2018 Polkie Awards - The Plethora

  

The year in Ontario Craft beer was arguably the best I`ve experienced in my 3 years writing and talking about it. over 700 different beers tried, new breweries visited, new friends made and some of the most amazing times of my life. And now we begin the look back to see what the very best was.
  To celebrate 2018, I will give you my Polk`s Picks for the year as the 4th annual Polkie Awards kicks off with this year`s Plethora post. A grab bag of styles that go together in the tradition of --I haven`t a damn clue, so I put them in this post-- beers.
Enjoy, argue, discuss and lets get it on!!!



Barley Wines

1. Barncat Artisan Ales Greenout

  Barncat is known far and wide for their amazing IPAs and with good reason. They will be making appearances on that hoppy day in a few but this 9.5% American Barley Wine captured my attention and has held it since late July. Bready, dark fruits and a warming, boozy finish were also met with a dank hop pine note at the end. It was unique, it was delicious and it takes top spot in this slow sipping category.

2. Muddy York 1793 Cognac Barrel Aged

  Our pals at Muddy York Brewing had another great year and this marks but the first of many Top 5 appearances in this year`s Polkie Countdown. This dark fruit, raisin and fig, warming and slow sipping malty Cognac barrel aged Barley Wine stepped into our lives in November and was happily shared to celebrate a beautiful day. Subtle and delightful.

3. Great Lakes Brewing 2017 Beard of Zeus
4. Cowbell Brewing 2018 Almanac

5. Frank Brewing Barrel Aged Barley Wine


Blonde Ales

1. Collective Arts Brewing Saint of Circumstance

  The funny thing about some of these categories is that some old favourites can surprise you and leap back into your life with joy. Collective Arts Saint of Circumstance is a crushable 4.7%, widely available and incredible. Lemon, light orange and a biscuit malt body with a dialled up citrus bitterness makes it a winner anytime.


2. Royal City Brewing Two Rivers

  An early pick up, these shortie cans from Royal City set the year off right. cereal grains, toasty biscuit and lemon, apple and a slight bitterness on the finish made for a delightfully easy going Blonde ale. Perfect for the patio or the campsite, it`s 355 ml serving size gave it a beauty start.

3. Nickel Brook Brewing Cause and Effect

4. Henderson Brewing Food Truck

5. Dominion City Brewing Buck a Beer

Brown Ales

1. Shacklands Brewing Brigit

  The rise of Shacklands Brewing has been well documented and enjoyed here at Polk Manor as Jason and Dave bring some amazing Belgian twists to traditional styles in addition to making straight up Belgian beauties. Brigit was a 6.1% coffee, nutty, chocolate and banana treat. It combined the toasty brown with an earthy Belgian yeast for a real surprise winner that was most memorable and deserving of a return!

2. Royal City Brewing Belgian Brown

  Like most beer drinkers, I have a type and when I find a style that has been taken to another level with a little magic, I am hooked. From late January but still living in my mind comes Royal City`s Belgian Brown, an 8.2 boozy and warming wine barrel aged brown ale. Cherry, apple, caramel, chocolate and tart wine tannins. While not a traditional brown, it was such a unique spin I couldn`t forget it.

3. Cameron's Brewing Dark and Sticky

4. Cowbell Brewing McNall's Mission

5. Haliburton Highlands Honey Brown Ale


Hefeweizens

1. Muskoka Brewery 2018 Summerweiss

  First tried at Muskoka Brewery during our stop their during Polkapolooza, this Tropical Wheat version of their Summerweiss was a hazy pouring mango and passion fruit beauty. The beer of summer for me as it made multiple appearances in my fridge and on my timeline. Juicy with banana and loads of citrus, it was an absolute gem.

2. Side Launch Brewing Wheat

  A traditional Hefe that is on point and perhaps the best year round in the category. Lots of banana, orange, clove and pepper with a refreshing and familiar finish. It finds it`s way into my life many times over the year and deserves the recognition as one of the best out there.

3. Rhythm and Brews Hefe Metal

4. Abe Erb Das Spritzhaus

5. Bitte Schon Huron Street

Lagers

1. Wellington Brewery Helles Lager

   Wellington Brewery is one of Ontario`s oldest Craft breweries but that doesn`t mean they rest on their laurels by any means. This classic Helles Lager comes in 355 ml cans and a has a nice low 4.5% ABV with notes of lemon, honey and grass in a toasty malt body. Refreshing and super crushable, this one is a winner all year long.

2. Muddy York Brewing Gaslight Helles

  A long time favourite here since the early days of when we just started to explore Craft Beer, Muddy York`s Gaslight Helles Lager hit the LCBO this year and that meant even more people got to try this toasty, apple, lemon and grassy beauty. Low bitterness and easily accessible to new and veteran craft beer drinkers make this one a winner always.

