Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

I don’t normally dig on weapon imagery, but the label on the 473mL cans of Rainhard Brewing’s Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is pretty cool and a great nod to the classic idiom. The Torontonian beer, brewed with El Dorado and Strata hops, clocks in at 6.5%. It’s a clear, golden ale with a lively off-white head.

H&H has sweet citrus and just a bit of pine on the nose. The flavour is quite mild. It’s sweet on the front end, with ample juiciness. The back end has a lick of bitterness, manifesting in evergreen and grapefruit.

According to the copy on Rainhard’s website, H&H was intended to be a hybrid of the East and West Coast IPA styles. The beer ain’t a bad attempt at that lofty goal, as it features the clarity and pine of a WC brew and the juiciness of an EC ale. However, I’d like for it to be a biiiiit more robust and stronger, with a little more depth of flavour. Still, it’s an easy-drinking and undeniably enjoyable brew.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Granite Summer Ale

 According the copy on the 473mL cans, Summer Ale is the oldest seasonal beer from The Granite Brewery & Tied House, an august Toronto institution celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2021. 

Summer Ale is a session-friendly 4% ale. It’s a clear golden beer with a respectable covering of white suds. SA has agreeable malt-forward aromatics with sweet grain and grass notes and a touch of apple. Based on the aroma, I expected a fairly sweet flavour, and though there is a decent dose of cereal sweetness, the beer also surprised with a decent amount of floral bitterness.

My only real complaint with Granite’s Summer Ale is the relatively thin texture. Though, for a beer with just 4%, thinness really should be expected. The balance on display in this brew is impressive and the crushability quotient is off the charts.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Figo

Figo is another Italian pilsner out of Toronto, this one is a 5.5% number from Henderson Brewing Co. The beer pours a honey-gold with a slim covering of off-white head. 

Sold in 473mL cans, the beer has a sweet, grainy aromatic profile with a decidedly floral, dry-hopped bent. The flavour kicks off with big grain sweetness, and transitions into a flowery, slightly soapy place. The back end has some noble hop vibes, but it ain’t overly bitter.

I suspect that purists would decry Figo is too sweet and too strong for style, but I actually liked it more than a lot of the T.O. Italian pilsners I’ve tried so far. The heft is agreeable to me, though I’d have liked a bit more crispness.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Nachmeleny Czech Double IPA

From the Pivovar Godspeed series of Czech-style beers comes Nachmeleny Czech Double IPA. The 8% beer from Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery is sold in 355mL cans with the majority of the copy written in Czech, but the Godspeed website explains the historical importance of hop-picking under communism and how it remains a “popular summer gig in Bohemia.” The beer is made using Saaz and Kazbeck hops. It’s a clear, bright copper ale with a modest cap of off-white head.

Nachmeleny has, for a strong beer, a refined and restrained aromatic profile. To my nose, there were floral notes as well as a whiff of cranberry. However, where I might have expected a tart flavour, instead I found a quirky blend of earthiness, pepper, white wine, and a touch of baked apple. The beer proved quite hoppy and the floral bitterness really lingered on the palate.

Beers like Nachmeleny make me a happy lad—I love the double IPA strength and format, but I can sometimes get a bit tired of the same, familiar flavour profiles: pine, citrus, and tropical fruit (I love ‘em all, but a departure is a treat). This beer was strong and well made, but offered something a bit different. The aroma could have been a bit more robust, but otherwise, these were some quality suds.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Magnificence

Magnificence is a mighty hazy double dry-hopped double IPA from the gang at Toronto’s Rorschach Brewing Co. The beer comes in 355mL cans and checks in at 8%. It’s an almost milky orange hazer with a thick white head.

The beer is hopped using Nelson Sauvin and this gives it a fragrant juiciness with pineapple and grape notes. The flavour has quite a few white wine elements, and the texture is mellowed by the use of wheat and oats. Bitterness, in a floral/citrus configuration, only really enters the scene in the back end.

