The Brewery Market in Hintonburg Park - July 5th (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

The Brewery Market in Hintonburg Park - July 5th (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa)

Don't let the line discourage you.

Last Saturday, July 5th, in the glorious sunshine I had the chance to attend the Brewery Market in Hintonburg Park here in Ottawa. The perfect weather and popularity of the event meant that I had to wait in line for about 35 minutes to get into the park but once inside the park was hardly crowded (though it was at its official capacity and hence the lineup and wait to get in) and beer lines moved swiftly. Unlike a typical Beer Festival, the Brewery Market is modelled after traditional, family-friendly beer gardens so full pints are sold (at $6 a piece) rather than sample sized glasses and there is no charge to get in. Breweries on hand included Beau's, Beyond the Pale and Covered Bridge Brewing as well as a few others.
 

On a day this nice you can see why people would want to enjoy craft beer in a park!

For the me, a cask version of Covered Bridge Brewing's Double-Double, a sweet chocolate stout, was the finest beer I had that afternoon but honourable mention goes to their Eternally Hoptimistic. Double-Double sweet had a herbal, yeasty cask touch with lots of chocolate, a bit of an earthy maple touch and subtle wood tones. It carries its alcohol quite well but you can still tell that it is strong, 7.4%. In addition to dozens of different craft beers on top, there were also plenty of yummy eats on the menu.

Mmm... Lentil burger.

The next Brewery Market will be held on Quebec side of the Ottawa River on July 24th. Another Brewery Market in Ottawa will happen in September, please check out their website for further details. I had a wonderful time and certainly plan on attending again. If you are in the area I suggest you head on out for the next which will be held rain or shine.

Irish Potato Stout - Black Creek Historic Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Irish Potato Stout - Black Creek Historic Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 5.0%

Opaque in a glass with a thin tan coloured head. This beer pours quite flat but is carbonated well enough on the tongue. Earthy, roasty, smoky aroma with a sweet dark fruit aspect as well. Dark chocolate tones and coffee are mixed in there with a very, very faint black licorice impression.

Smooth mouthfeel, smoky yet sweet dark chocolate flavour - earthy as well with some dark fruit flavours. Stick to your ribs thick actually. I had never heard of a stout (or any beer for that matter) made with actual potatoes but you can certainly tell there is an extra ingredient here. It is not in the flavour but just based on how hearty this Black Creek ale is: I'm pretty sure I could live off a strict Irish Potato Stout diet.

Beau's All Natural Brewing's 5th Annual Oktoberfest in Vankleek Hill, Ontario

Beau's All Natural Brewing's 5th Annual Oktoberfest in Vankleek Hill, Ontario

This weekend Vankleek Hill was the host to Beau's All Natural Brewing's 5th Annual Oktoberfest. A shuttle from Ottawa to Vankleek Hill got me there but there was also a bus from Montreal. I attended only the Saturday and am sure to return next year.

Not only was there a wide variety of splendid Beau's beers but there was also an extensive cask section with beers from a whole bunch of different breweries. In addition to beer there were lots of different restaurants from the region slinging their wares. Being a German festival there were lots of presumably tasty meaty dishes (if you are into that sort of thing) and the vegetarian options were few and far between. However, the Brisk-ain't this vegetarian ordered from The Branch restaurant was absolutely delicious.

On the beer side, Kissmeyer Nordic Pale Ale was a real standout to my taste (review upcoming) so I am pleased to report that Steve Beauschene announced that this beer will be brewed regularly by Beau's and distributed along with the rest of their fine brews.

I only choose to try two cask beers and, through no fault of anybody, their flavours were a bit all over the place. I happened to order two beers that were at the very, very end of their respective casks so I ended up getting quite a bit of sediment which kind of threw off the flavours; however, many people seemed to spend all day in the cask section so I'm sure most pours were fine and tasty.

Other than food and beer there were more fun (and hilarious) activities (beer dunk tank!) than you could shake a stick at including a homebrew competition (yum). Not to mention the whole thing raises a tonne of money for the many worthwhile causes that Beau's supports. For more information on that I suggest you head over to the event's webpage.

On top of ALL that, Rich Aucoin and the Mahones took turns rocking our worlds at the main stage. The Mahones were just awesome, speed folk metal on the accordion - I mean you gotta love it. Unfortunately, the shows were a little behind schedule so, in order to make the last shuttle back to Ottawa at 9 PM, I had to leave before Sloan took the stage. I really would have to see them but that in no way takes away from this awesome event and wonderful atmosphere.

