Death & Taxes Raspberry Radler

Happy fifth anniversary to my wonderful spouse! You challenge me, impress me, and inspire me everyday.

When I spotted the cool 473mL cans of Death & Taxes Raspberry Radler on the shelf at my local store, I immediately bought two--one for myself, because I love raspberries, and one for the Bitter Wife, because she's the Radler Queen.

Brewed in Gravenhurst, Ontario, by Sawdust City Brewing Co., this 4.3% alcohol brew is made raspberry purée and a very light ale. The beer has a hazy pinkish gold hue and pours with a fluffy off-white head.

Bitter Wife: Smells like beer--not as juicy as expected, and with only a faint raspberry note. The flavour tastes as though there are real berries in it--like raspberry juice. Like they've taken a lager and poured raspberry juice into it--but the tastes don't blend very well. It tastes as though there are two separate components. Drinkable, but it could use some additional boldness, crispness, and tartness. They're not really taking full advantage of raspberry. It's not a radler for people who like radlers craft beer. It's not flavour-focused. If you think of it as a beer, there is an appealing fruity edge, like a bear wearing a funny hat, but pointless as a radler.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Stout Man: Unlike the missus, I found Death & Taxes to have a fairly assertive, sweet raspberry jam nose. There is a very thin mouthfeel that is not nearly as crisp and fizzy as I wanted and expected. The taste is mild, but has a nice, slight tinge of berry sweetness. Bitterness is nearly non-existent in this one, and there isn't abundant tartness either.

For me, D&T was a bit of a flop. It had some nice elements, including a refreshing quality, great strength for a radler, and a very pleasant scent, but overall it was too thin to hold my interest. It has a vitamin water quality that underwhelmed. I might have felt differently if it were 30 degrees out and I was sitting on a patio, but in my living room in early September, it didn't make a lot of waves.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

La Blanche du Fjord

One of the many joys of my blessed union with the Bitter Wife is a primo set of in-laws. Great folks who'll bring you beer when they visit, my mother- and father-in-law are tops. On a recent visit, they brought me a couple of bottles, including a 660mL bomber of La Blanche du Fjord. This witbier comes from Chicoutimi, Quebec, where it's brewed by La Tour à Bières. It's a 5% alcohol brew that, if my French isn't failing me, is flavoured with citrus and coriander--sounds like a Belgian-style wit to me.

The beer imitially poured cloudy gold with a milky hue, but as I got to the bottom of the bottle, some orange-brown sediment entered the mix. The aroma was yeasty, fruity, and a touch spicy. There was a thin yet smooth mouthfeel and a mild flavour that danced between wheat, yeast, orange rind, and banana. No bitterness at all featured in La Blanche, which gave it a fine level of refreshment.

La Blanch du Fjord was a pretty tasty micro from QC. It could have been a bit less sediment-heavy, and I wouldn't have minded a bit more body, but I enjoyed it well enough. I'm certainly grateful it found its way to me.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Beer Snob

Beer Snob is not the name of my autobiography. It could be, had I lived a life worth reading about, but in this instance it is the name of a Belgian rye ale from Toronto's Shillow Beer Co. (also makers of the surprisingly delightful Bitter Waitress). The bearded, trilby and plaid-wearing hipster on the 473mL can is too slim to be me, but the sentiment is clearly there. The beer contains 6% alcohol. The copy on the can is good enough to warrant reproduction in full:

An intellectually complex brew that no one else understands. With soft hints of indifference and strong notes of irony, this beer is best served in glassware you've brought with you from home.

Touché.

The beer is a hazy golden affair that pours with a dense and rowdy white head. It has a surprisingly grainy and slightly spicy nose, but a flavour that tends more towards yeasty and fruity. There are elements of dried fruit and coriander which lead into a modestly bitter and peppery finish.

 

To this beer snob, Beer Snob was a pretty good effort from one of Toronto's more enigmatic beer makers--seriously, their website gives you almost no info! The beer was too sweet and insufficiently spicy to be a top tier rye ale, but it did some things pretty well. Certainly well enough to merit a re-purchase.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Elora Borealis Citra Pale Ale

Elora, Ontario is home to the Elora Brewing Company. During a weekend cottage getaway on Georgian Bay, I was lucky enough to split a 500mL bottle of their Elora Borealis Citra Pale Ale with a pal. The excellently-named ale weighed in at 5.1%. It was a hazy golden beer with a loose cap of off-white head.

EB had a dry, citrus scent. The flavour was pretty lovely, with hoppy grapefruit notes. The mouthfeel, though, was a little on the thin side without much complimentary crispness, which wasn't a huge plus. Not a deal breaker, though, since the flavour was really quite beautiful and rich.

