Gourd-geous Brews--Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Born of the Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York, Post Road Pumpkin Ale is sold in 355mL bottles and clocks in at 5% alcohol. It pours an almost clear/mildly hazy brassy orange colour. It's topped with an off-white head that quickly faded into a thin covering.

Post Road's pumpkin pie aroma is bolstered by nutmeg and maybe some cinnamon. This pumpkin ale is beer first and pumpkin second. There is lots of autumn-style pumpkin flavour, but backed with a bitter ale base. The aftertaste is bitter, but you get one last blast of pumpkin way at the very end.

As pumpkin beers go, Post Road Pumpkin Ale is ahead of the pack.  It's not the very best, but it's up there. Not too sweet and filled with real beer qualities--a real seasonal treat.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Gourd-geous Brews--Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale

Nightmare on Mill Street is one half of a Fall seasonal pack from Toronto, Ontario's Mill Street Brewery. It's a "wheat beer flavoured with pumpkin", that's sold in cool 355mL bottles that feature a flaming jack o'lantern.

NOMS pours a deep, hazy brown colour, topped with an off-white head. It has an enticing pumpkin pie aroma, with cinnamon and clove notes. Its fairly thin mouthfeel belies a robust flavour. There are notes of baked pumpkin and spices are pervasive. The back end is pleasingly bitter.

This was my first foray into pumpkin-flavoured wheat beers. It was an interesting brew--the body was a touch on the thin side, but the flavour was really nice. A bit more spice wouldn't necessarily go amiss either.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Gourd-geous Brews--Pumpkin Beers

The fall of 2012 has, for me at least, been the season of pumpkin beers.  Last year, I saw a handful of pumpkin-flavoured brews, tried some, and reviewed one. This year, they've been completely ubiquitous.  I've seen pumpkin beers from all over the US and Canada, from breweries small and large, and in a variety of styles.  My original plan was to have a pumpkin beer theme week, but there are too many for that.  It'll be more like a theme fortnight.  Brace yourselves.

*Photo is from my earlier post on Great Lakes Brewery's Pumpkin Ale.

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout

Happy Holidays from the Stout Man!

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout is a big imperial stout that pours dark as midnight in a blackout. It's brewed by Nøgne Ø, out of Grimstad, Norway. It's sold in bold 500mL bottles and clocks in at a no nonsense 9% alcohol. The bottle says 75 IBUs, which makes this big fella really bitter for a stout.

The black beer is topped with a very thick tan head. After pouring it into a glass, I noticed a slight sludgy residue left in the bottle. The aroma is resplendent with cocoa notes. The Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout is a chocolatey brew, with some semi-sweetness at the front end, and lots of smouldering bitterness toward the finish. For a brew with 9% alcohol pop, the booze is dangerously well masked.

For all of its bombast, this imperial stout has chocolate to spare. Its cacao qualities combined with the impactful bitterness make it a winner. This is a serious beer.  It you're into big, brutish booze bombs, and powerful, unapologetic stouts, than the Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout is for you.  If you're a bit more timid in your beer selections, maybe leave this one on the shelf.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Phillips Ginger Beer

Phillips Ginger Beer is a tasty offering from Phillips Brewing Company of Victoria, British Columbia. It's sold in highly striking 650mL bottles, and clocks in at 5% alcohol. The label reads "With more Ginger than Gilligan can handle..."

PGB pours an almost clear, robustly carbonated brass colour, with a thick, white head. A heavy ginger profile dominates the aroma. Flavour-wise, there is actually a respectable dosage of malt and hops dwelling beneath the fulsome ginger taste, though I suspect that the base beer is pretty mild. Phillips Ginger Beer is notable because it's more like a conventional beer than many of the ginger beers that I've tried. For a spicy brew, this one is oddly refreshing.

If you don't care for ginger, you're probably going to want to stay away from this one. According to the label, PGB pairs nicely with sushi--I'd love to put that claim to the test.  I'd like the beery base to have a bit more punch, to shoulder aside some of the ginger bite, but, that said, this is an interesting and engaging brew.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

True North Blonde Lager

From the Magnotta Brewey in Vaughn, Ontario comes True North Blonde Lager, a sparkling straw coloured brew topped with a crown of fluffy white head. TNBL is sold in 341mL bottles and contains the standard 5% alcohol.
 There is a fairly sweet, malt forward aroma that contains some grassy notes. TNBL has a crisp mouthfeel. It as a sweet, grainy initial taste and is slightly toasty with a moderately bitter backbone.

