Dogstalker April Bock - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge)

Dogstalker April Bock - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge) 6.0%

Pours a orange, reddish amber in a glass without much of a head; some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. The aroma has caramel sweetness, actually more like toffee, brown or even molasses bread and some, nay lots, of apple-ey red fruit as well as some dark fruit (prune) notes.

The aroma is a bit like malt syrup used in homebrew but isn't nearly that sweet. The occasional roasty smell drifts in and out but it never shows up in the flavour, instead it is well on the sweet, caramelized, red ale side of the Maillard process. Lots of brown bread and toffee. There is some underlying tartness and syrupy sweetness reminds me of sherry and unfortunately it is the cooking kind that springs to mind not the drinking kind. When combined with overly forward red fruit flavours it kind of ruins this beer for me. 

The difficulty for me with invented (or at the least styles I haven't heard of and don't show up in my beer encyclopedia) styles like an April Bock is that I'm not sure what the brewer was going for. It could be that they nailed this and it is just not to my taste because I have liked other Grand River Brewing products but I am not really a fan of this one. If I am on the right track with what the concept, an April Bock would be pretty good if the fruit flavours had been a bit more subdued and if the sweetness was less syrupy and more malty. 

Leute Bokbier - Brouwerij Van Steenberge (Belgium) 7.5%

Leute Bokbier - Brouwerij Van Steenberge (Belgium) 7.5%

A dark brown in a glass with a red hue; not opaque. There is some very light sediment at the bottom of the bottle, not much at all. Earthy like fresh tilled soil, sweet, roasty, nutty (like nuts coated in sugar and roasted over a fragrant smelling wood fire), salty and bitter aroma with hints of fig and darker malt tones that verge on being coffee-like or chocolate. Very strong flavour, quite sweetly roasty and almost sticky with red fruit hints (apple, pear, fig) but with a bitter dry hops overlay and roasty, slightly nutty, malt backbone. A long, very lightly bitter, umami finish. Reminds me of Yule Beers. A truly great ale perfectly crafted and balanced.

Big Rock Honey Brown Lager (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 5.0%

Big Rock Honey Brown Lager (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 5.0%

Orange, brown colour in a glass. Honeyed brown bread aroma, faintly like vanilla. It tastes "blonder" than it looks: sweet, bread tones, something a little like tomato sauce. A mildly bitter touch in the finish. A nice honey flavoured beer its important to keep in mind that it's a brown lager, not a brown ale, so it's more honey than malt.

Rifleman's Ration - Black Creek Historic Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Rifleman's Ration - Black Creek Historic Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

A rosy brown colour in a glass with a subdued head that fades quite quickly but leaves nice lacing. I'm not sure how unfiltered it is but there was zero sediment. A smoky, extremely roasty aroma with some grain, lots of wood tones, a floral touch as well as an earthy touch. Also an aroma like the crust of well baked brown bread and a bit tartly astringent as if it was higher in alcohol than only 5.0%.

The taste is all that and more. Molasses, palpable smokiness, wood tones, piles of roast, brown bread, a milk chocolate aspect, a bit a fresh cut grass taste from the hops and a slight taste of alcohol with a chest-warming booze sensation (5% really?) that combines with the other flavours already mentioned to be a little rum-like. An umami and brown bread aftertaste with a touch of molasses and smoke. A delicious taste indeed to have lingering in your mouth. Definitely follow Black Creek Historic Brewery's recommendation and drink Rifleman's Ration at room temperature.

I can't say enough about how much I like the concept of this beer and brewery. For me, trying historic beers brewed according to old recipes is one of my favourite spin offs of the craft beer revolution. Garrison makes a Spruce Beer that is a similar concept though with a different flavour and different ingredients.

Plowman's Ale - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge)

Plowman's Ale - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge) 4.7%

Hoppy aroma, sweet and some tones of roasty fresh brown bread or even rising bread dough. Some fruit esters and something that smells a little like alcohol at first blush - but that can't be right as it is only 4.7%. Quite brown and gold with a reddish hint in a glass and ever so slightly cloudy. A slick creamy head with frothy, robust nearly lumpy lacing. Some fine sediment towards the end of the bottle that kicks the cloudiness up a notch.

A hoppy, darkly resiny taste, still some fruit esters, roasty and just a touch sticky like many reds. A nice American Amber as the hefty hops tones and bitter finish are balanced with rough malt tones and the more traditional red flavours. At times the bitterness of the hops flavours and the fruit ester combine to make something nearly port-like but it is all very nice and Plowman's Ale strikes lovely balance between food like malt flavours and bitter green hops flavours.

