BeerCrank.ca - Craft Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beer reviews from Manitoba, Canada

Review: Ol' Beautiful Polite Nights Light Lager

2026-04-07T12:36:00.001-05:00

This review should have been posted a long time ago but I lose track of reviews sometimes.. I have reviews written from as far back as 2017 that may or may not see the light of day (who knows). Today's sampling is from Ol' Beautiful Brewery out of Calgary. My mom's good friend Alberta brought this to me to try out - it was awesome, so it's time to finally share the review. Unfortunately since I got the brewery's taproom experienced a devastating fire. Thankfully their beer is still more than easy to find throughout Alberta.

From the can: Enjoy this beautiful light lager crafted with premium Pilsner malt and European hops for a delightfully zesty finish. This low alcohol beer is the perfect companion for your next evening out, stay polite. 4.0% ABV

Appearance: There's a very hefty amount of snow white head as I'm pouring the beer but it gradually diminishes leaving behind a bit of a layered lacing on the glass. The beer has a mild amount of carbonation and it has a light straw appearance with a slight cloudiness to it.

Aroma: Sweet, notes of straw, lemon, a tad doughy, quite crisp so far and straight forward - definitely a summer worthy treat.

Taste: Notes of straw, a hint of lemon, saltine crackers and crisp grainy notes. It's very smooth, easy to drink, a perfect beer to pair with finishing with mowing the lawn.

Overall Thoughts: Very straight forward light lager - exactly what you want in a crafty light lager - it's smooth, crisp, easy to drink, doubtful to offend any kind of palate - which is just what you want in a light lager!

Review: Black Wheat Li'l Feller Micro IPA

2026-04-05T14:36:00.005-05:00

I still remember when Session style beers (less than 5% ABV) were on their way to become the new norm in the craft beer scene, but then COVID happened and they seemed to mostly disappear, or I just didn't notice them. Today's sampling is Li'l Feller Micro IPA from Brandon, Manitoba's Black Wheat Brewing.

From the can: Li'l Feller Micro IPA is hoppy, smooth, local, and Li'l - tiny but mighty, like a cowboy's favourite sidekick. 40 IBU

Appearance: Love the label with a horse wearing a cowboy hat, you just want to be friends with that horse! The IPA pours a slightly cloudy orange-ish body with a moderate amount of snow white head on top that gradually diminishes to leave behind a mild amount of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: If you've ever had Black Wheat's Empire IPA, you can tell that this is in the same kind of style, a more bitter-forward West Coast style IPA. It's a moderately bitter IPA with notes of pine, grapefruit, slight hint of pineapple, Earl Grey tea, and a bit of a caramel maltiness to it.

Taste: It pretty much shows off what I got from the aroma, it's a West Coast Style Micro IPA with a bitter hop presence to it that's predominantly pine, a bit of a leafy hop presence to it, grapefruit, a tad bit of a pepperiness to it, a hint of Earl Grey tea, slight caramelly sweetness, and lastly a bit of lemon at the end.

Overall Thoughts: This is one of my go-to beers at Black Wheat since it ever came out, it's very Sessionable and the kind of IPA that I keep missing (in the world of Hazy IPAs), it's flavourful and hoppy and it tastes like it's a full ABV IPA. Pretty smooth (for this IPA lover), a tad sweet and tropical, moderately bitter, caramel malt.

Review: Rebellion Zilla Light IPA

2026-04-01T13:01:00.001-05:00

I still remember when Mark from Regina's Rebellion Brewing told me that they will never distribute beer to Manitoba (circa 2016) - I'm sure I've told that story on here a few times already, but I'm happy to see Rebellion's beer in Liquor Marts and beer vendors across Manitoba (including here in Brandon). Today's sampling is Zilla Light IPA at 4.5% ABV.

I couldn't find any information on their website about the beer but I'm expecting it to be fairly reminiscent of their classic IPA (RIP grain elevator design), which somehow I've never reviewed.. but I was sure I did.

Appearance: Deep, cloudy darkish orange body to it, thick amount of (very creamy) head to it that diminishes gradually as the beer is being savoured, leaving behind a very nice layered lacing on the glass.. a good reminder that you're getting closer to needing another beer 😂.

Aroma: Dank, floral hoppy presence to it, a bit of grapefruit, some Earl Grey tea kind of leafiness to it, some lemon, slight bit of creaminess to it somehow. So far - a very aromatic light IPA.

Taste: Decent amount of sweetness with a bit of caramel to start things off, a leafy hop presence that gives it a slight piney bitterness to it, but more-so an Earl Grey kind of taste, a hint of nuttiness at the very end.

Overall Thoughts: Whenever 'Earl Grey' came up, I kept thinking of one of my favourite American brewers who happens to be a big fan of Rebellion, Eric from Atypical Brewing in Minot, ND. Lots of floral/herbal hop notes to this beer, caramel sweetness from the malt, a bit of lemon, bit of grapefruit. For a "Lite" IPA, this is full on flavour.

I always get nervous about reviewing a Rebellion beer because I always feel like Mark will getting out his BJCP notes and tell me I'm wrong, but I know he would never do that but I wouldn't blame him if he's secretly judging me.

Review: Bellwoods White Picket Fence Blended Foeder Saison

2026-03-31T06:30:00.008-05:00

I had a nice rainy afternoon visit to Bellwoods Brewing in Toronto back in the Spring, sampling a good amount of beers of all styles while people watching and reading my social media. Once I left I had to take a visit to their bottle shop next door to take home. I picked up a good sampling, including this beer, White Picket Fence, a Blended Foeder Saison. Anyone who has ever visited Bellwoods' Ossington taproom will recognize the white picket fence in front of the taproom, so this could be a great tribute to it!

From the website: A symbol synonymous with Bellwoods Brewery; White Picket Fence is a Blended Foeder Saison made in the Solera style. Oak Aged beer is blended with a small percentage of fresh beer before being lightly dry-hopped and bottle-conditioned. The result is layers of balanced acidity, subtle brett, and citrus fruit flavour. 5.6% ABV

Appearance: Cloudy with a deep blonde appearance to it. It starts out with a thick amount of white head on top that fizzes away within a moment or two but there are still a few bubbles here and there on top of the beer. Lastly, there's a lot of carbonation in the body.

Aroma: The very first thing I'm getting is the funkiness from the Foeder - it's a funky Bretty aroma, heavily lemon-forward with a hint of pear, and lastly a hint of bubble gum at the end.

