The Return of The Ten is all about the most memorable pints I've had from the last year...to put it in it's most simple terms.
It's not just about the highest rated beers, that's more about style notes, composition and flavour. The Ten transcends just that simple construct and represents something more intangible and harder to define. It's about the experience the beer delivers, the time and space it occupies in your life when you find it, and the pure joy you feel when that first sip hit your lips. It is about how you can recall it, even months or years later, how you can sense it is deeper than a pint or two. Alone or with friends, beer can be so much more than just a way to relax or decompress. It is social lubricant for some, courage for others, a sense of quiet contemplation and joyous realization can be found at the most unexpected of times. The Ten is about so much more than what is in our glasses, it is about taking a snapshot of life at a point of happiness and finding that it lasts forever because it's impact goes beyond just the contents of a can or bottle.
To me, The Ten represents the very best of everything beer can be. Far beyond what I will ever understand, writing and talking about the pints I have everyday has changed me as a person. It has seen me through perhaps the most difficult time in my life, a decade of struggle and triumph, where I am still trying to both understand what happened and make a path to a future where I can be better than I am today. It is about paying homage to things that bring me joy, cause me to pause and listen to the quiet part of my mind that wishes for nothing more than peace and love in a world bent on destroying that in us all. It is about tapping the core of who I am and letting the beer bring it out, to stand up and find something to cheer about and be thankful that I crossed paths with. Stepping away from it, taking the long look back and knowing that I have these 10 moments shining bright for me whenever I need them most.
10. Great Lakes Brewery Premium Lager (August 12th)
There is always a time when the only thing you want is a beer that tastes like a damn beer. A lager is, to me, one of the simplest yet most complex beers to both brew and talk about. It leaves no room for error, nowhere to hide and trying to describe such a delicate balance is always a tough one.
Great Lakes makes this all seem so easy....genius.
Their Premium Lager is not just an amazingly low priced option at $50 for a Two-four, it is a most excellent example of the patience, effort and dedication to the style, a refreshing and crisp lager that delivers all you need, when you need it and never relents in quality.
Highly recommend to have on hand always, not just because you may have someone visiting who doesn't like anything adventurous, but because it is truly one of the finest lagers in the land and there are days when that is exactly what you need in your life.
What I said then:
Good deal, great Lager!
Great Lakes Brewery 5% Premium Lager brings a lovely beer that tastes like a damn beer to the party and at only $50 for a 24 of tall boys, it's a no-brainer to have this in your fridge all year round. It's just a solid pint, simple grainy malt back, light citrus and grass notes, bitter as it should be, refreshing and on point
The tunes are loud, the beer is flowing, and Saturday night is just beginning! Cheers! 5/5 (Pure Lager Gold!)
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/WX-H4czPNMQ?si=CH9fYObqNZZrh_pU
9. Bellwoods Brewery Quadruple Ratclops Quadruple IPA (January 27th)
There are some really big memories in my beer life that I will carry with me until they turn out the taproom lights. Things I've been able to do, places I've visited and of course, beers I've drank. For me, Bellwoods Brewery will always be a huge part of what drove me to do what I do to this day when it comes to talking about beer. They have been mythical almost since I started this weird trip around the hops and continue to deliver amazing things every time I get them back here.
From my first trip to their flagship Ossington location and that very first sip of Roman Candle to the mixed fermentation experiments and ridiculously huge IPAs and barrel aged stouts, it has been a joy to experience it and never lose that initial awe at what they bring every time. This Quad IPA took me to new heights in early 2023 and despite that 11.5% ABV, it was just as smooth and fully integrated as any regular IPA. It was a tropical fruit salad medley that seemed more sublime with every sip and continued my love of all things Bellwoods. A beer for the ages and a reminder that boldness is always a good choice.
What I said then :
\Because I could not resist....
Bellwoods Brewery 11.5% Quadruple Ratclops Quadruple IPA dropped yesterday, and you knew I was gonna order it because of course I was. Big fan of Triple Ratclops from the summer, this behemoth one-upper has juiced up mango, pineapple, lemon, lime and a danky dank back with a little heat, but oh so damn smooth....it's gonna get me in trouble when I pop the top on number two....beauty! Cheers! 4.8/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/xIF5PeuHJKI?si=5yzdNz7E1hnI1HsM
8. Clifford Brewing Nitro Porter (March 9th)
One of the best things to happen when it comes to local beer is when Brad Clifford decided to open his brewery about 10 minutes from my house. I had long been a fan of his no nonsense, to-style brewing process and having it available even closer to home was a blessing for this hometown supporting beer guy. The award winning Porter has been a staple in this house for years and when they released this Nitro version in early March, I fell in love all over again with this dark beauty. Bringing that silky smooth feel to an already rich pint, the pour hard part and watching the cascade flow brought fun to a day that needed it. It strikes me as odd that we don't have more fun beers like this, a little out of the ordinary and still maintaining that incredibly high standard all Clifford beers must meet. Having this made my day and I still love watching those bubbles slide up into a rich, silky smooth head.
