Marston's Old Empire India Pale Ale Review

Marston's beers have been making their way slowly into the Ontario market and I have been doing my best to try all of them. The 2011 spring releases brought this to a nearby LCBO store so during my weekend shopping, I secured a bottle.

The first thing everybody notices is the color and craftsmanship of the bottle. The color is a bit paler than other IPAs and pours with a thin to medium lacy head which quickly recedes to a thin layer of bubbles. The aroma is unlike IPAs I am used to and resembles that of pre-prohibition lagers and some weaker bitters. It is malty, light on the hops with a subtle cereal twist. The taste is mild and closer to a bitter than recent IPAs I have had. It is mostly malty, though subtle hops do appear. Similar to the aroma, some cereal is present as well as grassy tones. The finish is closer to lagers than IPAs with malt, a very subtle hop note and some cereal and grass. Overall I am not very impressed with this beer, though some people may like it with its milder hop aroma/taste and clean taste. If you like lagers, then this may be something you should try.

Scores:
Cost - $3.55
Taste - 6.7/10
ABV - 5.7%

Overall - 6.7/10...not very impressed with this Marston's beer

Trafalgar Tropical Mead Review

Yes, you read it right, this is a bottle of tropical flavored mead, the first mead review on this site. I was returning a mountain of empty bottles to the beer store and while waiting for the gentleman at the cash register to count the hundreds of bottles taking up the entire conveyor, I noticed a bunch of bottles of mead offered for $12.95 per pop. I have had mead in the past, but never out of a bottle so I decided I should spend some of my return money (yes, only some) on a bottle. I went with the tropical mead, simply because I have had the other flavors. You see, this past summer, I spent quite a bit of time at the Trafalgar Meads and Ales tent at the Beer Fest in Toronto, sampling everything they offered that day.

When my bottles were counted up, I requested a bottle of the tropical mead, and after waiting for what seemed 5 whole minutes, a dust covered bottle was brought out from the back. I don't think many people buy these bottles since it took a long time for the staff to find one and when I got it, it had a thick layer of dust...yes, very thick. I didn't care, I took the bottle and wiped it down at home.

Now, onto the review. I rarely take photos of poured beers, simply because I am too lazy to do so while drinking, but this was a special occasion - the first mead review. So I grabbed the closest thing, which happened to be an Innis & Gunn glass, and poured myself some mead. The mead came out with a lot of carbonation, which quickly filled the glass with hissing foam. Luckily, the foam was so bubbly that it all receded in seconds and allowed me to second-pour and then third-pour and so on, until I finally had a glass that was 3/4's full. As seen in the photo, the mead is a bit hazy, very bubbly, and has a pale straw color which does resemble some tropical juices. The aroma is of fermented tropical juice, though not as pungent. The taste is fairly strange and not as sweet as some of the other mead I have had. There is a bit of sweetness, but overall this tastes like a combination of dry champagne, a bit of tropical juice and a splash of gin. The finish is mostly clean, though there traces of alcohol and slight bitterness.

Overall I enjoyed the mead, though I would rather spend the $12.95 on a 6-pack of good beer or a few rarer craft brews/imports.

Scores:
Cost - $12.95 for a 650 mL bottle from The Beer Store
Taste - 7.8/10
ABV - 9%

Overall - 7.8/10...clean, somewhat refreshing, different

Southern Tier Imperial Gemini Review

Continuing with the reviews of the 2011 spring releases at the LCBO, I have with me Southern Tier's Imperial Gemini, a 50/50 mixture of their Hoppe & Unearthly. So far this spring I have noticed a hop influence in the LCBO releases, which is something I am very pleased about. What I am not pleased today is that all the bottles of Imperial Gemini I could find had the white "extra strong beer" label stuck on the front of the original label. This ruins all photos and the cool label, which is very reflective. For shame LCBO.

