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.
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