World Beer Review: Canada

[Iz Man]

Ohhhh Canada....... The Great White North, The Great Yukon, home of bearboy (he knows who he is).
Also the home of some fabulous brews.
Here's a couple quality beers no beer lover should go without trying:

St-Ambroise Pale Ale
Origin: Province of Quebec, Canada
Style: Pale Ale
Alcohol: 5.0% ABV

A monk named Ambroise is said to have been Montreal's first brewer. He gave his name to the street where Peter McAuslan and Ellen Bounsall established their brewery in 1989. Their pale ale is very perfumy, outstandingly hoppy in aroma and flavor, dry, and appetizing. It has a light, soft body, but full, long flavors, developing lemony-orangey notes, and an elegant dryness in the finish.


Unibroue Maudite
Origin: Province of Quebec, Canada
Style: Strong Belgian-style Ale
Alcohol: 8.0% ABV

Inspired by the Belgian Strong Golden Ale Duvel (to be reviewed later), this bottle conditioned brew has a name meaning "damned" in French. The beer is made by Unibroue, of Chambly, near Montreal. An 1890's Quebecois story by Honoré Beaugrand - a Faustian variation on voyages of the damned - is illustrated on the label. Maudite is a darkish interpretation of the style; fruity, spiced (orange peels, coriander perhaps?), and dry. A very flavorsome beer.


Big Rock McNally's Extra Ale
Origin: Province of Alberta, Canada
Style: Irish Red Ale
Alcohol: 7.0% ABV

Ed McNally's forebears left Ireland during the potato famine. He became a lawyer and barley farmer (interesting combo) in Canada in the 1970's. In 1985 he launched the Big Rock Brewery in the foothills of the Rockies, in Calgary. Big Rock brews several brews, but he reserves his own name for his favorite. This Extra has the malty flavors typical of an Irish Ale, but is stronger than most. It has a bright amber color; a flowery aroma; and a fresh, rich maltiness reminiscent of toasted, buttered raisin bread.

[AlgyTaylor]

When in the UK, drinking stuff from major breweries only:

# Brains' Rev James
Wicked Welsh bitter, relatively strong, good deep taste
# Banks' Original
Another nice bitter, this time from the West Midlands. Very, very drinkable IMHO
# Addlestone's Cloudy Cider
OK, it's cider not beer ... but any bugger who can drink 4 pints of this on draught and still stand up needs a medal. Some of the best nights I've had in my life have been done under the influence of Addlestones'

[2dimes]

Algy, you're looking for this one.

http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewto ... 0&start=15

[2dimes]

Granville Island Brewing, Island lager
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Style: Lager
Alc. 5%


http://www.gib.ca

A classic Bavarian-style lager. Full-bodied and golden-hued, Island Lager is cellared for six weeks and fermented at low temperatures which gives it a distinct hop flavour and perfect balance.

They are a somewhat large in terms of micro breweries, located on a former industrial island in Vancouver, that is now an artists market mostly. They have tours and tastings for $10 or something and you get to keep the small pilsner glass. Also a store with special pricing on beer with lots of gift things.

I like quite a lot of beers from B.C. including all the brews from Granville island. This is the one Lager I truely enjoy, the only down side is there's no preservitives so sometimes you get a pack of bad ones when buying them here. I have heard from a fellow fan that they are not exporting anylonger. Have not seen it for a while but have not confermed this rumour yet. I may have to trek across the state line so to speak if the rumour is true.

[Iz Man]

Granville Island Brewing, Island lager
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Style: Lager
Alc. 5%


http://www.gib.ca

A classic Bavarian-style lager. Full-bodied and golden-hued, Island Lager is cellared for six weeks and fermented at low temperatures which gives it a distinct hop flavour and perfect balance.

They are a somewhat large in terms of micro breweries, located on a former industrial island in Vancouver, that is now an artists market mostly. They have tours and tastings for $10 or something and you get to keep the small pilsner glass. Also a store with special pricing on beer with lots of gift things.

