Day 180-Beer 180 Spark House Red Ale, Lake of Bays Brewing Co. Baysville Ontario

Tonight's brew is a red ale from cottage country. It pour an amber/copper colour with tons of frothy head with lots of large carbonation bubbles that settled to a
thin layer of foam. The aroma is roasted malt and chocolate. the taste is quite sweet, molasses in nature with a hint of chocolate. Almost no hint of a hop bitterness in this brew. The mouthful is a little watery for my liking and too sweet. Overall an okay red ale 3.2 out of 5

Day 179-Beer 179 Muskoka Craft Lager, Muskoka Brewery, Bracebridge Ontario

closing in on half way, tonight's brew was a pale lager, it poured a clear golden/amber colour with adequate head and minimal lacing. The aroma was sweet malts and citrus hops. It had a nice crisp taste with caramel malt and bready notes and a nice hop background. Overall very well balanced, an above average lager that has a nice dry finish with just enough hop background 3.7 out of 5

Day 178-Beer 178 Saaz Republic Pilz, Big Rock Brewery, Calgary Alberta

Another western beer. It poured a clear golden yellow with lots of white head. The aroma was grain with a hint of lemon but not a lot there. The taste was grainy with some noble hop background and a faint hint of lemon. Overall a good pilsner that is very drinkable, 3.5 out of 5

Day 177-Beer 177 Big Rock IPA, Big Rock Brewery, Calgary Alberta

Tonight's brew is the first of several I received for Fathers Day from my daughter who was out in Calgary flying. It poured a hazy golden amber colour with lots of frothy white head. The aroma was citrus and fresh gassy hops. the flavour was not as expected, it was quite sweet with  a gentle hop background which did not produce the normal strong hop bitterness of an IPA. It was a nice smooth crisp taste that seem much more balanced than most IPA's. Overall very drinkable and enjoyable 3.8 out of 5

Day 176-Beer 176 Triple Bogey Premium Lager, Triple Bogey Brewing Co. Toronto Ontario

Played a game of golf today and it was not triple bogey free, in fact it had one more than on my card, a new beer to try on the course. It poured( unfortunately in a plastic cup) a clear golden yellow with good  bubbly head, lots of carbonation but almost no lacing. The aroma was sweet with a hint of grassy hops with a similar taste, clean  crisp and refreshing a good lager 3.5 out of 5

Day 175-Beer 175 Imperial Russian Stout, Wellington County Brewing Co. Guelph Ontario

Went to Buffalo to visit a Lynn B., a good friend who is recovering from an operation. He looked really good  and should be home soon. His wife Phyllis, a close friend Roberta and one of his daughters were also there visiting. Glad you are doing so well and hope to visit you at your home this summer. Anyhow tonight's brew is for you Lynn. It's similar to our "iron beers",  a Russian Stout. It poured jet black almost syrupy in nature with really nice creamy tan head. The aroma was dark chocolate and espresso coffee and sweet roasted malts. The taste was chocolate and coffee up front with a lingering sweet molasses taste with the bitterness of bakers chocolate.  I'm sure this one must contain some extra iron to help us with our blood level's too. Overall a good stout 3.9 out of 5 and so I think I'll need to have a couple more  for you Lynn. Get well and I look forward to many games of golf with you this winter in Florida.

Day 174-Beer 174 Arkell Best Bitter, Wellington County Brewery, Guelph Ontario

Tonight's brew is a light beer  from nearby Guelph. It poured a amber/copper colour with nice bubbly of white head. The aroma was caramel and toasted malts. The flavour much better than expected for a light beer (4%ABV) well balanced with caramel  and mildly earthy hops. Overall an above average light beer with great flavour that is clean and crisp . If you like light beers this would be one you will enjoy. 3.7 out of 5

Day 173-Beer 173 Old Style Pilsner, Molson Canada, Toronto Ontario

A big brewery beer for a change, at least it states no preservatives. It poured a clear golden colour with adequate head that left only a little lacing around the edge of the glass. The aroma had hints of grassy hops, and something sweet, molasses. The taste is well balance with a light sweetness and  grassy hops mixed with a touch of molasses. Overall a really good beer for a big brewery attempt at an old style pils. 3.5 out of 5

Day 172-Beer 172 Empirical Ale Black Creek Historic Brewery, Toronto Ontario

Tonight's brew is an IPA, it poured a very hazy amber/copper colour with minimal head that left some sticky lacing around the edge of the glass. The aroma was toasted malts, coffee, toffee and grassy hops. The taste was  a little watery with some sweet toffee and toasted malts with some grapefruit hop bitterness. An okay brew but there are much better IPA'a around, 3.3 out of 5.

