Beer # 116 Lake of Bays Spring Maple

Spring Maple Belgian Blonde Ale

Lake of Bays Brewing Company

Baysville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Flavoured Belgian Style Blonde Ale 7.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 750 ml
$9.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @LB_Brewing

Still one of my favourite new breweries in Ontario, Lake of Bays is tireless cranking out one good beer after another. Tonight I am looking at one of their regular seasonals which I have missed getting to in the past. Thankfully, the "Easter Bunny" hid this one away for me with a small pile of chocolates. And fortunately, the beer lasted longer than the chocolates so I have managed to sit down and write about it. I will also be posting two other beers from Lake of Bays. Two limited edition beers in their NHL Alumni series... so stay tuned for those next!

Anyway, onto our tasting:  

Honey coloured and clear with a short lived very light tan head made up of medium to small sized bubbles. Aroma is fresh maple syrup, honey and light grain scent. First sip gives up the wheaty wine, and alcohol of the Belgian blonde followed by a spike of sugar and then the maple syrup sets in. Lightly effervescent. Smokiness of the maple appears as the beer warms. Maple hinges on being too cloying. Aeration gives off a creaminess backed up by more maple woodsy smoke. Finish is tangy, and slightly chemical.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  3/6 SO-SO
Experience:  5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:


This is a good Belgian Blonde however there were a few things I didn't like about it. The use of maple extract (organic) maybe made the maple too intense. The sweetness was a little too sticky and cloying, which detracted from the delicious ale beneath it. I find maple a a hard row to hoe, when it is added to beer, it either works wonderfully well, especially if it is a supporting flavour; or, it will take over the beer and make it miss its mark. Sadly I think the second applies here. Don't get me wrong, this is still a very good beer and I think you should try it, and make up your mind for yourself (maybe with some pancakes.... mmmm pancakes).

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 115 Great Lakes Brewery My Bitter Wife

My Bitter Wife

Great Lakes Brewing Company

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Independent
India Pale Ale 7.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$5.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @GreatLakesBeer


Down to Great Lakes again, Toronto's first Craft Brewery and winner of the 2013 Brewery of the year award. This brewery never fails to impress, and sadly their hard work is not always evident to the average Joe. Great Lakes specializes in experimentation. They play with their beer and do incredible things with it. Often you will only catch some of their beers by chance, at a festival, or a tap takeover. Or they may brew off a limited run of a regular beer with a strange ingredient, like raspberry or rhubarb, or Jagermeister (So not kidding I have tasting notes). 

Tonight's beer celebrates a very infamous person in the history of alcohol. As you can see by the picture on the front of the bottle there is an old crone of a woman clutching an axe. This beer is dedicated (facetiously, obviously) to the memory of Carrie Nation. Mrs. Nation was a staunch prohibitionist and was noted for taking an axe to barrels of beer and liquor and threatening government trying to coerce them into signing prohibition into law in the US. Eventually the prohibitionists won and the US signed the 18th amendment to the constitution and the country went "dry" for a number of years. Fortunately for Canada who was still producing alcohol at the time, it allowed us to "ahem" "export" our wares via legitimate businessmen such as Alphonse Gabriel Capone.

Enough with the history... onto the tasting...

Honey coloured, with the slightest hint of green to it. Thick fluffy white head mostly made up of very small bubbles. Aroma is pine tree and fruit with a back ground of roses and Turkish delight. First sip is bursting with ruby red grapefruit. Mouthfeel is creamy and silky with a touch of effervescence. The 7.0% alcohol is barely noticeable in this well balanced beer. Transition from attack to finish is very short and after taste is all green herbal hops. Aeration gives us an orange citrus candy taste.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:
It was an absolute delight to drink this beer. Great Lakes is certainly setting the standard for what craft beer should taste like. The thing that surprised me the most was, that despite this being a "Hop Bomb," at 88 IBU, the beer was incredibly smooth, well rounded and very drinkable. The only downside is the fact that the 7.0 % alcohol sneaks up on you and knocks you out.... So this is a share with your friend or only have one per night beer. Please... don't ever drink and drive... Craft beer tastes best at home...

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 114 Double Trouble Brewing Co. Fire in the Rye

Fire in the Rye

Double Trouble Brewing Co.

Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Unfiltered Rye Pale Ale 6.1% ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml
$2.95 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @hopsandrobbers

This will be my third Claude and Nathan brew I have tried, sadly I believe it the first that has made it onto my blog, a fact that I will have to correct soon because Double Trouble makes good beer. Their flagship beer Hops and Robbers has been my goto summer beer here at Pint Jockey Headquarters for the past 2 years and is frequently the guest star at our BBQs (it makes an awesome beer butt chicken!!) Tonight's brew is a roasted RPA or Rye Pale Ale, Which is a relatively new style on the craft market that I am seriously getting behind. It is a great way for brewers to update an old standard and infuse more flavour into what would otherwise be just "another IPA." Claude and Nathan use a fire roasted rye malt and hop it exclusively with Centennial hops to produce a straightforward but very flavourful beer.

Enough already... onto the tasting.

Dark amber to a light chestnut in colour with and off white, grey tinged head made up of medium sized bubbles. Aroma is very nutty especially almond, sweet and woodsy. First taste gives us roasted grain, and toasted bread, smoke, wood, transforming into a light floral middle with green hints of hay, alfalfa, and geraniums. The rye is very evident, very bready and sweet. The style is excellent giving me all I could ask for, from a pale ale. Alcohol is evident but not overwhelming. Aeration gives us a very clean crisp and light clover honey taste. The 60 IBU hums a little on the finish with a mild bitterness, just enough to clean up the taste buds ready for another sip.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

Very high marks to this beer. A wonderful well put together brew. Excellent flavour; another great summer sipper. Rush out and get one of these. I will definitely be trying this next time we BBQ chicken.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 113 Trou du Diable La Morsure

La Morsure 

Micro-Brasserie Le Trou Du Diable

Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada
Independent
Unfiltered APA 6.5% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 600 ml
$6.35 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @troududiable

Named after a reputedly bottomless whirlpool on the Saint-Maurice River, Le Trou du Diable (the Devil's Hole) is  small brewery in the city of Shawinigan in the Province of Quebec. They first gained fame outside of their home province for naming one of their beers "The Shawinigan Handshake." Which, if you are not familiar with Canadian history, refers to an incident where former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was being obstructed by a protester in Hull Quebec, he grabbed the man in a choke hold and threw him to the ground. Jean Chrétien was of course born and raised in Shawinigan. I am very happy to say I met the Prime Minister and shook the very big hand in question. ( and am very very glad it was never wrapped around my neck I can tell you!) Tonight's beer is, maybe not as steeped in history as that but it does have another unusual name. La Morsure, for those who don't speak French, translates as "The Bite."

Onto the tasting... allons-y!


Pale cloudy gold in colour with a large fluffy white head made up of small to medium sized bubbles. Cloudy with a touch of yeast sediment. Aroma is very green, lots of vegetation, herbs and light fruit essences, grape and apple. First sip is very light and smooth almost creamy. There is some sugar and a slight hint of caramel, but the malt is not the major player here. The yeast is the key in this beer. Just like a wine that has been left on the "lees" the leftover yeast in the bottle has softened the beer, making it smooth and creamy with a mouthfeel similar to a chardonnay that has undergone Malo-Lactic Fermentation. There is a light pine scent and mild herbaceous taste from the hops which balances out the creaminess of the yeast. Aeration tweaks the senses with grapefruit, a touch of pine, and a tingle of the high alcohol on the tongue.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

This is an excellent beer. Very unusual in that one does not often see an APA treated... with such reserve. Usually brewers try to cram so many different hops in and play with the steeping and boiling times to maximise intense hoppiness. Bold fruits and searing pine seem to be the way to go with the APA. However, here the the brewer has brought out the softer side of the APA. It is almost the demur feminine side of the beer.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 112 Niagara College Teaching Brewery Butler's Bitter

Butler's Bitter 

Niagara College Teaching Brewery

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Owned by Niagara College Learning Enterprises
Bitter Ale 4.4% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$7.75 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @NCTBrewery 

This was my first chance to sample something from the Teaching brewery down in Niagara. Opened to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding craft beer market it teaches future brewmasters and brewthusiasts the fine art of brewing beer. Not much of their beer leaves the premises, or is otherwise destined for shows and competitions. This was the first time I had seen any in a bottle in the LCBO and I was sold immediately.

Onto the collegiate tasting.


