Random Reviews

[Belgian]

The Red Racer Pale Ale is not my favorite, but I like the Pilsner or the outstanding IPA.

Later I will open a Mousquetaires Hopfen Weisse with dinner. Good bottle to share...

* -edit- * LTM SS iHopfen Weisse is a smash, I mean you really need a bottle of this one today.

[JeffPorter]

Indie Ale House + Biergotter Sweep the Leg Wheat Wine, on tap the other night at Indie: perhaps the best barrel aged beer I have ever had. Great stuff. Unlike so many others, not sweet or cloying at all, delicious and dangerously drinkable, yet with plenty of "barrel" flavour. Way to go guys!

wow, thanks! glad you enjoyed it. pretty damn happy with how it turned out.

I will concur with this. Though it was very hot and I wasn't in the mood for a massive beer at the time, it was delicious...If this were on cask at cask days this we be a top pick...

[G.M. Gillman]

Seagram Cider: Fresh and natural-tasting, full and deep in flavour. A touch sweet but well-made. The apple taste seems mainly Eastern Canadian, it recalled for me a bit that taste from the big blue can of apple juice (Allen's?) but with some sharp and bitter tangs too. Very creditable and perfect for the season.

Spearhead Hawaiian-style Ale: Tried it at a tasting at LCBO and thought it very good, picked up a 6 and was not disappointed. The juice addition doesn't obtrude but probably adds something to the APA profile. A solid effort and I like the fact it is unfiltered although I let mine drop bright and then decant sans (most of) the yeast.

Molson Stock Ale: Clean and rich for a big-brewery beer, tasted on draft at Scallywag at Yonge and St. Clair. No damp-paper smell and taste which I've usually gotten in the past, maybe they are putting more care into this now, or selling more.

My own "Ungespundet" beer: this is a blend I made. I left a can of Creemore Keller Beer open on the counter for two days. Mixed it with some east European lager and another local (filtered) craft lager. Corked it loosely and kept in the fridge for a few days. Result: a low carbonation, fairly bitter and yeasty German-style lager.

Gary

[Lukie]

Could someone review Wayward Son?

[matt7215]

Could someone review Wayward Son?

from Metalchopz of ratebeer:

"Comes in a beautiful, artsy box and the green bottle inside has the oversized caps found on lots of Belgian beers. Was quite surprised to see Ontario on here, as it really has the feel of a Belgian beauty. Pours a hazy golden colour with a slightly creamy warm head, that has intense retention and thick lacing. Mild aromas of citrus blended with the Belgian Ale yeast and a tad of spices. Wet, mildly creamy mouthfeel. The taste is pretty grainy with some good citrus and light Belgian Ale yeast. Not sure I sense any of the Pinot Noir barrel notes. Might want to matured a little bit longer for a different character. Still, this is quite a nice rendition of a Belgian beer brewed in Canada."

3.9/5

[schomberger]

Bellwoods Roman Candle IPA---had a bottle of this last March and wasn't that impressed; I mean it was good, but bitterness more than malt/hop flavour seemed to dominate. Tried a bottle again yesterday-- gold in colour, it had awesome aromatics---leafy resinous hop, balanced flavour and bitterness---I loved it! Clearly, you gotta try things more than once...

Bellwoods Grognard session stout 3.8%---bursting with flavour---coffee, chocolate---body is thin as would be expected, so these can be inhaled. I wish this sort of extra light flavour packed session beer was more widely and commonly available in this era of 0.05 blood alc limit.

[heebes]

Bellwoods Roman Candle IPA---had a bottle of this last March and wasn't that impressed; I mean it was good, but bitterness more than malt/hop flavour seemed to dominate. Tried a bottle again yesterday-- gold in colour, it had awesome aromatics---leafy resinous hop, balanced flavour and bitterness---I loved it! Clearly, you gotta try things more than once...

Bellwoods Grognard session stout 3.8%---bursting with flavour---coffee, chocolate---body is thin as would be expected, so these can be inhaled. I wish this sort of extra light flavour packed session beer was more widely and commonly available in this era of 0.05 blood alc limit.

agreed on Roman being pretty great from the last batch.

my initial reaction to Grognard was "woah, almost TOO much roast", doesnt seem very well balanced but i bet if it was i would have called it too mediocre? its got flavour for sure, upon further bottles im quite liking it, especially at that abv.

[G.M. Gillman]

Centennial IPA: Good solid, American pale ale/IPA. Huge American West Coast hopping as you find in most of these. Rich and well-made but to me it's like 1000 others including our Ontario equivalents.

