coffee;

March 21, 2022

36/3753) Sin and Redemption:  Sinners' Helles Bock by Toronto Island Brewing of Ontario:  ****;  7.7%; brewed specially for Sin & Redemption; uncommonly hoppy for a bock; piney nose and flavours;

March 20, 2022

34/3751) Home:  Stone's Throw by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 5.8%, 40 ibu; “Leaning more East Coast then West”; only mildly hazy; addition of wheat and oats; Cascade and Nugget hops; fresh, citrusy nose; tastes of citrus, apples and grapefruit with a bitterness more characteristic of a West Coast IPA;

35/3752) Home:  Yonder by Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.8%, 55 ibu; “Cali-Ale IPA”; hopped with Centennial and Chinook; malty, citrusy nose; fruity citrus flavours; 

It turns out Tony Curtis may not have said, “Yonder lies the castle of my fooder” on film.

March 19, 2022

Terrible news:  I learned only recently that Orwell's at Bloor and Islington closed last month.  It was a great after (or during) work place and at terrific neighbourhood pub at the same time.  It had to be a good place to work - they had servers who had been there twenty years or more.

The story is that the owner died and they tried but they weren't feeling it any longer so they closed their doors.  I will miss it. Orwell's was such a comfortable, low key place.  It operated from 1984, hence the name Orwell's, to 2022.

March 18, 2022

33/3750) Home:  Bon Fire Black Lager by Perth Brewery of Ontario:  3.5; 5.1%, 24 ibu; pours as dark as any stout; only four ingredients; a “schwartzbier” mildly nutty, chocolate nose; roasty with hints of chocolate and nut; 

March 17, 2022

32/3749) Home:  IPA No. 20 by Collective Arts of Ontario:  **1/2; 6.5%; with “Citra Four Ways”:  Citra, Citra Cryo, Citra Incognito and Citra Sectrum; hazy; nose is citrusy, lemony; tastes lemony, and a bit herbal with grapefruit; there is something a bit off, a bit vegetable like;

March 16, 2022

Visited the Rex Hotel for the first time in a long time for some live jazz.  There is no tip jar for the band, rather a modest cover fee takes care of this.  Everyone there was very grateful to be seeing any guest.  As I was leaving Jack asked me to come back any time I want, or "even if you don't".

The act I came to see was the Worst Pop Band Ever.  Ted Warren was filling in on drums for Tim Shia.  He is quite a musician.  I am going to keep that name in mind.

March 14, 2022

31/3748) Home:  IPA No. 19 by Collective Arts of Ontario in collaboration with Finback Brewery of Queens, New York:  ****1/2; 10.5%, 80 ibu Triple IPA with Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Azacca hops;  pineapple nose; pineapple flavours with a hint of alcohol; a bit sweeter than I had expected;  

March 13, 2022

30/3747) Home:  Gibraltar Point by Stonehooker Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; 9.5%, 69 ibu Imperial Stout; named for a Toronto landmark, which may be haunted;  very roasty nose; roasty with notes of licorice and chocolate; a delicious, straightforward, unadorned stout; lovely;

Stonehooker has rebranded Gollywobbler as Up & Down, to honour a good friend and enthusiastic golfer who is currently battling cancer.

March 10, 2022

29/3746) Home:  Gnarly Singletrack by Orange Snail Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.3%, 40 ibu hazy IPA; double dry hopped with “plenty of Citra and some Amarillo”; only mildly hazy, the description notwithstanding; flavours are a tiny bit washed out; nose of lemony citrus; citrus and melon flavours; 

March 9, 2022

28/3745) Home:  Rip Tide Pale Ale by Forked River Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 5.7%, 38 ibu; brewed with malted rye; pours clear; nose is malty with rye notes; flavours of rye with citrusy hops;

March 5, 2022

27/3744) Home:  Double Upon Us by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 8% Double IPA; pours somewhere between cloudy and murky; nose of citrus zest and peaches; has a dry edge with peaches, grapefruit and citrus zest; “Double Down Under”, printed on the bottom of the tin, is presumably a reference to the antipodean hops, Nelson and Cashmere, that were used;

