Great Lakes Brewery: Devils Pale Ale

     I typically drive past the Great Lakes Brewery twice a day. Its visible from the highway on my daily commute and adorned by huge banners advertising their seasonal brews. I really haven't committed myself to exploring their beers in great depth thus far.  In fact, the only one of their brews that I've tried was their pumpkin ale and I really was not a fan of it.  Sorry guys, its not you its just that I don't really like pumpkin ale.  But now is a chance for redemption.

     So let's look at Great Lakes Brewery Devils Pale Ale.  My first impression on the design of the can is that EVERYTHING has a devilish influence.  666 is all over the can and it flows through the recipe of the beer as well.  Lets look at the writing on the tall boy:

                 "The Devil Made Me Brew It! Brewed for 66.6 minutes with 666kg of malt and 6.6kg of hops, Devil’s Pale Ale is   
                   a robust ale weighing in at 6.6% alcohol."

     Design wise, EXCELLENT job on keeping the devils theme throughout the recipe and carrying it through into the branding.  A worthy achievement and something to celebrated.

On with the profile.  Its aroma offers hints of citrus (close to grapefruit) wrapped with bold earthy tones.  Its colour is a dark amber/brown with a creamy off white and dense head that seems to last forever as the pint goes down.  

     As for the flavour: its a delicious combination of malts that is reminiscent of Neustadt Springs 10w30.  Its full flavoured with pungent caramel maltyness that goes down fresh without a bitter aftertaste.  Its truly a bold beer and packs 35ibu's of bitterness.  Its also a fairly strong at 6.6%.

     This beer has very much redeemed my outlook on The Great Lakes Brewery. I enjoyed this beer and its definitely worth investing in a pint of it.  Great character, exceptional uniqueness (e.g.. branding, recipe etc.) and highly enjoyable.  I rate this beer a firm "B" rating.

Check out more from The Great Lakes Brewery at http://www.greatlakesbeer.com


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Creemore Springs Kellerbier

     Kellbier is a beer style that has medieval heritage and character. There are not a large variety of brewers today that still brew this style of beer, so it's always a treat when I come across it. I'm quite sure that I've had Creemore's Kellerbier in the past so this will be a review that's more like getting re-acquainted.

     If you like lagers, you'll love this beer.  Creemores Kellerbier has a pleasant and inviting aroma with floral hints. It pours a golden hazy colour with a light head. The taste is medium bodied and loaded with German whole leafs hops alongside earthy spice and citrus notes. Kellerbier has got a great character that's highly drinkable. The finish is a little on the dry side, but it was easy to go right from this beer to a different beer style without feeling like I really had the need to cleanse my palette. Now that's a good drinking buddy.


    If you like lagers and you're looking for something a little different, Creemore Spring's Kellerbier is right up your alley. I really enjoyed this beer and I'll rate it based on like-ability and character with a B rating. It's different, it's good, but don't expect to have your socks knocked off.


To find out more about Creemore Springs, check out their website at www.creemoresprings.com

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Wellington Arkell Best Bitter

     When it comes to Guelph Ontario's own Wellington Brewery, I must say that I am a fan of what I've tried of their beers thus far.  They really embody the true spirit of Canadian craft brewing.  I consider this beer to be a bit of an odd one if you've never tried what Wellington has to offer.  By this, I mean, Wellington's Arkell is probably not the beer that they're best known for.  When I think of Wellington; SPA, Country Ale & Imperial Stout are the beers that really come to mind.  The aforementioned beers also happen to be of the variety that I tend to find when I get my "welly on" at most of the bars that I frequent.

     So what is there to say about Arkell?  I've honestly never tried this beer before so I really have no idea what to expect.  It has a pleasant and mild malty aroma reminiscent of traditional english ales.  This amber ale has an expected dry bitterness and light mannered zest.  Its very balanced and everything seems to be in just the right place on the palette.  As a balanced beer, its about as neutral as you could ask for with regards to no flavours overpowering or standing out from the pack.