My friend told me a bit about the brewery in Elora while we sipped and, given her description and the quality of the beer, I've got a hankering to get out there sometime.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

IPA No. 3

IPA No. 3 comes from Hamilton, Ontario, where it is brought into being by the brew artists at Collective Arts Brewing. Sold in teal 473mL cans with a cubist look, the beer checks in at 7.1%. This Ontarian IPA is brewed using both Citra and Crystal hops. It has a cloudy, dull orange aspect and pours under a bright eggshell foam.

No. 3 has a juicy, fruit-forward aroma that suggests grapefruit bitterness. It's flavour is packed with tropical notes, built above a dank and resin-focused bitterness.

 

The beer works well enough, although I found it to be a bit too sweet for comfort. To get to the next level, its bitterness would need an amping up, and its juicy fruit sweetness a dimming. However, it was still excellently strong and, incongruously, very easy to drink. Given the sugar content apparent in this beer, I'd expect it to be a hangover magnet if enjoyed in significant quantities. However, a can or two go down fluidly and with few complaints. I like what Collective Arts is doing with its IPAs, and I found No. 3 to be a pretty solid entry, though not as engaging as some others in the series.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Zodiak

Happiest of birthdays to my dear ol' da! Cheers to you, Pops!

With its 473mL can adorned with neon green and alien symbols and its tiny letters above the barcode that declaim "Space is the Place", Omnipollo's Zodiak fairly screams intrigue. The 6.2% IPA comes from Stockholm/Toronto. It's a cloudy brew with a bright gold tint and a layer of sudsy white head.

To my inexpert but well-practiced nose, there seems to be a resinous, evergreen whiff. Given the scent, the flavour is somewhat surprising, in that it leads off with a slightly fruity zest before veering toward a floral/forest vibe. The mouthfeel is lovely, suggesting a full-bodied and well-made ale. The finish, while fine, cost this beer a bit, owing to the fact that it isn't as dry and crisp as I wanted it to be.

I've been absolutely wowed by Omnipollo before, so I had high hopes for this stuff. It didn't blow me away, but it was still a very nice, mindfully crafted brew with a lot going for it.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Mellifera

Mellifera comes from Le Trou du Diable in Shawinigan, Quebec. Sold in 500mL bottles with beautiful luchador/Catholic imagery, the beer has 5.8% alcohol. According to the label, this lil brew is built using local honey and lactic fermentation.

The beer is a dull gold offering, with a fairly thin covering of off-white head. It's hazy and packs a tart aroma, running parallel with a sweet, honeyed note. The flavour is considerably sour, with citrus and acidic notes. However, thanks to the use of honey, there is also a scintilla of apiary sweetness.

Tart and tangy, Mellifera has some bittersweet elements that make it an interesting beer. Not quite a sour, but nearly as acidic, it's an ale with a honeyed tongue. Very thought provoking stuff from an extremely strong Quebec brewery; however, not to be messed around with if you don't dig your beers sharp and assertive.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Raspy Engine--Old Engine Oil

Raspy Engine Old Engine Oil is a 5.3% alcohol porter brewed with Scottish raspberries. Born in Hillfoots Village, Alva, Scotland, this little number was created by Harviestoun Brewery. According to the label enveloping the 330mL bottle, Raspy Engine is a modified and lighter version of Harviestoun's Old Engine Oil--an imperial porter--although I've never had the opportunity to taste the original. As well, the label indicates that the berries used in this brew were used whole--seeds and pulp, as well as juice.

Sure enough, the midnight dark ale with the ruby-tinged highlights and creamy head had a potent whiff of raspberries on the nose. Not the tartness of fresh berries, though. Rather the sweet, sugared aroma of jammed razz. Along with the jammy scent, there was a chocolate and coffee vibe that made it clear that this is a dessert brew. The beer had some loose porter elements--it was relatively malty, had some cocoa notes, a dark chocolate spine, and a modestly bitter fin--however, raspberries were the factor that made this ale's engine turn over.

Not quite as tart or as java-focused as I wanted, perhaps, but Raspy Engine still managed to demonstrate the range of flavours a that a raspberry porter can occupy, and with a bit of flair, too. Extremely easy drinking, I found that my glass was empty long before I expected it to be.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Takumi Saskatoon Berry Sour

Because they are swell, my good pal K.F. and her partner J. Lastname brought me a 650mL bottle of Takumi Saskatoon Berry Sour, a wheat sour beer brewed with fresh Saskatoon berries.

At 5.8% and 7 IBUs, Takumi pours a loud pink colour, with a fuzzy light pink head. It has a hefty and tart aroma with notes similar to cranberry. The flavour is also fairly tart, though with a slightly candied taste reminiscent of punchy gummy bears.

