Craft Beer: What are you drinking now??

Forum Sponsor
Had the Town Brewery Night Letters coconut stout.

Too light on mouthfeel, a little too carb'd for a stout, and ZERO coconut.

Town is becoming increasingly disappointing.

Very hit or miss (mostly miss) lately.
 
I picked up a bottle of Rodenbach Alexander, and then picked up a couple more. A mix of barrel aged and young beer, with 6.5% cherries. Anything I’ve tried from Rodenbach has been great and I they are always something that my girlfriend and I can both enjoy, even though we have pretty divergent tastes in beer. It’s a Flemish red, so a sour but more funky than acidic.
qJqwMzy.jpg


I also had a black IPA from India & Gunn (with rhubarb and coconut). I didn’t really care for this one. There was too much sourness for the style and the coconut wasn’t noticeable. It was also quite thin in body and a pretty uninspiring take on a black IPA. Much better takes on the style are the black IPAs from the Alchemist, Rogue, and Dieu du Ciel!, though I haven’t had or seen those last 2 in years.
r3t3LtD.jpg


@kwtoxman the imperial stout from St. Ambroise may be even more enjoyable than the oatmeal stout (and also very reasonably priced). I haven’t seen it this year, but if you come across it, it’s definitely worth picking up.
 
Mikkeller Sour Pitch Suds sour IPA @ 7% abv.

Apparently brewed using Sour Patch Kids candy.

Nice and tart, reminiscent of grapefruit pith.

Would be on my list of "would drink again" sours.
 
kwtoxman said:
I really enjoy this outstanding Canadian craft stout and it's inexpensively available at most LCBO's. St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. Let it warm up some for even smoother flavors with better integration. Try it if you can find it on tap. An inexpensive pour and a nice step up from the bottle. I fondly remember this on tap, in many ways it started me on the Craft/World beer scene so many years ago. Highly rated on Beer Advocate and highly recommended.

[/URL]
Click to expand...

Totally agree about the St.Ambroise beers - definitely some of the stuff that got me into craft/micro beers. Same withe Unibroue offerings - although they are now owned by Sleeman/Sapporo.

Rob
 
I like beer (alot) and have tried a few hundred labels over the years -- and enjoy most traditional brews. I just can't get into beers flavored with coconut, peanut butter, prickly pear, Sourpatch kids etc.

Reminds me of when my kids were small and looked for ways to dress up a drink -- they added Skittles, marshmallows, coconut, peanut butter to milk or coke to get their own craft beverage - perhaps Im uncultured, but that's what a lot of these beers seem like to me.
 
Mad Mike said:
I like beer (alot) and have tried a few hundred labels over the years -- and enjoy most traditional brews. I just can't get into beers flavored with coconut, peanut butter, prickly pear, Sourpatch kids etc.

Reminds me of when my kids were small and looked for ways to dress up a drink -- they added Skittles, marshmallows, coconut, peanut butter to milk or coke to get their own craft beverage - perhaps Im uncultured, but that's what a lot of these beers seem like to me.
Click to expand...
I like this guy.
Put a chunk of fruit in my beer....i double dog dare ya!
 
Mad Mike said:
I like beer (alot) and have tried a few hundred labels over the years -- and enjoy most traditional brews. I just can't get into beers flavored with coconut, peanut butter, prickly pear, Sourpatch kids etc.

Reminds me of when my kids were small and looked for ways to dress up a drink -- they added Skittles, marshmallows, coconut, peanut butter to milk or coke to get their own craft beverage - perhaps Im uncultured, but that's what a lot of these beers seem like to me.
Click to expand...

While generally I agree there‘s some very old traditional beers flavoured with sour cherries (lambics) etc that are amazing and a few Belgian beers with liquorice and orange peel, coriander etc that are out of this world.

Wheat beers and white beers go well with fruit too but I’m usually happy enough with a slice of orange or lemon in one rather than have it flavoured in the beer.

