May 14, 2016

81/1666) The 3 Brewers, Adelaide Street:  Larry, Curley and Mosaic APA by The 3 Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2;  pale, hazy;  fresh hop nose;  delicious citrus flavours;

This is the Adelaide Street location's entry in the Master Brewer contest and I confess there was an extra half point awarded for the name.

May 13. 2016

80/1665) Junction Craft Brewing:  John's Coffee Porter by Junction Craft Brewing of Ontario:  **;  6.7%, 35 ibu;  a British style porter brewed with coffee beans;  dry coffee nose;  coffee finish and bitter coffee after taste;  this blend is dominated by rich coffee flavours throughout;

May 12, 2016

79/1664) Home:  Those Chocolate Covered Cherry Things by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  **;  8.8%, 20 ibu;  a Belgian quadrupel brewed with Soma chocolate and cherries;  tart cherry nose;  opens with sharp tart cherry flavours with chocolate at finish, which strikes me as sort of inside out, considering the name;

May 11, 2016

This is the most revolting of the revolting developments I have had to cite.  The Volo is closing this September.  It seems Toronto does not have enough condominiums.

The proposed location in Little Italy is not really a second location in the strictest sense.  Its purpose is to focus on barrel aged and sour beers so now the Volo is scrambling to find a new location.  The hope is to re-emerge somewhere on Yonge Street.

I am crushed.  There is no place like the Volo anywhere.  To arrive on a Friday evening is to be surrounded by a who's-who of the Toronto beer scene.  Their reputation extends far beyond Yonge Street.  It was chosen as the only Ontario bar to host Péché Day.  It was one of three locations in Canada chosen to host Zwanze Day.

My pessimism stems from what happened when Smokeless Joes tried to relocate.  It was gone in months.  All that is left is to try and enjoy it while we can and to hope, against hope, for the best.

May 10, 2016

78/1663) Home:  Harry Porter and the Curiously Spicy Cocoa Bean by Great Lakes Brewery of Ontario:  **; 7%, 30 ibu;  the nose is chocolate and coffee with a hot peppery edge;  opens mildly chocolatey which quickly cedes to peppery heat;  the heat intensifies at the finish and lingers;

Similar to my tale of never having experienced Game of Thrones, I have neither read nor seen anything related to Harry Potter.  Sorry.

May 9, 2016

77/1662) Home:  Railside Session Ale by Sleeman Brewing and Malting Co. of Ontario:  *;  4.2%;  pours clear like the original Sleeman;   malty rather minerally nose, again reminiscent of the original;  musty and malty with a mild hop edge;

Sleeman has it in them to make a good hoppy ale but I regret this isn't it.  It is certainly not offensive, it's simply rather dull and nondescript.

This beer was inspired by the wild hops growing by the railway tracks to the original Sleeman brewery.

May 8, 2016

76/1661) Home:  Beat The Heat by Black Oak Brewing Company of Ontario:  *1/2;  a .4.5%;  Belgian style wheat beer;  brewed with toasted wheat, orange zest, coriander and "special yeast";  malty, yeasty nose;  yeasty, zesty with clove flavours;  there was yeast sediment at bottom of my glass, which I don't mind but it may be off-putting for some;