Magnificence is a tasty number. The booze is present, but not overwhelming, and the flavour is quite enticing. The white wine touches make for quite a refreshing beer.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Sakoku

Sakoku was the Japanese policy of isolationism, means “closed country”, and is an American-style stout from Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery. It’s a 6.9% bad boy that comes in 355mL cans feature a black and white image of a steam/sail ship. The beer is  near-black, and pours with an exciting layer of tan head.

The beer has a hefty aroma that blends evergreen forest and roasted malt. The flavour is robust, with pine and coffee bitterness, big malt, faint peat, and a fair bit of boozy burn. Very little sweetness, which I particularly liked.

When I think of Godspeed, I think of beautiful lagers, but with Sakoku, they delivered a potent and engrossing bitter stout.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Occult Classic Coffee Doppelbock

The 473mL cans that house Rainhard Brewing’s Occult Classic Coffee Doppelbock are almost laughably dark, such as they are nearly impossible to read. However, I was able to squint enough to tell you that the beer contains 6.7%—the same as the original version of Occult Classic (without the coffee). No idea where the coffee comes from or when it was added to the brew, but there you are.

The beer is dark and looks like root beer, with amber highlights and a sudsy tan head. It has a substantial aroma of roasted malt, backed with toasted bread and just a soupçon of brewed coffee. The flavour leans a bit harder into the coffee notes, though not so much as to be indelicate. As well, there are sweet, malt-forward elements, as well as toast vibes and a modestly java-bitter back end.

Compared to the original Occult Classic, the coffee version didn’t strike me as a notable improvement (although it has admittedly been a while since I last slurped a can of the original). The coffee flavour is nicely integrated, but I’d really rather just get down on a classic doppelbock—Ontario versions are already rare enough.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

The Revue Double Dry Hopped IPA

Brewed in honour of a Toronto cinematic landmark, The Revue Double Dry Hopped IPA features the façade of the Revue Cinema on the 355mL cans. The 6.5% IPA from Toronto’s Bandit Brewery comes out pale gold and hazy, with a thin layer of white suds.

The Revue has a citrus and floral aroma. The flavour tosses together orange, grapefruit, melon, and tropical fruit notes up front, with a floral hop finish with just minimal bitterness.

I thought The Revue was a tasty little offering from a brewery that is becoming known for its dry hopped IPAs. It doesn’t exactly stand out when compared to Cloud, Isabella, and Eneg, but it’s up to the standard set by other Bandit offerings like Odyssey.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Absolute Truth

Absolute Truth from Rorschach Brewing Co. is a burlier relative of their Truth Serum IPA. The chonky cousin is an 8% double-dry hopped double IPA. The Torontonian ale comes in 355mL cans, from which it emerges a hazy orange colour with a thick blanket of off-white head. A little bit of sediment in the bottom of the glass, but nothing all that distracting.

Absolute Truth has mild citrus aromatics, as well as a puff of tropical sweetness. Compared to its scent, Absolute Truth’s flavour is considerably more robust, but has a similar profile, with elements of sweet OJ, tropical fruit, and a touch of vanilla.

I thought Absolute Truth was a pretty tasty little offering, though I’d have liked a bit more bitter oomph. The beer is brewed with wheat and oats, which contribute to a lovely smooth texture, and helps to effectively conceal the alcohol content.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Good Monster

 Brewed with oat flakes and wheat, Good Monster is a New England Double IPA is an 8% brew assembled in Hamilton, Ontario by Collective Arts Brewing. The beer is sold in 473mL cans that feature some kind of ghoulishly beautiful giraffe unicorn critter.

The beer is a dull gold colour with a thin eggshell head. It’s got a juicy, slightly tart fruit aroma with passionfruit, white grape, and citrus notes. The flavour walks a similar path, with tart and fruity elements constituted of grapefruit, white wine, and some tropical vibes.

The real trick to this little ale is that the 8% booze is brilliantly concealed. But the flavour is also definitely agreeable. The downsides are that I’d prefer a bit more head and carbonation and the beer be a bit more bitter.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Sunny Afternoon Lagered Ale

Granite Brewery’s FVX Series comes Sunny Afternoon Lagered Ale. The 4.7%, 27 IBU kölsch-style beer comes in 473mL cans and also from Toronto, Ontario. It’s a clear golden brew with a sudsy white crown.

