Mill Street: Tankhouse

As winter approaches, it comes a time when the lagers and summer weiss beers get retired and it's time to hunker down and drink something hearty and filling, something to properly warm you up during our cold Canadian winters, something dark and heavy and flavourful and tankhouse is a very good choice when you come in from the cold.

Tankhouse is a traditional English style pale ale, which can be a bit confusing as there isn't a whole lot pale about it, it actually pours a dark amber colour.  I guess the definition of pale is different in England than it is over here.  When you have a sip it is quite bitter and malty, Mill St. really do a good job at bringing out the flavour of the roasted malt.  It is quite thick so people who are used to blonde beer might be in for a bit of a surprise, however once you get past the initial thickness it settles in to being a really well balanced and something that warms the insides.   It is really best served on draught, by the fire, in a small local pub, but if you can't find one of those it is also great out of a bottle and at any other establishment.  I find that it is a great choice as it gets colder and the fact that it is only 5.2% means that it won't make you all wobbly after one pint the way other thick beers tend to.

It's available at bars and restaurants throughout Ontario as well as in bottles at the LCBO and Beer store.  They also have 4 brew pubs, 3 in the GTA and one up here in Ottawa so you really don't have any excused not to give it a try!  The fact that their Toronto brew pub is on Tank House lane give you a good indication of how well they rate this beer!

Rating: 4 steins

What you need to know

Brewery & Brew Pub

21 Tank House Lane
Toronto ON
M5A3C4

Other Brew Pubs
Ottawa
555 Wellington St
Ottawa, ON
K1R 1C5

Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1
Mississauga, ON
L4W 1S9

Website: http://www.millstreetbrewery.com
twitter: @MillStreetBrew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillStreetBrewery?fref=ts

Anchor Brewing Company: Liberty Ale

I may be reaching a bit when I count this as being microbrew, as Anchor Brewing Company produce 180,000 barrels per year, but they are not owned by Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Miller, or any other mega brewery so in my mind they count.  Either way it is a damn tasty beer and, most improtantly, it's a beer that does not taste like most of the bland generic swill made by the big guys.

Liberty Ale is a very interesting brew.  It's not really an IPA, but it is quite hoppy like an IPA, and it isn't a wheat beer, despite having some characteristics of a wheat beer, to say it is difficult to describe is an understatement, but I love a challenge so here goes.   When you take a sip you get the immediate hoppiness, it is not like some of the overwhelming IPA's you get from other breweries but you notice it right away.   However once the hops get out of the way it trails off into a really nice fruity/wheaty taste that is very tasty.  It has a really good balance and it is surprisingly carbonated, their website describes it as "champagne like" bubbles and I have to agree with them, I wasn't expecting it to be that bubbly.   Regardless it makes for a very interesting and very tasty brew, I have only recently seen Anchor beers available here in Ontario and I will be interested in getting it again.

Anchor brewing company is based in San Francisco, it is available throughout the United States.   In Canada it is sold at the Beer Store in Ontario as well as at some specialty beer stores in Quebec and Alberta.  It may be available in other provinces (their website isn't that specific) so check your local beer store if you are not in one of those three aforementioned provinces, as you may get lucky.

Rating: 4 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery
1705 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Website:
www.anchorbrewing.com

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

Twitter:
@AnchorBrewing

Kichesippi 1855

Kichesippi is one of Ottawa's most successful microbreweries and they have made their name with beers that are more for the masses as opposed to a brewery like Beyond the Pale who make great and adventurous beers but will struggle to win over those who are longtime commercial beer drinkers.  1855 is one of regulars on Kichesippi's roster and a pretty good dark beer at that.

1855 is a dark malty beer, brown in colour and reminiscent of an English style Brown Ale.  It is very malty, moreso than the colour would suggest (it is a little more red than brown).  The beginning of the sip is quite caramelly with an almost surprising bitter kick at the end, its almost as if that bitter kick is a reward for having chosen this beer.   I found it worked very well with a good burger, but I found that it was a little bit too watery for my tastes, however it is definitely a step up from the red or brown beers made by the big guys.  Faced with a row of taps at a pub, I would definitely consider 1855

It's available at their brewery in Ottawa as well as on draught at pubs and restaurants throughout Eastern Ontario.  Their natural blonde is also available in six packs at some LCBO locations but I have yet to see 1855. 

Rating: 3.5 Steins

What you need to know
Brewery address
866 Campbell Avenue,
Ottawa ON K2A 4C5

Website
www.kbeer.ca

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

Twitter
@kichesippibeer

Beyond the Pale: Breaking Bitter

Beyond the pale are one of the most adventurous microbreweries in Eastern Ontario, every week they have great new brews.  This is awesome because we always get to try new beer, but the drawback is that sometimes you will have an amazing beer but then they don't make it again.  Sitting here on my balcony having a glass of Breaking Bitter on a sunny Sunday afternoon is delightful, with a twinge of sadness as I don't know if and when they will make another batch.  I guess I should have bought 2 growlers of it.

Breaking Bitter is a Special Bitter (as opposed to an extra special bitter like propeller or Fuller's ESB).  As a result it is not exactly all that bitter, especially not compared to a lot of styles like IPA or APA.   Most ESB's pour a dark amber or red colour, but a special bitter will be closer to an Austrian lager or darker pale ale in colour, a dark yellow or honey colour and Breaking Bitter is no exception to that rule.  At 37 IBU's it has a good smoothness about it, but with a nice bitter finish to it, something that serves as a reminder that it is indeed something more robust than a golden lager.   As befitting BTP, it is also full bodied, none of the wateriness that some microbrews fall in to, this is a near perfect beer that is brilliantly refreshing as well as flavourful and a bit bitter.  There is something for everyone here.  At 5.3% you can also have a pint or two of it knowing that you will still be able to drive afterwards, which is an added bonus.