Dark copper in colour with a large off-white head with hints of tan. Bubbles are medium to large and dissipate fairly quickly. Nose is very grainy with a slight hint of herbal hops. Herbal and medicinal hops are right up front in the first sip, some dark sugars molasses, and deeply toasted malt. Lot's of caramelisation. Very bready leaning from dark rye to pumpernickel. Overall very light and well balanced.  

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

The label says "English styled" bitter ale, however, I would say this is more of an North American interpretation of what a British bitter tastes like. this beer is more dark and brooding than it's English counterpart, well put together, very flavourful, but it lacks the fruity, floral, finesse of it's British cousin. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this beer. I believe you will too... try it.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 111 St. Peter's G-Free

G-Free


St. Peter's Brewery

Bungay, Suffolk, England
Independent
Strong Ale 4.2% ABV Green Glass Bottle 500 ml
$4.00 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @StPetersBrewery

These days is seems as everyone is rushing to put out their own gluten free "beer." I put beer in quotation marks because, the definition of beer does not include sorghum in the accepted ingredients list, it is still a bit of an outlander. This will of course be changed in due course. I outlined in another Gluten free beer post some of the difficulties one American brewer had trying to produce a gluten free drink. Due to strict US law saying there must be a minimum percentage of barley in every beer produced in the US for it to be called beer. Read about how Lakefront Brewery's overcame these issues HERE. Until legislation changes most gluten free "beers" are still being labeled as "Alcoholic Beverages," and tonight's beer is no exception. Plus, once we are allowed to call this product a beer, there will need to be some guidelines on gluten free styles. and it may come down to ingredients (I.E. sorghum, grape must, fruit juices, teff, etc.) and other adjuncts. It will be a process. Then, there will be an inevitable diversification until we get stouts and lagers and Belgian trippels. Until then we have this smattering of gluten free beers.

St. Peter's is an English brewery with a difference. Founded in 1996 It is best known for its bottle shape... reminiscent of a 19th century bottle. The brewery has made s commitment to preserving the "old ways" of brewing beer. Working with flavours that have fallen out of favour, or regular use by brewers, and a few styles that haven't necessarily been seen lately. Tonight's beer was first 

introduced in August of 2007 and has won several medals and commendations around the world....

Enough background. .. let's get on with the (gluten free) tasting. 

 

Light gold in colour with a frothy white head of little substance comprised mainly of medium to large bubbles. Head disapears almost completely before first sip. Carbonation is high, bubbles cling to the side of the glass not unlike a carbonated soft drink. Aroma is sweet, apple, citrus, and hops. Light scent of flowers and herbs. First sip gives us jumbo citrus flavour, lots of orange, and zest. There is a light taste of green apple from the sorgham. Slight medicinal orange taste from the amarillo hops, and the aftertaste is bitter orange peel. Aeration brings out the green apple.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional

Cost: 6/5 PASS

Colour: 6/5 PASS

Beer Style: N/A 

Re-Order:  6/5 PASS

Experience:  6/5 PASS

Final Thoughts

Of all the Gluten free "Beer" (alcoholic beverages), this is by far the one that tastes most like beer. There is hops and good fruity flavour. However I do find it slightly out of balance, and the pithy bitter orange peel at the end can sometimes sour the taste. Good for gin, but not always a good match for beer. Still very high marks from a great brewery, please do try.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 110 Nøgne Ø Sunturnbrew Ale

Sunturnbrew Ale


Nøgne Ø

Grimstad, Norway
Independent
Strong Ale 11.0% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 500 ml
$7.70 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @NogneO

Back again to the land of Henrick Ibsen who's poems gave us the term Nøgne Ø, "Naked Island." and the name of tonight's brewery. We have been to Nøgne Ø, before when I did their Imperial Stout HERE. Sunturn refers to the ancient Norwegian belief that on the shortest day of the year (December 21) the sun "turns" and reverses direction in the sky. Here is where I got confused. The website says the beer is brewed on the sunturn, the aforementioned December 21. However, the brew date on my bottle says June 20, 2013. best before June 20 2018. Well I guess the summer solstice counts, as well. I am honestly very impressed with this beer tonight so instead of trying to do the thinking, I will let the beer do the talking.