I like quite a lot of beers from B.C. including all the brews from Granville island. This is the one Lager I truely enjoy, the only down side is there's no preservitives so sometimes you get a pack of bad ones when buying them here. I have heard from a fellow fan that they are not exporting anylonger. Have not seen it for a while but have not confermed this rumour yet. I may have to trek across the state line so to speak if the rumour is true.

Very nice. Last time I was in Vancouver was in '86 for the World's Fair.
You're in the Eastern part of Canada, aren't you 2dimes?
Here's one for you:

Creemore Springs Premium Lager
Origin: Province of Ontario, Canada
Style: Golden Lager/Pilsner
Alcohol: 5.0% ABV

People from Toronto drive a couple hours north to weekend or ski in the area of Creemore Springs. In 1987, the village's 1890's hardware store was turned into a microbrewery, bringing its water by tanker truck from nearby springs. Its Premium Lager has a deliciously fresh malt aroma; a smooth, clean, textured, lightly nutty body; and an elegant balance of hoppy dryness.

[hecter]

Labbatt Blue!

http://www.labatt.com/

Jesus, it even looks like piss...

[2dimes]

No I'm due north of Butte Montana.

Home of Big Rock, Mister McNally is a wonderfull man for creating Big Rock. His Lager is horrid though, I heard it's possibly because Calgary's water is so hard ie. high in mineral as it come off the Bow Glacier. Excellent ales.

I read a long business article on Creemore it was a good story.

One of the big nasty breweries bought it out but left all the managment in place because it was so highly regarded.

I'll need to scope out the liquor stores for it.

[2dimes]

Labbatt Blue!

http://www.labatt.com/

Jesus, it even looks like piss...

They have the Canadian license for Budwieser. Common beverage for getting loaded. Works just fine for that purpose but, yeah not really delicious until the third one is gone.

[Iz Man]

No I'm due north of Butte Montana.

Home of Big Rock, Mister McNally is a wonderfull man for creating Big Rock. His Lager is horrid though, I heard it's possibly because Calgary's water is so hard ie. high in mineral as it come off the Bow Glacier. Excellent ales.

I read a long business article on Creemore it was a good story.

One of the big nasty breweries bought it out but left all the managment in place because it was so highly regarded.

I'll need to scope out the liquor stores for it.

Well if the water is does have high calcium & magnesium content, then its true it would not be ideal for a lager/pilsner.
That's what makes Pilsner Urquell the standard for the style. The water in Pilsen, Czech is virtually free of any mineral content.
Given there's more water than anything else in beer, the content & quality is obviously a major factor in the style being brewed.
There is a natural spring about 2 miles from my house that I like to use for my brews. I like it because I also grow my own hops in my backyard. So a couple of times a year I get to brew a beer that is completely unique.
Local water, local hops....... I love it

[muy_thaiguy]

Ohhhh Canada....... The Great White North, The Great Yukon, home of bearboy (he knows who he is).
Also the home of some fabulous brews.
Here's a couple quality beers no beer lover should go without trying:

St-Ambroise Pale Ale
Origin: Province of Quebec, Canada
Style: Pale Ale
Alcohol: 5.0% ABV

A monk named Ambroise is said to have been Montreal's first brewer. He gave his name to the street where Peter McAuslan and Ellen Bounsall established their brewery in 1989. Their pale ale is very perfumy, outstandingly hoppy in aroma and flavor, dry, and appetizing. It has a light, soft body, but full, long flavors, developing lemony-orangey notes, and an elegant dryness in the finish.


Unibroue Maudite
Origin: Province of Quebec, Canada
Style: Strong Belgian-style Ale
Alcohol: 8.0% ABV

Inspired by the Belgian Strong Golden Ale Duvel (to be reviewed later), this bottle conditioned brew has a name meaning "damned" in French. The beer is made by Unibroue, of Chambly, near Montreal. An 1890's Quebecois story by Honoré Beaugrand - a Faustian variation on voyages of the damned - is illustrated on the label. Maudite is a darkish interpretation of the style; fruity, spiced (orange peels, coriander perhaps?), and dry. A very flavorsome beer.


