For the Charlatan’s inaugural beer review, like most rookies, I made the obvious mistake of drinking all the beer set to be reviewed in a limited length of time. Below are four standouts that I most certainly remember the best:
Lake of Bays 10 Point IPA
Made by the Muskoka-area Lake of Bays Brewery, their fall seasonal doesn’t seem to allude too much to the traditional fall beer fare—usually very spicy and fortified. Instead, this IPA is fairly light, with a good hop kick, but an otherwise earthy taste. It’s an excellent beer for those willing to adventure into stronger IPAs than Keith’s, but still maintains a very complex taste. Find it at the LCBO in the Glebe, or on Rideau Street.
Great Lakes Pumpkin Ale
This beer remains the top-selling seasonal beer by Great Lakes, according to Troy Burtch, who does sales and social media for the company. It’s easy to see why—the beer is sweet and festive, though lightly spiced. It tastes similar to pumpkin pie, except it lacks any solid texture, as beer should. The beer was also fairly light, and left us wanting a little more spice along with our pumpkin. Find it at the LCBO at Bank and Walkley, in the Glebe, and Westboro.
Black Creek Pumpkin Ale
After a few trips to the LCBO, I discovered fairly quickly that fall beer is all about the mighty pumpkin. This beer didn’t disappoint, and brought a fiery hell storm of pumpkin and spice to the palate. It’s significantly less sweet than Great Lake’s offering, and goes very well with apple pie. Made in Black Creek Pioneer Village in northern Toronto, the beer is supposed to emulate the beers historically drank in Upper Canada. However, at the price point of a breezy $4 for a 500-millilitre bottle, this beer comes in at twice the cost of most tall cans. It’s most certainly a once-in-a-while treat. Find it at the LCBO at Bank and Walkley, the Glebe, or on Rideau Street.
Mill Street’s Nightmare on Mill Street Pumpkin Ale
Yet another pumpkin ale, this was the last beer of the evening, enjoyed in a sweaty basement during a party where I only knew the host. I remember thinking this beer was the champion over all its pumpkiny rivals. It seemed to balance the spicy and sweet, forming a wonderful middle ground between the two beers above. It only comes in a pack of six bottles, with three of them being Mill Street’s other fall seasonal, the Oktoberfest Lager, of which my memory is spotty about at best. Find it at almost any LCBO, except the store in Billings Bridge and in the Glebe.
—@DKolanko