Day 171-Beer 171 Signature Ale, Durham Brewing Co, Pickering Ontario

Tonight's brew poured a copper colour with a nice off white head that left lots of nice sticky lacing. The aroma was grassy hops, caramel malt and some floral tones. The taste is sweet up front, caramel and toffee than some nice hop flavours grapefruit and pine. Overall a good brew 3.6 out of 5

Day 170-Beer 170 Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co. San Diego California

another Ballast Point brew, this one poured  an amber colour with white bubbly head. The aroma was citrus, grapefruit and orange, fresh grass and some floral scents. The taste is nice hops right up front with hints of pine, grapefruit and a sweet malt background. Overall a crisp, smooth IPA, a very good brew 3.9 out of 5

Day 169-Beer 169 Wellington County Dark Ale, Wellington County Brewery, Guelph Ontario

Oh what a day, a 41 front nine, my best ever and now for a brew. It poured a dark chocolate colour with off white head that left a nice sticky layer of lacing across the entire surface of the beer. It's aroma was some grassy hops mixed with caramel, coffee and roasted malts. The flavour was toasted malt, caramel, roasted coffee and a hint of hop bitterness similar to a very dark bakers chocolate. Overall a good dark ale 3.5 out of 5.

Day 168-Beer 168 Top Shelf Classic Lager, Lake of Bays Brewing Co., Baysville Ontario

Official beer of the NHL Alumni Association, whatever that is? It poured a clear golden yellow colour with some head that dissipated quickly leaving only a scattering of lacing.  The smell is fresh grass with hints of grainy malts and honey. The taste is traditional lager, grainy malts, a slight breadiness, a just a faint hint of grassy hops. It is a very clean,  smooth and dry lager, overall not a bad brew, 3.4 out of 5

Day 167-Beer 167 Altbier Collaboration Ale, Creemore Springs Brewery, Creemore Ontario

Altbier which means old beer is one of the oldest and rarest beer styles in the world, it was brewed in collaboration with a Dusseldorf brewery, one of only four in the world that still make this type of ale, so here goes, and is there a reason only a few breweries still make it, we will find out. It poured a dark copper colour similar to many red beers with a white head that settle quickly leaving a thin layer of foam across most of the surface. The smell that hits you first when you open the can is sour green apple but than as it warms it has a caramel and roasted malt scent with just a hint of hops. The flavour includes caramel malt, a hint of hops bitterness that does not linger and some hints grain/corn and some nutty malt. Over all a nice dry finish, a good brew, with just a hint of bitterness, however I was looking for something different as this wasn't a lot different than many modern red ales. 3.5 out of 5

Day 166-Beer 166 Church Key Holy Smoke Scotch Ale, Church Key Brewing Company Campbellford Ontario.

Another Scottish style beer but made in Ontario. This one is unique,  it is a strong 6.2%ABV dark ale that Scottish imported peat-smoked whisky malt, hence a peat smoked Scottish ale. It poured a dark chocolate, almost black colour with creamy tan coloured head  that left a thin film of cream across the surface. The smell was  hints of peat, chocolate toasted grains, roasted malts and just a hint of smoke. Very nice. The taste was caramel and roasted malts up front with a nice follow of just a hint of peat and lots of smoke that lingered in the mouth for just a few moments. Overall this was actually quite good. It is very smooth well balanced and quite interesting, definitely  a smoked beer. I'll have to try another of these and any other beers that Church Key makes. 4 out of 5

Day 165-Beer 165 Innis & Gunn Lager Beer, Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland

A great night of progressive euchre tonight, Linda won most lone hands and I won high score. It was great to see some friends that we hadn't seen in a while. As for tonight's brew, we are off to Scotland for a beer brewed with "naked golden oats"? It poured a clear golden yellow colour with  a white head that dissipated quickly leaving no lacing. The aroma was fresh grass, lemon and grain malt. the flavour was typical lager, almost no hop bitterness, some grainy malt and a touch of grassy hops, but nothing outstanding. It's a nice light beer that is very drinkable but nothing special, 3.2 out of 5

Day 164-Beer 164 Georgian Bay Beer, Midland Beer Works, Tiny Ontario

From the land of Tom and Dolores a Midland lager. It poured a clear golden colour with okay head that dissipated quickly leaving no lacing at all. The smell was fresh grass and pine resin. the flavour was gains, a hint of sweet malt. Overall comparable to the big brewer lagers, 3.2 out of 5

Day 163-Beer 163 Devil's Pale Ale, Great Lake Brewery, Toronto Ontario

The Devil makes a mean pale ale, it poured a very dark amber with nice creamy off white head. Nice sticky head and lacing that sticks to the side of the glass,. The aroma is all pine, citrus and hops. The flavour is hops from start to finish, lots of grapefruit, roasted malts, some caramel sweetness, pine resin and dark roasted coffee. Overall a very good dark pale ale, 3.9 out of 5.

Day 162-Beer 162 Hockley Amber, Hockley Valley Brewing Co. Orangeville Ontario

I hope that the recipe on the label for battered fish is better than the beer, this one was a little disappointing. Generally I like amber brews but this one was a little on the light side in terms of aroma, taste and texture. It poured a nice copper/ amber colour with okay head that left almost no lacing. The aroma was minimal with hints of caramel, grain and citrus. The taste was caramel some spice, hints of grassy hops and not much else. 3.3 out of 5.

