Salieri Vienna Lager

Salieri Vienna Lager is a 5% copper lager from Toronto’s Avling. Sold in 355mL cans, Salieri is a very attractive lager with a layer of cream coloured suds to top it off.

The beer has a malty and metallic aroma accented with a hint of caramel sweetness. Salieri is a sweet and smooth brew—perhaps a little too sweet. The flavour contains brown sugar and caramel elements, as well as roasted malt and just a touch of bitterness.

Vienna Lagers aren’t exactly over-represented in Ontario’s craft beer scene, so I was pretty excited to see Avling’s version available for mail order. And it proved to be a decent take—very attractive with a nice, if slightly too sweet flavour.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Les Trois Mousquetaires Oktoberfest Lager Cuivrée

My wife and I received a bottle of Les Trois Mousquetaires Oktoberfest Lager Cuivrée as a wedding gift from a lovely couple of wonderful friends. Thanks guys! While we got married in September 2012, I didn't actually enjoy this stuff until Christmas 2013. It was probably a bit older than it should have been enjoyed, but I went for it anyway.

It's a copper lager from Les Trois Mousquetaires Microbrasseurs out of Brossard, Quebec. It comes in a corked 750mL bottle. It contains 6% alcohol and contains 20 IBUs. It's a cloudy, brownish red lager. It pours with a very thick, light tan head. The aroma is sweet, yeasty, malt focused, and vaguely metallic. It has a malt forward flavour with notes of raisin. It is sweet initially, but moves to a short, bitter finish. It is faintly smokey with some coppery notes.

There is a somewhat Belgian feel to this Quebecois brew. It is a big, flavourful lager. Pretty enjoyable stuff.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.