Brilliant.
What I said then :
Got that smooth feeling on a sunny Thursday afternoon thanks to Clifford Brewing Nitro Porter! The classic, award winning 5.5% Porter is made even better, if that's possible, with the addition of the Nitro. Big chocolate notes, coffee, and roasty notes hut in a richer, fuller body. It's absolutely a brilliant idea to Jack up this already amazing pint. Get some now, it won't last long! Cheers! 4.8/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/ik9skbATIDQ?si=Omq1-cEu8inzCWXR
7. Anderson Craft Ales 3X IPA (April 18th)
There are few breweries I trust more than Anderson Craft Ales. They label their beers exactly what they are in the most straightforward way possible and then deliver on that promise with grace and style. So when I saw this bold 3x Triple IPA hit their online offerings, I had to have it. I called it an intelligent beer, a big, bold and bitter pint that finds all the best things about West Coasts IPAs and jacks it all the way up. These beers are so easy to over do and tasting Anderson shows that it can be done right, but must be done with care and precision. Integrating all aspects of the flavour, malt and texture is as much science as magic and they did that here. A truly memorable moment in a year that was hurtling toward more change for me. I always have room for Anderson in my fridge, they have been nothing less than world class since the very beginning.
What I said then :
For almost 7 years, I have been an unabashed fan of all things Anderson Craft Ales.
While they may not pour often here in my glass, whenever I encounter them, I am blown away by the quality and attention to detail this London Brewery puts into every beer they release. When I saw they were dropping a Triple IPA... you know I wasn't missing this...
The 10.8% 3x IPA is one of the finest I've found in all my years. It is bold, hopped up, and boozy in all the right ways. The body is smooth and full, barely containing the bright citrus pith and resinous pine, a bitter finish that grabs your attention and never let's go, lingering warm, a work of art from first sip to last. It has the hallmarks of classic American West Coast IPAs, it is unafraid to be what it is, aggressive but balanced in all things, it is something to behold. It is not to be missed, tying past and present to a future of pure bliss...
Cheers! 5/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/l-9-yNajcc0?si=ZOx6iEMClNKdLfcI
6. Barncat Artisan Ales Barrel-aged Rat Queen Imperial Stout (December 5th)
This one was a bittersweet moment and gave me pause as I said goodbye to one of the best breweries in Ontario in 2023. Having been self employed for many years myself, this beautifully crafted Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial stout let me simply contemplate part of that life journey I took and the years that have followed. Matt and Jeremy made some complex beers, from weird mixed fermentation to some of the juiciest IPAs you could imagine, but for me, this final Barncat pint also let me let go of some of the deep anger I was holding for myself for my perceived failure in life and business. Even as I have seemingly found the right job at the right time, past darkness always lurks and holds me back. I discovered some peace after deep diving and slow sipping this final Rat Queen, I let a little of that past go, finding solace in a rich experience with some folks who had found that same dream coming to an end.
Whatever the circumstance, the memory of this and many other great beers will carry their name long past their end.
What I said then :
Tonight was a bittersweet one as Beer Advent Day 5 finds the 11.5% 2021 Barncat Artisan Ales Barrel-aged Rat Queen Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout hit my glass and with it I say goodbye to them and ponder my own days of self employment and that loss a decade ago. While the story of Barncat ending this year is a sad moment for great beer, being able to say goodbye properly with this behemoth is a fitting send off to a year that continues to see dreams come to an end across the province and beyond. Being a small business owner is never easy, I did it for 14 years and let me tell you, when it came to an end after years of struggle, it was almost a relief, but the bills still had to get paid and onward I went, deep into the darkness that surrounded me for years until I started resurfacing and now find a happy moment where I feel finally free...it's been a trip.
