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

Energy beer….yum! I know a lot of people who will tell you that this is the worst beer they’ve ever tasted. I’m not one of them…Old Milwaukee has this beat hands down, but this is still bad. Anything about Molson Canadian that is remotely redeeming, was lost with the addition of guarana. It killed the aroma and destroyed the taste. This is some bitter bitter shit!

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

Seriously…who drinks a lagered American style wheat beer? Apparently I do, but not any more. The can pours a cloudy golden yellow with a frothy white head. So far so good. Then the aroma kicks in and we have an epic fail. Where’s the wheat? Where’s the banana? The clove? The bubble gum? All I can smell is grains, some weak corianderish spice, and herbal hops. The flavour was as epic a fail as was the aroma. What is a wheat beer if you can’t find the wheat?

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

One of my favourite hefeweizens. Maybe not in the same class as a Schneider or a Weihanstephan, but still pretty damn good. A hazy pale yellow pour with a huge frothy white head. Aroma is banana, bubblegum, wheat, and cloves. The flavour is well balanced with the sweet wheat notes up front. This goes down easy!

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

Dunkelweizens when well made can be a favourite. Fortunately, Erdinger makes a good one. A dark brown pour, solid in colour, with a light brown creamy head. Aroma is a mix of roasted malt, chocolate, wheat, and bubblegum. The flavour is chocolate, wheat, and spices. A very good beer.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

The beer pours a slightly hazed light gold colour with a generous frothy head that lasts a few minutes. The aroma is grainy malt with some light fruit and yeast notes. The flavour is balanced between some light sweet fruity malt tones and an earthy hop bitterness.

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

A dark brown pour with black edges and a weak bubbly brown head. Lots of roasted malt with coffee and dark fruits in the aroma. The flavour is roasted malt, bitter coffee, and dark chocolate. Quite dry for a porter.

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

Not one of the better examples of the style, and that sucks. A cloudy amber colour with a half inch foamy tan coloured head. There is rye in the aroma, but it is quite weak compared to other rye beers in Ontario. Also some citrusy hops and light fruits. The flavour is more citrus, and less spicy rye. Decent if you prefer your rye beers rye-less.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Okay, this beer is well rated everywhere but it tastes like an alcoholic fruit drink more than any beer. A bright red pour with a pink bubbly cap that covers the surface. The aroma is candy sugar and strawberry syrup. The flavour is sweet and tart strawberry. Again, what’s the big deal with this one that I’m missing?

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

One of the premier brewers in the world, and this is a very well done ESB. While Scandinavian and American brewers continue to try and push brewing to the edges, Fullers continues to take time tested recipes and make them just like they always have, with great results. This ESB is a perfect example, a reddish-brown pour, translucent, with rich caramel aromas complemented by a creamy tan coloured head and resinous hop aromas. The flavour is toffee and citrus. Heavenly!

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

Quite possibly the best porter brewed anywhere in the world. A solid coca cola colour with a thick creamy light brown head. Rich notes of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and coffee fill the nostrils before later tingling the tongue with the addition of dark fruits and caramel. An excellent beer.

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

Fullers has mastered the art of brewing traditional British style ales. London Pride is one such al. A caramel coloured beer wiuth rich notes of light fruit and citrus from traditional earthy hops. Everything comes together in the flavour with the sweet caramel notes up front and a bitter hop finish. You can’t go wrong with Fullers.

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

An English style pale ale that seems more American in style. A clear copper pour with a light tan coloured foamy head. Aroma is caramel malts, light fruits, and a bit heavy on the citrusy hops for an English style ale. Flavour is nicely balanced between the caramel and citrus, but still not to style.

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

Even by my low standards for Granville Island, I was hoping for more from this beer, although the fact I didn’t get that doesn’t surprise me. A dark straw coloured pour with a thin white head fills the glass. Grains, yeast, and weak citrusy hop and honey notes make up the best part of the aroma….the worst part being the honey so hard to detect. Flavour is rather bland, again the honey sweetness is quite difficult to detect among the grainy and metallic notes that are up front. I’ll avoid this in the future.

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

I told my son about this, and he asked me if I was playing video games. Apparently there is a very popular video game called Hey Day. I wonder if their releases coincided with one another. Anyway, the first thing I’ll write is that this is better, to me anyway, than the Robson Street Hefeweizen. Right out of the can you can notice the traditional banana, bubble gum, and clove notes missing in the other. While still not dominant in the flavour, you can taste them.