To be great doesn’t make you good; to be good, however, requires greatness. So that’s my paradoxical aphorism for the month of May, inspired by a company that, to look at the box and the bottles within, already has greatness written all over it. And I mean really impressive greatness. This is a six pack…
“Amber Ale” (Amber Ale), Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Change is inevitable and good can certainly come of bad. Such is my experience with Ontario’s Beer Store which I had previously panned for not only its disappointing selection but its poor selection of local craft brews. Apparently they’re listening to their customers. Or perhaps they’ve been taking a page out of Flying Monkeys pages…
“10 Bitter Years” (Imperial IPA), Black Oak Brewing Company
I had a lot of choices in my house as to what would be my last drink at home before heading to the very dry terroir of Saudi Arabia – and, yet, for a few weeks, I’ve instinctively known it was going to be this bottle. This anniversary beer from Black Oak Brewing has celebration…
“BIA” (India Pale Ale), Birrificio Del Ducato
Seeking a great west-coast IPA? Go west … I mean, go east. I mean, get on a plane, cross the Atlantic and head for the middle of the Mediterranean. I know … it’s counter intuitive. I know … I’m from Western Canada. I should know which direction is west. So you’ve read in the past…
“Southern Tier IPA” (India Pale Ale) Southern Tier Brewing Company
Yes, I’ve been on a bit of nostalgic bent this summer, I know. From my recipes, to travels, to the the articles I’ve written, everything seems to have a bit of a “re-visited” quality of late. Even many of the beers I’ve been reviewing are not new discoveries but rather undocumented experiences. As with my…
“Hoptical Illusions, Almost Pale Ale” (Pale Ale), Flying Monkeys
Barrie ◊ Ontario ◊ Canada ◊ Milky Way ◊ Universe ◊ Infinity With an address like that, you’re sort of expecting something out of this world from this beer from Flying Monkeys Brewery. Near the beginning of this blog, I reviewed one of my favourite IPAs (Smashbomb Atomic) from this brewery that should win the award for most imaginative and…
“West Coast Pale Ale” (Pale) by Church-Key Brewing Company
I chanced across this beer on tap at the Wellington Gastropub before Christmas and I quite enjoyed it on tap, so when I saw it in the LCBO a few weeks later, I bought a 6-pack with the promise to review it. I’ve since drank it twice and my conclusion of this beer remains the same…
“Smashbomb Atomic IPA” (IPA) by Flying Monkeys
Ok, so here’s a brew that isn’t exactly new to me but it may be new to some of my readers. The fact that one of two Flying Monkeys’ beers has been a staple in my fridge for the past three or four years should probably be as good an indicator as any that I…