Red Racer Pilsner

Red Racer Pilsner hails from Surrey, British Columbia. It's brewed by Central City Brewers & Distillers. It came as one part of a mixed six pack of 355mL cans. It contains 5% alcohol.

R.R.P.  pours a clear, sunny gold colour, topped with a white head and chalk full of carbonation. It has a fresh grass and grain aroma. Its crisp body made for a quite refreshing brew. Its classic pilsner flavour features grainy notes and a helping of mown grass--it tastes like a day of yard work, bottled. The profile goes from sweet to bitter, with a relatively significant hop kick at the finish line.

Red Racer Pilsner performs pretty well when compared to its European siblings. It tastes fresh and flavourful, plus its quite refreshing, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a pilsner. It's not wildly memorable, but I don't find that many pilsners are. More importantly, there weren't any notable flaws, at least not to my pretentious but untested palate.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Matilda

Matilda is a Belgian-style pale ale brewed in Chicago, Illinois by the Goose Island Beer Company. It's sold in 765mL bottles that have an elegant, wine-style look. It contains a hearty 7% alcohol. The bottle says that this beer can be aged for up to five years--it aged in my fridge from about Friday to Sunday until I cracked. The label also notes that this brew is "a pale ale re-fermented with brettanomyces".

It's a cheery, golden-coloured ale--hazy and with carbonation to spare. It pours with a very thick cream head. It has a very yeasty aroma.  It's slightly tart, with a wedge of apple. It has a bubbly, airy mouthfeel. The flavour is surprisingly mild. Notes of tart fruit and a big, Belgian yeast drive the front end, while an understated bitterness follows close behind.

I was expecting sour, but tart was more or less what I got. I imagine that if I'd had the patience, this stuff would have evolved and matured interestingly, but that just ain't my style. And as an apartment dweller, I don't really have the space to leave beers to age. Fresh off the shelf, Matilda was a clean and chipper Belgian-style beer. Fizzy, fresh, and yeasty, with an interesting flavour.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale

Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale comes in a lurid, pink, 750mL bottle featuring a voodoo dude in front of a motif pf pigs and maple leafs--it practically jumped off the shelf and into my hands. I just HAD to buy it. It comes from Newport, Oregon's Rogue Ales and it contains a hearty 6.5% alcohol. According to the bottle, it has 30 IBUs, and is brewed with applewood-smoked bacon and pure maple syrup. It's a muddy amber brew--cloudy, with a thick eggshell head.

Voodoo Doughnut has a strong aroma that is quite smokey, but also features some syrup sweetness. Not surprisingly, it has a very unusual flavour.  The first thing that I noticed was the smokiness. There are actually some notes of bacon, which is something new for me in a beer. The maple is muted, and has an almost candied quality, which I found pretty agreeable.

For a flavoured beer, this stuff delivers substantial beer body. It has a smokey, malt foundation, and, underneath the maple sweetness, the finish packs a decent bitter punch. Rogue never seems to disappoint, but I definitely did not expect to like this one. However, they delivered once again with a unique and charmingly flavoured ale. I wouldn't be very inclined to open a second one in a go, though--more of a novelty than a truly satisfying beer.


Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Centennial IPA

Centennial IPA is a hearty India Pale Ale born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the Founders Brewing Company. It's sold in 355mL bottles, contains 7.2% alcohol, and clocks in at a nicely bitter 65 IBUs. According to the packaging, it's a dry hopped and unfiltered I.P.A. A very strange label features two dudes in togas who might be angels(?).

Centennial pours an ever-so-sligtly hazy amber-gold colour, underneath an off-white head that quickly recedes into a fine white coaster. It has very little carbonation. The aroma is mild, but enticing, and features some fruity sweetness, some caramel, and a hoppy backbone.

This brew has great numbers for an I.P.A.  At 7.2%, it's on the strong end of the spectrum, and the 65 IBUs make for a nice, bitter sipper without being a hop monster. For all of that, though, the flavour is actually quite restrained. It's bitter, particularly at the finish, but there are also notes of caramel and raisin, and a malt profile that is worthy of mention.  I wouldn't complain if the flavour was a touch more robust, but this is a well conceived and nicely crafted ale.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell is billed as "The Original Pilsner from Pilsen". This brew, built in the Czech Republic by Plzeňský Prazdroj, comes in a very handsome 500mL green and gold can. It contains a slightly underpowered 4.4% alcohol.

