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.

Blanche des Honnelles (Belgium)

Blanche des Honnelles (Belgium) 6.0%

A very cloudy deep gold in a glass with dark clumps of sediment. The aroma is medicinal and reminds me of a tincture: herbal and boozy. I fear this bottle may be off but nevertheless I persevere.

Very sweet flavour, sugary and herbal with a sticky candied ginger and a flavour of toast and marmalade. Dried fruit flavours are a part of an aspect of the flavour that sometimes comes across as malty syrup. It seems like this beer was brewed once and then reinforced with a pile of sugar to amp up the alcohol content. This is a tried and true way to make a stronger beer but using more malt works too and would make a better tasting beer. I'm not saying Blanche des Honnelles is terrible though, depending on which aspect of the flavour strikes me it will seem syrupy, cheaply made and kind of gross honestly but then on the next sip Blanche des Honnelles strikes me as a tasty wheaty homage to a barley wine and I'm won over. I flip-flopped like this all through the glass so I'd suggest you try it only if you like flavours found in sticky, malty barley wines. This is NOT your typical wheat beer.

Sargon - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 6.0%

Sargon - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 6.0%

Cloudy gold in a glass with a huge head of highly resilient off-white foam. Strongly ginger aroma with orange with some sugar cookie touches and, celery?

Very tangy, almost sour flavour at first that fades to very bitter. A very peppery ginger flavour with lots of citrus. Some of the peppery flavour in the finish and aftertaste is very reminiscent of spiced rum. Obviously this should be attributed to the aging in rum barrels.

This is a very summery beer, what with all the ginger and citrus. At first I found the flavour was so strong at times that it is almost harsh, however, it was much improved after I put it back in the fridge. Chilling it and letting the sediment settle a bit (it was resealed but inevitably some carbonation was released too) really improved the beer: the flavours were more mellow and Sargon became an ideal strong summer beer. Also more of the malt flavours come out. Actually Sargon ends up tasting quite a bit like crusty toast with orange and ginger marmalade but with a bit of a bitter hops bite, some floral yeast flavours and a spiced rum finish.

Channel Ocho - Beau's All Natural Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Channel Ocho - Beau's All Natural Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 8.9%

It pours an opaque dark dark brown, bordering on black, with tan head of foam that faded fairly quickly. Lots of dark, dried fruit, like figs and prunes in the aroma; leather, dark chocolate, some plum, something a bit floral and a spicy note that makes my nose tingle.

This beer is spicy! And very chocolatey but the dark fruit flavours continue as well. I can't quite place the name of the spice (habanero?) but it is quite familiar and its flavour comes through as well as its heat. You cannot taste the alcohol but it may be contributing to the warming feeling I attributed to the spice. There is a bit of a gingery flavour too.

This is a nice spicy ale, I've had a couple (and tried to make one) but this is the best execution.

Winter Ale - Great Lakes Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Winter Ale - Great Lakes Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 6.2%

A dark and very red colour in a glass with a medium head of white foam. An aroma of cinnamon and perhaps cloves [note: nope] with a touch of roasted malt: not all that dissimilar from a pumpkin ale, although without any gourd tones kicking around, of course.

Lots of cinnamon (lots) and sticky, roasted malt in the flavour. The finish is fairly bitter and that is where some hops but especially the citrus (orange peel) comes out. It isn't the sort of sweet citrus that you get in a Belgian Wheat or with some hoppy west coast IPAs but the tangy, sour jolt of real orange peel. There are some red fruity, nearly sherry-like tones in the aftertaste. The spicy mix, which I originally (and mistakenly) thought included cloves (thinking of that other fabulous Christmas beverage, mulled cider) reveals the ginger in Great Lakes Brewery's Winter Ale as the beer warms.

This is a fine spiced beer but it doesn't quite suit the season to my taste. I cut my teeth, so to speak, as a beer geek/blogger/critic on Norwegian Yule Beers (see here, here and here) and therefore winter beers hold a special place in my heart. I just don't find molasses-less ginger and orange peel really speak to me as a far as the proper flavours of a beer for winter. Additionally, the lowish alcohol content and the only moderately malty body (one that is overshadowed by the spices anyway) don't really qualify this as a "true winter warmer" as the label asks you to believe. But do not misunderstand me: it may not fit my idea of a winter beer or a Winter Warmer but this is a tasty spiced beer, maybe just better suited to autumn.

Hennepin - Brewery Ommegang (USA - New York - Cooperstown)

Hennepin - Brewery Ommegang (USA - New York - Cooperstown) 7.7%

A big foamy white head with a gold and cloudy body. A lovely and intriguing aroma mix. It taste firstly of citrus, light herbal and honey tones with some nectar. Most of these (though not really the citrus) would fit in a Belgian Golden Ale but there is also an earthy character with spiced aspect (I gather that is the ginger) and a hint of hops. This second grouping of aromas makes it quite clear that this is a Saison not a Belgian Golden Ale.

