New Scotland Brews--Propeller Double IPA

Another Propeller Brewing Company offering, Propeller Double IPA hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia and comes in 500mL bottles. At a sizable 8.2% alcohol, PDIPA is a Haligonian ale that packs a punch. It's a clear copper brew that pours with a healthy measure of off-white head.

To the nose, it's sweet, fruity, and backed by a bitter blast. Likewise, its flavour has a load of sweet elements that kindle before a bold, hoppy flame. Flowery and a tad dank, there's some real life in PDIPA, particularly toward the back end.

It's a beer that suffers from over-sweetness, but benefits from vivid heat, powerful hops, particularly as it finishes.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

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.

New Scotland Brews--Full Steam Stout

Another new-to-me Nova Scotia brew was Rare Bird Craft Beer Full Steam Stout, a coffee stout brewed in Guysborough, Nova Scotia. It's brewed with Full Steam Coffee, comes in 650mL bottles, and contains 7% alcohol. According to the label, there's also liqorice root in there, too.

Full Steam Stout has a deep, dark brown colour that approaches black. It has a strong black coffee nose, with a molasses kicker. It's flavour is quite potent, bitter, and unexpectedly, a bit red wine sour. There is some coffee in there too, but it's more evident in the aroma than on the palate.

There's a bit of an unusual flavour, but not a disagreeable one. The characteristic smoothness I was expecting wasn't there, either, which was a bit of a miss. Still, nice enough little beer, and potent too.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

New Scotland Brews--Propeller Rye IPA

I'm a damn sucker for rye beers. They're spicy and sexy and I love them. So when I visited Halifax, Nova Scotia's Propeller Brewing Company and saw their Propeller Rye IPA, I needed it.

At 6.8%, it's got some heat. I bought a 650mL bottle, and dumped out an elegant, honey-hued brew topped with a fuzzy off-white head. It has a sweet, syrupy fragrance with only a modicum of bitterness. The flavour is also quite sweet--unexpectedly so--and not necessarily ideally. Behind the wall of sweetness, there is some tangy rye and a nice measure of bitterness, but these are a bit downplayed.

Propeller Rye IPA is nice enough, but doesn't hold up compared to their flagship brews like the ESB and the IPA. It's just too sweet.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

New Scotland Brews--Uncle Leo's IPA

Checking out a liquor store in Halifax,Uncle Leo's IPA lept off the shelf and into my life due to its awesome label--old timey and featuring a dapper gent in suspenders. Bottles are 650mL and contain a clear, honey-hued brew. Brewed in Lyons Brook, Nova Scotia by the Whiffen Brewing Company for Uncle Leo's Brewery, it pours with a chunky cloud of off-white head.

There is a mild, evergreen aroma with a suggestion of boozy warmth, though it only contains 6% alcohol. Flavour, too, is pretty mild. It contains some piney notes and some fruity sweetness, but not much else of note.

Not a bad beer, but not one I'd seek out again. Too mild to be a winning IPA. However, I enjoyed it alright.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

New Scotland Brews

I found myself in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia recently. I was there for a wedding and to visit with some of my best pals, but during my stay, I found time to write up a few reviews too. After being away for almost seven years, I found a craft beer scene that is burgeoning and bustling, and a host of brews that were new to me.

Stay tuned to the Bitter World for the next week, and I'll introduce you to five of 'em.

Gourd-geous Brews--Pumpkin Beers

The fall of 2012 has, for me at least, been the season of pumpkin beers.  Last year, I saw a handful of pumpkin-flavoured brews, tried some, and reviewed one. This year, they've been completely ubiquitous.  I've seen pumpkin beers from all over the US and Canada, from breweries small and large, and in a variety of styles.  My original plan was to have a pumpkin beer theme week, but there are too many for that.  It'll be more like a theme fortnight.  Brace yourselves.

*Photo is from my earlier post on Great Lakes Brewery's Pumpkin Ale.