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.

India Pale Ale - Sleeman Breweries [Sapporo Brewery] (Canada)

India Pale Ale - Sleeman Breweries [Sapporo Brewery] (Canada) 5.3%

Aroma of honey and bread, the faintest bit of dry european hops somewhat toasty.

Malty with some rye bread flavour actually, subtle fruit flavours with a hint of roast like very light chocolate. Sleeman IPA has a bitter finish but not any overly strong hop characteristics though there is some resin and slightly herbal flavours.

This is definitely much more of an English IPA than an American IPA. Don't expect a hopbomb, that's the wrong side of the Pond, but this is a quite good English IPA.

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!