Spencer Gift Pack: Trappist Holiday Ale

Next up in my gift pack from The Spencer Brewery is their Trappist Holiday Ale, a 9% brew in 330mL bottles from Spencer, Massachusetts.

The strong beer is a swampy, ruddy brew with a persistent, thin off-white head. It as an agreeably wintry aroma with notes driven by Belgian yeast and clove. The flavour profile is rich, malty, and boozy, with warm clove and nutmeg elements.

A strong ale that is mellow instead of assertive, Spencer’s Holiday Trappist Ale is a fairly charming slow-sipper. The flavour could have been a bit more robust, but on the whole, it’s a pretty nice beer.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Spencer Gift Pack: Trappist Imperial Stout

The Spencer Brewery’s Trappist Imperial Stout is an 8.7% alcohol brew from Spencer, Massachusetts. The certified Trappist ale comes in 330mL bottles. It’s a near totally black ale with a fairly thick tan head.

Spencer’s imperial stout has a warm, malty nose with a whiff of anise. The beer has a malt-driven flavour that is rich in molasses and leather notes. The front end is smooth, but the back end has some bitterness, some funky yeast, and a bit of smokey tang.

Not the best imperial stout I’ve ever become acquainted with, but not a bad one either, Imperial Trappist Stout is a strong and flavourful beer worth trying.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Spencer Gift Pack

I seldom pick up beery gift packs for myself, because I have all of the glassware in the world and I would usually rather have more beer and less stuff; however, when I spotted the three-bottle plus a goblet Spencer Gift Pack from the Spencer Brewery, I just had to have it. After all, other than the Spencer Trappist Ale, the other two beers in this pack don't seem to be available in Ontario in any other format. Plus, it's a pretty nice goblet and the whole package cost just under $15. As far as I know, Spencer is still the only certified Trappist brewery outside of Europe, and a pretty interesting spot.

Stay tuned for the next couple of days for my thoughts on Spencer's Trappist Imperial Stout and their Trappist Holiday Ale.

India Pagan Ale

Despite the use of the “I.P.A..” acronym, India Pagan Ale from St. Mary Axe is actually a pale ale. Brewed in London, Ontario and sold in 473mL cans, the stuff checks in at 5.5% alcohol and a virile 55 IBUs. The beer is a hazy orange-gold and pours with a proud layer of off-white suds.

The India Pagan Ale smells of tropical fruit nectars, with a hefty mango tang. The flavour is equally juicy, with lots of fruity oomph. The back end has adds some hoppy balance, with a bit of dank resin.

This is a really well-executed APA, with a pulpy citrus and mango attitude. The strength is admirable without being overpowering and the flavour is adequately balanced. This is a beer that could easily be overlooked, but it’s well made and a bit playful.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Collective Arts IPA No. 6

Next in Collective Arts’ series of India Pale Ales, IPA No. 6 is a 6.7% alcohol beer brewed with peach and using Amarillo and Wai-Iti hops. The beer comes backed in 473mL cans that feature what looks like a very mellow sloth in meditation.

The beer is a milky orange number. It pours with a sudsy foam of white head. No. 6 has a slightly tart creamsicle nose. The ale starts out with a thin peach herbal tea vibe—sweet, but a bit tangy. The back end picks up a bit of steam, but the beer never really gets into full IPA mode. The strength is solid, but there is a dearth of bitterness.

When you make a series with multiple and varied takes on a style, they inevitably won’t all be winners. No. 6 has some good attributes, but overall, I found it thin-bodied and wanting in IBUs.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

The Blood of Cthulhu

The Blood of Cthulhu is a fractious imperial stout brewed with cherries, raspberries, and cranberries. It’s a 9.5%, 50 IBU bruiser from Gravenhurst, Ontario’s Sawdust City Brewing Co. Sold in 473mL cans that amateurs ought to consider sharing, the beer is a nearly opaque black grog that pours with a tan foam. As the can reads, Cthulhu is “as black as the blood of a malevolent demigod.”

Cthulhu has a powerfully malty nose enhanced with tart fruit and dark chocolate. The flavour has those same elements, but their prominence is staggered, with the richness of sweet raspberries and the blast of tangy cherries leading the way. Chocolate notes are well represented, too, supplementing a thick, syrupy mouthfeel.

