Beyond the Pale: Mullet

After a bit of a hiatus the microbrew times is back with a beer by my favourite local brew artists, Beyond the Pale.  This is one of their Belgian IPA's, and a toned down version of their very tasty but very dangerous Party Animal.  I say toned down because it doesn't have as much alcohol as the Party Animal (5.8% vs. 9%) but still contains a lot of flavour.  As someone more partial to British beer styles than Belgian ones I can say that I am pleasantly surprised by this latest creation by the BTP boys.

It pours a cloudy and wheaty golden brown as a proper Belgian IPA should, which is a good omen.  The nose is quite hoppy and bitter, it really smells like a wheat IPA so on the nose I was a bit apprehensive.  The sip starts with a front load of hops that may be off putting to someone who is not familiar with IPA's, however it isn't as hoppy as some craft IPA's and APA's.  Fortunately those hops don't end up overwhelming the beer, it progresses into a smooth and wheaty middle that is actually quite sweet.  Notes of mango and pineapple are quite noticeable through the middle of a sip before those strong hops make a return for a finishing touch.  It's a surprisingly complicated beer that I really enjoy.  I also like the party animal but as a smaller guy I find it hard to enjoy in moderation, Mullet is a great alternative.

It's definitely available in growlers at the brewery on Hamilton Ave in Ottawa, you may also be able to find it on tap, their website only lists pubs and restaurants that BTP beers are sold, but they don't list which beers you can get.

Alc. 5.8% IBU 49

Rating: 3.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery Address:
5 Hamilton Ave N
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 1B4

Website: www.beyondthepale.ca 

Twitter: @BTPBrewing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondThePaleBrewingCompany?fref=ts

Alchimiste Imperial Stout

Alchimiste are one of the up and coming breweries in Quebec, and one that make an excellent variety of beers.  I have tried a number of them, but not the Imperial stout, so when the opportunity arose it was only natural that I give one a try, for research obviously.  Now, Imperial stout is not one of my preferred beer types.  I tend to find them too strong, too bitter, too boozy, and usually acrid tasting so to say that I was apprehensive about Alchimiste's version is an understatement.  As it turns out those preconceived notions (as they often are) were unfounded.

I had it from a bottle, poured into a glass and I knew I was on to something I could drink by the surprisingly mild nose.  Most Imperial stouts announce their bitter credentials immediately, so the mild nose was a welcome surprise.  I guess when you are brewing beer for Russians (who have a well founded reputation for hard drinking) then you don't normally worry about smoothness.  When you take a sip, it's hard to follow a traditional sip pattern of tongue, middle, and finish, this one sort of mixes the tongue and middle into one satisfying taste.  It's nice and malty, with the roasted malt flavour being very prominent, accented by some mild chocolate hints.  This progresses into a distinct coffee flavour that is really prominent on the finish, but it doesn't dominate the beer.  Most Imperial stouts have a really acrid finish, like you are drinking espresso, but the coffee finish on this version is much more tempered, more cappuccino than espresso.  This is really a fine example of Imperial stout, and one that I would be willing to try again, although handle with care due to the high alcohol content.

It's available in depanneur's and grocery stores throughout Quebec as well as on draught in a variety of bars and restaurants.

Alc 7.9% IBU 60

Rating: 4 Steins.

What you need to know

Website:
http://www.alchimiste.ca/en/index.php#

Brewery Address
681 Rue Marion
Joliette, Quebec
J6E 8S3

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MicrobrasserieAlchimiste/

Black Oak Nut Brown Ale

English Brown Ale is a great beer style, I'll just throw that out there.  It can be malty, complex, and yet not hoppy enough to turn people off.   Brown Ale was one of the beer types that convinced me that there was more to beer than fizzy lager so I have always had a soft spot for it and always pounce on the opportunity to try a new one.  I am actually surprised I had never had Black Oak's Nut Brown before, maybe they haven't been selling it outside the GTA for that long, but I found it in Ontario's much maligned Beer Store so I decided to grab myself a six pack.  

It pours a proper brown colour, lighter than some but darker than more popular brown ales (I'm looking at you Newcastle) so it definitely looks the part.  The nose is a satisfying malty flavour with strong caramel and coffee notes to it but neither of those are dominant.  They advertise chocolate notes as well, although I didn't really notice that, coffee and caramel yes but chocolate not so much.  On the intro to the sip you really get the coffee flavour, the malt is quite front loaded but not over the top which I quite like but it sorta disappoints from there.  After the coffee and malty intro it really falls off badly, I found the middle and finish to be quite watery with a hit of hops on the finish.  It is certainly drinkable but I found that it was a little bit disappointing given the promising intro and nose.  I certainly am willing to give this more time (I have 5 more in the fridge) but first impressions are that it needs work. 

It's available at the beer store, the LCBO, their brewery in Etobicoke as well as in some bars and restaurants in Ontario.