After letting the beer sit out for a bit to gently warm up to the recommended 5.5 degrees centigrade, I poured myself a glass and was a bit surprised by the color. I was expecting something a tad darker than the hazy pale amber/golden color the Gemini has. That was nothing but a bump on the road, because the moment the aroma hit my nose, I forgot about it. What can I say about the aroma? It is hoppy!!! Some sweetness peeks from underneath in the form of caramel, but is easily overpowered by the strong hop aroma. The taste is even hoppier with some of the caramel sweetness showing up at the start and again in the finish. Some tropical fruits, mostly pineapple, can be noticed but the hops...wow, the hops are strong. The finish is dry and a bittersweet (mostly bitter) blend of hops, caramel and some pineapple. The 9.1% is noticeable but only at the start of each sip because the strong hops overpower that too.

Bottom line is Southern Tier never disappoints, and this is a must try for hop fans.

Scores:
Cost - $9.00 for a 650 mL bottle
Taste - 8.7/10
ABV - 9.1%

Overall - 8.7/10...solid hoppy beer with a high ABV and a tropical twist

Molson M Review

I am not a beer snob...is what the beer snob said. But seriously, I will try any beer that I can get my hands on...once! Some make it to this site, some don't. After seeing this Molson brew for the first time a few weeks ago at the local LCBO, I decided to get a can and actually save it for a review. Well, here it is, after weeks of sitting in my fridge, I finally got it out of the back and cracked it open.

First off, what is microcarbonization? Well, according to Molson, it is a process which involves the injection of small CO2 bubbles into the beer to preserve the taste of hops and the flavours generated by the yeast during fermentation. Did it work? Well, I wish I had a plain Molson (by which I mean Canadian) to compare it to, but do read below.

The beer has a slightly pale straw color and pours with a lively, short head which recedes in seconds. Not much hold there. The aroma is weak but does carry sweet malty notes and cereal. The mouthfeel is definitely a bit different - it feels smoother though the carbonation has been preserved. Not bad, I honestly thought this was a marketing gimmick. Unfortunately this technology does not help much with the taste of the macrobrew. Sweet malt and grassy notes are present as well as some cereal. The sweetness is a bit excessive and does build over the course of the can. The finish is sweet with very little hops.

Overall, the beer is quite refreshing and a bit better than other macrobrews, but falls short compared to microbrewed lagers.

Scores:
Cost - $2.25 for a 473 mL can
Taste - 5.8/10
ABV - 4.9%

Overall - 5.8/10...will consider picking it over other macrobrews, but not over similar microbrews

Maple Bock Review

Another day, another bock. This one comes from Trafalgar Ales & Meads in Oakville, Ontario, which make quite a few different beers. This bock has been brewed with pure maple syrup, which is why the name Maple Bock seems fitting. As usual, the beer comes in a 650 mL bottle and is 6.5% ABV.

The bock has a very dark reddish/brown color and pours smoothly with a thing tan ring. The aroma is predominantly roasted malt with an easily detectable maple syrup note and a bit of roasted nuts. What this reminds me of is Tim Horton's maple pecan danish, which I love so much. The beer is very lightly carbonated and has a mildly creamy, yet thin mouth-feel. The taste is enjoyable with more of the roasted malt and nut flavours and just a hint of sweet maple syrup which appears near the end, but develops well with the finish. The finish, itself, is similar to the taste, though there is quite a bit more of the roasted nut and maple syrup flavours. The 6.5% is masked very well, but you can feel its impact towards the end of this 650 mL bottle. Overall, I really enjoyed this beer and would definitely buy it again.

Scores:
Cost - $4.55 for a 650 mL bottle
Taste - 8.1/10
ABV - 6.5%

Overall - 8.1/10...love maple syrup and walnuts? Then you will love this beer

Panil Barriquée (Sour) Review

I know what you are thinking - "Is this wine, or beer?" Well, in this case, it is beer. I have been seeing many bottles of beer that look line wine, but takes the prize, and at $14 per pop, it sure sells for as much as a bottle of wine and not a cheap one. Panil is one of the spring 2011 LCBO releases and one of the last ones I bought but had to put ahead of the queue due to its looks.

The beer has a unique dark, hazy color with purple/red hues. It pours with a medium thick, moderately creamy head which recedes to a thin layer with a ring. The aroma is sour and a bit pungent with cherries, plums and hints of malt. The taste is similar - tart with a strong fruit influence, cherries, berries and plums. Some malt is present, but takes a backseat to the fruits. The finish is very refreshing - sour with a lot of fruits, which evolves into an even fruitier one with time. If you can get past the slightly pungent aroma, the beer is great and refreshing. The 8% ABV is completely masked and can only be felt, not tasted.

