The Bar Towel

Over the last two weeks at Milos', Morrissey House, Toboggan, and home:
Nickel Brook Hopfenweisse (draft)
Cheshire Valley Mildly Amusing (draft)
Neustadt Springs Sour-Kraut (draft)
Toboggan Hop Force Trauma IPA (draft)
Toboggan Vanilla Stout (draft)
Toboggan Lunatic Fridge IPA (draft)
Great Lakes Body Dubbel Belgian Ale (can)
Great Lakes THRUST! An IPA (can)
Collective Arts Stranger Than Fiction Porter (can)
Collective Arts Ransack the Universe IPA (can)

At The Monk's Kettle:
Wellington Terrestrial India Brown Ale (draft)
Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA (draft)

Very happy to find this place as it will no doubt become my new local.

At home:
Great Lakes Apocalypse Later Imperial Black IPA

Over the last week or so:

- New Holland Dragon's Milk BBA Stout - Very rich. The bourbon barrels dominate everything else. Not the best BBA stout I've had lately, but still a good one (and a total steal at its LCBO price).

- Wellington Kentucky Cow (BBA Chocolate Milk Stout) - Bottled Dec 3 2015. I really enjoyed this one. The base milk stout and the bourbon barrel flavours melded beautifully; there was even a slight vinous tart note in the background. Much more well-balanced and drinkable than your typical BBA stout. One of their top 3 one-offs of 2015 for sure.

- Rodenbach Vintage 2013 - I don't drink a lot of sours (and missed out on the 2012 last year) so this was a real treat for me. Unbelievably smooth and very approachable as far as sours go. Wish I'd splurged on a full case but I'll have to ration my remaining bottles.

- Collective Arts Ransack the Universe - I was really impressed with this one, too. Lots of juicy tropical fruit and pithy citrus flavours. Probably their best hoppy pale ale released to date (and I love R&R).

- Railway City Barrel Reserve Series: Irish Red Lagered Ale - A passable Irish red. The oak didn't add a whole lot.

And a few repeats:
- Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Finish - Still the best of I&G's regular line-up IMO.
- Amsterdam Spring Bock - Cellared from last year's batch. Held up nicely; I've always considered this a reliable Ontario bock.
- Beck's - First time in years. Inferior to InBev's corrupted Lowenbrau, and more expensive to boot.
- Cameron's RPA - Not a fresh bomber, but I still love this one.
- Ayinger Celebrator - No matter how many bottles of this I buy each year, it's never enough.
- Grand River Galt Knife Old Style Lager - One of my favourite OCB lagers. Love those dirty, grassy hop flavours when fresh.
- Innocente Pils-Sinner - Not as good as the batch I had last summer, but still a very solid domestic pils.

Over the past week:

Amsterdam Dogbolter.
Bourbon County Barleywine 2013 (sublime...)
New Belgium Lips of Faith Le Terroir 2014
Great Lakes Apocalypse Later 999. (really enjoyed this one)
Indie Ale House Sunkicked Wit
Dunham Assemblage #5

That BCBBW was really fantastic.

at the brux house, just had:

folly inkhorn
left field anniversary no. 3
dieu du ciel peche mortel

the bar to go to in hamilton

Brueury Mischief
KBS
BOYD 2014

At Bier Markt Queensway:
Black Oak Dubbel Entendre (draft)
Stone IPA (draft)
New Holland The Poet Oatmeal Stout (draft)

Might head over to Péche Day soon.

Over the last half-week:

Forked River Say N'more (BBA Old Ale) - A malt-forward strong ale with an oaky, wood tannin-heavy aftertaste. OK, but the elements clash a bit and overall it's not one of their better BBA products, at least IMO.

Forked River Wicked Wench (Soured BBA Stout) - This is their Blackbeerd stout after nearly a year in the barrel. I really liked this one. Very smooth with just the right level of sourness. Hope to purchase more next time I'm in London.

John H.R. Molson & Brothers 1908 - Fine for a Molson product. Sort of halfway between an amber lager and an English pale ale, with the hop profile angling toward the latter.

