Old Düsseldorf

 Great Lakes Brewery’s Old Düsseldorf is a little altbier that clocks in at an even 5%. The hybrid brew (aged cool like a lager, but top fermented like an ale) comes in 355mL cans that has an agreeable dappled texture. The Toronto beer is made with oats and wheat. It’s a clear amber grog that decants with a quickly thinning off-white head.

Old Düssey has a rich and nutty aroma—sweet, with roasted malt elements. The flavour is sweet, bready, and has a little bit of molasses to it. The back end is a wee bit hoppy, in an earthy, floral sense, though it maintains some sweetness, too.

I really liked this little German-style potion—it’s nicely configured, tasty, and fun. Personally, I tend to favour GLB’s family of IPAs, but this quirky little beer made me glad.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Beau’s Altbier

Beau’s Altbier bills itself as a “German style amber ale”, and that’s just what it is. Born in Vankleek Hill, Ontario to Beau’s Brewing Co., Beau’s Altbier is a 4.7% ale sold in 473mL cans. It’s a handsome beer—clear ruddy amber that pours with a healthy measure of eggshell head.

The ale has a rich, roasted malt aroma and significant bready notes. The flavour is many things: earthy, bready, and slightly metallic, with notes of honey and roasted malt. The beer has some unexpected bitterness at the back end.

Beau’s Altbier is a treat. It’s extremely flavourful for a low alcohol ale and a strong representation of an underrepresented style.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Ol’ Woody Alt

Named in honour of the old wooden motor boats that once dominated cottage country, Ol’ Woody Alt is a 5% alcohol, 35 IBU altbier brewed in Gravenhurst, Ontario—billed as a “lagered ale” in its copy. Produced by the Sawdust City Brewing Co., Ol’ Woody is sold in 473mL cans that have a decidedly coffin-looking image that is apparently a boat.

The beer itself is a very handsome clear auburn potion with an ivory head. It has a nutty, bready, and malt-driven scent, and a flavour to match. Ol’ Woody tastes pretty well-balanced, with some graininess, well roasted malt, and a slight note of mown lawn.

I’m not going to go out on a limb and call it memorable, but it is clearly cleverly brewed by people that care about their ales. When Sawdust City speaks, the Stout Man listens and, even when I’m not blown away, I have seldom been disappointed.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

Impact Altbier

From the northern reaches of Sudbury, Ontario comes Impact Altbier, a 5.2% ale brewed by the creative minds at Stack Brewing. According to the 473mL can, the name Impact is a reference to "the colossal chunk of fiery rock" that slammed into terra firma 1.8 billion years ago (give or take), creating the Sudbury Basin.

At 5.2%, the old beer isn't terribly strong, but it ain't short on kick either. It's a clear, dark caramel ale, and it pours with a nice, but brief, off-white head. Impact's aroma is malty, nutty, and a touch metallic. It's flavour follows a similar pattern, with nutty and malty occupying the bow and coppery and a touch of bitter trying to man the stern. The mouthfeel of this little ale is smooth and creamy, with just a twist of firmness at the end to keep you on your toes.

Like all of the beer's I've sampled from Stack Brewing, Impact Altbier is a tasty and well-made brew--not exceptional, but always welcome in my fridge.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Long Trail Double Bag Ale

Long Trail Double Bag Ale is the progeny of the Long Trail Brewing Co., out of Bridgewater Corners, Vermont. According to the Long Trail website, this beer is alternately called a "strong ale", a "double alt", and a "stickebier". Additionally, the website learned me that Double Bag contains a healthy 7.2% alcohol and weighs in at 33 IBUs.

Sold in 12oz. bottles with a label featuring conjoined bovines, Double Bag pours a lovely, slightly hazy copper colour, topped with a cloud of creamy head. It has a malt-heavy aroma, with some warm, grainy notes. D.B. has a delightful, well-wounded flavour.  It manages to be malty, a bit toasty, and slightly sweet.  Fair warning--this stuff doesn't taste anywhere near as potent as its 7.2%.  Either tread lightly or plan accordingly, lest you wake up in a gutter

Double Bag Ale is a brew well worth watching out for. It's tasty, potent, and well worth your time.  I had a bottle compliments of my father-in-law, and it came with high praise. Turns out, the praise was well deserved.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Creemore Springs Altbier Collaboration Ale

Creemore Springs Altbier Collaboration Ale is an altbier brewed in honour of Creemore Springs Brewery's 25th anniversary.  The brewery, located in Creemore, Ontario, has a great track record for making interesting and accessible ales and lagers, so I was pretty pumped to try their version of an alt, a cool and relatively uncommon (in Upper Canada, at least) German ale. The Collaboration Ale was brewed in partnership with Germany's Zum Schlüssel. The limited edition ale came in a 473mL can and contained 5% alcohol.

 The Altbier was a brassy amber colour, clear, and topped with a foamy cream head. It's coppery aroma had a kiss of maltiness. It was smooth and creamy, initially, but built to a surprisingly robust and bitter finish. The flavour was toasty and featured a gentle metallic quality.

Creemore's Altbier looks great and tastes even better. If you see it, buy it. I love to see Ontario brewers playing around with atypical styles. This brew has a lovely initial taste, but the finish is where it really excels.  The toasty bitterness is wonderful!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10. 

Festivale

The Beau's All Natural Brewing Company out of Vankleek, Ontario is frequently brewing up interesting and well-crafted brews.  Festivale, their version of an altbier, is their summer seasonal beer.  It comes in Beau's excellent 600mL bottles and clocks in at a lightweight 4.7%.

Festivale pours a clear copper colour, topped with a thick, fluffy cream head. It has a grainy aroma with some notes of caramel and hops. It has big flavour for a brew of only 4.7%.  Like the smell, there are notes of caramel alongside a metallic twinge. It starts sweet, but builds to a solidly bitter body pretty quickly. Rich malty tones enhance the overall enjoyability.

Beau's Festivale is a pretty interesting brew. Altbier is a style that I have only been exposed to a few times, and this one certainly makes me thirsty for more.


Rating: 8.0 out of 10.