Brewery: Lake of the Woods Brewing Company
Origin: Kenora ON Canada
Style: Canadian version of a German Kolsch
Abv: 5.0%
IBU: 6
SRM: 3
Marketing: A beautiful turquoise colored can with silver and white accents. Boat motor image in line with the brewerys lake theme.
Marketing blurb on the back and additional info about the beer listed on the can, which is great. The name is sort of awkward with "Enjoy" written before Lakeside. Is it a title or a command? It would have been better to put that before the phrase at the bottom of the can that states "Light, refreshing taste." If they turned that into "Enjoy a light refreshing taste" then everything would make sense. But what do I know really? All of that being said, I still really like the design overall.
Color: Pale yellow in color, moving toward golden. A white head of foam that dissolved rapidly as I poured it. Hazy and unfiltered looking.
Nose: Fresh and clean aroma. Hoppy, with notes of citrus and fruit. I can't make out specifics in what I'm smelling but everything is good. A pleasant aroma to say the least.
Taste: There is a very mild sweetness up front with a decent amount of tanginess in the middle. The finish has only a mild bitterness. I noticed some pine flavors and a fruitiness reminiscent of apples.
Texture: Nice carbonation with a light bodied almost watery mouthfeel underneath.
Impression: Overall I thought that this was a great beer. It was fresh tasting with a great amount of flavor and it had a summery quality about it that I liked a lot. Whether it is in fact in line with a German Kolsch, I cannot say But a good beer that I would buy again for sure.
Brewery: Burdock Brewery
Origin: Toronto ON Canada
Style: Golden Lager
Abv: 4.5
IBU: Unknown
SRM: Unknown
Marketing: Burnt red and cream colored can. Brassy copper lettering. Simplistic fountain design logo. The can has a traditional look about it. It's a bit boring but there is an appeal to it. It's Grandpa chic.
Color: A golden straw yellow color with a foamy head of tightly packed bubbles.
Nose: Malty with notes of bread, hay, toffee and cereals.
Taste: Mildly sweet and bitter in equal amounts. Cereals and grain flavors.
Texture: Light carbonation with tiny soft textured bubbles. Light bodied slightly watery mouthfeel.
Impression: The beer was alright. Nothing special but enjoyable to drink. I was a little back and forth at times thinking it was a quality product using good ingredients and a slightly cheap one that was a little stale. Maybe it was old or getting there? Overall I did enjoy the beer but wouldn't buy it again just because there are other, better golden lagers that I would buy instead.
For dinner that night I made garlic chicken using chicken broth, white wine, herbs and a full head of garlic.
Brown chicken.
Cook vegetables part way through.
Add wine, broth and herbs.
Put in the oven to continue cooking and to crisp up the skin. Enjoy!