Taste: Fairly dry with a definite Bretty presence so it gives off a tart, mildly funky and very lemony taste to it. There's a tad bit of grassiness to it, and the aftertaste is a bit of a lingering apple peel flavour.

Overall Thoughts: This isn't the type of Saison I typically drink but it's decent. Not overly funky and actually pretty easy to drink, something I could drink again.

Review: Lake of the Woods Great Big Tea Hard Iced Tea

2026-03-29T21:03:00.003-05:00

Back in August 2025 I was alerted that Kenora's Lake of the Woods Brewing made an alcoholic iced tea that yours truly would absolutely love. I'm a snob about iced tea so don't ever tell me I'll love something until I'll actually give my approval.. but I'm also not picky about boozy iced teas to begin with.

Great Big Tea Hard Iced Tea is described as: made with love using premium vodka and real brewed black tea. Non-carbonated, sweet, refreshing and a squeeze out of the ordinary. A perfect blend of iced tea, lemon and vodka to give you that feeling of ‘sunshine on the dock’ in every can. Oh… and all that with a boozy 7% kick. Bringing the ‘BIG’ to a GREAT hard TEA. 7.0% ABV

Appearance: This has a deep copper brown appearance, close to no clarity to it, and a tad bit of white foam on top. This reminds me of my childhood for sure.

Aroma: Pretty much a sweet, sugary Good Host brand iced tea kind of vibe to it - sugary, a bit of "green tea" kind of presence, but really.. quite a sugary iced tea presence we all know and love.

Taste: There's a strong vodka bitterness I get from the first sip each and every time I sip this 355mL can of iced tea. Once I get past the vodka bite from it, it's giving me a very sugary, sweet, Good Host-inspired iced tea kind of taste to it. It's got a big booziness to it, but it also has a familiarity from your childhood - it's a hefty iced tea.. with vodka.

Overall Thoughts: This is the closest thing to Good Host iced tea to ever making their own packaged beverage.. but with vodka added. I've told Lake of the Woods I'd love to see a 473mL version of this hard iced tea, but with it being 7%, 355mL makes sense.

PS: If my sister is reading this, thank you for bringing me LOTW beers over the years, you're the best sister in the world!

Non-alcoholic review: Guinness 0 Non-alcoholic draught

2026-03-23T14:02:00.000-05:00

Guinness 0 Non-alcoholic Draught is another NA review I've had pending for a very long time but I didn't feel right reviewing the beer with just any ol' beer glass, I waited until I could find a branded Guinness glass to do the review - Well, I did have a nice Guinness glass but when I moved from my former apartment, I didn't bring it with me because I didn't drink Guinness anymore at that point.

The notes I got from Guinness' website: Guinness 0 boasts a beautifully smooth taste, perfectly balanced flavor, and unique dark color, similar to Guinness Draught, brewed to be non-alcoholic.
To create Guinness 0 the St James’s Gate brewers, start by brewing Guinness exactly as they always have, using the same natural ingredients; water, barley, hops, and yeast; before gently removing the alcohol through a cold filtration method. The cold filtration process allows the alcohol to be filtered out without presenting thermal stress to the beer, protecting the integrity of its taste and character. The brewers then carefully blend and balance the flavours to ensure the distinctive flavour profile and taste characteristics of Guinness. The resulting product is a non-alcoholic stout that is unmistakably Guinness, inspired by the same dark, ruby red liquid and creamy head, hints of chocolate and coffee, smoothly balanced with bitter, sweet and roasted notes. Less than 0.5% ABV

Appearance: Well, it's been a good decade or so since I've bought a classic can of Guinness with the widget inside - this is exactly it. As soon as I open it up, you hear a loud pssssst! sound from the carbonation but it's not going to foam up like most beers as the little widget prevents that. The beer pours a deep, dark almost black as night body (with a bit of a cola brown hue), as the beer is poured there's a bit of a creaminess building up to the body, and finally it gives off a rich and deep yellowish/beige head on top that reminds me of a classic Guinness - the head doesn't go anywhere, it's vibrant, thick, and very creamy.

Aroma: This stout has a rich roasted maltiness to it that gives off a bit of a coffee aroma to it, dark chocolate, and a slight sweet and creaminess presence at the end - not quite a "double double" for those who are in Canada.. but sweet and creamy enough for the fellow coffee fans who like a nice rich stout as well.

Taste: This is incredibly creamy for the mouthfeel, it's incredibly smooth for a stout of any variety (full alcohol or non), it has a light to moderate roasted malt presence that gives off a bit of a coffee-like presence to it, a hint of peat, decent amount of sugary sweetness. It's fairly thin for the mouthfeel but it's definitely there - a slight roastiness with a slight sugary sweetness to it and a mild creaminess to it.

Overall Thoughts: I don't know why this took me 3+ years to review.. except for not wanting to feel embarrassed about using the "wrong glassware" because 50% of the Guinness experience is about the glass. This is definitely toned down compared to a classic Guinness but I'm someone who prefers the Jamaican/Export versions of the beer to begin with, so this NA version is very delightful, it's got a nice mild roasty presence to it, lots of creaminess thanks to the C02/Nitrogen, a mild sweetness to it that fellow Canadian coffee shop connoisseurs should appreciate. This is very smooth and honestly, I should have checked this out when it first came out.. but it's better late than never, right? Right?!

Check out my other Non-alcoholic beer reviews!

BEERCRANK.CA

Review: Pabst Blue Ribbon Strong Lemonade

2026-03-20T16:58:00.000-05:00

This has been a review I've been meaning to do for a year or so now - Pabst Blue Ribbon Strong Lemonade. I've wanted to try this beverage but it was only available in 12-packs so I didn't want to try it just to find out I hated it, though I knew it was doubtful as PBR's Groovy Lemon Iced Tea is one of my go-to beverages when I want something non-beer, as we know.. PBR is world famous for their iced tea and vodka beverages 😂. Will this beverage make me stop buying Mike's Hard Lemonade permanently?

PBR Strong Lemonade is described as made with real juice, this classic and refreshing lemonade is a balance of sweet and tart with a 5.9% abv kick.

Appearance: Has a cloudy water kind of look to it, not the most attractive looking beverage so far, as well has a light white hue to it. There's a light amount of bubbles on top but not an overly carbonated beverage by any means.

Aroma: Definitely very lemon-forward. It's moderately sugary sweet and actually reminds me of the iced tea but without any of the tea.

