100 Mile Lager

[G.M. Gillman]

I had this in the fridge a few weeks or more and pulled the trigger today. Glad I did, what a fine beer! Pure rich lager flavours with fresh-tasting malt well balanced with interesting and zesty hops - and all Ontario-grown. A great example of what localism in brewing can do. But it's not just the local ingredients: you can brew local and it can taste poorly. You need brewing skills and top ingredients to make a really good beer "from here" and this beer displays both qualities effortlessly.

IMO this is at the level of Urquell, Jever, or say Firestone Walker Pivo Pils, but tasting like none of those, instead it tastes of the Ontario terroir.

Gary

[velovampire]

I really like this one too, and agree with all you've noted here, but I really wish there was some fresher stock around. All the cans I've seen have either an October or November canned on date, and I'd imagine this beer is best served fresh. I like their ale, too, but the same lack of freshness applies to cans I've seen. Perhaps there were only one or two brews done, as their website mentions the beer being available in cans "for a limited time"?

[G.M. Gillman]

Interesting and I agree maximum freshness is best. But mine tasted very good, maybe it had been kept chilled all the way through. The ale was good but the lager was much better I thought - maybe a few months wait did the ale fewer favours, ale tends to be less stable than lager all things equal.

Gary

[liamt07]

This beer is a perfect example of EXACTLY what we need less of in Ontario.

[BradC]

Hey guys,

Thanks very much for the kind words on the 100 Mile Lager and glad you enjoyed it. I'm one of the brewers for this beer. The other is a guy named Mike Duggan (you may have heard of him). It was no small task to see these beers become a reality. With sourcing hops from 9 small hop farms in Ontario, harvesting and processing the hops, and working around numerous obstacles along the way (ie: devising a way to malt our own barley to create an Ontario Caramel malt), it was all done in a very DIY fashion. The 100 Mile beers started as an idea in the fall of 2012, between Duggan, myself, and 3 hop growers to create a beer(s) that would showcase Ontario grown hops.

I couldn't agree more with Gary that local doesn't mean much in the end if the beers aren't good... and we're pretty damn happy with these beers. Yes, they're "craft beers" but they aren't meant to be exclusive or anything more than what they are... Well made, easy drinking beers, that showcase Ontario ingredients (hops in particular) as a viable option for Ontario brewers.

Some good news... there are fresh batches aging in the brite tanks now which should be canned in the coming weeks and heading to the LCBO soon.

Liam... I'm curious why you would say this is "EXACTLY what we need LESS of in Ontario?" These beers are very much a collaborative effort with Ontario Hop Growers (a small but quickly growing segment) and I believe an intregal part of Ontario's burgeoning craft beer scene. To say so (no matter how misinformed or short sighted) is an insult to them.

Check out: http://www.ontariohopgrowersassociation.ca/

Cheers!

Brad C.

[velovampire]

Thanks, Brad, for the informative reply. I've supported these brews all along, and will continue to do so. I do appreciate these different flavours, and while they may not be as bold as some high alpha acid varieties, I like the subtlety, nuance, and (as Gary mentioned) terroir they lend to your, and other Ontario-hopped, beers. I also hugely appreciate the brewers that make the effort to source/use Ontario grown hops.

Looking forward to the fresh cannings, and to more solidification, expansion and variety from the burgeoning group of Ontario hop growers. Exciting times!

[liamt07]

Reworded: Beers of this style, at this cost, are EXACTLY what we need less of in Ontario.

There are literally dozens of other pale lagers available in Ontario of better quality (in terms of flavour profile, mouthfeel etc). Why add to an already saturated market?

At $3 bucks a can as well? I can pick up beers from the other side of the globe that are in the same style, for almost a dollar cheaper for the same volume. For an even more extreme example: For the same cost as buying two cans of this, I could've bought a 12oz bottle of 15% bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with coffee (read: Bourbon County Coffee). And the difference is light years in magnitude.

