Rauchbier - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

Rauchbier - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

A red hued brown in a glass (aka huge stein) with a smoke and spice forward aroma backed with malt flavours.

The flavour is also strongly smoked with a light mouthfeel and a fairly light malt character but with earthy tones and a very faint flavour that reminds me of dark cherries. The finish is also predictably smoky but in it more malt tones also come out with toasted bread and subtle molasses aspect.

Belgian Cherry IPA - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Belgian Cherry IPA - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.0%

A Belgian candi sugar-esque sugary aroma that is beyond caramelized onto the sticky not quite roasty sweetness of a glaze. Slightly tart smelling cherry tones as well and some subtle Belgian yeast tones that are floral with a bit of earthiness.

The flavour is much the same but with more tartness from the cherry: the Belgian candi sugar and floral yeast characteristics provide a nice counterpoint to the cherry. No surprises tasting it after considering the aroma but it is a bit surprising to not detect any appreciable hop flavours in either based on the name. I guess Mill Street is aiming for a Belgian style, cherry version of an English style IPA; now that's a mouthful of a name. English IPAs have more muted hops flavours than the hoppier and better known North American IPAs.

The flavour is quite nice but I do have a bit of an issue with the name: when there is so much else going on in the name (and the flavour) why not a simpler name like Belgian Style Cherry Ale? Mill Street is more or less creating a style here so I would prefer a name that doesn't confuse the lineage even further by calling it an IPA. The cynic in me wants to ascribe the use of the IPA tag to the marketing department as a way to draw in hopheads.

All that said, if you like cherries this beer makes good use of them. Additionally calling it a Belgian style beer is certainly legitimate in my opinion as the sugary flavours and the yeast tones fit the style nicely.

Two Mill Street Brewery Cask Ales in Ottawa: Part of Ontario Craft Beer Week

Yesterday, June 19th, 2014, as part of the Ontario Craft Beer Week celebrations I had the opportunity to try two cask beers from Mill Street Brewery. One at The Corner Bar and Grill, at 344 Richmond Road, and the other at the Mill Street Ottawa Brewpub.



The Riddler - Mill Street Brewery

Gold and a little cloudy in a glass with a standard white head of foam. Orange citrus aroma with a bit of lemon, seeds of paradise and wheat tones. Orange flavour but not as much as I expected from the aroma. Some herbal, guava hops flavour and a bit of bitter finish. Definitely some wheat in The Riddler as it has a creamy mouthfeel though it obviously isn't a standard white wheat beer.

Valley Irish Red - Mill Street Brewery

Very tropical hop aroma: papaya and touches of berry. A Real Ale level of carbonation which is to say not very carbonated. It has a mustiness that is not unpleasant, a bit of a berry flavour and a taste that is a bit like the aroma of apple blossoms to go along with some grounding maltiness and sweetness.

Portage Ale - Mill St (Canada - Ontario - Toronto|Ottawa)

Portage Ale - Mill St (Canada - Ontario - Toronto|Ottawa) 5.0%

A mild creamed corn aroma with a hint of hops, something oddly lager-like (turns out it is aged with lager yeast - pretty cool) and a touch of almost tart bitterness.

A toasted bread taste with some bitterness, this carries on in the aftertaste as well, it's nice and quite an appetizing flavour. At times I pick up faint nearly smoky roasty flavours. Overall this is a refreshing beer and a highly quaffable ale perfect for the canoe trips the name implies and afternoons on patios (you know, when the weather finally warms up).

Mill Street Barley Wine (2013) (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Mill Street Barley Wine 2013 (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 11.5%

A golden amber colour, very similar to a rich honey. Alcohol, herbal hops, caramelized malty sweetness with some clover, nectar and red fruit tones in the aroma, that I find a little reminiscent of some meads I have had, along with biscuit and honey.

A surprising chocolate flavour greeted me at first followed closely by the honeyed, sweet, caramelized roasted malt flavours. There are some red fruit (black cherry and red pear) esters and there is something about the mix of herbal hops touches, alcohol, clover and nectar that makes this barley wine taste 'meadow infused'. It is a very natural and somewhat medieval tasting ale. Chocolate never really came back as strongly as on the first sip but I taste it in there as part of the malty backing of this formidable barley wine. Mill Street's is a very nice American barley wine with a bit of a hops slant with the herbal flavour colouring things.

A few words about the ceramic bottle, the wax seal is a nice touch and more than just decoration if you want to age this beer for a few years. Also the little metal handle that is attached to the swing-top cap is a nice touch. This would make good gift for the beer geek on your Christmas list (is it too early to be giving out Christmas gift suggestions?).