Taste: Slightly tart with a definite lemon flavour to it. As I'm drinking it I get a definite sugary sweetness that's very reminiscent to the iced tea again. Slight vodka bite to it, but for the most part it's decently smooth.

Overall Thoughts: Does this beat out Mike's Hard Lemonade? I'm overly nostalgic about Mike's as it was that beverage I was drinking in my teenage years, so it doesn't have that very sharp presence Mike's has.. which some love and some hate, so personally I love. So, it's definitely not a Mike's but I think this will be in regular rotation, so if you like boozy lemonade and don't feel like making it yourself, this is definitely a good option.

Review: Patent 5 Distillery Radiger & Erb Canadian Craft Whisky

2026-03-15T22:37:00.002-05:00

First off: I have to remind people that in the name of Canadian Whisky, there is no E, it's not Whiskey, it's just Whisky.

This is the very first sampling of a spirit from Patent 5 Distillery in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I've been waiting for a homegrown non-multinational Canadian Whisky in Manitoba for a decade or more - I've seen others in other provinces (such as Lucky Bastard in Sask), but this is the first time I'm ever trying a locally owned Manitoban Whisky - and we all know that Manitoba is famous for one of the most famous Canadian Whiskies in the entire world. Also, thanks to Nonsuch for first recommending Patent 5 way back in the day!

Patent Five's Radiger & Erb Canadian Whisky pays tribute to one of the earliest craft distilleries in Winnipeg: Ratiger & Erb operated from 1876 to 1880, and produced wheat Whisky made exclusively from Manitoban grain. Our whisky, inspired by the original recipe, carries forward the tradition by using single-farm Manitoban grain and is distilled in Winnipeg with a mash bill of wheat, rye, corn, and malted barley. This uniquely Manitoban Whisky is a beautiful blend of traditional design and modern distillation. 46% ABV

Appearance: To be classically Manitoban I had to pour this in a tiny A&W-sized shot glass.. though I have no Root Beer to pair it with. Very clear with a mild caramel kind of body to it, a tad lighter than some big name Canadian Whisky brands.

Aroma: I've smelled a LOT of Whisky in the 40 years of my life - my ol dad Rollie was a big rye & Coke guy growing up so this brings me up a lot of memories of our visits to his buddies Red & Goose (RIP) and Paul. It's a deep caramelly aroma with a hefty booziness to it, notes of peat, vanilla, tad bit of apple, and a finishing of a tad bit of black pepper.

Taste: It's got that boozy burn you get from every Whisky you've ever tried. There's a bit of a caramel sweetness, notes of rye spiciness, a bit of black pepper, hint of vanilla and oak. I don't review Whisky often so this was hard - I had some Cherry Coca Cola with me and adding to that - it was a very nice accompaniment.

Overall Thoughts: My dad was the first one to get a sample of the Whisky - he liked it a lot, so that's a really good sign. As a shot, I could never do this Whisky as one, but as a spirit for a nice soda - it will pair really well. Sweet, caramelly, tad roasty, vanilla.

I was wanting to pair this with a Pic-a-Pop drink but they closed during COVID era.. so I wanted to pair this with Pepsi Throwback (Pepsi with Cane Sugar) but by the time I reviewed this Whisky, Throwback was no longer available.. soooo.. I wanted to review this with Mexican Coca Cola, something that should be available at just about every grocery store.. but it was completely out of stock (and it's now $10 for a 4 pack?!!!) - I settled with pairing it with Cherry Coca Cola.. something I absolutely hated when I went to restaurants in Minot, ND in the 90s.. but apparently don't mind now. SO.... the Whisky actually compliments the faux cherry and the cola quite well, giving off a mildly oaky presence, with a tad bit of a cherry taste that you would get from a lot of American Whiskys as it is, a bit of vanilla - Radiger & Erb and Cherry Coke works out well.

Review: Kilter x Bellwoods Jutsii Fruit Mango Peach IPA

2026-03-11T23:53:00.001-05:00

This is for my bro n bud Chris in Leslieville (as well as Tom, he'd love this).

I was in Toronto in June 2024 and I went to Bellwoods Brewing with one of my best friends Chris, the server saw my Kilter Vintage Lager hat and mentioned that Bellwoods was doing a collaboration with Kilter and the beer was actually going to be released the very next day, a Mango Peach IPA called Jutsii Fruit. Unfortunately for me, I dealt with severe sleep issues at that time so I couldn't go to the event because I was having a hard time staying awake. Anywho, a while back I told the Kilter staff that I was in Toronto and missed out on the Jutsii Fruit collab, they said that it's due time for Bellwoods to come to Winnipeg to bring the beer to Manitoba.. Right around Christmas time the beer made a surprise to my local Liquor Mart, so of course I bought up as many cans as I could - it wasn't going to be around for long.

From the label: Jutsii Fruit Mango Peach IPA - Super Fruity / Super Hoppy - Double dry hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, El Dorado and heavily loaded with mango and peach purée. 7% ABV

Appearance: Deep opaque orange juicy body with a nice amount of snow white head. The head leaves behind a very nice layered lacing on the glass as it gradually gets savoured.

Aroma: Juicy, tropical, leafy hops. I don't get peach at first - I get a bit of a spearmint-like leafy hop presence initially, followed by a hint of orange, a bit of a grapefruit spiciness to it, and then finally - peach. The peach isn't overly peach but it's a nice aroma to it, but I'm finding I'm mostly getting the leafiness of the hops.

Taste: Surprisingly spiced at first with a bit of a black pepper kind of spice to it. It's decently sweet, a bit of grapefruit, a bit of orange but definitely a decent amount of peach to it. It has a good amount of leafy/bitter hops to it. Very smooth and creamy once you get past the "pepper" kind of taste to it, it's got a good amount of sweetness.

Overall Thoughts: I've had multiple cans of this, I'd like more peach but it's a nice, creamy, sweet IPA. Good amount of black pepper spice that you wouldn't expect for the style - some will like it, some won't.

Jutsii Fruit, it's gonna move ya..

Review: Four Winds Operis Brett Saison

2026-03-05T19:42:00.001-06:00

My mom brought some Four Winds' Operis Brett Saison from a trip to the Okanagan a few years ago, I've been meaning to review it but you know me if you come here often.. I forget to ever review it. Operis is a Brett Saison from their Farmhouse Series. It's aged in Okanagan red wine barrels. The Brett Saison is invigorated by wild yeast strain Brettanomyces, inviting hues of straw and earth. 6.5% ABV

Appearance: My camera was acting up a bit so it took me a few minutes to get a photo but the beer is a deep opaque peach-orange body with a heavy off-white head that diminishes to a light layering of foam on top of the beer. There's a big of fizzy carbonation as it's being poured but it stops being fizzy pretty much immediately.

