A naughty neighbour that flirts with your thirst more than it quenches it. Rating → 84 points Stats: American Pale Ale. 4.9% ABV. 38 IBUs. Burlington, Ontario. Size: 355mL bottle Colour: Golden straw (chardonnay) — clear except for profusion of heavy particulate that grows with the pour. Mouth Feel: Medium, very natural carbonation; light start and a refreshingly bitter finish. Purchased: LCBO Price: $12.75 (6-pack) Pairing…
“The Darkness” (Oatmeal Stout) Beyond the Pale Brewing Company
Pour chocolate into me and lick me clean …. Rating → 84 points Stats: Oatmeal Stout. 5.6% ABV. 30 IBUs. Ottawa, Ontario. Size: Half-growler Colour: Dark, dark brown — impenetrable Mouth Feel: Medium, very natural carbonation; light in the mouth, creamy in the middle, clean finish Purchased: From Brewery Price: $7 (plus $3 bottle deposit) Pairing Notes:…
Honey Bee’Lixir (English Ale) Railway City Brewing Company
Floats like cloud and drinks like a bee, this is the latest from Railway City … Rating → 79 points Stats: English Ale. 5% ABV. 29 IBUs. St Thomas, Ontario. Size: 750mL bottle Colour: Dark red-brown amber — perfectly filtered Mouth Feel: Medium-low, natural carbonation; relatively flat on the tongue with a low specific gravity….
“Enlightenment” (Belgian Ale), Renaissance Brewing Company
“Perhaps its inevitable, perhaps one has to choose between being nothing at all and impersonating what one is.” ― Jean-Paul Sartre, The Age of Reason Rating → 68 points Stats: Belgian Ale. 6.5% ABV. Marlborough, New Zealand. Size: 500mL bottle Colour: Muddy brown amber Mouth Feel: High carbonation obliterates the mouthfeel Purchased: LCBO Price: $6.95 Pairing…
Fire and Blood (Red Ale) Ommegang Brewery
There can be only one … but this isn’t it. Rating: 78 points Stats: Red Ale. 6.8% ABV. Cooperstown, NY. Size: 750 mL bottle Colour: Deep red amber, slightly unfiltered (on lees) Mouth Feel: Medium carbonation with a very dry finish Purchased: LCBO Price: $9.95 Pairing Notes: Beef fajitas I know: I’ve been on a bit…
Outburst (Imperial IPA) Pyramid Breweries
Not all those with imperial blood get to be king … Rating: 85 points Stats: Double IPA. 8.5% ABV. Seattle, Washington. Size: 650 mL bottle Colour: Perfectly clear, warm amber Mouth Feel: Medium-low carbonation, creamy with a dry finish Purchased: LCBO Price: $4.95 Pairing Notes: n/a It seems only right that after my tepid review of an…
Diable au Corps (Imperial IPA) Les Brasseurs du Temps (BDT)
“The Devil in the Flesh” … or in these malted waters at least. Rating: 83 points Stats: Double IPA. 10% ABV. Gatineau, Quebec. Size: 750 mL bottle Colour: Unfiltered orange-blonde Mouth Feel: Medium carbonation, creamy and smooth finish. Purchased: Brouehaha Price: $10.25 Pairing Notes: n/a So to all the red-headed women out there, no, this bottle is…
“Kilannan Alt” (Altbier) Kilannan Brewing Co.
Stats: Altbier. 5.2% ABV. Own Sound, Ontario. Size: 473mL can Colour: Brown-Amber (unfiltered) Mouth Feel: Medium carbonation; watery start and creamy but dry finish. Purchased: LCBO Price: $2.90 Pairing Notes: Grilled lamb kebabs → 85 points So in collision of two bits of chance, I thought I’d do series on beers that come in cans — more or less exclusively. That…
“Oranje Weisse” (White Ale) Amsterdam Brewing Co. Limited
Amsterdam is a brewery that is quickly going to the top of my mental list of brewers who consistently produce stellar beers. They gained my instant respect with their Boneshaker IPA and cemented it with the vastly different but equally impressive Vicars Vice old ale. And while they stay in their own ale series, I can’t imagine…
“Vicar’s Vice ~ olde ale” (Old Ale) Amsterdam Brewing Co. Limited
If you read my Ale Series, you learned about “old ale” as a style in the context of Beau’s “Gilgamesh.” If you haven’t already, it is a unique style worth exploring. I was an instant fan of Amsterdam Brewing from the first taste of their “Boneshaker” IPA which has been a staple in my fridge…