Day 161-Beer 161 Barking Squirrel Lager, Hop City Brewing Co. Brampton, Ontario

Tonight's brew poured an amber colour with creamy of white head that left just a little lacing, The aroma was toasted caramel malts and grassy hops. The taste was similar caramel up front with a nice hop follow-up. Quite interesting a lager with additional hops 3.7 out of 5

Day 160-Beer 160 King Pilsner, King Brewery, Nobleton Ontario

Tonight's brew poured a clear golden colour with nice fluffy head. The aroma was fresh grass, noble hops, with hints of citrus. The taste was sweet malts, grains and just a nice balance of hops in this Czech style pils. Overall a very good pils with a nice balance of hops and malts, good carbonation, a nice clean, crisp and dry finish. I am sure I have a few more of this one. 3.9 out of 5.

Day 159-Beert 159 Blacksmith Smoked Porter, Highlander Brew Co. South River Ontario

Tonight's brew poured black in colour with a light milk chocolate head that left some lacing that did stick to the sides of the glass. The first whiff certainly hinted of a smoky hardwood fire with undertones of caramel malt, dark chocolate and burnt coffee.  The taste was dark chocolate, caramel and toffee malts, espresso coffee. Unfortunately the taste buds did not detect the nice smoke that my nose detected. Overall a tasty porter that unfortunately was missing the smoke in its name. 3.8 out of 5.

Day 158-Beer 158 Muskoka Cream Ale, Muskoka Brewery, Bracebridge Ontario

Try one off the beaten path. Another cottage country brew, it poured a clear amber colour with nice head and lacing. The aroma was hops and sweet caramel malt and a floral tone. The mouthful was nice and creamy, very smooth  with hints of hops and malts. Overall a nice cream ale, 3.7 out of 5

Day 157 -Beer 157 Augusta Ale, Kensington Brewing Company, Toronto Ontario

This one poured a cloudy golden amber colour with good head that left a thin layer of lacing. The aroma was pine and citrus hops. The taste was grapefruit hops, but not over the top, however the mouthful felt a little thin. Not much in the way of aftertaste from the hops so not quite in the realm of a good IPA, but with a little more upfront hops than most ales.  3.6 out of 5

Day 156 -Beer 156 Dinner Jacket O'Red IPA, Arch Brewing Co. Guelph Ontario

A dinner jacket may be a necessity for going out for a nice formal dinner but an O' Red jacket might not be the right colour. It poured an amber red colour with nice head that left some very nice lacing. The aroma was very prevalent grassy hops, grapefruit with a slight hint of caramel malt. The taste was  similar with caramel malts upfront with grapefruit and a moderately hop bitterness finish. A good attempt at a red ale IPA with nice carbonation, good lacing and a nice dry finish with moderate bitterness 3.6 out of 5

Day 155-Beer 155 Mill Street Original Organic Lager, Mill St. BrewPub, Toronto Ontario

I drank this one from the bottle so I am not sure how it pours in terms of head and lacing but it is a clear golden yellow colour. The aroma has hints of fresh grass some pale malts and a slight skunky note to it, I guess from the clear bottles. Quite smooth and fresh tasting with good carbonation. Overall pretty good for a light lager 4.2%ABV, 3.4 out of 5

Day 154-Beer 154 Kellerbier, Creemore Springs, Creemore Ontario

Kellerbier is an unfiltered medieval German Lager. They say it was served straight from the brew masters cellar and was a true honour for special guests,  Well this one may have insulted them.  It has got high ratings from others but for me this one missed the mark. It pour and amber/orange colour with a fair amount of head that dissipated quickly and left strange little lumps of white floaters,  not very appealing visually. The wasn't much to the aroma, some caramel malt, grassy hops and musty bread. The taste was slightly bitter with some malt and musty grains. Not worth the price 2.9 out of 5.

Day 153-Beer 153 Rock Cut Baysville Lager, Lake of Bays Brewing Co. Baysville, Ontario

When in cottage country you need to try a cottage country beer. Rock Cut poured a
clear golden-yellow colour with lots of fizzy/bubbly head that dissipated rather quickly leaving only a small amount of lacing.. The aroma, just standard 'pale lager'  some pale malts, a hint something sweet, what was different it had somewhat of a sour background. The taste was nothing special, hints of grassy hops, sweet malts and a faint taste of sour apple. Overall a drinkable lager that one might enjoy sitting on the dock, but one will be enough, 3.2 out of 5

Hailbuton golf trip

I was in Haliburton on a golf trip for three days, we played three games on two different courses  and spent the evenings at Rob's cottage and slept at Bill's cottage. Had a great time, the company, food, golf and cards were great. Shot my best game of the year so far at Pinestone today before we left to come home. As for my beer sojourn, I did not miss a beat, Monday night was Rock Cut , Last night was Kellerbier and today was Mill St organic, unfortunately there was no internet available so here are the write-ups from each of the days' brews.

Day 152-Beer 152 Cutthroat West Coast Ale, Tree Brewing Co. Kelowna British Columbia

Just the Facts Ma'am, this one poured an amber/copper colour with lots of head that settled quickly and left a thin layer across the surface. The aroma was pine hops, citrus and a hint of honey malts. The taste is similar grapefruit, pine hops and hints of caramel malts. Overall an okay brew with a nice dry finish but it just seemed to be missing something . 3.4 out of 5