Sunny Afternoon features honey and malt aromatics. It has a sweet flavour, characterized by honey and clover notes, and a short, dry finish.

This is a fairly charming little lagered ale. A bit too sweet, perhaps, but a refreshing brew. A great warm weather tipple.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Moonlight Porter

 Moonlight Porter is billed as an American porter and, at 6.3% and 50 IBUs, it certainly has the requisite audacity for the style. The beer, from Ottawa’s Waller St. Brewing, comes in 500mL bottles. It’s a dark brown ale with amber highlights, under a fluffy tan cloud.

MP has a slightly sweet, malty aroma with a subtle nod toward coffee bitterness. The flavour flips those roles, with sweet roasted malt qualities an accent to a robust, bitter brew. The beer has coffee elements and a charge of pine.

A well-executed American porter is a thing of beauty and Midnight Porter rings that bell. It’s a rich, balanced brew that delivers a satisfyingly bitter finish.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Bootleg Blonde

Bootleg Blonde is a 5%, 21 IBU blonde from the team at Waller St. Brewing out of Ottawa. According to the copy, this beer makes use of Belgian yeast. It’s a murky orange gold ale with a hefty layer of white foam.

It has a sweet, peppery aromatic profile that put me in mind of a saison. The flavour starts sweet and malty, but swerves a bit into a modestly spicy finish.

Typically, when I think of a blonde ale, I think boring (I know there are some great ones and it’s a big tent style, but that’s just how I feel). However, Bootleg Blonde made a positive impression on me. I’d say that the Belgian influence and the spice made the beer considerably more interesting than a run-of-the-mill blonde ale.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Tiger Milk

 A white stout from Ottawa’s Waller St. Brewing, Tiger Milk is a 4.5%, 23 IBU ale. Sold in 473mL bottles, TM is a nitro beer brewed with lactose, toasted coconut, and cocoa nibs. The beer is bronze in colour, largely opaque, and trimmed with a thin layer of white foam.

TM has a sweet, chocolaty aroma with a malty body and a touch of coconut. The beer has a creamy, velvety texture that is a bit thinner than a conventional stout, but very pleasant. The flavour is sweet from end to end, with bready notes and just faint traces of chocolate and coconut.

This is likely the first white stout that I’ve ever genuinely enjoyed. It’s smooth and satisfying, with a subtle, peekaboo flavours.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Giggle Water

 Sold in sassy little 750 howlers, Giggle Water is Waller St. Brewing’s take on the Vienna lager. The Ottawan beer contains 5.4% and a modest 25 IBUs. The beer is a clear amber-whisky colour with a thinnish head (probably because it was poured a few days before consuming).

Giggle Water has a sweet aroma with notes of honey oat bread and considerable maltiness. The flavour is similarly sweet, honeyed, and bready, with a hint of baked apple. The beer has very little bitterness and, frankly, less toastiness than I hoped to find.

Waller St.’s take on the classic Vienna-style lager tasted just alright to me. It was considerably too sweet and that left me a bit disappointed. The texture was solid—neither too thick not too thin—but I’d have liked some heartier toast elements. Also, the howler format might have hurt this one a bit as I didn’t have a chance to swig it until a few days after pouring.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Blind Pig IPA

 Of all of the offerings from Waller St. Brewing that appeared before me at a cottage on Georgian Bay, the one I was most interested in was their Blind Pig IPA. The 6.7% American-style IPA comes in 500mL bottles and checks in with a respectable 70 IBUs. The beer has a vaguely cloudy bronze-gold appearance and pours with a shock of off-white suds that just won’t quit.

To my beak, Blind Pig had a sweet and fruity scent, with citrus and stone fruit leading the attack. The flavour leans a bit more toward plum and peach than grapefruit, but all three are well accounted for. The bitterness is definitely present, but it’s smoothed over by a persistent juiciness.

This is a grand little IPA. I’d have liked a touch more booze, but the bitterness was executed beautifully and the flavour profile was on point.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Waller St. Black IIPA

Next up from Ottawa’s Waller St. Brewing was their Black IIPA. This brute clocked in at 8.5% and a thunderous 90 IBUs. Sold in 500mL bottles, the beer inside proved dark brown with a velvety blanket of tan head.

