Rye Bock - Cameron's Brewing Company (Canada - Ontario - Oakville)

Rye Bock - Cameron's Brewing Company (Canada - Ontario - Oakville) 6.3%

It pours a slightly deep (slightly orange) gold in a glass with a finger of off-white foam. The aroma contains a touch of dry euro hops (fuggles?) that give it a fresh greenness and just a hint of the fruitiness rye malt brings as well as some biscuit tones.

The flavour is strongly characterised by rye malt: grain but with a red fruity berry touch, crusty bread, toast, and just a bit more smoky than barley. Cameron's Rye Bock has a tangy bitter finish and a very appetizing aftertaste of rye flavours, some lingering bitterness and umami. This Maibock variant has a bit more hops than you'd expect from a sweeter or darker winter Bock but the hop bitterness is really quite perfect for the style. Specifically the hops character stops short of being resiny: the flavour remains dry and earthy, as well as a mix of herbal and grassy. I think the flavour is perfect for a Maibock, or springtime Bock, and I like this beer quite a bit.

Dogstalker April Bock - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge)

Dogstalker April Bock - Grand River Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Cambridge) 6.0%

Pours a orange, reddish amber in a glass without much of a head; some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. The aroma has caramel sweetness, actually more like toffee, brown or even molasses bread and some, nay lots, of apple-ey red fruit as well as some dark fruit (prune) notes.

The aroma is a bit like malt syrup used in homebrew but isn't nearly that sweet. The occasional roasty smell drifts in and out but it never shows up in the flavour, instead it is well on the sweet, caramelized, red ale side of the Maillard process. Lots of brown bread and toffee. There is some underlying tartness and syrupy sweetness reminds me of sherry and unfortunately it is the cooking kind that springs to mind not the drinking kind. When combined with overly forward red fruit flavours it kind of ruins this beer for me. 

The difficulty for me with invented (or at the least styles I haven't heard of and don't show up in my beer encyclopedia) styles like an April Bock is that I'm not sure what the brewer was going for. It could be that they nailed this and it is just not to my taste because I have liked other Grand River Brewing products but I am not really a fan of this one. If I am on the right track with what the concept, an April Bock would be pretty good if the fruit flavours had been a bit more subdued and if the sweetness was less syrupy and more malty. 

Christmas Ale - Shepherd Neame (United Kingdom)

Christmas Ale - Shepherd Neame (United Kingdom) 7.0%

A reddish gold colour in a glass with a frothy, white head of foam. A dry, slightly herbal hop aroma with light red fruit and plum flavours. Sweet, lightly boozy and herbal taste with caramelized stickiness and dark malty flavours mixed with some light fruit tones (apple, raisin, plum). Shepherd Neame's Christmas Ale has sherry traits but also the robust malty body of a nice amber ale. The mix of flavours reminds me of really good fruitcake and is pretty close to my ideal concept of an English Christmas Ale.

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.

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.

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

Doppelbock - Les Trois Mousquetaires (Canada - Quebec - Brossard) 8.6%

A reddish chestnut colour in a glass with a big head of frothy, resilient, off-white foam.

A malty, sticky, caramelized aroma with red fruit, a sugary molasses, and some alcohol tones tones a bit like fruitcake. A really delicious fruitcake.

Sweet with some flavour tones that remind me a bit of sherry but with much more depth and breadth than I have ever taste in a sherry. Some red fruit tones, as in the aroma, tastes of a light molasses, a hint of wood (likely from the hops) and plenty of dried fruit like raisin, dates or prunes but with a lighter taste to them.

Les Trois Mousquetaires' Doppelbock has a surprisingly light mouthfeel which keeps this beer very enjoyable and without allowing the sweetness to become cloying even at warmer temperatures (the suggested serving temperature is between 10 and 14 Celsius). There is a little sediment at the bottom of the bottle and it tends to make the beer a bit more yeasty and just the slightest bit sour so I would leave the last centimeter of beer in the bottom of the bottle to avoid that.