Aroma: Oh, this is a deep "farmhouse" sort of Saison - it's quite tart, funky, notes of straw and leather. There's citrusy notes of lemon, a deep red wine tartness, notes of oak, a bit of candi sugar-like sweetness, a bit of pear. This is very aromatic and all over the place.

Taste: Decently tart with a bit of a red wine profile to it, a bit of oak, a definitely barn yard vibe as expected for being a Brett Saison. There's notes of lemon, straw, a bit of orange peel, good amount of tartness, slight biscuity.

Overall Thoughts: If you like Brett Saisons, you'd like this - even after a few years of being in my hoard.

I also recommend visiting the brewery when in Vancouver - they're awesome people with awesome beer and food!

Review: Wooden Gate Cider L'il Fruity Cider

2026-03-04T07:57:00.003-06:00

I'm not a cider fan, but you'll see here why I'll sometimes review ciders in this day and age - thanks Laurissa at Section 6 Brewing in Brandon, thanks to her I have bought more cider in the past six months than I have in the rest of my life, and that's including the period where I wanted to like cider in 2005 but I just couldn't enjoy it at all.

I'm planning on a "Sampling Western Manitoba" series where I sample a product or two from every single brewery/cidery/winery/producer in Western Manitoba to hopefully see a boost in the craft beverage industry tourism industry - I've been evangelical about Manitoba craft beer for close to 20 years now, so you know I'd love to see a boost in the Western Manitoba tourism industry - we have a lot to share but we never really promote it off compared to other regions of Canada. Pilot Mound's Wooden Gate Cider has done an amazing job promoting Western Manitoba with showcasing that a very cold region of Canada can not only grow apples and other fruit really well, but also turn it into some of the best cider in all of Canada. I forgot to mention - I hear they have a really good wood fire pizza, so you can't go wrong with a sampling of cider with a piping hot pizza!

Today's sampling was meant to be part of the "Sampling Western Manitoba" series, but I've been having troubles doing the series, mostly from my health, so I decided the first sampling in the series won't be part of the series but as its own review, as this cider is no longer available at most Liquor Marts, so it didn't seem fair to review something that isn't even available at the time of publishing. I fell in love with this cider because it was in a pretty-looking clear Stubby bottle - I absolutely love Stubbies so I was excited beyond belief that any beverage producer would still have a product in a Stubby in this day and age.. I've harassed breweries to do beers in Stubbies, but we will likely never see the return of Stubbies in the craft beer scene again.. so for now, this is the most excited I will ever be about a beverage container for a very long time.

Description: A l’il sweet, a l’il sour. L’il fruity takes up its much deserved space as an easy to drink, bright and crisp cider. This mixed prairie blend offers medium carbonation with notes of fruit punch and sour candy. Wooden Gate’s Pride cider in all its unfiltered, mixed Manitoba berry glory. we are excited to share that a portion of all proceeds from this Pride cider will be donated to Rainbow initiatives throughout the Pembina Valley Region. 5.2% ABV
Ingredients: Apples, Raspberries, Sour Cherries, Saskatoons, Chokecherries, Sugar, Citric Acid

Appearance: Deep cherry juice body, clear, a light amount of carbonation when I opened up the bottle

Aroma: Nice, sweet, a bit tart. Notes of raspberry right from the beginning, a bit of a tartness from Manitoba apples, tart cherries, and a very subtle hint of Saskatoon at the end. It's sweet, tart and has a bit of bite to it, so far.

Taste: All the flavours rushed at the same time - there was the apple sweetness/tartness to it, sour cherry presence, a bit of Saskatoon, and especially raspberry to it. It leaves a bit of an acidic aftertaste at the end.

Overall Thoughts: It's got a definite sweet and sour/tart balance to it. The apple presence gives of a sweetness (not crab apple like I'm used to), tart yet very sweet raspberry sweetness, a slight bite of Saskatoon. Each sip I take I feel like each of the flavours comes out, but the apple sweetness is probably the most dominant. I'd love to see more beverages of all kinds in a nice Stubby now days..

Review: Mike's Hard Blue Raspberry Lemonade

2026-03-02T17:51:00.002-06:00

Today I'm reviewing Mike's Hard Blue Raspberry Lemonade that just came to Manitoba this morning. I wasn't planning on reviewing this but I was the kind of kid who was obsessed with the faux Blue Raspberry kind of flavour in candy, freezies and beverages. Now.. it's way too sickly sweet for me but I couldn't pass this up. This was canned less than a month ago so it's super fresh. I also can't find any information about this product except that it's available in Manitoba and Newfoundland.

From the can it says it contains "natural flavour", which we all know that Blue Raspberry isn't an actual fruit. Since I can't find any reviews about it, this may be the world's first Mike's Blue Raspberry review (excluding the Harder version available in the US) 5.0% ABV

Appearance: This looks like a freezie before you put it in the freezer - it's a light baby blue colour with a good cloudiness to it. It's quite carbonated as I'm pouring the can but the fizziness goes away pretty much immediately.

Aroma: Yeah, it's blue raspberry but it's not sickly sweet. I don't know how to describe it but it's a sweeter raspberryish aroma without the tartness, there's a good deal of tartness in the lemonade, a hint of vodka. So pretty much a liquid boozy blue freezie.

Taste: It tastes exactly how it smells. It's got that blue freezie taste to it, as well as the typical lemony taste you're used to with Mike's but without that sharpness to it, so it's definitely lemonade-y. It's sweet but not too sweet but I wouldn't ever drink more than one of these. Slight vodka burn at the end.

Overall Thoughts: Not bad, but I could only handle one. Comparing this to a regular blue raspberry-flavoured beverage I drink regularly - Twisted Tea Blue Razz, this is much more tame on the sweetness than Twisted's.

PS: It appears that their Jalapeño Lemonade I reviewed a couple years ago turned out to be a flop, which wasn't a surprise as I was doubting there would be a large market for it. This? Shouldn't experience that same fate.

Sampling a 14 year old bottle of Unibroue Noire de Chambly (2012)

2026-02-28T21:24:00.001-06:00

Today I'm going back into my hoard to sample something that hasn't seen the light of day for a long time - almost 14 years in fact - Unibroue's Noire de Chambly bottled in May of 2012. I should know better than keeping beers aging but I always think "what if I want to celebrate?" Well, it never gets to that point.

