Godspeed’s Bestuto

 Godspeed’s Bestuto is an English-style best bitter brewed in Toronto. The beer is sold in 355mL cans and comes in at 4.3%. Put together by the team at Godspeed Brewery, Besuto is a handsome bronze-hued ale that pours with a thin layer of off-white suds.

Besuto has a coppery, malt-focused aroma, underscored with cracker and caramel. The flavour kicks off with malt sweetness and includes metallic and brown sugar, before wrapping up with a mild floral bitterness.

The Stout Man loves a best bitter and Godspeed’s Bestuto is a damn fine one. I’ve got almost no complaints and I wish I had more than six. Like a good BB, Bestuto doesn’t sacrifice flavour despite its low percentage.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Bay Street Bitter

 

Bay Street Bitter is a collaboration between two excellent Toronto institutions: Indie Alehouse and Bar Volo. The beer, named in honour of the legal and economic hub of the city, is a 4.2% ale. Sold in generic 500mL bottles, it is a swampy burnished copper colour with a sudsy tan head.

BSB has a toasted malt nose with a bit of apple cinnamon sweetness. The bake apple and cinnamon only faintly translates into the flavour, which is more focused on malt toastiness up front and a classic English ale bitterness in the back end, along with a jangle of metallic notes.

At just 4.2%, this brew is session-friendly, but still substantially flavourful. It tastes great, with classic best bitter tendencies, but there is also a little bit of an innovative flavour profile to make the beer stand out among its fellows.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Diamond Park English Mild Ale

Named in homage to the former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball squad, Diamond Park English Mild Ale is a 3% mild ale from the talented squad at People’s Pint Brewing Co. The Torontonian beer comes in cute 500mL bottles. The beer is an elegant amber ale, almost exactly the same colour and clarity as the bottle it came out of. It pours with a healthy measure of tan suds.

 

Diamond Park has a malty, toasty nose that has a brown sugar subtext. The flavour packs loads of caramel and robust malt notes into its low-alcohol frame, along with a respectably bitter finish.

While mild ales seem to be de rigeur among beer nerds at the moment, I haven’t had many that really caught my interest. But DAMN! This one is a brilliant beer. This is likely the most flavourful session ale I have ever had, and it has a nicely rounded mouthfeel, too. A fantastic ale!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

Fugg Life

Manantler Craft Brewing Co. makes an extra special bitter using Maris Otter malt and Fuggle hops that gives it a classic English feel. Fugg Life is a 4.6% ale from Bowmanville, Ontario. Sold in 500mL bottles with Manantler’s generic labels, the beer itself is a handsome, clear copper ale that pours with a modest layer of off-white suds.

Zevon doesn't usually express interest in brews, but she liked the vibe of this one.

Fugg Life has a sweet, malty aroma with rich brown sugar and sticky toffee notes. The flavour mimics the aroma, but amplified: it’s malt-driven, with caramel/toffee, and brown sugar, as well as a some orange pekoe tea notes. Based on this description, one might expect that Fugg Life is too sweet, but the beer is actually quite balanced—the Fuggle hops don’t generate overpowering bitterness, but they definitely offset the malty sweetness of the front end expertly.

Fugg Life is a beautiful beer with a dumb name. A great example of the ESB style from an under-the-radar Ontario brewery (Manantler deserves way more attention, at least based on my limited experience with their offerings), Fugg Life is a very satisfying brew. Low-ish alcohol, but full-flavoured, this beer is well-constructed and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Electric Mud: Major Small Best Bitter

Major Small Best Bitter is a 4.6% alcohol, 30 IBU English-style ale from Toronto’s Muddy York Brewing Co. I had a 12oz pour of the hazy orange grog at the brewery. Through its thin eggshell head, M.S. had an earthy, malt nose, with some coppery elements. It had a slightly metallic flavour with brown sugar, toasty malt, and some English-style bitterness.

