(On tap at Bryden’s, TO, Dec 27 2013) Poured a very murky medium brown with a bubbly, lacy whitish head. At first the aroma is a total bourbon barrel bomb, but as the nose becomes accustomed to that I got more sweet toffee malt, mix of tree fruit, light spices, a bit of booze. Flavour was again dominated by bourbon and wood at first. As it warmed and I became accustomed I got a lot more malt and fruit. Quite sweet caramel/brown sugar, very apple-heavy with some spices: reminded me a lot of cold mulled cider really. The sweetness was tempered by a bit of cider-like tang/tart character towards the finish along with a substantial amount of alcohol dry-down. Barrel was always there even if it wasn’t the sole flavour as at first blush. Body medium-full, a little sticky, carb moderate, didn’t hide its ABV. This was not bad, interesting even, but didn’t come together for me. It was either too much barrel or too much sweet cider, and while there was a lot going on it wasn’t a very nuanced sipper.

Single bottle at the LCBO and did not recognize that this was a beer from this brewery, as it is quite different from their others. Pours a slight hazed, golden colour with a small frothy head that leaves a creamy slim top and lacing all-around. The mouthfeel is wet (like the title implies) with the hop in the background, and the grain that lingers a bit with the light grass. Quite a nice, grainy and mildly hoppy Pale Ale that is easy to drink. Having this one before my Christmas eve dinner.

Draft - Grapefruit hops and sweet malts, Pale cloudy gold with a decent white head. Grapefruit and grass with a nice sweet finish. Good APA.

A really fine esb. Nickel brook has been doing a lot if good stuff lately. Pours orange with great creamy head and lacing. Happy citrus aroma with sharp barley. Texture a little creamy. Carbonation on the low side. Fines lightly bitter. Tap at brothers bistro.

Decent b-wine, if a little barrel heavy. Lots of bourbon on initial smell plus booze and some sort of spice. Finishes with a good tang and some sweetness. Pours cloudy reddish brown with good head and lacing. As with any barrel aged beer, too much barrel and not a solid backbone leads to a lack of support for a heavy beer. Tap at Arrow and Loon.

(Cask at Red House, Kingston, Nov 26 2013) Pours a very hazy medium-dark gold with a big cap of white froth. Aroma some pine and vegetal notes with a bit of citrus pith. Flavour weakly hoppy, pine and earthy with a slight fruity character, pale and rather grainy malts prominent in the middle, moderately bitter finish. Mouthfeel was a light-bodied cask ale, typical for style. I have a feeling the cask may not have been at its best, but this was a boring pale ale at best and blown away by the draught version of Rhyme and Reason, also brewed by Ryan Morrow, which followed.

A murky dark amber Barley Wine with a thick frothy lacing mocha head. In aroma, sweet vinous malt with treacle, dark fruits, wood chips, musty character, and faint alcohol. In mouth, sweet treacle malt, with light licorice, alcohol warmth, vinous character, not bad but not excellent. On tap at Arrow and Loon.

Enjoyed at Borthers Beer Bistro in Ottawa, ON. Pours a very dark brown colour with a small light brown head and not much lacing. Smokey roasted malt aromas with hints of maple. Nicely balanced between the dark malt and sharp bitterness. Decent hop lingering in the aftertaste with notes of molasses. A nice light dry mouthfeel. Well-blended Imperial Stout that goes down nicely.

Bottle - Heavy caramel malts, orange and some candy sweetness. Pale gold with a nice white head. Candy, perfume and light orange/mandarin. Nice but really sweet. Very different from most wet hopped beers which have a lemon citrus dominating characteristic.