Vanilla Porter - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Vanilla Porter - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

Very dark in a glass, opaque even, with a large, light mocha coloured head of silky foam. You can hear a fairly violent discharge as the nitrogen capsule fires when you open the can. The foam takes quite a while to settle but that's alright since it tastes just as good as it smells. Speaking of which: Mill Street's Vanilla Porter has a delightful vanilla and milk chocolate aroma.

The mouthfeel is silky smooth, creamy and yet refreshingly watery at times. The beer tastes mostly of vanilla but with dark chocolate and coffee notes as well as a lightly smoky backdrop. On top of that it features an aftertaste that I can best describe by comparing it to coffee flavoured ice cream. This dessert porter is quite delightful and will certainly please fans of vanilla.

Chaudiere - Mill St (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Chaudiere - Mill St (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.0%


A cloudy gold orange in a glass. Aroma of herbs, alcohol, nutmeg, strongly banana, yeast, apricot and blossoms. The taste was of sweet banana, yeast, alcohol, herbs with a bit of a bitter finish. Interesting beer and a cool style. Reminiscent of much a lighter Fin Du Monde.

Tried this one at the brewery in Toronto, it is a lovely spot in an interesting neighbourhood. Definitely worth checking out.

Big Red Cherry Ale (cask) - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa) 7.0%

Big Red Cherry Ale (cask) - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa) 7.0%

This cask wheat ale looks a lot like tomato juice: very red with a slight brown hue and very cloudy in a glass. The aroma is slightly hoppy with cherry and a tartness mixed with some subtle wheat touches that reminds me of rhubarb.

The taste has some wheat and coriander flavours along with the cherry, which is quite moderate actually, somewhat tart with some sticky red sweetness. The high alcohol content comes across quite clearly in the finish. There are almost more yeasty flavours in this cask version than there are cherry flavours though it is still quite clearly a fruit beer.

Doppel Pils - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Doppel Pils - Mill Street Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.0%

A full gold in a glass with an aroma of dry European hops with a malty heft - a perfect aroma for a Double Pilsner. The taste has a warm, sweet and satisfying malty body as well as the perfect amount of dry, hoppy bitterness and just a hint of alcohol - there's also a bit of a burn from the booze content. On subsequent sips other hops characteristics and malt flavours reveal themselves: a green vegetal flavour and some almost caramel-like sweetness. The aftertaste is refreshingly bitter; because Mill Street's Doppel Pils is a perfect balance of sweet and bitter flavours, this high alcohol beer is delicious but also dangerously drinkable.

Mill Street Seasonal Spring Mix (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Spring Imp Spring Bock - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.0%

A glowing orange colour in a glass. The aroma is sweet and somewhat creamy with just a hint of dry Euro style hops, just the faintest hint of lemon. The mouthfeel is creamy but not at all cloying while the taste is sweet and malty, but not overly with a moderate alcohol flavour that comes across as just a little bit herbal; in short, Spring Imp tastes exactly like a Bock should.


Spring Thaw Maple Ale - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.3%

A roasty, lightly smoky, a bit of a hop aroma with only a hint of maple. Not quite the typical Maple Ale aroma - though pleasant. A deep amber colour in a glass.

The taste is smoke, dark malt, light roast and mild coffee tones; sweet, especially in the finish, without being sugary. The maple flavour is certainly not overstated, mixing with the smoke to give a flavour that is reminiscent of maple syrup made over a wood fire. Just a bit of acidity as well as a moderately bitter finish from the mix of barely cedary, mellow hops and smoked malt. The aftertaste is long lingering, sweet and tastes very must of maple. The maple flavour comes out a little bit more as the beer warms; the maple aspect of Mill Street's Spring Thaw Maple Ale is still not as pronounced as many other Maple Ales on the market. This more balanced maple flavour makes Spring Thaw Maple Ale all the more drinkable and not so one-dimensional as other Maple Ales.

Cobblestone Stout - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 4.2%

Cobblestone Stout - Mill Street (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 4.2%

I don't believe in these nitrogenating beers being sold in beer cans (Guinness on a can is a poor imitation of Guinness on tap in my experience) but we'll see how this one goes. Well Cobblestone Stout actually has the tiny bubbles and cascading foam action you should expect of a nitrogenated beer even if the can opened with quite a roar of escaping nitrogen (which doesn't dissolve in a liquid as well as carbon dioxide).