Toasty and tasty, Major Small is an agreeable low-alcohol ale with surprisingly big flavour. The mouthfeel is a wee bit thin, but the beer tastes both nice and well-made.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

La Vache Folle ESB

A gift from my tremendous in-laws, I got a 500mL bottle of the 6% alcohol La Vache Folle ESB, from Microbrasserie Charlevoix, from Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec. The brew is a bright copper-hued number—clear with an off-white head and lovely lace.

The beer has a malty, faintly metallic nose with some brown sugar sweetness and a hoppy kick. The scent-picture painted by the aroma is well-actualized in the flavour, with brown sugar, caramel, and malts in good measure up front, and a pleasingly bitter, gently metallic, and unexpectedly grassy back end.

This English-style, Québecois Extra Special Bitter ale is a well-executed take—a tasty, fairly strong, and flavourful version of a classic pub-style pint. My only beef is that there was a bit too much sweetness through a finish that could have been crisper.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

St. Mary Axe

Brewed in London, Ontario, St. Mary Axe is billed as a "Canadian Best Bitter". Made by the eponymous brewery, SMX (as it appears in shorthand on the spare but clean 473mL can) is a sessionable 4.6% alcohol. According to the copy, it's a "divine dichotomy where old meets new and complex is simple." Hmm.

The beer is a slightly hazy burnished copper colour. It pours with a vibrant and loose off-white head through which wafts a balanced albeit mild aroma that walks a tightrope between caramel malts and metallic bitterness. The flavour, sweeter than I anticipated, kicks off with date or raisin notes and a sticky toffee quality. The finish is relatively modestly flavoured, but admirably subtle and complicated. There are treacle elements, but this share the spotlight with an undercurrent of earthy hops.

I really enjoyed SMX. It should be noted that, despite the session-friendly percentage, this beer manages to taste full-bodied and will fill you up. What that means, for me at least, is that it provides an excellent way to enjoy a lush, well rounded ale without getting utterly pickled. The truth, as I see it, is that SMX does deliver on its promise: it blends classic English ale elements and low octane with a 21st century hop profile. A little less sweetness is my only initial complaint.

I'll have to revisit this one soon to be sure, but my inclination after a single can is that this stuff merits a pretty great score.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Kingpost ESB

Kingpost ESB calls Collingwood, Ontario home. It's a 5.8% alcohol, 40 IBU extra special bitter from the Collingwood Brewery. The beer leaves its 473mL can looking copper-hued and clear, pouring under a decent layer of off-white head.

Kingpost has a sweet and malty nose, with an agreeable caramel bent. The flavour has a metallic quality alongside malt and caramel notes. The initial taste is sweet; I was caught off-guard by the depth of bitterness at the back end. There was some real hops astringency that resulted in a quick, dry, and bready finish.

I thought Kingpost was a nicely constructed English-style ale. The front end could have been stronger, but the finish was most satisfactory. Would buy again.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

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New Scotland Brews--Hell Bay English Ale

Hell Bay English Ale comes from Liverpool, Nova Scotia where it's lovingly constructed by the Hell Bay Brewing Co. It's got 5.2% and comes in 500mL bottles with what looks like a submarine mine on the label.

The English Ale is clear and chestnut coloured. It pours with a fluffy off-white head and has a lovely caramel and malt aroma. For flavour, the English Ale has a toasted malt vibe that is supplemented with notable hops placement.

This is a quite enjoyable beer. Neither hop bomb nor weakling, with a fair measure of interesting flavour, it gets the job done. This Nova Scotian, Liverpudlian ale has lots of flavour and works well from start to finish.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Equilibrium Extra-Special Bitter

As if the name isn't enough, the 473mL cans of Equilibrium Extra-Special Bitter feature a teetering elephant and the slogan "balanced brilliance". I think they're suggesting the beer is balanced.

The "they" I'm referring to is Burlington, Ontario's Nickel Brook Brewing Co., the outfit responsible for this 5.5%, 43 IBU ESB. Equilibrium pours a comfortable toffee colour under a layer of sudsy off-white head. Pretty murky stuff, too.