The beer has an assertive pine nose, with rich, toasty malts. The flavour of this beer is the real star. It blends a twist of licorice bitterness with pine boughs, dark molasses, and well-toasted malt to create a dense and engaging profile.

Though this beer found its way into my glass (actually a cottage mason jar) on a hot July afternoon, I suspect it’d really be best suited for a chilly campfire evening or an autumn afternoon. Still, it left me contemplative, satisfied, and a little tipsy.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Speak Softly

Speak Softly is an American pale ale from Ottawa’s Waller St. Brewing. The beer is a 5.5% job with a hefty 65 IBUs. Sold in 500mL bottles, the beer that emerges is rich gold under a creamy head.

This APA has a citrus aroma and a flavour comprised of grapefruit and nectarine, building to a robustly hoppy and citrus finish.

This is a well-constituted and balanced little beer. The high IBUs give Speak Softly a gritty character that I found agreeable. Good stuff. I’d like more, please.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Speakeasy Red

Speakeasy Red was my first foray into the catalogue from Waller St. Brewing in Ottawa. A rye session IPA, the beer in the 500mL bottles of Speakeasy contains just 4.3% alcohol and 30 IBUs. It’s a rusty red beer with a durable fog of creamy head.

Speakeasy has aromatics that are both spicy and coppery. The flavour is extremely mild, with malt character and a dose of rye spiciness, with a metallic, grapefruity finish.

An enjoyable and flavourful session beer, Speakeasy left me thirsty to try more brews from Waller St.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Fare the Well Waller; I Hardly Knew Thee

 I had my first brush with a handful of offerings from Ottawa's Waller St. Brewing in August 2021, thanks to a delivery from my ol' pal MTT. Sadly, it'll also be my last, as Waller St. closed down on October 15, 2021.

Still, I really enjoyed many of the beers that I tried, so I'll post my reviews anyway. Stay tuned over the next couple of days for my thoughts on the excellent and dearly-departed brewery.

Electric Circus New England Tropical Pale Ale

Cool fact about Electric Circus New England Tropical Pale Ale: according to the Great Lakes Brewery website, the cowboy depicted on the 473mL can is Kenrick Pompey, the father of former Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey. Apparently, Kenrick was a stalwart of MuchMusic’s Electric Circus!

Electric Circus the beer is a 5.5% hazy pale ale brewed with mango, oats, pineapple, and wheat. A part of GLB’s 7 Barrel Series, the beer is a milky golden ale with a sudsy white head. EC has a mammoth mango smell, with a bit of pineapple juiciness, too. 

This is basically a modestly high-alcohol mimosa. It’s so juicy, with an agreeably smooth carbonation and only a touch of beery flavours. But that’s not to say it isn’t agreeable: it’s a delightful little fruit juice delivery system. I’d have liked a bit more “beer” and a bit more bitterness, but on the whole, this stuff is fun.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Ten Mile Point Pilsner

I was the first of five to arrive for a cottage weekend on Georgian Bay, so after unpacking the rental car and getting the groceries put away, I took the opportunity to sneak in a beer review. Ten Mile Point Pilsner is a 4.5% lager from Little Current, on Manitoulin Island, where it’s fashioned by the Manitoulin Brewing Co. The beer was straw gold and clear, with a healthy helping of bright white foam.

TMP’s aroma leaned hard into noble hops, with some pepperiness on hand, and a decent measure of fresh grain. The flavour moves from grain sweet to floral bitter, and it’s a little less assertive than the nose. The texture isn’t quite crisp, which is a shame, but the beer is smooth and quite refreshing.

Ten Mile Point is a fine enough Czech-style pilsner, but it would benefit from a bit more crackle and a crisper texture. Still, for a first beer at a cottage on a sweltering July day, it left me feeling sated and swell.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Fun Juice New England Pale Ale

According to the 473mL can, Fun Juice New England Pale Ale has “intense tropical flavour” and “an explosion of citrus”. Sounds about right for a sweltering and muggy July evening. The beer comes from Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery. It’s a 5% hazy pale ale with a swampy golden colour and pours with a bit of off-white foam. The beer is brewed with “southern hemisphere hops”, oats, and wheat.

