What're you drinking right now?

[BeerIsGood]

De Molen Tsarina Esra.

[beerstodiscover]

Hanssens Oude Gueuze — Less carbonated than other lambics (same with Hanssens Kriek) but this is one fine gueuze. Possibly the most intense aroma I've experienced in this style funky sweet lemons and apples, oak. Really good stuff here.

[beerstodiscover]

Dupont Monk's Stout — I'd more accurately call this a dark saison. It's seems like they used the same saison yeast, but with dark malt. It is super carbonated and would do well in a chalice and benefits from agitation in the glass. It hits the dark chocolate, dry, bitter notes of a good Irish stout along with the spicy, estery Belgian saison character. Definitely not your typical stout but a winner in my books.

[cratez]

At Proof Brewing Company in Tallahassee, Florida:
Proof La La Land (draft)
Proof Ghost Totem Porter (draft)
Proof Lager (flight sample)
Proof Featherweight IPA (flight sample)
Proof Pomegranate Passion Fruit Evil Kiss (flight sample)
Proof EightFive-0 Pale Ale (flight sample)

At Fermentation Lounge:
7venth Sun Headbanger IPA (draft)
Central 28 Miss Mary Brown (draft)
Sixpoint Hootie Hazy IPA (can)

At Mellow Mushroom Tallahassee:
Oyster City Hooter Brown Ale (draft)

At Ology Brewing Company - Rounds 1 & 2:
Ology Pilz (draft)
Ology Sensory Overload New England IPA (draft)
Ology Variable #4 Saison (flight sample)
Ology Tesla's Pigeon Session IPA (flight sample)
Ology Swoosh: Strawberry, Lime & Cherry (flight sample)
Ology Synesthetic Perception Imperial Stout (flight sample)
Ology Vienna Lager (draft)
Ology Quantum Stimulant Coffee Stout (sample)

At The Brass Tap Midtown:
Kulmbacher EKU Pils (draft)
Deep Brewing Reef Dweller IPA (draft)
Victory Sour Monkey Sour Brett Tripel (draft)

At Momo's Pizza & Brewpub:
Deep Brewing Shallow End Lager (draft)
Tampa Bay & Mast Landing Hop Silo #9 - DDH NEIPA (draft)

In Central Florida:
Tomoka Oceanside White IPA (can)
Edmund's Oast Leather Jacket American Porter (can)
Rogue Batsquatch Hazy India Pale Ale (can)
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (bottle)
Sierra Nevada 40th Hoppy Anniversary Ale (bottle)
Cigar City Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale (can)
Founders Unraveled Juicy IPA (can)
Sixpoint Meltdown (can)
Edmund's Oast All Keyed Up (draft)
Edmund's Oast Faust Sour Red Ale (can)
Intuition Ale Works Oktoberfest (draft)
Edmund's Oast Bound By Time India Pale Ale (can)
Lord Hobo Boom Sauce Double IPA (can)
Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter (draft)
Persimmon Hollow Beach Hippie IPA (can)
Grupo Modelo Corona Premier (can)
Cigar City Fancy Papers Hazy India Pale Ale (can)
Anheuser-Busch Budweiser Black Lager (bottle)
Parish Dr. Juice IPA (can)
Captain Lawrence Tears Of Green - Motueka & Mosaic (can)
Ravenous Pig Laid Up Lager (draft)
Ravenous Pig Lone Palm Golden Ale (flight sample)
Crooked Can Florida Sunshine (flight sample)
Funky Buddha Floridian Hefeweizen (can)

At home:
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (bottle)

Now drinking coffee, water, and no beer for a bit

[Craig]

Lol, I love that you go on a big vacation to Florida and hit up everything that they have to offer, then come home and are just like "Yeah, that was a lot. Let's have a BCBS."

Anything stand out from Florida?

[cratez]

Lol, I love that you go on a big vacation to Florida and hit up everything that they have to offer, then come home and are just like "Yeah, that was a lot. Let's have a BCBS."

Lol! What can I say. It was likely our last vacation for a very long time, so I had to end things with a bang.