Cthulhu is a serious imperial stout, but it’s more than boozy bombast. There are layers upon layers of flavour, making it a complex sipping ale.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Earl Grey Pale Ale

From Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Earl Grey Pale Ale comes from the folks at Abe Erb Brewing Company. The 5.4% alcohol brew is made with cream of Earl Grey tea and comes in 341mL stubbies.

Before I get started on my review I should confess a sin: this smallish bottle of beer was overlooked in the back of my fridge for a few months so it wasn’t at its freshest when I finally pried it open. Still, I found the bottle contained a decently carbonated clear golden ale. Through a thin head wafted an earthy, mellow nose with a slightly spicy bent. The flavour is herbaceous, given an interesting twist by the tea, before settling into a crisply bitter finish.

EGPA is a tasty and innovative little brew. It’s subtle in taste, but also packs enough booze to go for a minor rip.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Mylarshark

Witchshark, by Bellwoods Brewery, is one of Toronto’s finest DIPAs, so when I spotted a variation, I swooped on it zealously. The beer in question is called Mylarshark. It’s a collab between Bellwoods and their pals at Other Half out of Brooklyn, New York. An 8.9% effort, the beer comes in chrome-labeled 500mL bottles reminiscent of Witchshark’s and the beer within is a milky orange grog that pours with a thin layer of white head.

Mylarshark has a juicy and tropically-tinged nose, with a punchy suggestion of hops. The flavour has some mango hints, but a hefty roar of tart grapefruit. The beer builds to a bitter crescendo, with a boozy, sticky stump.

Picture a New England-style version of Witchshark—the beer isn’t an improvement of its base, but it is an interesting spin. High percentage and flavourful, not too sweet, and tangy, Mylarshark is a goody.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

The Brown Note

According to the copy, The Brown Note is “the brown ale to end all brown ales.” Further, the 16oz can decries: “Enjoy it,  because there’s no longer any reason to drink another brown ale.” Some seriously strong language from Louisville, Kentucky’s Against the Grain Brewery. I’m note so sure about their boasts, but I am confident that the poop motif makes these the most disgusting beer cans I’ve ever seen.

The 5% alcohol Brown Note is, nasty can notwithstanding, a handsome beer. It has a lovely dark brown colour and pours with a nice layer of cream head. The ale has a malty nose with nutty notes and a touch of toffee sweetness. The flavour has a sweet malt to hops progression with an emphasis on the former. There are nut, copper, and leather notes en route, and the finish, while not a hop bomb, does feature a pretty decent degree of hops balance.

I can’t imagine that I’ll be swearing off other brown ales, but I will give AtG some credit—The Brown Note is a damned tasty brew.

Many thanks to my l’il brudder for bringing me a can.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Bring Out Your Dead 2018

During a crisp fall afternoon, my brother came by to play some cards and watch a little football. Seemed like a perfect opportunity to split a 500mL bottle of Bellwoods Brewery’s Bring Out Your Dead 2018. This imperial stout is an 11.4% brute aged in cognac barrels. It’s a black brew with a thin tan head.

Brother’s thoughts: potent grain aroma coupled with a lot of molasses and a bit of chocolate—smells complex and tasty. The beer has a flavour palate that is close to the nose, though with more bitter coffee notes. Doesn’t actually taste as strong as it is. Brother’d buy this for himself as a treat, but it’d never be a regular occupant of his fridge.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Stout Man says: Massive booze and wood aroma features a sticky molasses vibe. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, channeling a warm and sweet flavour. The beer blends classic barrel-aged elements with some notes of leather, cocoa, dates and raisins, and a shock of booze.

A fine ale with some bluster, this stuff is grand as long as you have someone to share it with.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Imperial Biscotti Break

Gargantuan and sweet, Imperial Biscotti Break is made by Danish brewer Evil Twin Brewing in Stratford, Connecticut. It’s a mighty 11.5% imperial stout brewed with coffee, vanilla, and almond. Sold in 1 pint cans, this is a beer not to be trifled with.

IBB is a black ale with a tan foam. It has an assertively sweet and strong nose, rich in vanilla and espresso notes. But the sweetness in the nose is nothing compared to the flavour—a syrupy, vanilla-soaked booze ball with notes of sweetened coffee and some warm amaretto drizzle.