To my sniffer, Fun Juice had aromatics that blended sweet with tangy, and featured passionfruit and citrus notes. The flavour was juicier still, particularly initially, though in more of a fruit medley sense—I had a hard time picking out individual fruit flavours, and so I’ll rely on the old standby descriptors of tropical and citrus. The beer has a smooth texture and a finish with a healthy hop presence, but likely few IBUs.

Fun Juice is tasty, dangerously crushable, and bright. It’s what I think of as an “uptempo beer”—one for getting things started or for lighthearted merriment. I’ll definitely buy it again, though I’d be grateful if a bit more definition among flavours and a bit heartier finish.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Trident IPA

 Sold in 355mL cans that appear to depict a fossilized mermaid-unicorn, Trident IPA is an offering from Toronto’s excellent Muddy York Brewing Co. The beer is a 6.5%, 20 IBU ale. It’s a slightly hazy golden ale with a thin layer of white head.

Trident has a gorgeous aroma—evergreen with a squirt of citrus and a touch of sweet peach. The flavour is similarly situated, with a piney base, some grapefruit, and subtle stone fruit. The beer ain’t particularly bitter, but it has a nice citrus and sticky hoppiness.

All I can recall from this review I wrote back in July--apologies, but I neglected to rate this beer. But I remember enjoying it! 

Dave’s Affordable Dortmunder

 Dave’s Affordable Dortmunder is a 5.5%, 35 IBU German-style Dortmund export lager built in Gravenhurst, Ontario by the Sawdust City Brewing Co. The beer, DAD, is clearly a winking acknowledgment of the world’s most popular Dortmunder, DAB. It’s sold in 473mL cans and is built with a pair of hops (Perle and Saaz) and a pair of malts (Raven Floor Malted Pilsner and Munton’s Northern Spring Pale).

DAD is a clear golden lager with a shock of white suds. It has a sweet, cereal aroma. The flavour delivers grassy sweetness, a slash of metallic notes, and a floral, noble hop that introduces a little bit of pepperiness to the back end.

I always enjoy a good Dortmunder, and DAD is certainly that. A cheeky little lager executed nicely.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Old Düsseldorf

 Great Lakes Brewery’s Old Düsseldorf is a little altbier that clocks in at an even 5%. The hybrid brew (aged cool like a lager, but top fermented like an ale) comes in 355mL cans that has an agreeable dappled texture. The Toronto beer is made with oats and wheat. It’s a clear amber grog that decants with a quickly thinning off-white head.

Old Düssey has a rich and nutty aroma—sweet, with roasted malt elements. The flavour is sweet, bready, and has a little bit of molasses to it. The back end is a wee bit hoppy, in an earthy, floral sense, though it maintains some sweetness, too.

I really liked this little German-style potion—it’s nicely configured, tasty, and fun. Personally, I tend to favour GLB’s family of IPAs, but this quirky little beer made me glad.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Old Muddee Beer

Old Muddee Beer, from Muddy York Brewing Co., comes in some truly excellent 355mL cans with an "Geriatric Wisconsin" vibe. The Torontonian beer weighs in at an even 5% and 25 IBUs. It’s an American-style pale lager and, accordingly, it’s a clear yellow-gold colour with a thin cover of white foam.

Old Muddee has a sweet, grainy aroma, accented with corn and grass elements. The flavour is a little over-sweet on the front end, with sweet corn and malt notes. The back end is faintly bitter, floral, and has some crispness.

Old Muddee is a highly drinkable lager. It’s not as crisp as I wanted, due to the sweetness, but it’s certainly an agreeable hot day beer.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Juicin’ New England-Style IPA

 

It took me a while to try Sawdust City Brewing Co.’s much ballyhooed Juicin’ New England-Style IPA. In the past, this 6.0% fave of Ontario Beer Twitter had never been in stock when I’ve placed orders from the Gravenhurst-based brewery, but I was in luck this time. The beer comes in 473mL cans that feature a peach receiving a dose of something that looks a little stronger than the Moderna vaccine. It’s made using a trifecta of hops (Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe) and oats. The beer is a hazy sunny orange-gold and it pours with a durable crown of white suds.