Unfortunately this batch of breaking bitter has sold out at their retail store, but apparantly Brothers Beer Bistro in the Byward Market got their hands on a keg of it, so if you are lucky you might get a hold of a pint there.  If you see it on tap elsewhere in the Ottawa area I would strongly suggest you give it a try, it is a great beer that anyone who likes any style of beer will enjoy.  If you ar reading this BTP, please please make more Breaking Bitter!

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

Church Key Northumberland Ale

I don't normally buy things when I don't know what they are, but with beer I can make exceptions so when I bought Northumberland Ale not knowing what I was getting (apart from beer of some sorts) I was not overly worried, and the gamble did end up paying off.

Northumberland is an amber coloured ale that drinks more like a pale ale than an amber.  When I first tasted it I thought that it was a wheat beer, but on further research (as in drinking more of it) that wheaty flavour is a result of a sweeter malt than a lot of beers.   The result is a nice, light and refreshing beer, one that goes good with a Barbecue.   I would definitely consider Northumberland to be a summer beer, not complicated, refreshing, but wiith enough malty flavour to separate it from the bland mass produced stuff.  The only drawback is that it has a bit of a skunky taste if it gets warm, so if you are drinking it you will need to drink it more quickly, which is such a tough task......

It's available at their brewery as well as at the LCBO and at the Stinking Rose Pub in their hometown of Campbellford, Ontario.  My one suggestion to Church Key is that they should really improve their labeling.  None of the beer cases say what style of beer each is, so if you aren't familiar with their products you could find yourself with a beer style that you don't like. 

Rating: 3.5 Steins

What you need to know

Brewery
1678 County Rd # 38
Campbellford, On K0L 1L0

Website:
www.churchkeybrewing.com

Twitter:
@churchkeybeer

Beau's: The Spruce Moose

Beau's is one of Eastern Ontario's most successful microbreweries.  Their lug tread lager is available at pubs and restaurants throughout Ontario and has been a huge success.  I haven't reviewed lug tread yet for two reasons 1) I prefer to review newer beers and ones fewer people have tried and 2) I don't find the lug tread to be particularly interesting.  Luckily Beau's are also quite adventurous and so I jumped on the chance to try the Spruce Moose APA. 

Spruce Moose is considered an APA or American Pale Ale.  This is a style that is considered to be decently hoppy but not as strong as an IPA but hoppier than a regular Pale Ale and in terms of hoppiness it definitely falls into that category.  Beau's describe this beer as being a spruce flavoured (hence the name) but when I was drinking it on tap I didn't really notice that, I only discovered that it was made with spruce tips when I checked their website afterwards.  Despite the lack of spruciness (which is probably not a real word) it is supposed to have, this is a very tasty beer.  It is not overly complicated but it is refreshing and it has enough hops to make you notice they are there.   At 33 IBU it is a good, mid range hoppy beer and I found it very refreshing on a cold and dreary day.  It is 6.2% but it doesn't taste that strong, so I would be careful as it could creep up on you, especially if you on the small side like me. 

It's available at their brewery as well as for home delivery.  It is also available at select pubs across Eastern Ontario.

Rating: 3.5 Steins

What you need to know
Brewery
10 Terry Fox Drive
Vankleek Hill, ON
K0B1R0

Website:
www.beau's.ca

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

Twitter
@beausallnatural

Golden Lion Brewing: Bishop's Best Bitter

Reviewing beer from the Golden Lion (or just the Lion for my fellow Bishop's alumni) will be difficult to do without being biased.  For the majority of Bishop's Grads, the Lion has a special place in our hearts, when we referred to "The Bar" we were talking about the Lion, an amazing brewpub that is populated by an interesting mix of local regulars and university students.  The Lion is a Lennoxville institution, and one that was selected as the best student pub by Rick Mercer and so a glass of Lion beer brings back a flood of (sometimes foggy) memories of my university days.  The Lion's most famous beer is their pride, a delicious English style Brown Ale, but my personal favourite is their Best Bitter. 

Bishop's Best Bitter is a copper coloured Extra Special Bitter that really lives up to it's Bitter description.  The first thing you notice is the smell, unlike a lot of other beers it smells a bit floral and earthy, something you don't expect from beer.  When you take a sip these floral notes really come to the forefront, you can really taste the hops, but unlike a lot of IPA's, that hoppiness is combined with a delightful maltiness that really rounds out the flavour so you aren't just being punched in the face with hops.  When you take a sip, the bitterness is right there to greet your palate, you will immediately know what beer you are drinking!  Once the initial bitterness gets out of the way it settles into a caramel flavour that properly rounds out the flavour.   In addition to the bitterness it is also quite thick , it packs a lot of flavour into one glass, it is a slow drinking beer.  Despite the malty/hoppy combo, be warned, this beer is still very bitter, so it wouldn't be something for everyone, and the over the top bitterness is the only thing that is keeping this from getting the full 5 Stein rating.  

It's available on draught at the Golden Lion Pub in Lennoxville as well as in 500 ml bottles at the Brewery and at the occasional grocery or convenience store in Sherbrooke.  I also have heard unconfirmed reports of it making an appearance at "Bieres du monde" in Gatineau, so if anyone sees it there please let me know (and pick me up some!).

Rating: 4.5 Steins

What you need to know
Golden Lion Pub & Brewery
2902 College St
Sherbrooke (Lennoxville), Quebec
J1M 1T4

Website:
www.lionlennoxville.com/

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