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.

Guilty Party ESB Amber Ale

On an unseasonably warm Sunday evening in late February, I was cooking up a mess of burritos and feeling thirsty, so while the onions caramelized, I reached for a 355mL can of Guilty Party ESB Amber Ale. Brewed in Greensboro, NC, Guilty Party comes from Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Company. It’s a 5.1% alcohol job balanced with a nice 37 IBUs. Its can features a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing and made me smile.

Hazy orange-amber in colour, Guilty Party poured with a modest covering of eggshell head. The beer had a classic ESB aroma—malty, slightly metallic, and rich in caramel and biscuit. The flavour was similarly inclined, although there was a more than faint dose of American-style hops as a reminder that this beer was born in the USA.

Well balanced and enjoyable, Guilty Party was not outstanding or unusual; rather, it was a well made example of an extra special bitter, executed very well. This beer wouldn’t stand out in a lineup, because it is just quietly well made, without gimmick or trick. A skillfully subtle brew with an English style and an American heart.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Amber Eh!

When I picked up a 473mL can of Amber Eh! from Niagara Brewing Company, my first thought was that this beer has two strikes and I haven’t even tried it yet: the first was the tired trope of including a pinup model (this time an impossibly slender lumberjack) on the packaging, and the second was the glaring omission of an apostrophe on the back copy (“Its a Canuck thing”). I mean, my blog is riddled with grammatical errors, but I’m not trying to sell anything to anyone. Sure hope the beer is good.

At 5%, the strength is right for the amber ale style. It had the right look, too, with a ruddy, slightly hazy complexion and a very thick nimbus of off-white head. The aroma suggested a North American style amber ale, given the presence of a fairly assertive piney hops note that lorded over the other elements, namely caramel and bread. The flavour wended a similar path, primarily driven by robust evergreen bitterness, and backed by some maltiness abs caramel sweetness. As well, there was something a bit coppery in the finish that was not at all out of place.

Given my two beers with the packaging, I found the beer inside to be quite appealing. It was surprisingly flavourful, generously hopped, and not over-sweet. 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Skeleton Park Amber 6.6

Skeleton Park Amber 6.6 is—you guessed it—a 6.6% alcohol amber ale. It comes from Kingston, Ontario and is brewed by Skeleton Park Brewery as a part of their Heritage Series.

The beer was murky, ruddy, and covered in a creamy but short lived head. It had a mild bakery aroma with bread notes and a malt-driven quality. More robust than the nose, Amber 6.6’s flavour is slightly sweet, built against a substantial malt and bread backdrop.

For an amber ale, I thought that the strength was excellent. The flavour was pleasant, though there was a a notable hops shortage evident at the back end. My first brush with a beer from Skeleton Park, Amber 6.6 had me thinking about my next trip to Kingston.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Fursty Ferret

All the way from Blandford, Dorset, UK comes the cutely named Fursty Ferret. An amber ale, this little brew is put together by Badger Ales, and brewed by Hall & Woodhouse. At a meek 4.4% alcohol, there isn't a lot of heft to this brew. It's sold in 500mL bottles adorned with the cutesy rodents swilling beer from a cask, and a very brief anecdote about curious ferrets wetting their whistle at a Dorset pub.

 

The beer is a barely hazy light brown ale. It pours under a decent coating of off-white head and has a malty, baked goods aroma. The flavour starts sweetly, with a malt backbone, and underlies by a faint raisin quality. The label told me to anticipate Seville oranges, but citrus wasn't immediately evident to my much abused palate. The finish has a pretty fair hops profile, though, which made this a little more memorable than the average English ale, nor was it overly metallic.

Fursty Ferret had a saccharine name, but the actual beer was pretty solid. Flavour was quite full for 4.4%, it was sweet, but not too sweet, and had an engaging finish. Obviously, I'd have liked a bit more boozy weight, but it still tasted nice. Because of the silly packaging and name, I assumed I wasn't going to like this beer, but t proved me wrong.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

The Waubuno

Instead of a lengthy description about the beer within, the 650mL bottle of The Waubuno opted for six paragraphs on the history of the eponymous side-wheeled steam ship that wrecked somewhere on Georgian Bay in 1879--appropriate for the sixth beer in the Midland Beer Works' "Legends of the Bay" series, but vaguely frustrating if you're a beer geek hoping to learn about the sauce you just brought home. There were some facts to be gleaned from the bottle though. The beer contains 5% alcohol, is brewed for Tiny, Ontario's Midland Beer Works by the folks at Hockley Valley Brewing Co., and that it contains "[a]romatic malts and choice hops, blended with great care to create 'The Perfect Balance'". However, no indication even of the style, which I'm going to call an amber ale.

