Dark Ale
Upper Canada Brewing Company

Dark AleDark Ale
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From:
Upper Canada Brewing Company
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
English Brown Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
78
Avg:
3.36 | pDev: 13.1%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
74
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 01, 2021
Added:
Feb 22, 1998
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  9
Like ales of Northern England, this ale combines British Challenger hops and yeast, spring water, carastan and black patent malts for a robust malty character and a rich chestnut-coloured ale.
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Ratings by GodOfBeer:
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Reviewed by GodOfBeer from Canada (ON)

3.71/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is one of the nicest dark ales I've seen, pours a very dark red, thick off-white head with tons of lacing, just beautiful.

Smells nutty upfront, some sweet caramel, cappuccino like smell and some chocolate.

Tastes nutty, some slight chocolatey caramel and a nice citrusy hop finish. Definately some coffee or cappuccino like flavour in there too.

Nice creamy, slightly carbonated mouthfeel, somewhat thick, like a cappuccino, a nice drinkable dark ale.
Aug 05, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.18 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Nov 01, 2021
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Reviewed by spiritof86 from Canada (ON)

3.77/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Transparent copper with off white head that quickly recedes down to barely anything, even with aggressive pour from bottle into shaker glass. Very little lacing as I drink it.
Smells like the sweetness of cooked malt.
starts off sweet and malty, with a kind of nuttiness to support it. There's not a whole heap of hops here, however there is a faint bitterness at the end that is enjoyable.
Don't let the colour and the label distract you; this is not a super-heavy or super dark beer. The mouthfeel isn't exactly a Corona Extra, but it's certainly not as dense as most Ontario beers labeled dark ale.
I've picked up cases of this over the years because it's one of the best value brands available in Ontario hands down, and by far the best dark beer in that category. IMO this is much better than Newcastle brown, which i'd say is kind of similar in style yet much more $. This would be a good introduction to dark beer. That being said, don't expect a brilliant dark ale, because this one just doesn't have enough of a distinct flavour profile in any direction to stand out in a class of heavy-hitters.
Nov 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by Shenk87 from Pennsylvania

Mar 18, 2019
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Reviewed by strohme2 from Michigan

3.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12 ounce bottle with a J0618plus 6 more numbers. My kid’s Canadian classmate’s dad knew I liked beer and wanted me to taste something he likes to drink. Nice gesture I’ll be sure to repay. Not sure what that translates to. Poured into an English pint glass.
Pours a clear, ruby chestnut with minimal head. It leaves a small ring around the glass. Nose of sweet malt, toffee, burnt caramel and hint of dark fruit. Starts out with a nice taste of caramel, plum, toffee, toasted dark bread which leads to corn sweetness, some vegetalness. Semi slick but still on the thin side for the body. For a 5%er there is a really nice drinkability. Tasty beer, not sure of the price but I’d say this is a solid and enjoyable Canadian beer.
Mar 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.13 by luigi700 from Canada (ON)

Jun 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by Latarnik from New Jersey

Jun 10, 2017
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Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.5 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 9/16/2016. Pours fairly crystal clear deep ruby red/light brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down that glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, floral, and grass; with lighter notes of chocolate, coffee, toffee, pepper, raisin, plum, apple, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malt and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, floral, and grass; with lighter notes of chocolate, coffee, toffee, pepper, raisin, plum, apple, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/grassy/spicy hop and roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, light chocolate/coffee, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from hop/roast bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5%. Overall this is a nice English brown ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. There was a bit of an odd stale grain note going on, but this was really spot on for the style otherwise. A nicely enjoyable offering.
May 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.08 by Squeezyq from Canada (ON)

Mar 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.58 by derdtheterd from Canada (AB)

Jan 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.77 by Boo-urns from Canada (ON)

Nov 03, 2016
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Reviewed by Jesterr44 from Canada (ON)

4.04/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This is the cheapest beer you can buy in Ontario which has any decent flavour. It has been a favourite of mine for 25 years, & while it may have slipped a bit since Upper Canada was bought by Sleeman, it's still a solid beer for when you're looking for something with some taste at a regular beer price. It's good cold but even better when you let it warm a few degrees as the nutty/malt/caramel flavours become a little fuller.
Sep 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by EdwardVii1902 from Canada (ON)

Jul 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by TimWakimika from Canada (QC)

Mar 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by kestik from Canada (ON)

Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by DannyBaldoni from Canada (QC)

Nov 12, 2015
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Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.2/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Flashback #322
Aug 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.81 by CRObighit2 from Canada (ON)

Aug 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.14 by MUNRO from Canada (ON)

Jul 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Jul 12, 2014
Dark Ale from Upper Canada Brewing Company
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 74 ratings