Dragon's Milk - New Holland Brewing (United States - Missouri - Holland) 11.0%

 Dragon's Milk - New Holland Brewing (United States - Missouri - Holland) 11.0%

Dark brown in a glass with a silky head of mocha coloured foam. A really nice, almost chewy, aroma of dark fruit and chocolate; plenty of oak and vanilla as well.

Dark fruit flavours, and oak and vanilla abound. There is some distinct alcohol tingling in the mouth and warming of the chest. Strong bourbon spice in the finish, that same spice may explain some of the tingling I had ascribed to the alcohol. The mouthfeel is creamy as you drink it but thin once you swallow leaving a nice espresso, vanilla and hints of oak aftertaste but very little lingering texture for a stout (probably because of the cleansing properties of the high alcohol content).

I have found in the past that oak accentuates the taste of alcohol (and I don't think that's just because I, as a bourbon fan, associate oak with hard liquor BTW) but I think the strongish alcohol sensation and a bit of a taste are actually from the alcohol content. Now you may wonder why I'd comment on this when reviewing a beer that is listed at 11% but I've had other 11% beers that carried their alcohol less obviously. All that said, I think Dragon's Milk might be even stronger than the 11% indicated on the label, considering how squishy my head is feeling already. While Dragon's Milk carries its booze a bit more obviously than some other ales I think they did a bang-up job making a tasty chocolatey and oaky stout that is well suited to their High Gravity (aka high alcohol) series.

Beaver River I.P.Eh? - Greener Futures - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Beaver River I.P.Eh? - Greener Futures - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 6.0%

Punchy fruity tones stem from the hops and ginger combination, citrusy, almost like the peel of an orange - that characterizes the hops character. There are also distinct rum tones to be enjoyed, floating above the other flavour these alcohol, spice and wood tones give this version of Beaver River I.P.Eh? a heady and indulgent boozy aspect despite the fact that it is only 6% ABV. Beaver River I.P.Eh? is quite bitter but with some malty sweetness. This is a fun version of an IPA, the ginger and the rum barrels play well with the other flavours. I'd pick it up again if they were to make it again.

Deviator Doppelbock - Cameron's Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Oakville) 8.6%

Deviator Doppelbock - Cameron's Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Oakville) 8.6%

Earthy, molasses, dark fruit (prunes) and sticky sweet aroma with the bourbon barrel notes coming through clearly and deliciously. Very dark but actually clearly translucent if you hold it up to a bright light which reveals a deep red hued brown colour. Some sediment towards the bottom of the bottle but very light and without a noticeable effect on the flavour.

Make sure you allow this and all Doppelbocks to warm up from refrigerator temperature before you drink them. Of course you don't have to wait for it to warm all the way up before you open it, in fact pouring it and warming it with your hands and sampling it over time allows you to pick out the temperature you prefer.

Smoky, malt flavours with chewy dark fruit undertones. Bourbon barrel flavours like oak, smoke and a little bit of spice are again quite prominent, which delights this bourbon fan. This beer is bitter with the smoky malt flavours and some subtle hop bitterness but has a molasses-like sweetness too. Something about the mix of flavours reminds me of chocolate and cherry confectionary such as a black forest chocolate cake or those chocolate orbs stuffed with a cherry and syrup that everybody's mom seems to like. This is a nice Doppelbock and the barrel aging complements the flavour excellently.

Ashnan - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Ashnan - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 9.2%

A deep, deep gold in a glass, slightly cloudy. There was not much of a head of foam at all but with a bit of a more aggressive (a.k.a. drunker) pour it did have a small head. There is a sour touch to the sweet aroma that is also herbal and somewhat boozy with nectar, a touch of bubblegum, rosemary and a bit of apple.

There is no mistaking this beer for another. Ashnan has a strong herbal flavour, honeyed sweetness but with a tart aspect that reminds me a little of mead but the combination is unique. There is balancing hops bitterness and also just a bit of hops wood tones (pine or cedar) but it plays, at most, a very low profile supporting role. Actually, that is likely to be the Chardonnay barrels Ashnan is aged in. Crusty bread and umami aftertaste. Really another wonderful beer in this series from Beau's. Very expensive but also a pretty extra special, barrel-aged beer.

Gilgamesh - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Gilgamesh - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 8.9%

Very dark brown, a bit cloudy and, in combination, this makes it just about opaque.

Dark fruit, and brown bread aroma with touches of molasses. Some earthy wood tones. Gilgamesh is still pretty cold at the moment but I still pick up a bit of the rum barrels: subtle spice, that touch of molasses and noticeable alcohol. Of course I would have to say that the wood tones fit with the rum barrels too.

