Two Beers by Frank Brewing Co.

Frank Double Bill

I picked up a couple of cans from a brewery I had never heard of before when I was down in Stratford. I know many people enjoy travelling to see new sights and have new experiences... Sometimes I just like to go into the grocery stores and check out what foods are different. Yes, I am a nerdy chef...  This was the case with these two beers. If you don't know we have had beer sales in grocery stores in Ontario for just over a year now... Yes, I know our province is late to the party, other more civilised areas have been doing this for years. 

Frank Brewing is a microbrewery/Brewpub from Tecumseh, Ontario. Tecumseh is West of Windsor near the US Canada border and on the shores of Lake St. Claire the smallest and only  heart shaped lake in the Great Lakes chain. Lake St. Claire is most noted for its excellent muskellunge fishing. Let's see how well they do with beer.

Onto our double bill tasting...

Beer # 462 Frank: Bombshell Blonde

Brewery: Frank Brewing Company


Type: Independent Microbrewery/Brewpub    Est.:  2015

Location: Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: 4.4%      IBU: 9

Format: Bottle  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.85 CAD     Purchased At: Food Basics (Stratford, Ontario)

Dun coloured gold with little to no head, flat and lifeless looking. Slight chemical, off nose. Musty flat. Watery, overwhelming taste of wet grain. Strangely, beer does not taste spoiled... just very bad.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 0/6 FAIL
Beer Style: 0/6 FAIL
Re-Order:  0/6 FAIL
Experience: 0/6 FAIL


Final Thoughts

Just bad... Terrible beer. First #DrainAward of the year.


Beer # 463 Frank: Old Comrade Amber

Beer Style: Amber Ale

ABV: 4.7%      IBU: 21

Format: Bottle  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.05 CAD     Purchased At: Food Basics (Stratford, Ontario)

Pours a dark amber slightly translucent with a thin off-tan head made up of small bubbles. Sweet malt forward with light hints of wood and spice. First sip is malty and syrupy sweet with a fair amount of caramel. Dark and roasty with some molasses in the background. Aeration gives us brown sugar.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 4/6 PASS

Final Thoughts

Much better than the first one but something is still just a bit off. I know ambers are a little on the sweet side but this one is too sweet. Although not a candidate for the #DrainAward... I'm having a hard time finishing it. If sweet beers are your thing go for this one... otherwise I might avoid it.


Final, Final Thoughts...

I'm not sold on Frank... Quite... er, frankly. I would need to see more beer from them and hopefully, they are just working through their new brewery troubles. Neither of these beers seemed to work and I'm not sure where to put the blame. Hopefully, I can revisit this brewery again later and they may have sorted this all out


Cheers

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 10:

Beer # 308 Mons Abbey Witte

Brewery: Belgh Brasse

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 1999

Location: Amos, Quebec, Canada

Beer Style: Belgian Blonde

ABV: 7.0%      IBU: ?

Format: Cork Stoppered Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 750 ml

Cost: $8.00 CAD     Purchased At: The Beer Store

Twitter: @BelghBrasse


Once more with feeling, from Belgh Brasse, tonight we are doing the Blonde. Made with the sparkling clear waters from the Abitibi Esker. 

Onto our beer...

Pours a slightly hazy gold colour with a massive bright white head made up of small and medium bubbles. The aroma is fresh flour, bread, clover honey, some hay and grass. Lightly fragrant flowers and a hint of spice round out the nose. First sip is some sweet and spicy malt with hints of molasses, vanilla caramel and honey. The middle of the taste turns to barley syrup with a nice long lingering sweetness. Aeration gives us an herbal hop kick.



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
Christmas Cheer: 5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Not quite as good as its sister beer, but still a very good sipper. I found this one a touch too sweet, and syrupy. Certainly not a fault to stop you from giving this bottle a spin. Have it with some dessert, like Christmas, cake... you know you have some of that hiding somewhere.


Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 272 Farmer's Daughter Blonde Ale Whitewater Brewing Company

#272 Farmer's Daughter Blonde Ale

Whitewater Brewing Company

Forester's Falls, Ontario, Canada

Independent Microbrewery

Blonde  Ale 
5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml.
IBU: 22
$2.85 (Canadian) At The Beer Store

Twitter: @WhitewaterBrew

Another new brewery for me. Well not completely new, new to the blog. I had a chance to taste this beer at Session Muskoka last year, but note taking conditions were not ideal, nor was my handwriting. Founded by three good friends and whitewater rafting enthusiasts: James Innes, Chris Thompson and Chris Thompson (Yes... That's TWO separate Chris Thompsons.. No relation, I guess they can save on business cards..) They wanted a way to combine their love of whitewater rafting with their love of craft beer In their back yard of the Ottawa Valley. In 2011 Whitewater Brewing Company was born.

Onto the tasting...

Pours a light gold with a short white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is gentle malt with hints of wood, sweet, and mildly hoppy. First sip is tangy, mildly citrus, clean clear light caramel malt and the slightest hint of bitter greens, There is a distinct minerality and slight flintiness to the beer. There are traces of light toasty wood and a little spice. Aeration accentuates the wood aromas adding a touch of freshly tanned leather and tumeric.