I tend to be dubious of big, dessert flavoured ales. I find them too sweet and often a bit artificial. Evil Twin’s Imperial Biscotti Break lived up to half of that equation—it was certainly sweeter than I’d have liked, but there wasn’t a whiff of artificiality. The vanilla and almond flavours were nicely integrated, but I’d have liked a bit more java bitterness to provide a semblance of balance.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Magic Hour

Magic Hour is a “golden pale ale” from Toronto’s Saulter Street Brewery. It’s a 5% alcohol ale that comes in adorable 473mL cans adorned with an idyllic sunset beach scene. The beer is a lustrous golden colour that pours with a serious amount of carbonation and a fluffy white head.

To paraphrase the copy on the can, this is a British-inspired pale ale. It has a slightly resinous, citrus hops aroma and an agreeably well-rounded flavour that features dry, leafy bitterness and a whisper of sweet, nutty malt. As well, there is a faint coppery subtext.

Golden Hour is a simple, no frills beer, but it is executed with artistry. This is a thirst-quenching pale ale with considerable depth to be explored. I have pretty much only good things to say about this little ale. In a market sometimes drenched in blandly undistinguishable pale ales, it is refreshing to taste one so well made.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Portage India Pale Ale

Woodstock, Ontario is the birthplace of Portage India Pale Ale. It’s a 5.6% alcohol IPA from Upper Thames Brewing Co. Sold in 473mL cans, the beer is ruddy gold with a thick eggshell head.

Portage has an aroma that paces between citrus and malt. The flavour is principally malty, with a leafy, resinous hop finish and a citrus undercurrent.

This beer was less bitter than I’d have liked and considerably understrength for an IPA. It has a nice flavour—I particularly like the hempen hops/malt/citrus combo. However, I found the deviations from the style distracting.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Pineapple Uber Sour Beer

Pineapple Uber Sour Beer is a low alcohol, ultra low IBU effort that comes from Burlington, Ontario’s Nickel Brook Brewing Co. This berlinerweisse is flavoured with piña. It’s a 3.9% brew with just 3 IBUs that comes in 500mL bottles.

Pineapple Uber is a hazy, almost milky pale yellow brew that pours with a persistent inch of white suds. The beer has a tangy and stimulating nose built around a sour pineapple vibe. The flavour moves from sour to sweet, but lingers at the former, only getting near the latter at the absolute finish. 

For a beer so low in alcohol it’d be hard pressed to ever make me stagger, there really is a staggering amount of flavour in this little sour. If you like pineapple and you dig sour beers, this quirky little wheated brew has a lot to offer.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Red Mosquito Belgian Inspired Golden Ale

A hefty 8.2% alcohol carried Red Mosquito Belgian Inspired Golden Ale straight to my head. Brewed in Ottawa by Tooth and Nail Brewing and sold in 500mL bottles, Red Mosquito is a hazy golden brew. It has a thin and short-lived head, through which emerges a mild but intriguing aroma of yeast and fall fruit. The flavour is much more indicative of the elevated percentage than was the aroma, with pungent and boozy apple at the front end and an abbreviated, dry finish.

Given strength and hue, I anticipated an attempt at an Ontarian tripel, but the beer really was more of a strong ass golden ale—no where near the yeasty potency needed to riff on a tripel. However, as a strong ass golden ale, I thought Red Mosquito was pretty well executed. For a beer at >8%, I’d have liked it to be more flavourful, and certainly a bit more carbonated, but I found it to be a quirky and engaging bottle, and one that wasn’t too sweet. And the label bears mentioning: I think Tooth and Nail has some of Ontario’s best art, and this one, with newspaper, easy-chair and predatory bug, is a classic.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

High Country Legend Porter

Happy New Year from the Stout Man!

From the mountains of North Carolina comes High Country Legend Porter, a 6% alcohol dark ale from the brewing dynamos at Appalachian Mountain Brewery out of Boone. The beer, sold in 355mL cans, is an amber highlighted dark brown ale, pouring with a thin layer of cream head.

HCLP has a hefty malty aroma with a rich mocha feel. The flavour is malt-oriented, with coffee and chocolate notes up front, and a pleasantly robust hops finish.

This Boone brew is flavourful and rich, with agreeable malt oomph and a decently bitter back end. Strength-wise, it’s adequate. All told, a fine, serviceable porter.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.