Harlequin Brown Ale

 Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery is the source of Harlequin Brown Ale, a 5.5% brown sold in 473mL cans. The beer is brewed with Harlequin hops which provide, according to the copy, “a shot of tropical fruit flavours and aromas”. The burnished copper ale pours with a lasting layer of beige suds.

To my schnoz, the beer has roasted malt, iron, bread, and burnt sugar aromatics. The flavour kicks of maltily and drifts hopward, touching on metallic, nutty, and piney. Despite the paragraph on the can, I can’t say I picked up on tropical fruit elements, though. The only new world hop note I really picked out was in the evergreen bitterness of the finish.

Harlequin Brown Ale is an enjoyable American-style brown. Although I didn’t personally detect any tropical aromas/flavours, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there, and it doesn’t really matter, since the beer tastes quite good.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Orage Double IPA

 Another hazy hopster from the team at Bandit Brewing in Toronto, Orage Double IPA is an 8.2% beaut. It’s a cloudy orange brew made with the terrific trio of Citra, Galaxy, and Mosaic hops. The beer, sold in 355mL cans, pours with a fluffy white head. It does, however, also pour with a bit more sediment than I’d have liked. This doesn’t manifest in the mouthfeel, but it isn’t visually appealing. According to Bandit’s website, the name is a nod to the French term for thunderstorm, which was a little vocab nugget that I’d completely forgotten.

Orage has a an extremely inviting aroma, blending notes of orange juice, hemp, and some tropical elements. The flavour shows citrus and mango, initially, and then veers into sticky resin, while still remaining sweet. The texture is quite smooth for a beer north of 8%, and the booze is cleverly concealed.

Orage is one of my favourite offerings from Bandit—strong, but graceful; sweet, but not syrupy. I’d have liked a bit less “texture”, but otherwise a great beer.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Anniversary No. 8 Baltic Porter

 Anniversary No. 8 Baltic Porter is a commemorative offering from Toronto’s Left Field Brewery. This burly bruiser comes in 355mL cans and contains 9.5% alcohol. Priced at just over $3 a can, this seems like a gift to we the customers and I appreciate it!

A#8 is near black and pours with a short-lived tan head. It has a hefty roasted malt aroma, with brown sugar and sweet molasses notes. The flavour is sugary and boozy, with elements that brought to mind toasted marshmallows and vanilla, big malts, and, at the back end, a touch of bitterness.

This is a strong and slightly-too-sweet Baltic Porter. I’d have adjusted the balance nob from sweet toward bitter, but the strength and texture were right on the level.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Isabella

 Sold in gorgeously labeled 355mL cans, Isabella is yet another double dry-hopped IPA from the gang at Toronto’s Bandit Brewery, this one is a 6.5% numbered made with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops. The beer is a good-looking hazy brew with a dull-gold colour and a thin white head.

Isabella has a mild, fruit-forward aroma, with subtle notes of pineapple. The flavour is juicy, with citrus and green grape notes. There is a fair amount of hop flavour, but not much bitterness.

Quite a nice entry in the lengthy annals of Bandit’s double dry-hopped repertoire, Isabella is an enjoyable little beer. I’d have liked a bit more in terms of aromatics, but the flavour is grand.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

525,600 Minutes

 Given the name, timing and the masked Guy Fawkes-esque image on the 473mL can, I’d have to assume that 525,600 Minutes is an ode to the year-plus many of us have spent in quarantine (maybe "ode" isn't the right word--perhaps a "reflection on"?). The beer, brewed in Toronto by Rainhard Brewing, is a 6% IPA. Clearer than most of the currently IPAs on the market I. Ontario, 525,600 Minutes is a bright gold ale that pours with a sudsy off-white foam.

... Minutes has a cheery fruit and pine aroma. The flavour is similarly constructed, with nectarine and evergreen notes mingling into a pleasant tonic. The beer might be a touch too sweet initially, but the back end has enough bitterness to assuage my concerns.