P.U. pours a crystal clear yellow-gold, amply carbonated, and topped with a cloudy head of bright white. The slightly sweet scent of freshly mown grass and a grainy aroma are present on the nose. It has a crisp, well starched mouthfeel. The flavour kicks off sweetly--notes are grassy and grainy. The finish is slightly dry, thanks to a murmur of hop bitterness.

An archetype of the pilsner style, P.U. frequently shows up in my fridge. It's a great beer to have on hand to offer to lager fans who might be less than keen on some of the darker or more robust brews that I typically have chilling in the icebox. I'd really like to have a touch more booze in this stuff.  While it might be the first word in pilsners, I don't consider it to be the last. Still, Pislner Urquell is an excellently made and refreshing Czech beer, and one that is widely available in a certain class of drinking establishment.  It is definitely nice to enjoy on a hot day.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10. 

The Immortal IPA

The Immortal IPA comes from the hotbed of American hops (the "hop-bed, if you will), Seattle, Washington.  It's brewed by Elysian Brewing Company, sold in 355mL bottles, and contains 6.3% alcohol. The label looks to have the mighty had of a deity wielding a thunderbolt.


Immortal is a muted golden brew, slightly hazy, and topped with an off-white head. Its rich, bitter scent has notes of citrus, caramel, and floral hops. The mouthfeel is smooth, yet dry, particularly in the finish. It's a fairly well-balanced India Pale Ale. There are some caramel and malt notes early on, as well as a slight raisin flavour. The finish is hoppy and bitter, but in a fairly restrained way. Some notes of citrus appear in the close.

Given the bold name and the imposing label, I expected the kind of punchy west coast I.P.A. that strips the enamel off your teeth. Instead, I opened up a relatively subtle brew, with a bit of nuance and delicacy. At first, I was disappointed, but as I worked through my sixer over a few days, I grew to like it more and more.


Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

White Picket Fence

White Picket Fence is yet another offering from Toronto, Ontario's awesome Bellwoods Brewery. This one is a Belgian-style witbier. I enjoyed a 16oz. glass on tap at the brewery. It contains a slightly underwhelming 4.8% alcohol and had a cloudy, slightly dull, yellow-gold appearance. It arrived capped with a quickly thinning white head.

It has a nice, clean scent--yeasty, with considerable orange peel notes. W.P.F. is a thin-bodied brew, but  it has a fairly bubbly nature. I found it to be excellently thirst quenching, but not quite as flavourful as I'd been hoping for. Like a classic wit, White Picket Fence has flavour notes of citrus and some (faint) spice. It also has a dose of yeastiness.

I absolutely love the aesthetic cultivated by Bellwoods Brewery

I think it's cool that Bellwoods is making a couple of sessionable, low alcohol brews. However, I wasn't totally blown away by White Picket Fence.  It's a bit too thin and not sufficiently flavourful to bring me back to the yard.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Rogue Brutal IPA

From Newport, Oregon's Rogue Ales comes Brutal IPA. At 6.5% alcohol, Brutal IPA has some heft, without being inaccessible. It has a serious 59 IBUs and comes in 650mL bottles that are emblazoned with a pretty rad dude.

Brutal IPA is cloudy, and has a dull orange colour. It pours to the south of an unyielding of-white head. Sniffing through that dense foam, I detected an amply hopped aroma with notes of grapefruit, just as the bottle foretold. Given the aroma, there is less citrus in the flavour than I was expecting. It's certainly there, but interwoven with some notes of caramel and some raisin-y bitterness.

Brutal IPA is a very subtle India Pale Ale.  It has considerable hop bombast, but somewhat tempered. It's very smooth and mellow for an I.P.A., while still delivering the bitter, dry finish that I was hoping for. Everything that I have tried from Rogue has been pretty much excellent, and their Brutal IPA doesn't disappoint.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Saison Dupont

Saison Dupont is, not surprisingly, a saison. It comes from Brasserie Dupont in Tourpes, Belgium. It comes in a corked, 750mL bottle that is reminiscent of champagne. It contains 6.5% alcohol.

S.D. is a cloudy golden brew topped with a thick cloud of bright white head and ample carbonation. It has a slightly tart aroma of sour apples, as well as some notes of pear, yeast, and earth. The mouthfeel is dry and effervescent, like a champagne. It has a relatively mild flavour, particularly in the front end, with some gentle apple and grape notes.  This contrasts with the finish, which is considerably more vibrant. It's here that you can find bready yeastiness, an unexpected bitterness, and a fine dose of boozy warmth.