Guinness Black Lager: This was better than I thought, well-made with good flavours and the light roasty Guinness touch. I just wish there were more of the flavours in the bottle, same ones, but more, and more hops. Is this available on draft?

Beau's Opa Gose: This was the draft, tasted at Volo. I haven't had the bottled one yet. This was first-class IMO, perhaps not as lactic/sourish as tradition holds but very drinkable and yet different. A winner.

Wellington Imperial Russian Stout (canned version currently available): By far the best one yet, with more chocolatey character and a deeper, truer taste than before. This brand - always good - has gotten better.

Gary

[schomberger]

I had the Beau's a few weeks back and thought the same---not as sour/tart as expected, I think less tart then the Amsterdam version. I've rad some reviews where it was likened more to a wit than a gose, though I think that was mostly based on the coriander in the Beaus. I also wrecked the last half of mine by going overboard with the little salt packet that was included; no extra salt is needed at all, in hindsight...

[matt7215]

I had the Beau's a few weeks back and thought the same---not as sour/tart as expected, I think less tart then the Amsterdam version. I've rad some reviews where it was likened more to a wit than a gose, though I think that was mostly based on the coriander in the Beaus. I also wrecked the last half of mine by going overboard with the little salt packet that was included; no extra salt is needed at all, in hindsight...

sounds awesome, $8 well spent

[G.M. Gillman]

Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale: Finally, we get the ale, not the lager (after all Sam Smith became well-known as an ale brewery). Full-flavoured for the brewery, with the chalky, English pale ale taste somewhat like what you get in Bass Ale, Wells Young IPA and other English pales. A touch acidic, not sure if that was intended, but it's all fine. Kind of a cross between Bass and Anchor Steam, IMO.

Nicklebrook Naughty Neighbour (draft at Volo): I really like this, it does the American hop thing but knows how to balance it. Classy for the (APA) style.

Six Pints Golden Ale: a strong blonde ale (about 8% ABV), draft at the Victoria premises. I hope I got the name right, I think this was intended as a double IPA but ended as a pale beer without a strong American hop accent. Incisive but non-American hop signature. More like a Duvel perhaps but without the signature Belgian yeast taste. Very good, one of their best amongst a range that currently I find uninspiring.

Gary

[cratez]

Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale: Finally, we get the ale, not the lager (after all Sam Smith became well-known as an ale brewery). Full-flavoured for the brewery, with the chalky, English pale ale taste somewhat like what you get in Bass Ale, Wells Young IPA and other English pales. A touch acidic, not sure if that was intended, but it's all fine. Kind of a cross between Bass and Anchor Steam, IMO.

Gary, is it this one or the Old Brewery Pale that's at the LCBO? Would love to try the former as it's one of the top-rated EPAs on Beer Advocate.

[JeffPorter]

Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale: Finally, we get the ale, not the lager (after all Sam Smith became well-known as an ale brewery). Full-flavoured for the brewery, with the chalky, English pale ale taste somewhat like what you get in Bass Ale, Wells Young IPA and other English pales. A touch acidic, not sure if that was intended, but it's all fine. Kind of a cross between Bass and Anchor Steam, IMO.

Gary, is it this one or the Old Brewery Pale that's at the LCBO? Would love to try the former as it's one of the top-rated EPAs on Beer Advocate.

Mike, saw it in my local, the label looks the same as the one you linked to, but I thought the label said "Organic PALE ale" - I could be wrong, though.

[matt7215]

Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale: Finally, we get the ale, not the lager (after all Sam Smith became well-known as an ale brewery). Full-flavoured for the brewery, with the chalky, English pale ale taste somewhat like what you get in Bass Ale, Wells Young IPA and other English pales. A touch acidic, not sure if that was intended, but it's all fine. Kind of a cross between Bass and Anchor Steam, IMO.

Gary, is it this one or the Old Brewery Pale that's at the LCBO? Would love to try the former as it's one of the top-rated EPAs on Beer Advocate.

crazy difference between BA and RB for the Samuel Smiths Organic Best Ale

BA: 3.98/5, 89%
RB: 3.16/5, 61%

[G.M. Gillman]

Yes it's the one in the image you posted, I believe. On the LCBO one, it's called "Organic Pale Ale", 5% ABV (so the name is a bit different but it must be the same beer, no?).

Quite a bit more impact than the regular Samuel Smith Pale Ale IMO.

Gary