Alexander Keith's - Nova Scotia Style Brown Ale

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Nova Scotia Style Brown Ale
Keith's Brewing Company
1496 Lower Market Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada
and
St. Louis, MO USA
Est. 1820
www.keiths.ca 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.4 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Mahogany brown with some reddish tinges of color.
Malty sweet nose bouquet with fruit, honey and biscuit notes.
Tan head, one finger high, covers by half glass and leaves little lacing.
Silky malty taste with a touch of honey. A bit on the sweet side by glass end.
Modest carbonation.
Medium bodied with silky mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Not a whole lot of information on the label, it prompted me to 'dig' farther on the internet. Nope, not a lot of info, even on their website. I have to wonder, if they have been around this long (1820) why haven't I heard of them?

The website is clearly Canadian. It forces you to select a Provence when asking your age information. I am from the US, so I chose randomly to enter. Very little on the site in information and nothing about this ale in particular. I am even conflicted and a bit suspicious that the bottom of the front bottle label says, " A Keith's Brewing Co. - St. Louis MO" Last time I checked, Missouri aint part of any Canadian Provence's.  Hmmmm.

Jury is still out for me, at least until I can find out more about this brewer. Sufficed to say that I enjoyed this ale, but found it a bit too sweet by the end of the glass. A good one-off try at your local watering hole, should you come across it, sometime.

Hup! Wait a minute....my grave digging radar was up after all. Shoulda' known - - -  

Alexander Keith's is a Canadian brewery founded in 1820 in Halifax, Nova Scotia making it one of the oldest commercial breweries in all of North America. It was founded by Alexander Keith who emigrated from Scotland in 1817. Today, the brewery is under the control of Labatt, a subsidiary of Anheuser–Busch InBev, formerly Interbrew. The brewery also produces Oland Brewery beers, distributed in Eastern Canada.

Unibroue Ephemere

Dead Explorer

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Ephemere
Unibroue Inc.
80, Des Carrieres
Chambly, Quebec Canada
Est. 1992
unibroue.com/products

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Light honey yellow-orange color with slight cloudy haze.
Apple fruitiness and slight nose of yeast.
One finger fluffy white head with excellent lacing and retention.
Great amount of carbonation but not overly fizzy.
Delicious apple sweetness in each sip.
Light to medium body. Extremely refreshing.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
The pretty labels of Unibroue should win awards for their artwork, if they don't already. Such a beautiful goddess looking down on her bushel baskets of green apples. Sitting on a swing crafted by flowers, under a canopy of the same said flowers. A deep blue sky and majestic lake round out the background.

Wait a second! This is s beer blog, not an art gallery. Ahhhhh. So tranquil, though...

As if the scene isn't enough of a heavenly vision, just wait until you open and pour out the nectar inside. Equally heavenly. Then the taste of fruity apple sweetness and gentle, subtle yeast. Mmmm, pure heaven, for a fruit style and flavored beer.. I think they should equally win awards for their ales as well as the artwork.

The complete package.

Unibroue - Don de Dieu

Dead Explorer

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Don de Dieu
Unibroue Inc.
80, Des Carrieres
Chambly, Quebec Canada
Est. 1992
unibroue.com/products

Brain Damage Quotient = 9.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Light honey yellow-orange color with slight cloudy  haze.
Whiffs of alcohol, some kind of fruit (apple/banana/raisin) and yeast.
One finger fluffy white head with good lacing and retention.
Lots of fizzy carbonation with active surface nucleation strands.
Very slight boozy taste as it warms, sweetness in each sip.
Full flavor, complex aromas, medium body.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Don de Dieu literally means "Gift from God". It is indeed a treat for the senses. Full of nose tingling bubbles and sweet apple-like aroma, it is a fitting way to wind down the day.

The label depicts the Don de Dieu; ship of Samuel de Champlain.  In the early 1600's, Champlain sailed from France to settle Quebec where he encountered the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, natives to North America. Sadly, it was the last of the days for the Iroquois as a tribe.  As for Champlain and his crew, their first winter was tough.  It claimed 16 of the crew of 24.

Happily, their stories live on.  Partly due to this wonderful Belgian style ale.  Set sail with this ale.

Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
La Fin Du Monde
Unibroue Inc.
80, Des Carrieres
Chambly, Quebec Canada
Est. 1992
unibroue.com/products

Brain Damage Quotient = 9.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Light honey colored body with slight haze.
Whiffs of alcohol, some kind of fruit (pear), some clove and yeast.
Two fingered fluffy white head with good lacing and retention.
Medium carbonation.
Very slight alcohol taste as it warms, a bit of peppery taste.
Full flavor, complex aromas.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
What's that on the label? Why it's the very northern provinces of Quebec (and Newfoundland) Canada. In other words, "The End of the World" as La Fin du Monde loosely translates.