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:

A very light and refreshing golden ale. Good malt profile and mineral quality. An excellent patio sipper.


Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 271 Swing Bridge Blonde Ale Manitoulin Brewing Company

#271 Swing Bridge Blonde Ale

Manitoulin Brewing Company

Swift Current, Ontario, Canada


Independent Microbrewery
Blonde  Ale 
5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml.
IBU: 22
$2.90 (Canadian) At The Beer Store

Twitter: @ManitoulinBrew

First Taste of a brewery That I have been looking forward to trying. Situated on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, the second largest of the Great Lakes, Manitoulin is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. Long been considered sacred by the Anishinaabe People, it has been inhabited for around 30,000 years. 
Sheguiandah, on the north east shore is the site of Paleo-Indian settlement that was occupied from just after the glaciers receded to about 10,000 years ago. The Name Manitoulin has a very convoluted origin, as do most Canadian names that have been adopted from Aboriginal Languages. (Including Canada itself which was the Huron word Kanata for settlement, or village. Samuel de Champlain famously mis-heard or mis-translated this word and it was assumed that the land was called Canada... The Kanata they were talking about, was Stadacona, we call it Quebec City now.) Orinally called Ekaentouton, Manitoulin's name is now derived from a blending of French and English translations of the original Odawa name: Manidoowaaling, which means "Cave of the Spirit." The Odawa currently call the Island Mnidoo Mnis or simply "Spirit Island."

On the North shore of the island is the community of Little Current, and it is the only land access to the mainland, via a swing bridge to the town of Espanola. It was in this bridge's honour that tonight's beer was named. Opened in 2015 Manitoulin Brewing company was started by two gentlemen who grew up in Blind River and have been friends since grade 10. Nishin Meawasige and Blair Hagman.

Let's swing on over to our beer for the evening...

Pours a clear gold colour with a short white head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is sweet slightly carmelised with a hint of raisins finishing up with light malt and plenty of grain. First sip gives us a very light blonde ale with very green and refreshing German hops. (Edit: later discovered they use Hallertauer and Brewer's Gold) Slightly bitter and medicinal on the finish. Clear and refreshing, light in body, plenty of malt and rich bread flavour. Hints of bitter greens light aromas of spice and a touch of licorice way, way in the back. Aeration gives us a warm grass-like aroma with just a hint of nut.

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:

A good all around starter beer for someone who is just discovering craft beer. A little light for my tastes but good nonetheless. Try one for yourself.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 269 Lake of the Woods Sultana Gold

Beer # 269 Sultana Gold Blonde Ale

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company

Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Blonde Ale 5.0 % ABV 
IBU: 15
Aluminum Can 473 ml.
$2.85 (Canadian) At The Beer Store

Twitter: @LowBrewCo

I got a hold of few new beers from breweries I have heard of but not come across before. First up is a pair of beers from the brewery that is the furthest west in Ontario. Near the Manitoba border lies a very pretty city on the shores of Lake of the Woods. Kenora. Kenora has it's origins in 1688 when a French expedition lead by Jacques de Noyon, located an Ojibway settlement on the shores of Lake of the Woods. Kenora was incorporated in 1905 when the settlements of Keewatin, Norman, and Rat Portage were amalgamated, the first two letters of each town were combined to form Ke-No-Ra. Long established as a lumbering town one of Kenora's brightest shining moments came in 1907 when an amateur hockey team made up of loggers, The Kenora Thistles, challenged and beat the Montreal Wanderers for the Stanley Cup. At the time Kenora had only 4000 residents, and is, to this day the smallest town to host Stanley Cup Winners. The Lake of the Woods Brewery traces it's origins to 1898 it operated until prohibition swept through Ontario, but then re-opened its doors in 1927, for 27 years. Until 2013 no brewery existed in Kenora until Lake of the Woods made its second triumphant return.

Tonight's offering is a blonde ale named after the Sultana gold mine. Onto the tasting...

Pours a light amber blonde colour with a large fluffy off tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is fruity light with bright highlights of malty caramel. Hint of fruity hops  and a touch of green plants. Bright and fruity in taste. Light in body and with good strong hints of malt. Sugar remains in the after taste with some green hoppy note. Finish is slightly smoky with a dried fruit hint. Aeration ramps up the hops with a little more intensity of the malt.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6  PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:


A god entry level beer for people getting into craft beer for the first time. However blonde ales never have been my favourite. That being said, this is still a definite try.

Cheers

CJT

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Beer # 197 Lion Grass Highlander Brew Co

Lion Grass Blonde Ale

Highlander Brew Company

South River, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Flavoured Blonde Ale 5.4 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 650 ml
$5.00 (Canadian) At LCBO 

Twitter: @HighlanderBrew

Highlander Brew Company is up there on my list of favourite new breweries. I have done their three core beers a while back Here, Here, and Here, and I was thrilled to find this one in the local LCBO, just recently.