Why buy this beer? Other than the "100 Mile" gimmick, it's just a rehash of every other pale lager I've ever had (barring those from Jack's Abby). Frankly, I'd be more interested in a style of beer that the market isn't already flushed with. Perhaps a 100 Mile Rauchbier? A 100 Mile Porter? A 100 Mile ESB? A 100 Mile RIS? A 100 Mile Wee Heavy? A 100 Mile Mild?

I'm not knocking collaborations, as they can be pretty cool. I want to support Ontario, but when breweries keep turning out beers like this, at this level of innovation, at this cost, I'm going to let my wallet do the talking. And I know my opinion on this beer (as well as the 100 Mile Ale) does not stand alone. Reviews on both BA and RB speak to the quality as well.

[schomberger]

^Totally agree---pale lager---just not exciting. Now, if it was a 100 Mile clone of Victory Prima Pils, I'd take notice. Overall, there's just too much excellent beer available these days for me to fit this one into my liver.

[BradC]

Reworded: Beers of this style, at this cost, are EXACTLY what we need less of in Ontario.

There are literally dozens of other pale lagers available in Ontario of better quality (in terms of flavour profile, mouthfeel etc). Why add to an already saturated market?

At $3 bucks a can as well? I can pick up beers from the other side of the globe that are in the same style, for almost a dollar cheaper for the same volume. For an even more extreme example: For the same cost as buying two cans of this, I could've bought a 12oz bottle of 15% bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with coffee (read: Bourbon County Coffee). And the difference is light years in magnitude.

Why buy this beer? Other than the "100 Mile" gimmick, it's just a rehash of every other pale lager I've ever had (barring those from Jack's Abby). Frankly, I'd be more interested in a style of beer that the market isn't already flushed with. Perhaps a 100 Mile Rauchbier? A 100 Mile Porter? A 100 Mile ESB? A 100 Mile RIS? A 100 Mile Wee Heavy? A 100 Mile Mild?

I'm not knocking collaborations, as they can be pretty cool. I want to support Ontario, but when breweries keep turning out beers like this, at this level of innovation, at this cost, I'm going to let my wallet do the talking. And I know my opinion on this beer (as well as the 100 Mile Ale) does not stand alone. Reviews on both BA and RB speak to the quality as well.

Liam - I respect the fact that you don't much care for our beer. And the last thing we'd ever want to do is to fool a good citizen like yourself into parting with their hard earned cash to purchase another "generic" pale lager. Not when they could be stocking up on all the Double IPA's and Barrel aged beers they could possibly ever consume. God forbid if we were to offend even one of Ontario's chosen beer drinkers with another Pale Lager in the Ont market (even if it is hoppier than most others and helps support Ontario farmers). I know this can be really hard to comprehend (mind boggling, really) but some people actually like these beers (it's crazy, I know!) and they're buying them!?.. all those "gimmicks" be damned! I guess maybe the Rate Beer or BA crowd wasn't exactly the target audience for the beers (actually, a fact)… but we appreciate the unbiased opinions by the Raters who don't totally trash 'em.. It takes a pretty refined palate and inventive imagination to come up with some of that stuff. And when it comes to expanding into other styles we hear you loud and clear... and that's why I'm so excited to announce it here first, our newest seasonal offering: 100 MILE LITE!

We're currently in the process of acquiring copious amounts of Ontario grown corn and rice and plan to use the absolute minimum amount of Ontario grown hops (Hallertauer most likely) to top it out at 5 IBU!!... it'll be about 4.2% abv and available for a limited time only at $2.99 per can. We plan to sell a tonne of it, and if all goes as planned, we should be relaxing on our new yacht in Lake Ontario by the end of summer, enjoying a few absurdly lowly rated (but highly profitable!) 100 MILE LITES… it's a sweet life I tell ya. You can thank me later!

Cheers!

Brad

p.s. thanks once again to Gary and Velovampire for getting what we do. We'll actually spare you the 100 Mile Lite.

p.s.s. I'm afraid this will have to be my last post in this thread.. too much brewing to do!