True North Blonde Lager is delightfully affordable. For the price, it's a reasonably reliable Ontario lager. Cheap and enjoyable do not always go well together, but in this case they seem to. The brew might not knock your socks off, but it won't let you down either.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Moosehead Lager

Bam! Now I'm 28!

For my birthday, I decided to write about a Canadian macro-brewed beer that has been, and remains close to my heart: Moosehead Lager. Early in my drinking career, the Moose was a regular favourite. Of the beers that I enjoyed during my misspent youth, "Moose Green" is one of the few that has remained a refrigerator staple as my tastes have grown and matured.  Like me, Moosehead Breweries hails from the province of New Brunswick, though while I'm from Fredericton, it's of Saint John stock.

Moosehead Lager is sold in 341 green bottles and it contains 5% alcohol. It pours a pale straw colour. It's clear with a fair dose of carbonation and a white head. It has a grassy, grainy aroma and a mild, crisp flavour. Grain and grass are the main taste notes. There is a short, refreshing finish with a hint of bitterness.

A prototype for Canadian macro-brewed pale lagers, Moosehead offers no surprises, but it is reasonably well made and reliable. Compared to the other national brews, it fares quite well.  Compared to small batch, micro-brewed craft beers, less so.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Trafalgar ESB

The Trafalgar ESB comes from Oakville, Ontario, where it is crafted by Trafalgar Ales and Meads. With 5% alcohol, this Extra Special Bitter is sold in 500mL bottles. It pours a relatively clear red-copper colour and has a moderate amount of carbonation and a thinnish cream coloured head.

The ESB has a really inviting aroma that blends bitterness with some caramel notes--this is a great smelling beer.  It starts with a malty caramel taste that morphs into a pungent hop flavour by the end.
The finish is bitter and dry.

Hoppier than I expected, this is an English-style pale ale wearing IPA pajamas.  It's a well made brew. You better believe I'll have another.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

St.-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

Yet another quality offering from Montreal's McAuslan Brewing Inc., the St.-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale is charmant.  Sold in 341mL bottles, the A.W.A. contains 5% alcohol. The ale is clear and golden, riddled with lively carbonation, and topped with a bright white head. It leaves behind a healthy amount of lace.

There's an undeniable apricot aroma and apricot flavour throughout, superimposed over a beery body that goes from sweet to bitter.

It''s a nice, approachable fruit beer; one that is likely to appeal to a wide range of beer fans. Though I don't drink the stuff all that frequently, I find myself getting cravings for it every once in a while, and it always delivers.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Samuel Adams Spring Lager

I know that it seems weird to be posting about a springtime brew in December, but I have so many reviews already queued up, or written and awaiting typing, that I actually drank this little brew around June.  Weird times.

Samuel Adams Spring Lager is a tasty offering from the Boston Beer Company out of Boston, Massachusetts.  It comes in 355mL bottles and contains 5.5% alcohol. It pours a cloudy, moderately carbonated yellow-orange colour. Topped with a foam of eggshell head, this brew looks pretty convincingly like a witbier.

Spring Lager has a fruity, almost floral aroma. The label led me to expect citrus flavour, and while there are some faint citrus notes, I mostly got sweet breadiness and a hint of grain. Also, maybe some clover?  There's not a lot of hops in this one--just a touch near the back end keeps this beer from being overly sweet.

This is a nice, fresh tasting beer. It has an interesting flavour and I liked a lot of things about it.  Try it!

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Festivale

The Beau's All Natural Brewing Company out of Vankleek, Ontario is frequently brewing up interesting and well-crafted brews.  Festivale, their version of an altbier, is their summer seasonal beer.  It comes in Beau's excellent 600mL bottles and clocks in at a lightweight 4.7%.

Festivale pours a clear copper colour, topped with a thick, fluffy cream head. It has a grainy aroma with some notes of caramel and hops. It has big flavour for a brew of only 4.7%.  Like the smell, there are notes of caramel alongside a metallic twinge. It starts sweet, but builds to a solidly bitter body pretty quickly. Rich malty tones enhance the overall enjoyability.