Tonight's beer is a blonde ale that has been flavoured with organic lemongrass and dandelion leaves.

Onto the tasting...

Pours a cheery gold colour with a fluffy off-white head made up of tiny bubbles. Nose is very green and herbaceous with a distinct lemon scent and a hint of lemon bread.First sip gives us sweet lemon and lemon curd, with a chicory/coffee note from the dandelions. There is a slight herbal bitterness, that tastes similar to a frisee salad with a citrus dressing. Finish brings out a touch of barley and bread before going into a tangy lemon zest aftertaste. The beer tastes very green, lots of leafiness to it fresh and bright  ( a nice change from all of the heavy stouts and ales I have been tasting lately). There is also a very wine-like feel to it I get a nice grapey taste with the citrus and there are moments I feel like I am tasting a sauvignon blanc or a light riesling. Aeration brings out a good hit of malt, tangy sweet and dark malt sugars and a hint of caramel right at the back.

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:

Well that is a different, interesting, and very refreshing beer. It has a lot going on in the flavour department while still being light. You definitely need to get one of these in you. If only to say you have had a beer made with dandelions.


CJT


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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 # 100 Piraat (Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day)

Piraat (Pirate)

Brouwerij Van Steenberge

Ertvelde, Evergem, Belguim
Independant
Srong Belgium Blonde 10.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$3.33 (Canadian) At LCBO ($19.95 for the 6 bottle Belgian Gift Pack)
Twitter: Not Found

Ok I know... Talk Like a Pirate Day was last week. And yes, I meant to do this beer on that day... And Yes I was busy again... But we can pretend it still is? Sure we can... We are all friends here. Yarrr... On be wid der tastin'.

Brewery Van Steenberge has it's origins in 1784 as the Brewery Peer. Passed down through several Generations The current owner, Jeff Versele, is the 4x Great Grand Nephew of founder Jean Baptise De Bruin (Yes that translates to "John Baptist the Bear" Talk about an awesome wrestling name.) The brewery is the last operational one in the "Meetjesland" which is the coastal area of East Flanders in Belguim. The name literally translates to "Land of old Ladies. I could tell you why, but i can't do any better than Wikipedia:

There are many legends surrounding the origin of the name. The most known is the one of Emperor Charles V (Charles V) who was known for his sexual appetite. The story goes that when he traveled through the region people hid their daughters and their attractive young women, making emperor Charles think this region was full of old women (meetjes). Source.

'nuff said. Onto the booty...


Golden in colour with just a hint of cloudiness. Large fluffy white head made up of medium sized bubbles. Nose is sweet grainy, fruity, some banana and citrus. First sip is deep, rich, and rum-like. Quite malty and sweet... slightly sticky on the lips. However, very light tasting and effervescent, due to a small secondary fermentation in the bottle. Aeration brings out warm spicy notes and a huge shot of alcohol. Finish is mildly bitter, but refreshing.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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

Final Thoughts:

A delightful beer. the only sticking point is the high alcohol... It actually makes one drowsy drinking it. So try this one with food. It is a well rounded and excellently balanced beer.


Cheers

CJT


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Beer # 70 Iron Spike Blonde

Iron Spike Blonde Ale


Railway City Brewery
St. Thomas Ontario, Canada
Independent
Blonde Ale 4.3% ABV Tall Boy Can 473 ml.
$2.40 (Canadian) At LCBO.

Back to the brewery I started with in November of 2010. The first Beer I tasted for the blog was Dead Elephant Ale By Railway City Brewing, out of St. Thomas Ontario. Continuing with their railway theme (Dead Elephant refers to Jumbo the Elephant of the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus that was struck and killed by a train in St. Thomas in 1885) Iron spike refers to the large nail used to hold the rails of the train tracks to the wooden sleepers buried in the rail bed. Million of these nails were struck into the sleepers by hand to link Canada from shore to shore in the 1800's. Even today repairs on the rails are almost continuous across the nation with each of the spikes still being driven in by hand. The imagery is excellent as St. was such an important part of Canada's rail history,(at one time 26 railways passed through St. Thomas) and any rail worker would immediately identify with this ubiquitous symbol of the rail-line.

Onto the tasting:


Light gold in colour  with an off-white head made up of medium sized bubbles that disperse quickly. Roasty malt and herbal nose. First sip is clean and light with mild hints of honey. Malt intensity builds through the middle culminating in a slightly musty wet grain flavour. Finish is black tea and damp hay. Very unbalanced, the beer is almost wishy-washy to start and holds back until the aftertaste which it releases with a vengeance.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional                         


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO  
Experience:   3/6  SO-SO


Final Thoughts:


I really hate to knock an Ontario brewery, especially one trying as hard as Railway City. However, of the two beers I have tried from them, I am impressed with neither. Far from me to say stay away from this brewery... By all means seek them out and try their beers. I remind you my opinion is my own and I cannot dictate what you should like or will find pleasing. I look forward to trying more of Railway City's brews, perhaps they have a stellar offering on the horizon for me.


Cheers


CJT