Bottle refermented, this Tripel shows that great abbey style Belgian beer is much sought after, even in the furthest reaches of civilization.  And for good reason.  When you've got one chance to get it right, you have to go for it.  And go for it they do, at Unibroue.  This is so light and easy, while having the characteristics of true Belgian Tripels.

So, lucky for you and me, we do not have to go to the ends of the earth to get such luxurious ale.  It's just north of the border in lovely Canada and a good thing to have on hand at The End of the World.

Unibroue - Maudite

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Maudite
Unibroue Inc.
80, Des Carrieres
Chambly, Quebec Canada
Est. 1992
unibroue.com/products/maudite

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (On Tap)

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy amber with reddish hues.
Fruity esters and spices.  Corriander and faint hops in the background.
Two fingered caramel head with medium carbonation.
Strings and dots of lacing coat the entire glass.
Very slight alcohol taste as it warms, but not distracting.
Full flavor.  All aromas and tastes intensify as it warms.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Muahahaha! I could not have put it better...Maudite means, "The Damned One".  The logo portrays men rowing a wooden canoe, paddling across a blood red sky with the full moon lighting their way.  A horned headed and winged gargoyle has arms folded and is sending a sly grin your way.  His look seems to express knowledge of a great peril awaiting these flying boatmen.  Does this seem typically Canuckle-headed to you, too?

Anyway, about the ale...it's as crazy as the artwork!  There is a spiciness to the boquet on this ale and it is very full of flavor.  It definitely blooms in aroma and flavor the longer you let it sit and warm slightly from the tap, in your glass.  As with strong ales and high ABV beers, let it sit a bit and explore the fullness of its character.

The website mentions it can be cellared for up to 5 years.  You won't be able to wait that long...else you go mad and paddle your canoe in the sky, too!  Ha-haha-ha!  Try some and see how you too will become one of the damned!

Moosehead Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Moosehead Lager
Moosehead Breweries Limited
89 Main Street West
Saint John, New Brunswick, CANADA
Est. 1867
www.moosehead.ca

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Clear yellow color.
Malt and hops smell; great fresh beer smell.
Soapy white head with lasting stringy lacing.
Light, refreshing mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Quality, tradition, proudly independent. These words do not merely grace the bottle and label. They embody the beer. The Moose has been loose for nearly a century and a half. This was the beer to "go and get" on a Saturday night, back in the day.

I was passing the grocers cooler when I came across a twelve pack with a special gift inside. Being a sucker for a freebie, I found that there was a 1 of 12 collectible stainless steel drink coaster with a built in opener stamped into one corner. Heck. I hadn't reviewed a Moose yet, so into the cart went my prize. Moosehead has always been good at the giveaways over the years. I still have a wooden display crate and lid that they used to sell 24 packs of bottles from way back in the 80's.

Stone Cold Fact: A woman named Susannah Oland first started brewing in her Dartmouth, Nova Scotia back yard which became the genesis for Moosehead brewing.

The beer is as good as I remember. Best of all, there was no 'skunk' in this batch. Green bottle beers occasionally suffer from this condition and the Moose had its share of those batches from time to time. The only thing in this 12 pack was cold Canadian lager refreshment and a cool coaster/opener to boot. I felt the urge to say boot, like in about. You know what I'm talkin' about (aboot).

Turn your inner Moose loose and don't forget to stop by their way cool website.

Harp Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Harp Lager
Guinness Brewing Company
St. James Gate, Dublin, Ireland
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Est.1759
www.guinness.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Golden, darker yellow color.
More hop than malt in balance.
Long, long, long lasting ring lacing.
Medium bodied. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Guinness and Harp. Black and Tan. Half & half. This is 50% of that potent twin combo. On its own, Harp stands up with any other beer out there. Interestingly the product is now brewed on the other side of the pond in Canada; not Ireland. They are still true to the recipe.

So strike up the band, pop the top and relax with one of finest imbibements known to mankind. Take it from one who knows, me, the reaper...this is the stuff angels drink! Surely it's "the craic!"

Labatt Blue Pilsner

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Labatt Blue Pilsner Imported
Inbev UK Limited
The Simcoe Street Brewery
150 Simcoe St.London, Ontario Canada
Est. 1847
www.labatt.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 11.5 

Postmortem Brew Review
Light clear yellow Pilsner coloration.
High hop smell & taste.
Fruity intonations.
Slight sweet aftertaste.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
We have bacon, they have 'back' bacon. We have Bud, they have Blue. It's, eh, the third most traditional thing Canada has to offer behind the NHL, eh, and the Mounted Police, eh? A sturdy beer with distinct hoppy taste true of all good Pilsner beer. Freshness is what Pilsners are all abooot. And, the next best thing to a fresh Pilsner is a finished Pilsner! That's what I'm talkin abooot !