Saison - Nogne O (Norway - Grimstad)

Saison - Nogne O (Norway - Grimstad) 6.5%

Gold and a bit cloudy in a glass; some sediment at the bottom of the bottle also. The aroma is lightly lemony, just a bit herbal and spicy.

The taste is sweet and lightly spicy with herbal hops and yeast, and just a bit of a floral flavour. A touch pleasantly thick, almost creamy, on the tongue but also well carbonated. Dry finish to this beer. Nogne's Saison is tasty and refreshing and like most Saisons it tastes a bit off the beaten path. The food pairings on the label are all good suggestions, sea food and light meat, to which I would add green salads and bread with hard cheese.

Opa's Gose (Wild Oats Series #05) - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Opa's Gose (Wild Oats Series #05) - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 5.0%

A cloudy gold in a glass with a thin head and a sour, citrusy (lemon) aroma that features tones of grain and some dry Pilsner like hops.

Quite sour with plenty of yummy yeast flavours: nectar, floral and herbal with banana as well. I grew accustomed to the sour flavour very quickly and by the third sip or so didn't really notice it much more than I would with other yeast heavy beers that sometimes comes across as a touch sour. Other Gose beers (sour ales) have been much, much more sour so this one is tame in comparison. There is sediment at the bottom of the bottle but it only adds further strength to the yeast flavours - no additional acidity. The included sea salt is fun: in small doses I found it did add to the flavour somewhat and caused some amusing but under control foaming action. But for goodness sake don't put in the whole four gram package, the baggie pictured below was photographed after I had added the desired amount of salt.

Opa's Gose would pair well with plenty kinds of foods. I found that it paired well with some greasier fare as the tart touch cut through the grease nicely and was quite refreshing.

Sticke Alt - Les Trois Mousquetaires (Canada - Quebec - Brossard)

Sticke Alt - Les Trois Mousquetaires (Canada - Quebec - Brossard) 6.0%

A reddish brown and slightly cloudy colour in a glass with an off-white head of resilient foam. The aroma is sweet and sticky with dark fruit and caramelized sugar tones that border on light molasses. Toasted bread and nuts with some faint wood tones as well in the aroma.

Roasty sweet taste with a strong, nutty, grain flavour. Quite a bitter finish and just a bit spicy from the hops. Raisin, molasses (not blackstrap, much lighter instead), prunes, touches of apple. Put all that together and I would say Les Trois Mousquetaires's Sticke Alt tastes like baked red apples, prunes and raisins with honey, and half-caramel molasses over toasted nutty bread with a bitter finish and a umami aftertaste. A beer such as this is best paired with food and, as the label suggests, grilled food and semi-soft cheeses are well suited.

Gose - Les Trois Mousquetaires (Canada - Quebec - Brossard)

Gose - Les Trois Mousquetaires (Canada - Quebec - Brossard) 3.8%

Lime, coriander and light floral hops aroma; sour and very intriguing. Orange and somewhat cloudy in a glass with fine sediment swirling about. Some fine sediment also remains in the bottom of the bottle.

Very tart taste. Coriander works it's way into the flavour once you get used to just how sour this sour beer is. There is even some sweetness too as well as creamy wheat flavours and mouthfeel. The combination of coriander and the sour flavour reminds me more of sour limenade than the sour lemonade mentioned on the highly attractive label but, at any rate, Gose has a flavour much like that of a sour and tasty citrus beverage.

The interesting flavour of sour beers makes them suitable for food pairings with light foods like salads or sushi, but also Gose would go great with guacamole or similar flavourful food that has a trace of lime.

Like every other product by Les Trois Mousquetaires, Gose is well-made, very tasty and presented in a beautiful bottle with a sharp looking label that is full of useful information. This is a perfect summer beer and a much more interesting, traditional and flavourful alternative to lagers flavoured with lime.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen - Brauerei Heller-Trum/Schlenkerla (Germany - Bamberg)

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen - Brauerei Heller-Trum/Schlenkerla (Germany - Bamberg) 5.1%

Rauchbiers use malt that has been dried over a wood fire to give it that distinctive smoke flavour. The Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbiers are perhaps the best known of the style.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen has a smoky, distinctly beechwood and slightly spicy aroma with a hint of the malts of a hearty brown ale. It pours a dark brown in a glass with an off-white head.

The taste is smoky, no doubt, with the same pleasant beechwood tones as in the aroma. Sweet, toasty not quite caramel tones in the background. Some light coffee flavours from the malt as well. There is the slightest bit of acidity in the moderately bitter finish that is characterized by the lingering smoke flavour and a malty taste of the brown crust of multi-grain bread.

