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

It was very hard to rate this beer. It purports to be a Berliner Weisse but not much about the beer said that to me. For one, it wasn’t tart at all, and two, I didn’t detect any wheat. It is a crystal clear pale gold in the glass that starts off with a huge white foamy head, but that is gone in no time. There is definitely cucumber in the aroma, but the aroma is rounded out with artificial perfumy notes of light fruit and spices. The flavour is light, but again, the spiciness is more artificial than real.

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

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

There isn’t a whole lot to say about this beer, and what little there is, is not in favour of the beer. What does it look like? It looks like water with a hint of yellow food colouring. What does it smell like? It smells like barley, corn, and stomach acid. What does it taste like? Wretched is the word, it tastes wretched.

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

Part of the 2013 LCBO Summer Release. An American saison, been a while since I had one. Looks like a saison with a heavily hazed golden orange pour. Head is white, not that big. Aroma is a garden on a wet morning, with some citrus and spices added to increase the palatability. The funk really comes through in the flavour however, dominating the malt and hops. A really great beer.

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

An IPA in a can. Have heard a lot of fuss about this beer so drove down to the brewery to get some (and a couple of other Alchemist brews). Pours a very hazed dark golden-orange with a creamy white cap and tons of floaties. Aroma was pine and citrus, some caramalts. Flavour was similar, very easy to drink. Not sure why it's rated so high though as I didn't find anything outstanding about it.

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: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Founders has arrived in Ontario with 6 new beers and after trying them all, we need more of these in Ontario. Backwoods Bastard is a barrel aged Dirty Bastard and the result is a great beer. A dark rust colour with a decent sized cap. Aroma is sweet malt, berries, molasses, and bourbon. Flavour is a beautiful mixture of sweet malt/molasses balanced by a hint of alcohol. Great beer.

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

This was the letdown of the Founders bunch. Nothing complex about this one, just a coffee stout heavy on the coffee and alcohol. That doesn't make for a world beater in my opinion. Had problems giving away my 2 extra bottles.

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

A well done IPA using the Centennial hop. An amber brew with a hint of murkiness and an off-white cap. Lots of piney notes and citrusy hops in the aroma with a touch of caramel. Well balanced flavour between the citrus and the caramel. Nothing too overpowering.

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

The cream of the crop from Michigan has arrived at the LCBO, and this is one of those brews I could drink all day every day until I die. Dark amber, slightly hazed, and a generous off-white cap. Sweet malty aroma with hints of molasses, figs, and smoke. Sweetness in the flavour is nicely balanced with some herbally hoppy bitterness. Great beer.

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

A great refreshing American Pale Ale that we just don't see in these parts with any regularity. A golden pour, clear with orange hues and a huge white head that lingers a while. Aroma is certainly hoppy with hints of citrus and caramel. Flavour is great with a nice balance between caramel sweetness and citrusy bitterness. An excellent session beer.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

A most excellent porter. Nice black body topped by a brown head that lasts for days. Roasted malt with the usual suspect aromas.....coffee, cholcolate, and vanilla. Flavour is a balance of roasted maltiness and a hint of sweet chocolate. Did I mention it was a most excellent porter?

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

The beer pours a clear copper colour with a thick slightly off-white head that lingers. Toffee and floral hops make up most of the aroma with cereal malt in the mix. A nice warming sweet butterscotch flavour with a decent bitter hoppy finish. The bottle says 9.6%, but it's well hidden in both the aroma and flavour. Impressive.

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

One word to describe this elixer....stupendous. The pours is a very dark brown with black edges, and a creamy brown cap that lasts throughout. Lots of chocolate and coffee in the aroma, and a second sniff reveals some dark cherry hints. A well balanced flavour profile with chocolate and fruit notes up front, and bitter coffee notes in the finish. Stupendous! Best beer I have had in a long time.

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

I've heard this is much better on draught than in the bottle unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to try it that way, so bottle it is. The beer has a coca-cola appearance to it with a black body and glowing brown edges. The head is creamy, dark brown in colour. The nose picks up hints of roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, and hints of anise. The flavour is quite complex and similar to the aroma. Lots of malty goodness in this one!

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

Finding an American craft beer in Canada hasn’t been that difficult over the last decade, however finding quality American craft brewed beers has been a challenge. Liberty Ale is one that seems to be here today, gone tomorrow, but comes back again in due time. From what I’ve been told, this is one of the longest brewed beers in America by any craft brewery. It pours a red-tinged gold colour, clear, with a generous white creamy head. The aroma leans toward the citrusy hop style, but there are cereal malts and weak yeast notes too. Flavour is a nice balance between the cereal malt and the bitter citrus hoppiness. An excellent beer.

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

Making a Berliner Weisse seems to have become a lost art among brewmasters, but thankfully you can still find them if you look hard enough. You can smell the tartness a mile away for this beer. A golden pink beer with almost no head. Lots of tart fruit and wheat in the aroma with some spice hints to round it out. Flavour is very well balanced with some mild fruit sweetness that gives way to the tart notes one expects from the style.

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

My name is Sue……how do you do? Oh wait, this isn’t Sue, this is Fake Sue! Fortunately, this beer is anything but fake. The beer is nothing special to look at, being a cloudy golden pour topped by a foamy white cap. It’s in the aroma and the flavour that this beer separates from the pack with a huge citrus and pine punch and just enough grain to keep it balanced.

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

THis beer was a bit strong for me, and way too sweet for my liking. Really just overfermented resulting in a glass of alcoholic sugars. I'll probably never try again.

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

This is what an IPA should be like. The hoppy aroma and flavour was delectable and left me wanting more (that's why I bought a 6 pack). I'll cedrtainly buy more.