Ayinger Bräuweisse

Ayinger Bräuweisse is an "Authentic Bavarian Hefe Weizen" brewed by Brauerai Aying in Aying, Germany. It's sold in 500mL bottles with a cool, old school label, and clocks in at 5.1% alcohol.

A.B. pours a well-carbonated, yellow-orange colour. It is very cloudy and topped by a cumulus cloud of very white head. It has a bready aroma that gives off notes of fruit and a gentle hint of spice. It has a thin, smooth mouthfeel--very mellow but not quite as flavourful as I'd hoped. There are some faint citrus notes; it's yeasty and refreshing. There is very little aftertaste--only the faintest whisper of bitterness.


Ayinger Bräuweisse is a pleasant enough beer, but perhaps a bit too subtle for my tastes. I crave a bit more body in my wheat beers.

Rating; 6.5 out of 10.

Old Credit Amber Ale

The Old Credit Brewing Co. from the Old Credit region in Mississauga, Ontario, is the source of Old Credit Amber Ale, a handsome, amber coloured brew crowned with a creamy head. The size of of the 680mL bottle more than makes up for it's not-so-cool label. O.C.A.A. comes in at 5% alcohol. The label calls it "The New Taste of an Old Tradition". I don't know much about the new, but they've certainly got the old part right--this stuff tastes like a classic English ale.

The Amber Ale has an aroma that is at once slightly metallic and replete with caramel. It is a very smooth beer and features a flavour with notes of toasty caramel and a whisper of bitterness near the finish.

A very enjoyable ale, Old Credit Amber Ale would be bolstered by a bit more boldness, but that's a minor complaint for an otherwise quality brew.

Rating; 8.0 out of 10.

Black Oak Pom Bomb

Black Oak Pom Bomb is a pomegranate pale ale brewed by the Black Oak Brewing Company in Oakville, Ontario. A cask ale, I had a pint on tap at an excellent Toronto beer bar. Pom Bomb arrived a hazy orange colour topped with a very thick white head. It had a sweet, fruity aroma with some slight tartness. The pomegranate flavour is nicely on display without being overpowering--it gives the ale both a little sweetness and a little tang. It's marginally bitter near the back end.

Pom Bomb is a little bit on the thin side, but it's quite flavourful. If there was a bit more emphasis on hops, this brew would have garnered a higher rating. I was fearful that it might have an un-beerlike pinkish hue, but it looked any other cask ale. For a flavoured ale, Pom Bomb is neither too sweet nor too fruit focused to be beer. It's certainly not my cup of tea for regular consumption, but definitely a unique and interesting brew. I'm glad that I gave it a try.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

House Ales X Animal Farm--"The Dogs"

I had a 300mL glass of House Ales X Animal Farm "The Dogs" on tap at Toronto beer Mecca barVolo. House Ales is a nano brewery that actually operates, according to its website, out of barVolo. The Dogs is a cask ale and a farmhouse I.PA. I'm not exactly sure what its percentage is.

It arrived a swampy orange gold--opaque and topped with a beautify white head. It has a tangy aroma that marries hoppy citrus with cider-y sharpness.  The flavour has an apple cider beginning and a bitter I.P.A. finish.  There are fruity notes that run the gamut from pear to peach to apple. It is a lovely concept and one that tastes great. It manages to have a smooth mouthfeel and be relatively dry.

The Dogs is a really interesting brew.  I'd never had a farmhouse I.P.A. before--never even heard of one existing as a single entity--and I was a little dubious when I ordered it, but the two styles really give each other a little something.

This was a very interesting cask ale--one that is more than worth your time.  The 300mL glass was a bit too small though.  I was really just getting into the stuff and then it was gone.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Coors Light Iced T

Flavoured light beer? That's pretty much the antithesis of what I want in my fridge. Plus it's called "Iced T".  Urgh. At least they spelled "light" correctly, and the can says "Contains Barley", so its got to be beer. Still, this stuff has been popping up everywhere, so I figured I should probably give it a try. I bought a can and it languished in the ol' refrigerator for three months, but I finally went for it on a warm afternoon.

Coors Light Iced T is manufactured by the Coors Brewing Company. It's sold in 473mL cans and contains a lightweight 4% alcohol. It pours a clear golden colour, with white head and not too much carbonation. It has a pretty pleasing aroma that is definitely built on iced tea, but also has a grainy backbone.  As for flavour, I can see how some people might enjoy this stuff--it's sweet and undeniably refreshing. Plus, the tea aftertaste is not without its charm. However, it has neither the beer body nor the alcohol content to bring me back. It's a touch too thin and too sweet.