My nose was met with a classically English-style pub ale aroma; a blend of caramel and copper, with a malty spine. The flavour, believe it or not, does exhibit a nice degree of balance (though I think that, semantically, balance doesn't have degrees--it's an all or nothing proposition). Malty, sweet notes of caramel and raisin are set off against bitter ones, while a tinkling metallic undercurrent keeps pace.

I haven't had a really nice ESB for some time. For one thing, I think of them as a fall brew, and it was decidedly July when I tasted Equilibrium. But also, I just haven't found any that have tickled my fancy outside of the traditional English ones. However, in Equilibrium, Nickel Brook has put together a charming ESB--one that contains a hearty hops bill to lend it something different.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Classic Ales Six Pack--Banks's Bitter

The Park Brewery in Wolverhampton, England is the home of Banks's Bitter. This hazy, sunburnt ale is brewed by Banks's Beer. It contains a very soft 3.8% alcohol and pours with a nice covering of off-white head. It comes in a beautiful 500mL bottle that features the motto Fide et Fortitudine--which a little quick Googling tells me means "by fidelity and fortitude", which is mildly ironic, given the lack of alcoholic fortitude in this little number.

Banks's Bitter contains a mild aroma that is balanced between malty and bitter, and which has a wee smidge of fruity sweetness. In the flavour, notes of grain and apple are present, though in small measure. Really, the taste of this stuff is extremely mild. It's very drinkable, but it's also very thin and a but watery. It does have a nice, fresh finish.

The nice thing to say is that this beer has a delicate flavour, that it's subtle and refined. Those things are true enough, but my personal take on this bitter ale is that it has a flavour deficit. I'd like lots more body and more hops presence to make this a better bitter.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Classic Ales Six Pack--Brakspear Bitter

Described in the label as "double dropped Oxfordshire ale", Brakspear Bitter comes in a beautiful old world 500mL bottle that goes on to explain that the "unique Brakspear 'Double Drop' system"gives this bitter a "robust secondary fermentation to produce this remarkably flavoursome ale". All of which is to say, I have no idea what "Double Drop" means or does. That said, B.B. is a stunningly attractive little brew--clear, copper, and covered in a thick cream head. It contains a woefully anemic 3.4% alcohol and hails from the Brakspear Brewing Co., in Oxfordshire, England.


Brakespear Bitter has an aroma that waltzes between rich malt and metallic bitterness. For such an understrength ale, there is an admirable dose of flavour and balance. This beer kicks off with a slightly sweet, substantially malty taste, and delves into a copper mine of easy bitterness.

At 3.4%, this beer is easy to drink. It has a relative abundance of flavour. I'd have liked more booze, more bitterness, and a smidge less copper.  However, it proved to be a pretty fine little ale. Not special, but reliable.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Classic Ales Six Pack--Cocker Hoop

Jennings Cocker Hoop is, according to its 500mL bottle, brewed at Castle Brewery, in the Lake District. The label also includes a definition of "cock-a-hoop" ("In very high spirits" or "Boastful"), and an explanation that the brewery is located on the banks of the River Cocker. Finally, the label declares that this golden pale ale is "Unabashedly cocky".

Cocker Hoop contains a very light 4.2% alcohol. Underneath a chubby cloud of loose, cream head, it is a slightly lazy, cheery golden ale. There is a crunchy, toastiness to the nose, as well as a suggestion of modest hop presence. It tastes of rich and dry cereal malts up front and closes with a lingering hop bitterness.

I found myself really enjoying this stuff. It has a toasty bitterness that I found appealing. Of course, a bit more alcohol would be nice, but the low percentage doesn't lead to a corresponding flavour deficit. A fine British ale.

Rating: 8.5 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!

Samuel Smith's Organic Pale Ale

Brewed at "the Old Brewery" in Tadcaster, UK, by Samuel Smith's Brewery, Samuel Smith's Organic Pale Ale is a clear, copper coloured brew that pours underneath an ecru head. It's sold in 550mL bottles (which is a swell, if unusual size for a beer) and contains 5% alcohol. The label has a USDA organic logo.