Arkell Best Bitter - Wellington Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Guelph)

Arkell Best Bitter - Wellington Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Guelph) 4.0%

Full gold in a glass, nearly amber. Roasty aroma with nutty tones. Caramelized malt and grain flavours are first and foremost but the flavour is fairly light overall with just a hint of creamed corn (DMS) and a subtle touch of red fruit all of which suit an English style Best Bitter. Not overly sweet, refreshingly bitter but mostly just balanced. The mouthfeel is also light which also makes it refreshing and Arkell Best Bitter has a pleasant lightly toasty aftertaste. This beer would go down well with standard pub fare.

Mr. Hyde - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill)

Mr. Hyde - Beau's All Natural Brewing (Canada - Ontario - Vankleek Hill) 7.0%

A polished copper colour in a glass with a bubbly, big, off-white head that faded rather quickly to a creamy but thin layer of foam over the beer.

A sweet, nearly caramelized aroma with cereal some subtle wood and earth tones, and a hint of red fruit. A bit like a bock. While it is true that everything is reminding me of autumn, since we're on the verge of full blown autumn here in Ottawa and it happens to be my favourite season, the aroma as I've described it really seems to be perfect for an autumn beer.

Unmistakable rye flavour, just like the bread: a bit of a darker grain flavour, earthy, rich and bordering on nutty but not nutty, with a bit of red fruit that lends a note that is barely tart to the beer. Quite a bitter aftertaste with a lingering roasted grain flavour. For a beer that is 7% ABV, the flavour is mild while also being multi-layered and certainly doesn't taste much of alcohol so, while Mr. Hyde is a beer deserving of slow consideration, it is also dangerously quaffable especially when it is cold. As regular readers know, I prefer my beers a bit warmer than most but Mr. Hyde especially needs to be given a chance to warm up from refrigerator temperature so that you can enjoy the full spectrum of flavours that may otherwise be missed. I don't believe I've had a Roggenbier before but if Beau's Mr. Hyde is typical of the style I will definitely keep my eye out for another: delicious!

Altbier Collaboration Ale - Creemore Springs (Canada - Ontario - Creemore)

Altbier Collaboration Ale - Creemore Springs (Canada - Ontario - Creemore) 5.0%

A deep amber in a glass with a resilient though modest head of white foam. The aroma immediately after pouring was slightly sulphurous and had some creamed corn (DMS) but that cleared quickly. What followed was a caramelized aroma with some earthy grain, a bit of citrus that is slightly floral and has some red fruit esters kicking around.

The taste is malty with a little bit of sticky caramelization like a sugary glaze. Also some grain flavours along with some dry and floral hops tones and hints of red fruit flavours, like a red delicious apple. Overall this is a pretty good Altbier but seems a little light than I think an Altbier should be but, on the other hand, it is quite quaffable.

Péché Mortel - Brasserie Dieu du Ciel (Canada - Quebec - St Jerome)

Péché Mortel - Dieu du Ciel (Canada - Quebec - St Jerome) 9.5%

Opaque and black in a glass with a tan head. Strong coffee aroma as well as dark chocolate with some dark dried fruit hanging about as well, some black licorice and maybe a touch of leather.

The taste is very strongly coffee at first sip. Then dark chocolate flavours bloom along with red and dark dried fruit, a bite of alcohol, leather and wooden earth tones. I found that with subsequent sips Péché Mortel began to taste less of coffee and more of the dark and red fruit tones. There are still plenty of coffee flavours to be sure but it is nice that this beer isn't one dimensional - not that I would expect such a thing from Dieu du Ciel. The coffee flavours, which as I have said are always there, seemed to reassert themselves as the beer warmed but the interesting mix of dried fruit flavours and other dark malt flavours I have mentioned remains. In short, Péché Mortel is a very nice coffee infused Imperial Stout and quite delicious but still maintains a complex mix of flavours throughout.

Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale (Canada) 5.0%

Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale (Canada) 5.0%

Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale has lightly caramelized malt aroma with a slight sticky sweetness too, in short the aroma is quite a lot like the one a Red Ale should have. That aspect tends to fade leaving an aroma of mostly plain malt with a bit of a dry hops touch to the aroma too. A darkish red amber colour in a glass with a decent head that even leaves some lacing.

