The Pale Ale Project

There's a brewery in Ottawa that I've always liked but don't get the opportunity to drink as often as I'd like.

It's not the brewery's fault: it's mine.

When Beyond the Pale first opened its doors, a couple of years ago, the only place that you could buy the beer was in its Parkdale Market-area site or in a few pubs in the Hintonburg area. Or, you could find them at a booth in a beer festival.

Back then, if you wanted to take some of their beer home, you had to go directly to the brewery and pick up a growler. And because the brewery was popular, you had to get to the brewery as soon as it opened its doors, before they sold out. Their latest batch sold out quickly, which meant that you could miss out on special brews.

Which is usually what happened to me.

But now that the brewery has started to can their product and move into the LCBO, I can always find some Pink Fuzz, and now, I can try their latest offering.

I was especially prompted to pick up their new pale ale because a friend of mine created the artwork on the can.

What was inside the can was equally impressive.

Pale Ale Project (4.9% ABV)
Beyond the Pale Brewing Company
Ottawa, ON

Appearance: a luminescent, deep gold with ample effervescence (I saw what I thought was a bubbly twister in the glass) and a thick, foamy-white head.

Nose: ripe citrus—tangerine and pink grapefruit—and pineapple, with floral overtones.

Palate: lemon, grapefruit, with light hops on a light body, though the flavours carry to a solid finish.

Overall impression: this is one of the most-flavourful pale ales I have tried. It has the light body of a session ale but the weighty flavour of an IPA. I was sad that I had only bought myself two cans—I was seriously craving more and this might just become my regular brew of the summer.

Beyond the Pale has come out with a successful project. Grab some while you can. I suspect this ale is for a limited time.

And kudos to artist extraordinaire and Ottawa-area historian, Andrew King, on a great label. I like the intricate work: a friend of mine saw it and felt it had a Rube Goldberg machine and I agreed. I like how the picket fence worked into the art, paying homage to the company logo.

Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Cheers!

Golden Beach

As we move into the coldest month of winter, I can't help but think about the summer and warmer weather. I also think of my 2015 summer vacation, when my family and I enjoyed a warm day on the beach, swimming in Lake Huron.

Because there are still several months before we can enjoy beach weather, the only thing I can do is reach for a beer and lose myself in warm thoughts.

That's not to say I drank myself into a stupor. I merely drank a session ale whose name brought me to thoughts of Sauble Beach.

Sawdust City Brewing Company became my favourite Ontario brewery in 2015, with its wide variety of standard and seasonal ales. I visited the brewery on my summer vacation and was blown away. And, as I begin a new year, my love for this Gravenhurst brewery will surely grow because I joined their beer club and will have their amazing brew arrive on my doorstep, every month, starting in February.

In the meantime, let's take a look at their pale ale.

Golden Beach Pale Ale (4.5% ABV)
Sawdust City Brewing Company
Gravenhurst ON

Appearance: a murky, wheaty, golden-yellow with a dense, creamy, off-white head that leaves a thick cap.

Nose: honeydew mellon, pineapple, with a pine-resin overtone that is mixed with grapefruit rind.

Palate: flinty grapefruit and lychee headline the mouth and carry through to a bitter, mineral finish.

Overall impression: the low alcohol is a strong contrast to the bold flavours of this session ale. On a cold winter's day, I was transported to the warmth of last summer on that beach. I was reminded that I could drink this ale year-round, which I would gladly do.

Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Cheers!

Tooth and Nail

It seems that every couple of months, a new brewery opens up in Ottawa. And while I make every effort to get to all of them, it's not always easy. Some are off the beaten path. Others are nowhere near my route to and from work, or near places I tend to frequent.

Not so with our city's newest brew house. It's in Hintonburg, so it's not too far off from one of my routes to the office. It's also in a neighbourhood where I sometimes meet friends for Thursday Pints, and I think we should make this place one of our venues.

Tooth and Nail Brewing Company opened its doors just over a month ago, and already it's creating a buzz on the Ottawa beer scene. Located on Irving Avenue, just off of Wellington, the brewery has a long, inviting tasting bar, a few tables, and a friendly atmosphere. They are licensed to sell beer by the pint, as well as samplers.

You can also take some of their beer home, in cans. When I was there, last week, small cans of their stout and pilsner were available, plus they could fill and seal a monster can of their Belgian session ale, nearly one litre!

I decided to stay and try a sampler of all of their offerings: six 5-oz glasses. I took my time, enjoyed each in due course. I did swap the order of the last two ales—the stout and the IPA—and I'm glad I did. With the bold flavours and hops of the IPA, you want to drink it last.

