Day 2 - Beers 2 through 5 - Mill St. Brewery Flight

Mill St. Brewery in Ottawa is like a sports bar crashed into a fine brewery restaurant hidden inside a building from the 19th century. Looking over a courtyard that looked plucked from Game of Thrones, I decided to bolster the numbers on Day Two. A four taster flight of specialty beers from Mill Street.

So let's get to it, from left to right - your left, not mine.

Mill St. Doppel Pilsner

A Czech-style pilsner with double the everything. Czech beers have never been a favorite of mine, nor pilsners, but this isn't about me, it's about beer. And every beer created is worth at least one taste. This Pilsner, not half bad. Nor is it half good. More malts, hops and alcohol didn't seem to have too much effect on their Pils Doppling up. (Or is it to Dopple Down. Okay, one more. This beer wouldn't pass the Super Dopple Dare Physical Challenge...please leave your comments below.....)

The best way to describe this beer is like having an incredibly well-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It can be well-crafted, very good for what it is, but at the end of the day, it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This is essentially Coors Light if Coors Light tasted better.

Mill St. Father John's Ale

I've got a slight weakness for English Bitters, but this one just missed the mark. The aroma was metallic and had that cod oil bitterness you'd find from bad cough syrup. The taste was a different story. The bitters were still a bit pungent at the end, but there was a sweetness hidden in the beer. Drink Scotch for a bit and try to work your way past the gasoline-strength to find the maples and vanillas beneath and you'll have an idea why I was making weird twisty faces while drinking this ale.

Each of these two had a ABV over 6%, so having this cheeseboard of microbrews was probably not a wise substitution for lunch. But it's Saturday! I can go home and nap!

Mill St. Tartan Ale

You have to appreciate the Scottish pride here in Ottawa. Or at least in relation to its microbreweries. Brewed for Robbie Burns Day, the Tartan Ale uses a wide variety of malts, giving it almost a pale ale touch in bitterness without the hops dominating. Using five different malts, Mill St. Tartan Ale is certainly complex, but the flavors seem to fall over one another, making a Scottish Ale that certainly tastes good, but seems to lack that strong note that defines it.

Tartan Ale is a fine example of a Scottish Ale, but not anything particularly special or unique. This probably comes from my own personal quest to find something standout about any beer. This one prides itself as a Scottish Ale and has no pretenses or desire to be anything else. A well made ale, no more, no less.

Mill St. Vanilla Porter

My kryptonite beer, my weakness, the sweet vanilla key to my beer-pumping heart. Vanilla beers were part of my first foray into non-standard brews and virtually impossible for me to resist. Saving dessert for last, I dive into the porter, and it's no error I held off to the end for this one.

It's vanilla cream soda, but standing on the precipice of sweetness. I'm considering marching this beer down to Tim Horton's and explaining this is what proper vanilla lattes should taste like. A proper creamy start, strong sweetness throughout and hints of coffee that linger just after you finish. It was incredibly heavy, and if a scoop of ice cream had been smuggled in at some point, I would not have noticed. It was delicious, however, and had some nice subtle supporting flavors beyond the Haagen-Daaz level of vanilla creaminess.

Day 2 - Beers 2-5 - Mill St. Brewery Flight
Mill St. Doppel Pilsner
Alcohol Rating: 6.8%
Class: Pilsner
Rating: 5 out of 10
Quote: "Budweiser could learn from this beer. I still won't drink it, but it could learn something."

Mill St. Father John's Ale
Alcohol Rating: 6.3%
Class: English Bitter
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Quote:  "This smells like a hospital."

Mill St. Tartan Ale
Alcohol Rating: 8.0%
Class: Scottish Ale
Rating: 7 out of 10
Quote: "So far, two beers in two days I should be drinking in a kilt."

Mill St. Vanilla Porter
Alcohol Rating: 5.0%
Class: Porter
Rating: 8 out of 10
Quote: "This is the vanilla frogurt of beers."