Scotch Irish Corporal Punishment (Corporal’s Bitter Brown)

Massive re-rate. I had this a few times over the summer and this is not the beer I loved at its cask launch a couple of years back. On tap, it is oily, thin, and sickly sweet. There is some nice bitterness here, certainly more than you would expect from a brown (in truth though, this seems more like an ESB to me), but there is an ashy burnt base too. Still a nice session pint, no where near the world-beater I remember. If it changes next year, I’ll be happy to re-rate. Original 8/4/8/4/18. Cask, Bow and Arrow, Toronto. Dark orange pour, small cask head. A mix of fruit/sweet hop aroma. Medium body in mouthfeel, nice malt base, not watery like so many Ontario cask ales, wonderful nutty taste - true to its brown ale roots with lots of malt to back it up and a ton of hops that are actually very well balanced. A classic session ale or a treat on its own.

Beerbistro Winterfest and Vintage Tasting. 2004 edition on tap. Dark bronze amber colour with a frothy off-white head. Bready, light caramel, green and fresh pine and grapefruit aroma. Brown bread, caramel, and brown sugar flavours quickly meet the fresh pine and grapefruit finish. Medium to full bodied.

One of the best Ontario brews, and one of the top browns I have enjoyed. Hoppy, bitter, dark malts. Nicely served at Beer Bistro for the Winterfest. Roasted malt gives it nice brown colour. Nice retained head. Carmel on malts and nutty, but bitterness prevails. Nutty, over the top and out-of-the box as this very interesting brewery will do. Had agian at Volo Cafe and a little less received, which I think is the strong detergent in glasses.

So bitter can be beautiful! Smoky nutty roasty malted beer which is, of course, a BITTER brown! It’s probably the finest Onatrio brew out there right now. And certainly one of the best browns.

Cask Conditioned. Pours red/brown and a bit murky. Really great looking firm rocky off white head. Lightly smoked, nutty roasted malt aroma. Very malty with pepper, clove earth and fruit. Sour. Dry citric pithy finish. I would have noticed the bitterness, however I had just had a 90 Minute DFH IIPA.

On tap at Cafe Volo (which is a great little place on yonge btw). Deep mahogany colour and a nice white sudsy lace make for a good looking beer. A BIG roasted malt, nutty aroma. Huge hop explosion throughout, crisp, citrusy. Reasonably balanced too. I'm looking forward to having this stuff again, it's just too bad that it isn't more widely available.

Wonderfully bitter brew!! This is definitely an assault on the senses. Rich head, earthy aroma, refreshing bitterness. Malty, nutty aftertaste. Tasted this at the Bow & Arrow Pub in Toronto... a true gem.

On tap @ the Winking Judge, Hamilton, ON. Pine nose and carmelly sweetness, only a touch of nut. Delicious and clean and a well done hoppy brown.