Juicin’ has apricot and peach aromatics, as well as a dusting of citrus bitterness. The tasty ale has a smooth texture, and a flavour profile that tends toward fruit sweetness, with a lilt of hempy hops.

Was Juicin’ worth the wait? Did it live up to the online hype? Sorta. It’s an undeniably enjoyable beer and I was glad I had six of ‘em to enjoy. But it isn’t as elite as Sawdust City’s Lone Pine. That said, on a hot day, this hazer is incredibly refreshing.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Limberlost Blonde

 My second taste of Sawdust City Brewing Co.’s Limberlost was Limberlost Blonde, a Belgian-style sour ale brewed to 7.2%. The beer, from Gravenhurst, Ontario, comes in 473mL cans. It’s a pale golden ale with a nimbus of white suds. The beer contains Saaz and Idaho 7 hops, a quartet of malts, and Belgian ale yeast as well as wild Limberlost yeast. The beer is a blend of a batched of the wild, aged in oak puncheons, and the Belgian, aged in stainless.

The beer has a sharp sour fruit and funk aroma, with a bit of oaken sweetness. The flavour is tart, with white grape and cranberry notes, some woodiness, and a dry winey finish. Under it all are funky yeast tones.

This was a lovely Belgian-style sour blonde that I was into right from the jump. Crisp, tangy, and strong. A solid brew.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Limberlost Bruin

 Sawdust City Brewing Co.‘s Limberlost Bruin is a 6.5% alcohol bière de garde. Sold in 473mL cans, the beer is brewed using SC’a house yeast, as well as a wild strain; the former aged in stainless and the latter in puncheons—wooden casks. The beer is constructed with a trio of hops and NINE different malts, including oat flakes and wheat.

L.B. is a lovely looking ruby ale. It’s clear and pours with a short-lived off-white foam. The beer has aromatics that are metallic, funky, and tart. It tastes tangy, initially, with sour apple and cherry notes, and drifts toward a coppery finish. Throughout, wild yeast funk is on display, but it isn’t overpowering.

Limberlost Bruin proved a pretty interesting offering. I bought four cans and truthfully, I didn’t love the first can, which I downed late on a Friday night, but in a more mindful and contemplative mood a few days later, I found the beer had a lot to say and did so with some style. I expected to like Limberlost Bruin more, but the Blonde was definitely my preferred take.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Limberlost

 

Gravenhurst, Ontario’s Sawdust City Brewing Co. recently released a duo of beers under the Limberlost moniker: a bière de garde style called Bruin and Belgian-style sour blonde. Stay tuned to the Bitter World for my thoughts on both in the days ahead.

Mr. Jackpots

Sold in 473mL cans that, for some reason, remind me of the album art of Traffic’s 1971 album “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys”, Mr. Jackpots is a 6% IPA brewed with Centennial and Idaho 7 hops. Brewed in Toronto by Rainhard Brewing, Mr. Jackpots is a hazy, dull gold ale with a covering of off-white suds.

Mr. Jackpots has pineapple and mango aromatics, with a dusting of citrus bitterness. The beer has a mellow texture and a flavour that blends tropical and citrus fruit. There is limited bitterness, but lots of juicy, dry-hopped flavour.

If I were in charge, I’d have liked Mr. Jackpots to have been a little higher octane, but the flavour was definitely enjoyable and the texture was nice. I ordered an octet of these little beauties and I was a bit wistful when I put the last one in the fridge, which I take as a good sign that I’d buy this little ale again.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

GLB Vienna Lager

 Clear and bronze, with a fluffy (but short-lived) off-white head, Great Lakes Brewery’s Vienna Lager is a 5% offering from the Toronto brewing stalwart. The beer comes in 473mL cans. 