The peanut butter stout was actually pretty decent too, got to be honest.
 
jc100 said:
While generally I agree there‘s some very old traditional beers flavoured with sour cherries (lambics) etc that are amazing and a few Belgian beers with liquorice and orange peel, coriander etc that are out of this world.

Wheat beers and white beers go well with fruit too but I’m usually happy enough with a slice of orange or lemon in one rather than have it flavoured in the beer.

The peanut butter stout was actually pretty decent too, got to be honest.
Click to expand...
I can understand, my kid's favorite Coke flavoring was Kraft Krunchy.

I'll pass on the PB&B experience. Maybe someday I'll regret it but for now I guess it's my loss.
 
robertv19 said:
Totally agree about the St.Ambroise beers - definitely some of the stuff that got me into craft/micro beers. Same withe Unibroue offerings - although they are now owned by Sleeman/Sapporo
Click to expand...
I really enjoy Unibroue beer too
thumb_up.gif
. It's another great reasonably available premium QC craft brewer with lots of highly rated beer... with a unique yeast strain used across its beer line. I often have good access to Maudite and Fin Du Monde, sampling frequently (highly recommended), but they have a number of rare and highly rated products.... some more rare than others.

A 97 World Class rating for Fin Du Monde (belgian tripel style) is incredible (over 10K reviews, lol).
www.beeradvocate.com

La Fin Du Monde | Unibroue

La Fin Du Monde is a Tripel style beer brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, QC, Canada. Score: 96 with 10,713 ratings and reviews. Last update: 08-23-2023.
www.beeradvocate.com www.beeradvocate.com

Maudite is a 94 Outstanding rating for a belgian dubbel style with > 4.5 K reviews.
www.beeradvocate.com

Maudite | Unibroue

Maudite is a Dubbel style beer brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, QC, Canada. Score: 93 with 4,903 ratings and reviews. Last update: 08-23-2023.
www.beeradvocate.com www.beeradvocate.com


Here's a more rare Unibroue product but reasonably widely available at the LCBO, La Resolution. I just enjoyed one of these this Christmas holiday weekend after cellaring 5 or so years (iirc). Excellent!


It's 10% alcohol in a Belgian strong dark ale style. Highly recommended and a fave after some cellaring. Very very smoothly integrated taste wise, presenting the flavor palate as described by the brewer. Still well carbonated.

Las Resolution.
www.beeradvocate.com

La Résolution | Unibroue

La Résolution is a Belgian Dark Strong Ale style beer brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, QC, Canada. Score: 91 with 319 ratings and reviews. Last update: 01-09-2024.
www.beeradvocate.com www.beeradvocate.com

attachment.php


Back label with detailed description.
attachment.php



I was so impressed I read up on La Resolution at the Unibroue website. It's a world-award winning beer. A true enthusiast try. A great read here. It's a slow loading web page, but scroll down once through the consent boxes and after letting the page load up completely.
www.unibroue.com

La Résolution | Strong Spicy Belgian Ale | Unibroue

With 10% alcohol content, La Résolution is a dark ale with a spicy character which makes it perfect for cold weather; it warms the heart with its spicy…
www.unibroue.com www.unibroue.com
Lots of good info.

ON is lucky to have reasonably good access to it.

Have an excellent Christmas holiday weekend.
 
Last edited:
Went to Radical Road brewery last night.

Had their Revelator Brown Ale, the 3 Kings Hibiscus Blonde, the Straight Up Sour w/El Dorado.

All were well made and tasty.

Atmosphere was fantastic and they also had a good snack menu.
 
kwtoxman said:
Here's a more rare Unibroue product but reasonably widely available at the LCBO, La Resolution. I just enjoyed one of these this Christmas holiday weekend after cellaring 5 or so years (iirc). Excellent!

Have an excellent Christmas holiday weekend.
Click to expand...