For all its flavour Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen is still very smooth and easy drinking and would pair well with roasts, stews, pizzas (especially wood fired ones if you really want to play on the wood smoke flavours) and pastas with red sauces.

Don De Dieu - Unibroue (Canada - Quebec - Chambly) 9.0%

Don De Dieu - Unibroue (Canada - Quebec - Chambly) 9.0%

A lovely Belgian Blonde Ale aroma: sweet, herbal hints, something not quite minty, not quite pink bubblegum, malt and nectary floral tones. Barely, barely cloudy and gold in a glass with a big white head.

The taste is lighter and sweeter than Unibroue's darker offerings, more honeyed, lightly herbal and the yeast notes are quite demure. Don De Dieu is quite delicious and, though lightly bitter to lightly moderately bitter, it goes down easier than some of Unibroue's more complicated brews. I still like their Fin Du Monde best but Don De Dieu is a nice middle-ground of high alcohol and good flavour without being overpowering; in fact, it is highly quaffable.

Don De Dieu is a nice beer that pairs well with plenty of foods because of its only moderately strong flavour. It is a fine choice for beer lovers and beer aficionados who want something a little simpler to sip on and share, as well as being a suitable choice for someone who is just getting into big flavour, Belgian style ales.

Hitachino Amber Ale Nest Beer - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 6.0%

Hitachino Amber Ale Nest Beer - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 6.0%

A very dark amber, more like a red-tinted chestnut colour in a glass with a big head of off-white foam that leaves behind fairly nice lacing. The aroma is one of grain and malt, with some sweetness, some caramelization, some hops, a bit of honey and a hint of something faintly citrusy.

The taste is sweet and caramelized but also quite pleasantly hoppy and bitter with some resiny cedar tones and an umami finish that is ever so slightly metallic. This is a bit more easy drinking and lighter on the citrusy and floral hops than an American Amber but it still has a nice bitter hops bite. Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Amber Ale Nest Beer would pair well with lots of foods because of it robust flavour and palate cleansing bitterness; quite a nice beer and my favourite out of the three from Kiuchi that I have tried.

Propeller Extra Special Bitter (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 5.0%

 Propeller Extra Special Bitter (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 5.0%

Roasty aroma of crusty brown bread and more than a touch of hops. A very dark brown in a glass; a good head with some lacing. Nice taste, sweet in a caramelized sort of way - tones you'd find in a Red. Some faint floral hops tastes and a satisfyingly bitter finish. Plenty of roast and bitterness in the body too; dark bread tones with hints of molasses and a touch umami. Some mild wood tones and a light smokiness is there too as a result of a mixture of the bitterness of the hops and the dark roasted malt. A nice bitter, emphasis on the bitter, no surprise it is one of Propeller's best sellers. The bitterness and the robust roasted malt flavour make Propeller's Extra Special Bitter an ideal ale to pair with hearty stews or roasted dishes.

Revolution Russian Imperial Stout - Propeller (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 8.0%

Revolution Russian Imperial Stout - Propeller (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 8.0%

Opaque and black in glass. A big frothy, thick, brown head that leaves behind formidable lacing. The aroma is coffee, smoke, mild hops, a little caramel and maple, some wood tones - lots going on. The taste is similarly complicated: bitter, dark chocolate forward melding into more of a coffee flavour as each sip progresses, the powerful malt flavours overmatch a hops character that would be strong nearly in any other beer but in Propeller's Revolution Russian Imperial Stout it only balances. Smoke and umami, sweet touches of maple and molasses bread. Barely a few touches of alcohol and some faint fruit esters poke at the edges of my perception playfully adding yet another layer to this splendid flavour.

Propeller's Revolution Russian Imperial Stout is not a beer to be rushed. It's also a beer I like a little on the warm side and although it is nearly a meal in and of itself, it would probably pair well with some strong flavoured hard cheeses.

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.

Helles Bock - Big Rock (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 6.66%

Helles Bock - Big Rock (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 6.66%

Full gold in a glass with quite low carbonation. A sweet aroma with a little grain, some faint nectar tones and faint hints of dry hops bitterness.