Innocente Drunkard's Cloak (Red Wine BA Saison) - Listed at 9.5% and purchased in December. I didn't mind this one but nothing about it really stuck out and somehow I expected more. Fruity and vinous with restrained oak tannin & grape skin astringency.

Refined Fool Zombae (Cranberry Hefeweizen) - More of a pale wheat ale than a hefe. They've done a few of these fruit + pale wheat ale mash-ups and this is probably the best one to date. Simple but very sessionable.

And a few repeats:
-Descendants Harbinger American Pale Ale - Decent. I like that it's more malt-forward than a lot of other APAs, but the floral notes of the Cascade hops come off a bit dull.
-GLB Canuck Pale Ale - Always a solid, reliable option at a good price.
-Grand River Tailgate - Now canned! I tried this a few years ago when it first showed up in LCBOs and didn't like it at all. This can tasted better (and more like what I expect a pils to taste like), but it's still overshadowed by most of the German imports.
-Broadhead Dark Horse Stout - Kind of smelled like canned peas. It was ok, but not as good as the fresh can I had last time.
-Triple Bogey Lager - Fine for what it is; not something I'd ever buy regularly.

I enjoyed a thoroughly tasty weekend thanks to fellow member Boney! Friday was an outstanding can of Hopslam, which I forgot was 10% and had me wondering why I was feeling so sleepy when I finished... Saturday was another bright DIPA called Rico Sauvin from Against the Grain, love those hops!

Redline Brewhouse Biere De Garde
Redline Brewhouse 396 IPA
Barnstormers Pacific Jade Widebody IIPA
Rochefort 10
Chimay Blue
Bitter Waitress IPA

Streets wrote:I enjoyed a thoroughly tasty weekend thanks to fellow member Boney! Friday was an outstanding can of Hopslam, which I forgot was 10% and had me wondering why I was feeling so sleepy when I finished... Saturday was another bright DIPA called Rico Sauvin from Against the Grain, love those hops!

Cheers, bud! Glad you enjoyed.

Drinking a grolwer of Nugget Nectar. Always passed it over till a recent trip to Buffalo. Would have probably blown my mind 5-7 yrs ago, but deviates away from my palate today.

At Woody's Burgers while waiting for my Tokyo Burger:
Oast House Pitchfork Porter (draft)

At home:
Amsterdam Cruiser All Day Pale Ale
Great Lakes Brewing Lake Effect IPA

Black Oak Triple Chocolate Cherry Stout, drinking awesome right now and seemingly less tart than last year's rendition (which is fine by me). Always look forward to this one.

Over the last week:

Stone Hammer Moose Mug Eggnog Pale Stout - 6.4%; an odd one. Subtle nutmeg and cinnamon spice with a good, clean biscuity malt backbone. OK.

Schneider Weisse Tap X Aventinus Cuvée Barrique - Wasn't expecting something this sour from Schneider Weisse but I was very impressed nonetheless. Hope to grab another bottle before supply dwindles.

Grand River Jubilation Winter Warmer - 7%; an old seasonal that I haven't had the opportunity to try until now. Brewed with spices and orange, but those elements are restrained and allow the malts to shine through. Along the lines of Bah Humbug, but a bit better IMO.

Refined Fool Carp & Tunnel Syndrome - 3.4%; described as an English mild. Very worty taste. Not exactly unappealing but the flat texture and unfinished feel to this one really hold it back.

Railway City - The Strong Man 10.3%; a Belgian strong dark ale. Too much overripe banana and not enough complexity.

And some repeats:
Fat Tug - Always excellent. These bottles are even fresher than the last batch and it shows.
Cameron's Cream Ale - This beer has grown on me over the years. It's boring, but perfectly serviceable.
Warsteiner - Reliable German pils, but I only seem to pick it up when it's on sale.
Okocim Jasne Pełne - Below average for a Euro lager
Black Creek Irish Potato Stout - Weird vegetal flavour that I assume is the potato. Fine, but not worth paying a premium for.
Laško Zlatorog - About average for a Euro lager

Hel & Verdoemenis - bottled 2012