The beer proves worthy of the Barncat legacy, rich and heavy with huge chocolate vanilla and oak, warming boozy Bourbon, and lingering roasted malt notes that never leave you. It's huge, I'm slow sipping as much as I can, savouring the final drop and being thankful for all that was from this amazing brewery. Cheers! 5/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/J0u8kPQe9Mc?si=7JU19yDnFrmxuXDq
5. Meuse Brewing 2022 Tripel (March 3rd)
I've always said that we should let beer make the day special and when Instagram pal Craft Beer Days reached out about helping him promote Tripel Day (March 3rd), I said absolutely, sign me up. He sent along a 4 pack of Ontario Tripels and one took my breath away and deserves all the praise I can give.
Meuse is one of the most underrated breweries in the province, cranking out some incredible Belgian style beers every year with an eye to making these complex beers more accessible to the world. It is local beer made by a couple who cares about quality, using local ingredients whenever possible and chasing a dream that results in great things finding our glass every time.
This Tripel was the shining moment on this day, it still resonates almost a year later as the standout in a very well made up crowd. To be able to deliver such a high level ode to this style is no small feat and it reminds me of all those Belgian beers that forever changed my view on what beer could be. Meuse has been on The Ten before and I have no doubt that you will see them here again and again as the years pass, their work speaks for itself and I shall sing their praises as long as I have the voice to do so.
What I said then :
Every day may be a good day for a Tripel, but today, we get to celebrate this Belgian Style, and I'm all in!
Shout out to Craft Beer Days for the beer and the new shirt, #TripelDay hits its stride with the 9.0% Meuse Brewing Tripel, an effervescent addition to a wonderful day! Balanced through and through, clove and banana, bubblegum and citrus, peppery Coriander on the finish. Brilliance! #InternationalTripelDay is a beautiful thing! Cheers! 4.8/5
Video Review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/ks6iuyE8vYA?si=TpR4o_Nr16TofEhW
4. Third Moon Brewing Time Lords Doppelbock (February 2nd)
To be completely truthful, this list could have been The Third Moon Ten and it still would have been near impossible to just pick 10. Out of the 133 beers they released in 2023, I was lucky enough to try 68 of them and there wasn't a single miss to be had. From Quintuiple IPAs to Pilsners, NEIPAs to huge Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts and everything in-between, Third Moon continued to shine brightly in everything they touched, a truly remarkable run from anyone in Ontario. It's only called hype if you can't deliver and they just kept amping up the level of their commitment to their loyal fans with each passing week.
But, having said that, it is this lager, from February, that I kept coming back to every time. The richness, the overwhelming sense of time that I felt from the very beginning of this one set up the rest of the year and all that came out of this Milton brewery. It showcased the depth of what Third Moon was and is capable of and forever etched into my mind this wonderful day.
What I said then :
It's the Doppelbockiest!
Third Moon Beer Past Lords 9.2% Doppelbock is yet another example of how this Milton Brewery is beyond gold when it comes to any style you can throw at them...seriously...sweet baby jebus...
Big and rich, a thick rye breadiness, caramel and toffee, dark fruit, bitter but smooth, bold but balanced, it's a helluva pint of awesome!
Cheers! 4.8/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/hfKKl9If3_4?si=YzKlbKwU2kBjzN3Y
3. Barrel Heart Brewing Oubliette of Staves Aged Saison (March 27th)
A lot of times, a new brewery needs some time to get their legs under them, work out all the kinks in the system and establish their identity and cement the quality of their offerings.
Barrel Heart Brewing in Ancaster needed none of that, instead rocketing out of the gate with their initial offerings and taking my day to new heights. This Aged Saison was like something out of a dream, a funky, beautiful dream. Complex Brett yeast brings nuance and adding the barrel aging lends some depth of character to an intense and emotional beer. It impacted me, the subtleness of each note coming together in a work of art writ bottled beer. It almost feels like each bottle would be it's own event and it gave me such deep experience that took me to another realm with ever sip. Spectacular stuff, I can still taste it like it was the first time.
What I said then :
This is transcendent....there is something real sublime, yet enticing is happening here...
Barrel Heart Brewing Oubliette of Staves is a 6.6% Aged Saison that serves as my introduction to the latest Brewery to open up here in the Hammer. Located in Ancaster, they focus solely on Barrel Aged beers, saisons to be more clear, and this is spectacular. It has that funk, but in a balanced, nuanced piece of pure art. Citrus, hay, spice, and oak come out, but I feel I do not do justice to what I'm experiencing. I'll take Ontario beer toe to toe with the world, and Barrel Heart is definitely another notch in that growing list of next level experience beers we have around us.