From the label: Noire de Chambly honours the brave soldiers of the fighting Carignan Salièrs Regiment, saviours of Nouvelle France. Dispatched by King Louis XIV in 1665 to protect Montréal and the colony, they built a string of forts on the Rihelieu River including historic Fort Chambly. This led to the legendary Iroquois peace of 1667. Officers and soldiers were encouraged to stay. A number of them married Filles du Roi, raised large families and prospered. Noire de Chambly has an opaque black colour with beige coloured foam. Its roasted malt character complemented by spicy, mildy smoky notes and surprisingly clean dry finish. 6.2% ABV

Appearance: You immediately tell that this isn't fresh but I'm doing this to show how beer ages - it's a deep black body that reminds me of cola and it initially has a bit of a fizzy carbonation to it but the head diminishes fizzes off immediately, there's a couple bubbles near the side of the glass but not much, really.

Aroma: The first whiff was very oxidized (a bit of cardboard) but once it warms up after a few minutes it has a rich molasses/brown sugar sweetness to it, a mildly peaty/smoky aroma to it, quite sweet and slightly oaky at the end.

Taste: Molasses, peat, caramel, hint of woodiness to it, and a hint of raisin and fig at the end. Watery to the mouthfeel but still somehow an enjoyable slow sipper. The aftertaste is a hint of burnt caramel and a bit of roasted maltiness that lingers for a good moment or two.

Overall Thoughts: Noire de Chambly was one of the harder Unibroue beers to get in Manitoba, I only ever saw it maybe three or four times so I never did a proper review of it. I looked at my Untappd tasting notes and pretty much everything I stated showed up in this well aged bottle - so that's a win for me! RIP Noire de Chambly. The last time I'll ever have Noire de Chambly was right before having an interview with Jim Koch from Sam Adams/Boston Beer Co to shake the anxiety.. that's almost seven years ago already and the day before I found out that my weekly beer column in the local paper was going to end.

Review: Nifty Peach & Rose Seltzer

2026-02-26T21:03:00.006-06:00

Generally I'd never give seltzers a try - I flat out hate them, it tastes like when you go to a fast food restaurant and they have an inconsistent syrup:carbonated water ratio so you get a bitter carbonated water with minimal flavour. That being said, I found a seltzer I actually enjoyed.. I'm not being biased but Nonsuch's Nifty Seltzer line was the first seltzer I ever liked, it actually had flavour and I didn't hate it. The one I enjoyed the most was Nifty's Peach & Rose Seltzer, but unfortunately every time I went looking for it, it wasn't available at the liquor store when I wanted it, so of course as soon as I found it for the first time in who knows how long, I had to buy some.

Nifty's Peach & Rose is a gluten-friendly vodka seltzer with natural ingredients, rose water, peach flavour, citric acid, bubbles, vodka, water, sugar and of course.. love. 4.5% ABV

Appearance: Carbonated water, duh. It's fizzy, there's bubbles.

Aroma: It's shockingly sweet for a seltzer, it's got a very pronounced white freezie kind of aroma to it which is considered to be cream soda but definitely a peach scent to it, also a decent amount of rose water.

Taste: This is possibly the sweetest seltzer I've ever tried, but I also haven't tried many because I find them way too light on the flavour, so I'm happy. It's a tad sugary, notes of white freezie yet again, a slight sweet peachy presence to it, and a hint of rose water. Very smooth, decent amount of bubbly action in my mouth.

Overall Thoughts: It absolutely works! It's got a sweetness that we all crave but it's not sickly sweet as I've been cutting down on fast food/sugary beverages over the past six months to get my weight down (which has made me much happier)! I was just thinking that they should do a Cola, but they just did in NA form!

Review: Brazen Brewing Jarpur Amber Ale

2026-02-22T14:22:00.000-06:00

Thanks Brazen Brewing (especially Evan & Erin!) for sending this my way! Today's sampling is Jarpur Amber Ale, one of their flagship beers I've had in the past but not a style I've sampled in a long time with my obsession over Belgian ales and West Coast IPAs for over the past number of years

From the can: Jarpur is named after our Chieftain's Viking horse that wouldn't quit. Jarpur Amber Ale celebrates bold and rich flavours right to the last sip. This beer pairs with your hearty meal, or with dessert but is perfect if you just want to unwind with something a little more complex. This beer can handle all these moments and more, and will look damn good doing it.

Dark in colour, rich in flavour. This brazen brown ale brings flavours of caramel, subtle chocolate, some earthy yet fruity notes in the aroma, and a brilliant amber/jarpur colour. Rich, bold and flavourful. 5.0% ABV/30 IBU

Appearance: You better bet that this is an Amber Ale! It's got a deep copper reddish body to it that you can see light through but not really clear. The head is a decent yellowish/beige head that's creamy and leaves behind a very nice layered lacing on the glass as it's getting savoured by yours truly.

Aroma: Oh my goodness, I had a significant love of Amber Ales/Lagers back around 2005-2006 (Merci Boréale) that made me go from your typical Kokanee/prairie lager drinker to someone who's insanely particular - the first whiff of this beer reminds me of when I was starting to experiment. Jarpur has a rich caramel aroma with a bit of a peat-like roastiness to it, hint of coffee, just overall a nice aromatic beer that's not in any way aggressive at all.

Taste: This Amber is moderately sweet with a caramel/toffee presence to it. There's a subtle dark fruit presence to it, mostly fig. There's a moderate earthiness to the beer to give it a slight peat-like presence to it, a slight nuttiness, and finally a slight dough presence at the very end that comes up for the aftertaste (and a slight caramel aftertaste, as well).

Overall Thoughts: If you were one of the kind of people who were drinking Sleeman Honey Brown back when it was the rage, this is definitely going to be something I'd recommend for you - but that rage was also 20 years ago so you're either a beer geek or drinking "hipster dad beer" right now, but Amber Ales are probably the most underrated type of beer out there. This is sweet, caramelly, a tad earthy, quite smooth - this unlocked memories I haven't thought of in over 15 years. Wow.

PS: As a farm kid who grew up on some of the best beef in all of North America, I still say that Brazen Hall's burgers are some of the best out there - I've said it before but I highly recommend their Butter Burger and fries. I don't know why.. but some of the best burgers I've had in Manitoba were by breweries that just happened to have burgers. Keep it up! (Actually, eat a bit of everything off the menu - there's so much to choose from!)

