I am a big fan of Belgian beers and my beer exploration has found many sour, wild and mixed fermentation styles to be most pleasing to the palate. From pounding Old Milwaukee on a daily basis just 4 years ago to yearning for the earthy and fruity Belgian style beers and the face puckering sours our Ontario Craft brewers are making has been as shocking to me as anything. While many of the world's finest of these 10 styles remain European, the gap has closed and continues to do so every year. I always focus on what we brew close to home and that is reflected by the growing list of entrants for each style. It's time to see Polk's Picks on day 2!
Berliner Weisse
1. Nickel Brook Brewing Peach Uber
The Uber series from Nickel Brook is something to look forward to when the sun starts to heat up and I spend more time outside than in. This year saw the introduction of Peach and oh my, it was a beauty. Real peach notes with a funky and tart lime finish made for a real summer refresher and I was in love!
2. Sawdust City Brewing Coriolis Effect
Found many times in my glass and straight up representing the tartness of the style, Sawdust City hit a home run with Coriolis Effect. Crushable and lightly sour, it hit the mark and thanks to an assist from the folks at SC, I had lots in my fridge!
3. Nickel Brook Brewing Plum Uber
4. Nickel Brook Brewing Raspberry Uber
5. Sawdust City Brewing Passion fruit and Guava
Dubbels
1. Shacklands Brewing Dubbel
2. Sawdust City Brewing Can't you find another way to come home for the holidays
Not many entrants from Ontario in this category that caught my eye in terms of their ability to match or even transcend the traditional Belgian beers , but Sawdust managed to do that with this mouthful of a name for their Dubbel. Adding a cinnamon spiced twist to the bready, dark fruit was a nice surprise and it's still available for online order if you want a little Belgian Christmas in your glass.
Gose
1. Collective Arts Brewing Black Currant and Lemon Zest
I called this beer vivaciously berrylicious and I stand by that statement! The deepest of purple pours with sharp blackberry, currant and a tart lemon and salt finish. It was a jam in a glass with that gose sharpness that I cans still taste almost 10 months later. Hope to see it return in 2019!
2. Nickel Brook Brewing Duplicitous
With a wide availability and spot on Gose taste, Nickel Brook's Duplicitous has a lot of fans out there, including me. Tart lemon, grapefruit and orange with a sour and salty finish, it is crushable and well received as the heat goes up and the pool opens!
3. Wellington Brewery Pinwheel
4. Nickel Brook Brewing The Pineapple Incident
5. People's Pint Gose Cuervo
Quads
1. New Limburg Brewing St. Arnoldus
A fine example of a brewery really coming into it's own as New Limburg finds themselves at the top of the Quad charts. I was not a huge fan of this when I first tried it in 2017 but a year later and it is approaching world class. Loads of dark fruit, a warming boozy finish that balances with the malty, slightly sweetened body. I want more of this in my life, it was just amazing.
2. Great Lakes Brewery 2017 Quad
Aged in pinot noir barrels, this Quad from GLB was a warm, caramel malt, spicy, dark fruit treat in the depths of winter. It was warm and boozy with a full and balanced profile. I wish I had bought a few more to see where it goes in a year or two even though it was on point back in February. Wow.
3. Railway City Brewing 2017 Strongman
4. Sawdust City and Nickel Brook Brewing 2018 11.05
5. Royal City Brewing Brett Quad
Saisons
1. Shacklands Brewing Saison Davenport
The closest thing to drinking a Saison in Belgium is found in The Junction area of Toronto and once again Shacklands has laid a golden brew to celebrate your hopes and dreams. Saison Davenport is a majestic and spot on take of one of my most favourite styles, the banana, orange, clove and peppery spice finish is delightful and should be on your radar if you want to experience true genius.
2. Sawdust City Brewing Princess wears Girl Pants
A slow sipping saison with some hoppy kicks and a warming boozy kick make Sawdust City's Princess a real winner. Loads of banana, orange and spice make for a true beauty and that 9.0 ABV is a real kicker! Look for it's return and do not miss out!
3. Merit Brewing The Rally4. Great Lakes Brewery Saison DuPump
5. Barncat Brewery Cat's Cradle
Sour Ales
1. Nickel Brook Brewing Uncertainty Principle No. 1
It is always a pleasure to get the latest Funk Lab release from Nickel Brook and this year's series has been spot on. But nothing comes close to the June release of Uncertainty Principle No. 1, mango, pineapple and tangerine with a funky and sour finish hat had me wanting more. It was something I couldn't imagine until that first sip and I was hooked.