     This is not a superhero beer to me and I doubt that it will make future appearances in my beer rotation.  Not because its a bad beer, but more because it doesn't offer the uniqueness that I tend to look for in a pint.  Great amber ale, definitely a C ranking in my books: worth a try but not my favourite work from Wellington Brewery.  If you are going to get your welly on, try the SPA, its my top choice of Wellington beers.

     Check out more great beers by Wellington Brewery at www.wellingtonbrewery.ca.  If you're a fan of amber ales, be sure to give Amsterdam Brewery's Big Wheel a shot.  I would rank it as a better amber ale then this one.

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Pump House Brewery: Blueberry Ale

Ok so today lets try something a little different.


I have decided to shift gears and take a look at something a bit out of my normal spectrum of beers: Blueberry Beer!  Fruit beers seem to represent a very small portion of what I typically love to drink -and in fact- there's only a few fruit beers that immediately come to mind like Nickelbrook Green Apple, Früili, and Great Lakes Orange Peel Ale.  So what makes this beer any different?  I've never had a blueberry beer before and I'm curious to see what all of the fuss is about.  Lets find out.

This beer delivers on exactly what you expect.  It has a playful and pleasantly effervescent fragrance that is both inviting and fresh.  This is probably one of the best smelling beers that I've ever tried.  It pours a golden yellow body with perfect clarity.  The head is frothy and fine with a what seems like an everlasting amount of retention.  It tastes as it looks: light bodied with a mellow attitude.  This delectable ale goes does easy and is tremendously refreshing.  There's also a subtle hint of something spicy in the aftertaste but I can't quite place it.  This ale is not potent with hop power and finishes sweet and clean.  A delicious treat that would be excellent with desserts and sweet & sour BBQ.


This is a delectable beer that belongs in your hand while barbecuing on a hot summer day.  If you haven't tried any fruit beers yet -or you're looking for something new- this is an exceptional place to start.  Solid for its style and drinkability so I rate it a B+


check out more from Pumphouse Brewery at http://www.pumphousebrewery.ca

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The Bollocks - Brash Brewing Co.

I came across this unusual guy in the middle of a beer sampler. This beer is super confusing. Very strong on citrus hops, hazy copper colour, and a hidden 12% ABV! Packs a punch and makes a sour face with every sip. Unique, distinct, and unlike anything I've ever tried before. If you like IPA's and double IPA's this beer is a must try.

I give it an A for uniqueness, but a B- for drinkability. Lets average this guy out and call it a B+. I had it with some fries but I'm sure it would be superb with some spicy wings.

Travel, Beer, Coffee and Branding

I love to travel, but I hate flying. Something about being stuck
to a small seat, shoulder-to-shoulder with a stranger, just doesn't appeal to me. I get nervous because long flights make me feel confined. The best way I've discovered to alleviate these crazy thoughts in my head is to find some form of creature comfort. Enter my favourite travel combination of coffee and beer.

Today my fiancé and I are flying to New York to visit my brother for the weekend. We're flying out of Toronto (YTZ) on Porter Airlines. Porter offers an amazing travel experience and I can't say enough good things about them. Lets check the list of Porter perks: free wifi, free Starbucks, free snacks, free pop, free juice, free in-flight meal, and free Steamwhistle beer! My favourite coffee paired with one of my favourite beers and its on the house! This will be a great flight.

So what is it about coffee and beer that makes them go so perfectly together?

I think that the richness of a bold coffee just compliments a cold beer without ease. Both beverages are made from raw harvested materials that come from the earth and both are brewed beverages. Personally I just like the combination of caffeine with beer to kick start my travelling. Do they make caffeinated beers? Interesting....

I vote that they make a happy union between Starbucks, Steamwhistle and Porter airlines. They should create a unique Beer with each partner contributing to the finished product. It may sound a tag ironic and obvious but a Coffee Porter Stout is the first idea that comes to mind. Coffee flavouring by Starbucks, Beer brewed by Steamwhistle, and it would obviously be a porter stout for Porter Airlines. A perfect match made in branding and product placement heaven. Am I crazy? Or am I really on to something here.