The taste has some Red Ale-like sweetness with a bit of stickiness and a caramelized touch. There are even a few red fruit esters to lend a slightly fruity and barely tart touch that make Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale even more like what I would expect from a typical Red Ale. The malt and overall body are a bit thin for a Red but otherwise Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale is surprisingly tasty.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - North Coast Brewing (USA - California - Fort Bragg) 9.0%

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - North Coast Brewing (USA - California - Fort Bragg) 9.0%

When I spotted this beer, named after one of the more interesting figures in history (in my opinion) and brewed by the folks responsible for one of my most favourite beers ever I had to have it.

It pours black and opaque in a glass with a nice and thick tan coloured head. The aroma is boozy, and a little hoppy with plenty of dark fruit and dried red fruit as well as a certain black licorice hint to the dark chocolate that itself smells like Black Forest Cake. It's enough to set my mouth watering.

The taste is divine: dark fruit and dried red fruit at first, and really throughout, followed by wood tones, I think from a mix of a light pine hops character, smoky dark malt flavours and the alcohol which will warms your cheeks and tickle your chest; sweet and chocolatey middle but balanced by the aforementioned wood tones and hefty bitterness that arrives just before the delectable coffee finish and the lingering coffee and smoke aftertaste.

Anyone not familiar with the Grigori Rasputin's tale should do themselves a favour and give it a read before they drink this Russian Imperial Stout to add some background. Oh and it wouldn't hurt to check out the song too.

The Cannery Collection - Cannery Brewing (Penticton)

IPA - Canning Brewery (Canada - British Columbia - Penticton) 6.0%

A dark amber colour in a glass with a nice frothy head and good lacing. A malty aroma with a hefty dose of resin and pine. Quite a bitter hops taste with roasty malt and full of resin and pine. Just a few red fruit flavours intermixed throughout and maybe just a touch of citrus in the finish.

Naramata Nut Brown Ale - Cannery Brewing (Canada - BC - Penticton) 5.5%

A very dark brown in a glass, nearly opaque, with a big frothy head. Roasty molasses and brown bread aroma. A nutty brown bread taste with molasses, touches of hops and some dark fruit hints. A pretty nice brown with a light mouthfeel that keeps it refreshing.

Anarchist Amber Ale - The Cannery Brewing Co. (Canada - British Columbia - Penticton) 5.5%

A roasty and bitter aroma that is yet a little spicy and tangy with red fruit esters. Amber in a glass with a big fluffy head. Definitely some floral red fruit esters in the taste too, a bit of red ale stickiness and a fair amount of hops comes through with a little pine, a bit of something astringent and some spiciness like a very mild cilantro. Malty also with grain flavours, toast and caramel sweetness with a roasty aftertaste.

Leute Bokbier - Brouwerij Van Steenberge (Belgium) 7.5%

Leute Bokbier - Brouwerij Van Steenberge (Belgium) 7.5%

A dark brown in a glass with a red hue; not opaque. There is some very light sediment at the bottom of the bottle, not much at all. Earthy like fresh tilled soil, sweet, roasty, nutty (like nuts coated in sugar and roasted over a fragrant smelling wood fire), salty and bitter aroma with hints of fig and darker malt tones that verge on being coffee-like or chocolate. Very strong flavour, quite sweetly roasty and almost sticky with red fruit hints (apple, pear, fig) but with a bitter dry hops overlay and roasty, slightly nutty, malt backbone. A long, very lightly bitter, umami finish. Reminds me of Yule Beers. A truly great ale perfectly crafted and balanced.

Winter Beard - Muskoka Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Bracebridge) 8.0%

Winter Beard - Muskoka Brewery (Canada - Ontario - Bracebridge) 8.0%

This Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout is an opaque, very deep brown that is nearly black. There is alcohol in the aroma as well as tart red fruit with a dark chocolate backing. The taste is strongly of alcohol with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and, at first, some hops then tartness and red fruit (presumably cranberries) with a finish that reminds me of fruitcake.

Overall, a nice strong fruit flavoured seasonal but the fancy bottle, elaborate name and description (see below) and hilarious graphic built up sky-high expectations that the beer just doesn't seem able to meet.