 VeloVampire (375), Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Apr 20, 2008
Growler from the brewery, courtesy of my sister and bro-in-law - pours an opaque tawny red with lighter highlights at the edges of the glass. Huge dense tan head that slowly diminishes to a surface layer which lasts throughout the glass and laces nicely. Aroma of candied fruit, sour cherry, green plum, and some earthy funk. A hint of alcohol as well. Very, very nice. Flavours are a bit more subdued, but similar to the elements found in the aroma, along with a surprising hop bitterness at the back of the palate. Some brown sugar in the finish as well. Alcohol well hidden, but it does creep up on you as a warming sensation as the growler empties. Certainly a beer to share. This is a masterful brew. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Grand River has been, and continues to be, one of the most consistent and exciting breweries in Ontario. Good show!
tuqueboy (17), toronto, Canada
Jul 20, 2008 Lovely auburn colour with a small tan head. Slightly cloudy. Wonderful nose of fruit (passionfruit? sour cherries?). There are hints of those fruits in the flavour as well, but they -- and the tartness -- are almost overwhelmed by the bitterness of this one. This is a pretty decent effort, but it could be a whole lot better if they’d just tone down the bitterness.
mabel (1246), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jun 11, 2008 [1210-20080319] Tap. Apricot lychee fruity malt aroma has a bit of sour mango thrown in too. Murky, red brown body with a medium-lasting foamy light tan-green head. Tropical apricot mango continues in flavour with sour malty earth. Medium body is fairly sour. Interesting to try, very fruity.
(@ Volo; Toronto, ON)
shintriad (655), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
May 7, 2008 Wow! Coppery red with a small head on top, lots of berry (loganberry?) in the nose and citrus, some wood. One would never expect the astringent hop punch that comes from it. A bit of yeast and alcohol, some slight sourness and lots of leafy hops. Amazing quality and very rare.
austinpowers (2827), New York, New York, USA
May 5, 2008 Bottle at Volo in Toronto. Simply terrific stuff! A really thick, only slightly sourish red ale that’s not very tart. It’s got a lot of roast to it and moderate hoppage. Lots of complexity. Some sweetness here and a touch of sourness. Terrific.
Hyde (17), Toronto (Don Mills), Ontario, Canada
Apr 20, 2008 A: Murky, reddish-brown; light-tan/off-white head, some retention & lace.
S: Tart fruity aroma with steelie, grassy hops.
T: Quite fruity with a tart acidity, steelie-piney hops and grainy bread. A nice bitter-sour balance, and an interesting twist on a Belgian classic.
M: Light to moderate body, with a tart, dry, crisp finish.
D: A little too acidic for me to session.
I tried this fresh from the conditioning tank as well, and the hop flavour was even more pronounced.
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