Anything stand out from Florida?

Florida highlights were the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, La La Land, Headbanger, Miss Mary Brown, Hop Silo #9, and everything I had from Ology and Deep, except for the Tesla's Pigeon. Out of state standouts were the Unraveled IPA, Meltdown, Boom Sauce, and obviously BCBS.

The big surprise of the trip was Ology, which is one of the most well-rounded breweries I have come across in recent memory. Not many people have heard of them, but I expect to see their name mentioned more often as their beers are exceptional and they emerged as one of the fan favourites at last year's Hunahpu's Day.

[S. St. Jeb]

A bit of a nostalgic trip. Molson Stock Ale at eBar in Guelph. Ya don't see this one everyday. I suspect a bunch of the younger participants here have not had it.

[shintriad]

I've been really happy about the latest crop of canned Ontario pale ales and IPAs at the LC lately, particularly the New England varietals:

• The newly New Englandized GLB RoboHop is amazing.
• Their Karma Citra, Octopus and As Far Back... are also strong picks.
• Jutsu is now available far and wide.
• Laser Show and Greenwood are everywhere.
• I thought Hazy Days from Cowbell was great.
• Collective Arts' IPA series still got it, as does Life in the Clouds and Surround Sound.
• Beyond the Pale's Yummy is always fuckwitable.
• Wellington's Faces DIPA series is pretty darn good.

Anything missing? I hear the latest efforts from Flying Monkeys are decent, but my palate's been burned a few too many times in the past...

[S. St. Jeb]

I've been really happy about the latest crop of canned Ontario pale ales and IPAs at the LC lately, particularly the New England varietals:

• The newly New Englandized GLB RoboHop is amazing.
• Their Karma Citra, Octopus and As Far Back... are also strong picks.
• Jutsu is now available far and wide.
• Laser Show and Greenwood are everywhere.
• I thought Hazy Days from Cowbell was great.
• Collective Arts' IPA series still got it, as does Life in the Clouds and Surround Sound.
• Beyond the Pale's Yummy is always fuckwitable.
• Wellington's Faces DIPA series is pretty darn good.

Anything missing? I hear the latest efforts from Flying Monkeys are decent, but my palate's been burned a few too many times in the past...

I would add Collective Arts Ransack the Universe and Sawdust City Lone Pine.

But regardless of individual favourites, it is an incredibly different universe from 15 years ago in terms of the selection of beers we have.

[cratez]

Over the weekend in London:

At Milos' Craft Beer Emporium:
Muddy York The Olli Heirloom Lager (draft)
Godspeed Tmavý Ležák 12 (draft)
Matron Fine Beer Janky IPA (draft)
Godspeed Kazoku - Saison w/ Plums (draft)
Bellwoods Jelly King - Kiwi & Passionfruit (sample)

At Beerlab!:
Beerlab! Loom - Farmhouse Lager (draft)
Beerlab! Fresh - Citra & Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale (draft)
Beerlab! Swell Stout (draft)
Beerlab! Room & Board IPA (draft)

At Storm Stayed Brewing:
Storm Stayed The Soloist: Samba (draft)

[dale cannon]

Over the weekend in London:

At Milos' Craft Beer Emporium:
Muddy York The Olli Heirloom Lager (draft)
Godspeed Tmavý Ležák 12 (draft)
Matron Fine Beer Janky IPA (draft)
Godspeed Kazoku - Saison w/ Plums (draft)
Bellwoods Jelly King - Kiwi & Passionfruit (sample)

At Beerlab!:
Beerlab! Loom - Farmhouse Lager (draft)
Beerlab! Fresh - Citra & Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale (draft)
Beerlab! Swell Stout (draft)
Beerlab! Room & Board IPA (draft)

At Storm Stayed Brewing:
Storm Stayed The Soloist: Samba (draft)

Mike do you have review notes on Beerlab! In general, facility and products? I’ve never been while in London. Usually just go to Storm Stayed, Forked River or Milos. Should I visit Beerlab!??

