Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier by Hofbräu München

I will start by acknowledging that this is not a Canadian beer. This is a seasonal release which the German brewery distributes internationally each year.

Appearance: Traditional looking 400mL bottle with classic labeling. Beer is crystal clear yellow. Foam quickly disappears and leaves no lacing.

Aroma: Mostly floral with the slightest hint of dough.

Taste: The hop characteristics are overwhelmingly floral and grassy. The malt profile is more like cracker than bread.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is medium-low. Body is medium and slightly slick.

Overall: I know this beer well and I love it. North American lagers pale in comparison. This is by far my favourite lager beer and I look forward to its release each year.

Rating: 4.5 out 5.

Entropy Series No. 11: Whisky Sour by Dageraad Brewing

Name: Entropy Series No. 11: Whiskey Sour Brewery: Dageraad Brewing Style: Saison Alc/vol: 5.0% OG: Unknown FG: Unknown IBU: Unknown Malt: Unknown Hops: Unknown Yeast: Unknown Appearance: This beer arrives in a beautiful champagne style bottle with a regular beer cap on top rather than a cage and cork. It features a classic label design that makes a bold commitment: this is a beer-based interpretation of the classic whiskey sour cocktail. I happen to love both beer and whiskey sours so expectations are high. The beer pours pretty clear—looks like a Kolsch or something similar. Aroma: It smells like farmland. Like hay and even manure. And a touch of sour milk or yoghurt. Yeah, it's complicated. Flavour: Mmm. This is something special. First, it comes across as a straight up citrus bomb with strong lemon and lime characteristics. But then it finishes with more complexity—sour, funky and smoky with hints of whisky-like flavours. This is something special. Mouthfeel: I find saison...

Do Stuff Together by Mikkeller

The core purpose of this blog is ostensibly the review of Canadian-made craft beer. But I will veer off-course from time-to-time. This review of an American-style beer brewed in Belgium by a Danish brewer is one of those times. There's a lot to like about Mikkeller . The homebrewer in me loves the story behind the company, from its homebrew roots, to its establishment as a virtual brewery, to its evolution into a global craft beer brand. The marketing professional in me loves the brewery's branding, focused as it is on the illustrative style of their talented art director, Keith Shore . And most importantly, as a fan of craft beer, I love that their output is universally pretty good. Mikkeller's beers are typically sold as singles, at least in Alberta. In fact, I don't believe I've ever come across a four- or six-pack of Mikkeller beer. Do Stuff Together is no different. This is a premium beer with a premium price of just under $10 for a single 473mL can. It is...

Synthwave by Boombox Brewing Company

Canada's best beer comes from British Columbia. I'm pretty confident of that. Some of my favourite Canadian breweries can be found there, like Superflux , Twin Sails and Boombox . The subject of this review is one of the latter's limited releases: Synthwave. I missed this beer the first time it was brewed and released but managed to pick up a four-pack recently. I believe it was brewed in December 2019 so it's not 100% fresh but not old enough yet that a review would be inappropriate. Information on the brewery's website is sparse at best—this beer does not appear there at all. A rough grain bill is printed on the side of the can and I found a list of hops at the beer blog Bring Your Porter to the Slaughter . This beer features a combination of Citra, Mosaic and Motueka hops. Citra and Mosaic are par for the course when it comes to contemporary IPAs, especially ones that are influenced by the hazy, fruit-forward beers popularized by certain New England brewerie...

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