The Waubuno (beer not boat) was a brassy amber brew, and poured with a thick off-white head. It had a nose that merged metallic and caramel malt notes. As to flavour, malt, bread, and caramel all had their places at the table. As well, there was a seat for hops at the kiddie table.

While both the historical copy on my bottle of The Waubuno and the beer itself held my interest, in the end, it was the story of the ship lost and the prospect of a ghostly captain guarding the wreck that proved more captivating. The beer was easy to drink and tasted nice, but it was a tad too sweet and not particularly memorable. A fine ale, sure, but just that.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Bronco Copper Ale

Bronco Copper Ale was born an raised "on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron" in Southampton, Ontario. A brew from the Outlaw Brew Co., Bronco contains 5.6% alcohol. Sold in 473mL cans with a riverboat gambler motif, it proved to be a handsome ruby-copper beer; hazy and with a a healthy eggshell head.

Bronco had a sweet and malty nose, with notes of caramel, bread, roasted malt, and copper. The flavour had a metallic bent, but layered over a hearty malt and lots of sweetness.

This ale was pretty appealing, though a bit too sweet. It had some round caramel notes that were a bit distracting. A heartier hops finish would have helped matters. What it did, though, was alert me to the Outlaw Brew Co., an outfit I'll be sure to monitor.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Red Devil

Red Devil hails from Simcoe, Ontario, where it's brewed by The Blue Elephant Brewing Company. It's an auburn ale with 5.1% alcohol and a handsome appearance--ruddy brown, clear, and covered with an eggshell head. According to the 473mL can, "Local tastes better", which is a sentiment I can usually get behind.

The beer has a malty scent, with notes of butterscotch and sweet grains. Sweeter than most auburn ales, Red Devil keeps up the aggressive butterscotch elements through the flavour, along with roasted malt notes. There is little by way of bitterness to keep things balanced, but fortunately the flavour is agreeable.

This beer had a lot to its benefit, but ultimately, it was too sweet. I was also mindful that the butterscotch taste might be the product of diacetyl. It looked pretty and tasted fine, but I won't be rushing back to Simcoe for another can anytime soon.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Louis XVII Amber Ale

Louis XVII Amber Ale comes from northern New Brunswick, where its brewed by Les Brasseurs du Petit-Sault. I had a goblet full on draught at Fredericton standout Isaac's Way while waiting for a tasty bowl of seafood chowder. According to the Petit-Sault website, this beer clocks in at 5.5% alcohol.

A bit dark for an amber ale, Lou 17 came my way clear, reddish brown, and topped with a thin off-white disc of head. It has a malty, coppery nose--mild but agreeable. On the flavour side of things, tastes are slightly fruity, malt-driven, and a tad metallic. Mouthfeel is smooth, but a bit thin.

There are some roasted elements that I liked, and a soft touch of tartness, too. Too thin by half, but an interesting little brew from my home province. Makes me want to try more of their offerings.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Grindstone Amber Ale

Grindstone Amber Ale comes from Canada's national capital, Ottawa, Ontario, where it's brewed by Broadhead Brewing Company. It's sold in 473mL cans that feature Broadhead's playful "Business Plan", which features entries such as "Build small brewery", "Brew tasty beer", and "Grow large beards", before culminating with the inevitable "Make a rap video". Grind Stone contains 5% alcohol and packs a gentle punch at 25 IBUs. It pours an ever-so-hazy auburn colour, crowned with a nice layer of cream head.

It has a bready, malt-driven nose that is mild and mellow. It's got malt flavour flowing, along with some buttery caramel shades. The finish has a little soft, bitter grit, but in an understated fashion.

Grind Stone was my first exposure to Broadhead's brewing prowess. While I wasn't floored by it, I did enjoy the stuff a fair bit--it's an agreeable, if unremarkable pub ale. I'll be on the hunt for more Broadhead.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Grimbergen Double-Ambrée

Happy Holidays from the Stout Man!