Alc 5% 

Rating 3 Steins

What you need to know

Website

http://www.blackoakbeer.com/

Twitter

@blackoakbrewing

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/blackoakbrewery?fref=ts

Brewery Address

75 Horner Ave, #1-

Toronto, ON

Tree Brewing Company: Cutthroat West Coast Ale

One phenomenon of the Craft Beer revolution is that geographic monikers get added to beer styles.  Until recently you never had an American Pale Ale, or a California Pale Ale or indeed a West Coast Pale Ale so breweries often take creative license with the definitions.  In my mind West Coast Pale ale is synonymous with American Pale Ale, which is synonymous with a whole pile of hops, however they only advertise this as being 38 IBU (and is just called West Coast Ale) so I didn't know what to expect, as it turns out I got a pretty good beer.

Cutthroat pours a nice burnt orange colour, which as loyal readers will know, is what I consider a sign of a proper pale ale so it was already promising.  The nose is not strong, but has a nice subtle sweet malt smell to it, some beers have really potent noses and weak tastes, this one has a weaker nose but good taste so that is a plus.  The sip opens with a slightly watery and minerally taste, this can be a bit deceptive as it progresses into a very sweet malt middle.  They say it has toffee notes, which I agree with, it's actually more like caramel to be specific but it's quite nice.  This sweet malt progresses into a distinctly ale-like finish with a surprisingly citrussy hop taste to it.  The hops don't have much of a presence until the finish/aftertaste but they are a welcome addition.  Overall it's an interesting beer, it starts as a sweet malty beer that is reminiscent of a Vienna lager (Stiegl and Gösser are good comparative examples) but the finish is an assertive reminder that this is indeed an Ale.  I find that the watery intro is an odd contradiction that makes me struggle to fully enjoy the beer, it's good but not great.

It's brewed in BC but distributed across Canada.  In Ontario you can get it in the LCBO, a full list of cities is available on their website.

Alc 5.0% IBU 38

Rating: 3 Steins

What you need to know

Website
http://www.treebeer.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/treebeer?fref=ts

Twitter
@treebrewing

Brewery Address
1083 Richter St
Kelowna, BC
V1Y 2KG

Underdogs Brewhouse, All or Nothing Hopfenweisse

One of the many advantages of Ontario relaxing their prohibition era liquor laws is that the LCBO is carrying more and more interesting craft beers, so when I dropped in last night I had to pick up a few new ones, for research purposes of course.  One of the ones I picked up was All or Nothing Hopfenweisse I beer type I don't normally drink by a brewery I had never heard of.  It's all part of the adventure of being a reviewer, and unlike other reviewers of other things I get beer, so without further ado, let's find out if this was a win, or a loss.

Underdogs are a rare breed of craft brewery in that they only brew one beer, hence the name all or nothing.  The rationale behind this is that you focus all of your efforts to make one beer really well, and Underdogs describe it as a beer unlike you have never seen before so I was looking forward to it.  It pours a cloudy orange colour, underscoring it's weisse credentials (which is always a good start) and on the nose you get very strong banana notes with an assertive wheatiness that really shows a lot of potential.  As a result of  the nose I was really looking forward to having a taste but sadly the nose is really the strong point of the beer.  As the sip starts you get an overwhelming taste of pretty much nothing unfortunately.  It starts with a mineral water flavour that progresses into a light beer esque middle that trails off with a slightly sour and bitter beery taste. I couldn't detect any of the tasting notes they have on their website so writing this review was quite difficult.  I really wish there was more to this beer as it is a pretty easy drinking brew, but it really doesn't taste like much.  It's a shame because the pour and the nose have so much potential, but the overall product is a letdown.  I wish every brewery success but I fear these guys won't go very far with a product that falls this flat, unfortunately I won't be buying it again.

It's available at the LCBO as well as at bars and restaurants throughout Ontario. 

Alc 5.1% IBU 25

Rating 1.5 steins. 

What you need to know

 Website
http://underdogsbrewhouse.com

Twitter
@underdogbeer

Facebook
 https://www.facebook.com/UnderdogsBrewhouse

Brewery address
1100 Skae Drive
Oshawa, ON L1J 7A1

Tooth and Nail Brewing Tenacity Pale Ale

There are  a lot of misconceptions about pale ale, particularly about the colour so I am always skeptical when I hear of a new one.  I love a good, proper pale ale in the old British style.  British organization CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has done a great job at promoting the definition of proper ales, to help fend off the lagerization of the beer world.  All this to say that a lot of people think pale ale is synonymous with blonde ale, when a proper pale ale should be a dark orange colour as opposed to yellow, straw colour and fortunately brand new Ottawa brewery Tooth and Nail have made a proper pale ale.  Tooth and Nail have only been open for 4 days at time of writing, so I can forgive them if their beers need some work, fortunately their Tenacity is nearly there, a great first beer!