Cheers! 5/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/oXVAIb152Dw?si=vsET7UnxiMjxZZNV
2. Third Moon Brewing, Sawdust City Brewing & Beertown Lone Tree West Coast IPA (March 30th)
The anticipation of this 2nd collaboration between two of my favourite breweries and the Beertown restaurant chain was pretty high after their first one, Bone Pine, came out in late 2022. This collaboration and mash up of Third Moon's Bone Tree and Sawdust City's Lone Pine was a most auspicious idea that deserved all the love and more. The first iteration was excellent, the second, Lone Tree, was a slice of heaven, sublimely supreme all through the summer. It stuck around a lot longer than anticipated and I found myself grabbing another 4 or 8 pack every time I went to Third Moon, where it was brewed. It was such a wonderfully assertive beer, leaving no note unturned in search of perfection. It got better every time I tried it and the surprise of finding it so many times continued to take every day up another level.
What I said then :
The long wait is over, and the second collab between Third Moon Brewing, Sawdust City , and Beertown Public House is here, and it is glorious! Lone Tree is the 6.5% West Coast IPA that completes the mash up of Lone Pine and Bone Tree. This one drives that big, pithy citrus of Third Moon's flagship with the solid malt bill of Sawdust's legendary pint. Orange, melon, peach, and pine, bitter and hitting all the best spots in my brain. This is something you don't want to miss, you can find it on tap at Beertown as well, and you can get a flight with both collabs and the 2 core beers if you want a real treat. Cheers! 4.8/5
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/j1AyxhDKyqs?si=_itUVFiQS0ZfCQb6
1. Sawdust City Brewing Two Pad Stack Double West Coast IPA (November 12th)
Was there any doubt?
One of the best experiences in beer I've ever had was when Sawdust City Brewing came down to visit the Grotto oh so many years ago, cementing a friendship that continues to grow every time we head north and visit our pals in Gravenhurst. They make some of the best beers in the country and no style is too much for them to tackle and release with great anticipation and reception.
In 2022, we did a virtual collab of the first version of Two Pad Stack, as the lockdowns kept us home when it needed to be brewed. We did get to go up for canning day and enjoyed many pints when the beer finally hit the fridges at Sawdust City, but the 2023 version was on a whole other level and this memory will carry me to my final days.
Sam Corbeil, Brewmaster, contacted me in late summer with the outrageous surprise that not only did they want o have us up for brew day on Two Pad 2.0, but that this time, our beer would be available across the province at the LCBO. My name on the back of the label and all, this old goalie was realizing a dream come true, double large.
The actual brew day was a whirlwind of activity and conversation. After finishing adding copious amounts of hops to the kettle, we were treated to an amazing meal from the Sawdust City kitchens and several staller cellar pulls as Sam regaled us with tales and the discussions flowed into the afternoon. It was a bucket list moment and when the beer was finally ready for release in early November, it became something I'll never forget. Seeing my name on a beer in the wilds of the Ontario liquor store...priceless.
\So, for all that and a 9% Double West Coast IPA that just makes you feel like you won the Stanley Cup, Sawdust City Two Pad Stack tops The Ten for 2023.
What I said then :
Dreams can come true.
Whether you're a 14 year old house league goalie winning his only championship or a 50 year old beer drinking fan getting his name on a beer in the LCBO... big league stuff...haha.
Two Pad Stack West Coast IIPA returns and this 9% collab between @sawdustcitybeer and this guy is even better than last year.
Hopped with Simcoe, Citra, Chinook, and Nectaron, this is a throwback to the big old hopped up IPAs we all fell in love with. Orange and grapefruit citrus pith, passionfruit, dank, resinous earthy pine with that Simcoe spice coming through the big malt back that brings a honey like feel to this slow sipping dream come true. It's gonna be in the fridge at the LC soon. If you can't wait, you can get it at The Sawdust City Saloon in Gravenhurst or delivered to your home now. My eternal thanks to my Sawdust family, this is beyond everything I ever thought possible. Forever a member of that northern fam...
Cheers! 5/5 (It feels like perfection every damn sip!)
Video review on YouTube : https://youtu.be/8F_RQwCx7Ys?si=NWPCWv3TJ7B5ZN95
There you have it, The Ten of 2023. It wasn't easy whittling over 550 beers down to just this list, there were more than 50 that could have been inserted here and not been out of place. For me, it was great to return to writing and examining all that the previous year had to offer, hopefully inspiring me to bring more stories and commentary this year after a long time spent in the wilderness.
Thank you for all your support, Polk loves ya!
Polk
January 14th, 2024