Sounds excellent! I see it’s available in a few of the LCBOs here in KW - will have to pick some up. Thanks for sharing as I’d not heard of this one. Love Maudite and Fin du Monde.

Speaking of unique yeast strains, I’m currently enjoying a bottle conditioned saison from Great Lakes: “No chance with Miranda”
Quite tasty and Belgian-inspired for sure.

IMG_0041.JPG

Happy New Year!
 
Unibroue fan club...I’m currently having a Dom de Dieu 9%. Excellent beer. Toss up between that and Fin du Monde and a Raftmans.

I had a Goulden Draak quadruple yesterday and it was gorgeous.
 
Went to Stonehooker Brewing last night and although a few of the beers were totally not my taste....the others were fantastic. Highly recommend.

Going to try the Rasberry Spicy (something something) tomorrow and update.

Just in case someone goes, bring your own food as they don't have a food menu there. We ordered pizza when we were there, and others also followed suit. You can get 2oz tasters, and then decide from there. I'll be going there tomorrow for No. 6 on their menu....can't remember the name but it was delicious.
 
I visited Rainhard Brewing recently and tried a bunch. I think they’re one of the better breweries in the GTA but had previously only stopped by the bottle shop.
Best of the bunch was Armed N Sabro, a new IPA that they only had on tap. It was really well done. The others I tried were Brutal Truth (IPA), Satanic Panic (imperial stout with coffee, cacao, and vanilla), Rage and Love (sour ale), and Age and Beauty #2 (barrel aged wild ale).
Satanic Panic was well done and smooth, but the adjuncts were a bit muddled. The coffee was appropriately restrained and cacao was present, but the vanilla was a bit lost in the mix.
I had the highest hopes for Age and Beauty #2, as it sounded similar to a one-off from Rainhard that was perhaps my favourite beer at Cask Days (Cut and Run). Compared to that one, Age and Beauty #2 was more acidic, drier, and was a bit lacking in mouthfeel.
 
ljtenkor said:
I visited Rainhard Brewing recently and tried a bunch. I think they’re one of the better breweries in the GTA but had previously only stopped by the bottle shop.
Best of the bunch was Armed N Sabro, a new IPA that they only had on tap. It was really well done. The others I tried were Brutal Truth (IPA), Satanic Panic (imperial stout with coffee, cacao, and vanilla), Rage and Love (sour ale), and Age and Beauty #2 (barrel aged wild ale).
Satanic Panic was well done and smooth, but the adjuncts were a bit muddled. The coffee was appropriately restrained and cacao was present, but the vanilla was a bit lost in the mix.
I had the highest hopes for Age and Beauty #2, as it sounded similar to a one-off from Rainhard that was perhaps my favourite beer at Cask Days (Cut and Run). Compared to that one, Age and Beauty #2 was more acidic, drier, and was a bit lacking in mouthfeel.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that they are still going strong. I'm a big fan of Rainhard - especially in their early days.
Nosbeeratu is still my all-time favourite black IPA (not to mention bottle label).
My understanding is that Andrew who used to work at Rainhard was the man behind the recipe for it and he is now the brewmaster/co-owner at Rhythm & Brews in Cambridge (where I live) so maybe we'll see some "resurrection" of that beer.
;-)

Cheers
Rob
 
Nosbeeratu is a very cool label.

Right up there with my other favorite, "Juice Campbell" from 5 Paddles Brewing.
 

Attachments

  • beer-1977665_40753_hd.jpeg
    beer-1977665_40753_hd.jpeg
    164.6 KB · Views: 8
Got a selection of Belgian beers from the local LCBO. Seems the manager there is a fan. The La Chouffe and Troubador Ive had before, the others are new to me.
9e332573c1c0054efe40e0ba5d060652.jpg


Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

Hmm. Correct orientation on the phone. No idea why this happened.
 
Love La Chouffe!
First time I tried it was in Belgium at a BnB in the Ardennes forest. I believe someone in Quebec has the license to brew a version as well.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom