January 13, 2020

9/2989) Home:  Nautical Disaster by Lake of the Woods of Ontario:  **1/2; a 6.4%, 55 ibu dry hopped IPA; grain bill is malted barley, malted oats, flaked corn; a tribute to the "trouble and tragedy" of 100 years on Lake of the Woods; grapefruit nose; grapefruit flavours; clear; truly Old School; nearly three stars;

January 12, 2020

7/2987) Home:  Northern Glow Brut IPA by Lake of Bays Brewing Co. of Ontario:  *1/2; a 4.3%, 38 ibu sparkling IPA;  brewed with wheat and champagne yeast;  also Idaho 7, El Dorado and Belma hops and dry hopped with El Dorado and Belma hops; partially filtered; only mildly hazy; dry nose - approaching sour; very dry, like a flat champagne with a dry finish;

8/2988) Home:  Twilight Hour Coffee Stout by Lake of Bays Brewing Co. of Ontario:  **; 5.5%, 30 ibu; brewed with oats, coffee; dark roasted coffee nose; very strong dark roasted coffee flavours;

January 11, 2020

6/2986) Home:  St. Bernardus Extra 4 Belgian Abbey Ale by Brewery St. Bernard NV of Belgium:  *1/2; 4.8%; bottle fermented; brewed with added sugar and Belgian hops; slightly musty yeast nose; faintly sweet, yeasty; nearly champagne like mouthfeel; dry, musty finish;

January 9, 2020

2/2982) The 3 Brewers, Yonge Street:  Tic Tom by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; 8.7%, 63 ibu; billed as an Old School Imperial IPA; clear; bitter resiny nose; dank bitter resiny flavours; lingering dry after taste;

3/2983) The 3 Brewers, Yonge Street:  Wee Willie Winkie by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **; a 9.8% Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy; malty nose; rich and malty with caramel notes;

4/2984) beerbistro:  Origin of Darkness, a collaboration between Collective Arts of Ontario and Voodoo Brewing of Pennsylvania:  **1/2; an 11.5% Imperial Stout, Bourbon barrel aged for 21 months; brewed with cocoa nibs and cassia bark which some people call Chinese cinnamon, as well as wheat malt, flaked oats and demerara sugar; interesting coconut nose with raisins, dates and cinnamon ; tastes of raisins, coconut, mild cocoa with strong cinnamon notes and malt; quite remarkable;

5/2985) Home:  Sam Roberts Band Ale by Spearhead Brewing Company of Ontario:  **;  4.5%; malty nose; herbal hop notes;

January 7, 2020

1/2981) Home:  Mustkuld Porter by Põhjala Brewing SA of Estonia:  **; 7.8%; contains milk; roasted malt nose; roasty malt flavours with milk chocolate notes;

December 31, 2019

379/2978) Birreria Volo:  Fred by Hair of the Dog Brewing of Oregon, U.S.A.:  **; a 10% American Strong Ale; sweet boozy nose; alcohol and stone fruit notes; a lot like a barleywine; warming;

I was intending to go to the newly reopened Volo (I still have not been to the new location) but they did not bring back the tradition of hauling out ancient bottles on the half hour and I wanted to pick up a couple of cans at Bellwoods and this was closer.  I also liked the beer list here more.

380/2980) Birreria Volo:  Triple Mosaic IPA by Barncat Artisan Ales of Ontario:  **; 10.5%; murky; a triple IPA; nose of peaches and pineapple; similar flavours with a bitter pineapple edge;

I really do miss those old school, clear, bitter IPAs.

It was an ideal New Year's Eve.  I was on the 7:53 train home.

December 30, 2019

The night we had been dreading is come and gone.  Closing time for the final week of the year at The 3 Brewers on Mavis was set to 9PM and the final day was pushed back from the 31st to today.  This makes sense.  I cannot imagine trying to ask people to leave after 9PM on New Year's Eve.

The kitchen closed at 7:45 and last call was sometime after 9.  We were there until nearly eleven.  My prediction of tears came true but, surprisingly, none were mine.  Places come and go but this one hurts.  I enjoyed the regulars and the staff were beyond compare.  There will be a huge hole in my Thursday and Friday nights and what's more there will be very little good beer between Etobicoke and Oakville.

Rumour has it that Big Rig will be opening in the same location come March.  They had been bought by a group keen on expansion.  I went to the website and the menu is expensive and a bit too big.  It is hard to imagine much will be fresh.  Just the same, I intend to give it more than one chance.

A tip of the hat to Vivian, Vinu, Ashley, Sam and so many other servers and to Justin, a terrific brewer.  I hope our paths will cross very soon.