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

A light rust coloured beer, quite clear, and topped with a nice white creamy head. Grains, light caramel, and floral hops dominate the nasal cavity while the tongue trips over sweet caramel notes and a bitter hop finish. This is a bere that you drink it and immediately forget you just had it and it leaves no real impression

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Available only in cans, no draught anywhere. A clear rust coloured pour, with an off-white foamy head. The aroma is dominated by notes or caramel, hops, weak cereal grains, and a hint of yeast. The flavour was completely devoid of any hoppy notes, just caramel sweetness and yeast. Maybe only in cans is a good thing…easier to avoid!

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

A staple of the Wellington Brewery going back to the 90s. A dark brown body, although translucent when held up to a powerful light. Head is thin, light brown, and creamy. Caramel and nut tones dominate the aroma, although weak notes of chocolate are present. The flavour starts out sweet and malty, but then reality sets in and the finish is quite bitter.

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

Part of the Iron Spike series that put Railway City on the map. The appearance is a slightly hazed golden brown colour, so not really amber. The head is frothy, and cream coloured. There is some caramel and fruit notes in the aroma, as well as hops and old grains. The flavour is metallic caramel, spices, and grass.

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

Part of the Iron Spike series that put Railway City on the map. The appearance is a translucent copper colour. The head is bubbly, an off-white in colour, but doesn’t last. The aroma is very malty with both grassy and biscuit malt notes present, complemented as well with some herbal hop notes and yeast. Flavour is very bland, not as caramel rich as other copper coloured ales. More like a dark coloured blonde ale.

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

I’ve been seeing this crop up in liquor and beer stores across the Ottawa Valley so I had to try it. It’s nothing memorable, that’s for sure. A slightly hazed reddish-0brown pour with a generous off-white head. Bready and caramel malt notes comprise the aroma with a hint of weak earthy hops. Flavour is a sweet malty onslaught that can’t be balanced by what little hop presence exists. A fail in my eyes.

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

Formerly known as Robert Simpson Amber Ale, and just as uninspired as it was before. It amazes me that a brewery that tries to stretch boundaries as much as these guys still make a simple amber ale. It pours a translucent amber colour with a thin off-white head. Weak caramel and weak citrus comprise the aromas and flavours. Again, nothing memorable here.

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

After years of trying to get people to think that Moosehead was a premium craft brand, the Oland family finally gave up and gave us the Clancy’s line of beers. We weren’t fooled. Clancy’s Amber is a pale golden colour with a weak white ring that doesn’t lace well. Bready malt, weak caramel, and metallic notes permeate the aromatic senses while the taste is a weak caramel flavoured blonde ale.

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

When Cameron’s first started brewing, their trademark was the case of nine, and this was one of the first beers they brewed, and while it has since been eclipsed by their rye beers, it is still the most flavourful of the original beers. Citrusy hops and caramel malts are both melded together to give this beer a great aroma and flavour that still make it one of my favourites.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

The success of Rickard’s Red over a decade finally prompted Labatts to do something and Alexander Keith’s Red Amber Ale was born. A very clear reddish-brown pour, it comes with a generous off-white head. The aroma is dominated by off-notes of metallic caramel, stale grains, and weak spicy hops. The flavour is a mish-mash of everything with acidic notes thrown in for good measure.

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

Living close to this brewery made me interested in their offerings, tasting them has sort of turned me off of them unfortunately. This is as described, an amber coloured beer, slightly hazy, and with an off-white cap. Aroma consist of caramel, weak citrusy hops, and plenty of off-putting earthy notes. Flavour starts out sweet, but by the time the finish is there, it is quite acidic. Not a winner.

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

This was one of the last ‘regular’ beers of Amsterdam before they embraced what ‘craft’ really meant. This isn’t to say it’s a bad beer, but it’s certainly not their best beer. A golden hued copper colour with a slight haze, and a weak off-white cap. Lots of caramel in the nose along with ample amounts of bisuit malts and earthy hops. It tastes like it smells, although the caramel flavours are a tad sweet for me.

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

A new beer at the local LCBO, and one of the top rated Black IPA's on Ratebeer. It's quite the beer. A velvery black pour gives rise to a generous cap of tanned creaminess. Hops pelt the nose right as the cap comes off the bottle, followed by notes of pine and coffee. Full bodied and slightly creamy as it dances over the tongue. Again, the citrus comes through in the flavour in flying colours, followed by some nutty roasted malt and coffee flavours.

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

This came in a black silver can with only a sticker. What’s up with that? A solid mahogany coloured brew with a creamy light tan coloured head. Nutty malt, roasted malt, and caramel dominate the olfactory senses although there is some chocolate notes in the flavour. Not a bad beer at all

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

One of the original Canadian Black IPAs. The Netherworld pours a very dark brown, almost black with a light brown bubbly cap. The aroma is roasted malt, coffee, and citrus. The flavour is well balanced between the grapefruity hops and the coffee. Delicious!

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

When this beer was originally released, few people paid any attention to the beer itself, rather they paid attention to the labels. A few years later, and people are raving about both. Collective Arts has no static label for any of their beers, when you buy a 6 pack, or a group of cans, each one will have a different drawing on the label…how neat is that? R&R is a mellow APA. The beer marries the sweetness of the malt with the citrusy bitterness of the hops like no other. Definitely a winner.

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

The one thing about McAuslan you can always count on is that they make very good beer. The pale ale is no exception. A light amber pour, slight haze, and a long lasting white cap provide the eye candy. Cereal malts and caramel are present in the aroma along with notes of light spice and earthy hops. Flavour is a nice balance between the mild sweetness of the malt, and the light bitter finish provided by the hops.

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

The beer appears in the glass as a light amber coloured ale with a thin cream coloured cap. Aroma is malty with cereal and biscuit goodness, some peppery notes, and grassy hop notes. The flavour is nicely balanced between the malty grains and the weak hops. Better than I expected from an unheralded brewery.

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

One of the first Canadian craft brewers to be taken out by a macro, but like Creemore, the taste of the beer hasn’t changed much before or after. Still humdrum at best. The beer is a nice clear rust colour with a small off-white head. Aroma is punctuated by an overabundance of caramel notes with light herbal hoppy notes mixed in. Flavour is sweet caramel malt, balanced by a bitter herbal hoppiness. Decent enough I guess.

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

This is one of the beers that Flying Monkeys has been hanging their hat on and it’s a fine beer. A slightly hazed copper coloured pour with a weak off-white ring for a cap. The aroma is caramel malt, light fruits, and light citrus. The flavours of caramel and citrus are well balanced.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

This is supposed to be a faithful representation of an ale from the beginning of the 20th century. It is a dark metallic gold in colour, pretty much clear, with an off-white head that sticks around, but doesn’t lace well. The aroma is biscuits, caramel, and spicy hops. The flavour is sweet malt, caramel, and a decent bitter finish. It does make you wonder that if they have this recipe in the books, why do have to drink Export?

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

Coming in at 4.1%, this is a weak APA in both design and flavour. A light rust colour, slightly hazed with a thin snow white ring for a head. Weak caramel and weak citrus notes in the aroma represent the malt and hops. The other notes in the aroma are very acidic and metallic in nature. Flavour is weak and watered down. Shouldn’t have expected better considering the brewer.

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

The flagship beer for the Half Acre brewery. Quite clear for a pale ale, medium gold in colour with some rocky islands for a head. Lots of citrusy hops and pine in the aroma with a hint of caramel and bread. Well balanced flavours with the caramel leading into a piney hop finish.

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.