Joseph Spelt Beer (Belgium)

Joseph Spelt Beer (Belgium) 5.0%

This certified organic beer made from spelt is very pale, almost a white gold colour in a glass. Very sour, a little cheesy and somehow not all that unpleasant though I am grateful it comes in a small 250 ml bottle.

By the way for those unaware of what spelt is, it's a wheat like grain. Some people with wheat intolerance can eat spelt although it does contain gluten so I'm not quite sure what drives someone to make a beer using spelt rather than more traditional malts.

St Ambroise Framboise - McAuslan (Canada - Quebec - Montreal)

St Ambroise Framboise - McAuslan  (Canada - Quebec - Montreal) 5.0%

A deep red with a brown hue, this raspberry ale packs quite a flavourful punch. Malty but the tart wild raspberry flavour is the star player here and it pairs with a fresh and lively hops flavour to make a really nice fruit ale. St Ambroise Framboise has some light sediment and also a mix of tastes including pomegranate. Unlike many other fruit beers St Ambroise Framboise is not overly sweet so it still refreshing and not likely to give you that splitting sugar headache the next day like some really sweet beers can. It would pair nicely with light summer fare and it would be interesting to see what recipes it could be incorporated into, I am sure to great effect. A seasonal beer so it's only around for a limited time, I suggest you try it in the sun while you have the chance.

James Ready Lager - Moosehead (Canada - New Brunswick - Saint John)

James Ready Lager - Moosehead (Canada - New Brunswick - Saint John) 5.0%

A full to pale gold colour in a glass. A malty, slightly hoppy aroma. An unremarkable but pleasant lager flavour: malty, sweet, barely hoppy, a little bitter. James Ready Lager is everything refreshing, yellow and fizzy that international lagers usually are but it is also very cheap in New Brunswick (NBLC) so if lager is what you like, give it a shot this summer.

Coors Light Iced T - MolsonCoors (Canada)

Coors Light Iced T - MolsonCoors (Canada) 4.0%

Lighter than expected but still a deep gold which is darker than Coors Light. A very citrusy flavour with a black tea flavour and malt. It is a little thick on the tongue but still carbonated and fairly refreshing. It really tastes more like iced tea than it tastes like beer but it is obviously still a blend. Provided MolsonCoors used actual citrus juice and tea rather than artificial flavourings I am fine recommending this beer. Coors Light Iced T is refreshing and summery, and not a bad choice at all this summer if you like flavoured beers.

Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (Scotland) 6.1%

Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (Scotland) 6.1%

Sweet roasty taste, quite bitter. Oak and scotch tones suggest this Scottish ale may have been aged in the same type of barrels sued in the production of scotch (a la Innis & Gunn). The sweet caramel flavour and bitter finish are nicely balanced. At a shade above 6% it is a strong beer. The hop aroma promised on label is masked by the other aspects of oak & caramel though there is certainly hops in the bitter finish. Not sprucey like an American style IPA and surprisingly sweet but still tasty.