Canadian Beerventurers: Best of Toronto

Our Toronto Ontario trip is coming to a close, so we’ve tallied up the points for our Top 5, Best Breweries of Toronto!

Number 5 – Left Field Brewery

Straight out of left field was literally, Left Field Brewery.  Located nowhere near a field, this back alley, baseball themed brewery turned our heads with a unique offering of beers.  On deck was the Beer for Champions, Big Train, WHIP: Peach Cobbler and Squeeze Play.  Beer for Champions did have a unmistakable Brut IPA flavor but fell short on the grape must; perhaps not aging as long as it should have in the Chardonnay cask.  Despite falling a tad short on grape, this was the superior Brut IPA of our Onterio trip.

Big Train was almost a traditional NEIPA but with one exception: zero IBU.  How you ask? Well you only hop post boil apparently and all of the Azacca and Mosaic flavors just magically juice bomb without the bitter.  Might not be everyone’s dream IPA, but Melissa certainly liked it. WHIP is a small series of extreme smoothie IPAs that we most certainly recommend you try.  Based on our experience with Peach alone we guarantee you that Pina Colada, Passion Fruit & Guava and Mango Black Raspberry will most certainly lead to a palate explosion.

Arguably the prettiest beer on the flight, Squeeze Play Black Currant had a hefty amount of black currant puree and was dry hopped with cascade.  The exquisite bright maroon kettle sour was our toss up for best on flight but was certainly neck and neck with Big Train.

Our only complaint about Left Field was the distinct, cramped feel of bleacher seats.  We wish this gem of a brewery had more space because we imagine this place gets packed in tighter than the bleacher creatures at Yankees Stadium!  We would compare it to the Blue Jays bleachers… but we’re certain there is more than enough space at a Blue Jays game 😉

Number 4 – Halo Brewery

Wedged in a small industrial park in the middle of the sprawling residential area of the Junction Triangle district was another surprise brewery making our top 5.  Halo Brewery fused the love of science, all things geek and of course beer.  From the silhouette signs and beer labels to the interior decor, Halo Brewery feels like you’re in a classic RPG.  But don’t go rummaging through their wardrobes and chests without permission. Instead order a flight of 4 like we did:  Pinot Noir Kaleidoscope, Voltron, Blackberry Shapeshifter, and Plum Chroma Key.

The whimsical Pinot Noir Kaleidoscope DIPA had all the grape must that was missing from Left Fields Brut IPA.  With a full body and plenty of wine flavor this beer could fool a casual drinker into thinking that it was indeed wine.  Voltron, the collab beer with Blood Brothers Brewing, was a barrel aged funky saison with key lime. While not as funky as a our traditional upstate NY farmhouse, Voltron held its own with a delightful light lime flavor.  This Voltron is more like the Netflix reboot; not the O.G. but still good in it’s own way.

The two powerhouses of the flight were the Blackberry Shapeshifter sour ale, and the sour Plum Chroma Key.  Neither face puckeringly sour, and both were full of their respected fruit flavor. We couldn’t tell you the last time we’ve had plums or blackberrys straight, but we’re both sure that these fruits were plentiful in beer form.  Long story short at Halo; fruit beers.

We really didn’t have any complaints about our number 4 stop so do yourself a favor; roll a nat 20 and teleport here, or be sure to hit up that Uber and make your way to Halo Brewery.

Number 3 – Blood Brothers Brewing

5 minutes away from Halo is our Number 3 stop; Blood Brothers Brewing.  The best way to describe this brewery is that it’s one for the occult; a blend of a cathedral house, Wicken tap system and an overall cult-like tone despite its industrial building.  Joining this cult quite frankly would certainly not be the worst cult one could join.

From least to most enjoyed we had the Devil’s Trill I, Paradise Lost Guava, Paradise Lost Yuzu Gose, and last was the Ajji Majji.  The Devil’s Trill IPA is a hazy, oat-centric, juice bomb without too much sweet, or too much bitter. It was heavy in the pineapple flavor and even IPA purists would probably appreciate this carefully blended brew.

Both Paradise Lost Guava and Yuzu Gose used the same base sour ale; though we’re not sure if kettle sour or aged on wild yeast.  We probably should have asked that question.  Anyways, alone the base beer may not have been enough to help Blood Brothers place Top 5 but when fermented with Guava or sea salt and Yuzu fruit, these two beers held distinct profiles that were not a conventional sour for the sake of sour.

Last on flight and the best in our opinion was another fruited sour; Ajji Majji.  Unlike the Paradise Lost series, this “dessert style” beer was served on nitro with a hearty dose of vanilla and peaches.  The creamy mouthfeel was only overshadowed by the rich blend of vanilla and peach flavors; it was one of those as described beers that would not disappoint.