Scores:
Cost - $14 for a 750 mL bottle
Taste - 8.3/10
ABV - 8%

Overall - 8.4/10...I feel like giving it an extra 0.1 for the excellent finish

Patrick's Pick Extra Special Bitter Review

Patrick's Pick comes from Trafalgar Ales & Meads from Oakville, Ontario and retails for the low price of $3.95. Before you say that you can get cheaper beer, consider the size of this - 650 mL, almost twice the size of a regular beer. I love bitters so when I saw this, I just had to pick a bottle and try it as soon as I got home.

The beer is deep amber with red hues and a touch hazy. It pours with no head and has a very bold aroma, which is just a touch sweet with some hops and tropical fruits. Yes, tropical fruits - mostly pineapple and something else I cannot quite put my finger on. There is also some grassiness, which gives the aroma a bit of pungency. Not a deal breaker, but something that jumped out. The taste is hoppy and very different from the aroma. Bold and bitter hops start you off and eventually give way to some dried fruit sweetness and a bit of caramel and roasted malt. The finish is where the aroma meets the taste. The beer ends on a note similar to its start - some hops and tropical fruits with some grassiness. Overall this is not a ground breaking beer, but just a very decent one, great for drinking many of or just for sipping.

Scores:
Cost - $3.95 for a 650 mL bottle
Taste - 7.8/10
ABV - 5%

Overall - 7.8/10...pretty decent ESB with an affordable price tag

Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor Review

I love seasonal transition periods, it is when LCBO starts to release new beers. And lucky for me, the local LCBO received 3 of the new brews, which I just picked up. The trend this season is hops - two of the three new brews were hop heavy. For example, look at today's beer - Hopsinjoor. Great name and a reasonable price of $3.10 for an 8% beer.

The beer is cloudy with a pale golden color. It pours with a thick, creamy and very lacy head. Part of the reason why I got so much head was because I didn't wait for a long enough time for the beer to settle after the quick drive back from the LCBO. The aroma is very crisp, floral with citrus, cloves and honey. The taste is hoppy and strong with sweet honey and fruity notes - citrus and a bit of pear towards the end. The finish is warm, a bit dry, bittersweet with hops, some citrus and pears, cloves and other spices. The high alcohol content is fairly well concealed, though you can tell that you are consuming a stronger beer. This is a very drinkable beer, though if you are a huge hop fan, you might be a bit disappointed since there is a heavy Belgian ale influence and the hop flavours have been toned down to allow room for crisper, fruitier notes.

Scores:
Cost - $3.10
Taste - 8/10
ABV - 8%

Overall - 8/10...hoppy beer with a Belgian influence

Jack Daniel's Iced Tea Whiskey Beverage Review

Today I am feeling like something different, which is why I am cracking open a 4 pack of Jack Daniel's Iced Tea Whiskey Beverage. I got the 4 pack from the sale rack at an LCBO for 20% off, which brought it under $8. The last time I tried a beverage from this Jack Daniel's line, I rather liked it, so I am looking forward to trying this one.

The iced tea beverage looks like an iced tea when poured in a clear glass, which is a great start. From afar you can tell that there is booze in this iced tea due to the strong whiskey smell. Once you get past the whiskey scent, you can detect some earthy, tea notes. The taste is pretty solid. You get an initial unsweetened tea taste, followed by some sweetness and whiskey at the end. Yeah, it does sound weird, but the start of the drink is much like unsweetened iced tea. The finish is a blend of sweet, earthy iced tea and whiskey. The sweetness does build up over time and you will probably have problems finishing the 4 pack in a single sitting unless you really stretch the sitting. Overall, I also enjoyed this beverage, but I think I much prefer the taste of Jack and Coke.