3. Sawdust City Brewing Little Norway
4. Fairweather Brewing Dream City
5. Cowbell Brewing Shindig


Marzens

1. Rainhard Brewing Smarch Weather

  Rainhard Brewing makes a lot of hopped up treats and barrel aged beauties but the Smarch Weather Marzen was an absolute delight in late October. A bready toasted malt body with toffee, nuts and spice, it was the perfect late fall beer and a champion in every way!

2. Beau's Brewing Marzen

  One of the things I always love about Beau`s is that they give me something to think about when they release a beer. Their 5.5% straight up marzen was a toffee, nutty caramel gem with a light bitterness and an easy going finish. Beautiful.

3. Royal City Brewing Oktoberfest
4. Muskoka Brewery Is There Life on Marzen?
5. Waterloo Brewing Festbier

Pilsners

1. Fairweather Brewing Donna

  Not only is Donna from Fairweather Brewing the top of the Pilsner chart, it`s one of the finest beers of 2018. Clean and crisp with a toasty body, hay and grassy floral notes with a slight spice on the finish give it near perfection. It drank like a beer was meant to be and even though it was late October, I felt like it was August and I was lingering in the Grotto with nothing but leisure in my future. It was the most beautiful beer as I went back for more and that was something I didn't ever do with a Pilsner before.


2. Bellwoods Brewery Bellwieser

 

  One of the toughest choices I had to make this year was in the Pilsner category and that says something about my evolution as a beer drinker and the two top Pils that made my decision so hard. By a hair, Bellwoods Brewery Bellweiser comes second but that is no slight. clean and crisp with apple, lemon and grassy notes. Most excellent.
3. Block 3 Jaromir
4. Merit Brewing To AllMascot Brewing Pilsner
5. Mascot Brewing Pilsner


Radlers

1. Ace Hill Brewing Radler

  In my search for Radler perfection this summer, Ace Hill stood out above the rest with its mix of peach, apple, grapefruit and orange notes. Juicy and refreshing, only 2.5% and crushed all summer long in the Grotto pool!

2. Sawdust City Brewing Graydar

  The radler summer was made better by this slightly tart pink grapefruit and lemon beauty from Sawdust City. Bubbly carbonation gave it a spritz and that 3.5% ABV kept me floating around the pool.
3. Grain and Grit Beer Co. Quenched
4. Waterloo Brewing Grapefruit
5. Waterloo Brewing Raspberry

Red Ales

1. Sawdust City Brewing I, the Mountain and the Leprechaun

  A unique twist on the red ale with a hopped up, slow sipper from Sawdust City for the win. Big and bready toasted malt body with toffee for the base and a citrus grapefruit and bitter pine. An absolute must buy when it comes back out in 2019, malty and hoppy with everything the spring needs.

2. Great Lakes Brewery Dimitrji Fong

  Another swing on the red ale, this time from Great Lakes Brewery and Hungry Brew Hops gastropub. Big and bready with caramel and pine, some citrusy grapefruit pith and a lingering bitter and sweet finish. An outstanding red that is much missed.

3. Innocente Brewing Inn O`Slainte
4. New Ontario Brewing Tree Topper
5. Sleeping Giant Brewing Company Mr. Canoehead


  The following styles had only a few entrants that were outstanding or perhaps I only was able to try a handful and not many impressed. Still love to salute great beer so here we finish with the ultimate grab bag, Lightning Round Polkie Awards!

Altbier - Sawdust City Brewing Ol` Woody Alt
Amber Ale - Hendersons Brewing Henderson`s Best
Best Bitter - Muddy York Brewing Major Smalls
Bock - Junction Craft Brewing Winter Bock
Cream Ale - Manitoulin Brewing Kilarney
Doppelbock - Cameron`s Brewing Deviator Doppelbock
ESB - Clifford Brewing Dark Streets of London
Golden Ale - MacKinnon Brothers Crosscut
Harvest Ale - MacKinnon Brothers Harvest Ale
India Pale Lager - Clifford Brewing Devil`s Punchbowl
Pale Wheat Ale - Sandwich Brewing Prairie Sunshine
Spiced Ale - Nickel Brook Brewing 2017 Cuvee
Table Beer - Merit Brewing SVP
Winter Ale - Great Lakes Brewery Winter Ale

  No doubt that with 22 different style categories, this opening salvo in the look back at my Favourite Ontario Craft beers of 2018 is a big change from even a year ago. Access at the LCBO and the sheer increase in the amount of breweries exposed me to so many more styles and interpretations of them with a nod to tradition but a look toward the future. My palate is ever changing and while we may disagree about which beers we love, we can all agree that it is a wonderful thing that we have so much to talk about.
What a way to start and tomorrow we gander at the Sour, Gose, Belgian-style and Saisons that made me take notice in the last 12 months. See you then and thanks once again for the last 3 years of support!!

Cheers!

Polk