Blood Brothers Brewing might be a tad creepy but it is worth the stop; and you won’t even have to worship a Satyr.  Not to mention, the proximity to Halo makes stops 3 + 4 a no brainier.

Number 2 – Bellwoods Brewery

Brooklyn called and wants it’s brewery back.  For those of you who are local or frequent the high-end, industrial chic-gentrified parts of Brooklyn, you will feel right at home in our Number 2 spot. Bellwoods Brewery has all of the tight seating, expensive instagram worthy finger foods, and high octane beers one would normally find in the most posh 5-Borough breweries.

While the bites were pretty tasty, I don’t think you would come here to eat a full meal due to the meager portions and expensive price tags.  However, I also don’t think that would be a problem because first you have to get in the door. This packed brewpub had a line out the door at 11 in the morning; and we understand why seating ran out so quickly.  Out of the five beers we had, three of them jumped right out at us as clear victors, while the other two were just merely exceptional.  Our three victors were two sours, and an imperial stout.

Jelly King is described as a “5-strain house blend of lactobacillus, and heavily dry-hopped with citra.”  While we can’t vouch for the strains, any hophead or juicebomb loving individual would appreciate the aptly tart sour with minimum bitter and full citrus flavors.  Rack that base beer on cherries in oak barrels for two years and you have the even more delightful Sour Cherry Jelly King. If fruit and sour isn’t your thing, you will have to try Bellwoods line of stouts; specifically the Bring Out Your Dead.  This 11.4% cognac barrel aged beverage pours like a liquid velvet, and tastes like vanilla and caramel. Smooth, creamy and just a bite of booze to let you know it’s there.

Bellwoods Brewery is so hipster it hurts.  The decor, music, and patrons of this brewery is everything one would expect our beersnob brethren to enjoy.  But even if that atmosphere doesn’t really cater to you, you will have to visit Bellwood for the beer. Yes, it is that good.

Number 1 – Rorschach Brewing Co.

Our number one pick of Toronto requires you to undergo some testing so brace yourselves for some good old fashioned childhood trauma analysis over a few pints of the liquid gold that flows out of Rorschach Brewing Co.  In a century old house, forming a perfect right triangle with Godspeed and Radical Road breweries, and next to the “Main Sewage Treatment Playground” (yes, that’s a real place) is our Number One pick.

Being Beerventurers, we usually abide by a few rules, and that includes intake limitations and a 1-hour time limit so we can sample beer from every local brewery.  There are very few occasions we break these rules; this was one of them. We drank 8 delicious beers over 3 hours.  If there was ever a perfect place to ruin a carefully laid plan this is your stop.  All 8 beers ranked at least 4/5 on Untappd but here’s our top 3 must tries.

Icarus Complex DIPA.  The 8%, double dry hopped, lactose infused IPA was loaded with kiwi flavor and would also satisfy any person with a sweet tooth even if they are not a big IPA/DIPA fan. Another big flavor DIPA, Reverie was packed full of pineapple, mango and orange flavors. Like Icarus, it’s another lactose beer; making it super sweet and creamy. Looking back at everything we drank, Rorschach uses lactose to its fullest extent and has clearly mastered the alchemy behind the infusion process.

Moving away from the IPA’s, but keeping the full fruit flavors and lactose, Hedonism Blackberry was our best in show… and that’s saying a lot because it was no easy decision.  What really nailed it for us was the perfect balance between sweet and sour, and the overwhelming blackberry flavor; even more so than Halo’s Shapeshifter.

Rorschach Brewing Co. should be on your to-do list in Toronto, and you should most certainly make the time to stay there for more than one round of drinks.

Honorable Mentions:

Goose Island has a beautiful outpost in Toronto.  Goose Island Brewhouse carries all your favorites like the Bourbon County variants, and even has some original, brew house only brews.  Now we know some people are completely against the macro owners of this well known brand, but we encourage you to give Goose Island Brewhouse a shot if you’re in the area; say walking to or from the Historic Distillery District.

Practically underneath the CN Tower in an old railcar maintenance hub is Steam Whistle Brewing, and our next Honorable Mention.  Like Von Bugle Brewing, this massive brewery is home to only one beer; The Steam Whistle Pilsner.  Arguably this pils is one of the cleanest, and best tasting pils we’ve ever had.  If you visit the CN Tower you should certainly run across the street and give this beer a try.

Our last Honorable Mention is Bandit Brewery.  This lovely indoor/outdoor brewpub is home to a wide variety of great beers; but they missed scoring high enough to break into the top 5.  Like our other Honorable Mentions, if you’re in the area we still highly recommend the stop for drinks. Being huge fans of Trash Pandas (Raccoons) and glassware, we also couldn’t leave without buying a tulipe glass and a mug with one of the funniest logos we’ve ever seen.