[cratez]

Do you have review notes on Beerlab! In general, facility and products? I’ve never been while in London. Usually just go to Storm Stayed, Forked River or Milos. Should I visit Beerlab!??

This is my review from BA:

4.4 / 5

London's best and most innovative craft brewery, specializing in hoppy pale ales/IPAs/DIPAs, dry farmhouse ales, and porters and stouts. 7 taps of their own house beers, with the occasional cask on. All draft beers are available to go in crowlers. The beer quality, meanwhile, is top notch.

Welcoming tap room layout with several tables and stools surrounded by a small bar and brewing kettles. Bright and colourful artwork on the walls (courtesy of Company Bar's Nick Farmer) and great music in the background. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, and it's always nice to chat with the brewers, Nick Baird and Adil Ahmad.

The brewery is also right next to Milos' Craft Beer Emporium, which makes for a great combo on any given night.

Overall, Beerlab! is a must visit when in London, and I can't wait to see what these guys come up with over the next few years.

Hope that helps!

[seangm]

Feel like I've gone through lots of new beers lately:

Common Good New World Pale Ale (Sabro) - Interesting hop variety, has a very coconut-esque flavour that plays nicely off the tropical fruits. Solid pale ale.

Common Good Wexford Oatmeal Stout - Lower ABV oatmeal stout, thought it tasted like a mix of St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout and an Irish dry. Nice, very drinkable.

Wellington Faces (Citra & Mosaic) - Wondering if I got a bad can based on other comments. Tasted overly boozy and sweet, muddled hops and little to no carbonation. Not good.

Bellwoods Jutsu - Despite all my griping about price (lol). Very good pale ale, encouraged by their plan to produce smaller batches and keep the LCBO stock fresh.

Sawdust City Twin Pines - Tropical, citrus, melon. Juicy and dank IPA, a bit of warming booze but still sneakily drinkable at 9%.

Cowbell Brewing Hazy Days - Nice addition to the local crop of hazy NE-style IPAs. Not the best necessarily, but good enough to throw into the rotation. Thought it gave off an almost lactose impression with the body and sweetness.

Also came across an IPA mix pack from NITA while returning empties at TBS. Figured why not and took a chance:

Weatherhead Mix of Sun and Clouds - First time having a beer from them, pleasantly surprised. Orangey citrus, pithy and juicy hops. Higher than average bitterness for an NEIPA but I liked that. Reminds me of the transition point when local IPAs were getting juicier, but before the NE trend took off proper.

5 Paddles In Your Face - I've had this one before and it's a good IPA. West Coast leaning with a modern edge. Tropical fruits, melon, white grape. Biscuity malt backbone, moderate bitterness.

People's Pint Mango Fett - Was nervous since it's a mango lactose IPA and I thought it would be thick and cloying, but it was balanced by a surprisingly assertive bitterness. Piney, pithy, citrusy but with lots of mango and a bit of a bubblegum note even. Came together nicely.

Etienne Brule Citrale - Only dud so far. Just a bland caramel malt, citrusy hop IPA that felt very dated. While I still love West Coast style IPAs, this one was merely average.

Still need to try the last two from the pack.

[Belgian]

Having a Godspeed SVĚTLÉ VÝČEPNÍ PIVO 10º - CZECH PALE LAGER -4.0% ABV
GODSPEED Bottle Shop is still opening to 10pm for now.

This is really flavourful and almost delciate at the same time, it reminds me of some places in the Czech Republic and Bavaria where the Helles / Pivo served fresh on tap tastes like nothing else.

I will be grabbing more of these little beauties before the Zombie Apocalypse.fully takes over. Be safe and well!

[S. St. Jeb]

Niagara College Small Batch 2018 Rudolph's Black Nosed Ale

Got this from a friend recently. Not sure if he also got it recently, or picked it up some time ago.

Based on the name, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, perhaps just a dark ale, but it turned out to be very porter-like to me. Not sure why they wouldn't say so. Rich, excellent mouthfeel. Felt bigger than the stated 5.7% alc. Very good.