I ordered four of these guys from Rainhard as part of a much larger mail order, but I almost instantly regretted not buying a few more, as it was the star of my mélange. Also, for each can sold, a non-specified amount is donated to the truly excellent Buddies in Bad Times Theatre “in hopes that we can all enjoy live theatre again in the not to distant future”, which is rad (though I’d like to know the figures). The beer was a bit sweet and coulda been stronger, but the flavour was electric and I liked it quite a bit.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Dmitrij Fong Red IPA

 From Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery, in collaboration with Hungry Brew Hops Public House & Eatery in Newmarket, Ontario, comes Dmitrij Fong Red IPA. The beer is sold in 473mL cans and it’s brewed with oats and wheat. It’s an entry in GLB’s 7 Barrel Series and it clocks in at a burly 7%.

Dmitrij Fong is a swampy, copper grog with a sudsy cream head. There is a bready, malty, and metallic aromatic profile. The flavour moves sweet to bitter, and incorporates toast, a bit of iron, and some floral hops.

This is a pretty well-executed red IPA, which, to me, is a grand and under-represented style. With good strength and balanced flavour, Dmitrij Fong is a beer I’d eagerly revisit from a brewery that consistently kicks my butt.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Jail Fire Raichbier

 

I’ve had very few Ontario-born rauchbiers, but I ordered a bunch of Jail Fire Raichbiers from Muddy York Brewing Co. for my brother as part of his Christmas gift and couldn’t resist snagging one for myself. The 6%, 25 IBU beer from Toronto comes in 355mL cans. The name pays homage to an 1862 fire that nearly disrupted construction of Toronto’s notorious Don Jail. The beer is flavoured with beech-smoked malt. It’s a clear ale with a handsome copper colour and a short-lived off-white foam.

Jail Fire has an undeniably smokey and malt-driven aroma, though it isn’t nearly as robust as some other rauchbiers on the market. The flavour is significantly smokier, though still not outrageous. Alongside the campfire vibes, there are burnt caramel notes and just a touch of spicy bitterness.

I liked Jail Fire a fair bit, though I’d have liked a bit more bombast. When I crack a rauchbier, I want to be overwhelmed by beechwood smoke; this one merely “whelmed” me.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Bianca Mango Lassi Gose

 A 473mL can of Omnipollo’s mango lassi gose Bianca found its way to me via my ol’ pal WFM. The beer contains 6% alcohol and it’s made with oats, wheat, mango, and lactose sugar. The beer hails from Stockholm and Toronto. It’s an orange-gold colour and pours with a quickly receding white foam.

This version of Bianca has a punchy mango aroma. The flavour is similarly mango-rich, with a quirky yogurty tang that really does provide a lassi-like vibe. In terms of texture, the beer is quite smooth with a touch of kefir-style acidity.

Odd but tasty, the mango lassi Bianca is a bit of a trip. I liked it more than I expected to, though I’d not be in a hurry to down a second. Still, it did exactly what it promised and that’s worth a lot.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Flight HBC 472

 Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery is the source of Flight HBC 472, an American Brown Ale. The beer contains 5.8% and comes in 473mL cans with a boarding pass theme. It’s an attractive mahogany ale that pours with a thin disc of creamy head.

HBC 472 has a hearty roasted malt aroma, accented with brown sugar. The flavour runs from slightly sweet to fairly hoppy, and it touches on caramel, molasses, and burnt toast. The beer starts creamily, but builds to a bitter finish.

This isn’t the best brown ale I’ve had, but it has some very good attributes and I’d gladly buy it again. I’d have liked a richer bitterness and a bit more booze, but I definitely enjoyed the roasty toasty quality.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Good Clean Fun

 Good Clean Fun, from Toronto’s Indie Alehouse, is a 4.8% helles lager. Sold in 355mL cans emblazoned with a slingshot, GCF is a slightly hazy golden lager with a disc of white suds.

