G. Menabrea E Figli - 150 year anniversary (Italy)

G. Menabrea E Figli - 150 year anniversary (Italy) 5.0%

Musty, malty, sweet, a touch bitter and a little acidity, very light hop tones as well. Amber, almost brown, more flavourful than other Italian beers I have tried and it has a beautiful bottle cap.

Boréale 25 - Les Brasseurs du Nord (Canada - Quebec - Blainville)

Boréale 25 - Les Brasseurs du Nord (Canada - Quebec - Blainville) 6.1%


A cloudy, light orange colour in a glass. A cedar and floral aroma, a little resiny maybe a little apricot as well and overall very attractive.

The taste is bitter with cedar and resin but also maybe a touch of alcohol. Orange tones, some sweetness and floral touches with an aftertaste of wheat though the body is a bit thin. I would not have expected a hoppy White IPA but this is a tasty and interesting choice for an anniversary beer from Boréale.

The Matador Imperial IPA - Flying Monkeys (Canada - Ontario - Barrie)

The Matador Imperial IPA - Flying Monkeys (Canada - Ontario - Barrie) 10%


The first thing I smell from the aroma is sweetness, and a hint of citrus or passionfruit and then the strong cedar and resin tones that characterize this Imperial IPA aged on Spanish Cedar. It pours a cloudy orange-gold colour with a lingering white head.

The taste is sweet with almost peachy fruit tones along with lots of malty, nearly caramel tastiness and the lovely balancing bitterness loaded with cedar tones, from the hops as well as from the actual cedar. There's nearly no sign of the high alcohol content either, which is quite surprising for a 10% ABV beer. Lots of resin and a peppery, spicy finish exactly as alluded to on the label. This large bottle of excellent beer is indeed perfect for sharing with beer aficionados.

Great Lakes Brewery 25th Anniversary Belgian Saison (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 6.5%

Great Lakes Brewery 25th Anniversary Belgian Saison (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 6.5%

The beer is gold and slightly cloudy in a glass with a light, white frothy head. The aroma is of nectar and spice (and everything nice); as I'd expect from a Belgian White or a Belgian Blonde Ale or really any ale made in North America with "Belgian" in the name. There is also wheat tones and just a a bit of hops to the aroma. It has a sweet taste with nectar, a bit of citrus (orange) and clearly coriander, some pretty substantial spiciness that's almost immediately mellowed by the wheat character, and quite a bitter aftertaste. The hops character is present but mellow, a bit of citrus a bit green, and entirely intermixed with the other lovely flavours.


A glance at the ingredient list confirms the coriander and also the taste of seeds of paradise which is actually forehead-smackingly obvious in hindsight (hindtaste?). I discovered from the ingredients list that the spiciness is due to the use of pepper. The pepper is a nice touch that manages to avoid dominating the flavour even though I can feel the spice is strong enough that it is faintly tickling my insides with heartburn since I'm drinking this on an empty stomach (part of review strategy). Great Lakes Brewery 25th Anniversary Belgian Saison could make an interesting or a dangerous pairing with spicy foods, it comes in a big enough bottle that I think I'll try it out at the end of this review. The alcohol isn't very noticeable but there is some chest warming from more than the moderate peppery spice.

Now to the food pairing, I tried it with a bit of salsa and chips and the pepper in the Belgian Saison definitely kicked the spice up a notch. As long as the spicy food you are eating isn't at the high end of your spice tolerance Great Lakes Brewery 25th Anniversary Belgian Saison is a tasty and perhaps unexpected pairing option. This Saison would also be a nice pairing with light dishes like a salad or fish (think white wine) but it is also delicious on its own. If you can still find one of these in stores I'd suggest picking it up and giving it a try.

Royal 100: 1910-2010 - Mount Royal University & Wild Rose Brewery (Canada - Alberta - Calgary)

In honour of the 101st anniversary of Mount Royal University I will review the beer released to celebrate their 100th:

Royal 100: 1910-2010 - Mount Royal University & Wild Rose Brewery (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 5.0%

Tastes of red malt make this beer taste warm with bitter hop tones. The mix of flavours were perfect for winter. A tasty beer and a grand one liter bottle - handy for homebrew too! A deep reddish amber colour in a glass.

It was brewed by the neighbouring Wild Rose Brewery for Mount Royal University located in Calgary in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Mount Royal University's founding.