Chimay Blanche (Belgium)

Chimay Blanche (Belgium) 8.0%

Sweet, clear, subtle nectar aroma with light spice, tones of pear and light wood. Somewhat cloudy gold with a white, resilient head of foam.

The flavour is quite spicy, flowery touches to the nectar, hints of alcohol with similar light flavoured fruit touches (pear, white grapes) as were found in the aroma. This is an interesting Belgian Tripel as it has the lighter, flowery sweet flavours without that very sweet flavour and somewhat heavier texture of other Belgian Tripels.

Maredsous 10° Tripel (Belgium)

Maredsous 10° Tripel (Belgium) 10.0%

A slightly reddish full gold colour, just barely cloudy with a large, creamy head of white foam. A sweet toasted malt and herbal aroma with hints of apple, pear, touches of alcohol and honey.

Honey and nectar-like sweetness, apple blossoms, toasty malt and a slightly herbal flavour; a bit of seeds of paradise and maybe even light licorice at times. The high alcohol is exposed at times and Maredsous 10° Tripel will certainly warm your chest but most of the time it doesn't taste like it is 10% ethanol.

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.

Copper Ale - Les 3 Brasseurs (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa) 5.6%

Copper Ale - Les 3 Brasseurs (Canada - Ontario - Ottawa) 5.6%

Reviewed in a one litre mug but... it was a deep copper in a glass with an inch of resilient foam. A sugary, glaze like aroma with subtle nectary yeast tones. It is hard to get a decent sniff of the beer's aroma in a restaurant out of this giant glass but, hey it's how I ordered it.

Red candy glaze taste. Floral and herbal yeast flavours. A very Belgian flavour spectrum. There is a touch of hops bitterness but only enough to balance the sweetness and to accentuate the yummy yeast flavours.

This tasty ale is the Neighbourhood Beer of the Sparks and Bank Street location of Les 3 Brasseurs in Ottawa. I've been told that this means it will be available at this location year round but only occasionally available at the other locations if at all. If there is a Les 3 Brasseurs location near you let me know in the comments what their Neighbourhood Beer is.

Duvel (Belgium)

Duvel (Belgium) 8.5%

Gold and slightly cloudy (don't store these bottles on their side, the only downside of the lovely gift pack I received for Christmas). A resilient and marenge-like head of white foam that forms little foamy peaks and lovely Belgian lace as it recedes.

Banana, herbal and sweet, nectary aroma. Herbal and sweet nectary (maybe even honeyed) taste, banana as well, with a slightly bitter and quite herbal aftertaste. Nothing in the taste that wasn't in the aroma. The alcohol is well concealed and the flavour is extremely well balanced in all aspects.

I was a bit worried I would get a larger than optimal amount of sediment but it was better than fine, despite my concern with the Duvel being stored on its side.

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.

Saison - Saint Feuillien (Belgium) 6.5%

Saison - Saint Feuillien (Belgium) 6.5%

Yeah, so this beer gave forth a eruption of foam that ... it made a mess so be warned. This may be because I bought it and let it sit in my "cellar" for a few weeks but I wouldn't think it'd make too much of a difference in the carbonation. It pours an increasingly cloudy gold (as you get to the sediment on the bottom of the bottle) with a frothy soda-lika head of white foam. A really nice clover, nectar, honey, herbal and apricot aroma; quite sweet.

Sweet flavour and its flavour is on the sweet side but it has a balancing bitterness. Herbal for sure, touches of mint as well as clover, honey and apple blossoms. The yeast is responsible for the most pronounced of these flavours but it is working really nicely with the toasty flavours of malt and the subtly crisp hops finish. This is a very solid Belgian Farmhouse Ale or Saison.

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

Rudolphus VI - Beau's All-Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 6.9%

A very cloudy gold in a glass with a big frothy head of soda-like foam that settles down into a nice creamy layer of beer foam. The aroma is hoppy but it also has a malty body as well as distinctly Belgian, sweet tones.

