Laziza Regular (Lebanon)

Laziza Regular (Lebanon) 0.00%

Gold in a glass with a faint blue hint to it that makes the naturally amber liquid appear slightly purple. A sweet malt candy sort of aroma, quite similar to the smell of the condensed wort syrup commonly used in homebrewing. The malt candy flavour continues in the taste along with just a hint of skunk due to UV-B exposure and a green bottle that offers no protection. A little bitter.

I don't find Laziza Regular to have a good flavour really and it certainly isn't nearly as good as any of the dealcoholized beers I've had. On the other hand, as far as malt beverages go it's a lot better than some (Tiger Malt beverage is particularly bad).

Tall Ship Amber Ale - Garrison Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax)

Tall Ship Amber Ale - Garrison Brewing (Canada - Nova Scotia - Halifax) 4.6%

A reddish amber coloured drink, this ale tastes sweetly of toasted caramel malt. Its aftertaste is slightly bitter and builds as you drink but the initial flavour is of sweetness and malt. Like many ambers this would be a good place to start for someone looking to expand their palate from boring old international lagers for the first time.

La Blonde de l'Anse - Pit Caribou (Canada - Quebec - Percé)

La Blonde de l'Anse - Pit Caribou (Canada - Quebec - Percé) 5.0%

La Blonde de l'Anse is gold and slightly cloudy in a glass with resilient white head. The aroma has grain, honeyed sweetness with some spiciness. The taste is more bitter than expected. La Blonde de l'Anse has a white bread, grain flavour along with a light green flavour like Timothy-grass or when you pluck and suck on wild clover. A bit of a nutty or maybe umami aftertaste. Quite refreshing.

Auburn Ale - Cameron's Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Oakville)

Auburn Ale - Cameron's Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Oakville) 5.0%

A dark or charred amber in a glass. A green hoppy and caramelized malt aroma with a moderate hoppy and strongly toasty taste.

The pronounced roasted malt flavours are quite dark, moving beyond a caramelized sugariness to roasted malt which can border on chocolatey but is mostly a delightful toasty maltiness. As well there is a very pleasant amount of lightly floral, barely citrus-like and not quite cedar hops - not quite because it isn't resiny as it lacks that sticky quality. The cedar hops character is less like the branches and more like a cedar plank you'd roast fish on.  An interesting American Amber Ale, refreshing but full of character.

Schooner -Oland (Canada)

Schooner - Oland (Canada) 5.0%


A little maltier than most lagers, but really similar to the rest. It has a fuller flavour but is still pretty ordinary but it is a good enough beer, fine for those that just want a lager but still want some depth of flavour. In Schooner's case the depth comes in its maltier body.

Waterloo Classic Pilsner - Brick Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Kitchener)

Waterloo Classic Pilsner - Brick Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Kitchener) 5.0%

Gold to pale gold in a glass, a nice wide head that was admittedly a bit quick fading. An entirely Pilsner-ey aroma: malty with light and dry European hops tone.

Smooth, lightly creamy mouthfeel, malty taste with just a touch of grain and a pleasant bitter finish. There is the slightest trace of resin to the hops character but only very slightly - not enough to be out of place in a Pilsner.

Overall, Waterloo's Classic Pilsner is a top notch Pilsner. I very much like it and would reach for it before the classic Pilsner Urquell: it tastes at least as good and it's brewed a whole lot closer to home.