Scores:
Cost - $8 for a 4 pack on sale, or $9.95 regular
Taste - 8.2/10
ABV - 6%

Overall - 8.2/10...a solid pre-mixed drink

Tree Brewing Co. Hophead Double IPA Review

This is the second brew of the recent LCBO releases that I am trying. As I have already mentioned, most of them are hop heavy and this one is no different. In fact, this brew has 5 hop varieties making it one of the hoppier brews you can get from the LCBO. This 650 mL bottle costs $5.35, which is fairly affordable considering the 8.3% alcohol content.

The beer is hazy, which shouldn't come as a surprise since it is unpasteurized and has a nice brown/amber color with some red hues. The pour results in a very short, off-white head, which quickly recedes to a ring. Unlike yesterday's Belgian take on hoppy beers, the hops here are very heavy and pronounced. I was able to get a whiff of the sweet/piny hoppy scent as I was pouring the beer. Up close the hop aroma is even stronger, but you can sense some dried fruits and caramel. The taste is very strong and great! The hoppy bitterness hits you the moment the liquid touches your tongue and so does a bit of dryness which lasts till the finish. After the initial bitter hit, some sweeter notes emerge from the fruits and caramel. The finish is also fantastic. It is bittersweet, though mostly bitter, and heavy on the hops with a surprising pineapple twist. After a few sips the higher alcohol content gives you an enjoyable warm feeling. Speaking of high alcohol content, the 8.3% do not overpower the flavour and do not give the beer a strong alcohol taste.

My one and only complaint comes from what I loved so much in the beginning and hated towards the end - the bitterness. It builds up and starts to give the finish a very bitter note which does ruin the overall experience a bit towards the end of the bottle.

Scores:
Cost - $5.35 for a 650 mL bottle
Taste - 8.5/10
ABV - 8.3%

Overall - 8.5/10...I decided to take 0.1 off for the bitterness build up, but then decided to give it an extra 0.1 for the price/alcohol content/taste combination...it all worked out

Alexander Keith's Tartan Ale Review

About a week ago I got a strange e-mail with nothing but a white box and a short e-mail if I am puzzled about this and how if I replied with my address, I would get the answer. At first it seemed suspicious, but when I saw that the name Alexander Keith was involved, I responded. Just a few days later there was a yellow envelope sitting on my doorstep. In this envelope was a cylinder of bubble wrap and in this bubble wrap was a bottle wrapped in what can only be described as a piece of a burlap sack. I loved the packaging.

So what was the bottle? It was a sample of the new Alexander Keith's Brewmaster's limited release beer - Tartan Ale. Look at that cap.


This scotch ale is said to be inspired by the heritage of the man himself and brewed according to the original scotch ale process. I obviously wanted to drink this beer right then and there, but I decided to wait until the weekend.

So when the time came, I grabbed the proper glassware and opened the bottle...which is a twist off by the way. The beer poured smoothly with a lively thin head. It is amber in color and by the looks of it, well carbonated. Right away I could tell that this is no ordinary Alexander Keith's. The aroma is different than their other beers with a lot of malt, some dried fruit sweetness and some caramel. A sip reveals the malty character of the beer along with a bit of sweetness from caramel and dried fruits and just a bit of yeast. The finish malty with a light roasted touch. For those used to regular Alexander Keith's beers, this would be a definite twist.

I cannot stop there though. I was expecting more to be perfectly honest. The taste is on the weak side. Scotch ales that I have had in the past have always had a bold, malty aroma that punches you with all its might the moment a drop hits your tongue. This, though packing some flavor, is a bit weaker than expected. You still get a taste of all the good stuff, but it seems to me that this should have been aged a bit longer or had some extra ingredients added.

After giving it some thought, I may be able to see why the flavors have been downplayed. Many people like lagers and pilseners for their clean and simple taste. I think that the Tartan Ale is aimed at those people so the flavors had to be kept simple. When I have scotch ales, I can only drink one at a time because of the flavor, but when I was done with this bottle, I felt like I could drink another one. This scotch ale may not be for beer snobs, but it feels like a stepping stone for those used to the regular Alexander Keith's, a stepping stone towards maltier and heavier beers.

Scores:
Cost - unknown
Taste - 7/10
ABV - 6.1%

Overall - 7/10...great try for Alexander Keith's. I like seeing breweries trying different brews to capture a wider audience