Juicy ASS IPA

Brewery: Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Type: IPA ABV: 6.5% IBU: 69 Thoughts: As I’m pouring into the glass, I immediately take in this strong, biting, almost bitter hope aroma. It reminds me of a hoppy beer that’s unbalanced or unrefined and really attacks your taste buds. It did pour nicely, though. The head is probably…

Mosaic Pils [Freestyle Series]

Brewery: The Collingwood Brewery Type: Dry Hopped Pilsner ABV: 4.6% IBU: 26 Thoughts: This beer poured really nicely. I had a good 2 feet between the mouth of the can and the glass while pouring and wasn’t sure I was going to get a decent head. As you can see in the feature image, it turned out really well. It…

[Freestyle Series] Good as Helles

Brewery: The Collingwood Brewery Type: Bavarian Style Lager – Helles ABV: 4.8% Thoughts: Firstly, as many of my blog co-writers know (Mike), Collingwood is my favourite brewery. That being said, I often get scared of “freestyle” type beers. Firstly, I’m not exactly sure what separates them from their flagship and/or staple beers or their seasonal ones, but…

Sirius Premium Pale Ale

Brewery: Lost Craft Type: American Pale Ale ABV: 4.9% Thoughts: White frothy head that’s thick and has good retention. I’m getting a pleasant fragrant hop aroma that’s carried by a tangy citrus base. The colour is beautiful frosty yellow-orange and has this solid property to it. Perhaps it’s a bit of sediment floating throughout but it looks…

Wee Heavy

Brewery: The Collingwood Brewery Type: Scottish Ale ABV: 8.5% Thoughts: This beer pours really nicely. You can see all the bubbles fizzing about, fighting to get to the top as they’re pushed back down by the deluge. Once everything settles there’s a cream colored, foamy head sitting on top of a hazy, mahogany and copper liquid. The…

Full Time IPA

(2.8) Brewery: Beau’s Type: IPA ABV: 6.7% Thoughts: Frosty looking orange in colour with a big white head that’s frothy at the top and has large bubbles. The head has decent retention and lacing with a citrus hop aroma and the body has plenty of visible sediment, which I don’t mind. Clean tasting and light body bit not…

Sunny Side Session IPA

Brewery: Great Lakes Brewery Type: Session IPA ABV: 3.9% (!) Thoughts: All I can smell are hops – almost a bitter smell. It burst from the can immediately upon cracking it open. The head is a thick white styrofoam and crackles as the bubbles break it apart. It does leave lacing on the glass however I wouldn’t say it…

Pavlov’s Dog

Brewery: Williams Bros. Brewing Co. (Scotland) Type: Red Ale ABV: 4.3% Thoughts: This is the second of two beers I reviewed in Scotland. Beautiful looking beer. The whole package (bottle along with its contents sitting in a glass beside it) have this mysterious, dark and intriguing presence. I actually stared for a bit both appreciating it and trying to…

Highlander

Brewery: Fyne Ales Scotland Type: Traditional Scottish Ale ABV: 4.8% Thoughts: This is one of the 2 beers I reviewed during my trip to Scotland. The cover image is terrible- As soon as I poured it into the glass I was assaulted with a roasted malt and dark berry aroma. Taking it in further revealed hints of hops mixed…

Equilibrium ESB

Brewery: Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Type: Extra Special Bitter (ESB) ABV: 5.5% Thoughts: Frothy off-white head with good retention even though it wasn’t huge after being aggressively poured. The aroma is a pretty standard fragrant hop and shows as a cloudy burnt orange colour. There’s no much to say- good or bad- about this ESB. I generally enjoy this…

Hobgoblin Ruby

Brewery: Wychwood Brewery (UK) Type: Ruby Beer ABV: 4.5% Thoughts: Bright but roasted malt aroma with a slight presence of clove spice, cherry and apple. Dark copper in colour with a dense and frothy light brown foam. This beer has a definite English ale, raisin and roasted malt flavour. Dark berry and finishes bright with not much bitterness…

Canada 150

Brewery: Black Creek Historic Brewery Type: Bitter Ale ABV: 5% Thoughts: Beautiful copper colour with almost no head. That was quite surprising to me and feared there was something wrong with it but upon taking in its aroma, I was quickly convinced that it could be overlooked. It smelled like a really good, creamy English ale with hints of…