Trois Pistoles - Unibroue (Canada - Quebec - Chambly)

Trois Pistoles - Unibroue (Canada - Quebec - Chambly) 9.0%

Super frothy and a very dark brown colour in a glass. A lovely sweet apricot, herbal, spicy, floral and faintly yeasty aroma. Reminds me of Esrum Kloster. After the froth subsided the aroma was more dark fruit, plums, but still spiced and sweet with a herbal (faintly minty) aroma. Also something that reminds me of ginger bread cookies without being heavy on the ginger - probably a mix of the yeast-born spice and the molasses-esque tones of the dark malty. Some herbal taste but followed quickly by dark malt taste, a boatload of sweetness and a nearly masked alcohol taste that occasionally jumps out and bites at your toungue. I thought my bottle of Trois Pistoles (which has a spectacularly cool label) was already warm enough (out of a warmish fridge for more than fifteen minutes) but as it warmed further it became more balanced and more similar to a tasty, strong brown ale.

Wellington County Dark Ale (Canada - Ontario - Guelph)

Wellington County Dark Ale (Canada - Ontario - Guelph) 5.0%

A red hued brown colour in a glass; a quite fading head with limited lacing. It has a musty earthy aroma, that reminded me of clay, with roast and wood tones as well. Delicious milk chocolate and fresh brown bread, molasses and just the perfect touch of hops and bitterness to finish. A slightly smoky, roasty and moderately bitter finish with a pleasant biscuit aftertaste. Quite a light mouthfeel making it sessionable and pub-appropriate. I'd suggest serving it around 6 or 7 degree Celsius to allow the flavours to really stand on their own. Wellington County Dark Ale is brewed to be an English Brown Ale and I'd have to say they do a very nice job.

Leffe Brune (Belgium)

Leffe Brune (Belgium) 6.5%

Very dark brown in a glass. A floral, roasty aroma with yeast and dark fruit tones. The taste is floral with lots of apricot, figs and a hint of dark chocolate or more so molasses. Quite sweet, somewhat sherry-like. Better off served much warmer than the five degrees Celsius that the label suggests. Reminds me of those Christmas chocolates that have booze in them.

Sleeman Dark (Canada)

Sleeman Dark (Canada) 5.5%

The aroma is malty and quite roasty with a hint of dry hops. Sleeman Dark is brown with the slightest amber hue in a glass. The taste is roasty and quite sweet with some light green hops tones, more than a bit of molasses, quite bitter and mildly sour in a way that doesn't detract from the taste. Overall, quite good for a mass marketed brown beer.

Gahan House Iron Horse Brown - PEI Brewing Co (Canada - PEI - Charlottetown)

Gahan House Iron Horse Brown - PEI Brewing Co (Canada - PEI - Charlottetown) 5.3%

I already reviewed this beer (albeit briefly) in my review of the sample tray available at the Gahan House in Charlottetown. However, in honour of its arrival on the shelves of New Brunswick Liquor stores I thought a more extensive review was deserved.

Sweet brown and crusty rye bread aromas. Touches of molasses and an earthy dark chocolate or coffee hint. The taste is sweet, even a touch sugary, with those same rye and brown bread flavours from the aroma throughout the drink. Molasses tones, sweetened coffee or milk chocolate flavours as well as a distinctly bitter bite lending nice balance. Iron Horse Brown is a nice Brown Ale with a lightly sweet, lightly smoky, dark bread aftertaste.

Rockbottom Brewpub (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax)

Rockbottom Brewpub Sample Tray (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax)

Six bucks for a sampler? Yes please! All of Rockbottom's brews were good and their seasonals were real standouts, can't wait to see their next batch of seasonals as the calendar turns. I also very liked the menu that comes with complete descriptions of their beers (which I didn't read), ABV, IBU and suggested food pairings: if only every restaurant treated beers with such respect! Our server was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, chatting with me about beers and their various events (a firkin of their specially made cask beer every Saturday!).

Deadwood Wheat 5.0% [12 IBUs]

Bread-like aroma. Slightly tart flavour with a touch of hops and a distinct grain taste.

Big Water Brown 5.5% [17 IBUs]

Very roasty, nearly coffee dark malt flavours at first. Nutty, grain & rye bread, sweet and slightly bitter with some fruit tones. A watery mouthfeel keeps it refreshing.

Fathom IPA 6.9% [70 IBUs]

Very floral, sweet, citrus (grapefruit) and melon hop aroma. That'll wake up your taste buds! Flavour is much the same (super nice) but more bitter than the aroma and the hops has a sprucy green edge as well as floral, sweet and really nice. A grain finish and floral bitter hops aftertaste.