Let's talk about Grimbergen Double-Ambrée. There's 6.5% alcohol in this little number that's billed as a bière d'abbaye and a double-ambrée. I picked up a sixer of these guys--330mL bottles festooned with a phoenix and the righteously badass motto "Ardec Nec Consumitur", which, as the label informed me, means "burned but not destroyed". The label also refers to Grimsbergen Abbey, though this beer is actually brewed by Kronenbourg in Strasbourg, France.

It's a dark ruby ale that poured with a bit of cream head, but which vanished quite quickly. Its engaging malt aroma has lots of fruit notes, particularly a slightly sweet cranberry essence. The label mentions that the flavour has "subtle hints of caramel", but that's not what I found. I got fruity, malty, and ever-so-slightly tart.

Not a bad little dubbel-style beer from one of the big players in French brewing. A bit on the sweet side and a bit lacking in depth, but otherwise quite enjoyable. I really like the cranberry notes--something a little different. This six pack languished in my fridge for an unusually long time before they were all consumed--several weeks. Make of that what you will.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Winnikeg, Manitobeer--Bulldog Amber Ale

Another offering from Winnipeg, Manitoba's Half Pints Brewing Co., Bulldog Amber Ale is a saucy, hazy, orangy amber beer. It came in a 341mL bottle, contained 5.4% alcohol and a mere 20 IBUs, and poured with a flimsy off-white head.

Bulldog has a very bready, malt nose with just a touch of confectionary sweetness. Its flavour is composed of toasted barley and biscuit elements, as well as a mild metallic shadow. There is just enough of a hops presence in the home stretch to give this ale some balance and shape, though I'd have liked a touch more by way of IBU count.

This was a solid effort--an amber beer with a nice toasty, bready bod and very little sweetness.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Spooks Ale

To mark Halloween, I picked up a bottle of Spooks Ale, produced by Shepherd Neame Ltd. out of Faversham, Kent, England. According to the label on the 500mL bottle, this beer is the "Official Ghost Brew for All Hallows", a "Brew of Protection", and one that you should "Drink If You Dare". It's a tad low-octane at 4.7% alcohol, and pours a beautiful red-gold topped with a generous layer of creamy head.

There is a nose with a lot going on. There are notes of roasted malt, copper, bread, and a slight hop twist. The flavour is chiefly malt-driven, but also features some vaguely bloody iron elements and a classically British hop finish.

As usual for a beer with less than 5% alcohol, I'd have liked this stuff to be brewed a bit stronger. However, it's ably flavourful. A touch less focus on the iron/copper elements would have been nice, but the finish and the roasted malt breadiness made this an enjoyable piece of brewing.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Have a happy and hoppy Halloween!

Yukon Red

In my opinion, Yukon Red is the cream of the Yukon Brewing crop. It's an amber ale from Whitehorse, Yukon. Sold in 341mL bottles and containing 5.5% alcohol, Yukon Red is a clear, penny-copper brew that poured with a small amount of cream head. I enjoyed a quick bottle while suiting up for my brother-in-law's wedding.

A warm, malty nose has brown sugar and caramel elements, as well as a shade of alcohol. The flavour is quite full, with caramel notes and a hearty roasted malt quality. The finish is relatively dry for an amber ale, and has a pretty fair hop presence.

This is a really enjoyable, well made beer. It's quite inviting and has lots of charm.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Natural Selections 6 Pack--Sea Dog Amber Ale

Sea Dog Amber Ale comes from Victoria, British Columbia's Vancouver Island Brewery. It's nautically-themed label features a burly sailor and a naval vessel. It's a strikingly clear amber beer topped with a healthy head of off-white. It comes in a 341mL bottle and contains 5.2% alcohol.

On the good ship Sea Dog, the captain is malt and the first mates are brown sugar and molasses. It smells warmly of malt, and has some nice, toasted, sugary notes. There is also a faint but stalwart bitterness shoveling coal below decks. And it has a solid amount of roastiness throughout.

A well crafted amber ale, Sea Dog should appeal to drinkers who favour a robust, malty brew. I wouldn't complain if the hop profile were a bit crunchier. Despite the brown sugar notes, this stuff does a tremendous job of avoiding over-sweetness.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale

Thirsty Beaver comes from Tree Brewing Co. out of Kelowna, British Columbia. It's sold in 330mL bottles. The one that I had once had a cartoon beaver on the label, but by the time I snapped a photo, the bottle had been salvaged from a party in Brockville, and sadly, the Beave was no more. It contains the standard 5% alcohol and is a hazy copper brew. It pours with an off-white head that is quickly replaced by some scattered suds. The label calls this stuff a "smooth amber ale".