Here, with a brief description, is each:

Housewarmer Multigrain Ale (5.1% ABV)

Appearance: pale straw.
Nose: wheat, like fresh-baked bread.
Palate: light body with a flavour that I can best describe as marshmallow. A good, clean finish.
Overall impression: this reminded me somewhat of Beau's Lug Tread, but with finer flavours. This ale is a collaboration with Beau's, so I did expect some influence from the Vankleek Hill brewery.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3

Stamina Belgian Session Ale (5.2% ABV)

Appearance: an unfiltered gold.
Nose: slight ginger spice and candied fruit.
Palate: more spice and alcohol but well-balanced.
Overall impression: this ale has a nice body that holds up well from start to finish. It was one of my favourite of the bunch (hence the monster can that I took home).
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5

Vim & Vigor Unfiltered Pilsner (5.2% ABV)

Appearance: light gold.
Nose: I found no bouquet. It held its aroma close to its chest.
Palate: toasted hops and warm malt, with a good finish.
Overall impression: I'm not generally a fan of pilsners, but I did like this one. It's well-balanced with a good body and a nice finish. I would drink it again.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3

Tenacity Pale Ale (5.8% ABV)

Appearance: a clear, warm gold to amber.
Nose: grapefruit.
Palate: orange citrus and light hops, with a lightly bitter finish.
Overall impression: I felt somewhat disappointed by this pale ale. I anticipated great flavour with the grapefruit aroma and orange taste, but it seemed to fall away, with little hops. I wanted more on that front.
Beer O'Clock rating: 2.5

Fortitude Stout (5.3% ABV)

Appearance: brown with red highlights (similar to root beer).
Nose: coffee and cocoa.
Palate: dark chocolate and espresso, with toasted malt.
Overall impression: this is a very good stout—one that I could drink all night long. I brought four cans home but I fear that's not enough. This was my favourite pour of the lot.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Rabble Rouser IPA (6.8% ABV)

Appearance: a clear, deep gold.
Nose: this ale, like the Vim & Vigor, gave me no aromas.
Palate: burnt caramel and orange, with big hops and a lingering finish.
Overall impression: I'm glad I saved this IPA for last. With its bold, delicious flavours and long finish, I could taste this ale long after I finished the sampler. I was disappointed that it wasn't available in cans, because I would have liked to stock my cellar with it.
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5

If this is how Tooth and Nail starts, I'm very excited to see how the brewers do once they get their groove and settle into the community. If you haven't been to see them, do yourself a favour and go. You can also follow them on Facebook.

Cheers!

Maclean's Pale Ale

One of the many perks of travelling is that you not only enjoy the sights but also the flavours that the region offers, even when you haven't left your home province.

The LCBO is good at bringing local craft beer to its shelves, but with the explosion of Ontario craft breweries, it's hard to put every brewer in every store. More times than not, you will see the beer from the breweries that are closest to your home. And while this is not a bad thing in of itself, it does mean that you may not get the opportunity to discover the smaller producers that are farther afield.

About a month ago, in the week leading up to my beer hiatus, I had the opportunity of discovering some of the breweries that are not widely known in the Ottawa area. One of these breweries is MacLean's Ales.

This Grey County brewery models itself on English-styled ales that brewer Charles MacLean discovered on a motorcycle ride across England. And while I travelled around the Bruce Peninsula, I tried two of his ales: his IPA and his pale ale.

The IPA was fine, went down well on a hot, sunny afternoon, but I found that for an India Pale Ale, the hops weren't as prominent as I would have expected. It was good, but it was safe, too.

With an IPA, I'm not interested in being safe. I want bold, distinctive.

I enjoyed the pale ale more, and so I'll focus on it.

MacLean's Pale Ale (5.2% ABV)
MacLean's Ales
Hanover, ON

Appearance: amber-copper with a beige head that settles to a dense lace. It was a tad darker and more red than I would have expected in a pale ale, but it still looked good in the glass.

Nose: grass, malt, and a mix between caramel and corn syrup (a malty sweetness).

Palate: I detected more malt than hops, but there is still a nice balance, blended with good flavour. While I understand that a pale ale is not typically as bitter as an IPA, I would have liked to have tasted more bitterness. The finish fades quickly.

Overall impression: this is not a bad pale ale, but it actually reminded me more of a lager, rather than an ale. But if you're looking for something to quench your thirst on a hot summer afternoon, this pale ale went down nicely.

Beer O'Clock rating: 2.5

I was really glad to get out to another part of my province, where I could experience craft brewers that I don't typically see in my home LCBO. With the selection that I had on my vacation, I want to get out and try even more.

Cheers!

Side Launch Pale Ale

Although spring is slow in taking hold, I am confident that it will be here soon, in full swing, and that means patio season.