An extremely thick, highly resilient beige head that leaves impressive lacing. Lovely coffee malt aromas, grain, sweet with milk chocolate hints. It has a really nice flavour that is sweet with lots of coffee and actually it tastes a lot like a latte: coffee, milk chocolate, sweetness and very creamy mouthfeel. Some grain or maybe more accurately biscuit flavours as well make this solid stout almost qualify as food. The coffee flavour in the beer gets a little washed out after you taste a mouthful of the foam revealing some roasty caramel and light touches of hops.

Cobblestone Stout is a nice beer and pretty great proof that nitrogenated stout in a can actually works.

Paradise Pale Ale - Mill Street (Canada - Toronto) 7.5%

Paradise Pale Ale - Mill Street Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.5%

A hops forward aroma of resin and cedar. Coppery in a glass and a touch hazy with a nice head and great lacing. The hops character is resiny, with dark green vegetable hints, bitter. The malt character is well suited to this beer: caramel sweetness with a slight smoky, coffee, bitter dark malt flavour brings an excellent level of balance to this hoppy American Pale Ale. Paradise Pale Ale is a very refreshing beer and a delicious choice for hop heads. It reminds me of a hoppier version of their Tankhouse Ale.

Beer Suggestions for the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto, Ontario

What is a football game (or any sporting event) without a few beers? The Canadian Football League Championship Game is being played in Toronto this year so here are three reviews of Toronto brewed beers in honour of the 100th playing of the Grey Cup. There's a light beer if you intend to drink a pile of 'em, a flavoured wheat if you like a splash of fruit with your ale and an IPA if it's hops that punches your ticket.

Cheers!



86 Light - Amsterdam Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 3.8%


A nice gold colour in a glass, this light beer is light indeed. Very carbonated, lightly malty with a slight grain flavour, barely bitter, not sweet. It's nice for a light beer, well put together with a clean, crisp flavour. If light beer is what you want this is a fine choice.


Mill Street Brewery - Walker's Blueberry Wheat (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

A neat pink tinted amber colour in a glass. Quite a lot of medium sized sediment. A tart aroma that reminds me more of blueberry skins than it does of the blueberry flesh and carried with it some lemony notes.

Quite bitter and tart, the blueberry flavour mainly comes through in the sediment so this can be a hard beer to share: if you don't get the bottom of the beer it tastes very light indeed. Definitely should pour this beer into a glass to drink it.

A good but not overpowering blueberry flavour with plenty of tartness with citrus some other fruit flavours that remind me of watermelon and maybe a bit of cherry - kind of like a fruit punch. The blueberry in this beer is more like what wild blueberries taste like, rather than what blueberry juice or pie would taste like: more tart, less sweet, more of the peel's flavour coming through.

Duggan's Brewery 9 IPA (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 6.2%

A brown hued gold in a glass. An aroma of resin, roast, alcohol and a dark malt coffee hint. The taste is very hoppy with lots of resin and alcohol taste and warming. Some toasted bread and darker malt touches. Pretty bitter as suits the style. Overall well balanced and an interesting darker type of IPA.

Mill Street's Autumn Harvest (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Mill Street's Autumn Harvest six-pack (now available at Nova Scotia Liquor Stores as well as in Ontario) contains their Oktoberfest and Nightmare On Elm Street Pumpkin Ale. I appreciate them combining two of their seasonal ales into one six-pack and review both beers below.

Nightmare On Mill Street - Mill St (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

This pumpkin flavoured wheat beer pours a clear chestnut and gold colour with a quick fading head but nice lacing. Lots of pumpkin as well as pumpkin pie spice flavour in the aroma along with some milk chocolate which gets stronger as the beer sits. The taste is quite dark, with sweet roasty and pie crust flavours, a bit of that same milk chocolate from the aroma as well but not much pumpkin or spice. However, there are still some pumpkin pie spice flavours but Nightmare On Mill Street is more like drinking a beer in the vicinity of a baking pumpkin pie than drinking a typical pumpkin ale that would be heavy with those flavours. A tasty beer and a nice Autumn treat but there are other beers that taste more clearly like pumpkin.

Ocktoberfest - Mill St (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.6%

A aroma like crusty dinner rolls, a touch of sweetness and darker earthy roast and underlying dry hop bitterness. A nice robustly malty taste with that same slightly darker touch of earthiness and light roasty glaze with a mild mix of red and dark fruit esters. A balancing moderate dry Euro hops bitterness comes through as well. Mill Street Oktoberfest leaves a moderately bitter umami aftertaste that might remind me of very lightly burnt toast. An orange gold colour in a glass, quite a dark gold. A very fine Oktoberfest beer: tasty, complex yet sessionable and true to the style.

Happy Canada Day!