The nose contains bread, malt, and caramel notes. There is a coppery flavour that matches Thirsty Beaver's coppery colour. When you get past the penny, you find a reasonably full-bodied amber ale that travels from malty to bitter. There are notes of baking grain and a modest but respectable hop profile. There is also just the faintest touch of Christmas pudding near the finish, in the form of a buttery raisin note.

Somehow, Thirsty Beaver manages to taste stronger than its 5% alcohol.  If you like malt-driven English-style ales, this stuff is a fine example. I enjoyed this beer and I'd like some more.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Simeon Jones River Valley Amber Ale

Simeon Jones River Valley Amber Ale hails from Kings Landing, New Brunswick, where it is brewed by the fantastic Northampton Brewing Company, the brilliant folks behind the outstanding Picaroons beers. Simeon Jones is sold in 500mL bottles wrapped in a nice old-timey label. It clocks in at 4.5% alcohol.  According to the bottle, Simeon Jones operated a brewery Saint John, New Brunswick and was eventually mayor of that city.

S.J. pours a handsome clear amber colour beneath a cream head. This mild but pleasant ale has a slightly bready, malt focused aroma and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. It has a gentle flavour that is malty with some copper notes and a dusting of caramel. There's not a lot of hop bitterness in this one,

This is a pretty decent ale. It's smooth and easy drinking. The low alcohol content makes S.J. very sessionable, though you don't have to skimp on flavour. I'd like to see a bit more body and a touch more hops, but I suppose that's not really the beer that they're trying to make.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Gerst Amber Ale

Another entry from Nashville, Tennessee's excellent Yazoo Brewing Company, Gerst Amber Ale is a decent little amber brew. It's sold in very old school-looking 355mL bottles. The Yazoo website tells me that Gerst's alcohol percentage is 5.1 and that it tallies 11 on the IBU scale.

Gerst is an ever-so-slightly hazy copper coloured brew. It has a toasty malt aroma that matches the toasty bready notes that form the backbone of the flavour. One thing that this stuff doesn't have in spades is a lot of hop presence. At 11 IBUs, it comes off slightly anemic for a craft brew, particularly in light of some of the hop monsters that I've known Yazoo to brew (see, for example, Yazoo's Hop Project #61).

This beer is smooth and refreshing with some craft brew character. It's tasty and nice, but not quite as noteworthy as some of the other Yazoo brews I've enjoyed.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Old Credit Amber Ale

The Old Credit Brewing Co. from the Old Credit region in Mississauga, Ontario, is the source of Old Credit Amber Ale, a handsome, amber coloured brew crowned with a creamy head. The size of of the 680mL bottle more than makes up for it's not-so-cool label. O.C.A.A. comes in at 5% alcohol. The label calls it "The New Taste of an Old Tradition". I don't know much about the new, but they've certainly got the old part right--this stuff tastes like a classic English ale.

The Amber Ale has an aroma that is at once slightly metallic and replete with caramel. It is a very smooth beer and features a flavour with notes of toasty caramel and a whisper of bitterness near the finish.

A very enjoyable ale, Old Credit Amber Ale would be bolstered by a bit more boldness, but that's a minor complaint for an otherwise quality brew.

Rating; 8.0 out of 10.

Hockley Amber

Hockley Amber is brewed by the Hockley Valley Brewing Co., out of Orangeville, Ontario. It contains a somewhat unimpressive 4.2% alcohol and comes in 473mL cans.  The can boldly states "Clean, crisp, light body. This is great beer." The can also has a recipe for "Cathy's Amber Battered Fish" which is a cool idea and sounds tasty.

Billed as "Canadian Amber Ale", Hockley Amber pours a mostly clear amber colour, crowned with a thick cream head. It has a mild, toasty malt aroma. The flavour is dominated by a full malt profile. There's also a bit of brown sugar sweetness. The beer is pretty toasty and finishes with a respectable dollop of English ale bitterness.

I don't entirely agree with Hockley Valley's characterization of this beer as crisp and light-bodied. It's clean, sure, but I would have called it malty and full-bodied for a beer with so little alcohol.  A great beer?  I'd be inclined to call it pretty good.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.  It'd be an 8 if it had a bit more booze.