The beer has fresh, grainy aromatics with some sweet grassiness and a dry hops. GCF has a mild, but pleasant flavour—sweet, initially, with a faint floral bitterness around back. Grassy, with a soft texture, GCF is definitely session-friendly.

Not a bad little helles, Good Clean Fun is light and tasty, but I’d have liked a bit less sweetness.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Aura

 Aura, a 5.9% India pale ale, comes from Toronto, where it’s brewed by Omnipollo. The cloudy yellow gold ale pours with a thick layer of white foam. The beer, sold in 473mL cans, is brewed with wheat and oats. 

Aura has a substantial citrus aroma, with massive notes of orange and grapefruit. The flavour maintains the citrus vibe, but blends in a creamy sweetness. The beer has a touch of citrus bitterness, but not much.

I wasn’t expecting to really engage with this beer—it’s under strength and sweeter than I usually like. However, the floral/juicy combination is well executed and I found myself fairly impressed.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Sklepník Ve Dřevě

 The lager lineup at Toronto’s Godspeed Brewery is, based on my experience, the very best in Ontario. Another excellent offering is Pivovar Godspeed--Sklepník Ve Dřevě . The copy on the 355mL can is mostly in Czech (?), but I was able to glean that the beer is 4.4%. It’s a rich golden lager with a touch of cloudiness and a thin layer of off-white suds.

PG has a crisp, grainy/floral aroma. The beer is bright and refreshing. It’s got sweet grain and metallic notes out front, and it’s backed with peppery, floral hops.

Pivovar Godspeed has a distinctly European feel and flavour. I bought six and I was really glad to have ‘em and wouldn’t have been angry with a couple more in the fridge. It’s not really my idea of a February beer, but I’d take it year round.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Godspeed’s Bestuto

 Godspeed’s Bestuto is an English-style best bitter brewed in Toronto. The beer is sold in 355mL cans and comes in at 4.3%. Put together by the team at Godspeed Brewery, Besuto is a handsome bronze-hued ale that pours with a thin layer of off-white suds.

Besuto has a coppery, malt-focused aroma, underscored with cracker and caramel. The flavour kicks off with malt sweetness and includes metallic and brown sugar, before wrapping up with a mild floral bitterness.

The Stout Man loves a best bitter and Godspeed’s Bestuto is a damn fine one. I’ve got almost no complaints and I wish I had more than six. Like a good BB, Bestuto doesn’t sacrifice flavour despite its low percentage.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

No Bad Daze

 A dry-hopped lager out of Burlington, Ontario, No Bad Daze is a 10 IBU, 4.3% pale beer brewed with Azacca hops. Brewed by Nickel Brook Brewing Co., NBD is sold in 473mL cans that feature a skeleton in a sombrero. The golden beer has a lightly hazed gold colour and pours with a thin disc of white suds.

NBD has a cheery, grass-heavy aroma with a pleasant tinkle of of fruity sweetness. The flavour is sweet and grainy, with an unexpected juiciness, limited bitterness, and a bright and cracking texture.

No Bad Daze is a highly enjoyable little brew. Session-friendly and crisp, but impressively flavourful, this is a beer I’d gladly buy again—though I’d likely want it for backyard crushing in July rather than chilly sipping in February.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Saikai Original Vermont Inspired IPA

 Born in Toronto, Godspeed Brewery’s Saikai Original Vermont Inspired IPA is a 6.4% ale. Sold in 355mL cans, the beer is hazy golden brew with a thin cover of eggshell head and a dusting of yeasty sediment.

Saikai has an extremely mild aroma that contains elements of honey and fruit sweetness. The flavour is considerably more substantial, with notes of melon and apricot. The beer has very little bitterness and a fairly thin texture.

I’ve consistently been a fan of Godspeed Brewery’s offerings, and while Saikai might not have been my favourite, it’s still a decent ale. I’d have liked less sediment and less sweetness, but it’s alright.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.