Strong molasses flavour and sweetness, reminds me of gingerbread cookies that are heavy on the molasses and light on the ginger. Or are those molasses cookies? But I digress. Slight tongue tingling from a combination of the alcohol and some pleasant run spiciness. Chewy dried dark fruit flavours (raisin), as well as the previously referenced molasses and malty goodness all along. Gilgamesh delivers a delightful mix of dark malt flavours and a subtle roster of rum barrel flavours, very nice and dangerously drinkable to my taste.

Innis and Gunn Oloroso (Scotland)

Innis and Gunn Oloroso (Scotland) 7.4% 

A full gold in a glass with a big frothy head of white foam. A sweet caramel aroma, some bright, lightly spicy wood notes.

Sweet caramel flavour though not as sweet as some Innis and Gunn products that are really sweet. The wood notes are pleasant and lighter oak. This beer doesn't have any of the sourness that some oaked beers have hints of and there are some well placed dry, grassy hops flavours. Innis and Gunn seemed to make a big deal about the Oloroso barrels but I didn't find the flavour all that different from other barrels they have used. I find this is a really nice tasting beer, exhibiting better balance that some other Innis and Gunn ales while still keeping with their very sweet, very strong, cask aged beer tradition.

Siduri - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Siduri - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 10.2%

A nectary and yeasty aroma with red berry hints just out of the neck of bottle before pouring it. It pours a cloudy (quite cloudy) gold in a glass with large, resilient, fluffy head of foam. The aroma is, obviously, much stronger now herbal, flower blossoms, touches of mint, and clover with a tartness in the background that reminds me of raspberries.

Wow. There is a lot going on in the flavour profile of this beer. It is peppery and tart yet sweet with a herbal yeast flavour. The pepper combines with the alcohol to serve as a mouth-tingling reminder that this is a strong beer at 10.2%. This same peppery flavour makes up the spicy aftertaste and it's very nice with food.

The overall flavour is in a way supported with wood tones that are mixed with a flavour that is very much red ice wine and complement the flavour nicely without being all you can taste and without fading into the background behind all the other delightful flavours. I'm not sure that I would have characterized the as red ice wine right away but knowing that this fabulous saison aged in red ice wine barrels makes it obvious where this delectable undercurrent originates.


This beer is quite expensive at nearly ten dollars a bottle but this price seems very reasonable when you consider the barrel aging, the presentation, the ingredients used and how delicious it is. I strongly suggest giving it a try.

Screamin' Beaver - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Screamin' Beaver - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 9.9%

A shade more gold than burnished copper in a glass with a head of off-white foam. Alcohol, oak, resin and cedar in the aroma. I'm excited to taste this one, an oak-aged Imperial IPA is not something I come across every day. It'll probably need to warm a bit from refrigerator temperature for it to be best since a high alcohol content, hops AND an oak flavour all tend to stand out a bit too much, in my opinion, and overwhelm the malt when a beer is too cold.

Cedar, a touch of alcohol then sweet, toasty, caramelized malt tones, resin follows and then the oak kicks in. A toasty but very bitter finish with a bit of alcohol and resiny bitter aftertaste that has some fleeting metallic touches.

Indeed as it warms the aroma does change, the alcohol no longer stands out, the oak comes to dominate. Predictably the alcohol also fades out of the flavour as it warms and the malt comes out much more. Screamin' Beaver is an indulgent beer, indeed the very idea of a oak aged Imperial IPA is indulgent. So go ahead, indulge yourself or even better, indulge yourself and a friend or two because at nearly 10% ABV this delicious beer is made for sharing.

Obsidian Imperial Porter Rum Barrel - Cameron's Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Oakville)

Obsidian Imperial Porter Rum Barrel - Cameron's Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Oakville) 9.2%

This barrel aged brewed pours as dark as its namesake with a head of fine, tan (nearly brown) bubbles. The aroma is molasses, caramel, rum barrel tones, alcohol and burnt sugar. It tastes of chocolate flavours (both dark and milk chocolate) oak, dark dried fruit (like prunes and raisins) leather, black coffee, smoke, a bit of nearly maple as well as molasses tones and a somewhat spicy booziness that reveal the rum influence. Overall, Obsidian tastes like a sweet rum and chocolate fruit cake.

It may be too late to buy this beer but if my description sounds appealing keep an eye out for the next addition to Cameron's Oak Aged Series.

Edit (November 21st, 2013): I have been informed by Cameron's Brewing that Obsidian is still available at the brewery and at the LCBO.

Wayward Son - Radical Road Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Wayward Son - Radical Road Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 7.5%

Sweet, slightly nectary or floral nose. Tones of the very sweet Belgian candi sugar with just some very slight bitter hop touches. Some red wine and barrel notes as a gentle preview of that flavour to come. Gold and a little cloudy in a glass with a white head. The taste is sweet and a little roasty with distinct red wine and barrel notes. Wayward Son has a bit of a thicker mouthfeel that I think suits this style very nicely. A sugary, sticky, lightly roasted and a bit floral aftertaste.