Non alcoholic review: Farmery Zero Tillage NA Beer

2026-02-20T15:56:00.009-06:00

Today is the very first time I've reviewed a non-alcoholic product from my own region here in South Western Manitoba - Farmery Estate Brewery's Zero Tillage Non-Alcoholic Beer. I've had a Farmery Non-Alcoholic (Lager) beer before that I sampled with a burger from my family's own beef brand at 8 Acres Beef out of Findlay, Manitoba. Looking through my review archive, somehow I never reviewed it but now I'm here to try out Farmery's Zero Tillage NA beer to showcase prime agriculture right here in South Western Manitoba.

From the can: Zero Tillage is a soil friendly farming method where crops are planted directly into undistrubed earth, preventing moisture and preventing erosion. Much like Farmery Estate Brewery, our commitment to growing ingredients on our family farm nurtures a healthier ecosystem - both for the land and for the lives of those who enjoy our products. 0.5% ABV

Appearance: Murky, deep copper-brown with an Earl Grey tea kind of appearance to it. There's a moderate amount of beige foam on top but it diminishes pretty quickly. It has a bit of an English Ale-Hazy IPA kind of look so far.

Aroma: Sweet with a decent amount of caramel malt forward aroma to it, toffee, slight tart notes, and a light amount of earthy malt presence that gives it a slightly nutty presence at the end.

Taste: One of the sweeter non-alcoholic beers I've had in a long time (aside from Sours) - it's a very malt forward beer with a hefty caramel/toffee presence to it, a tad bit of nuttiness, it's pretty smooth and honestly this is the smoothest and easiest to drink NA Amber Ale I've had so far, but it's pretty easy when I believe the only one I've had was the original, O'Doul's Amber NA beer back in 2011... Yes, I've been writing about NA beer for that long!

Overall Thoughts: I was expecting this to be the crisp NA Blonde Lager I sampled back in 2022 with an 8 Acres Beef burger but this is a lot more complex, this is a malty Amber Ale-style NA beer that works well, not something that's common at the local stores near me - I picked this up at my local Liquor Mart but you can find this at your local Safeway/Sobeys and likely other local grocery stores throughout Manitoba. Solid NA beer! Once the weather warms up I'll likely try out their Auntie Bea's NA Cold Brewed Teas.

Check out my other non-alcoholic beer (and beverage) reviews!

Review: Blood Brothers Autopop Cherry Cola Sour Ale

2026-02-18T07:56:00.002-06:00

Apologies to my buddy Chris, I meant to review this a long time ago and he's been calling me out for not reviewing it, so here I am! My buddy Chris is a die hard Busch Light/Coors Light kind of guy, likes simplicity and as macro as possible for beers, but he also has some good tastes too - one of his favourites of all time is Blood Brothers Brewing's Autopop Cherry Cola Sour Ale, so when I came to visit him a couple years ago, he kept telling me I had to try it. Well, a year later we went to Blood Brothers' taproom and had an amazing time (amazing staff!) and finally tried it then, his rave reviews about the sour didn't end up spoiling me at all, it was a good one!

Autopop Cherry Cola Sour Ale is a Session Sour with Cherry Cola flavour (duh). It contains water, malted barley, wheat, hops, cherries, natural flavours, and yeast. 4.0% ABV

Appearance: Deep dark purple with a reddish hue to it, almost reminding me of a purple freezie. There's a little bit of carbonation in the body and the head fizzes at first but goes away. Not much carbonation (like a Cherry Coke would have) but I also waited nearly two years to review this.. this is on me.

Aroma: The cherry is very dominant in this Sour, as well has a bit of a tart raspberry aroma to it as well. I'm not noticing much of a cola vibe there but I do get a bit of a spiced presence that reminds me of a crafty Root Beer (such as Parallel 49's). It's spiced, not overly sour but a tad tart from the cherries.

Taste: Mildly tart, decently sweet with a rich cherry presence to it. Again, the cola seems more reminiscent to a crafty Root Beer again with it having a bit of a spiced presence (nutmeg, anise, perhaps a bit of cinnamon). It has a slight tartness to it but not overly sour as I was initially expecting way back when. Aftertaste is a moderately sour cherry presence.

Overall Thoughts: A decent offering and I'd full on love to see them do a classic creamy vanilla-forward Root Beer as part of this series one day. Enjoyable but only in moderate amounts, it's heavier than your typical cherry cola.

Review: Drekker Pillager Porter

2026-02-17T09:53:00.000-06:00

This is a beer I had completely different expectations for - I saw the name "Pillager" and assumed "oh, we have a Pilsner/lager kind of beer" in the sense of pil-lager, rather than the actual word pillager, noooope! It's a Porter! Drekker Brewing's Pillager is 5.2% ABV and one of the few non overly-tropical/fruit forward beers I've ever had from the North Dakota brewery.

Appearance: Pitch black Porter with a light to moderate amount of burnt caramel head on top that diminishes pretty quickly, no lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Roasted maltiness with a mild coffee bitterness, a bit of peat, caramel and toffee. Oh, there's a bit of dark chocolate as well but it's pretty faint.

Taste: Roasted maltiness again to give off a roasty coffee presence, a bit of peatiness, a slight sourness, caramel, possibly a bit of dark fruit (raisin, fig). It's ever so slightly smoky, has a bit of a chocolatey presence. Aftertaste is a light presence of fig and peat.

Overall Thoughts: This is not a bad Porter, but also nothing overwhelming in any sense. I'd definitely try this again. Drekker is known for some over-the-top styles of beer (predominantly juice-forward), so it's nice to see something a bit more classical and something I could drink on a regular basis.

Review: Low Life Barrel House Foeder Aged Stout

2026-02-15T21:46:00.003-06:00

It's been a while since I've reviewed anything by Low Life Barrel Works out of Winnipeg! Today's sampling is a Foeder Aged Stout. 7.5% ABV

Notes from their social media: Come warm your bones with our favourite seasonal, Stout beer. Coming it at a warming 7.5% abv, this foeder aged treat leans into chocolate cocoa and dried fruit flavours while keeping a warming finish. Time spent in the oak foeder adds a layer of vanilla making this the complete winter beer.

Appearance: Pitch black stout with a moderate yellowish-beige head on top. The head leaves behind a slight amount of a lacing on the glass, not much but still a nice amount here and there.