This brew has good strength and great, large bottles. Like other quality farmhouse ales, Saison Dupont is beer's equivalent to a sparkling wine--airy, fizzy, and dry, with some nuance and class.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Green Flash West Coast IPA comes from sunny San Diego, California. It's brewed by the the Green Flash Brewing Co. and contains a hearty 7.3% alcohol. It's sold in excellent four packs and comes in cool-shaped 12oz. bottles. The label states that this brew is "Extravagantly hopped".

The Green Flash IPA is a foggy, amber-gold coloured ale topped with an eggshell head that fades quickly to a thin disc. Its vibrant, hop-heavy showcases notes of grapefruit, but also contains some malty caramel heft. It has a full-bodied mouthfeel, with a dry, bitter finish. It's a very hoppy beer with notes of citrus riding shotgun and caramel in the backseat. It doesn't taste boozy, exactly, but you can certainly tell that its strong.

If you're a stranger to the west coast IPA style, this one'll give you an education--it's boozy, aggressively hoppy, and heavy on the citrus. It's a really good example and a really good beer to boot.


Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Strong Patrick

Strong Patrick is a Strong Irish Red Ale from Vankleek Hill, Ontario's Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. It comes in 600mL bottles featuring one of my all-time favourite beer labels, featuring a be-shamrocked luchador. Strong Patrick is No. 18 in Beau's Wild Oats Series and contains 6.7% alcohol.

According to the label, a portion of Strong Patrick is aged in whisky casks--this gives the beer a recognizable whisky quality that shows up in both the nose and flavour. Additionally, the aroma is malty and has some notes of raisin. The flavour stays on the malt highway and drives all night. There are notes of caramel and raisin to keep the whisky company.

All told, this beer tastes like some kind of buttery, raisin-y, toffee-y, dessert from the British Isles. There isn't a lot of bitterness to speak of. There is some boozy warmth, but it doesn't taste particularly strong. I'd have liked a bit more hops, but otherwise, this stuff hit the spot.

Strong Patrick pours a handsome amber colour, topped beneath a mountain of of-white foam.


Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Ben's Pale Ale

Ben's Pale Ale was my second foray into the offerings from Fredericton, New Brunswick's Grimross Brewing. I enjoyed a pint on tap at a classy Fredericton bar. Ben's Pale clocks in at 6% alcohol, according to the Grimross website.

After ordering, I had a faintly hazy copper-gold ale set in front of me. It came topped with a thick, white head. It had a very lively yeasty aroma that walked hand-in-hand with a whiff of hops. The beer had an undeniable Belgian feel--it's quite yeast-driven, slightly tart, and featured a pleasingly bitter and quite dry finish. Along the way, there is a slight twist of green apple.

It's pretty interesting to order a local brew in a small city in New Brunswick and be handed a respectable Belgian-style pale ale. Craft beer has been alive and well in New Brunswick for years, but my most recent visit convinced me that things are getting even better. Grimross Brewing gives Fredericton a second quality purveyor of choice ales.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Grimross Rye IPA

I was home in Fredericton, New Brunswick over Christmas 2013, and I was pumped to learn that there is a new brewery in town--Grimross Brewing. More than than, I was fired up when I stepped into a new beer bar to watch a football game and found Grimross on tap. And then, I was ecstatic when I saw that one of the offerings on tap was a rye I.P.A., one of my very favourite styles.

The Grimross Rye IPA clocks in at 6% alcohol, according to the Grimross website. I had myself a pint on tap while I enjoyed a little pigskin. It arrived a swampy brown grog, topped with a healthy off-white head.  Its aroma straddles a divide between hoppy and yeasty. The flavour is likewise yeasty, particularly at the front end.  It isn't nearly as bitter or as spicy as some of the more pungent rye I.P.A.s that I have sampled--this stuff prefers to be subtly flavourful. This stuff flows from yeasty/malty to bitter, encompassing a faint but worthy rye spiciness. In finishes with some mild bitterness.

If you're in the mood for a jumbo, bitter rye I.P.A., then Grimross' version might leave you a touch disappointed. However, if you're down for a tasty, well crafted ale, this stuff might well be your speed. I definitely liked it.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Blonde du Quai

Blonde du Quai comes from my home province, New Brunswick, where it is brewed by Shiretown, in Charlo. It is sold in hand numbered 500mL bottles and contains 5.5% alcohol. This is a cloudy, golden ale, topped with a very thin layer of white head.

The aroma has considerable blueberry volume, as well as some slight yeastiness--this gives it a nose not unlike blueberry pie. It has a very thin mouthfeel and a mild, fruity flavour. There is very little aftertaste to speak of.

Blonde du Quai is an interesting and easy drinking little beer with a decent flavour. I'd have liked a bit more intesity in the flavour--this stuff was too mild tasting for me to really get behind.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.