GLB’s Vienna Lager has an elegant, malty nose that is sweet, bready, and a touch metallic. Likewise, malt is the buzzword right from the first sip—the beer’s flavour is sweet and grainy, accented with some copper and just the faintest hint of woodsmoke. Lots of caramel. There is just a touch of floral bitterness to shut the door on the amber lager. The Euro-style lager has a smooth, thickish texture.

This continental lager has a mellow texture that plays well with its sweet elements, though in truth, I’d have preferred a bit less sweetness. Still, it’s a good take on an agreeable style. I’ve been interested in GLB’s recent forays into lager-making—a real departure from their catalogue of pale ales and IPAs, and one they’ve embraced well. Their Vienna Lager is a good example of a nicely-executed European-style lager.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Point Break

 Point Break is both one of my pal SDF’s fave flicks and a dry-hopped lager from the folks at Toronto’s Rainhard Brewing Co. The beery Point Break is a 4.1% session-friendly lager sold in 473mL cans. This version, at least, is dry-hopped with Opal.

The beer is slightly hazy, dull gold, and covered with a loose sudsy foam. It has dry, floral aromatics, twinned with a grain and malt backbone. The flavour is grainy and supplemented with apple notes. The beer has some floral hoppiness that, in a stronger lager, might be subtle, but which in this low-octane brew is really quite robust. The beer isn’t particularly bitter, due to the dry-hopping, but it has a bit of depth.

If you’ve a hankerin’ for a low-alcohol lager that has considerable “craft” charm (whatever that means), Point Break is a good answer. It’s crisp and drinkable, but with some depth.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Shizumu

 When I think of Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery, I typically think of expertly crafted lagers and quirky styles, but Shizumu is a straight up West Coast IPA. The 6.9% ale is clear, bronze-coloured, and pours with a thin layer of off-white foam.

Shizumu has old-school American IPA aromatics, with a crunchy blend of citrus and evergreen. The flavour treads a similar path, with pine and grapefruit notes in the starring roles, and a metallic undercurrent. The beer is quite bitter, manifested as citrus and resin at the finish.

To my mind, Shizumu is a Godspeed take on the West Coast IPA—not bombastic or obvious, but a subtle rendition that is technically sound.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Tongue Tied Double Dry-Hopped IPA

 

Tongue Tied Double Dry-Hopped IPA is a cute little offering cooked up by the stalwart gang at Nickel Brook Brewing Co. The Burlington, Ontario beer comes in playful 473mL cans and clocks in at a slightly understrength 5.6%. The beer is built using Citra, Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, and Strata hops, along with both flaked and malted oats. It’s a handsomely hazy little brew, with a resplendent crown of white suds.

To my nose, Tongue Tied is primarily driven by tropical fruit—pineapple and passionfruit—but also has a dusting of floral, woodsy hops. The flavour left me engaged, but definitely not tongue-tied. It kicks off sweet and tangy; a tropical fruit salad. On the back end, the beer has a hefty hop presence, characterized by citrus and evergreen, though effective dry-hopping keeps the bitterness to a minimum.

Nickel Brook is consistently been one of my fave Ontario establishments, but I’ve found some of their more recent IPA offerings have been a bit non-descript. But I am enthused by Tongue Tied—it’s lower-octane than I’d have liked, but it also balances sweet, tart, and bitter in a manner both subtle and notable. Other than ol’ standbys Headstock and Naughty Neighbour, Tongue Tied is possibly my fave non-sour offering from NB. It’s a treat!

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Sklepník V Oceli

 

Sklepník V Oceli is a Czech-style lager from Godspeed Brewery’s Pivovar Godspeed series. The pilsner clocks in at 4.4% alcohol and according to the copy on Godspeed’s website, this “Stainless Edition” is “fermented then cold conditioned in stainless fermentation tanks for 7 weeks.” The Torontonian lager is clear, golden, and lovely to look at beneath a white foam.

Crisp and classic, the nose has a lot of grain elements, as well as a healthy measure of noble hop aromatics. The flavour is fresh and, for a low-alcohol offering, quite robust. It balances grain, metallic notes, and a floral, lightly spicy bitterness.

