Staropramen Premium Beer

As a beer lover, one of the travel destinations I would most like visit is Prague, Czech Republic.  So many fantastic beers are Czech or Czech-inspired.  If anyone is at a loss about what to give me for my next birthday, plane tickets to Prague would be a nice touch.

Staropramen Premium Beer is a fine example of pale lager from Prague.  Sold in 500mL cans, this little fella weighs in at 5% alcohol.  It is a very clear brew, with the nice golden colour of apple juice.  It has a grainy, bready aroma with an aluminum kick.

My wonderful partner took the time to review this one with me.  In her opinion, Staropramen tastes light and is noticeably fizzy, with an apple-y undertaste.  She says it is more fizz than substance and has a refreshing, slightly bready aftertaste.  In her opinion, this is a great session beer.

In my opinion, the flavour is quite doughy and moves from sweet to bitter.  It has a fairly bulky, bitter aftertaste that is quite tinny and tends to linger.  This is not a bad little lager.

This brew is worth trying, but it's not apt to leave you awestruck.  It's more of a reliable, stalwart mug o' suds.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (Partner would have given this a remarkable 9.0, particularly due to its foam moustache potential).

La Vache Folle--Columbus and Aramis Double IPAs

Here's a rarity for this blog--a double post.  Think of this as the blog equivalent of a rare, collector's issue.  The reason for the toofer?  Two interesting produced by Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec's MicroBrasserie Charlevoix.  Both beers are extremely punchy double IPAs, both measure in at 9%, and both are sold in remarkably similar bottles featuring a mad cow.  The sole difference apparently is the type of hops used.

The first, Columbus, pours a fairly clear copper colour, with a frothy head.  The brew features a hoppy aroma of pine, with a zesty orange peel kick.  This brew is REALLY sweet for an IPA, with candied orange notes layered over a bitter, piney base.  Columbus leaves a sweet residue on the lips after every sip.  While the aftertaste is underscored by bitterness, it remains very sweet through the finish.

The Columbus Double IPA is a strong ass beer that is deceptively sweet and highly alcoholic.  It is an interesting take on the strong IPA, and definitely worth a try.

The second, Aramis,  pours a slightly cloudy, dull orange colour.  It has mild to medium carbonation and is capped with a dense, foamy head.  According to the label, the Aramis hops used to brew this beer comes from Alsace.  The aroma is both peppery and hoppy.  Flavour-wise, Aramis is very strong and very complicated.  It kicks off with a sweet, malty body and leads into an aftertaste that is bitter, piquant, and alcohol-heavy.

 The Aramis Double IPA is a bold brew that is unlikely to be everybody's cup of tea.  However, fans of strong, pungent ales are apt to dig this one

Rating(s): 7.5 (Columbus) and 8.0 (Aramis)

Creemore Springs-urBock

The Creemore Springs Brewery from Creemore, Ontario gives me a weird sort of hope.  The reality is that many interesting and successful microbreweries are being swallowed up by larger national brands.  Molson owns Creemore.  What gives me hope is that, by and large, Molson seems to have allowed Creemore to do its thing just as it did when it was an independent.  While I would always prefer give my few sheckels to a local brewer, I have no major beef with a large corporation using its broader distribution network to get good craft beer to the masses.  The caveat is that the brewer has to be permitted to remain creative and to rely on the methods and ingredients that made them great.  Kudos to Molson for their (to my eye) hands off approach to running Creemore Springs.

Creemore's urBock is a delightful pint.  Weighing in at 6%, this dark brown/amber coloured brew is sold in 473mL cans.  It is quite clear and features considerable carbonation.  It is topped with a thick, but quickly dissipating, white head.  It has a slightly sweet aroma of grains and toasted nuts.  The flavour moves from sweet to bitter and comprises dank (but pleasant!) basement-y malts.  The aftertaste is nicely balanced between hoppy bitterness and molasses sweetness.