Hennepin has a strong yeast character as well: herbal and there is a flavour that is close but not quite banana along with some drying hops touches. It is quite bitter actually, nearly tart at times too, and very refreshing as a result. It's also quite carbonated and that would be, I suppose, the "champagne-like effervescence" from the label and it is an apt comparison. The malty body comes out in the finish, lightly roasty, toasty and with biscuit touches. It has a somewhat bitter aftertaste with traces of the nectar, herbal, hops mix that makes me like Hennepin so much.

This would definitely be a good aperitif beer and I think Hennepin would also go well with pasta dishes, barbecue and stir-fry.

River Walker Summer Ale - Lake of Bays Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Baysville)

River Walker Summer Ale - Lake of Bays Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Baysville) 6.0%

Full gold in a glass with a big, white, fluffy head. A nice ginger aroma that is sweet with hints of citrus (lemon) as well as some added melon tones, perhaps from the hops, that comes across as cantaloupe with just a hint of cucumber. But the ginger spice really is first and foremost and quite delightful.

The ginger continues in the taste but River Walker also has quite a bitter bite. There is also melon (still cantaloupe) and a grain sweetness. The ginger isn't overpowering at all but it is the main player. The citrus is fairly faint in the taste and the mouthfeel is a little creamy from the wheat but with a crisp, quite a dry finish. In the aftertaste, ginger and melon are there along side a distinctly toasted wheat taste, that builds to be quite toasty actually. The aftertaste is almost a little sticky with some resiny hops flavours presenting themselves.

The ginger and melon mixture actually reminds me of a few [pumpkin] beers I have had but is quite nice and, although it is marketed as a Summer Ale I think River Walker is better suited to late August and early September where there is just a touch of autumn in the air and you want to enjoy a summer day's warmth or savour the excitement of a late-summer night's chill.

Pumpkin UFO - Harpoon Brewery (USA - Massachusetts - Boston)

Pumpkin UFO - Harpoon Brewery (USA - Massachusetts - Boston) 5.9%

Smells just like pumpkin pie, gingery also. Tastes just like it too. A little bitter and even more bitter towards the finish as well as somewhat tangy with hops. This would be a really fun beer to serve at Thanksgiving or Halloween, it really suits autumn.

As I drank it in the latter stages of August I got that familiar flutter of excitement in my chest that I always get during the fall. An orange cloudy amber colour in a glass.

Farmhouse Ale - Bridge Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 7.5%

Farmhouse Ale - Bridge Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 7.5%

This ale pours a cloudy amber colour in a glass with a big frothy head that leaves lovely lacing. The nose is led by Belgian yeast aromas: floral and herbal tones as well as sweetness. Bridge Brewing describes the aroma as candied fruit and I have to say I agree, a little bit of something gingery in there too. There is a lot of stuff going on in the aroma (I expect everybody will get something a little bit different) and it is really quite nice.

The yeast notes continue in the taste, herbal, nectar, maybe a hint of banana and something like not-quite-ripe mango, but rounded out by a sweet and roasty malt body. There is a bit of pine tasting hops, a bitter bite to the finish as well as a tart touch from the mix of yeast flavours. Also, the aftertaste has a bit of a resiny hops taste to it. You can feel the alcohol warming your chest and as a tingling in your mouth but it barely comes through in the flavour except to accentuate the bitterness. As regular readers of the blog can probably guess I like this ale even more as it warms: the roasty flavours come out more and also the tart yeast flavours, the bitterness as well as the alcohol all blend better in my opinion.

For those of you not aware, Bridge Brewing is an interesting new brewery and project based out of Halifax, their website and this copy printed on the back of their reusable 750 ml ceramic bottles tell their story.

Barghest Barleywyne - Big Rock (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 9.5%

 Barghest Barleywyne - Big Rock (Canada - Alberta - Calgary) 9.5%

A dark fruit aroma (plum) sort of like a port, ginger bread (ginger and molasses), rye bread and just a bit spicy. A very dark brown or amber colour in a glass, depending on the angle.

Lots of dark fruit flavours, molasses and a bit of spice that has me thinking of ginger; the combination of molasses and ginger has me thinking gingerbread in turn. Powerfully malty but balanced to the point that it is dangerously easy drinking and though it is not bitter I'd say it's only moderately sweet. Truly an extraordinarily balanced beer.

A really nice, smooth, wine-like and slightly thick (without being viscous) mouthfeel with only light carbonation. More molasses as well as many chewy malt and bread flavours in the aftertaste. It is easy to overlook the hops but they're definitely there (how else could it be so well balanced?) with some high, faint green notes and some subtle wood tones that reinforce the impression that your drinking a wine made from barley.