Radical Road's Wayward Son is a very nice Belgian Blonde or Belgian Gold Ale and the use of pinot barrels adds some really interesting notes that make Wayward Son really stand out. Also the artwork on the box (Michael slaying the Dragon I assume) by Glenn Davis Group is absolutely exquisite and makes the box an item I will proudly display in my home.

Scottish Pale Ale - Innis and Gunn (Scotland)

Scottish Pale Ale - Innis and Gunn (Scotland) 7.0%

Sweet, caramel-heavy aroma filled with barrel tones but not dark, smoky barrel tones. Instead it is a light oakiness of a white wine. Full gold in a glass and crystal clear with a fairly thin head.

A taste that is sweet and yet more balanced overall than many Innis and Gunn oak aged beers. The oak comes in rather light, is in balance with the sweetness and there is even some subtly peppery hops bitterness. A lightly sugary finish of caramel and a lingering oak aftertaste.

Innis and Gunn's Scottish Pale Ale is deceptively high in alcohol. I say deceptively because it is easy drinking and you certainly do not taste any alcohol despite it being 7.0% ABV. Innis and Gunn's oak aged beers, though still very good, are often very sweet and very oaky but, because of the amount of hops used, their Scottish Pale Ale is neither really. As a result, if you found some previous Innis and Gunn's beers too flavourful, this one may be more your speed; however, for those of you hoping for a hops forward beer from Innis and Gunn, this one is not it but it is still very good.

Innis and Gunn Rum Cask (Scotland)

Innis and Gunn Rum Cask (Scotland) 7.4%

Very sweet at first and throughout, a definite alcohol burn which suits the amazingly intense rum flavour. Oak tones as well as spice and a whole punch bowl of fruit tones. A very strong tasting and interesting beer. Unforgettable and definitely worth trying. A great aroma that reminds me of sunlight, spices and wood.

Picaroons Tap-Takeover at Ducky's Pub (Canada - New Brunswick - Sackville)

Picaroons Tap-Takeover at Ducky's Pub (Canada - New Brunswick - Sackville)

Sackville is my hometown and a 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada, and smack-dab in the middle of Sackville is the new and improved Ducky's Pub, established in 1989, shifted and refurbished in 2013. With the move has come a renewed focus on tasty regional craft beers as well as a full menu from a partnership with their new neighbour Pickles European Deli. This past weekend I had the great pleasure of attending a Picaroons tap-takeover at Ducky's.

Under the watchful gaze of Picaroons reps Tony and Dave each of Ducky's twelve taps were "taken over" and instead of pouring a variety of craft beers poured only tasty Picaroons brews for the evening. As you can read below, I took this opportunity to review two special edition ales that had been aged in Glenora whiskey barrels from the highly rated distillery in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I also enjoyed Picaroons' seasonal Plaid to the Bone, an ale brewed with heather that will be hitting NB Liquor shelves soon.

Barrel Aged Winter Warmer - Picaroons Brewing (Canada - New Brunswick - Fredericton)

A lot of the whiskey barrel in the nose and dark but not quite opaque. The alcohol content is not quite a known factor but is likely higher than the 7.3% of the non-barrel aged version since the aging process along with some added sugars for an additional fermentation will kick the alcohol up a notch.

Lots of barrel and whiskey notes in the taste such as vanilla but also a sweetness along with a hefty malt body and flavours. More than detectable levels of alcohol - you can really taste it as you draw your next breath.

It reminds me a little of a Russian Imperial Stout without the hops because it has actual wood tones where wood tones in a typical RIS are just an interaction between the flavour of the hops and the alcohol. I liked Picaroons' original Winter Warmer but the Barrel Aged Winter Warmer is just spectacular.

Barrel Aged Timber Hog - Picaroons Brewing (Canada - New Brunswick - Fredericton)

Opaque in a glass and this hefty stout even looks like it'll stick to your ribs. The aroma is similarly filled with barrel notes but with more of a peat emphasis than the Barrel Aged Winter Warmer. As a result the aroma is very whiskey-like when coupled with the sweetness and alcohol content that a thoughtful sniff reveals.

The Barrel Aged Timber Hog definitely has a more mellow flavour than the Winter Warmer but it is full of dark malt flavours of chocolate and coffee. A bit of subtle cherry and molasses as well. There is no confusing this with a RIS though, as it does not have the same bitterness or alcohol content as the Barrel Aged Winter Warmer.

