Random Reviews

liamt07 · Post by **liamt07** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:49 pm

G.M. Gillman wrote:St Feuillient Saison: Orangey brett nose, good balance of sweetness with some wheat or spelt evident I'd think. Classic rustic Belgian ale. (Quite similar to Orval I thought).

I can guarantee you that there's zero brett in that beer.

atomeyes · Post by **atomeyes** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 6:16 am

liamt07 wrote:
G.M. Gillman wrote:St Feuillient Saison: Orangey brett nose, good balance of sweetness with some wheat or spelt evident I'd think. Classic rustic Belgian ale. (Quite similar to Orval I thought).
I can guarantee you that there's zero brett in that beer.

i can also guarantee you that brett doesn't have an orangy nose.

BlackRedGold · Post by **BlackRedGold** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:58 pm

Bytowner wrote: Broadhead Polaris IPA: After the above, not great. This hop just isn't meant for the style. Alternated between "meh" and "ugh".

Are you sure that wasn't Kichissippi?

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:28 pm

atomeyes wrote:
liamt07 wrote:
G.M. Gillman wrote:St Feuillient Saison: Orangey brett nose, good balance of sweetness with some wheat or spelt evident I'd think. Classic rustic Belgian ale. (Quite similar to Orval I thought).
I can guarantee you that there's zero brett in that beer.
i can also guarantee you that brett doesn't have an orangy nose.

And I can also guarantee you he doesn't really believe Jermaine is David Bowie.

Bytowner · Post by **Bytowner** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 12:03 pm

BlackRedGold wrote:
Bytowner wrote: Broadhead Polaris IPA: After the above, not great. This hop just isn't meant for the style. Alternated between "meh" and "ugh".
Are you sure that wasn't Kichissippi?

Whoops! Yep, you're absolutely right.

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:34 pm

Durham Hophead at Volo, one of our best cask beers, creamy and very English-tasting (more than I recall in the past).

Gin Lane Ale. This old ale/barley wine is a stalwart at the Granite. These are the last kegs of the season and it has a lovely fruity quality, kind of like Rodenbach but without the sourness. I was told it was December-brewed, thus 4 months old. Some good winy heat behind it too. It won't be on tap much longer..

Boundary Ale. This Moosehead APA isn't bad but the body is much thinner than most APAs I know. Good hop flavours, but it needs more boost in the body. If one goes to the trouble to make an APA, one should go all the way (IMO).

Gary

Torontoblue · Post by **Torontoblue** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:24 am

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

2007 bottle, cellared since release. Deep burgundy colour, lively head quickly disappears to nothing. Winey aromas, almost port like with the sweetness coming through, sweet malts, raisins, small hints of clove & banana, yeasty, fruit loaf. Taste follows the aromas, sweet, vinous, hint of sourness, leather, spicy, hits of the alcohol are still present, giving a subtle bitterness. Full bodied, sticky, thick textures, surprisingly lively carbonation, going to a bittersweet, long, vinous, tannic finish. This has aged fantastically well, and would be a great after dinner drink in place of a port!!

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:02 am

Xingu draft, similar to the bottlings I recall from the 1980's, round-tasting, slightly sweet, cold black coffee taste. It has a strange history but to me tastes like a German black lager which is how BA classifies it. Although this beer post-dates by some years the start of the craft revolution, it is reminiscent of the best "super-premiums" of the pre-craft era like Prior Double Dark. It reminds me of Creemore Bock too in the overall approach. Yet another analogy which many will know here: Saranac Black Forest.

HB's helles, which on this tasting was very fresh, sweetish, drinkable.

Gary

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 4:09 pm

Was going to Indie Ale House, on a whim figured I'd try something different, the Shoxs sports bar nearby, apparently the first to open in the area when the retail liquor prohibition was finally lifted. Spotting Junction Conductor, it seemed natural to go for that, and glad I did: super-fresh, zero damp paper oxidation (as I encountered in the early days of the brand), good sweet malt balanced to the hops. Reminded me of Tankhouse Ale when it first came out. I'd go back for that alone. The rest was macro but Hops & Bolts and Creemore were included and I like the former.

At Volo yesterday, a lager from Barley Days which uses a sparkling wine yeast. Very Belgian-tasting: as a taster at the bar said, like a light Delerium Tremens. Makes me think that the ubiquitous Belgian yeast profile may derive from the (relatively) nearby Champagne wine fields.

Gary

midlife crisis · Post by **midlife crisis** » Sat May 03, 2014 6:52 pm

Tree Cutthroat Pale Ale, 500 ml can from LCBO. I quite like this. It really appeals to my preference for bitter, yet balanced, pale ales. For a detailed description, I can't improve on this excellent review from biegaman:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2594/22951/

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Thu May 08, 2014 7:57 am

A pot pourri, mostly good experiences: Junction Conductror's Black IPA and ESB, both in the bottle from the brewery. The latter very English, the former on the rich side for the style, more like an American porter, fine by me. Tankhouse Ale, hadn't had it in quite a while, seemed much lighter than I remember but a cold was coming on so might have been that. Will revisit. Oast House Barnraiser, considered a pale ale I understand, this was draft at Against The Grain. To me it tastes like a good German helles, I don't get the pale ale part.

Gary

kevinlater · Post by **kevinlater** » Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:41 pm

glb my bitter wife - fruity and tasty but really damn bitter. well, not like i should have expected otherwise

publican house square nail pale ale - crazy good brew, i was getting a lot of peach/nectarine, apricot, floral, and caramel notes. it would probably be my go-to summer beer if red racer didn't exist

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Fri Jul 04, 2014 6:00 pm

Another pot pourri: Brou Czech, from a long-established Czech brewery. It uses open fermentation judging by the website. Very fruity, more estery than I'd have thought usual for a lager, but very nice. For all the world it reminds me of Big Rock Pilz, the Saaz-hopped Czech-style beer from Alberta.

McEwan's Scotch Ale, brewed anew at 8% ABV by current label owner Wells Young. I had a lot of hope for this but it was disappointing, with a strange thin starchy finish. This beer, IMO, should be rich and malty, and was when I bought it decades ago. Perhaps an off-batch since ratebeer gives it a fairly good rating. I'll buy it again in a few months.

100 Mile Meridian Amber Lager. Had this on draft at Victory. Excellent beer, good fresh malt and hop qualities, well-brewed. I understand Mill St. makes it.

Gary

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:04 am

I'm drinking Tree Mellow Moon Pineapple Hefeweizen, actually it smells really good from a few feet away. Kind of candy-ish flavor and aroma and flintstones aftertaste, hmm... not sure if it's for me. What ever happened to Spearhead Hawaiian Pale?

I REALLY liked Bells Berry Ale at Coles, don't miss that one for its incredibly pure blackberry/raspberry flavor that is also strangely good as a beer. I'd buy a twelve of it right now.

sofakingdrunk · Post by **sofakingdrunk** » Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:22 am

^^^^^
Agree, the Mellow moon smells awesome and is really pungent. First couple tastes are nice, but after that I found it almost, like a cooler more than a beer. Really refreshing though.