A lot of Pale Ales front load the hoppy bitterness, however Tenacity is decidedly mild on the nose and tongue.  As the sip opens you get a nice and malty taste that gradually introduces the hop flavour, so as someone who isn't a fan of beers with front loaded hop flavour this was a refreshing change.  As the sip progresses the hops make their entrance, not overwhelming but enough to satisfy the most partisan of hop supporters.  This hoppy middle trails off into an interesting citrussy finish, something that is very reminiscent of a Belgian beer as opposed to an English Pale Ale, there is even a touch of banana flavour as you finish the sip.   The overall consistency is quite good, although I found it to be a tad thin, it could use some more malt.   Despite this thinness it is quite refreshing, a beer I would definitely recommend.  The interesting entente cordiale between English and Belgian styles is a nice touch, makes it stand out from other pale ales.

So far it's only available on tap at their on site bar/tasting room and at Brothers Beer Bistro in Ottawa, however they are planning on opening a retail shop soon and expanding to other bars and restaurants in Ottawa. 

Alc 5.8%
Rating: 4 Steins.

What you need to know

Website:
http://toothandnailbeer.com/

Brewery/Brewpub
3 Irving Ave.
Ottawa, ON

Twitter
@toothnailbeer

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/toothandnailbrewingcompany?fref=ts

Pit Caribou: La Bonne aventure Rousse

It's amazing how many microbreweries are popping up all across North America, in all parts of the continent and so it's only natural that there would be breweries in Gaspé.  Now, I have never been to Gaspé, however when my father brought back a few of their beers from a recent trip up that way I had to give them a try and take some notes.  Gaspé is a long way away from big cities so it's natural that their beer style would be different, however the good folks at Pit Caribou may be wise to take some lessons from other brewers as their beer could use some work. 

Bonne Aventure Rousse is a reddish brown ale that on the outside looks like a British style ale.  On the nose it is very earthy and woody, smells a bit like the forest but it doesn't end up tasting like it.  When you first take a sip you are hit with a powerful wave of hops, like a windy day on the coast, except with hops instead of sea water.  These hops really linger on the palate and overshadow a pretty good middle and finish, decently flavourful despite being a bit too thin for my tastes.  It's a shame that the hops are so front loaded as this beer does have some potential.  I would suggest trying it with something sweet, like a piece of chocolate, sweetness really cuts the bitterness of the hops and brings out the nice malty middle.  This beer does have potential but it has some serious balance issues, they really need to have more malt and less hops.  They claim it is a 25 IBU beer, but those IBU's are all front loaded, so it will taste like a much hoppier beer.

It's only available in the Gaspé region, either at their brewery in anse-à-beaufils, Quebec, their brewpub in Percé and at convenience stores througout the area.

Alc. 5% IBU 25
Rating: 2.5 Steins

What you need to know.

Website:
http://pitcaribou.com/

Brewery Address
27 rue de l'Anse,
Anse-à-Beaufils, QC

Brewpub
182, route 132 Ouest,
Percé, Quebec

twitter
@pitcaribou

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Microbrasserie-Pit-Caribou-525384144158039/timeline/

Beau's Kissemeyer Nordic Pale Ale

The quest for the perfectly balanced pale ale is a long and winding road.  Different interpretations of the genre can lead to different results.  In my mind the perfect pale ale has a strong and fragrant nose, with a good malt and hop balance and a smooth finish.  I have tried a plethora of different pale ales and each have had their strengths and weaknesses, but Beau's have come up with an intriguing creation that is one of the closest interpretations I have found.

The Kissemeyer series of beers are collaborations between the good folks at Beau's and other brewers.  Nordic Pale Ale is a unique brew that features a variety of different ingredients such as herbs, dried heather, cranberries, and maple syrup.  One would think that all of these ingredients would result in a mess of conflicting flavours, but Beau's have pulled it off.  It pours a proper straw yellow colour, as pale ales should, with a foamy bitter head.  On the nose those herbal notes really come out, complimenting the hops quite nicely.  The sip starts with an herby/malty almost sweet flavour, which is where that maple syrup comes in.   This herby intro progresses into a nice and bitter/hoppy middle.  A lot of pale ales punch you in the face with hops to start and then follow it up with the malt, but Nordic Pale Ale switches it up which makes the beer more palatable to those not used to hoppy beers, a very nice touch.  The finish is not the smooth trail off that most pale ales have, but it's actually a bit sour, but not too sour, which makes it a neat drink.  Overall this one is a true winner, the syrup and herbs make it much more drinkable than a lot of pale ales.  Some purists may be turned off by the extra ingredients, but this is a perfectly balanced beer that is a bit out of the ordinary.

It's available at the LCBO as well as the Beau's brewery in Vankleek Hill, ON.

Alc 5.6% IBU 30

Rating 4.5 Steins

What you need to know

Website:
www.beaus.ca

Brewery address
10 Terry Fox Dr.
Vankleek Hill, ON

Twitter
@beausallnatural

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BeausBrewery?fref=ts

Clock Tower Kölsch

Kölsch, the beer representing the German city of Cologne, and something you don't want to order in neighbouring Dusseldorf (but that's a long story).  Kölsch is a unique beer style, a sweet, golden lager that is meant to be consumed in large quantities out of tall, skinny 10 oz glasses.  I had a glass and a coaster (which you use to count how many you have in a kölsch hall) I was only missing one German city, and a man with a rack of beers.  In Europe kölsch would only be brewed in Cologne, but in North America we can be more liberal with the naming of beer styles and the Ottawa brewpub chain The Clocktower makes their own version that is a decent re-creation of the German original.

