Neon Wasteland

Neon Wasteland, from Toronto’s Rainhard Brewing, is billed as a Belgian pale ale. Sold in cool 473mL cans, the beer tips the scale at 5.1%. It’s a swampy, dark brown ale that pours with a thick layer of of off-white foam.

NW has a pretty complex nose, with big yeast notes, some raisin, and just a touch of bubblegum. That bubblegum element is even more apparent in the flavour, where it blends with an earthy yeastiness and a touch of clove. The finish continues to be yeasty and sweet, but it also possesses a little spice.

While I found it a bit too sweet, on the whole I was pretty impressed with Rainhard’s take on the Belgian pale ale. Neon Wasteland had a lot of character, an interesting flavour profile, and a lovely dark hue.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Abbaye Des Sept Minutes IV

From an alcohol standpoint, IV is the strongest entry of the Abbaye Des Sept Minutes series from Tooth and Nail and Godspeed, weighing it at a robust 10%. The Ontarian take on the Belgian quadrupel comes in 355mL cans. The beer inside is handsome bronze, with a sudsy cream head.

AD7M 4 has a malty and sweet aroma, with treacle and raisin notes, with just a hint of licorice. The flavour is big on dried fruit with some sweetness in the early going and a shift to molasses bitterness in the back end. The beer tastes boozy as hell, but the flavours are still subtle.

In my opinion, IV is the highlight of the Abbaye Des Sept Minutes series—it’s the most true to style entry and it has the most complex flavour.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Abbaye Des Sept Minutes III

Another entry from the series brewed by Godspeed and Tooth and Nail, Abbaye Des Sept Minutes III is a Belgian-style tripel. It’s a 9% golden ale that pours clear, under a white, sudsy head. The beer comes in 355mL cans, which is plenty to get your heart started!

AD7M III has a yeasty and tart aroma that touches on cranberry and apple notes. The flavour kicks off sweetly, with loads of boozy warmth. Beyond that, there is a degree of Belgian-style yeast, apple, and spice. The back end is warm and strong.

This beer is, to me, an approachable take on the tripel style. It has the heat, and some of the funk, but it doesn’t have a lot of the charming quirks that characterize the best tripels.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Abbaye Des Sept Minutes II

Sold in simple and rusty 355mL cans, Abbaye Des Sept Minutes II is a Belgian-style dubbel. At 8%, the beer is a collaboration between Ottawa’s Tooth and Nail and Toronto’s Godspeed. It’s a dull ruby ale with a shock of cream-coloured suds.

Interestingly, AD7M II has an extremely mild aroma—subtle notes of brown sugar and a bit of yeasty tang. The flavour is a bit more boisterous, with notes of raisin, plum, and spice, underscored with a slight metallic jangle.

What AD7M II lacks in aromatics, it makes up for in subtle depth of flavour. This beer has a flavour that seems finely tuned and meticulous. The strength and appearance are perfectly to style, too. I’d have liked a richer bouquet, but otherwise, the beer met and slightly exceeded my expectations.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Abbey Des Sept Minutes I

Abbey Des Sept Minutes I is a 6% blonde ale from the teams at Godspeed and Tooth and Nail. The beer comes in a simple orange 355mL can. The beer inside is an opaque orange-gold with a bloom of off-white suds.

AD7M I has fruity, yeasty aromatics, with notes of bake apple and clove. For flavour, I has a sweet and yeast-driven profile dusted with spice and fall fruits. The back end features a lilt of tart tanginess and a foray into floral bitterness.

The front end of this Belgian-style blonde is really well executed, but the finish doesn’t quite live up to my expectations—it’s nice enough, but not quite as on point as the initial burst of fruit and funk.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Three Philosophers

 My ol’ pal HW brought me a bottle of Three Philosophers from Brewery Ommegang when he returned from a trip to Rochester. The beer, from Cooperstown, NY, is a blend of Belgian-style beers; specifically a quad and a cherry kriek. At 9.7%, the beer has some big heft, and packs a punch even in 12 oz bottles. The beer itself is gorgeous—ruddy copper with a lush off-white head.

The beer has aromatics that are both woody and tart—cherry comes through in spades, but there is also some heat and a dose of lively yeast. The flavour has a lot of the characteristics of a young, tart red wine—interestingly tannic—but with a mellow and almost buttery texture. The beer is deceptively boozy, but it really sneaks up on you. The quad elements are understated—it isn’t particularly yeasty nor over-sweet—but it contributes great ballast. The beer is less sour than I anticipated, with cherry manifesting as syrup rather than tart.