The beer was lively and yummy, but a bit to heavily candied to opt for a second. All told, it was super tasty little brew, and, as a Saskatoon berry virgin, I was grateful for the opportunity to try it.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Canada 150 Best Bitter Ale

Brewed in honour of Canada's sesquicentennial, Canada 150 Best Bitter Ale comes from Toronto, Ontario's Black Creek Historic Brewery. Sold in 473mL cans featuring a canoe full of voyageurs, the cloudy, brown ale contains 5% alcohol and pours with a short lived off-white head.

While its aroma isn't particularly powerful, Canada 150 has a decidedly malty nose, with some mild caramel notes. Chiefly malty to the taste, the beer is also a bit bready, and closes with a clatter of bitterness that has a bit of a molasses streak.

Black Creek makes much of the fact that its recipes are inspired by brewing in the 1800s. Having visited the brewery, I can attest to the fact that the beer making on site uses some traditional methods. However, I'm dubious that the canned and commercially available offerings owe all that much to their beery forebears. This suspicion is heightened by the lack of details on the can concerning the particular recipe used.

Still, Canada 150 was a pretty solid best bitter--unremarkable, maybe, but tasty and made with some skill. I didn't find myself caught up in the excitement that has surrounded Canada's 150th year, so I likely wouldn't have bought this beer for myself. However, my baby bro left me a couple cans in exchange for cat-sitting, and I'm glad he did.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Dankosaurus IPA

Dankosaurus IPA came to me via my man J. It's an India Pale Ale from the Cedar Creek Brewery in Seven Points, Texas. The 355mL can doesn't list a percentage, but does indicate the the suds inside contain 70 IBUs. The website says 6.8%, so that's pretty respectable.

This East Texas ale is hazy, orange-gold in colour, and pours with a thick fog of creamy head. It has a fairly standard West Coast IPA aroma; rich in bitterness and tinged with juicy fruit notes. The flavour is a bit more remarkable, though, with citrus notes that are actually fairly tart, but still bitter and enjoyable.

For an IPA, I found Dankosaurus to be a bit light on the crushingly bitter tastes I was craving. However, it was still quite flavourful and tasted reasonably well made. Would buy again.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

West Sixth Brewing IPA

During my continuing adventures in Kentucky, drinking local beer was a top priority.West Sixth Brewing IPA comes in 355mL cans that don't include the alcohol percentage (however, the website says it's 7%). The beer, brewed in Lexington, KY by West Sixth Brewing Company. It's a cloudy dull gold brew with a decent cover of off-white head. For a 7% IPA, there isn't much to the nose, with just a whiff of bitterness. The flavour is similarly mild, with some citrus elements, a good hops bill, and little else.

Very drinkable and modestly nice, but not at all memorable. Great strength, though.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

London Balling

London Balling is a barley wine from Louisville, Kentucky. Brewed by Against the Grain Brewery, LB comes in funky 16oz cans with an inked up punk gent. At 12.5%, this beer is a good one to share, which I did with the illustrious M.M.--apologies but somewhere in the downing of this strong ale, I seem to have forgotten to take a picture.

The brew is a swampy brown sludge with a creamy head. It has a sticky dried fruit aroma with some caramel notes. The taste is big, boozy, and complicated, with some rummy fruitcake elements, a hefty malt base, and ample sweetness. Not much here by way of bitterness, but the strength keeps things on the rails.

Against the Grain's London Balling is a nice brew with some serious attitude. Strong and sweet, you're not gonna reach for a second, but the first will leave you feeling mellow.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Shotgun Wedding

I found myself in Bardstown, Kentucky--Bourbon Capital of the World--with the Bitter Wife and two great friends. After an afternoon spent touring a distillery, I needed a bit of a break from the Kentucky Brown, so we ducked into the 3rd Street Tap House for a quick brew.

I selected a pint of Shotgun Wedding, a 5.3% alcohol vanilla brown ale brewed by Country Boy Brewing, in Lexington, Kentucky.

 

My pint poured hazy, with an amber-brown hue and thinnish layer of off-white head. It had a warm, toasty malt nose with smooth vanilla tones and some caramel sweetness. The flavour is incredibly mild, but sweet. It has a malt focus with understated vanilla bean notes. It finishes sweetly, with a slightly toasted quality and just a hint of bitterness.

I thought that shotgun wedding was pretty decent, though not really anything to write home about. It was mellow and approachable, but a bit too sweet for a second.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Winnower

From the Burial Beer Co. in the beer Mecca of Asheville, NC, comes Winnower, a porter brewed with raspberries and cocoa nibs from the Burial Beer Co. At 40 IBUs and 7% alcohol, it is not messing around.

The beer is a dark, hearty colour; hazy and nearly black. It has a strong chocolate scent, with a waft of berries. The flavour is tart and berry-first, with a cocoa backing band. Winnower has a flavour that ranges betweeen an initially sharp berry taste to a more rounded and chocolatey finish.

Rich and indulgent, Winnower was a fine ale with a strong, syrupy vibe. Well made but a bit sweeter than expected.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.