Rogue Brutal IPA

From Newport, Oregon's Rogue Ales comes Brutal IPA. At 6.5% alcohol, Brutal IPA has some heft, without being inaccessible. It has a serious 59 IBUs and comes in 650mL bottles that are emblazoned with a pretty rad dude.

Brutal IPA is cloudy, and has a dull orange colour. It pours to the south of an unyielding of-white head. Sniffing through that dense foam, I detected an amply hopped aroma with notes of grapefruit, just as the bottle foretold. Given the aroma, there is less citrus in the flavour than I was expecting. It's certainly there, but interwoven with some notes of caramel and some raisin-y bitterness.

Brutal IPA is a very subtle India Pale Ale.  It has considerable hop bombast, but somewhat tempered. It's very smooth and mellow for an I.P.A., while still delivering the bitter, dry finish that I was hoping for. Everything that I have tried from Rogue has been pretty much excellent, and their Brutal IPA doesn't disappoint.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Saison Dupont

Saison Dupont is, not surprisingly, a saison. It comes from Brasserie Dupont in Tourpes, Belgium. It comes in a corked, 750mL bottle that is reminiscent of champagne. It contains 6.5% alcohol.

S.D. is a cloudy golden brew topped with a thick cloud of bright white head and ample carbonation. It has a slightly tart aroma of sour apples, as well as some notes of pear, yeast, and earth. The mouthfeel is dry and effervescent, like a champagne. It has a relatively mild flavour, particularly in the front end, with some gentle apple and grape notes.  This contrasts with the finish, which is considerably more vibrant. It's here that you can find bready yeastiness, an unexpected bitterness, and a fine dose of boozy warmth.

This brew has good strength and great, large bottles. Like other quality farmhouse ales, Saison Dupont is beer's equivalent to a sparkling wine--airy, fizzy, and dry, with some nuance and class.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Green Flash West Coast IPA comes from sunny San Diego, California. It's brewed by the the Green Flash Brewing Co. and contains a hearty 7.3% alcohol. It's sold in excellent four packs and comes in cool-shaped 12oz. bottles. The label states that this brew is "Extravagantly hopped".

The Green Flash IPA is a foggy, amber-gold coloured ale topped with an eggshell head that fades quickly to a thin disc. Its vibrant, hop-heavy showcases notes of grapefruit, but also contains some malty caramel heft. It has a full-bodied mouthfeel, with a dry, bitter finish. It's a very hoppy beer with notes of citrus riding shotgun and caramel in the backseat. It doesn't taste boozy, exactly, but you can certainly tell that its strong.

If you're a stranger to the west coast IPA style, this one'll give you an education--it's boozy, aggressively hoppy, and heavy on the citrus. It's a really good example and a really good beer to boot.


Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Strong Patrick

Strong Patrick is a Strong Irish Red Ale from Vankleek Hill, Ontario's Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. It comes in 600mL bottles featuring one of my all-time favourite beer labels, featuring a be-shamrocked luchador. Strong Patrick is No. 18 in Beau's Wild Oats Series and contains 6.7% alcohol.

According to the label, a portion of Strong Patrick is aged in whisky casks--this gives the beer a recognizable whisky quality that shows up in both the nose and flavour. Additionally, the aroma is malty and has some notes of raisin. The flavour stays on the malt highway and drives all night. There are notes of caramel and raisin to keep the whisky company.

All told, this beer tastes like some kind of buttery, raisin-y, toffee-y, dessert from the British Isles. There isn't a lot of bitterness to speak of. There is some boozy warmth, but it doesn't taste particularly strong. I'd have liked a bit more hops, but otherwise, this stuff hit the spot.

Strong Patrick pours a handsome amber colour, topped beneath a mountain of of-white foam.


Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Ben's Pale Ale

Ben's Pale Ale was my second foray into the offerings from Fredericton, New Brunswick's Grimross Brewing. I enjoyed a pint on tap at a classy Fredericton bar. Ben's Pale clocks in at 6% alcohol, according to the Grimross website.

After ordering, I had a faintly hazy copper-gold ale set in front of me. It came topped with a thick, white head. It had a very lively yeasty aroma that walked hand-in-hand with a whiff of hops. The beer had an undeniable Belgian feel--it's quite yeast-driven, slightly tart, and featured a pleasingly bitter and quite dry finish. Along the way, there is a slight twist of green apple.

It's pretty interesting to order a local brew in a small city in New Brunswick and be handed a respectable Belgian-style pale ale. Craft beer has been alive and well in New Brunswick for years, but my most recent visit convinced me that things are getting even better. Grimross Brewing gives Fredericton a second quality purveyor of choice ales.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Grimross Rye IPA

I was home in Fredericton, New Brunswick over Christmas 2013, and I was pumped to learn that there is a new brewery in town--Grimross Brewing. More than than, I was fired up when I stepped into a new beer bar to watch a football game and found Grimross on tap. And then, I was ecstatic when I saw that one of the offerings on tap was a rye I.P.A., one of my very favourite styles.

The Grimross Rye IPA clocks in at 6% alcohol, according to the Grimross website. I had myself a pint on tap while I enjoyed a little pigskin. It arrived a swampy brown grog, topped with a healthy off-white head.  Its aroma straddles a divide between hoppy and yeasty. The flavour is likewise yeasty, particularly at the front end.  It isn't nearly as bitter or as spicy as some of the more pungent rye I.P.A.s that I have sampled--this stuff prefers to be subtly flavourful. This stuff flows from yeasty/malty to bitter, encompassing a faint but worthy rye spiciness. In finishes with some mild bitterness.

If you're in the mood for a jumbo, bitter rye I.P.A., then Grimross' version might leave you a touch disappointed. However, if you're down for a tasty, well crafted ale, this stuff might well be your speed. I definitely liked it.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Blonde du Quai

Blonde du Quai comes from my home province, New Brunswick, where it is brewed by Shiretown, in Charlo. It is sold in hand numbered 500mL bottles and contains 5.5% alcohol. This is a cloudy, golden ale, topped with a very thin layer of white head.

The aroma has considerable blueberry volume, as well as some slight yeastiness--this gives it a nose not unlike blueberry pie. It has a very thin mouthfeel and a mild, fruity flavour. There is very little aftertaste to speak of.

Blonde du Quai is an interesting and easy drinking little beer with a decent flavour. I'd have liked a bit more intesity in the flavour--this stuff was too mild tasting for me to really get behind.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.