Onto the Naked Island:

Very dark chestnut in colour with an enormous, long lasting light tan head, very frothy but made of small bubbles, with some larger ones on top. Aroma is very smoky, with some wood and coffee. First sip is an explosion of flavour which could probably be summed up as molasses, candy, and leather. Super rich and deep dark tones, lingering tastes of high alcohol. Balance is surprisingly clean for the amount of flavours going on. There is anise, molasses, turbinado sugar, vanilla, smoke, wood, leather, coffee, chocolate, and a little bitterness from deeply roasted malt. Bitterness is countered by a sweetness that creeps up on the backside of the taste. Aeration give bursts of alcohol, sandalwood, smoke and incense.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional

Cost: 4/6 PASS

Colour: 5/6 PASS

Beer Style: 5/6 PASS

Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL 

Final Thoughts

Wow. Wow. Wow. There is nothing small about this beer. It grabs you and says hello, and doesn't let you go until it's done with you. Every time I sip it I get another facet of it's personality. It is like a fine old wine freshly decanted and slowly giving up it's secrets to you. This is hands down the best beer I have had from Nøgne Ø. I look forward to when the sun turns again next year (whenever that is...).

Cheers

CJT

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Beer #109 Stack Brewing Impact Altbier

Impact Altbier

Stack Brewing Company

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Altbier 5.0% ABV Brown Glass Growler 2 L (64 oz).
$14.00 (Canadian) At The Brewery
Twitter: @Stackbrewing

Last bottle of Stack beer in the Fridge of Fame. It was a wonderful trip up to the Nickel City, as usual. This beer is named after the great "Impact" an asteroid had with Sudbury 1.8 Billion years ago. The massive impact that resulted from the asteroid smash drew billions of tons of rich nickel ore close to the surface, allowing Sudbury, to become one of the world's best sources of the very valuable mineral.

Enough with the education.... let's try a beer with some... impact. I think I said impact a few too many times, the word was starting to lose it's... er... well... impact.

Deep copper in colour with a thin off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is clean and mineral, like cracked granite, or sparked flint. Big bold grain notes on the taste with some darkly caramelised sugars underneath. Beer is effervescent almost to the point of being "fizzy" on the back of the tongue. Very clean, very dry, aftertaste is mild with slight reminder of the grain we started with. Aeration gives us wood, and rum notes. Very drinkable.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional

Cost: 5/6 PASS

Colour: 5/6 PASS

Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL 

Final Thoughts

This is, so far my favourite beer from Stack. It is a very good all purpose beer, good with food, good on it's own, great after work. I want to see a lot more beers from Stack that taste like this. Now I am looking forward to my next visit to Sudbury, plus... I have to return my empties to the brewery.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 108 Stack Brewing Valley Girl

Valley Girl Wheat Ale

Stack Brewing Company

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Wheat Ale 5.5% ABV Brown Glass Boston Round 1 L (32 oz).
$6.00 (Canadian) At The Brewery
Twitter: @Stackbrewing

Now for another trip up to one of Canada's most impressive geological features: The Greater Sudbury area which was carved out of the rock 1.8 Billion years ago by an asteroid that was 10 to 15 Km across (almost 10 miles across to my friends from the USA) It was the second largest impact that the Earth has ever suffered (it was even a larger impact than the one that killed the dinosaurs 65 Million years ago). Paleoproterozoic era Sudbury was much different than it is today, because of continental drift it was located in the southern hemisphere where it was attached to the super continent Pangea. When Pangea broke up Sudbury moved north with it's new continent named Laurasia that eventually became North America. 1.8 Billion years later Shawn Mailloux and Michael Guillemette opened Stack Brewing. Did someone say segue?

Stack Brewing started basically the same way every brewery starts. The owners were tired of drinking beers that "weren't quite right" for their tastes... so they struck out on their own. And we are all glad that they did.

Enough with the geology lesson... let's taste some beer that rocks instead:


Light gold in colour with a long lasting white head, medium in size, comprised of small white bubbles. Nose is banana, cloves and nuts, with a hint of yeast. Subtle but not overwhelming. Banana carries over onto the attack of the taste as does the spice, which intensifies with cardamom and nutmeg. Very grainy, the rich wheat gives you the impression of eating a homemade, whole grain loaf of bread. Light hints of apple also noted. Aeration gives off a warm brandy feeling and some sweetness over the underlying grain.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional

Cost: 5/6 PASS

Colour: 5/6 PASS

Beer Style: 5/6 PASS

Re-Order:  5/6 PASS

Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts

quite possibly one of the best wheats I've had in a while. True to it's German origins, this is an aromatic and flavourful beer. This would be best served on a patio near you, preferably with a light lunch... and as always best shared with a friend (especially if you bought the 1 L Boston round like I did).

