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

Purchased at Liquor Control Board of Ontario store. This is one strange India Pale Ale. It pours a cloudy golden amber colour with almost no head. The aroma is very grainly with hints of light fruit and citrusy hops. The flavour is closer to that of an IPA with a very hop-forward grapefruit flavour, followed by notes of light fruits and grains.

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

The colour is typical of an American IPA with a cloudy golden orange and topped with a creamy beige head. Typical American IPA aroma with lots of pine, grapefruit, and toffee notes. Where it fails is in the flavour, not as robust or as hoppy as an American IPA with muted citrus and caramel notes.

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

This is the first of the Amsterdam craft beers to be brewed regularly and deservedly so. A cloudy rust coloured beer with a creamy light tan coloured head. Lots of caramel in the aroma along with citrusy hops and yeast. The flavour is an epic battle between the sweet caramel malt notes, and the grapefruity hop notes. Fortunately it’s an even battle resulting in a well balanced beer that eclipses all other Amsterdam brews for me.

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

Flight Delay is a nice IPA, especially for the Ontario consumer. It isn’t so overpowering on the hops to make you want to avoid it, and it isn’t so weak to make you wonder why they even call it an IPA. A slightly hazed golden yellow in colour with a frothy white head that sticks around. Cereal malt and citrusy grains make up the aroma although some notes of spice and yeast keep you interested. Flavour is a nice balance between the grapefruit notes of the hops and the cereal malt with the added complexity of tropical fruitiness and yeasty notes.

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

A recent discovery for me as I was unaware that Big Rock had done a pale ale. The beer pours a red-tinged golden colour, clear, with a snow white ring for a head. Aroma is very malty with weak hints of citrusy hops. Like the aroma, the flavour falls short by being more on the malty side than on the hoppy side. Better than most Big Rock products however.

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

Juicy IPAs are the latest in the IPA canon of beers, replacing the prior fads of Session, Black, and American. A reddish gold body, some haze, and a weak off-white head make up the appearance. The nose senses grass and fruit right off the start, and upon closer examination, there is yeast. Flavour is very citrusy, not like a breakfast juice, but certainly juicier than most traditional west coast IPAs

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

Having been to the brewery a couple of times and been very disappointed in their stuff, I was kind of surprised that this was quite good. It's a dark gold pour, some haze, maybe even a floaty or two. I smell a lot of elements in this such as cereal, orange rind, and papaya. The flavours meld together nicely making this a nice drinking beer.

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

A very good IPA. The tropical fruit notes send the flavour soaring to the highest heights. A hazed red-tinged golden colour with a snow white ring make up the appearance. Grainy malt combined with tropical fruit and yeast comprise the aroma. Light fruity flavours, and a bitter hop finish are the flavours of the day. Well done!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 8

Since early 2014, Session IPAs are everywhere. Some of them lack colour, some of them lack aroma, and a lot of them lack flavour. The people at Collective Arts realize that when it comes to beer, flavour is important! A nice hazed light golden colour with a decent sized white head. Grass and tropical fruit make up the aroma while the balance between the citrusy hop finish and the tropical fruit sweetness make this a great Session IPA.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

When this came out, there were people who were predicting it would take the Ontario IPA market by storm, and after it swung and missed, those people forgot their words (even though they were published). This is an average beer at best, but a below average IPA. It pours a clear copper colour with very little head. The aroma is more caramel than citrus, although the citrusy hop notes are certainly there. The taste is again, more sweet than citrus. Not one I seek out.

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

Another in the long line of draught only beers from the GTA brewer County Durham. Hop Addict is a moderate ABV IPA with a lot of aroma, and not so much flavour, for me anyway. The beer pours a clear light copper colour with very little head. The aroma is nice citrusy hops, some caramel and some grains. The flavour however isn’t as hop forward as the aroma would indicate.

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

A session wheat beer. It pours a hazed pale golden hued orange with a white head. The aroma is strong on citrus with a hint of wheat and spice. The flavour is the same as the aroma, very citrusy with notes of grapefruit, and bitter finish. Should have been better.

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: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Unfortunately, the purchase of Goose Island has resulted in the beer brewing brewed outside the Chicago area, and in this case, a Labatt facility in Montreal. The beer pours a pale yellow colour, slightly clouded, with a white head. Aroma is tropical fruit and floral notes. Flavour is all tropical fruit, any malt aroma and flavour has been lost.

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

The flagship beer of the Goose Island brewery, now brewed in Canada…yay? Comes with a twist-off cap. When did twist-offs become part of the craft beer movement? Anyway, the beer pours a translucent pale copper colour with a thin tan coloured ring. The aroma is caramel, biscuit, and citrus. The flavour is similar. I can’t help but wonder if Lake Michigan water is somehow better than St. Lawrence river water.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

There are a lot of IPAs in Canada which follow the rules of the 19th century British IPAs which means to the 21st century beer drinker, they’re as much an IPA as Pluto is a planet. At one time, both were as described, but today, they’re not. A light amber pour, almost clear, and with a thin off-white head. Cereal malt, floral hops, and yeast dominate the aroma, although I suppose one could delude themselves into believing that there is a citrus hint there. Flavour is grainy with nary a citrusy note in the mix.

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

The brewery describes this beer as having 75 IBU, but I didn’t find it bitter. It’s a murky amber coloured beer with a weak off-white head, and plenty of effervescence. Citrus and grains dominate the aroma with the flavour being a mild hop finish that come after a biscuit malt front. Not a bad beer, but not something I would buy over and over again.

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

Fifteen years ago this was a highly sought after IPA in Ontario. Every time it was at the LCBO, it would sell out in short order. It pours a clear rust colour into the glass with good effervescence and a creamy light brown cap. Aroma was very piney and citrusy with some caramel malt and yeast thrown in to make it more beer-like. The flavour had a grapefruit zing on top of caramel feel, yet definitely balanced.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Not one of Ontario’s better craft brewer’s but they’ve been around a while so somebody must like them. A slightly clouded pale gold, with a white head. The aroma has elements of pine, citrus, and grass. The flavour is mild citrus, and grass. Certainly not an in your face IPA, but serviceable.

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

This brewery needs to get their act together. Molson Canadian is a lager, Molson Canadian 67 is a light lager. So, how does one go about naming a session IPA after two well established lagers? I can’t figure it out either. It pours a weak clear copper colour with a thin white ring for a cap. The hoppish aroma is more earthy than fruity, and the dominant Molson malt nose, is noticeable absent. Flavour is what beer’s all about eh? And if anybody ever finds any flavour in this one….let me know, because I couldn’t discern any.

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

An IPA in the truest American sense. Lots of Pacific Northwest hops in this baby! A cloudy pour, an amber gold in colour, with a thin creamy light tan cap. Again, pine and citrus dominate the aroma with hints of grass and spices. Citrus dominates the flavour as well, nicely balanced by the malt.

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

This is a piney IPA, and that’s never a bad thing. The pours is orange gold, very hazy, thin white cap. The aromatic story is all about the hops as all you get are pine, resiny notes, and citrus. The malt seems to have been shuffled to the basement. Flavour is the same, this is all about the hops, and not very well balanced.

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: 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: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

One of the ubiquitous Irish beers found in Ontario along with Kilkenny, Smithwicks, Harp, and Guinness. And probably the worst of the bunch. The beer has described as both an Irish Red and as a Bitter. Neither one needs to be sullied by this. It pours a clear red-tinged golden colour with a weak white cap. The aroma is grass, yeast, and weak floral hops. The flavour is similar with the graininess of the hops being overly powerful and the hops getting lost in the mix.