This stuff is far better than the lime flavoured beers that were so ubiquitous back in 2009, since the tea actually tastes real enough, If you like light beer, iced tea and hot days, enjoy, but don't buy any for me. Light beer ain't my style.


6.0 out of 10.

Tuborg Gold

Tuborg Gold is brewed Turk Tuborg in Izmir, Turkey, under supervision of Carlesberg Breweries in Copenhagen, Denmark. According to the Carlesberg Group website, Tuborg Gold is a strong pilsner.  It contains 5.5% alcohol and comes in a 500mL can.  The can declares "Pure Gold" and "Perfectly Balanced".

Tuborg Gold has a clear, golden hue topped with white head. It doesn't have tonnes of carbonation. It has a crisp, agricultural aroma of grain and mown grass. It has a cheery flavour of grains and some sweet elements. It tastes fresh.

Eminently quaffable and very refreshing, Tuborg Gold is an excellent pilsner.  It does just what it should. There are no surprises, it's well executed, and it's wrapped up with a healthy alcohol content. If you feel like a crisp lager, you could do a heck of a lot worse than a can of Tuborg Gold.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

The Legendary Muskoka Spring Oddity (2012 Vintage)

The Legendary Muskoka Spring Oddity is born in Bracebridge, Ontario.  This curious brew is given life by the Muskoka Brewery.  The 2012 Vintage of the Spring Oddity contains a hearty 8% alcohol and comes in very cool 750mL swingtop bottles adorned with some kind of antlered bird.

The ingredients list on the label boasts of a variety of quirky things like juniper berries, heather tips, and orange peel shavings. Spring Oddity pours a hazy straw gold colour beneath a cap of white head. It has a very unusual aroma that blends gin's juniper charge with some citrus notes and an unexpected sweetness. Very interesting flavours combine to make the Legendary Muskoka Spring Oddity sweet, bitter, fruity, and dry at different points.  This stuff certainly doesn't taste as strong as its 8% alcohol content. In some ways, it tastes almost like a strong witbier--I'd call it a witbier's oddball cousin.

The Legendary Muskoka Spring Oddity is a unique and intriguing brew. It's not something that I'd reach for every other night, but a once in a while, one of a kind product with ample character.  It is just about as daring as any Canadian microbrew I've ever tried, and it scores well for it's risk taking and experimentation.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Smithwick's Draught

Guiness & Co., from St. James Gate, Dublin, Ireland produces Smithwick's Draught, a deep, amber coloured ale.  Smithwick's Draught is clear and capped with a cream-coloured head. It contains 5% alcohol and it comes in handsome 500mL cans.

S.D. has a malty aroma, tinged with notes of caramel and brown sugar. It has a smooth, pleasantly creamy mouthfeel. The flavour has bready notes as well as a bit of brown sugar. It has a lovely bitter but mild finish that ushers Smithwick's off the palate.

Smithwick's Draft is a quality ale.  It's pretty tasty, and I have few complaints. If you're in the mood for a smooth brew, this stuff might adequately fit the bill.


Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Kozel Premium

When this beer geek sees a a brew he's never tried before that features a goat gripping a pint of beer on the can, you better believe he's going to buy it on the quick. Kozel Premium comes from Plezeňský Prazdroj, in Pilsen, Czech Republic. A lager, it weighs in at 4.8% alcohol and comes in a 500mL can with the aforementioned boozing goat.

Kozel is highly carbonated and pours a clear, rich golden colour topped with an off-white head. It was about a half shade darker than I expected it to be. It has a relatively malty nose for a Euro lager, with a slight metallic ting and a body of grains. The flavour is nicely balanced, uniting a tasty, slightly toasty maltiness with a nice, moderately bitter finish.

Kozel Premium is a pretty fine little lager.  What it lacks in booze, it more than makes up for with a rich flavour that has more going on than many similarly situated beers.  I'll eagerly buy this stuff again when I'm in the mood for a nice, autumnal lager.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Cuvée René

Cuvée René Gueuze Lambic is a tasty sour beer born in Vlezenbeek, Belgium.  Brewed by Lindemans Farm Brewery, it is sold in highly stylish 355mL bottles that have the unusual cap/cork combination beneath gold foil--it takes a while to open.  Good thing it's worth it.

Foil, cap, cork.

Weighing in at 5.5% alcohol, Cuvée René is a cloudy orange gold colour with a fair amount of carbonation and an off-white head. It has a tart, fruity aroma tempered with considerable yeastiness. Not quite sour, but decidedly tart, Cuvée René exhibits notes of fruit, including sour apple, and a mouthfeel not unlike champagne. The aftertaste is quite dry and reasonably quick.

