Random Reviews

[G.M. Gillman]

I looked at a number of reviews on beer advocate and tried to focus on the ones from Europe. I find their reviews very similar to the can I tasted today. Terms recur like, "lightly bready, light hops, clean, light apple or fruits, showing Reinheitsgebot, very drinkable, less bitter than many German lagers, I'd drink another no problem".

Very fair summary of the newbie in Ontario, IMO.

Gary

[Belgian]

Maybe I'll bring a Löwenbätt to Bavaria, and do a blind Löwenbätt / Löwenbräu tasting with my German relatives. Should be interesting.

[Derek]

I remember when Dos Equis Amber Lager was kegged by Labatt, and I actually liked drinking it at the local Mexican restaurant in London.

I've never had it in Mexico, but by the time the bottles arrived here they just weren't very good.

[Philip1]

Yes, the Guinness thing is based on a misconception, I presume, that originated from the horrible bottled version of Guinness that was (is?) brewed under licence by Labatt.

Still is. I was looking at it a few months back at my local TBS. All the usual cities you see listed on a Labatt Blue are on the label and unlike the Draught is in the cheaper domestic aisle alongside Bohemia Pilsner, Carling, etc.

The Carlsberg has been from Denmark since about 2008. It's still mediocre but it is cleaner without that grainy Molbatts taste.

[matt7215]

Lowenbrau, tasting very fresh (streams of bubbles surging from the glass frame), zero "stinky can", good malt, moderate non-aroma hopping, just good clean beery values. An excellent helles which, on draft on its home turf, must be even better.

im having a Labatt Lowenbrau now and I can pick out a few differences from the old imported version, of which i drank quite a bit.

first off, the Labatt version is sweeter, its a full malt sweetness but definitely sweeter then the old import

secondly, the malt profile is not nearly as soft and nuanced as the old import

lastly, the yeast profile is different, the fermentation is less clean, there are some higher alcohols showing too

to sum up, the new Labattbrau tastes a lot more like a Labatt then the old import

[G.M. Gillman]

Interesting. I much preferred the locally brewed example, but I'm still not sure if the import had the same taste as a bottle or can purchased fresh in Germany.

[Belgian]

Having a 9-year-old January 2006 Unibroue Trois Pistoles, still in wonderful fine and delicious shape. This beer does not change a lot after the third year or so, but it certainly doesn't age for the worse, and I think that the improvements from that point on are incremental or negligible.

Still, at this stage there is sort of a mulled ripe sour cherries flavor which is interesting. The aroma is more bready than spicy now. To state the obvious it's still tastes like a very good beer and that's remarkable nine years after bottling. Weren't we discussing the merits of bottle conditioning in the thread about an Ontario stout? Well here's a survivor.

It might be fun to compare the last remaining bottle against a new bottle, Time to go to TBS.

*– Edit –* nope I had to go and open the second and last bottle. The Morello and sour cherry overtones are really amazing, this is a really neat beer to stick away in the cellar for a good long time.

[midlife crisis]

Side Launch Colossus Dunkelweizen Doppelbock - oh wow! I thought this was absolutely stunning. A bit surprised there has not been any chatter about it on here, and that it has rather average RB ratings, apart from one superlative one from pootz, with which I completely agree. This is a terrific offering from the former Wheat Beer King of the World. He's back.

(On tap at Louis Cifer Beer Works).

[CA_in_VA]

I purchased a bottle of Unibroue's Grand Reserve 17 over Christmas from the LCBO. It was the 2014 release, and I was pretty excited. I love Unibroue's beers and always look forward to GR 17's release.

Unfortunately, the bottle was ruined. It tasted "unripe", and almost vinegar-y. Not at all like a Unibroue. It was almost "green".

I sent Unibroue pictures of the batch number and other info, and they finally got back to me. They sent me a very nice recipe book.

Anybody else have issues with GR 17 this year?

[Derek]

I had one 17 that was alright, but a bit spicy/phenolic. Hopefully my bottle in the cellar mellows nicely... Along with one from last year as well.

[G.M. Gillman]

Just a round-up of some good drops lately: Kensington Augusta Ale cask dry-hopped with Cascade (at Victory). Very fine hop character in the nose and taste, much better than the regular Augusta, IMO.

Also, Winter Weiss (at Loose Moose) with very good flavours of roast, banana and something smokey. Muskoka has nailed the dunkelweizen style here, I don't recall it being as good the first year.

Collingwood Brewery Downhill Pale Ale. To me this is more English than APA in taste. I understand Saaz and an American hop (not sure which one) are used, they combine somehow to place the taste on that vector, and the malt quality is very good. Lately I buy it in the blue can, I haven't seen the draft lately, but it is similar either way.

Gary

[lister]

Collingwood Brewery Downhill Pale Ale.

Not sure I'd want to call any product Downhill even despite being skiing themed.

[midlife crisis]

Mill St Tankhouse, draught at an Indian restaurant near St Lawrence market - call me crazy, but this wasn't terrible at all. In fact it was good, pairing nicely with the food. Certainly miles better than the other offerings, which were Cheetah (they still make that?), Shock Top (seriously - with Indian?) and one other, possibly Stella or something. I realize that is an exceptionally low bar, but the Tankhouse was good in its own right irrespective of what else was on tap.

[sofakingdrunk]

I've always enjoyed tank house. Never let me down

[kevinlater]

likewise. toasty caramel and a mild citrusy hop profile make for a good go-to