Beers of the Week: OCB Discovery Pack No. 2

Right around this time last year, the Ontario Craft Brewers, an association of 29 small- and medium-sized Ontario breweries, made history with the release of the first OCB Discovery Pack, a package featuring six different beers from six different breweries. This LCBO exclusive was the first time that multiple breweries had worked together on a single product, and it ended up being one of the most popular beer items at the LCBO last fall and winter.

While the Discovery Pack was a retail success, it did receive criticism from some beer writers and drinkers - including,  it must be admitted, yours truly - for being... well, kind of boring. Four of the six beers were pilsners or light lagers, and the two ales were both on the lighter side of things. But as I noted at the time, "it's common to ease mainstream beer drinkers into the craft beer scene with brews from the less esoteric end of the spectrum", and the package definitely seemed to serve this purpose well.

A year later, and the OCB has come out with Discovery Pack No. 2 - and unlike most sequels, this one is actually better than the original.

Rather than a selection of predominantly light golden beers, this year's selection features several darker and fuller flavoured brews that are more suitable for autumn and winter enjoyment. Five of the six beers are ales, ranging from a lager-like golden ale to a hearty brown ale, and the single lager is a fruit beer, adding an extra bit of pizazz to the line-up.

Here are some quick notes on each of the six brews featured in the package:

Nickel Brook Apple Pilsner
A decade or so ago, one of my favourite summer beers was Niagara Apple Ale, a crisp golden ale from Niagara Falls Brewing with a green apple character that was both sweet and tart. The brand was dropped soon after Niagara Falls was bought by Moosehead, but this spritzy lager from Burlington's Better Bitters Brewing (try saying that five times fast!) has been a reasonable facsimile since it was first launched a couple of years ago. The apple flavour, which comes from an all-natural green apple concentrate, is a bit sweeter than the Niagara version, and there's frankly not a lot of beer flavour aside from a soft malt backing. But it's easy to drink, very refreshing, and a nice, non-threatening introduction to any craft beer newbies who might pick up the pack.

Robert Simpson Confederation Ale
Of all the ales in this pack, this is the one that will most likely hook the mainstream lager drinkers. Which isn't saying that it's a bad beer, just that it's the most lager-like of the bunch, having a bright golden colour, aromas of lightly toasted grain and fresh cut grass, a light and slightly creamy body, and a clean, balanced flavour with a mild bitterness in the crisp finish.

Trafalgar Elora Irish Ale
Originally brewed by the now defunct Old Mill Brewery before Oakville's Trafalgar Ales & Meads bought out their brands and recipes, Elora Irish Ale is a fairly straightforward amber ale. The four malts used in the brew provide an aroma and flavour that are fruity and slightly nutty, and the finish is moderately hopped, providing a nice balance to the malty sweetness. The body is fairly light, making this a good transition beer for folks just getting their feet wet when it comes to darker ales.

Cameron's Auburn Ale
It's odd, but each time I have this beer, it's more enjoyable than I remember it being the last time. I doubt that it's constantly getting better, so I think its ubiquitousness on tap handles around town just makes me take it for granted. As the name suggests, it has a nice auburn colour, and an aroma and flavour that hold a lot more hops than might be expected. There are also some nice notes of caramel in the flavour, and a medium body that finishes smooth, with moderate bitterness to wrap things up.

Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
It's probably obvious from the variety of beers that I review for Taste T.O. that I'm not one to play favourites, but if I had to pick a single locally-brewed beer to drink for the rest of my life, Tankhouse would be on the shortlist. From its vibrant copper colour, to the spicy aroma of Cascade hops, to the flavour that balances those hops with a full malty sweetness, to the bitter and slightly woody finish, it's a beer that drinks well on it's own, and also pairs nicely with most food. Plus it's got a great looking bottle.

Black Oak Nut Brown Ale
This is the darkest beer in the pack, with a dark mahogany-brown that might suggest to some that it's a heavy beer, but that's not the case at all. It's actually quite refreshing, but with enough body and flavour to not be boring. The dark malt with hints of toasted nuts and cocoa make it a nice beer for autumn, and the slightly spicy hops that come through in the finish balance the mild sweetness nicely.

OCB Discovery Pack No. 2 is rolling out now to more than 170 LCBO stores across the province (LCBO 617084 - $11.95/6x355 mL). The beers are packaged with a list of all OCB beers sorted by style and information on beer-trail day trips and brewery tours throughout Ontario, and the OCB website features tasting notes and recipe pairings for the six beers.