The Barrel Aged Timber Hog is highly drinkable for a beer so hearty. The barrel aged version is particularly good but the Timber Hog you can get year round in bottles is also quite good.

Innis and Gunn Canada Day 2012 (Scotland) 7.7%

Innis and Gunn Canada Day 2012 (Scotland) 7.7%

Oaky and very sweet aroma but with some dry European hops hanging around too. A dark amber in a glass with a off-white head. The taste is strong in oak barrel tones (as are all of Innis and Gunn oak aged beers) but less sweet and more bitter than many of their other brews and there is a fairly prominent dry hops character to the taste as well. The malt is flavour is caramelized and sweet.

The suggested serving temperature is 4-6 degrees Celcius (39 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit) which seems more than a touch too cold in my judgement. At that temperature the alcohol taste is a bit strong. As Innis and Gunn Canada Day 2012 warms, the malt tones develop some more sugary caramel characteristics and the dry hops continue to figure prominently but the alcohol doesn't come out in the taste as much anymore. At any temperature you'll feel some alcohol warming and a tingling sensation on your tongue from the walloping 7.7% alcohol by volume.

Innis and Gunn Canada Day 2012 is an interesting beer and distinct from the rest Innis and Gunn's other offerings, although it certainly hails from the same region on the taste spectrum: the detectable use of hops is unique, as far as I have experienced, but the barrel notes and the high level of sweetness is typical of Innis and Gunn ales. It drinks a lot like a Scottish Wee Heavy actually although it is probably too light on the malt characteristics to fit that mould perfectly. Nice to see (taste?) that this special beer is indeed special and not just any other Innis and Gunn is a pretty box.

Innis and Gunn Original (Scotland) 6.6%

Innis and Gunn Original (Scotland) 6.6%

Quite a pleasant and very sweet toffee flavour at first which is an interesting prelude to the oak, peat, and scotch flavours that follow. A truly unique beer, it tastes so much more like the scotch bearing barrels it is aged in than it tastes like a beer. An unforgetable taste that deserves to be savoured.

Innis and Gunn Spiced Rum Finish (Scotland) 7.4%

Innis and Gunn Spiced Rum Finish (Scotland) 7.4%

A toffee aroma that will buckle your knees. Vanilla and also a hint of alcohol along rum and a hint of spice mixed with oak tones. Such a nice aroma I could sit with my nose in the glass all afternoon!

A distinct warming of the chest as I sipped on this delicious ale. A touch of bitterness, alcohol and even a hint of hops at the very first. Then very sweet with toffee and vanilla. As the toffee fades, spices and oak come out with as the spiced rum makes it presence felt.

Innis and Gunn Spiced Rum Finish is a spectacular mix of the warm toffee flavours of Innis and Gunn's Scottish Ale and the flavours of vanilla, oak and others from a fine spiced rum missing only the strong, burning alcohol taste of hard liquor. Very enjoyable and memorable like all the other Innis and Gunn products I have tried.

Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout (Scotland) 7.4%

Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout (Scotland) 7.4%

This beer is very much a stout; dark and nearly opaque in a glass, Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout has strong elements of chocolate, coffee and smoke from the darkly roasted malt in the taste and the aroma. The task is quite sweet but there is a earthiness (peat?), a bit of a nutty flavour in there as well as wood notes, something red and caramelized and a bitter, lightly smoked taste that lends balance. At 7.4% there is also a cheek-tingling high alcohol feeling though the alcohol does not show up too much in the taste.

Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout is an excellent high alcohol stout, the only knock against it (if you can call it that) is that it doesn't stand out from the pack quite so much as one might expect. Innis and Gunn's more unique, and delicious, offerings are barrel tone heavy versions of their respective styles; Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout, however, is clearly a stout with some barrel tones, not the other way around. If you like other high alcohol stouts, like Russian Imperial Stouts, you'll probably like this easy drinking (dangerously easy drinking) version of a high alcohol stout (like a Russian Imperial Stout without the hoppy bitterness). On the other hand, if you find some of Innis and Gunns other beers too sweet or you don't like the strong flavour imparted by the barrel aging process you may find Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout to your liking.

Innis and Gunn Blonde (Scotland) 6.0%

Innis and Gunn Blonde (Scotland) 6.0%

A bunch of sediment in the bottom, thought that was a bit odd especially since it's new to the store. Gold in a glass, the sediment did a good job staying on the bottom of the bottle - thankfully.

Very sweet, oak wood tones aroma. The taste is candy sweet, brown sugar, caramel touches along with plenty of vanilla and oak wood tones and a little bit of malt. Innis and Gunn's Blonde is quite nice if you are prepared for how sweet it is because it really is very sweet. The oak tones are balanced and not overpowering. This is a nice ale suitable for sipping or quaffing.