Aroma: It's your typical stout - moderately roasted, sweet, caramel, coffee, dark chocolate. The foeder aging gives it a moderately oaky presence, slight boozy-like aroma.. reminiscent of Bourbon to an extent, fairly faint. Fairly sweet-forward for a stout.

Taste: The first thing I get is a bit of dark fruit, predominantly raisins; Then there's a moderate roasted malt presence that gives off a slight coffee presence, a nice caramel-forward sweetness, a slight hint of peat, dark chocolate, and finally a light oaky finish at the end. Very smooth stout.

Overall Thoughts: With this having a Foeder Aged experience, I was expecting it to be overly boozy and Bourbony - the aroma had a hint of what I reminisce from barrel-aged, but the tasting was so very smooth to the point that I'm shocked that this is 7.5% ABV. There's a tad bit of oakiness to it but it's more of a compliment to the Stout than anything. Props to Chris, Brian & team at Low Life for making a really, really good stout!

Review: Nonsuch Barley Wine (2025 Vintage)

2026-02-10T18:07:00.006-06:00

I could probably count the amount of different (non cellar) Barley Wines I've sampled post-COVID, definitely less than a handful, they're rare to see, so when they do pop up I get really excited.

I recently reviewed Nonsuch's Wheat Wine and it was a solid product, so now I'm sampling their Barley Wine (2025 Vintage). Winnipeg used to have the GOAT of Barley Wines (Half Pints' Burly Wine), so I have high expectations, but knowing Nonsuch.. I'll for sure like this one.

From the label: Barrel-aged in oak grape Brandy barrels for over 12 months, this big, bold ale fuses a bittersweet medley of dark cherry, rich raisin, and toffee flavours. Complemented by oak tannins and tangy citrus hop bitterness. 10% ABV

Appearance: Deep peach-to-copper kind of body to it, almost like a Brandy. There's an ever so slightly hint of clarity to it but you just can't see right through it at all at the same time. The head is of moderate thickness with a light beige hue to it, tiny amount of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The first thing I get for the aroma is notes of the Brandy barrel, giving off a sweet, dark fruit presence of raisin, figs and a hint of red wine. It's fairly sweet and has a syrupiness to it, lightly oaked, a bit of a candied orange kind of presence in there. Surprisingly not overly boozy at all.

Taste: Okay, now it tastes boozy. There's a rich Brandy presence to it that gives off caramel/toffee, raisins, figs, candied orange. It's not burning my palate/throat at all but it does have a bit of a booziness to it. It's got a hint of a syrupy sweetness to it, a bit of oak, and lastly has a fairly dry mouthfeel and a bit of an oak/apple aftertaste at the very end.

Overall Thoughts: Solid release by Nonsuch - I'm overly exhausted as a beer writer after all these years but something like this still gets me excited, and Nonsuch does a great job to keep me from fully quitting this side gig job. It's pretty much what I'd expect from a Barley Wine, sweet, boozy, a tad complex, definitely something that'll warm you up on a cold Manitoba evening (as I'm writing this in February with a temperature of 1C - strange, huh?!)

This isn't the first Barley Wine Nonsuch has ever made, check out my review of their collaboration with Saskatoon's 9 Mile Legacy Usra Major Barley Wine back in 2020. Apparently I have a bottle of it still somewhere? I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison sometime

Review: Blumstein Beeren Pflücker Saskatoon Pale Ale

2026-02-08T17:22:00.004-06:00

Last year at the Clear Lake Beer Festival, Manitoba Beer Cast had a table set up to interview various Manitoba beverage producers and talk to people who just love beer. The most intriguing booth of the entire night was Stanley, Manitoba's Blumstein Brewing. Their owners were passionate about their product and discussed what made their product different from the rest, and judging by the line to their booth, people were loving it! As a former farm boy, seeing multiple farm-based breweries in this province absolutely excites me - we're doing a great job finally showcasing some of the best agriculture the world has to offer right here at home.

Brad at the Manitoba Beer Cast has been one of my biggest supporters of this website for a long time, one day he came into my workplace with a big smile on his face and a bag in his hand going "you have to try these!" It was an assortment of Blumstein's beers, including their world's best Saskatoon berry beer (his and Blumstein's words). So of course, I'm intrigued, I have to try this "world's best Saskatoon berry beer" myself. Thanks Brad!

From the can: What's a Beeren Pflücker? Every Mennonite village needs a helpful Beeren pflückers (berry pickers)! In late June, when the Saskatoon berries are ripe, it's all pflückers on deck! Enjoy the taste of a Manitoba berry harvest in our Saskatoon Pale Ale, brewed with Loral hops and loads of handpicked Saskatoon and wild berries. Pairs well with Formavorscht (farmer sausage), perogies, and schmount fat (cream gravy), especially at a potluck. 5.2% ABV

Appearance: Looks like some sort of milkshake IPA or sour to me. The beer is VERY foamy so I had to wait a couple minutes for it to settle. Deep, opaque, peachy cream body and an off-white head that leave behind lots of bubbles on the glass as it starts to settle.

Aroma: There's definitely a hefty Saskatoon berry aroma in there, it's tart, yet sweet, a tad creamy, and a bit of a leafiness that reminds me of rhubarb to a great deal.. it's bringing me back of the best product Moosehead ever made, a Straweberry Rhubarb Milkshake IPA (RIP).

Taste: It's mildly sweet, quite creamy, a tad leafy and the tartness that I got in the aroma is popping up mostly at the very end, leaving behind a tart aftertaste that lingers for a good few moments. It's got a lot of the milkshake IPA vibes that I was getting in the aroma. Oh, the tartness at the end is 100% Saskatoon.

Overall Thoughts: Is this the best Saskatoon berry beer of all time? From the small handful I've ever had? Yes it is! It's got the tartness you expect from Saskatoons but it's tamed a good deal to make it an approachable all year round kind of beer. Like Wheat Ales? Like Milkshake IPAs? Heck, like Sours? You'll for sure love this one. This is better than the fresh Saskatoon berry pies my grandma would make, with berries straight from the bush behind the farmhouse. I hope to see Blumstein's beer creep into Liquor Marts in Western Manitoba one of these days, but it's tough when you're a small operation. If you're in the Southern Central Manitoba region, check it out at one of the local LCs there.