I love it when a much-loved and hyped beer lives up to expectations. I have had more interesting Belgian blends, but this one was deftly balanced and tasted great. It’s the texture that really spoke to me—mellow and mild—an unusual vehicle for a beer approaching 10%.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Limberlost Blonde

 My second taste of Sawdust City Brewing Co.’s Limberlost was Limberlost Blonde, a Belgian-style sour ale brewed to 7.2%. The beer, from Gravenhurst, Ontario, comes in 473mL cans. It’s a pale golden ale with a nimbus of white suds. The beer contains Saaz and Idaho 7 hops, a quartet of malts, and Belgian ale yeast as well as wild Limberlost yeast. The beer is a blend of a batched of the wild, aged in oak puncheons, and the Belgian, aged in stainless.

The beer has a sharp sour fruit and funk aroma, with a bit of oaken sweetness. The flavour is tart, with white grape and cranberry notes, some woodiness, and a dry winey finish. Under it all are funky yeast tones.

This was a lovely Belgian-style sour blonde that I was into right from the jump. Crisp, tangy, and strong. A solid brew.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Fancy Walker

 

A Belgian dubbel from the team at Eastbound Brewing Co., Fancy Walker is a 7.4% brew sold in 355mL cans. The copy declares the flavour elements are: “figs, brown sugar, dates”. The beer has a handsome ruddy brown colour and it pours with a thin layer of creamy suds.

Fancy Walker has a sweet, malty aroma that has sticky date and toffee notes. The flavour, too, is sweet and sticky. It has molasses, tobacco, and dried fruit elements, initially, and a considerable amount of roasted malt throughout. The beer does have some Belgian-style yeastiness, but it is pretty understated. Also, the booziness is fairly low-key.

I thought that Fancy Walker was a pretty solid take on the dubbel style. I’d have liked a bit more yeast emphasis, but otherwise, it was an enjoyable strong ale.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Zenith Belgian Golden Ale

A lengthy walk down Toronto’s decrepit Dufferin Street left me with a powerful thirst, so I ducked into Laylow Brewing Co., reputed to be Toronto’s smallest craft brewery.

The place was empty when I walked in, but it definitely shouldn’t be. It’s a cool little spot, partnered with Young Animal, a Trinidadian kitchen, with hip hop on the stereo and an array of interesting beers, mostly with Belgian leanings. Exceptionally friendly staff behind the bar. Really a good place.

To warm my bones and ease my mind, I ordered a Zenith Belgian Golden Ale, recommended by the guy working the bar. A 6.1% ale, the beer showed up golden and pretty, with just a disc of white head. I was dubious when the tasting notes in the menu listed bubblegum next to stone fruit and shortbread—mostly because bubblegum is nasty. But damn if there wasn’t a hint of the pink stuff in the nose, nestled with white wine and powerful yeast notes. The flavour was just dandy—notes of dry white wine, a bit of apple, and some playful yeast. The mouthfeel moved quickly from sweet to dry, building to a curt finish with only a tickle of bitterness.

My first taste of ale from Laylow was just about everything I wanted it to be—tasty, subtle, and Belgian-inspired. A nice change up from downtown Toronto’s infatuation with NEIPAs, the beer left me eager to work through the whole list.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Florida Cracker

Named in honour of 18th century “cracker cowboys”—a term I’d never heard that apparently refers to pioneer settlers in Florida—Florida Cracker is a 5.5% Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with coriander and orange peel. It comes (by way of brewing at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC) from Tampa, Florida’s Cigar City Brewing, and it’s sold in 16oz cans.

The beer is slightly cloudy and pours with a layer of bright white suds. It has a yeasty nose that has elements of orange and banana. The flavour is pretty much classic witbier, with big yeast, banana esters, orange zest, and some peppery spice notes. 

Refreshing and agreeable, Florida Cracker is a pretty respectable southern take on the witbier. It doesn’t offer any surprises or departures, but it also doesn’t stray from the style guideline.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Brown Derby Barrel Aged Oud Bruin

Brewed to honour an historic Toronto tavern, Brown Derby Barrel Aged Oud Bruin is brewed by that city’s excellent Henderson Brewing Company. Clocking in at 6% alcohol and sold in 650mL bottles, the beer is a handsome teak colour and pours with a creamy head.

Brown Derby has a nose both earthy and fruity, yet imbued with a tart, coppery tang. The flavour kicks off with a squeak of cranberry that persists from end to end, and it is supplemented with a dose of kinky yeast for a result that is funky and sour.

Not a lot to complain about with this beer: good strength and assertive flavour make for a grand combo. My bottle came straight from the source and tasted as cracklin’ fresh as an “old brown” could.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Foeder Fermented Grisette

Foeder Fermented Grisette is a low-alcohol Franco-Belgian style brew crafted by the team at Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery. The beer, sold in 500mL bottles, clocks in at just 4%. It’s a sunny yellow potion with a hazy complexion and a thin layer of white head.

Bellwoods’ take on the grisette style has an earthy, yeasty aroma. Its flavour is extremely mild, primarily driven by funky yeast and supplemented by a floral note. The mouthfeel is effervescent and dry, but also quite brittle.

