The Boozepaper

[Steve Spong]

Has anybody here seen the 2006 Beer Review edition of the U of T campus paper, the Newspaper? I doubt many have, except for the few students who actually like beer, like myself. Appropriately retitled "the Boozepaper", it provides editorial reviews for various beers. It's not as cringe-worthy as you might expect (well, not for all of them). At least there's no Blue or Rickards. It's divided into letter grade categories, which I can run down:

A+ : Fruli; St. Ambroise Pale; Mill Street Stock Ale

A: Walkerville Lager; McAuslan Apricot; Great Lakes Red Leaf; Mill Street Tankhouse

A-: Connors Best Bitter; Brick Amber; Cameron's Auburn; Cameron's Dark 266; Waterloo Dark; Black Jack Lager

B+: McAuslan Oatmeal Stout; Buzz Hemp (Of course, it's a university, after all)

B: Walkerville Premium Blonde; Great Lakes Golden Horseshoe; Robert Simpson Confederation Ale; Cameron's Cream Ale; Wellington Dark Ale; Griffon Rousse (?!)

B-: Stiegl; Mill Street Coffee Porter

C+: Walkerville Superior Light; Wellington Arkell Best Bitter; Cool Lager; Affligem Blonde; Brick Premium Pilsner

C: Brick Red Baron

D: Cameron's Lager

Any e-mails that you want to send should be sent to thenewspaper@thenewspaper.ca. And before anybody should think I'm actually involved with the newspaper, please, have some consideration for my tastes... Walkerville Light? Give me a break. Nevertheless, some kudos for not encouraging mindless Macro consumption.

[shintriad]

Wait a second...Fruli?

Fruli gets higher marks than McAuslan's Oatmeal Stout?

Listen, I know you're students and whatnot, but if you're that into Fruli, perhaps you should be rating coolers instead. That might be closer to your tastes.

I'm glad you're not giving macros a pass, but I'm afraid the Fruli thing might just invalidate the whole study.

Yeesh. Fruli.

[Steve Spong]

Hey, I don't condone Fruli consumption. I think I've had it once, when the LCBO had it the time before last. Having said that, it's better than drinking gallons of Blue Light or some other lousy student beer. Although I have to admit that it's dubious to come before the Oatmeal Stout, the Mill Streets, the Apricot Wheat, etc. If they're willing to try the Wellington Arkell, then why not the Imperial Stout?

I could go on, but I'll spare people.

[Steve Spong]

And I should add, at this very moment, I am actually drinking an Oatmeal Stout. And not a Fruli to be seen.

[lister]

Hey there's nothing wrong with Fruli. It has it's place. Whether it's an A+ compared to other brews is a matter of opinion. I like Fruli but I wouldn't rate it as amongst my favourite brews.

What truly blew my mind is that Cool Lager got a C+ while Cameron's Lager got a lower grade. Unless Cool has actually improved the recipe that stuff is pretty foul to taste. (I really like their Buzz Hemp.)

Stiegl puzzles me too. That stuff tastes like hay.

As you said about the macros, at least there's no Molbattman on there.

[lister]

I'm working on a Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Two left in the fridge...

Here's the list according to me:

A+: Mill Street Stock Ale, McAuslan Apricot, Robert Simpson Confederation Ale, Cameron's Cream Ale

A: Cameron's Auburn, Buzz Hemp, Wellington Arkell Best Bitter

B+: Cameron's Lager, Fruli (at the appropriate time), Mill Street Tankhouse

B: Walkerville Lager, Premium Blonde

B-: Waterloo Dark, Great Lakes Red Leaf

C+: Affligem Blonde, Griffon Rousse

D: Brick Amber, Red Baron, St. Ambroise Pale, McAuslan Oatmeal Stout, Mill Street Coffee Porter

F: Cool Lager, Stiegl

Keeping in mind that I don't tend to like pale ales, stouts and porters so they'll get lower marks. I fully appreciate that those on the D list other than the Brick stuff are well made beers.

Haven't tried yet:
Black Jack Lager
Brick Premium Pilsner
Cameron's Dark 266
Connors Best Bitter
Great Lakes Golden Horseshoe
Walkerville Superior Light
Wellington Dark Ale

Out of that bunch I may try Connors Best Bitter if I ever stumble across it. None of the others hold any real desire for trying.

[Steve Spong]

The Griffon Rousse is a curious inclusion, seeing as how it's unavailable in Ontario (to the best of my knowledge). It's no big loss - good but not great. Nothing to cry about really, but if it was available, I'd probably help myself to the odd 6-pack.

[iguenard]

The Black Tomato in Ottawa has (on rotation) Griffon Rousse, Griffon Blond, Apricot, and Ambroise Noire. Though it's so close to the border, it barely counts.

I tried the Rousse the other day in Hull at St-Estèphe restoraunt. Really raised an eyebrow compared to the bottled version whose caramel profile is much less assertive.

Cheers

[Blankboy]

The Griffon Rousse is a curious inclusion, seeing as how it's unavailable in Ontario (to the best of my knowledge). It's no big loss - good but not great. Nothing to cry about really, but if it was available, I'd probably help myself to the odd 6-pack.

I don't remember if it was the Rousse or not but last time I was at Mel's Deli on Bloor St. they had Griffon on tap.

[Belgian]

I'm working on a Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Two left in the fridge...

Wow, finally a beer I speak well of that lister doesn't hate! (Bet he's even found a beer place he likes walking to, yeah progress! )

That's an interesting list(er), I have to do some work on trying many of those including Arkell on Draught (which bottled seemed more like club soda than beer.) Cameron's stuff too, always ignored it.

[lister]

Wow, finally a beer I speak well of that lister doesn't hate! (Bet he's even found a beer place he likes walking to, yeah progress! )

There's been others. Denison's for one.

Speaking of which, I won't be getting a pint of that this week. Due to Winterlicious we're not doing our usual Bow & Arrow Friday night. That is, unless Smokeless has it on tap tonight for a pre-dinner drink. *crosses fingers*

Remember that was the girlfriend who didn't want to walk up to Victory. I walk pretty much everywhere downtown and do a handful of treks from downtown to Y&E every summer.

Here's something to annoy most of you lot, I know someone who is moving to Belgium for five months. Too bad she's not much of a beer person. My girlfriend went bugeyed when she found out... "BEER AND CHOCOLATE!!!"

[Shiner]

Hey guys, the Griffon Red is and has been available on draft in Ontario for quite a long time now. The bottled version will be available at the Beer Stores within the next month or two.

[Steve Spong]

Ah! I think I understand the slight confusion now. According to RateBeer, the Rousse has also been marketed as the Griffon Brown Ale, which I have seen around in Ontario, although not of late. I guess that's because it's now the Rousse. Well, that's good - a new beer on the market is always a good thing. Unless it's another Ice beer or what have you (except an Eisbock, of course).