The alcohol took my breath away at first along with such a strong and interesting collection of flavours. I want to be careful to point out that because Barghest Barleywyne is so well-crafted you don't taste the alcohol, not with so much else going on in this delightfully flavourful beer, but that you can feel it tingle on your tongue and warm your chest.

I drank it around 10 to 12.5 degrees Celsius and would suggest that's perfect temperature, though I'd rather have it warmer than cooler: I always feel it is better to err on the side of warmth with a Barley Wine. There is some light sediment at the bottom of the bottle that doesn't seem to make much of a difference to the taste if some of it makes it into your glass.

Barghest Barleywyne is one of the best examples of a Barley Wine I have had: the balance is truly impressive. If you are in the Calgary region make sure you go out and pick up one of these, they only made 3000 individually numbered bottles so I feel quite privileged to have gotten my hands on bottle 1376. And speaking of the bottles, these wax-sealed and individually boxed little 275 ml beauties are the perfect way to present a beer that so much care obviously went into crafting.

St-Ambroise Citroulle: The Great Pumpkin Ale - McAuslan Brewing (Canada - Montreal)

St-Ambroise Citroulle: The Great Pumpkin Ale - McAuslan Brewing (Canada - Quebec - Montreal) 5.0%

Strong raw pumpkin aroma with some pumpkin pie crust tones and spices like nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Plenty of the aforementioned spices in the taste along with a noticable cloves tone that I didn't notice as much in the aroma; quite sweet (brown sugar) with some raw pumpkin and pumpkin pie flavours. Quite a dark brown in a glass with an orange hue.

Pumpkin is a funny kind of flavour because for many people the only way they eat pumpkin is in pumpkin pie. As a result, lots of these pumpkin beers, including this one, are spiced like pumpkin pie however there are some nice flavours to be had from the flesh of the gourd itself. McAuslan's St-Ambroise Citroulle The Great Pumpkin Ale does a good job of balancing the two: genuine pumpkin flavour and the familiar and comforting spices of pumpkin pie. Propeller's Pumpkin Ale is more heavy on the pumpkin side while Mill Street's Nightmare on Mill Street is more on the spiced pie side of the spectrum.

Although this helpful tip probably comes a week or more too late, the next time you are carving a pumpkin it is interesting to try a little taste of the raw flesh of the pumpkin. It is an interesting flavour, quite mild and delicate, but trying it raw and on its own may also give you a better idea of which flavours are coming from which ingredients for the next time you try a pumpkin ale.

Tanaka - Corsaire Microbrasserie (Canada - Quebec - St Laurent)

Tanaka - Corsaire Microbrasserie (Canada - Quebec - St Laurent) 4.8%

Beer bonus! For some reason the can was actually overfull. Ok, well, moving on.



Tanaka pours a slightly cloudy pale gold. Gingery taste like ginger powder while the ginger aroma is more like fresh ginger. Also some typical wheat flavours make appearances in both the taste and the aroma: coriander and floral flavours make a nice combination with the ginger. Fairly bitter aftertaste but Tanaka is overall relatively mild for a flavoured beer even the ginger flavour is fairly muted and only a part of the other beer flavours. Towards the end of the beer there is quite a lot of sediment but it doesn't change the flavour very much. Overall a fine flavoured wheat, less heavy handed than some others.

Two Limited Edition Brews from Garrison Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax)

Tilford's Nit-Wit - Garrison Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 4.8%

The winner of Garrison's Ultimate Brew-Off was designed by Scott Tilford and then scaled up by the folks at Garrison, and the result is a cool beer indeed. Gold in a glass with an awesome floral aroma of spice and yeast. Quite bitter and tart as well as yeasty and spicy with a mix of citrus flavours. Not a small amount of hops flavour in there too. I recommend drinking this one warmer than fridge temperature in order to fully appreciate the impressive mix of flavours.



Garrison 15th Mango and Ginger (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 9.0%

A very hoppy aromawith melonesque mango tones; sweet and sticky with a bitter edge. A touch of ginger - the way it smells cooked not raw. Noticeably high in alcohol, very bitter. Gingery, spicy, hoppy (cedar) flavours as well as mango and melon with a hint of citrus. A lingering very bitter finish. Caramel sweetness throughout. Cool label with the fifteen types of hops used.

Orangey gold in a glass. Some light sediment towards the end that adds to the taste: fruitier with more depth in the hops. I also found it tasted better as it warmed even though it had been already been out of the fridge ten or more minutes before I poured.

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.

Moose Light Ginger (Canada) 4.0%

Moose Light Ginger (Canada) 4.0%

This beer is gingery as promised, it tastes like real ginger and is spicy and sweet but manages to not be too spicy or sweet making it possible to drink more than one. A very nice summer beer.

I look forward to pairing it with different foods (stir-fry?).

Cheers!

[EDIT: Moose Light Ginger is, according to its label, a malt beverage - not actually a beer.]