Godspeed is, in my opinion, Ontario’s lager master, and Slepník V Oceli is well up to my expectations. A good, clean pilsner is a great joy, and this one delivers. I’d have liked it to reach 5%, but otherwise, my complaints barely register.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Queen of Baseball

Queen of Baseball is a 6% IPA brewed at Toronto’s Left Field Brewery in honour of Lizzie “Spike” Murphy, the first woman to play baseball professionally. Sold in 355mL cans, QoB is a lightly hazy golden ale with a crown of off-white foam.

QoB is an East Coast IPA with an inviting and sticky tropical aroma, built around juicy mango notes. The beer has an extremely smooth mouthfeel, which comes off a bit on the thin side. There is no shortage of flavour, though, with a medley of tropical elements building to a grapefruit and resin finish.

Before buying this beer, I’d never heard of Lizzie Murphy, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn about a real character from baseball’s history while enjoying a pretty good IPA. I wanted this beer to have a bit more body, but otherwise, it was a satisfying little addition to Left Field’s roster.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Celebrating Sisters Rouge Pale Ale

 Celebrating Sisters Rouge Pale Ale is a red pale ale brewed in Toronto at Great Lakes Brewery as part of The Indigenous Brew Crew and Do Better. Be Better’s Celebrating Sisters initiative with $1 per 473mL can going to Indigenous organizations that support Indigenous women. The label is a gorgeous one, designed by Chief Lady Bird. The beer is a 5.1% ale. It’s copper-brown and pours with a modest off-white head.

CSRPA incorporates both wheat and oats. It has a rusty, bready, malt-driven aroma. The flavour, too, is pleasantly metallic. It’s a toasty, malty little number, with some caramel sweet and light hempen bitterness.

I had eight of these beauties, and frankly, it wasn’t enough. I love red ale hybrids, and this one was lovely. A bit more strength might have been nice, though.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

A DIPA

 A DIPA, from Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery, is an 8.8% brute made with a quintet of hops: Galaxy, Loral, Mosaic, Motueka, and Vic Secret. The brew is almost impossibly hazy, with a milky orange colour and a modest crown of white suds. And it's a relative of An IPA.

The aromatics are less robust than I expected, with citrus and tropical notes. The flavour is sweet, juicy, and and a little dank, with orange juice and floral elements, and a resinous final note. For a strong beer, this one has an extremely smooth texture.

A DIPA is a pleasing mélange of hops and fruit. I’d have liked for there to have been a bit more bitterness, but it should be said that the hefty booziness is deviously well-cloaked.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Rumblecat Double IPA

 From Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery, Rumblecat Double IPA is a 7.5% ale that comes in neon 355mL cans. Described as “vicious and delicious” in the copy, the beer is brewed with wheat and oats. It has a hazy, dull-gold colour and pours with an impressive peak of off-white foam.

Rumblecat has a rowdy aroma, fortified with  booze, and featuring berry and stone fruit notes, a whisper of tartness, and a bit of dank bitterness. Likewise, the flavour is a bit of a slightly tart, yeasty fruit salad followed up with a resinous finish.

Not quite as strong as I tend to like my double IPAs, but Rumblecat has an interesting flavour profile that game me some thrills.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Just the Sandwich IPA

 

Just the Sandwich IPA from Whitby, Ontario’s Town Brewery has one of the province’s cutest labels—the 473mL cans are decorated with a friendly, anthropomorphic 8-bit burger. The 7.2% beer itself is a hazy, dull orange colour and it pours with a durable chapeau of off-white foam.

To my nose, mango and orange juice are the primary scents, along with something a bit sticky and resinous lurking. The flavour is initially very sweet and juicy, with OJ and tropical elements to spare. Toward the back end, there is some boozy heat, citrus hoppiness, and an unfortunate plasticky note that rubbed me a bit the wrong way.

Overall, I liked Just the Sandwich, from its excellent strength to its adorable packaging. However, the off note in the finish hampered my enjoyment. The initial fruitiness was well-executed, but the back end was not to my taste. This isn’t an instance where an off-note spoiled an otherwise good beer, but it is one but for which a decent beer could have been excellent. Truthfully, too, I noticed the issue less as I sipped each of the six cans I bought.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.