Quite sweet but the taste is much too, well, tasty and balanced to call Helles Bock syrupy. It is a little thicker on the tongue than other beers but this thickness is definitely a trait to be expected from a Bock style beer. There are also floral and nectar tones that remind me a little of the way apple blossoms smell (note: apple blossoms don't smell like apples). I occasionally picked up hints of honey when the sweetness built up but that was quickly swept away by mild dry hops bitterness. At no point is there any hint of the higher alcohol content making Helles Bock devilishly (see what I did there) drinkable.

As far as food pairings, I think Big Rock's Helles Bock could easily step in for a sweeter white wine due to its sweetness, texture, fairly low carbonation, the floral and nectar tones, and even its colour and slightly higher alcohol content. Over all, this is a really nice craft beer that is worth trying and quite amenable to delicious food pairings.

Lions Winter Ale - Granville Island Brewing (Canada - British Columbia - Vancouver) 5.5%

Lions Winter Ale - Granville Island Brewing (Canada - British Columbia - Vancouver) 5.5%


A brownish, reddish amber in a glass. Lots of vanilla, wood tones (oak?), and a touch of molasses in the aroma; maybe a hint of chocolate. Vanilla and quite a bit of something milk chocolatey to the taste. After the frist few sips the chocolate (milk, not dark chocolate) aspect of the aroma really came out. Lots of "chewy" malt flavours in there, enough it would seem, to support a high ABV but at the same time it's nice to have a winter ale that has a sessional alcohol content. The wood tones from the aroma can also be found in the taste but they're actually a blend of the subtle hops character (that balances the malt nicely by the way) and the vanilla which I associate with a bourbon or whiskey even as it plays so nicely in Lions Winter Ale. Suggested food pairs on the back ("sweeter full-flavoured foods and cream-based sauces") look promising. Maybe it's the Rocky Mountains on the label but I think it'd go great with fondue as an apres-aki. This is a really nice beer and a splendid Winter beer. Not that they have a real winter in Vancouver but I guess thye do at altitude in the mountains.

Rickard's Blonde (Canada) 5.0%

Rickard's Blonde (Canada) 5.0%

As regular readers know, I've already reviewed Rickard's trio of beers. I enjoyed each of them (some bitterness towards Rickard's Dark regarding its replacement of my personal fave Rickards Honey Brown notwithstanding) so I was pleased when Rickard's came out with a new beer about two months ago: Rickard's Blonde.

This German style pilsner is a lovely deep gold colour - exactly the same colour of the can, the matching of the colours is a minor note but done with care taken is a sign of good things to come.

The aroma is malty, floral (a little bit of apple blossoms) and a little hoppy. The taste has a rich malt flavour with a mild sweetness as well as a fairly bitter blend of hops that reminds me of Czech pilsners. The rich maltiness and the pallet cleaning taste of hops make this a great beer to pair with all sorts of food: from gourmet cuisine to pub fare. The hops really come out well as the beer warms, the recommended serving temperature is between 4 & 5 degrees Celsius which is about 5 degrees cooler than the serving temperature of their other beers.

This isn't the most exotic tasting beer but it is a solid addition to the slew of pilsners out there and a good addition to Rickard's existing line of products.

Bigtide Brewing Company - Sampler (Canada - New Brunswick - Saint John)

Bigtide Brewing Company - Sampler (Canada - New Brunswick - Saint John)

A delightful brewpub located in historic Saint John with good beer and great food. I enjoyed one of their sample trays of four of their five beers that they currently had available all for the low, low price of $8.00 (and that's including tax!). All their beer is brewed on site although not all the types mentioned on their website are available at all times of the year. I was also allowed into the brewroom, just off the bar area, for a few photos.


Rounding out the experience the service was great too; for whatever reason one of the glasses of beer was flat and our server, Breanne, brought us a new one without complaint. I recommend this place to anyone dining in Saint John.

(From right to left: Hemp, Bitter, Wheat, Brown)

Fogbound Hemp Pale Ale

This very good beer had an unusual but pleasant bitter taste, as well as floral tones and it was also almost a little soapy, probably from the natural oils of the hemp seed. A very interesting beer and tasty; ordered a pint of this one, also took a pint of the bitter.

Benedict Arnold Extra Special Bitter

Caramel taste and bitter. Wooden tones and a sprucy hops taste. A good mix and a very good beer.

Wild Wheat Summer Ale

The least flavourful beer in the tray, a little bitter and not bad but missing the interesting characteristics (usually floral flavours) I expect from a wheat beer.

Stone Circle Brown

Being a brown ale it was not thick like a stout or a porter. An enjoyable beer, the main flavour is a musty cross between coffee and chocolate with a certain woodiness.

A special Beer Maven thank you to Breanne G.