[Bytowner]

I'm 100% behind a brewer putting substantial resources into an elaborate attempt to troll liam.

[atomeyes]

it's not like Liam's wrong.
but there is likely a reason why all of these new breweries are brewing Me Twos and Me Threes. consumers will buy them.

hell, how many of the breweries that opened in the past 2 years and will be opening in the next year are brewing interesting beer? IPAs, pale ales, blah blah blah. Oh wait, we got our hands on a barrel. let's barrel age our boring beer, charge double and watch them fly off the shelf.

[Belgian]

I think Liam took the time to articulate a thoughtful, respectful response to BradC's somewhat standoffish reply. This is good discussion etiquette. And I'm disappointed that BradC really doesn't seem to want to hear Liam's valid perspective in the first place.

Respectfully, Brad might want to let his product doing the talking... and best luck, I have nothing against simpler-style beers if they are well-made, local and affordable.

[atomeyes]

I think Liam took the time to articulate a thoughtful, respectful response to BradC's somewhat standoffish reply. This is good discussion etiquette. And I'm disappointed that BradC really doesn't seem to want to hear Liam's valid perspective in the first place.

Respectfully, Brad might want to let his product doing the talking... and best luck, I have nothing against simpler-style beers if they are well-made, local and affordable.

well, to be honest, if i was a brewer and someone shat all over me, especially when i had money invested in my business, i'd probably take it personally.

this was talked about in another thread - why don't ppl from the industry post here? the answer is: it usually isn't a good idea. it would be a mix of ppl sucking their dicks and people shitting on their heads.

it isn't as if any restaurant or brewery sets out to make mediocre or crappy products. at least, i hope that isn't the case

[liamt07]

I think Liam took the time to articulate a thoughtful, respectful response to BradC's somewhat standoffish reply. This is good discussion etiquette. And I'm disappointed that BradC really doesn't seem to want to hear Liam's valid perspective in the first place.

Respectfully, Brad might want to let his product doing the talking... and best luck, I have nothing against simpler-style beers if they are well-made, local and affordable.

well, to be honest, if i was a brewer and someone shat all over me, especially when i had money invested in my business, i'd probably take it personally.

this was talked about in another thread - why don't ppl from the industry post here? the answer is: it usually isn't a good idea. it would be a mix of ppl sucking their dicks and people shitting on their heads.

it isn't as if any restaurant or brewery sets out to make mediocre or crappy products. at least, i hope that isn't the case

No "head-shitting on" here. I appreciate the dialogue, and I'm glad brewers are actually at least attempting to "interact" with some of their most critical drinkers. If you've got a product that's available to the public, standing behind it is important, but I'd argue that the ability to receive criticism is of even more importance.

This product is not for me, and I don't know why I thought it might be. While Ontario has progressed, and is continuing to do so, it's a certain mindset and attitude that keeps many brewers locked in a vicious cycle of mediocrity. While the gap between the best and poorest brewers/breweries in Ontario isn't that great now, that gap is only going to widen in coming years (let's hope at least!), as the pool of people who are truly critical and that genuinely care about what beers they're consuming continues to grow. Wallets and palates will continue to decide what is worthy of praise, and that which is left by the wayside.

Cream always rises to the top, folks.

[Bytowner]

I think Liam took the time to articulate a thoughtful, respectful response to BradC's somewhat standoffish reply. This is good discussion etiquette. And I'm disappointed that BradC really doesn't seem to want to hear Liam's valid perspective in the first place.

Respectfully, Brad might want to let his product doing the talking... and best luck, I have nothing against simpler-style beers if they are well-made, local and affordable.

Nonsense. What response can you possibly have to someone who just doesn't have time for the style of beer you're making? When someone's critique of your beer has nothing to do with the actual quality of what you're producing, but is instead based entirely on what they view as worthy, what discussion can take place?

The second someone uses "pale lager" as a pejorative, you may as well just shut it down.