11.05 Belgian Tripel - Sawdust City (Canada - Ontario - Gravenhurst) 11.1%

11.05 Belgian Tripel - Sawdust City (Canada - Ontario - Gravenhurst) 11.1%

I enjoyed this beer on tap at the new (and fabulous IMO) Bar Lupulus in Ottawa on October 25th, 2017. It was served in a stemmed glass that really brought out the strong red hue and showed off the big frothy cream coloured head. The aroma was of light blossom and a touch of white raisins. A bit of apple but not much alcohol to my surprise.

Very sweet, alcohol buzz on the tongue at the first instant then a light hops and a fruity sourness intercepts the building sweetness. Fruit flavours (a discreet white wine-esque mix of sweet apple, grape and melon) and peppery notes become clear on subsequent sips.  Beyond the first impressions, the sweetness is not a prominent feature. 11.05 drinks as a lightly tart, lively beer that hides its jacked-up ABV well (dangerously well when cool) and has an aftertaste that I think is best described as barley candy but bitter.

None of the flavours take a pronounced lead in this beer and the result is a subtle and finely balanced Belgian Tripel. The brewer notes that the cans have Brettanomyces Bruxellensis added to them which will change the beer over time which sounds like a fun reason to buy several of them.

Molson Canadian 67 Session IPA - MolsonCoors (Canada)

Molson Canadian 67 Session IPA - MolsonCoors (Canada) 3.0%

I'm dubious that this is going to be good, not because it's only 3% ABV but because it's made by MolsonCoors and they have a number of products in their portfolio that are less than desirable.

It pours nicely though! A proper head of white foam with a darker shade of amber coloured body in a glass. And... how about that? The aroma is strongly hoppy! Tropical fruit, resin and hints of something vegetal.

The flavour is also hop forward with the same mix of hop tones as in the aroma coming through clearly but without much intensity. The body is very thin (unsurprisingly, given it is a low calorie and very low alcohol beer) and it's a bit over carbonated as a result. The aftertaste is very short lived but over all this is an interesting beer. If very low alcohol and hops is something that you were looking for in a beer than I have to recommend giving this Session IPA a try. Really my only complaint is that it is over carbonated to my taste but I imagine that might appeal to some.

La Bonne Aventure - Pit Caribou Microbrasserie (Canada - Quebec - Perce)

La Bonne Aventure - Pit Caribou Microbrasserie (Canada - Quebec - Perce) 5.0%

Pours a clear, copper penny colour with a decent head of white foam. The aroma has caramel and a faint impression of light sweet molasses and crusty bread.

Solid malt flavours: grain, seeds and crusty bread. Caramel sweetness and a balancing touch of hops bitterness in the finish. La Bonne Aventure has a solid malt body and is very well balanced. A good example of the Rousse style.

If you are interested in reading more about this style this article by eatdrink.ca is worth a read.

Imperial Black Berliner Weisse - Collaboration Pit Caribou Microbrasserie & Broadway Microbrasserie (Canada - Quebec)

Imperial Black Berliner Weisse - Collaboration Pit Caribou Microbrasserie & Broadway Microbrasserie (Canada - Quebec) 7.0%

Very dark brown and cloudy in a glass with a creamy head of foam. An oatmeal touch to the aroma, chocolate and earthy touch. The taste of this collaboration Imperial Black Berliner Weisse is unique as in very sour. I'm really glad I read the label so that this didn't catch me off guard, to wit:

The sour flavour hits all upfront, and fades out to be mostly replaced with roasty chocolate and coffee flavours in the mid-mouth taste. The aftertaste is smoky with a hint of grain and chocolate. The flavours of this sour beer work nicely together and is an interesting take on a dark wheat beer.

Celeia Hop Ale - Alexander Keith's (Canada)

Celeia Hop Ale - Alexander Keith's (Canada) 5.5%

Darkish gold in a glass. Not much of a head of foam, but maybe I coddled the pour too much.

The aroma is fairly subtle, I found it pilsner-like even before I read that these are a Slovenian hop which seems close enough to the Southern Germany and the Czech Republic for me. Hints of citrus (lemon) throughout the aroma and flavour. The hops flavour is quite peppery and has a touch of wood tones but it always remains in the background mingling with the borderline caramelized malt flavours. This ale is bitter but in a way that builds as you drink rather than hitting you all at once.

I like Alexander Keith's Hop Series Ales because each beer gives me an easy way to learn about one specific type of hop and usually the beers are fairly good too, in my opinion. The Celeia hops ale is a bit of a let down in the latter regard as the hops better suit a lager/pilsner style beer and the mouthfeel leaves a bit to be desired and coats the mouth a bit too heavily.