Lambics and gueuze beers are not going to be for everyone. It's about as far from a traditional English ale as a beer can be, and I can see how the sour notes can be off-putting for many drinkers.  Still, I'm a fan.  Cuvée René is a nicely constructed gueuze, a fine exemplar of the style. I wouldn't drink more than one in a sitting, which is good, because it's a bit on the pricey side.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Dog Bite High Gravity Lager

Dog Bite High Gravity Lager comes in jumbo 24oz cans that feature a fearsome three-headed dog and an equally fearsome 10% alcohol. It hails from Rochester, New York. It's brewed by the Rock Wall Brewing Company.

Dog Bite pours an ever-so-slightly hazy, bright gold colour with an off-white head. It has quite a faint aroma, with some fruit notes and some boozy warmth. There are sweet fruit flavours of apple and pear, backed against a warm, boozy base. Though it's potent for a lager, it doesn't taste overly strong. It makes for a dangerous drink, since it'll go to your head without going to your taste buds. A bit more hop body might be nice, but I'm not inclined to mess with a lager this strong.

A potent brew with some subtlety, Dog Bite is a good'un. If you happen across it, you should give it a try, particularly if you've got a clear schedule. I'm also a big fan of the huge can.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Rolling Rock Extra Pale

When I was in high school, I had a sweet Rolling Rock T-shirt that I got at a second hand store.  I wore it all the time, despite the fact that I'd never actually tried the beer.  In fact, I didn't have my first Rolling Rock Extra Pale until I was well into my 20s. So there--beer poseur, even as a teen.

Rolling Rock Extra Pale is an extremely light pale lager born in St. Louis, Missouri, where it is brought into the world by the Latrobe Brewing Co.  R.R.E.P comes in 473mL cans and contains a slightly anemic 4.5% alcohol. It pours a crystal clear pale straw colour, topped with a shock of white head. Rolling Rock has a pleasing aroma of straw and grain. The flavour is light and bright, with nice grain notes and a charmingly mild sweetness. In truth, I find this beer to be a bit watery. It goes down easily, but it's really pushing light beer status.

For a ass-produced American pale lager, Rolling Rock Extra Pale is pretty good, but only decent when compared to with some of the better pale lagers on the market.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Kronenbourg 1664

Kronenbourgh 1664 is, according to the stylish 500mL blue, white, and red can, "La Première Bière Fraçaise". A pale lager, 1664 hails from Strasbourgh, France, where it is brewed by Brasseries Kronenbourgh. It contains 5% alcohol and pours a bright, cheery pale golden hue. 1664 is crowned with a white head and displays lively carbonation.

Like a classic Euro-lager, 1664 has an aroma characterized by grass and grain. It's flavour has some gentle corn sweetness which gives way to a pleasing bitter finish. It's quite crisp and refreshing, even for a lager. While the aftertaste gets high marks, I'd like a bit more from the initial flavour--it's fine, but it could be a little richer. Still, this is a nice little bière out of France.  It's well worth your time if you're in the mood for something easy drinking.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Beery Haikus-My Thirst for Pale Ale

New Morning

New Morning is a "strong beer with spices" produced by Birrificio Del Ducato Gruppo Italy in Roncole Verdi di Busseto, Italy. It clocks in at healthy 5.8% alcohol and comes in a very cool looking 330mL bottle. It pours a cloudy orange-gold colour with some slight sediment in the bottom. New Morning has frothy cappuccino foam for a head. It has a malty, spicy aroma with notes of orange peel. There is a lot going on, flavour-wise. New Morning is replete with spices. There are some sweet elements and some bitter ones, along with a slight tinge of citrus.

Most of the Italian beers that I have tried have been pretty unadventurous, but this is a very interesting little brew out of Italia. The brewery website says that the beer is inspired by a Belgian saison.  It does taste a lot like a saison, though not nearly as dry as many that I've tried before.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Creemore Springs Traditional Pilsner

Creemore Springs Brewery in Creemore, Ontario is the source of the Creemore Springs Traditional Pilsner. It comes in 473mL cans and contains a respectable 5.3% alcohol. It's a rich, deep golden lager. It has carbonation to spare and a thick almost-white head. C.S.T.P. has a pungent grassy aroma with a smidgeon of hops lurking in the shadows. It's a very flavourful pilsner that moves from bready to bitter. It's malty without being over sweet, and builds to a reasonably bitter hop finish.

C.S.T.P. is a very enjoyable take on a European pilsner, the kind of stuff that I'd gladly bring to a party. Plus, as always, a pale lager that notches over 5% alcohol gets a bit of extra love from me, particularly when it doesn't negatively impact the flavour or drinkability.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.