Random Reviews

[midlife crisis]

Reviewed that Stift Engelszell Gregorius. I'm sort of amazed there's still bottles on shelves given the spring release. I think it might cellar pretty well.

http://saintjohnswort.ca/stift-engelsze ... istenbier/

Finally tried this over the weekend and really liked it. Jordan's review captures the flavour profile perfectly so no need to repeat it. What I liked was the dry, even slightly tart body from (I gather) the Alsatian wine yeast -- the beer just seemed more drinkable, maybe less cloying, than most Quads. (Is it even a Quad? At 10.5% I'm assuming it is). Anyway, there is lots of complexity here and it really appealed to my palate.

[Belgian]

^ My impression of the Gregorius is just a an Austrian strong Trappist ale made with honey, but yeah it's classified together with Belgian styles like that.

Wine yeasts are the same species as top-fermenting ale yeast, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae VS the bottom-fermenting Lager yeast, S. Carlsbergensis.

[saints_gambit]

The monks took my advice about their branding. I'm vetting an English translation of their website for them.

Me and the Lord, we got an understanding.

[atomeyes]

drinking a Liberty Village 504 pale ale out of the can.

surprisingly impressed.
dry, crisp, clean with a subtle (maybe too subtle?) bitterness and fruitiness to it.
a very good summer beer

[groulxsome]

drinking a Liberty Village 504 pale ale out of the can.

surprisingly impressed.
dry, crisp, clean with a subtle (maybe too subtle?) bitterness and fruitiness to it.
a very good summer beer

Probably one of the best beers to come out of Cool? How has that not been a blog.to article..? "Top 10 Beers you'd Never Guess were Contracted at Cool" or somesuch.

[Belgian]

Stone IPA from the LCBO, 09-01-15

Good balanced lemony hops flavor and some pineapple, is in wonderful shape. The bomber was corked half full in the fridge two days and suffered no real loss of flavor and carbonation, which is handy if a bomber. Nice stuff!

The 2012 Orval I re-corked 3 days ago is a bit flatter after pouring a large head, but tastes wonderful, and the more cask-like texture lays the fruit lemon and mineral flavors more bluntly on the palate, and hey I really like drinking Orval this way. This beer has a great profile that can rely less on carbonation for balance, a world classic.

Bellwoods Monogamy Nelson Sauvin, gosh it's nice to find this in the fridge. A supremely good bottling.

[Belgian]

Side Launch Pale Ale, 500ml can - one of the most complex beers in Ontario. Rather than chase the hop-forward trend, this pale has layers of robust flavors that seem in turns English and, actually, a little bit Belgian.

A beer I am certain I will get to know as I tire a bit from the trendy and overpricing nonsense. I look forward to trying the Mountain Lager, and the Dark Lager (Dunkel) whenever I see it, such as Saturday at Thirsty & Miserable. Michael's beers are different!

[Rob Creighton]

Side Launch Pale Ale, 500ml can - one of the most complex beers in Ontario.

Unlike the wheat which suits the yeast flavour, I think it really diminishes this beer unfortunetly.

[Belgian]

Side Launch Pale Ale, 500ml can - one of the most complex beers in Ontario.

Unlike the wheat which suits the yeast flavour, I think it really diminishes this beer unfortunetly.

They use a Weissbier yeast?

That explains the fruitiness and hint of spice. It's not unlike a really good Quebec pale ale that strays out of the lines a bit.

[Provost Drunk]

Just started drinking the Tank 7 farmhouse ale. It's good, but a little odd. Nice and peppery saison character. I found it a bit sweet and alcohol forward though. At 8.5%, I find that a bit high for a farmhouse ale.

Finally getting around to trying this one. I would agree that this beer has a heavier body and you do get a bit of an alcohol hit (not that I'm complaining about that). I detected a lot of pine both in the bouquet and upfront on the palate and I though the finish was fairly dry, so although it has some sweetness (particularly for the style) I thought it was neutralized by the hops.

[Belgian]

From 2011:

Olvisholt smoked Imperial Stout, still showing lots of life with dark dried fruit.

Nøgne Ø Pørter, very bready with dry and sour flavors and rounded dark malts.

[G.M. Gillman]

Black Creek Pumpkin Ale: My first pumpkin of season. Fantastic: rich, spicy, complex, low carbonation - drinks like a cask beer. Advice: don't chill it or very little.

Sam Smith Organic Pale Ale. Very fresh, better than last year's bottling IMO, but very mild-tasting, you have to tease out the flavours. What there is is great (sweet malt, apple, mild hops) but rather unassertive. It actually tastes like a Burton pale ale but dialled down and without the sulfur tang. Still, a tasty drop at room temperature, which I'm good with anyway.

Side Launch Mountain Lager: I'm telling you guys this is one amazing lager. I only seem to find it at Pilot in cans. When it warms a bit, it has a complex sweetness that reminds me of Urquell but the hop side is more typically German (with no sulfury lager yeast taste as many of these have).

Gary

[sofakingdrunk]

Black Creek Pumpkin Ale: My first pumpkin of season. Fantastic: rich, spicy, complex, low carbonation - drinks like a cask beer. Advice: don't chill it or very little.

Sam Smith Organic Pale Ale. Very fresh, better than last year's bottling IMO, but very mild-tasting, you have to tease out the flavours. What there is is great (sweet malt, apple, mild hops) but rather unassertive. It actually tastes like a Burton pale ale but dialled down and without the sulfur tang. Still, a tasty drop at room temperature, which I'm good with anyway.

Side Launch Mountain Lager: I'm telling you guys this is one amazing lager. I only seem to find it at Pilot in cans. When it warms a bit, it has a complex sweetness that reminds me of Urquell but the hop side is more typically German (with no sulfury lager yeast taste as many of these have).

Gary

I found the Sam smiths pale ale extremely disappointing last year. Which is unfortunate because i usually love their stuff. Glad this years is better. Perhaps I will pick up
A bottle or two

[G.M. Gillman]

Last year it had a buttery or brandy-like edge as I recall, this year it is cleaner, more natural beer-like. Again though I wish it was more flavoursome - all the flavours are great, but the beer would benefit IMO from an intensity of flavour. Samuel Smith even on cask in England always was on the mild side though, it is a house characteristic. The great exception is the Imperial Stout. A great beer that rarely seems to arrive at LCBO, I can only recall it in the odd Christmas mixed gift pack. However and I know I'm repeating myself, drinking it with no or only a very light chill does bring out its best characteristics, it's a good first beer drunk this way.

Gary

[sofakingdrunk]

Agreed, most are quite mild......but I think sometimes there's a lot to be said for subtlety. I havnt had the imperial stout but I do love the oatmeal stout and wish the lcbo would carry it on a more regular basis