And, in the coming weeks, I hope to compile a list of the best patios in the Ottawa area. My criteria is simple: the patio must have a great view, must have space for plenty of patrons, and—most importantly—the establishment must serve beer that is worthwhile: that is, there must be a reason to sit on the patio and stay.

If you know of a great patio in Ottawa, write to me at RossBrownfoot@live.com. Tell me where this patio is located and why you think it's worth visiting.

You know what would be a great beer to have on a patio? The beer that I reviewed this week, by an Ontario brewery that I didn't even hear of until a couple of months ago, nor really pay attention to until last week's Kingston Beer Festival.

They have my attention now.

Pale Ale (5.3% ABV)
Side Launch Brewing Company
Collingwood ON

Appearance: unfiltered, dried apricot, with a foamy head that's light beige with hints of orange. It pours well and settles to a thin cap.

Nose: candied orange and orange pekoe tea, with mild malts. I felt that the bouquet was only subtle and could use more aromas.

Palate: solid hops with mild grapefruit—it starts as a watery citrus that opens as you swish it in your mouth, and it ends in a nice balance of hops and malt, though the hops accumulate with subsequent sips. The finish is steady and strong without overpowering.

Overall impression: this is a good, well-rounded APA. While I would appreciate more in the nose, the flavour is a reliable constant, making for an ale that I could easily drink all night long.

Or during patio season, whenever that happens.

Beer O'Clock rating: 3

Cheers!

Rhyme & Reason

This summer has turned out to be a great one so far, with lots of sunshine, near-perfect temperatures, and plenty of excellent beer to go with it.

Also, when I think of summer, I think of getting out and enjoying the outdoors, with concerts, festivals, and all that the community has to offer. That's why, when I saw the colourful six pack from Collective Arts Brewing, I thought I might have found another perfect summer beer.

And I was right.

This Burlington brewery is founded on the belief that creativity inspires more creativity, and that art manifests itself in all of our culture: through music, through film, through visual art, and through brewing.

Craft brewing is an art form in which I thoroughly believe.

I think their video, on their Web site, says it all:



In keeping with Collective Arts' philosophy, the brewery incorporates art into their labels, each bottle in their six pack showing a different artist's work.

They truly have some of the most beautiful bottles I've ever seen. (Although, they do need to work on that sticker on the bottle neck: four of the six bottles in my pack had those little circles lifting off.)

But it's what's inside that counts, and I was eager to give them a try.

Rhyme & Reason Extra Pale Ale (5.7 % ABV)
Collective Arts Brewing Ltd.
Burlington, ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 5

Appearance: a dull, murky (that is, unfiltered) apricot and a creamy head the color of grapefruit rind.

Nose: intense tangerine and honeydew, with a hint of honeyed sweetness and a touch of malt.

Palate: bitter grapefruit and a fine balance of hops and malt. The finish is clean and thirst-quenching, and left me wanting more.

This is an excellent summer-patio beer. Though it has a higher alcohol content than many session ales, it reminded me of the Muskoka Brewery session ale that I've been drinking this summer. It's full bodied but clean, making it seem deceptively light.

I could see myself sipping a pint of Rhyme & Reason while enjoying an outdoor concert or at a film festival (I'm going to one this weekend: too bad they won't allow alcohol in the theatre).

One thing is for certain: I now have two favourite summer ales. My cellar is going to be well-stocked this season.

Rhyme & Reason is available at the LCBO.

Cheers!

All Aboard! Next Stop, Summer

As spring enters its last phase and temperatures make us want to hit a patio, I start thinking of the perfect summer brew.

For me, I like something that is fresh and palate-cleansing, but still has a full body and lots of flavour. It's almost an oxymoron: something that feels light going down but maintains its taste.

It's not hard to find at all. Many saisons, pale ales, and session ales can be light and full at the same time. In the case of session ales, they are light in alcohol but the best ones still pack a punch in the mouth.

And on a hot day, it's hard to beat a cool pale ale.

Which brings me to a beer by the Toronto brewers at Junction Craft Brewing.

Conductor's Craft Ale (5.3% ABV)
Junction Craft Brewing
Toronto ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Appearance: a clear, deep amber with a creamy, light-beige head that hops a thick cap.

Nose: light citrus and ginger.

Palate: malty caramel; sharp, but not overpowering hops; full mouth flavours, firm body, and a lasting finish.

I had been meaning to try this ale since one of my Twitter followers first put me on to the brewery, last summer. Unfortunately, at the time, Conductor's Craft Ale was only available at select pubs in the Toronto area.

Luckily, it is now available at the LCBO. I first tried the pale ale, on tap, at February's WinterBrewed Festival. I loved it right away, and was eager to get my hands on some cans, when I could review it in the comfort of my home.