If I had my way, this beer would have a touch more kick and be a bit more bitter. However, this is a nice bock that is well worth purchasing.  Bock is a style I'd like to see more brewers playing with, and I love the idea of having a good one produced in Ontario.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Elli Will-Bière d'Épinettes

My French isn't great, but my nose is getting better.  I'm going to say that this is a spruce beer--it smells like a tree farm and it tastes like Christmas.  This intriguing brew comes from Ham-Sud, Quebec, where it is brewed by les Brasseurs du Hameau.  It is sold in 500mL bottles and weighs in at 5.5%.

Elli Will pours a cloudy, whitish colour that makes it look like a weiss bier.  It is topped by a moderate foam of off-white head.  It has an undeniable spruce scent--very forest-y.  This beer tastes like drinking a Christmas tree.  It is sweet to bitter, but the prevailing flavour is definitely softwood.  The aftertaste is slightly bitter, and remains Christmas, through and through.

An interesting product, worth a try for its novelty value alone, this beer also has considerable merit.  It wouldn't be a brew that I'd crave, nor would I sit down to a second, but it's one that I would be glad to revisit.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Spearhead Hawaiian Style Pale Ale

The Spearhead Brewing Company hails from Toronto, Ontario.  Their signature brew is their Hawaiian Style Pale Ale, an interesting and punchy little brew that, according to their website, is brewed with pineapple.  I'm intrigued.

I enjoyed a pint on tap at a local eatery.  It arrived quite clear, with just a hint of cloudiness.  It was a ruddy copper colour with a thin ring of off-white head.  It left tons of lace behind after each sip.  Definitely an attractive mug o' suds.

The aroma is an interesting mix of hops and toffee sweetness.  Tastewise, this one moves from sweet to bitter.  The menu told me to expect pineapple flavour, but at first I didn't really pick it up.  I was definitely getting citrus, but the pineapple taste eluded me.  Still I was really enjoying it--bitter and brassy, with considerable sweetness.  Then I ordered a second one and the pineapple taste revealed itself to me.  It really is delightfully understated--this is not an in-your-face flavoured beer.  Rather, it is a pale ale first, with a subtle hint of pineapple essence.  Nicely done.

The beer is pretty interesting--it's got bitterness (the menu said 60 IBUs), sharpness, and sweetness to spare.  It is a touch too sweet for me to drink more than one or two in a go, but I'd definitely order it again and recommend it to a friend.  Intriguing.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Éphémère Pomme

 UNIBROUE!  Is there anything these guys don't do well?  Their  Éphémère Pomme is an excellent fruit flavoured brew--delicate, effervescent, and still undeniably beer.  From Chambly, Quebec, this little gem comes in 750mL bottles and has a respectable 5.5% alcohol content.  It pours a cloudy, yellow-orange colour with a thin but persistent white head.  It has a sweet, yeasty aroma, with a malty base note.  The flavour is sweet with a blast of green apple tartness.  It is a very lively, bubbly little brew that is quite cheerful on the palate.  The aftertaste remains apple-y, but is also considerably yeasty.

This is an upbeat little biere.  Quite delicious and very interesting, it is definitely worth buying.  I wouldn't want to sit down for a session, but one big bottle hits the spot.  I have a feeling that this beer would be a brilliant addition to a summer picnic.

I also love the label.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Aecht Schenkerla Rauchbier

Shenkerla Smokebeer is like no other beer I have ever tried.  To call it smokey is more than an understatement.  Drinking this brew is like sucking woodsmoke from a chimney...in an oddly pleasant way.


Sold in 500mL bottles and measuring 5.1% alcohol, Schenkerla hails from Bamburg, Germany.  It is brewed by Brauerai Heller.  It pours a sultry dark brown colour.  It's slightly cloudy and topped by a creamy head.  Schenkerla as a strong (STRONG!) aroma of woodsmoke.  It smells like a campfire.  It has an intense smokey flavour that dwarfs any other tastes that might be present.  According to the label, the smokey flavour comes from kilning "over a fire of beechwood logs".  The aftertaste continues to be considerably smokey, but is also fairly bitter.

This is a really interesting brew.  There isn't much to talk about beyond the smokiness, but it is so unlike any other beer that it is definitely worth trying.  In my humble opinion, this beer is almost certainly best enjoyed in cold weather.  I suspect that it would not be nearly as palatable on a patio on a hot day, though I might be mistaken.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Beer Books!

Being known as a beer lover can be pretty awesome, especially around birthday/Christmas time.  This year, I was lucky enough to receive a handful of very cool beer-themed books from my wonderful friends and family.  I got books about brewing history, Canada-specific books and books about beer appreciation.  Is a new book review feature in order?  Signs point to yes.  Stay tuned!

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

 Dead Guy Ale comes from Newport, Oregon's Oregon Brewing Co.  It's a nice strong ale that I first enjoyed while working in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  When I moved to Ontario, I was pleased to discover that they have in at some LCBOs.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale weighs in at 6.6% alcohol.  It is sold in 355mL bottles that have an excellently cool label.  This pale ale pours a slightly cloudy brownish orange colour.  It's topped by a persistent cream head.  It has a sweet, fruity aroma with a slight caramel vibe.  It has quite a complicated flavour, encompassing malty sweetness, buttery caramel, and an alcoholic punch.  The aftertaste is a nice balance between maltiness and mild hop bitterness.

This isn't the kind of brew that I'd reach for everyday.  It's a touch too sweet to be a regular player in my fridge.  Still, its a quality ale that really hits the spot when I'm in the mood for a big, malty brew.  Definitely worth a taste.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Brooklyn Local #1

 The Brooklyn Brewery of Brooklyn, New York has a solid reputation for brewing excellence and, in my opinion, it's well deserved.  Their Local #1 is no exception.  It's sold in a corked, large format bottle that has an excellent shape.  Weighing in at a virile 9%, Local #1 pours a cloudy, brassy orange-y colour--it looks a lot like a weiss beer.  It is capped by an extremely fluffy cloud of white head and features a strong aroma that is both sweet and yeasty.  These suds have an interesting flavour that manages to be both tangy and bready.  It is a very sweet beer, with an almost cider-like quality.  This brew has a strong flavour and is very filling, but the elevated alcohol content is well-masked.  But for the warming feeling, you'd never know that there was 9% alcohol in this beer until you fall off your stool.

 You'd better believe that an easy-drinking, high gravity brew with an interesting flavour and sold in a large format bottle is going to get my tick of approval.  This one's more than worth a try.

Rating:  8.5 out of 10.

Ochakovo Premium Lager

After focusing on New Brunswick beers for the last several posts, its time to change tacks and go global.  Specifically, my tastebuds are headed to Russia to sample Moscow's Ochakovo Premium Lager.  Ochakovo is a 4.5% alcohol pale lager that is served in 500mL ringtop bottles.  The ringtop features an elegant instructional diagram on the back of the bottle.

The brew pours an extremely light, straw colour.  There is a mountain of white head and tons of carbonation.  Notably, this beer is exceptionally clear.  Ochakovo has a pastoral aroma--grainy and yeasty.  It has a light flavour of corn and wheat.  The taste moves from sweet to bitter, and ends with a mild hop aftertaste.

Ochakovo isn't exactly crisp like most Eastern European pale lagers.  In fact, it's a touch sweeter than many of its contemporaries.  It is too light for my tastes, but it is extremely drinkable and has a mild, inoffensive flavour that will appeal to a wide array of drinkers.  This brew is not bad, but nothing special either.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Brew Brunswick-Picaroons Best Bitter

This is, in many ways, the beer that started it all for me.  Picaroons Best Bitter was the first craft beer that ever caught my attention.  It made me realize that beer could be more than the generic national brands and multinational imports.  To this day, Picaroons Best Bitter remains one of my all-time favourite brews.  As a new Ontarian, I've missed this glorious ale a lot (Picaroons is only available in New Brunswick) and I have been eagerly anticipating an opportunity to renew my acquaintance with it.  But I've also been a bit apprehensive.  Since moving to Ontario, I've learned so much about beer.  My tastes have refined and my preferences have progressed.  Would a pint of Best Bitter still rock my world?  As it turns out, the short answer is yes.