Balticus 7.8% [70 IBUs]

Strong wooden tones come through in the aroma with spice and nut flavours as well as a smell that I can only describe as almost salty: very interesting. Some wooden tones come through in the flavour with hops and spice - quite a bit of bitterness as well as a mild high alcohol burn. This seasonal porter is also sweet with a touch of caramelized sugar.

Desecration 8.6% [65 IBUs]

Very floral hops aroma, sweet with grapefruit and melon tones but also a slight sticky sweet edge. This Imperial Red has punchy fruit and melon tones with a bitter hops finish. A nice beer with excitingly sharp tastes. The combination of alcohol burn and fruit tones almost make it a little wine-like but not a barley wine because it is not nearly that malty.

Jacktar Stout 6.7% [70 IBUs]

Chocolatey aroma, quite sweet with a hint of hops. Chocolatey taste as well as quite bitter with quite a bit of hops flavour too. Touches of fruit. A bitter finish. The hops seems to outshine the dark malt flavours to star in this one.

Clocktower Brewing Sampler (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

At $14.95 I thought this sample tray was a bit on the expensive side but the glasses were large for samples so that made up for it. An enjoyable time all around: good brews and the food was good too. Unfortunately I can't find my photos so this is going to be a rare photo-less review but there are plenty of pictures on their website. Enjoy!


Kolsch 4.4%

Nice hops spice and malty sweetness gives this beer a nice round finish. The aftertaste is a little skunky like a true Kolsch from Koln Germany, but otherwise it's not very similar to an authentic Kolsch: it's better. Pale gold


Raspberry Wheat 4.4%

Not drowning in raspberry. A fairly bitter finish and aftertaste that is not typical of wheat. Served with a slice of lemon on the rim which I removed at first. With the lemon in the beer it seems sweeter and obviously more lemony, I think it is better with the lemon but I recommend trying it both ways. Barely cloudy gold.


Wishart's Bitter 5.3%

Oak woodiness was first to jump out at me. It is bitter and the hops is a little spicy and floral. Pretty nice. A copper colour in a glass.


Clocktower Red 5.3%

A brown red it's so red. Very hoppy but not overwhelming. Malty and sweet tastes just a little fruity like and finishes with a bit of a burnt flavour suitable to a red.


Bytown Brown 4.8%

Bitter and dark. Roasty, hints of chocolate, quite a bit like coffee. Malty and sweet.

Bushwakker Sampler (Canada - Saskatchewan - Regina)

Bushwakker Sampler (Canada - Saskatchewan - Regina)

This brewpub had great beer, good eats and a fabulous jazz group playing the night we were there. If you are in Regina this place is a can't miss. The location is a little weird: the neighbourhood is sort of industrial and run down but the brewpub is a gem. They had plenty more beers than I was able to sample and a whole pile of specialties and seasonals too.

Dortmunder ?%

A blended beer, it is very smooth and malty but bitter and has more than a hint of bananas in its flavour. Also somewhat musty and woody, an interesting balance/interplay of flavours.

Last Mountain Lager 5.2%

Malty but quite hoppy with a musty fruit finish.

Regina Pale Ale 4.5%

Nicely sweet pale ale this one: I'm sure there is some crystal malt in this brew's kettle. Bitter finish but well balanced and tasty.

Dungarvon Irish Red Ale 5.0%

Smooth and a little toasty. Hints of honey, not as dry or bitter as some other reds.

Sodbuster Brown Ale 5.0%

Tastes and smells of caramel, very sweet with roasted malt backer. Some bitterness and a slight coffee hint.

Palliser Porter 5.8%

A true porter: bitter and black, tastes of coffee and dark chocolate. If it was just a little less bitter it could pass as a dessert beer. A nice way to finish the sample tray.

Barley Days Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Picton)

Located in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Barley Days Brewery makes three beers year round and a number of seasonal beers as well. I had the good fortune to come across a mixed twelve-pack. The bottles themselves are the standard brown bottle and the bottlecaps are plain but the labels are quite handsome. Here's what I thought of four of their fine brews. (Spoiler alert: they were really good!)

Barley Days Loyalist Lager 5.5%

A crystal clear, medium gold in a glass with a malty, slightly roasty aroma. A great fresh hops taste lends some dry spiciness to this malty lager that is also sweet and somewhat roasty despite its light colour. A nicely drinkable lager with quite a bit of character.

Barley Days Harvest Gold Pale Ale 4.8%

A cloudy gold colour in a glass. A pleasant yeast and grain flavour, somewhat sweet, with hints of caramel, and bitter. A similar hops character as other Barley Days beers but distinctly more bitter and a little more sprucey rather than the dry hops character of the Loyalist Lager. All in all a nice beer.