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 107 Stack Brewing Saturday Night

Saturday Night Cream Ale

Stack Brewing Company

Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Cream Ale 5.3% ABV Brown Glass Boston Round 1 L (32 oz).
$6.00 (Canadian) At The Brewery
Twitter: @Stackbrewing

1 Litre Sharing Size

I discovered Stack Brewing last October when we went up to Science North and found the beer in a little cheese shop near our hotel called Fromagerie Elgin. (A culinary adventure in itself! Try the house made pate) This was actually the first beer I tried and then later I got to try a few more at the local pub Hard Rock 42. (Another Sudbury must see) The rest of the province noticed this brewery earlier this year when the Ontario Brewing awards were released and Stack had taken home gold in the Farmhouse/Bier de Garde category for their "Les Portes de L'enfer."

Gold Bier de Garde Category

So when we returned to Science North this year I made a point of dropping in and picking up a few to add to the blog (Sadly they were all out of the gold medal winner I had to settle for the picture of the trophy instead).

More on Stack in the next post... Stay tuned.

Onto the beer:

I think there was an unwritten rule in Ontario that the first Brewery that opened in the Nickel City had to name one of their beer's after that iconic Northern Ontario anthem "Sudbury Saturday Night" by Canada's late great Ambassador of Music Stompin' Tom Conners... So job well done guys. My favourite version is here.

Colour is clear gold with a small off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is caramel malt and medicinal hops with a touch of sulphur, or wet dog smell. Deep maltiness, wet grain, and some dark sugar on the taste. Very dry and fairly cleansing. Aeration brings out the wet grains and a hint of light fruit.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 6/5 PASS
Colour: 6/5 PASS
Beer Style: 6/5 PASS
Re-Order:  6/3 SO-SO
Experience:  6/4 PASS

Each bottle features a very short story

Final Thoughts

Saturday Night is very similar in my mind to some of the macro beers; Canadian, and Budweiser, spring to mind. However, it is better put together and has more flavour than the big boys. I would recommend this beer as a baby step for those who have been raised on macros to enter the world of craft beer. Don't be afraid of the flavour guys! While it would not be a beer that I would regularly drink, it is a good beer for the masses, who will hopefully leave the macros behind and buy local. Remember, buying craft beer puts money in the pockets of your neighbours.

Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 106 Sawdust City Lone Pine IPA

Lone Pine IPA

Sawdust City Brewing Company

Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Strong IPA 6.5% ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml.
$5.25 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @Sawdustcitybeer

Sawdust City is a relatively new brewery that is still working on having a home. They are currently building their new brewhouse in Gravenhurst Ontario while still brewing out of another brewery's facilities. I am rather fond of this brewery as they do not take themselves too seriously and it is reflected in the names of their beers. "Long Dark Voyage to Uranus," and "The Princess Wears Girl Pants" are among their creatively named beers. Sam Corbiel is the hardworking brewmaster who runs the blog and designs the beers and is generally found all over Ontario running tap takeovers and going to festivals... No wonder it has taken them over 2 years to build the brewhouse, the guy doesn't sit down. I first tasted this beer at the Only Cafe (One of Ontario's BEST beer destinations) in Toronto during one of their $5 pint nights and was suitably impressed. I am glad I have finally found time to include this beer in my blog.

Enough already... onto the beer:

Dark gold in colour with a medium sized head made up of small off-white bubbles. Aroma is pine trees and tropical fruit mainly passionfruit. The pine continues on the first sip with resinous hops and some lingering fruit. Citrus begins to take over. Very deep and flavourful, with some light caramel malt on the finish. Aeration gives us some mineral, herbal hops and a touch of wood.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 6/5 PASS
Colour: 6/5 PASS
Beer Style: 6/5 PASS
Re-Order:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

For a time this was my number one pick for best APA in Ontario, only recently would I say this has dropped into more of a three way tie with a couple of other beers. Very good use of hops and a great flagship brand for the burgeoning style of the American India Pale Ale in Ontario. Very drinkable and a definite reorder. One of the problems I had in trying to add this beer to the blog was... every time I bought one, it didn't last long enough for me to take pictures or write notes. Glad I finally found the restraint.

Cheers

CJT


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