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

Hogan's Goat - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 6.9%

A deep copper colour with a head of off white foam that faded to the edges of the glass fairly quickly. A typical bock aroma (think lager but a bit sweeter with a darker caramelization and a hint of higher alcohol) accompanied by hints of citrus (orange peel the label says), cloves and cinnamon that are prominent on one hand but subtle on the other if you compare Hogan's Bock to a spiced Autumn Ale for example. Or not, apparently autumn and its delectable Autumn Ales and Pumpkin beers are far enough in the past that I've confused juniper berries with the aforementioned spices. Ahem

The flavour is pleasantly malty and sweet with a continuation of the spices as described and a bitter finish. It is a tasty spiced bock, I'm not quite sure why this particular Beau's ale is as expensive as it is (juniper berries cost more in the real world than Skyrim I guess) but the beer is quite tasty. I'd have bought more but at more than $7 it's not too expensive I'm too cheap.

Clocktower Brewing Sampler (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

At $14.95 I thought this sample tray was a bit on the expensive side but the glasses were large for samples so that made up for it. An enjoyable time all around: good brews and the food was good too. Unfortunately I can't find my photos so this is going to be a rare photo-less review but there are plenty of pictures on their website. Enjoy!


Kolsch 4.4%

Nice hops spice and malty sweetness gives this beer a nice round finish. The aftertaste is a little skunky like a true Kolsch from Koln Germany, but otherwise it's not very similar to an authentic Kolsch: it's better. Pale gold


Raspberry Wheat 4.4%

Not drowning in raspberry. A fairly bitter finish and aftertaste that is not typical of wheat. Served with a slice of lemon on the rim which I removed at first. With the lemon in the beer it seems sweeter and obviously more lemony, I think it is better with the lemon but I recommend trying it both ways. Barely cloudy gold.


Wishart's Bitter 5.3%

Oak woodiness was first to jump out at me. It is bitter and the hops is a little spicy and floral. Pretty nice. A copper colour in a glass.


Clocktower Red 5.3%

A brown red it's so red. Very hoppy but not overwhelming. Malty and sweet tastes just a little fruity like and finishes with a bit of a burnt flavour suitable to a red.


Bytown Brown 4.8%

Bitter and dark. Roasty, hints of chocolate, quite a bit like coffee. Malty and sweet.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

In honour of my favourite day of the year, here are two splendid beers from the Emerald Isle.

Harp Premium Irish Lager (Ireland) 5.0%

Malty and a little bitter for a lager. A nicely non-bland taste that doesn't take away from its refreshing-ness. A gold colour with a full head, I kind of expected it to have a few more characteristic of a red beer based on the name and its lineage.

O'Hara's Irish Stout - Carlow Brewing (Ireland) 4.3%

This stout is black and for all intents and purposes opaque in a glass. A velvety smooth head and well carbonated. Smells deliciously smoky as if delicious wood was being roasted in dark chocolate. The taste is nicely bitter, roasty and more of coffee than dark chocolate but there is an earthy blend of both. One of the most expensive beers in the import aisle but well worth it. A delicious Irish Stout, sooo much better than the infinitely more famous Guinness, it's no wonder O'Hara's Irish Stout has won numerous awards in international competition. You'll be glad it comes in a 500 ml bottle because there is plenty to savour - it also has a beautiful bottle cap.