Barley Days Brown Ale 4.5%

An amber brown colour in a glass with a slightly hoppy aroma of molasses. The taste is sweet and somewhat roasty with hints of coffee or chocolate and the aforementioned molasses. The hops flavour is quite pronounced and decidedly fresh tasting, the carbonation is mild and a watery mouthfeel makes this beer very refreshing. All in all this is one of my favourite brown ales.

Barley Days Wind and Sail Dark Ale 5.0%

A dark, porter-esque aroma of smoke and coffee. Strong notes of coffee and chocolate in the taste; quite sweet with some wooden tones from the combination of dark malt and hops. A malty, smoky aftertaste rounds out this very pleasant dark ale. Very dark in a glass: nearly opaque and the colour of darkly stained wood. Certainly worth picking up, another great beer from Barley Days.

A Belgian Brown

De Koninck (Belgium - Antwerp) 5.0%

A deep amber brown in a glass this Belgian beer smells malty and musty like it's just come out of a dusty barrel brought up from the cellar. Malty, bitter and largely without sweetness. Kind of watery (which makes it somewhat refreshing at first) but with a lasting musky taste that lingers and makes the beer taste as though it ought to be stronger than 5.0%. An interesting brown beer with an eye-catching bottlecap.

Dos Equis Lager Especial and Dos Equis Amber (Mexico)

Dos Equis Lager Especial (Mexico) 4.5%

Pale gold in a glass. Lightly flavoured: somewhat malty and sweet, a little bitter. Musty taste like damp cardboard. Fully carbonated and very drinkable but pretty light on taste. A standard international lager but it has great ads though.

The cardboard taste is due to oxidization, and unless this is due to sloppy brewing practices where the beer is exposed to oxygen during the brewing, this probably because the beer is old and has gotten a little stale. Unlike Samuel Adams there is no 'brew date' or 'best before' date on the bottle so you can't be sure if a bottle of Dos Equis is going to be stale tasting until you drink it! And unless your local beer store moves a lot of Dos Equis, there is a good chance you could end up with an older than optimal bottle of beer. Not the brewers fault but something to consider.

Dos Equis Amber (Mexico) 4.6%

Dark amber to the point of being brown. Sweet with hints of caramel, a little musky (like the Dos Equis Lager), malty and roasty. Dos Equis Amber is a surprisingly complicated beer (considering that the lager is quite bland), and it is quite good in my estimation.

Bigtide Brewing Company - Sampler (Canada - New Brunswick - Saint John)

Bigtide Brewing Company - Sampler (Canada - New Brunswick - Saint John)

A delightful brewpub located in historic Saint John with good beer and great food. I enjoyed one of their sample trays of four of their five beers that they currently had available all for the low, low price of $8.00 (and that's including tax!). All their beer is brewed on site although not all the types mentioned on their website are available at all times of the year. I was also allowed into the brewroom, just off the bar area, for a few photos.


Rounding out the experience the service was great too; for whatever reason one of the glasses of beer was flat and our server, Breanne, brought us a new one without complaint. I recommend this place to anyone dining in Saint John.

(From right to left: Hemp, Bitter, Wheat, Brown)

Fogbound Hemp Pale Ale

This very good beer had an unusual but pleasant bitter taste, as well as floral tones and it was also almost a little soapy, probably from the natural oils of the hemp seed. A very interesting beer and tasty; ordered a pint of this one, also took a pint of the bitter.

Benedict Arnold Extra Special Bitter

Caramel taste and bitter. Wooden tones and a sprucy hops taste. A good mix and a very good beer.

Wild Wheat Summer Ale

The least flavourful beer in the tray, a little bitter and not bad but missing the interesting characteristics (usually floral flavours) I expect from a wheat beer.

Stone Circle Brown

Being a brown ale it was not thick like a stout or a porter. An enjoyable beer, the main flavour is a musty cross between coffee and chocolate with a certain woodiness.

A special Beer Maven thank you to Breanne G.

Alexander Keith's Tartan Ale (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax)

Alexander Keith's Tartan Ale (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 6.1%

A delicious smoky, malty mix with sweetness and a refreshing carbonation. It doesn't taste like a beer with a high alcohol content but at 6.1% it certainly qualifies as a strong beer. A glowing brown, like a polished penny in a glass. Keith's Tartan Ale (a Scottish Ale) is a surprisingly complicated beer for a mega-brewery, it's a good beer and a hopeful sign that Keith's Brewery may have some interest in making some beers with more character than the typical bland international lager.

Since it is only out for a limited time: Go out and get this beer while it's available!