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

At one time, this was perceived to be one of the bitterest IPAs in Canada, but over time either my tongue has adjusted, or the IBUs have been toned down. Either way, it is still a very drinkable IPA. The beer pours a murky golden orange with a generous tan coloured head. The aroma is citrusy hops, caramel, and light grains. The flavour is an in your face grapefruit punch tempered by some caramel sweetness.

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

Formerly known as Crazy Canuck Pale ale, but I guess now that it has reached the ripe old age of five, the craziness has slipped away. Originally this was the American Pale Ale that all APAs in Ontario aspired to, and for me, it is still one of the best. The beer pours a light golden-tinged rust colour into the glass with a generous sized white head. Aroma is citrusy hops, and grainy malt, and maybe a bit of caramel. Flavour is all about those hops with grapefruit flavours galore.

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

The beer pours a cloudy reddish-gold with a medium sized white cap that lingers. The aroma is roasted malt, caramel, some applish notes, yeast, and earthy hops. The flavour really concentrates on the roasted malt and caramel character with somewhat of a hoppy finish. It really is the dark notes in this one that bring out the flavour however.

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

I hate it when a company advertises their beer as something and then doesn’t deliver. Fortunately for Highlander, they delivered all the elements they described in this beer, and they did it well, surprisingly considering the brewer. The beer pours a solid black with brown edges where it meets the glass. The cap is brown, and creamy, and lasts a few minutes. The aroma definitely has a smokiness to it, as well as plums, molasses, vanilla, and roasted malt. The smokiness also has a presence in the flavour, but gives way to sweet malt notes such as caramel and molasses.

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

When one thinks of brown ale, a lot of people think about something like Newcastle. However, McAuslan has been brewing a brown ale for years that is superior to Newcastle (and many others). A slightly hazed mahogany pour with a thin creamy tan coloured cap. Aroma is roasted malt, coffee, caramel, and floral hops. The flavour is a nice sweet nutty malt flavour balanced out in the finish by the earthy hops.

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

This is a clear gold wheat beer, something of a contradiction I suppose. The clear golden body is capped by a foamy white head and the head lasts a white. The aroma is typical hefe with notes of wheat, bubble gum, clove and banana

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

This is not your typical Weihenstephaner brew. It pours a very dark brown, solid in colour, with a creamy light brown head, not the foamy head of the other Weihenstephaner beers. Aroma is also more complex with chocolate tones, dark fruits, and caramel notes being the first onslaught on the senses. The flavour is well balanced between malty sweetness and hop bitterness, with neither the sweet or bitter being overpowering

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

Today, a session ale means it’s probably a low ABV IPA or APA, but back in the day it referred to a well made flavourful English Bitter. This is lighter in colour than most British bitters coming in at a light to medium gold with a good sized off-white cap topping it all off. Floral hops, some clean caramel notes and light fruity notes comprise the aromatic component. Flavour is here is spades when compared to light lagers with notes of caramel and toffee leading to a citrusy finish

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

This is the #1 selling witbier in Toronto….go figure. It pours a pale straw colour with a huge foamy white head. Aroma is wheat, grainy malt, light citrus, and spices. Flavour is nicely balanced by the sweetness of the wheat and the citrusy hops. I’ve had better wheat beers however.

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

A weak yellow pour, slight cloudiness, with a weak white creamy head. Not looking so great so far. Aroma is light caramel, some weak spicy notes, yeast, and grains. So, a little better than a few minutes ago. Flavour starts off sweet with bread and caramel notes, and finishes dry and bitter with a definite hop bang. Not the world’s best Oktoberfest, but still good enough for me.

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

A very aromatic pale ale. A pale golden orange in colour with a small off-white cap, it’s nothing special to look at. The aroma is what is special here with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, and piney notes in the mix. The flavour falls in line with the aroma, some sweet malt up front, but the notes of citrus and pine are the star here.

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

A world renowned ale that has the unfortunate reputation of being ‘just another Irish Stout’ in a country that produces Guinness. Personally, this is a very good stout. A dark mahogany colour with a creamy light brown head. No cascading effervescence here. Both the aroma and taste are roasted malts with light touches of coffee and dark chocolate

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

Purchased at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario Store. A cloudy golden coloured beer with nary a head. The aroma is tart fruit, funk, yeast, and grains. The flavour is more of the same with very tart fruity notes of front and a yeasty finish.

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

Craft lagers are a finicky bunch. They claim to be adjunct free, but they don’t always taste that way. This one tastes adjunct free, and is pretty good for a ‘lager’. A dark straw coloured beer with a thin white foamy head greets the eyes while the nostrils are tempted with notes of light floral hops and cereal malts. The tongue is greeted with hints of cereal, and spicy hops. Well done.

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

Black Sheep Ales are a regular at the local liquor store, and a guilty pleasure of mine. This is a slightly hazed golden copper colour with a small thin off white head. The aroma is light caramel, grains, earthy hops, and some nuttiness. Flavour is quite plentiful in the form of nutty caramel, some grains, and a bitter finish. Well done.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

For the amount of cherries used in this beer, I would expect a far redder colouring. A slightly hazed light cherry red with a pink head. Lots of tart cherry in the aromatic mix with notes of yeast, vinegar, and funk. The flavour is similar, well balanced between the tartness and the sweetness of the cherries.

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

This beer pours a cloudy orange colour with a medium-sized head. The aroma has a slight fruit hint that is offset by some mild malt and hop tones. The flavour is well balanced with some sweet malty hints and a nice hoppy finish.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

A very black beer as the 'noire' would suggest. It's beautiful to look at. The aroma was a complex of roasted malts, yeast, some dark fruits (figs, plums) with a little hoppy tone. The flavour is similar in that there is huge malt taste up front and a yeasty taste in the end. A good beer.

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

Pumpkin ales in the fall are becoming a tradition in Canada, unfortunately far too many brewers don’t know how to make them. That number is growing every year. McAuslan on the other hand, knows how to make a little bit of everything including pumpkin. And while this murky light orange coloured beer doesn’t smell like a fresh baked pumpkin pie, the pumpkin and spice notes are delicately placed in both the flavour and aroma where they should be. Better on draught than bottles!

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

Part of the recent Fuller's release at the LCBO. Quite similar to the Golden Pride in a lot of ways, especially colour and aroma. The 1845 has a harsher more bitter finish however, resulting in a lower score for me.

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

This was Creemore's first attempt at a Pilsner, and while generally accepted as a very good beer in it's native regions, it is not up the standard of the Premium Lager. This is a typical golden lager which lacks the corn and other adjuncts the macros add.

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

Bottle is 18 months month old, although you wouldn't know it. A very dark brown with black edges and creamy brown cap make up the appearance, quite elegant. The aroma was dark chocolate, vanilla, black licorice, and coffee. The flavour was a decadent mix of roasted coffee, molasses, licorice, and chocolate. Too decadent to be great however.

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

The best gluten free beer I've ever tried, bar none. Hazy orange in colour with a small tight white head. Aroma is citrus zest and spices and some funk (but not wheat derived funk). Flavour is tad on the sweet fruity side with some yeast and funk in the mix. If you're gluten free, this is the beer for you!

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

This pours a clear amber colour with a small tan ring for a cap. Probably the reddest and clearest DIPA I've ever had. Aroma contains quite a bit of pine with a backdrop of alcohol, grapefruit, and peppery spices. Flavour is caramel, grapefruit, and spices. While you can smell the alcohol, it can't really be tasted.