Very hoppy, bitter flavour of cedar and resin at first. As you become acclimatized to the hops, Belgian candi sugar notes and nectary sweetness come out even as strong hops flavours remain. This is an interesting Belgian IPA, it is pretty strongly hoppy but also quite appropriately (for a Belgian style ale) sweet with the aforementioned nectar tones and some yeast flavours as you get down to the last third of the bottle. As a result of this unique mix of flavours, Rudolphus VI is one of those styles that you should know what you are going to be drinking before you taste it: a hoppy and bitter beer with the nectar and sugary sweet tones you expect from a Belgian ale.

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

Bog Water - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 6.6%

A deep, cloudy brown colour in a glass with a thick head of meringue like foam. Yeasty aroma, nectar and herbs, but with a strong floral, no more like a fruity touch.

The yeast continues to lead in the flavour along with the strong fruit (tropical fruit?) flavour that comes on strong at some points but fades away just as quickly only to reappear with later sips. In addition to the herbal yeast flavours,  this Eastern Ontario Gruit has quite a darkly malty body with tastes of dark bread blending into roasted tones. A grain and roast aftertaste with traces of the herbal yeast tones. Overall, a very tasty and interesting beer.

La Chouffe Blonde Ale (Belgium)

La Chouffe Blonde Ale (Belgium) 8%

A cloudy gold in a glass with a moderate soda like head of foam that fades fairly fast but still leaves nice lacing. A yeasty, herbal aroma with some dry euro hops and toasty malty sweetness.

A herbal, honey, nectar taste with middlelingly bitterness. Quite yeasty and with a creamy mouthfeel so, in that way, it is a little like a Belgian Wheat. However the toasty malt sweetness with subtle grain and the higher alcohol content (which is barely noticeable) makes this stand out as a very nice Belgian Blonde Ale.

Mill Street Barley Wine (2013) (Canada - Ontario - Toronto)

Mill Street Barley Wine 2013 (Canada - Ontario - Toronto) 11.5%

A golden amber colour, very similar to a rich honey. Alcohol, herbal hops, caramelized malty sweetness with some clover, nectar and red fruit tones in the aroma, that I find a little reminiscent of some meads I have had, along with biscuit and honey.

A surprising chocolate flavour greeted me at first followed closely by the honeyed, sweet, caramelized roasted malt flavours. There are some red fruit (black cherry and red pear) esters and there is something about the mix of herbal hops touches, alcohol, clover and nectar that makes this barley wine taste 'meadow infused'. It is a very natural and somewhat medieval tasting ale. Chocolate never really came back as strongly as on the first sip but I taste it in there as part of the malty backing of this formidable barley wine. Mill Street's is a very nice American barley wine with a bit of a hops slant with the herbal flavour colouring things.

A few words about the ceramic bottle, the wax seal is a nice touch and more than just decoration if you want to age this beer for a few years. Also the little metal handle that is attached to the swing-top cap is a nice touch. This would make good gift for the beer geek on your Christmas list (is it too early to be giving out Christmas gift suggestions?).

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel (Germany) 5.3%

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel (Germany) 5.3%


This wheat ale pours a cloudy brown colour in a glass with an impressive head of resilient off-white foam.

It has a stronger yeast aroma than I was expecting, probably because I gave it a gentle roll to agitate the yeast before I opened the bottle: you don't want all that flavour just staying on the bottom of the bottle. Floral, nectar and blossom aromas as well as banana and cloves, just like a typical hefeweissen except there is dark malt background of lightly earthy, roasted malt with touches of chocolate.

Banana and cloves lead the slightly tart flavour when drinking through about three quarters of an inch of head. These flavours are followed by roasty and caramelized malt flavours that remind me of barley candy with some milk chocolate tones. It is this second group of flavours, along with mild red fruit tones, that come more to the forefront once the foam mostly subsides. Of course the yeast tones remain and feature strongly in the finish.