March 4, 2022

26/3743) Home:  Double Within by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****1/2; 8% Double IPA; “Happiness comes from Cashmere”; Imperial version of Within brewed with oats and hopped with Galaxy and Cashmere; tropical fruit nose; lots of tropical fruit, rather sweet; a faint bitterness emerges towards the finish; as they say, dangerously drinkable;

March 2, 2022

25/3742) Home:  Losing The Human Touch by Third Moon Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5% IPA; hopped with Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado; with the addition of oats; nose is peaches; tastes of peaches with a hint of bitter alcohol;  bottom of tin reads, “After the snap.";

February 27, 2022

24/3741) Home:  Old Omens by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****1/2; 6.5% New England style IPA brewed with “a substantial amount of oats” and hopped with Galaxy, Cashmere and Lotus; hazy, dull golden colour; nose of citrus zest, oranges; flavours of orange, mild grapefruit emerges toward the finish; 

The bottom of the tin reads, “My burden never ends”.

February 26, 2022

23/3740) Home:  Bourbon Barrel Aged Apocalyptic Elf by Orange Snail Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2; 8.5%, 17 ibu; deep brown; nose is alcohol, oak, bourbon, ginger, spice; dry ginger and spices, mild vanilla and bourbon;

February 24, 2022

21/3738) Third Moon Tap Room, Milton:  Finisher - Bourbon Barrel Aged by Third Moon Brewing in collaboration with Reverence Barrel Works, both of Ontario:  ****1/2; 11.5% English style barleywine, aged 10 months in bourbon barrels; warming, not overly sweet; rich boozy and delicious;

22/3739) Home:  Breakfast Each Beast A God by Third Moon Brewing of Ontario:  ***1/2; 8.5% Double Stout with Costa Rica Villa Sarchi Coffee, maple and chocolate; grain bill includes wheat, oats and barley; coffee and maple nose; sweet maple with coffee, unsweetened chocolate, toast emerges towards the finish;

February 20, 2022

20/3737) Home:  Double Tempest 2021 by Amsterdam Brewery of Ontario:  ****1/2:  11.9%, 75 ibu; barrel aged imperial stout; aged 8 months in fresh bourbon barrels; nose of oak, vanilla, bourbon, rather sweet; tastes of boozy bourbon, chocolate, vanilla and oak;

This was purchased at the outlet after a fine meal next door.

February 19, 2022

19/3736) Home:  Ce N'est Pas La Fin Du Monde by Unibroue of Quebec:  ***; 9.5%, 50 ibu; described as a Triple du Nouveau Monde/Belgian IPA; nose is yeasty, mild citrus zest; tastes of earthy resiny hops, yeast and citrus;

February 14, 2022

18/3735) Home:  The Chocolate Monocle with Almonds by Third Moon Brewing Co. of  Ontario in collaboration with Brewsky of Quebec:  ****; 11% Imperial Stout with chocolate, vanilla, almonds and lactose;  nose of almonds and chocolate; mildly roasty, sweet almonds are most prominent alongside with sweet chocolate and vanilla notes; 

February 13, 2022

17/3734) home:  Space Age Sunshine Orange Creamsicle Quadruple IPA by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 11.6%; an amped up version of Sparklepuff; brewed with orange juice concentrate, vanilla beans, natural orange flavour, natural mandarin orange flavour, natural vanilla flavour, barley and wheat;  hopped with Ekuanot, Sabro, Idaho 7, Galaxy and Azacca; pours a clear golden orange; orange nose; tastes of alcohol, oranges and orange zest but the alcohol tends to overwhelm everything else; 

February 12, 2022

15/3732) Home:  Peated Scotch Ale by Stonehooker Brewing COmpany of Ontario:  ***; 5.5%, 26 ibu; brewed with “peat smoked barley on a scotch ale base”; sharp, smoked nose; it does have elements of scotch and Scotch ale but this is too smokey for my taste;

16/3733) home:  The Black Pearl by Stonehooker Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.9%, 53 ibu; Black IPA; from The Transom Series; pours black as night with a tan head; hoppy nose with promised orange notes; tastes of pine, malty and roasty with mild citrus;

