The Bar Towel

Forked River Flanders Red - Sour, acidic, fig-like maltiness with some fruitiness. Yum.

Some colleagues will occasionally gather after work on Friday at a local establishment. We did so today, and I started with Ransack the Universe. I love this beer. It is definitely one of my all time favourite IPAs.

Afterwards, at home, I had an Exchange 'New England' IPA. My expectations were low given a previous comment. I didn't find it that bad. But I definitely agree that "New England IPA" is a misnomer. If it was branded as a Pale Ale, an IPA, or even just a regular ale, I think it is OK.

S. St. Jeb wrote:Some colleagues will occasionally gather after work on Friday at a local establishment. We did so today, and I started with Ransack the Universe. I love this beer. It is definitely one of my all time favourite IPAs.

Afterwards, at home, I had an Exchange 'New England' IPA. My expectations were low given a previous comment. I didn't find it that bad. But I definitely agree that "New England IPA" is a misnomer. If it was branded as a Pale Ale, an IPA, or even just a regular ale, I think it is OK.

Agreed, had a couple cans of Ransack last night and was just thinking how I never get sick of it. Almost a perfect ipa for my tastes.

Weihenstephaner / Sierra Nevada Braupakt — This is just about at its BB date and has lost any notable hoppiness. However it still a delicious Hefe, on the creamy side with loads of peachy-banana going on.

I picked this up at Brunswick Bierworks, they have about 5-6 Weihenstephaner beers in the fridge.

beerstodiscover wrote:Weihenstephaner / Sierra Nevada Braupakt — This is just about at its BB date and has lost any notable hoppiness. However it still a delicious Hefe, on the creamy side with loads of peachy-banana going on.

I picked this up at Brunswick Bierworks, they have about 5-6 Weihenstephaner beers in the fridge.

Brewed under licence at that facility, correct?

midlife crisis wrote:Brewed under licence at that facility, correct?

I don’t think so. They also sell La Trappe products in the bottle shop. I do wonder how they get away with it.

Pretty sure it's because they are brewed there. Same as Omnipollo.

At Dundas & Sons Brewing:
Sons Of Kent Astro Pils (flight sample)
Dundas & Sons Lemon Kettle Sour (flight sample)
Dundas & Sons Nitro Stout (flight sample)
Dundas & Sons Sour IPA (flight sample)

At The Morrissey House:
Powerhouse Homecoming Pale Ale (draft)

At Milos' Craft Beer Emporium:
Left Field Sweet Spot - Mocha Marshmallow Stout (draft)
Burdock APA - Vic Secret, Ella, Mosaic & Citra (draft)
Beerlab! Porter (sample)
Beerlab! Dry Hopped Saison (sample)

Over the week at home:
Junction Craft Humber River Pilsner
Junction Craft, Rainhard & Shacklands Aleyards Session IPA
Bearded Iris Joy Ride IPA
Junction Craft West Toronto Weizen
Lake Of Bays Sunseeker Tangerine Pale Ale
Cowbell Gravel Run Session IPA
Beau's Altbier
Caribru IPA
Walkerville Road Block Doppelbock
Forked River Interstellar IPA
Flying Monkeys Sparklepuff Triple IPA

midlife crisis wrote:Pretty sure it's because they are brewed there. Same as Omnipollo.

The La Trappe stuff (Tripel, Quad and Oak-Aged Quad) is surely not brewed there. It has the Trappist seal on it.

Fraid so.

https://www.thestar.com/business/2018/0 ... beers.html

https://torontolife.com/food/wine-and-b ... ry-toronto

cratez wrote:At Dundas & Sons Brewing:
Dundas & Sons Lemon Kettle Sour (flight sample)
Dundas & Sons Nitro Stout (flight sample)
Dundas & Sons Sour IPA (flight sample)

What did you think of the D&S beers in general? I haven't been, but a couple friends who are not particularly picky attended the opening and had bad things to say about their beers. I was hoping it was just some issues with rushing to open.

LTM Baltic Porter that's been in the cellar since 2013. Held up beautifully. So good.

ErkLR wrote: What did you think of the D&S beers in general? I haven't been, but a couple friends who are not particularly picky attended the opening and had bad things to say about their beers. I was hoping it was just some issues with rushing to open.

The beers are straight up awful, and out of the hundreds of breweries I've visited, I would put D&S in the bottom 5. The stout on nitro - presumably intended to be a roasty dry stout with a creamy mouthfeel - was amberish in colour and sour in taste with a thin mouthfeel. The two *actual* sour beers tasted identical despite having different names and ABVs. The Turbo Squirrel (friend's sample) is supposed to be a traditional brown ale but was cloudy, tart, thin, and undrinkable. Overall, just a huge gong show, and I don't plan to go back. On the bright side, the Astro Pils from Sons Of Kent was pretty solid, and we took in some of the Juno festivities after visiting, so it wasn't a total waste of time.

midlife crisis wrote:Pretty sure it's because they are brewed there. Same as Omnipollo.

I picked up some Weihenstephaner Dunkel a while back and they told me it's not brewed there, but is from the brewery in Germany. I'm not sure what arrangement they have but they're definitely selling imported bottles.

cratez wrote:

ErkLR wrote: What did you think of the D&S beers in general? I haven't been, but a couple friends who are not particularly picky attended the opening and had bad things to say about their beers. I was hoping it was just some issues with rushing to open.

The beers are straight up awful, and out of the hundreds of breweries I've visited, I would put D&S in the bottom 5. The stout on nitro - presumably intended to be a roasty dry stout with a creamy mouthfeel - was amberish in colour and sour in taste with a thin mouthfeel. The two *actual* sour beers tasted identical despite having different names and ABVs. The Turbo Squirrel (friend's sample) is supposed to be a traditional brown ale but was cloudy, tart, thin, and undrinkable. Overall, just a huge gong show, and I don't plan to go back. On the bright side, the Astro Pils from Sons Of Kent was pretty solid, and we took in some of the Juno festivities after visiting, so it wasn't a total waste of time.

Thanks for the review. That's too bad, I was hoping for another good craft brewery in London. I'll probably check them out sometime just to see. I hope they step things up.