2. Fairweather Brewing Tranquillo
Fairweather had one of the finest years in beer in my memory and the spicy, sour lemon lime zest of Tranquillo was transcendent. It was tart and peppery with a bit of everything I love about sours. Not just overwhelmingly face puckering, it was nuanced and fun.
3. Bellwoods Brewery Mango Apricot Jelly King
4. Bellwoods Brewery Donkey Venom
5. Nickel Brook and Sawdust City Brewing 2017 11.05
Strong Golden Ales
1. Muskoka Brewery Legendary Oddity
Hitting the shelves of the LCBO on the 2nd day of January, the 2018 Muskoka Legendary Oddity was a wonderful way to start the year. At 7.1%, it wasn't fooling around and the balance was spot on with the warming, boozy notes finding a home with the banana, clove, pepper and bubble gum berry notes. A beautiful example of a style that isn't really found in many places here in Ontario.
2. The Collingwood Brewery 1854
The only other Strong Golden Ale to reach the zenith this year was the 6,8% barrel aged 1854 from The Collingwood Brewery. A fine take on this traditional style with vanilla and some funk joning the party. Plum and caramel bring a maltier kick and while it was a one and done cellar pull, it was a great way to spend a sunny, summer afternoon.
Tripels
1. New Limburg Brewing St. Barbara
True Belgian beer lovers keep finding their way to a few places in Ontario that are becoming destinations because they are finding a way to give us what we really want. Close to home and true to style, New Limburg's St. Barbara would be at home anywhere in Belgium with its' balanced and delightful composition. banana, clove, orange peel, lemon zest, clove and a spicy coriander finish make for one slow sipping, 9.0% tripel. It was available at the LCBO and we can only hope it returns.
2. Merit Brewing Tomorrows
This beer continued to evolve from the first time I tried it and with what we saw from Merit this past year, you know they are dialled in and ready to bring it hard. Tomorrows was a 9.4% front loaded banana, bubblegum, black tea and clove slow sipper that took me to new heights when I returned to it in late May. One you need to experience for yourself to truly enjoy what they are crafting on James street here in Hamilton.
Wild Ales
1. Fairweather Brewing Old Soul
The fine folks at Fairweather will make multiple appearances on my best of 2018 lists and this wild, barrel aged ale is no different. Tart and funky with stone fruit, apricot and peach dominating and refreshing. It was a smooth and highly rewarding day when I was able to slow sip this 6.5% as the leaves turned and the sun set in the back forty.
2. Bellwoods Brewery Barn Owl No. 10
There must be something with me and stone fruit this year as the 10th Barn Owl from Bellwoods was neck in neck for top spot. Funky with peach and grapefruit, it had some sweeteness to offset the tart and was a balanced, beautiful treat. Barn Owl changes every time and I really wish I had picked up a few more of this one, it was truly wicked.
3. Bellwoods Brewery Dry Hopped Come What May
4. Shacklands Brewing Raspbretty Bates
5. Bellwoods Brewery Come What May
Witbiers
1. Block 3 #BeerPun
Block 3 has long been one of our favourite stops whenever we head out to KW and this year they delivered a great crushable Witbier that was gone in a flash. #BeerPun was a crisp and easy lemon, orange peel, banana, clove and spicy pepper mix that was one of the most refreshing beers I had all year, especially in the middle of August on a sunny, warm morning with nothing to do.
2. Wellington Brewery 3 Weeks Notice
Summer in a glass as Wellington Brewery really stepped up their crusher game as the sun shone and the pool beckoned this year. 3 Weeks notice was a beautiful mix of citrus, Belgian notes and berries with a lovely dry and peppery finish. Hope to see it again when The Grotto opens for the 2019 Summer drinking season!
3. New Limburg Wit
4. Cowbell Brewing Paradise Lime
5. Bench Brewing Stone Road
There you have it, 10 new Polkie Awards handed out in some of my most favourite styles. I hope to see more beers in some of them as I was at a loss for more than a few examples. As we grow and change as beer drinkers, we can hope that our local breweries will respond as our palates mature and demand more. Sours continue to evolve and the low ABV of Berliners and Wits is most welcome for sessions of hanging outside in the summer and doing nothing but having a good time.
See you tomorrow when we go into The Darkness once again and explore the Stouts and Porters from Ontario that made me feel all warm and roasty inside.
Cheers!
Polk
