Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 3

From the files of ‘what the hell we’re they thinking’ comes this beer that was better left in the mind of the person that concocted it. It pours a translucent rust colour with no head. Lots of caramel in the aroma, but no citrus. Flavour is more sweet than I would like, mainly because there is no bitter hop finish to balance it out.

Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

It never ceases to amaze me that craft brewers can take some things like hops, malt, water, and yeast and make something decent out of it while macro brewers are stuck at that 5% level. For the last few years, the ‘Session IPA’ has been a ‘thing’ in Canada with ABVs as low as 3% and some of these beers very flavourful, yet Cracked Canoe tastes like somebody took 11.5oz of water and added 0.5oz of Moosehead and called it a beer.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

Back in the mid-90s, everybody and their cousin was making ice and dry beers. Some breweries had elaborate commercials to explain how they were made (lying through their teeth while doing it) and telling us how they were crisper and more refreshing. Thankfully, not once, did they claim to be more flavourful. The ‘ice’ treatment of Moosehead was simply a way to serve a higher alcohol version of Moosehead for a slightly higher price, and make more money.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 3

It’s long been thought in Canada that when you get a ‘Light’ version of a macro beer, it is really just the same beer watered down. This is definitely my impression of Moosehead Light when compared to Moosehead Lager. The colour is definitely a lighter shade of gold, and the malty presence in the aroma and flavour is definitely muted.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 3

Seriously, be honest with me….this is just Moosehead Lager under a different label. I know it is. It looks like the lager, smells like the lager, and tastes like the lager. Ergo, it must be the lager.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

After the Ice beer fad died down, we had the dry beer fad with the tagline ‘no aftertaste’. Personally it was only the cruddy North American macro beers that ever had much of an aftertaste, the Belgian beers available in the 80s didn’t have any (still don’t). Again, Moosehead Dry was just Moosehead Lager bottled under a different label with a supposedly higher ABV.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Part of the 2012 LCBO Fall Seasonals. This one is great. A lot of hops are coming through in the aroma as well as some pine and caramel. Amber coloured, off-white head. Flavour has more of those delicious hops. I could make this a daily beer if it was more than a Fall seasonal.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

I tried this recently after having known it existed for the last 50 years, and was kind of disappointed to find out it is now a Heineken product. Oh well. It isn’t that bad of a stout however. A very dark brown beer with a cap that’s light tan coloured and creamy. Typical Irish stout aroma of coffee and chicory and little else. Flavour falls in line too. I wish I had tried it 30 years ago.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

I tried this on tap recently as it's a new special brew from Muskoka. The bartender called it a double IPA, although it didn't have any of the characteristics one would expect. A beautiful golden-red nectar with a thick cream coloured head. The citrusy hops comes through heavily in the aroma with light spice tones, and sweet malt. Not a very refreshing beer, but then that's not a hallmark of IPAs. Nice citrus bitterness is balanced by the slight sweetness of the malt. I'll certainly try it again.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This is a summer favourite. I've had it on draught and canned and both are good. It's not a heavy beer, but is full flavoured and crisp. Like I said, a great summer beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Large bottle with bothe old name and new name displayed. A solid brown pour with purplish hints. Cap starts out huge and dissipates quickly. Lots of chocolate, coffee, and fruit in the aroma but it hasn't translated well to the flavour, at least not the fruit. I've heard that it doesn't age well either.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

This is a pretty decent beer with a lot of colour and a good hoppy aroma. Flavour is nicely balanced with a good malt bite. Made with local ingredients!

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A middle of the road German style wheat beer available in Ontario. A little weak on the banana and clove notes, but still quite refreshing. Worth a try!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Another new IPA this summer from the wonderful people at the LOMCB. Not as bitter as the Cabin Fever, but better balanced. A bit bitter to be a summer thirst quencher, but a very good beer overall.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

A very dark black stout with a creamy beige head. Muskoka has been known to be hit and miss on beers, and this is a miss in my opinion. It lacks balance. There is a lot of bitterness in the aroma with hints of coffee and roasted malt, but the flavour is a tad too sweet for a stout with fruity and milk chocolate notes…..but it isn’t a milk stout.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2

Ah, good ol' Natty Ice, another party favourite from my American days, and another beer that I don't miss at all. If it's available at all in Canada...........pass it by. It's beers like this that gave rise to the 'Canadian Beer is better' myth of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 3

I went to many a party when I lived in the US in the 90s where Natty Lite made an appearance. It was never a beer worth drinking, but sometimes the only options one had if you didn't bring your own was Natty Lite, Bud Lite, Miller Lite, or Coors Lite.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A recent find on tap and a pleasant surprise. For a beer that's listed at 3.8%, it drank a lot bigger. A light rust colour, capped by an inch of white creamy froth. The aroma was dominated by sweet malt, some grain, and mild hops. The flavour is very refreshing, with a great balancde between the malt and a mildly bitter finish

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This stout entered Ontario as a brand new entry into the stout race and started near the top. This is a black beer with brown edges and a creamy light brown cap. Lots of coffee and roasted malt in the aroma and the flavour is nicely balanced between the sweet chocolate notes and the bitterness of the coffee and roasted malt

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

This is one amazing stout and was voted one of the world’s best a few years back, and it’s not hard to know why. The blackest pour imaginable is topped off by a creamy brown head. Aromas of coffee, roasted malt, licorice and vanilla fill the air while the flavour is nicely balanced with a nice bitter finish and no aftertaste.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

This is the Bolshevik Bastard in Bourbon Barrels, however as I’m not a fan of bourbon flavoured beer, it does nothing for me. It’s still a dark black pour, but aside from that the bourbon and oak notes take away from the stout experience for me.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Part of the 2013 LCBO Summer Release. This surprised me as I was expecting some sort of twist on the typical saison and ended up with a typical saison. A cloudy golden pour with a thin white ring for a cap. Aroma was funky with spices and herbal hops. Flavour was slightly yeasty, with funk and grains thrown in, quite refreshing.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

This is now available in Ontario in 6 packs, and I'm afraid it all needs to go back from whence it came. This pale ale is a weak golden orange in colour, with a thin head. Lots of skunk in the aroma to go along with weak hops. Flavour is milky sweet....and that's not good in beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

The shellac or whatever it is on the can is a turn-off, almost made me put it back on the shelf. The beer is clear, amber in colour, with a decent sized head, which is whitish in colour. Heavy caramel atoma, some biscuity notes, and some earthy hops. The taste is very malty, grains aplenty with hints of sweet caramel and bitter citrus. Not something I would try again.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

The second bneer by these guys this week, and just as unmemoprable as the first. Colour is clear, light amber, with a light ecru coloured cap. Herbal notes dominate the aroma with hints of rye, peppery notes, and cereal malts. Flavour is 'meh' at best. Lots there to taste like rye, citrus, caramel, and spices, but none of it stands out as dominant enough to mae me want more.