Kölsch should be sweet, golden and sessionable, and Clock Tower's version ticks most of those boxes.  It pours that perfect golden colour, more orange than most sweet light beers, which is proper kölsch.  It moves on from a light intro to a nice malty sweet middle that trails off into a slightly watery finish. Regardless of the slight watery letdown, this embodies the proper spirit of kölsch, a perfectly sweet, sessionable lager that refreshes and has very little hint of hops.  I have struggled with some of Clock Tower's beers in the past, but this one is of their better ones.  It still could be a bit more balanced, but it has the sweetness and smoothness of a proper kölsch, so I recommend it for something to drink in a longer session and if you are looking for something a little more rounded than a light beer.

It's available at their brew pubs on draught in Ottawa as well as in bottles for off sale.

Alc 4.4% IBU 25

Rating: 3.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewpubs
Glebe
575 Bank St,
Ottawa ON

New Edinburgh
422 MacKay St
Ottawa, ON

Byward Market
89 Clarence St
Ottawa ON

Westboro
418 Richmond Road
Ottawa, ON

Website
Clocktower.ca

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TheClocktowerBrewPub

Twitter
@The_Clocktower

The Publican House Brewery: Square Nail Pale Ale

It's always nice to try beers from different breweries, so when I saw Peterborough ON's Publican House Square Nail in the LCBO I decided to give it a try.  It is self styles as a West Coast Pale Ale, which is means that it should be a heavier, maltier pale ale than most.  Fortunately it hits that button in an interesting but slightly unfulfilling brew.

Square Nail pours a nice burnt orange colour, which is a good start, but the nose leaves a lot to be desired.  On the tongue you get a nice caramel taste, good maltiness that progresses into a citrussy middle with a relatively bitter finish.  Unfortunately all of these characteristics are only notes, they are very nice notes, but they are a part of a relatively bland melody.  Like a lot of complicated ales, this one struggles for balance, it has a lot of potential but I found that the overall flavour is thin and weak.  It's perfectly refreshing, but I had been hoping for more.  If ever there was a beer to remind you that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, this is it.

It's available at the LCBO in cans as well as at their brewery in Peterborough.

Alc 5.5% IBU 43

Rating 3 steins

What you need to know

Website
http://www.thepublicanhouse.com/

Brewery address
300 Charlotte Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 2V5

Twitter
@PublicanHouse

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/PublicanHouse

Great Lakes Brewery Canuck Pale Ale

Pale Ale is such a widely used term that opening a can or bottle can be a bit of a gamble.  Am I going to get something akin to a lager, or something so hoppy it could be used as paint thinner.  A proper pale ale should be decently hoppy, but not over the top, somewhere in the 25-40 IBU range is perfect (for those who pay attention to such things).  Canuck Pale Ale does fall into that bitterness zone, but it leaves you wanting for more.

Usually when I review beers that come in a can or bottle I pour them into a glass but I decided to drink Canuck straight from the can, and when I say I decided not to use a glass I really mean I was too lazy to use a glass.  No matter, right from the can is perfectly acceptable for pale ale and my first sips were decently promising.  It opens with a nice hoppy tongue, punctuated with a bit of malt.  A proper pale ale will surf the malt wave before trailing off into a smooth finish.  Unfortunately Canuck needs to work on it's surfing techniques because it quickly falls of the wave into a watery abyss.  It's  a shame really because this has the potential to be a very nice beer, but it's just not balanced enough.  If the hoppiness was present throughout the beer then it would be excellent, or if the malt would stay longer it would be excellent too, but this just doesn't do it for me.

It's available in cans at the LCBO and Beer Store in Ontario as well as at their brewery in Etobicoke.

Alc. 5.2% IBU 35

Rating 2.5 Steins

What you need to know

Website
http://greatlakesbeer.com/

Address
30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd
Etobicoke, Ontario M8Z 1L8

Twitter
@greatlakesbeer

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesBeer

Big Rig: Release the hounds, Black IPA

I love black ales, and I find that a lot of IPA's can be over-hoppy, so when Big Rig came out with a Black IPA I was intrigued.  Will this be bitter like an imperial stout, or will it be smoother like a black lager?  The answer is something in the middle that is a brilliantly balanced brew.  I have to admit that this is not the first time I have had Big Rig's Black IPA, the first time I had it was at their brewpub about a years ago when it was a seasonal and I thought it was excellent so I tweeted to them saying it should become a regular beer, and it has since become a regular on their menu.  I am not going to claim responsibility for the decision, but in my (occasionally delusional) mind I think I had a part to play. 

It pours almost black, more of an extremely dark brown with a decently creamy head.  The first sip produces a delightfully malty flavour, something akin to a light stout such as Guinness, but the texture feels definitely like an IPA.  This nutty/malty intro fades into a hoppy (but not too hoppy) middle, followed by a nice smooth finish.  This hoppiness is as hoppy as a proper IPA should be, which is to say that the hops are perfectly noticeable but they are but one piece of the overall puzzle, as opposed to overwhelming the beer the way some IPA's do.  I really like this beer, it is well balanced, flavourful, and perfectly drinkable for a 6.2% dark beer.  Big Rig have a large range of beers, but their Black IPA is a real winner, probably my favourite of their range.

It's available at their 3 brewpubs in Ottawa on draught and in growlers to take home.  It's also sold at the LCBO in cans.

Rating: 4.5 steins

What you need to know

Brewpubs
2750 Iris Street (Near Ikea)
Ottawa, ON

103 Schneider Road (Kanata)
Ottawa, ON

115-1980 Ogilvie Road (Gloucester Centre)
Ottawa, ON

Website
http://www.bigrigbrew.com/

Twitter
@Bigrigbrew

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BigRigBrew?fref=ts

Beau's Mission Accomplished

As many of my loyal readers may know, I have a tendency to be skeptical about IPA's.  It's not that I don't like IPA, it's just that some breweries have a habit of getting into a hops arms race that ends up overshadowing the actual flavour of the beer.  Fortunately Beau's have managed to keep their hop instincts from going into overdrive, producing a really interesting and flavourful brew.

It pours a nice orange colour, darker than straw coloured but not not the colour of a dark beer. One interesting thing to note about it is the amount of sediment, when you look at it through a glass you can see some dust floating around.  You get a good hop flavour on the nose, not over powering but an interesting almost light and sweet smell.  The flavour is interesting as well, it starts with that sweet and bitter hop combo, sorta fruity but not that intense grapefruit flavour that some IPA's have.  After that hop intro it settles down a lot into a smooth, slightly malty brew.  The malty and bready middle then trails off into a slightly watery and disappointing finish.  This is an IPA that has a lot of potential, I quite like it, although I have had better IPA's.  Beau's did a good job at keeping the hops under control and creating something that doesn't taste like most IPA's.  One thing to note is that if you are a bit skeptical about having a lot of sediment in your beer, you are best to drink it out of the bottle as opposed to pouring it into a glass, but if you are like me and don't mind having extra pulp in your beer then a glass is the way to go for sure.

It's available at their brewery or occasionally at the LCBO.   Unfortuantely it is a seasonal beer, and umm, that season has passed so sorry about that.  I was given a bottle for helping the good folks at brewdonkey proofread the French version of their website, but if you see it, and like interesting IPA's then I highly recommend this beer.

Alc 6.7 % IBU's 65
Rating: 3.75 Steins.  Oh and BTW I am now awarding quarter steins, because I can. 

What you need to know

Website:
www.beaus.ca

Brewery address
10 Terry Fox Dr.
Vankleek Hill, ON

Twitter
@beausallnatural

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BeausBrewery?fref=ts

King Brewery Dark Lager

I love dark lager.  A good schwarzbier is a nice alternative to a traditional blonde lager on a sunny day so I tend to be optimistic when I get my hand on one and King Brewery have a reputation for making good beer, so on paper this has the makings of being a very promising brew.  Unfortunately beer isn't brewed on paper so this didn't exactly live up to expectations, but is still a decently tasty beverage.

Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad beer, it just isn't all that great either.  The intro is nice and malty, but it has a really odd sour taste.  I am not sure what to make of it, and it is hard to describe but it is definitely interesting.  This sour taste is followed by a clean and smooth finish, slightly watery but perfectly drinkable. King Brewery Dark is definitely different from most black lagers which tend to be heavier, in fact this is actually quite light for a dark beer (which seems like a weird thing to say).  It is definitely not the worst black lager I have ever had, but it isn't the best either.  The weird malty flavour will probably be a bit off-putting to some, but I think it adds an interesting aspect to the beer that most other black lagers don't offer.  I am definitely willing to give it another try, some beers need multiple samplings in order to fully appreciate them, and this is one of them.

It's available at the LCBO, the Beer Store, and at their brewery in Nobleton, ON.  I had it in a bottle, but their website says it is on draught in some parts of Ontario.

Alc 4.7% Rating: 3 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery
5645 King Road
Nobleton, Ontario
L0G 1N0

Website:
www.kingbrewery.ca

Twitter:
@kingbrewery

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kingbrewery?fref=ts

Bicycle Craft Brewery, Belle River Blonde

A lot of craft brewers struggle with lighter and paler ales. They are a lot more complicated to make than you would expect, especially compared to IPA's where the general solution is to throw hops at any problems.  Unfortunately to make a good, drinkable lager or pale ale you need to be a bit more creative.  Some succeed, some fall flat on their faces, some end up somewhere in between, and that's where Belle River Blonde comes in. 

I will admit that my first glass of Belle River blonde did not impress me, but that was after having had a glass of Nita's much maltier and hoppier OPA, so Belle River sorta fell flat to me.  I really needed to step back, and have this as a standalone beer, instead of following something stronger.  Belle River is not complicated, nor does it pretend to be, bit it is refreshing.   The nose is actually quite pungent, almost sour with a noticeable hop aroma, but when you actually take a drink it is not hoppy whatsoever.  The pour is quite cloudy, so you would expect it to be a bit wheaty, but it isn't, it is just simple and refreshing with a slight hop finish.  Personally I like it, it's what you want after a hard day of work, not complicated, not too strong, just pure beer.  I imagine it would be great in the summer in front of the barbecue, but even in the winter it really goes down smooth, and at 4.7% it's nice and sessionable as well.  Fans of more complicated beers might complain that this is a bit bland, which it can be, but that's not the point of this beer, the point is to be a refreshing, clean beer to be enjoyed after a hard day of work.  It's simplicity will prevent me from giving top marks, but this would be a great beer to introduce to people who don't drink craft beer, it's not easy to win over the Coors Light crowd, but this could be a good stepping stone. 

It's available in Growlers at their brewery and you can order it online at brewdonkey.ca.  You can also get it on tap at various pubs and restaurants in Ottawa, a list is available on their website.

Alc: 4.7% IBU 22

Rating: 3.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery and tap room
850 Industrial Ave, unit 12
Ottawa, ON
K1G 4K2

Website:
http://www.bicyclecraftbrewery.ca/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bicyclecraftbrewery

Twitter
@Bicyclebrewery 

Ontario Beer Company 100 Mile Lager

Local, a word that you often see in connection to Craft beer, but just how local is your beer?  It may be made down the street, but where did those ingredients come from?  If your hops were grown in Germany, and the barley grown in Saskatchewan then it is not really that local, at least according to the Ontario Brewing Company who make beer comprising only ingredients grown in Ontario.  Despite the fact that the ingredients aren't grown within 100 miles of the brewery in Toronto, is still a novel idea so I was very intrigued by the concept. 

Lager can be a tricky business because the flavours are so subtle it is very hard to make something unique, and unfortunately 100 mile lager misses the mark somewhat.  The first thing you note is that it is quite sweet, and a bit wheaty on the tongue, almost pilsner-esque.  Unfortunately that's where it goes a bit downhill because the middle and finish are pretty watery, with a slight bitter and hoppy note.  It's not that it is unpleasant, just watery and a bit bland with some balance issues.  I can definitely see the potential here but what I tried was a bit of a letdown.

It's available at the LCBO, and on tap in Toronto, including at the Duggans Brewery, who are one of the collaborators in this company

Rating: 2.5 Steins

What you need to know

Website
http://www.ontariobeercompany.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ontario-Beer-Company/205451729636616

Twitter
@Ontariobeerco

Broadhead: Grindstone Amber Ale

I have always struggled with Broadhead beer.  The guys are proper beer guys, I have chatted with them at beer fests and they are really fun and enthusiastic about what they do, but their beer has tended to be a letdown.  In my experience they have had issues with the beer being watery and generally bland, but I was willing to give them another shot with Grindstone Amber, a beer style I am quite fond of, unfortunately this one still struggles to bring much flavour to the table.

The first sign of trouble is the pour, the side of the can tells you it has a rich amber colour, but the reality of the situation is that the colour is more of a light gold, closer to what you would expect from a Pale Ale or a Vienna lager.  I am not one to judge a book by it's cover or a beer by it's colour so I pressed on to nose, which didn't provide a whole lot to go on either.   At tasting time, the can told me it should be balanced with a bitter-sweet finish and caramel overtones, unfortunately that didn't really happen either.   I got the bittersweet finish, but the caramel overtones were nowhere to be found.  What I did find was a wimpy and watery amber that leaves you wanting for more.  The sip intro provides a bit of a malty flavour but then things just fall off a cliff, I was hoping to get that caramel flavour but what I got was pretty much nothing, very watering with little to no flavour, quite a disappointment.  It sorta picks up on the finish with a slight bittersweet finish, but this beer needs work.  It's a shame because they broadhead guys are really funny and down to earth, but their amber leaves a lot to be desired.  It goes down smooth but fans of Amber ales will be left wanting for more.

It's available at their brewery, at the LCBO as well as on tap throughout Eastern Ontario.

Rating: 2 steins

What you need to know

Brewery
81 Auriga Drive, Unit 13
Ottawa, ON, K2E 7X7

Website
http://broadheadbeer.com/

twitter: @broadheadbeer

Facebook
Facebook page

Duggan's No. 9 IPA

Mike Duggan is a perfect embodiment of the spirit of adventure and bravery that appeals to craft beer fans.  A veteran of the industry he has founded 3 breweries Mill Street and Duggan's Brewery (twice!).   His self titled Duggan's brewery is a story in itself, after leaving Mill St, Duggan opened his own brewpub in a cavernous old building on Church street in downtown Toronto, where I first tried No. 9 and chatted with Duggan.  Unfortunately the first brewpub didn't work out and it closed in 2011.  Undeterred, Duggan borrowed brewery space to keep making No 9 until he re-opened Duggan's brewery on Queen Street west, in the Parkdale neighbourhood where he has had more success.   When I tried No. 9 in 2010 on Victoria street I really liked it, so when I was in my local LCBO I decided to pick a couple up to see if it is still as good as I remember it, fortunately it is!

Number 9 pours a nice amber colour, and it has a nice hoppy nose to it so the start is promising. From there it smooths out into a malty smooth middle that is almost creamy in feel.  This middle is not complicated, but it goes down easy and avoids a lot of the wateriness that some less finely tuned IPA's can suffer from, unfortunately I still found that middle to be a bit bland, but it is not too bad.  The finish brings back the hop bouquet quite nicely, although it may be a bit grapefruity for some.  It's not perfect, but I like it, the sip is a journey, much more than most beers are, so you sorta get the malt and the hops in different stages.  Duggan does a good job of keeping the hops under control but still adding the strength and depth that appeals to IPA fans.  It may not be a mass-market IPA but this should appeal to most IPA fans apart from the Uber-hop afficianados.   The slightly bland middle does let it down a bit, but this is still a tasty brew and one I will be happy to try again.

It's available across Ontario in the LCBO as well as at their Queen St. West brewpub and on tap at a variety of bars and restaurants in Ontario

Rating. 3.5 steins

Alc 6.2%

What you need to know

Brewpub
1346 Queen St W
Toronto ON, M6K 1L4

Website
http://www.duggansbreweryparkdale.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/duggansbrewery

Twitter
@Duggansbrewery

Barley Days: Wind & Sail Dark Ale

Barley Days are one of the more succesful Ontario craft breweries.  Based in Prince Edward County near Kingston, they make  a very popular, and pretty decent, harvest gold ale that you can get at the LCBO.  When I noticed they had a dark brown ale I was looking forward to giving it a try.  Although I had some reservations about the Harvest gold, I love brown ale, particularly English style brown ales so I was looking forward to giving this one a go, unfortunately I'll need to keep looking.

Everything about this was unfortunately a bit of a letdown.  I took my first sniff and didn't get a whole lot of flavour in the nose but I still had high hopes for the middle and finish.  It intros quite bland, not a whole lot of flavour, but the middle improves to a decent nutty and hoppy flavour, the only redeeming quality.  Unfortuantely that hoppiness gets mixed with a bland, watery finish that produces a bitter, almost sour aftertaste.  The potential is there, but the balance is all wrong, if you are a fan of brown ales I would suggest looking elsewhere, this one just doesn't cut it in my books.

It's available year round at the LCBO as well as on brewdonkey.ca

ABV: 5%

Rating: 1.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery address
13730 Loyalist Parkway
Picton, ON
K0K 2T0

Website:
www.barleydaysbrewery.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/barleydaysbrewery

Twitter:
@barleydaysbrews
 

Nita Beer Company OPA

Nita craft beer is one of Ottawa's newest breweries, and it held the title of the newest in town for about a month in Feb 2015 before Waller Street opened their doors.  Thanks to the good folks at brewdonkey.ca (the best donkey ever!) I managed to get myself a growler of their OPA Pale Ale.  Contrary to what I thought, OPA does not actually stand for a new beer style, it actually refers to the Greek work OPA! Which according to their website is a word to celebrate life itself. 

OPA is an interesting ale.  It's not really an IPA, but is too hoppy to be traditional pale ale, so what is it?  Well, I am not sure they really know, but it is very tasty.  The hop flavour is front loaded, so the palate is quite hoppy and a bit floral, once that is out of the way it progresses into a nice malty middle that trails off into a smooth finish.   You smell the hops immediately but the front-loadedness of the hops actually makes it a better beer as you aren't getting any surprise hop kicks to the face. It actually is less intense than a lot of other 70 IBU beers.  The maltiness sets it apart from most IPA's because it adds a sweet and smooth character that a lot of other beers seem to miss out on, I really like what they have done here, and I look forward to trying more Nita Beers

It's available at their brewery on Colonnade road as well as for delivery via brewdonkey.ca.  I highly recommend this beer, and I wish the folks at Nita all the success in the world because one of their first beers is a winner

Alc 6% IBU 70

Rating 4 Stein

What you need to know

Brewery
190 Colonnade Rd, Unit 17
Ottawa, ON
K2E 7J5

Website
nitabeer.com

facebook
https://www.facebook.com/NitaBeerCompany

Twitter
@nitabeerco

Bicycle Craft Brewery: Velocipede IPA

IPA has really become a style associated with craft beer.  There are a lot of different sub types of IPA, from Rye IPA, to wheat IPA, to dark IPA, however one constant is that pretty much all craft breweries make at least one of them.  Bicycle, yet another new member of the Ottawa craft brewery club makes Velocipede IPA, a beer named after the original name for a bicycle and it is indeed an IPA.