S.S.O.P.A. has a boisterous nose with elements of maltiness, sweet grains, bitterness, and something metallic. In the flavour, toasty, bready malts kick things off, but give way to a rich, coppery bitterness. According to the label, this stuff is "fermented in stone Yorkshire squares" and this somehow "creates a full-bodied rounded palate". Don't ask me how.

If I had my way, this beer would be a touch hoppier and have a healthier alcohol content. However, it's a flavourful and well balanced ale, and one that gets cool points for being organic.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Seiglerie

Seiglerie is a rye bitter ale. It's brewed by Brasseurs du Monde and hails from Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. It pours a cloudy orange-gold colour topped with a thick puff of eggshell head. According to the label, this stuff is brewed using goldings and fuggles hops, as well as a measure of rye. Its nose has some metallic notes as well as some decent fruity hops qualities.

This is a very quaffable brew. The flavour begins in Malt-town and then sets a course for Bittersville. En route, there are some interesting grain notes provided, I presume, by the use of rye in the brewing process.

In the classic British best bitter style, this beer has very low alcohol content: just 4%, If I were the one pulling the strings, I would definitely up the dosage a bit. Still, it works pretty well as it is. It is sold in 500mL bottles.


I am currently pretty fascinated by the use of rye in beer, so I was pretty pumped when I stumbled across this stuff. It proved to be a very enjoyable, extremely sessionable beer with considerable charm. It's a cool Quebecois take on an English favourite.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Bishop's Best Bitter

Sherbrooke, Quebec is the home of Bishop's Best Bitter, a tasting English-style ale brewed by The Golden Lion Brewing Company. Weighing in at 4.8%, BBB is sold in 500mL bottles featuring a vaguely creepy beer-toting clergyman on the label.

This is a very clear, brassy brew, topped with an ivory head. It has a slightly metallic hoppy aroma. For a brew with lowish alcohol content, this stuff is surprisingly bitter. It's got hops to spare and a very dry mouthfeel. In addition, there is a slight note of raisin hiding below the surface, as well as a respectable malt profile.

This is a pretty good brew.  It's a touch too dry to make it sessionable and a bit light on the alcohol side of things, but BBB is flavourful and well built.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Wellington Arkell Best Bitter

Wellington Arkell Best Bitter is a 4% alcohol brew that comes from Wellington County Brewing Inc., in Guelph, Ontario.  It comes in 341mL bottles and pours a somewhat murky orange-brown colour. It has mild carbonation and it's topped with a cream coloured head.

W.A.B.B. has a mild, but complex that blends malt and toasted sugar. It has a bigger flavour than one would expect from a brew with only 4%. It walks an enjoyable line between toasty and bitter, rounded out by brown sugar.

This is tasty stuff. The low booze content hurts my rating a little bit, but it makes it very sessionable. A bit more hops presence would also go a long way.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Belhaven Best

From the Belhaven Brewery in Dundar, East Lothian, Scotland comes Belhaven Best, a nice golden-copper coloured ale. Sold in 440mL cans that contain a nitrogen widget, BB pours with a very dense, creamy head that has magnificent staying power. The alcohol content of this pub ale is a modest 4.8%.

BB has a biscuit-heavy aroma with coppery notes. It has a very smooth mouthfeel and a flavour that is malty, balanced against a hint of bitterness. Notable tastes are caramel, biscuit, and a whisper of copper.

Belhaven Best is a very smooth beer. In all honesty, I typically prefer my ales to have a rougher edge, but this stuff is all kinds of drinkable. I expect that it's a beer which would appeal to a wide audience.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Abbot Ale

This crystal clear amber coloured ale is brewed by Greene King in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It's topped with a frothy white head and contains just a touch of carbonation. Abbott Ale is sold in 500mL cans and contains 5% alcohol.

Abbott has a mild aroma, with notes of metallic bitterness. The mouthfeel is quite smooth, and the flavour is characterized with some slight caramel notes wound up in a spool of bitterness. Underlying it all is a pleasing dose of copper taste.

This is a pretty fine bitter ale. It's easy-drinking, smooth, and decently hoppy. It isn't unbelievable, but it's a fair little brew. I suggest taking it for a test-drink.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.