In honour of Canada Day I review a slew of beers from one of Canada's great breweries, Mill Street in Toronto.

 

Mill Street Brewery Tankhouse Ale (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.2%

This beer has a very visually appealing old-style bottle and logo. The beer itself is a copper colour in a glass. It has a rather hoppy aroma and bitter taste but this is balanced with a sweet rustic red malt flavour, with a roasty tone. It is spicy and has a certain hint of citrus in the hops character. The aftertaste is bitter and hoppy but also appetizingly sweet and malty in a way that reminds me a of bakery fresh brown bread.

Tankhouse Ale seems like an ideal pub or restaurant beer: due to it's hops character it's an exceptionally refreshing beer that would pair well with a wide variety of foods and though it is bitter, it is still a very drinkable beer.

Mill Street Brewery Pilsner (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.2%

Packs a suprisingly sweet punch at first. Has that characteristic dry crisp hops flavour associated with European style pilsners, that same hops flavour is the predominant aroma in the nose of the beer.

The beer is a deep gold in a glass and is a little cloudy - perhaps I served it a little too cold? Unfortunately I only have the one bottle to sample. I like the throwback label.

Nicely bitter, perfect for the style. The sweetness is a little unexpected but it quickly fades behind the hops and bitterness. Just a hint of citrus and floral tones in the finish of the beer with a moderately bitter aftertaste - all in all a very nice pilsner.

Mill Street Brewery's Pilsner is very refreshing and true to the style but with a little twist to keep things interesting while remaining well balanced throughout. I recommend you try this one.

Mill Street Brewery Traditional Ginger (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

A bright clear beer that is a coppery gold colour in a glass. A gingery smell and taste, with a spicy kick if you take a large swig. It is very gingery in a way that tastes like fresh ginger, rather than ginger ale, but is also reminiscent of ginger bread and a little bit like pumpkin pie. I really appreciate the fact that Mill Street used actual ginger puree and no sweetener because ginger beers have been around for a long time and yet most of the modern versions are full of sugar and artificial flavourings. Also it is quite bitter which makes it stand out from other ginger flavoured beers on the market and makes it seem all the more authentic for it.

Mill Street Brewery Stock Ale (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

A richly malty brew, sweet with roasted malt tones also. Something pleasantly creamy about the flavour of the malt that pairs nicely with the bitterness of the hops which is on the tame side of moderate. The sweet slightly roasty aroma is reminiscent of honey with a touch of hoppy bitterness for good measure.

A pleasant well crafted lighter ale. I've liked every beer I've tried from Mill Street Brewing so far, and this one is no exception, from the taste down to the design of each label this is a top tier craft brewery.

Mill Street Brewery Original Organic Lager (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 4.2%

Pale gold in a glass. This beer is sweet, malty and crisp but also springy on the palate. An interesting floral hops character that is reminiscent of a wheat beer. Refreshing and tasty but with a very short lived aftertaste.

This beer is an excellent lager: proof that a lager doesn't have to be bland or uncomplicated to be refreshing. If you are looking for a lager and are into organic foods you can't miss this beer.

Mill Street Brewery Coffee Porter (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.5%

With a rich coffee aroma that could kick-start a morning as effectively as a true cuppa joe, this beer certainly lives up its name. This should come as no surprise though since it is brewed with actual coffee! To be honest, I think including actual coffee in a porter borders on cheating since so many brewmasters strive to (and often succeed in) coaxing that coffee flavour out of specially malted barley.

In Mill Street's Coffee Porter though I have to say the merits of their coffee-blending approach is in the drinking: this is a very nice porter, strong flavours of coffee, smoke, a lovely level of sweetness that gives it a pronounced chocolate tone. It is also nutty and has a somewhat bitter aftertaste. The combination of aroma and aftertaste remind of the mix of smells I associate with pubs that are just around a street corner from a major thoroughfare and down a half flight of stairs: the pot of coffee behind the bar, the glass of ale on the table in front of you and the lingering hint of smoke from the night before.

This porter would do just as well as an after dinner desert as it would paired with an omelette at brunch. Also, and as always, I love the throwback style bottles Mill Street uses. All around a great purchase and worth trying more than once.

 
Mill Street Brewery Ambre de la Chaudiere (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.0%

A brass colour in a glass. A yeasty, floral and citrus aroma. A very yeasty floral explosion of a taste. Spicy but I think it could use a bit more spice to add to the yeast and sherry-like tones. Really nice beer all-in-all with an interesting story on the label to match the interesting flavour. A creamy mouthfeel with a touch of alcohol burn that cause this beer to drink as a fine wine, an exotic sherry or a robust scotch.