If you've been reading my blog recently, you'll have observed that I've spent a lot of time reviewing Picaroons products, and that they get favourable marks.  Picaroons is a fantastic brewery.  They're small, innovative, and reliable.  Of all their brews, the Best Bitter is by far the head of the class.  It is sold in 500mL bottles featuring a goofy looking rustic woodsman.  It contains 5.2% alcohol and pours a nice, clear, brownish amber colour.  There is a very thin crown of sudsy tan head and very little carbonation.

Best Bitter has a hoppy aroma accented by a gooey caramel undertone.  The initial taste is sweet and buttery, but this quickly gives way to a robust, bitter body.  This hoppy bitterness persists into the aftertaste and is still on the palate when it's time for the next sip.  The bitterness is accented by warm notes of caramel.

To this day, Picaroons Best Bitter remains one of my very favourite beers.  I love that it is both complex and drinkable.  I love that it's great from a bottle or on tap.  I love that it comes from my hometown.  And I love that it is just as good as I remember.  Buy this beer.

Rating: 10.0 out of 10.

Brew Brunswick-Feels Good Imperial Pilsner

 The good folks at Picaroons put together an imperial pilsner named for Feels Good, a very cool New Brunswick arts and music community.  The brew, in its 500mL bottle, is watched over by a hilariously adorable crowned pug--regal.  It is also adorned by the slogan "Because it feels good...tastes even better". The Feels Good Imperial Pilsner clocks in at a roomy 7.0%.  It pours a slightly cloudy golden orange colour and features lively carbonation and a ring of white head.  FGIP has a pleasant, warm, bready aroma. It is very mild and easy-drinking for such a high gravity brew.  It begins with an initial taste of bread and yeast that gives way to sweet fruitiness.  There are notes of tangerine and peach.  The aftertaste is just slightly bitter.

Many sweetish, strong beers are overly malty.  Not so with the Feels Good Imperial Pilsner.  This brew is nicely balanced between malt and a pleasant, effervescent fruitiness.  Definitely worth sampling.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Brew Brunswick-Picaroons Dark and Stormy Night

Another excellent Northampton Brewing Co. production, the Picaroons Dark and Stormy Night is the New Brunswick brewery's take on the a dunkel weiss.  This dark wheat beer is sold in 500mL bottles and contains 4.8% alcohol.

It is a relatively clear brew with a deep, dark, gloomy colour--shadowy brown with amber highlights--topped by a half inch of tan head.  A Dark and Stormy drinker is confronted with a malty aroma featuring licorice notes.  The brew has a sweet, malty flavour.  It's slightly toasty, but quite mellow for a brew with such a dark hue.

According to the label, this brew is a hybrid between a German dunkel and an English ale.  This is a very cool idea, and one that is nicely executed.  I'd prefer a bit more bitterness, but this is a really minor critique of an excellent brew.  It is very drinkable and highly enjoyable.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Brew Brunswick-Pump House S.O.B.

 Pump House Brewery's Special Old Bitter is a tasty English-style pale ale that pours a cloudy copper. It is sold in 341mL bottles and contains 5% alcohol. It is topped by an average amount of white head and is mildly carbonated.

The S.O.B. has a hoppy aroma with sweet caramel undertones. The brew is unexpectedly thin on the front end, but builds to a nice, full, hoppy finish. Toasty toffee notes and a pleasant sweet malt character lurk behind the pleasantly hoppy taste. The real strength of this beer is its wonderful aftertaste--robust, bitter and slightly metallic.  The aftertaste elevates this one from a respectable 7.5 rating to a solid 8.0. Definitely worth trying.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.