Review: Sookrams Paparazzi Italian Pilsner

2026-01-30T12:06:00.001-06:00

Sookrams Brewing's Paparazzi Italian Pilsner - Crisp. Floral. Amoratic. Paparazzi Italian Pilsner is a pale and crisp beer with smooth bitterness from generous use of Noble hops. These hops help enhance the floral aroma from a dry hop addition. 5.0% ABV

Appearance: Clean, clear and golden straw body. Decent amount of carbonation in the body, and the head has a decent amount of fluffy snow white head on top that leaves behind a light amount of lacing on the glass as it goes down.

Aroma: A tad sweet, bit citrusy, dry, decent amount of hops to give off a vibrant citrus and floral/leafy presence to it (tad bit of alfalfa), slightly bitter, slight notes of honey.

Taste: This is a crisp, sweet Pilsner that has a sweetness of honey and barley to start it off, followed by a hint of straw, a liberal amount of noble hops to give it a leafy/floral presence that, as stated before, has a bit of alfalfa vibe to it, a hint of lemon, and lastly has a slight caramel/floral aftertaste at the end. Fairly dry and crisp.

Overall Thoughts: The world needs more Italian Pilsners, that's all I have to say!

Review: Cerveza Cancun Playa Pale Ale

2026-01-29T23:41:00.004-06:00

Today's sampling comes from Cerveza Cancún out of Mexico - Playa American Pale Ale. I've reviewed their Pilsner in the past so for some reason I was thinking I was reviewing another lager today, nope - a Pale Ale!

From the can: Refreshing beer with a fruity and hoppy character thanks to the balanced mixture of speciality malts and American hops. 5.9% ABV

Appearance: A deep, golden body with a slight cloudiness to it - not clear but not hazy either. There's a tad bit of carbonation in the body and a moderate amount of snow white head on top, a head that diminishes pretty much after the beer has been poured.

Aroma: It's been a while since I received this but it's a bang on typical American Pale Ale. It's sweet with a caramel maltiness to it, hoppy with a mild pine/grapefruit presence to it, slightly woody and pretty easy going.

Taste: I had bad expectations when I was opening this but this is a good, solid Pale Ale. It's sweet up front with a caramel/honey combination for sweetness, the hops are all there - floral, piney, grapefruit-forward but not overpowering in any way. There's also a tad bit of a peppery spiciness to it at the end.

Overall Thoughts: My parents are back in Mexico by the time I finally post this, I really liked this one and would love to try even more beers from the Cancun brewery.

Non-alcoholic review: Bellwoods Jelly King Non-Alcoholic Dry Hopped Sour (Raspberry & Blackberry)

2026-01-17T19:16:00.002-06:00

Today's sampling comes from one of the GOATs of not just Ontario beer, but also Canadian non-alcoholic beer - Bellwoods Brewery out of Toronto. Their non-alcoholic Jelly King series is 100% just as good as their regular Jelly King Dry-Hopped Sour series. This edition of Jelly King is their Raspberry & Blackberry Sour. I brought this with me to a wedding a while back and one of my friends made fun of me for drinking a NA beer, but as soon as I got him to try this he was flat out amazed that NA beer can taste amazing, well yeah.. the adoption of NA beer as an option will be very slow in places like Manitoba, but it's becoming more popular over time.

From the website: Non-Alcoholic Jelly King is the culmination of our efforts to make a non-alc beer in Jelly King’s image, and one that can convincingly wear the Jelly King crown. We don’t often toot our own horn, but we’re really happy with the results.

Jelly King translates well to a non-alc version, as many of the flavours that make it so nice to drink come from the yeast and the bacteria used in the brewing process. We sour the base of both the beer and the non-alc in the same way, and this results in interesting, predominantly peachy characteristics brought on by mixed fermentation.

This limited edition Non-Alc Jelly King variant was conditioned on loads of raspberries and blackberries. Tart, fruity and delicious! 0.5% ABV

Appearance: This has a deep, opaque raspberry purée kind of body to it, a pinkish-purple body with a moderate amount of off-white head with a slight pinkish hue to it that diminishes gradually and leaves behind minimal lacing on the glass.

Aroma: It's a bit tart but not as tart as I recall from their regular ABV Jelly King series. It's full on fruit - tartness of raspberry jam and a tad bit of blackberry tartness. Slight amount of leafiness at the end.

Taste: Very, berry smooth NA Sour. It's full on raspberry and blackberry flavours, slight tartness to it but it doesn't give off any face puckering taste to it, pretty smooth, tad bit of graininess, pretty much all about the fruit. At the end I get a slight candy sweetness that reminds me of.. I want to say.. Swedish Fish.. I think?

Overall Thoughts: Light tartiness to it that I can definitely enjoy, lots of fruit that's full on raspberry and raspberry. It's easy to drink - if I ever see the regular ABV version of this I'll need to try that out. I think you'll enjoy this if you're a fruit beer/Sour fan.

See more non-alcoholic reviews here

Non-alcoholic review: Estrella Damm Alcohol Free Beer

2026-01-16T06:56:00.006-06:00

Big thanks to the folks over at Section 6 Brewing in Brandon! They've been a big supporter of my non-alcoholic beer reviews for pretty much forever, they do an awesome job showcasing great non-alcoholic beers and beverages for those partaking in Dry January and those who just want a decent NA option to enjoy while visiting with friends and family.

Today's sampling is Estrella Damm Alcohol Free Beer, a 0.0% NA beer from Spain. I couldn't find much information about the beer as the brewery is focusing on Free Damm, which may or may not be the same beer, but I'm not sure. The ingredients of the beer are water, barley malt (8%), maize, gulcose and fructose syrup, rice (0.6%), hops.

Appearance: This is the clearest beer I've seen in a while, you can really see the carbonation in the body all the way from the other side of the beer. Crisp, golden straw body with a moderate amount of white head on top. The head your typical lageresque head, diminishes gradually with a light lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Well, this has a very familiar aroma I see in many, many NA lagers - it has that smell that you know and love if you've ever been in a brewhouse. It has a bit of a raw dough and grain aroma to it, though not overwhelming. Lots of barley, a bit of creamed corn, hay, corn syrup. It's alright but not wowing me at all.

Taste: The tasting profile is certainly better than the aroma but not a huge improvement. There's a lot of straw-like flavour to it, some grassy notes, hint of creamed corn and corn syrup. Fairly dry, but pretty crisp and inoffensive.

Overall Thoughts: It's alright, it definitely tastes like a good amount of import lagers I've had in the fifteen years I've been writing here but I likely wouldn't get this again.

See more non-alcoholic reviews here