Big Rock McNally's Extra Ale
Origin: Province of Alberta, Canada
Style: Irish Red Ale
Alcohol: 7.0% ABV

Ed McNally's forebears left Ireland during the potato famine. He became a lawyer and barley farmer (interesting combo) in Canada in the 1970's. In 1985 he launched the Big Rock Brewery in the foothills of the Rockies, in Calgary. Big Rock brews several brews, but he reserves his own name for his favorite. This Extra has the malty flavors typical of an Irish Ale, but is stronger than most. It has a bright amber color; a flowery aroma; and a fresh, rich maltiness reminiscent of toasted, buttered raisin bread.

Isn't the Yukon part of Alaska?

[2dimes]

One of my introduction to B.C. beers. I was vacationing with a bud in Tofino on Vancouver island, we were camping near the Golf coarse. It rained a bit so we ventured into the club house/resteraunt. The bar tender had a risk board so we had a game with some other campers. I asked what they had for premium local type stuff and he served up some of these.

Okanogan Springs; Special pale ale
Origin: B.C. Canada
Style: Pale Ale (I consider these the summer beers you'd drink like lagers)
Alc. 5%



First brewed by Okanagan Spring in 1989, Extra Special Pale Ale is BC's original pale ale and first craft brand. Clear and copper coloured, it's fruity on the palate, hearty in hops, and firm in body with a nice dry finish.

[2dimes]

Isn't the Yukon part of Alaska?

No it's the part of Canada next to it.

[Iz Man]

Isn't the Yukon part of Alaska?

No it's the part of Canada next to it.

Thank you.

[muy_thaiguy]

Isn't the Yukon part of Alaska?

No it's the part of Canada next to it.

Thank you.

Sorry, about that, continue on.

[2dimes]

There is a natural spring about 2 miles from my house that I like to use for my brews. I like it because I also grow my own hops in my backyard. So a couple of times a year I get to brew a beer that is completely unique.
Local water, local hops....... I love it

:swoons:

Yeah I think the calcium is fairly high here, could just be other minerals though.

[2dimes]

I feel I should have mentioned that Okanogan springs for sure and I think Granville Island follow the Reinheitsgebot.

[2dimes]

Whoot, triple post!!

http://www.treebeer.com/

I have to mention these guys. They made a fire honey pilsner that was truely phenominal.

They went broke and someone reopened them. Last time I tried it I was not a fan. I'll try them again to make sure it wasn't bad luck but I'm not too hopefull.

I must say "Thirsty Beaver" is one of the best names for a beer though.

[heavycola]

I can't believe this thread made it to a second page. I thought you guys drank light or dark. That's all they sell in the Ivanhoe.

[Iz Man]

I can't believe this thread made it to a second page. I thought you guys drank light or dark. That's all they sell in the Ivanhoe.

Any thread about beer should go at least 10 pages....

[2dimes]

Ivanhoe? http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CA/5/Ivanhoe.html

Most of us drink Blue or Canadian (light) and loads of it while watching guys skate after the puck with sticks.

[heavycola]

a toonie a pint huh?

the ivanhoe is a quite scary pub a few blocks from crack corner in vancouver. Light or dark, that's what you got offered once the barman had stopped headbanging to metallica. a lovely place.

[2dimes]

I may have watched the ballet there briefly long ago probably had a budwieser licensed by labbat.

[2dimes]

Bump

[denominator]

I don't know what part of Canada you're from, but around here everybody drinks Big Rock:

Traditional



Or more commonly Grasshopper:

[darvlay]

Loving this stuff right now:

Mill St. Tankhouse Ale (Ontario, Pale Ale, 5.2% alc./vol.)


"Like traditional pale ales, Tankhouse Ale has a deep copper-red colour. We use five different malts to produce a complex malty texture. The most dominant character of our Pale Ale is the hop. The spicy Cascades hop is used to give an assertive hop flavour, aroma and bitterness to our ale. The result is a satisfying and complex-tasting beer. Our brewmaster developed this recipe 20 years ago and it has remained his favorite drink of choice.

WINNER - BEST OF CLASS - PALE ALE - 2005 CANADIAN BREWING AWARDS."