The Foeder Fermented Grisette is a crisp, refreshing take on the style. The flavour is nice, but I found it too delicate for my tastes.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

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.

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.

Allagash Hoppy Table Beer

Allagash Hoppy Table Beer is a funky looking potion. It’s a hazy golden brew that pours under a white head and with a yeasty presence that drops through the poured beer like a lava lamp. Brewed in Portland, Maine, by the Allagash Brewing Company, this 4.8% Belgian-style ale comes in 12oz bottles.

AHTB has a spicy, yeast-heavy aroma. For flavour, there is a load of Belgian-inspired elements led by wild yeast and tangy funk. Where the beer really sorta breaks down is at the finish, which is brief but which yields little of the eponymous hoppiness that I was hoping for.

A nice take on the table beer with some quality effervescence and some yeasty resolve. However, the promised hoppiness was in too limited supply, which left me underwhelmed.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Chalice Belgian IPA

Chalice Belgian IPA comes from Long Bay Brewery in Rothsay, New Brunswick. I picked up a 355mL bottle based on the excellent label featuring a tonsured monk grasping a jeweled grail. It’s a 6.5% alcohol brew with relatively low levels of bitterness at just 25 IBUs. Brewed using Belgian yeast and with grains of paradise, the beer is a hazy, pale gold potion that pours with a lot of carbonation and lusty white head.

With a spicy, yeast-driven aroma, Chalice has the profile of a Belgian ale and its flavour backs up that assessment, with warm, yeast notes and a sizable spice presence. That said, there aren’t the subtle fruit esters that make a Belgian-style ale really click. The bitterness is modest to the point of timidity, but certainly provides some balance. Overall, it was a nice beer that could be great with a bit more fine tuning.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Saison Davenport

One of the most cleverly-named beers on the Toronto craft scene right now is Saison Davenport. Christened in honour of the legendary Saison Dupont—SD recognizes that its home brewery, Shacklands Brewing Co., is north of Dupont Street, but closer to Davenport.

The beer, which clocks in at 6.4% alcohol, came direct from the brewery in a 650mL bottle. The beer is a dull gold colour with reddish highlights under a fluffy off-white head. SD has a yeasty, fruity nose with notes of apple and Chardonnay. The flavour keeps up the white wine vibe. It’s dry, fruity, and a touch floral. Tying the whole thing together is a streak of convincing Belgian-style yeastiness.

I’m hot and cold on saisons, but a simple, well-made entry is a pretty agreeable beer, and that’s just what I got from Saison Davenport. Not over-complicated, but well-made and tasty. A bit more carbonated zip would have served the mouthfeel better.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Three Jars Belgian Table Beer

I love a beer in service of a good cause, and that’s just what I got from Three Jars Belgian Table Beer. Brewed in Newmarket, Ontario by Market Brewing Co., this brewed supported by a number of Newmarket pubs restos and is sold in support of the Newmarket Food Pantry. According to the copy on the 473mL can, all profits from sale of the beer go to support the charity, which is excellent!

A 4% alcohol ale, Three Jars is a sunny yellow ale. Slightly hazy, it pours with a short but sustained layer of bright white head. It has a fresh, yeasty aroma with a suggestion of tartness. The ale is crisp, but yeasty. It has emphatic drinkability, though the mouthfeel is a bit on the brittle side—not all that surprising for a 4% alcohol ale.

Light and refreshing, but with a surfeit of flavour, Three Jars was a pretty good beer brewed in service of a great cause.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

4x4 Belgian Quad

One might not expect to find a Belgian-style quadrupel in Northern Ontario, but that just what one gets when one cracks a 471mL can of 4x4 Belgian Quad, a 10.5% offering from Sudbury’s Stack Brewing.

First off, I should probably address what was, for me at least, the elephant in the room: a quad in a can?! I was pretty wary, but I persevered, dear reader, because I owe it to my art!

Stack’s quad was a fairly dark entry—it started pouring a walnut brown and just kept getting darker as my glass filled up. Atop this dark brown ale resided a slight cap of loose tan head. 4x4 had a pretty feisty aroma, characterized by a generous measure of malt, fruitcake, and a bit of spice. On the flavour side of the equation, I found many of those same sweet notes, but also leather and a slightly tangy fruit finish reminiscent of a red wine. It is in the finish that one gets the first real indication of how strong this stuff actually is.

All things considered, 4x4 was a pretty cheeky offering from one of Ontario’s unsung brewing bests, though not nearly their best work. First off, I have a bit of a hard time classing this as a quad—it has the strength and some of the right flavour elements, but it lacks the heady funk that comes with Belgian yeast. For me, this beer was closer to a barley wine or some other genre of winter ale. But classification aside, I found this brute to be a relatively tasty effort. It didn’t have the full-bodied texture I was hoping for, but the flavour was interesting and many-layered.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.