A set of mostly product sample reviews. Tastes from F&M/Stonehammer, Muskoka and Amsterdam. The highlight here was the Nickelbrook Naughty Neighbour on cask. My soft spot for cask ale aside, I loved the fruity hoppiness and extreme sessionability of this brew. If you can't find that (it's not unlikely), grab a tall can of St. Ambroise Pale Ale for a great, inexpensive, old world style pale that puts commercial macros to shame.
Stonehammer Autumn Bock
Draft. Pours amber with a thick tan foam. Roasted nuts, light cocoa and deep toffee. Moderately sweet with a clean lager finish. Mildly herbal hop. Average body and carbonation. Very pleasant.
Nickelbrook Naughty Neighbour Pale Ale
Cask. Pours pinapple juice with a well sparkled head. Hop notes of tropical fruit on the nose; pinapple, mango, citrus and a hint of pine. A mild touch of biscuity malt. Dry and light bodied with a slightly bitter finish. A great pale ale, really accentuated by cask format.
Stonehammer Light
341 mL bottle. Pours very light with minimal white froth. Grainy nose with a hint of apple. Taste is faintly sweet, some yeast notes and more pilsner malt. Thin body and moderate carbonation. Light beer.
Stonehammer Pilsner
341 mL bottle. Pours gold with a lacy white cap. Grainy malt with straw and toasty barley. Lightly sweet without as much bitterness as I expect for the style. A hint of herb like hop. Light to medium bodied with average carbonation.
F&M MacLeans Pale Ale
341 mL bottle. Pours medium amber with a white cap. Mild fruit, apple, pear, butterscotch and grain. Slightly sweet with just enough hop to balance out. Moderate body and carbonation. Not bad, just not all that interesting.
Stonehammer Dark Ale
341 mL bottle. Pours walnut with a thin beige cap. Nutty toffee on the nose, some grainy malt, but lacking. Taste is a little sweet, watery, slightly bitter on the finish. Light to moderate body and moderate to full carbonation. Leaves a lot to be desired.
Stonehammer Cofee Oatmeal Stout
341 mL bottle. Pours a thick opaque black with a short lived khaki head. Aromas of coffee, dark chocolate, subtle roast and woods. Creamy mouth feel, mild sweetness and a well balanced, bitter and roasty finish. Quite clean. Moderate plus carbonation. Tasty.
Muskoka Winter Weisse
750 mL bottle. Pours mahogany with a tight off white head. Soft cocoa, slightly smoky clove spice, a hint of banana and light caramel. Subtly sweet with a relatively clean finish. Average plus mouth feel, light to medium body and high carbonation. Let it warm a few degrees to enjoy a little more.
St. Ambroise Pale Ale
473 mL can. Pours a very light amber with a thick frothy white head and lots of lace. Aromas of biscuity malt, assorted spices, pine, citrus zest and candle wax. Moderate to full bodied, average plus carbonation. Bready sweetness with a nice bitter backbone and old world hoppy finish. Sticky on the palate. Very approachable.
Amsterdam Downtown Brown
473 mL can. Pours dark walnut with a thin white cap. Caramel, coffee, roasted nuts and a hint of butteriness, some woody hop. Dry for the style with a lightly roasty and mildly hopped finish. Above moderate carbonation. A little too clean on the palate. Not bad.
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