I also wanted to wait until the weather warmed, because I thought that this ale would be perfect for a patio. Or enjoying on my front steps.

I was right. This is a fresh, crisp ale that goes down easy but presents plenty of flavour. On a hot day, I could drink this beer all day long.

If you haven't tried it yet, get on board. If you love pale ales, this one is sure to please.

Cheers!

Who Doesn't Like a Redhead on a Bicycle?

As the summer comes to a close, I reflect on the beer I enjoyed this season and will miss with a strong fondness.

As much as I love stouts and IPAs, sometimes I find them a little much on a really hot day. And while I tend to shy away from lighter-bodied beer, I couldn't help but be drawn to a few.

Surprisingly, my favourite beer of this summer was a Belgian-style witbier from a British Columbia brewery.

Central City Brewing Company, from Surrey, launched a summer six-pack sampler of three of the beers from its Red Racer series. Packaged in cans that feature a sultry, long-legged redhead who is riding a bicycle, it was hard not to be drawn to the beer.

Who doesn't like a redhead on a bicycle? But it's always what's inside that counts, and I was determined to discover the liquid in the can.

Red Racer White Ale (5% ABV)
Central City Brewing Co.
Surrey, BC
Beer O'Clock rating: 5

Appearance: a murky, lemon-yellow with a frothy-white head that settles down to a foamy cap.

Nose: candied citrus—lemon and blood orange.

Palate: fresh lemon and caramel with a creamy finish.

Overall opinion: this is the very definition of a summer beer. I drank many cans of this witbier over the summer, especially outdoors (on my front steps, at cottages). When I considered packing beer for my canoe vacation, this was the ale that I wanted to take.

It's a great cottage-party ale that will be missed when the summer is gone.

The Red Racer White Ale is not the only offering in Central City's summer pack. The other two samples are also worth examining.

Red Racer Pilsner (5% ABV)
Beer O'Clock rating: 3

Appearance: deep gold and crystal-clear, with a white foam head that settles to a thin cap.

Nose: malt and honey.

Palate: grassy hops that come to a light, clean finish.

Overall impression: somewhere along the road, I lost my taste for pilsners, but I found Red Racer's offering to be easy-drinking and well-balanced. Although it was always the last can that I pulled from the six-pack, I never pulled the can out with reluctance and I would easily drink it again. If you're a pilsner lover, you will love this beer.

Red Racer Pale Ale (5% ABV)
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5

Appearance: deep apricot with a thick, creamy, off-white head.

Nose: honey dew and oranges.

Palate: orange and grapefruit; assertive, but not overbearing hops, and a nice malt finish.

Overall impression: this is a very pleasant pale ale that has a classic taste; that is, it's not crazy-bitter.

For someone who may want to ease into bold, bitter IPAs or APAs, without being scared off, this is the one pale ale that I would recommend for dipping your tongue into.

It's been a couple of weeks since I picked up a Red Racer Summer Sampler, and I'm hoping that the LCBO still has some. If it does, I recommend that you stock up: summer's almost over and it may be a while until we see that red-headed biker again.

Cheers!

Me, Getting Some Sweet Action

If that's not a title to turn you away from my blog, nothing is.

But that's exactly what I got when I visited New York City a week and a half ago. A four-pack of an ale that is part pale, part wheat, and part cream, as the brewery describes. I couldn't quite identify the style as I drank it, so I had to discover it through the brewery's Web site. The can it came in wasn't offering any insight.

But let's take a look together.

Sweet Action (5.2 ABV)
Sixpoint Craft Ales
Brooklyn, NY
Beer O'Clock rating: 4

Appearance: a slightly cloudy, orange-amber colour with a whitish, creamy head that maintains a solid cap through most of the session.

Nose: a malty orange cream that is a little candied, with a hint of spice.

Palate: slightly sweet and hoppy, a perfect balance of malt and hops with a solid body. The hops continue through to the finish, leaving almost an orange pekoe tea flavour. The finish is clean.

Overall impression: this is a highly quaffable ale. The balance of malts and hops gives some sweet flavours but it finishes dry. This is a thoroughly enjoyable ale.

Unfortunately, I am unable to get this beer in Ottawa, so I may have to return to The Big Apple. I didn't visit the brewery itself, but found this pale-wheat-cream ale, along with other Sixpoint offerings, at the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle.

Next time, I'm going to the brewery and I'm coming back with not only armfuls of Sweet Action, but other Sixpoint suds.

If you are able to get this beer where you live, I envy you. You're getting more Action than I am. And it's Sweet.

(I'll stop now, but end with a Vine video of me getting my Sweet Action.)

Cheers!