The problem with IPA is that as more and more craft breweries keep making them, they become as common and often as generic as the blonde lager that craft beer sought to replace, so I am naturally a little bit wary of any new IPA.  Regardless of any wariness, I decided to give Bicycle's Velocipede a try.  It pours a cloudy brownish blonde colour, as most IPA's do, and it carries a stronger alcohol content than your standard beer, as most IPA's do.  Everything was shaping up to be a generic IPA, which it ended up being.  It's not that Velocipede is a bad beer, it starts with a slightly sweet and malty tone and finishes with a roundhouse kick of hops to your face.  Fortunately it's more of a Steve Urkel roundhouse kick than a Chuck Norris kick so it doesn't hurt too bad, but it still upsets the balance somewhat.  The bicycle website proclaims that velocipede has floral and citrus notes, but I didn't really notice either of those things, I mostly tasted hops.  I guess I am a bit jaded about IPA, but I didn't notice anything special about this particular one. If you like IPA, then I am sure you will enjoy this one, but if you are wary about the style then don't bother. 

It's available in Growlers at their brewery and you can order it online at brewdonkey.ca.  You can also get it on tap at various pubs and restaurants in Ottawa, a list is available on their website

Alc. 6.0% IBU 70

Rating 3 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery and tap room
850 Industrial Ave, unit 12
Ottawa, ON
K1G 4K2

Website:
http://www.bicyclecraftbrewery.ca/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bicyclecraftbrewery

Twitter
@Bicyclebrewery

Beyond the Pale: Pretty little Porter

Ah Porter.  The less popular cousin (and ancestor) of stout.  A lot of breweries make various different flavoured porters that can very widely in consistency and flavour.  Some are good, some not so good, but how many are real representations of "traditional" porter?  And what is "traditional" porter anyways?  It's an interesting question that can cause debate, but I'm not here to discuss the semantics of what makes porter, I am here to talk about whether or not a beer is tasty, and fortunately I have one that is.

Porter is usually a lighter version of Stout, the history of the two styles are intertwined and Stout was originally a stronger variety of Porter.  Beyond the Pale's Pretty Little Porter is indeed lighter and smoother than their "Darkness" Oatmeal Stout.  It pours a proper dark brown, not quite pitch black, but a very dark brown.  The first taste is one of smoothness, not overly watery, but properly lighter than a stout.   The beginning of the sip brings out a really nice and slightly bitter coffee flavour, as the sip progresses you get a nutty and smooth middle before it fades off.  It has a really good early and mid sip balance with a surprising amount of flavour, the only downside is that it sorta fades off into a watery finish.  The bitterness of the early sip is nicely tempered by the smooth nutty middle, and the lightness of it will appeal to those who find stouts too thick and heavy.  The only warning is that at 6.1% it is stronger in alcohol than it tastes, so if you are driving be warned that it may catch up to you.  

It's available in growlers at their brewery, as it is a seasonal I can't guarantee that they have it on draught anywhere, but Beyond the Pale have beer available in a large number of bars and restaurants throughout Eastern Ontario so you may get lucky and find it on tap.  

Alc 6.1% IBU 25

Rating: 4.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery Address:
5 Hamilton Ave N
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 1B4

Website: www.beyondthepale.ca 

Twitter: @BTPBrewing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondThePaleBrewingCompany?fref=ts

The Microbrew times resurrected. Side Launch Pale Ale

After a long hiatus I have decided to return to writing beer reviews on the Microbrew times.  These are exciting times for craft beer (or beer in general) lovers so I hope to be able to bring you my views on some of the newer beers you can now find in Ontario or Quebec (or Both).  My first review is going to be Side Launch Pale Ale, an interesting brew that is somewhere between an American Pale Ale and a traditional English Pale Ale.

If you have never heard of Side Launch Brewing Company, don't worry, I hadn't heard of them either until I saw some of their beers at my local LCBO.  Naturally I had to pick up a couple of cans and I was glad I did.  They style it as a pale ale, but there isn't too much pale about it in terms of colour, as it pours a neat cloudy brown-ish hue.  A first sip brings out notable hop flavour, something that caught me off guard at first, but when you start drinking it a bit more you can easily get past it.  A sip starts with a sweet, almost caramelly taste that progresses into that hoppy middle.  The hops provide a nice floral bitterness that doesn't overwhelm but is definitely noticable, it then fades off into a citrussy finish that reminds you of it's American Pale Ale roots.  It's really nicely balanced and creative style mix.  I like the contrast between the sweet entry and bitter finish, a really good first offering from the Side Launch folks.  I look forward to trying more of their offerings as their first beer was a really winner.  One side note is that it is much better poured into a glass, the sweet caramelly opening doesn't come out well when drunk straight from the can

It's available at the LCBO as well as at their brewery in Collingwood, Ontario.

Alc 5.3 % IBU: 35

Rating: 4 Steins

What you need to know

Address
200 Mountain Road, Unit 1
Collingwood, ON
 
Website
http://sidelaunchbrewing.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sidelaunchbrewing

Twitter
@sidelaunch