Smokin' Banana Peels Wild Oats Series #11 - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Smokin' Banana Peels (Wild Oats Series #11) - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 4.9%

A typical weissbier aroma of cloves, blossoms, nectar and banana; as well as a lightly smoke twist that is more like well-browned, nearly burnt toast than a smoky wood fire.

Pale gold in a glass and as cloudy as you decide to make it. Similarly Smokin' Banana Peels features a silky white head of foam that can get quite foamy if you agitate it enough to get some of the sediment.

Creamy mouthfeel, yeasty with tasty cloves, banana and nectar flavours: sweet summery wheat beer flavours all. It isn't as smoky as other rauchbiers but there is a touch there, it comes out a bit more with some sips than other, and I'm sure the smoke flavour could be accentuated by pairing with smoky food. Fortunately, Smokin' Banana Peels is a very tasty weissbier even if it isn't very smoky and I have to say the name is quite clever.

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel - Brasserie D'Achouffe (Belgium)

Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel - Brasserie D'Achouffe (Belgium) 9.0%

Gold, slightly cloudy in a glass with a big head of white and very light foam. A yeasty, nectar and herbal aroma with hints of mint and flowers. There is a bitterness of hops lingering in the background. The sediment at the bottom of the bottle is very fine but it does add to yeasty characteristic of this fine Belgian ale.

Bitter taste but also sweet and yeasty. Pine hops flavour without any sticky resin flavour; more like a dry bitterness that has flashes of pineapple to my taste. The pineapple may be as a result of mixing with some of the nectar and floral flavours of the yeast. The flavour is just what I expect from a Tripel: herbal yeast notes with floral hints while being sweet with some honey tones except it also has strong hops flavours and is not heavy on the tongue. In fact, many Belgian Golden Ales, Dubbels and Tripels are often a little syrupy (though in a good way) but I think Chouffe Houblon high alcohol content thins this beer a little so it plays lighter and thinner on the tongue, even though it is quite deliciously sweet. The bitterness of the hops also cleans out any very sweet highs. This is a really nice Belgian IPA or Double IPA if that's what they are calling it.

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.

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.

Lancaster Bomber - Thwaites Brewery (England)

Lancaster Bomber - Thwaites Brewery (England) 4.4%

Lightly floral/nectar aroma, roasty, a bit of caramel and wood tones and hops like melon or cut grass. It tastes quite sweet, a bit nectary, a very nice watery refreshing mouthfeel, toasty with wood tones, a slightly bitter taste but quite a bit more bitter finish.

Lancaster Bomber has a creamy head, lacing and is a reddish chestnut/mahogany colour in a glass. Overall a classic English pub ale, bitter and quite nice.

The Legendary Muskoka Spring Oddity

The Legendary Muskoka Spring Oddity 2012 (Canada - Ontario - Bracebridge) 8.0%

Hint of melon in the hops, some banana. Sweet malt. Quite sweet and quite bitter - hops and distinctly gin-like with the juniper berries. A orange peel flavour rather than the sweetness of orange flesh. A bit of alcohol warming, toasted bread bordering on caramel in the malt. Full gold in a glass, no sediment in the glass or the bottle. A bit spicy maybe a bit of honey finish. The juniper, orange peel and malt form a really nice mix that puts me in mind of nectar though the mouthfeel is not thick, though not quite watery. As it warms and loses carbonation (it is well carbonated by the way) it tastes more and more like honey.

I wonder how this beer would age, if it were bottled on lees? It seems like the flavour could go from good to great however it's not bottled on lees so it would only grow musty and stale; it even has an expiry date. It also has great artwork on the label and an interesting story you can read in the image below.

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.

Gouden Carolus Tripel - Brouwerij Het Anker (Belgium) 9.0%

Gouden Carolus Tripel - Brouwerij Het Anker (Belgium) 9.0%

Very fruity bouquet. Frothy tasting with a lovely apricot taste and an alcohol burn. Mead like but pleasantly balanced. This Belgian Tripel is a great choice to try out how many Belgian brewers brew a beer without any fruit ingredients but that ends up tasting very fruity.