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Best Traditional ON Craft Brews

Discuss anything and everything about craft brewers from Ontario here.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

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Belgian
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Best Traditional ON Craft Brews

Post by Belgian »

MatttthewGeorge wrote:Innocente makes one of the best Pilseners and best Porters in the province. Saying they’re one of the worst breweries in the province just shows that “hazebros” shouldn’t rate beer. It’s like having someone only into peat bomb scotches tell me what bourbons they hate.
Agreed. If anyone has the time, I'd appreciate a post on the ''Best Traditional Craft Brews' we have got here in Ontario. There has to be a ton but here's a few more 'old school' & less über-trendy style high scorers of mine lately:

Sawdust City Little Norway Pale Lager

Rorschach Normopathy Pilsner

Clifford Dark Streets Of London ESB

Great Lakes Brewery Früschoppen Lager

Indie Ale House Vita Nova Kviek Pale Ale

Junction Superconductor APA
In Beerum Veritas

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Post by Coronaeus »

Great thread idea.

Neustadt Springs Mill Gap Bitter and 10w30 Brown Ale are both solid. Bonus points for a website that hasn’t been updated in what looks like 15 years or more!

Black Oak Nut Brown Ale.

Most everything brewed by Granite, but 1812 Porter and Best Bitter especially.

Burdock Tuesday Saison is often excellent.

Godspeed’s Dortmunder and Alt are perhaps idiosyncratic but superb. To style I’d say, but unmistakenly Godspeed

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Craig
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Post by Craig »

Side launch wheat, of course. Their midnight lager is a decent Dunkel too. I like their Northbound lager too, but I wouldn't call it traditional.

Clifford Porter.

Silversmith black is the best local Schwarzbier I know of.

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Post by seangm »

Coronaeus wrote: Godspeed’s Dortmunder and Alt are perhaps idiosyncratic but superb. To style I’d say, but unmistakenly Godspeed
This I agree with completely, just picked up a bunch of Godspeed beers and they are superb. They might not be
the most boundary pushing but I appreciate well done classic styles and right now they're one of my favourite Ontario breweries.

Some highlights for me are the Fukami Dunkel, Otsukaresama Dortmunder, Světlý Ležák 12° and 10°, Tmavý Ležák 12º, and my absolute favourite the Kurō nitro dry stout. The latter might be my favourite beer right now it's perfectly executed.

Oh and I guess to spread the love a bit I was very impressed with Bloodvar from Blood Brothers, excellent stuff.

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Post by matt7215 »

Fairweather Donna

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Post by Coronaeus »

seangm wrote:
Coronaeus wrote: Godspeed’s Dortmunder and Alt are perhaps idiosyncratic but superb. To style I’d say, but unmistakenly Godspeed
This I agree with completely, just picked up a bunch of Godspeed beers and they are superb. They might not be
the most boundary pushing but I appreciate well done classic styles and right now they're one of my favourite Ontario breweries.

Some highlights for me are the Fukami Dunkel, Otsukaresama Dortmunder, Světlý Ležák 12° and 10°, Tmavý Ležák 12º, and my absolute favourite the Kurō nitro dry stout. The latter might be my favourite beer right now it's perfectly executed.

Oh and I guess to spread the love a bit I was very impressed with Bloodvar from Blood Brothers, excellent stuff.
Yes. Those Czech lagers are all excellent, particularly the unfiltered ones available in house. They also make the best smoked beers in the province, and likely the country. If I were forced to make a Sophie’s Choice with beer, I dare say Godspeed would be the brewery that I’d choose.

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Post by sofakingdrunk »

Wellington Helles is one of my fav.

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Post by MatttthewGeorge »

I second the Neustadt, Clifford and Silvermith recommendations, although I haven’t had Neustast in a very long time.

MacLeans Pale Ale & Scotch Ale are also very good. Also I just had the new Vienna Lager from Block 3 yesterday that I thought was very well done. As is their Helles and Pilsner.

My kingdom for a traditional English Barelywine though!
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Craig
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Post by Craig »

Or an old ale, or a robust Porter, or a big stout that isn't a Bourbon barrel RIS.

That reminds me, I appreciate Granite for making a dry Irish stout. So rare to get lower ABV stouts here.

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Post by MatttthewGeorge »

Both Innocente and Block 3 have low abv Irish stouts right now. Haven’t had either so can’t comment.
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Post by MetalHead »

All the Czech beers from Godspeed, Světlý Ležák 12° and 10°, Tmavý Ležák 12º are rock solid as previously mentioned. ESB and Munich dunkle are current personal favorites.

Avling Foxtail Zwickelbier and pilsner are both really nice.

Common Good Sociable pilsner is one one my favorites available at the lcbo. Nice German style pils.

I also agree with the sidelaunch wheat. A true Ontario Classic.

Any traditional British styles from granite.

Fun thread Idea!
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Post by Coronaeus »

That Muddy York Grodziske was really nice. However, I don’t know if that is a traditional style like a Gose, or a trendy style like a Gose.

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Tapsucker
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Post by Tapsucker »

Craig wrote:Or an old ale, or a robust Porter, or a big stout that isn't a Bourbon barrel RIS.

That reminds me, I appreciate Granite for making a dry Irish stout. So rare to get lower ABV stouts here.
Granite's Irish stout is easily my favorite example of this style!
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Post by Tapsucker »

I really wish this thread would be longer. Especially with good continental lagers. Too few examples.

I'll give a shout out to People's Pint for their Helles. I guess they kind of sort of qualify as a brewery. :wink: If it takes a community hub to make a decent Helles in this province, then I'll just have to accept that.

Also, Boshkung for their Kellerbier.
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shintriad
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Post by shintriad »

Great thread! (Although I like those newfangled hazy IPAs as much as anyone...)

If we're considering Cream Ale a traditional style, Muskoka's is still my go-to. Anderson makes a good one as well.

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