November 9, 2023

220/4181) Goose Island Brewhouse, Toronto:  88 IPA by Goose Island Beer Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 5.9% West Coast IPA with chocolate rye brewed for Goose Island's; 35th anniversary; Southern Passion hops; nose is malty, mild dry edge; malty flavours, mild grapefruit, hint of melon, snap of rye with a dry after taste;  

Part of my reason in visiting was to ask after Bourbon County Stout Day.  Last year was so much fun.  To my regret, it sounds like this will not happen, owing to how much it would cost and how much they would have to charge per glass.

221/4182) Goose Island Brewhouse:  Beer Hug Pub Variant by Goose Island Beer Co. of Ontario:  ****; 7.2% West Coast IPA; translucent, nose of pine and resin; flavours of pine, resin and grapefruit; wonderfully old school

222/4183) Wvrst, Union Station:  Two Loons by Slake Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 6.3%; hazy; fruity nose; citrus flavours with a mild dry edge;

November 3, 2023

219/4180) Home:  Motor Home Westie by Fairweather Brewing of Ontario:  ****; 6.5%, 65 ibu West Coast IPA with Cryo Cascade and HBC638 hops brewed in collaboration with Yakima Chief Hops; pours clear; pine and tropical fruit nose; pine and caramel malt flavours;

November 2, 2023

218/4179) Home:  Imperial Espresso Stout by Barnstormer Brewing and Distillery Co. of Ontario:  ***1/2; 9%, 50 ibu; from their Barrel Roll Series, wax sealed; brewed with Mule Coffee, oats and espresso beans; pours jet black with a  persistent light tan head; nose is cold brewed coffee and grounds; similar flavours;

I opened this to mark International Stout Day.

October 31, 2023

217/4178) Home:  Single Malt Scottie Ale by Old Dog Brewing Company of Ontario:  ***1/2; 4.7%, 12 ibu; brewed with “single malt and small amounts of roasted barley”; sweet, malty nose; notes of toffee, malt; a typical Scotch ale, admirably crafted;

October 29, 2023

215/4176) Home:  Czechlist by Barnstormer Brewing and Distillery Co. of Ontario:  ***; 4.8%, 23 ibu pilsner; perfectly clear; malty nose with dry herbal edge; muted Euro-hop bite, malty and grainy;

216/4177) Home:  Never Mind by Grain & Grit of Ontario:  ****; 6.8% India Pale Ale with wheat and sugar; hopped with Tango and Zamba, neither of which I am particularly familiar with; cloudy, nearly murky; nose is sweet Pez and tropical fruit; sweet candied tropical fruit flavours;

October 27, 2023

213/4174) C'est What, Toronto:  Monster Mash by Dominion City of Ontario:  ****; 8% DIPA hopped with Citra and Mosaic; also brewed with pilsner, oat malt, spelt; hazy yellow; tropical nose and flavours;

It felt appropriate after the annual Phantoms of the Organ Organ Spooktacular concert.

214/4175) C'est What:  Pumpkin Spiced Ale by C'est What of Ontario:  ****; 4.5% 24 ibu; with Knox Farm pumpkins, seasonal spice; strong spice nose and flavours; positively bracing on s coolish evening;

October 24, 2023

211/4172) Home:  Velvet Bubble Lord by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ***; 6%; Blueberry Sour; blueberry puree, citrus lemon verbena, natural blueberry flavour; translucent purple; blueberry nose; raspberry like tartness, blueberry with a lemony bite;

This was another mistake, the second in recent memory.  I was in haste, I knew I was looking for the new Flying Monkeys IPA, I saw the colourful tin, grabbed it and hurried to the counter.

212/4173) Home:  Psychedelic Puzzle Factory by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of Ontario:  ***1/2; 8.1%; billed as a “strong beer with natural flavours” and a Blueberry Custard DIPA; also brewed with oats, lactose, blueberry puree, raspberry puree, vanilla beans, natural vanilla, custard flavour and rosehip-hibiscus tea; amber; nose has berries but they are overshadowed by vanilla; much the same is going on with the flavours, save that there are more berry notes;

This is the one I meant to buy.