February 6, 2022

10/3727)  beerbistro:  Fenrir by Little Beasts Brewing of Ontario:  ****;  9.5% Belgian Strong Dark Ale aged six months in red wine barrels previously used to aged another Little Beasts beer, Odin; red wine and oak to the nose; red wine is the most prominent flavour with oak, dark fruit and mild chocolate notes; it is mildly tart with a slightly astringent finish; 

I visited beerbistro two days after their "Get Sprung! Imperial Stout Beer Fest" seeking leftovers.  Admission to the event would have been $30.  This included which included five tickets good for a three ounce pour, which works out to less than a pint.

11/3728) beerbistro:  Malevolent Benevolence Imperial Hawaiian Stout by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****; 11.9%; conditioned on hazelnuts, coffee, coconut, cocoa nibs and vanilla beans;  coconut and chocolate nose; thick, heavy mouthfeel, strong coconut flavours with dark chocolate;

This was a taster sized pour.

12/3729) beerbistro:  Malevolent Benevolence Imperial Stout 2021 French Calvados barrel aged by Rorschach Brewing Company of Ontario:  ****1/2; this is basically the same beer as above save that it is aged in Calvados barrels for eighteen months; the nose is oaky and boozy; tastes of oak and chocolate with boozy apple notes; quite remarkable; also contains oats, sucrose and lactose; 

This was a bottled selection, and $25 at that which is as expensive as any bottle I have tried.  It is just as well I saved on the admission fee.

13/3730) beerbistro:  Freibier by Stiegelbrauerei of Austria:  **1/2; 0.4%; very, very malty, minerally, pilsner style beer; it did not work for me;

Luckily, this was another taster.

14/3731) beerbistro:  Kentucky Bastard Imperial Stout Cherry Russian Imperial Stout by Nickel Brook Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 14.5%; aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels for over a year; nose is oak, chocolate and cherry; cherry is strongest at the finish after oak and vanilla notes; 

February 4, 2022

9/3726) Home:  Sawmill Sid Logger'd Ale by Stonehooker Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***; 4.8%, 21 ibu; Kőlsch; perfectly clear; golden; sweet, fruity nose; sweet, fruity, malty; refreshing – makes me think of summer;

February 3, 2022

8/3725) Home:  Each Beast A Good (Morning Roast) by Third Moon Brewing Co. of Ontario:  ****; 8.5% Double Stout with Ethiopian Guji coffee; nose of coffee with a hint of alcohol; coffee, licorice, mild berry;

February 2, 2022

7/3724) Home:  Trappistes Rocheforte Triple Extra by Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint Remy of  Belgium:  ***1/2; 8.1%, 35 ibu; brewed with barley and wheat; nose of yeast, spices, citrus; tastes of citrus and spice;

February 1, 2022

6/3723) Home:  Mexican Chocolate Yeti Imperial Stout by Great Divide Brewing Co. of Colorado, U.S.A.: ****; the tin reads 9.5% but a sticker applied by the LCBO indicates 8.3%;  it's the original Yeti with the addition of "a variety of spices" and vanilla and coffee;  large can; nose of hot peppery spice; tastes of chocolate, mild, lingering heat; there is a touch of vanilla near the finish;

Mexican hot chocolate is traditionally known as champurrado.

January 23, 2022

5/3722) Home:  Ghoul Island by Goose Island Brewhouse of Ontario:  ****1/2; 8.5%; "Dawn of the Stout"; brewed with barley, wheat and oats;  dark as night; foamy fluffy tan head;  released for Hallowe'en (just before I fell ill); dry, nearly bitter, dark roasted malt with unsweetened chocolate and a hint of vanilla;  bitter roasty, unsweetened chocolate; strong bold and straightforward without extra ingredients which is nice return to;

January 22, 2022

4/3721) Home:  Blonde by Brasserie St-Feuillien S. A. of Belgium:  ***1/2; 7.5%, 28ibu; yeasty, spiced nose; yeasty, spiced, mildly bitter finish;