Beau's Festivale is a pretty interesting brew. Altbier is a style that I have only been exposed to a few times, and this one certainly makes me thirsty for more.


Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Lezajsk

Hailing from Lezajsk, Poland, Lezajsk is a pale lager. It's brewed by Browar Lezajsk and sold in 500mL bottles. It checks in at 5.5% alcohol.

Lezajsk pours a lovely clear golden colour. It's fizzy with a cloud of white head. It has the conventional pale lager aroma. It has a surprisingly smooth mouthfeel. Thin malt and grain flavours are backed with a decently bitter finish.

Truth be told, I found this beer to be a bit on the thin side. When I saw the rich colour and the slightly elevated alcohol content, I was hoping for a bit more flavour. On the plus side, it is extremely easy-drinking.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Shock Top

Shock Top is a "Belgian-style White Ale" produced by Shock Top Brewing Co. out of St. Louis, Missouri. It comes in a pretty cool looking 473mL can featuring a shades-sporting, mohawk-wearing orange wedge. S.T. clocks in at 5.2% alcohol. According to the can, the beer is "[b]rewed with coriander, orange, lemon and lime peel."

S.T. is  a cloudy, golden straw coloured ale with lots of carbonation and a white head. Citrus rind is the prominent aroma. It has an effervescent mouthfeel--perhaps a bit thin. It's a fair impression of a Belgian witbier--corriander and citrus flavours are both present and accounted for. There is very little aftertaste--it's nice and fruity, but short.

Shock Top is a convincing white ale.  It's not showstopping, but it is undoubtedly refreshing and tasty. It makes a great complement to a hot day. For a widely available American ale, this stuff has some style. Plus, I appreciate the 5.2% alcohol.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

10 Point India Pale Ale

Sold in striking 750mL bottles, Lake of Bays Brewing Company's 10 Point India Pale Ale is a tasty IPA from Baysville, Ontario. It weighs in at 6% alcohol, and pours a clear amber colour, topped with a lusty cream head.

10 Point's big hop aroma is resplendent with floral notes and a dash of sweetness. The flavour is milder than I expected.  I'd class it as an English-style IPA--malt forward with caramel leanings before giving way to forresty hops. The aftertaste is pleasant and hoppy.

10 Point is pretty easy-drinking, which is a benefit, given it's large format.  It's a subtle, well-crafted answer to those IPAs that rely only on an astronomical hop profile. It's a bit pricey, and a slightly higher percentage of alcohol would be nice, but it is a tasty ale.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

St.-Ambroise Framboise

I'm sure that I'm not the first to make this observation, , but as I looked at the cloudy red haze that is St.-Ambroise Framboise and took in the aroma of raspberry pie, I couldn't help but think that you'd be hard pressed to spell F-R-A-M-B-O-I-S-E without Ambroise.

This raspberry flavoured ale is a product of Montreal, Quebec's McAuslan Brewing Inc. It's sold in 341mL bottles and contains 5% alcohol. As I've already mentioned, the Framboise is reddish.  It is topped with a cloudy head that features a pinkish hue.  It's aroma is of raspberry--pie or jam.  There is considerable fruit flavour ably backed by a beery base.

Tasty and refreshing, this beer screams for warm weather. There's raspberry flavour from start to finish, but with enough hoppiness to remind you that you're drinking a beer. It's a fine fruit beer from a brewery that can seemingly do no wrong.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Yanjing Beer

Yanjing cans state that it is "No. 1 beer from China". This pale lager is brewed by the Beijing Yanjing Brewery Co. out of Beijing, China.  It's sold in 500mL cans and clocks in at the standard 5% alcohol. The can also states that the beer within is has "Fresh, smooth taste for your drinking pleasure".

A pale lager, Yanjing pours a clear pale gold colour. It has ample fizz and it topped with a white head. The aroma is made up of notes of grass and grain. Flavours of sweetish cereal grains dominate. There are also grassy notes. This leads to a relatively bitter finish. The aftertaste has a fair degree of hops for a pale lager.

In my opinion, Yanjing is not bad for a pale lager.  It's plenty drinkable, if perhaps a bit thin. I didn't like it a whole lot at first, but it grew on me as my pint went down. For me, the best part was the admirable bitterness in the finish--more punch than I tend to expect from the genre.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.