Wednesday, October 30, 2013

10 Reviews

A pretty wide array of beers here.  Lots of Belgian styles, some I enjoyed, some I did not.  Highlights here were: Great Lakes Saison Du Pump (a pumpkin infused saison), which you can always buy tomorrow for Halloween; Brasseries Dunham IPA Belge, which I found to be painfully drinkable and refreshing yet complex enough to keep me captivated until the end of the bottle; and lastly (but by no means least) the absolutely massive Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus, the Belgian Dark Strong ale that just keeps giving up layers of flavor (but be warned it's a beastly 9.5% ABV, a hell of a sipper).

Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Hibernus
750 mL bottle. Pours dark mahogany with a thick tan cap of head. Solid aromas of dark fruit, rum, banana, medium treacle and oak. Sweet but well balanced by moderate carbonation, hop bitterness and alcohol bite. Dangerously smooth, full bodied and deep. Finishes with hops and spices. Delicious.

Spirit Tree Draught Cider
341 mL bottle. Pours light golden straw with a thin white cap that goes quick. Aromas of apple, honeysuckle and farmy funk. Mildly sweet but still quite dry, with low to moderate carbonation and an above average body for a cider. Love it for that yeast note, a complexity not commonly found in Ontario ciders.

M'Anis 7.3
500 mL bottle. Pours a deep honey color with a short lived white head. Notes of bread, toffee, nut, apricot and a hint of roast. A touch sweet offset by lively carbonation and a warming boozy bite. Moderate body with a sticky malty finish. Not bad, but not for me.

Great Lakes Brewing Saison Du Pump
650 mL bottle. Pours a cloudy straw with an obnoxiously lacy head of white. Aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, banana, bubblegum and noble hop. Pleasantly palate coating, but bone dry with full carbonation and a nice bitter finish. Crisp and delicious!

Unibroue Noire de Chambly
750 mL bottle. Pours cola with a beige cap of tight bubbles. Aromas of prune, spice, a hint of roast and Unibroue house yeast. Moderate body and carbonation with a dry yeasty finish and subtle hop bitterness. Not overly impressed, but well made.

Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin
473 mL can. Pours dark amber brown with zero head. Leaves no lacing. Caramel and spice aromas, with subtle notes of lime leaf and lemongrass. Bready caramel malt and slight hop bitterness on the finish. Sweet and rich, sticky, coating mouthfeel, moderate carbonation and a bit of booze. Too sweet for me, would like to see more of that citrus zip. Good idea, bad execution?

Brasseries Dunham IPA Belge
750 mL bottle. Pours a murky green tinged orange hue with a huge rocky white head that lasts and laces. Aromas of lemony hop, coriander spice, cotton candy and herb. Dry and perfume-like with a floral finish. Moderate body with high carbonation. Strangely well balanced. Tasty, and not what I expected.

Wellington Iron Duke Saison
Cask. Pours dark mahogany with a tan fluff. Aromas of bubblegum, cherry cough drop, spice, slight roast and yeasty funk. Dry, with a lightly bitter finish. Slightly medicinal with a bit of alcohol bite.

Northwinds Corduroy Rye IPA
Draught. Pours hazy copper with a lacy white head. Aromas of herbaceous hop, rye spice, mint and caramel malt. Dry for the style, with a lightly spiced finish. Moderate body and carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel, well balanced.

Lake of Bays Top Shelf Lager
473 mL can. Pours golden with a nice white head that leaves no trace. Cereal and biscuit grain flavor with a hint of toffee. Subtly sweet with a hint of hop bitterness. Full on the palate with a round mouth feel and moderate carbonation. Reminds me more of a Vienna lager than an American one. Not bad at all.

http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/

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