Favourite Mixed Sampler Pack (Canadian beers)

I've only had a couple sampler packs, but I found the Phillips Sampler to be pretty enjoyable.

 

the Granville/Creemore one was terrible....though the upcoming Fall/Winter Mill St ones sound promising. Including an Octoberfest, Pumpkin and an IPA in the winter, and ive never picked up a previous Mill St pack thus far because they usually seem boring.

 

I usually get a Mill Street pack at least once a year... I like their beers, but not enough to buy six packs regularly (and they don't seem to sell singles of most of their brands) so the samplers are a decent compromise.

I wish they'd be a little more creative with the variety though - I've had more than enough Stock Ale and Organic Lager, tyvm. If they absolutely insist on having some fizzy yellow beer in every pack, then leave one of those in and replace the other with something more interesting. Putting both of them in EVERY sampler is a bit unnecessary, although I understand why they do it - it guarantees there's at least 2 beers per pack for the macro enthusiasts to enjoy. So I don't see that particular change happening anytime soon. Still, the fact that I don't really like the Stock/Organic Lager is the main reason I don't pick these packs up all that often.

I'd agree that the hand-picked sixer is a fairly good pack. All of the Creemore brews are worth trying; the GI ones aren't anything special IMO but it's nice to see more BC beer making it out here. Easily one of the best things Molson has put out in recent memory.

I also remember picking up a really good sampler from Wild Rose when I lived in AB; 6 varieties (IPA, Brown Ale, Wred Wheat, Wraspberry Ale, SOB and Velvet Fog) and all of them were reasonably to very good.

 

phillips hopbox, st. ambroise summer pack, and the unibroue mix packs are all great. st.ambroise in particular is my fav.. it has they're fantastic apricot wheat beer.

 

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I agree with the pedo-bear, err, matthaslaservision. The St. Ambroise box is always a treat as it gives us (in BC, at least) access to a couple of their regular beers that we don't otherwise see. (Griffon Rouse being my fave). I've always liked the Central City Winter mix pack. Last time I bought it, it included their Pumpkin, Winter, Pale Ale and one other (lager??). Solid pack of great beers!

I used to really enjoy the Unibroue mix pack that came out in the winter a few years back. It had 355mL bottles of most of their staple big beers. Always a plus to see them in manageable, single serving sizes-Just wish we could get Quelque-Chose like back in the old days, but I digress.

I've always been intrigued by the American brewery packs that make it up here but their prices are often prohibitive. At Firefly, I believe the Brooklyn pack was well over $30/12-pack. Although if we could get the Sam Adams winter/holiday pack, I'd probably splurge and pick one up if for nothing else than to try the holiday porter and Old Fezziwig.

 

Bought the Dead Frog Summer Mixer over the Labour Day weekend because I was in an area that actually had it.

3 0f the 4 beers were hot summer day/ patio/ barbecue/ friends over/ when you want no Molson/Coors or InBev stuff, and for that it wasnt bad.

The Nut Brown needs more looking into, only drank the one and by that time....well never mind....

 

The new 49th parallel brewery has a pretty good mixer. Comes with an esb, ruby, ipa and wit. Definitely a refreshing change from the typical lager/ale/honey.

 

I actually enjoy the Brasseurs du Monde 12 pack, which has:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25775/74471 - L'Exploite
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25775/74278 - L'Assoifee
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25775/70030 - L'Interdite

These are a Moka Stout, Dubbel and American IPA respectively. I think they are all pretty decent, but I've noticed that reviews for them are all quite polarized; either people love them or they hate them.

 

Without a doubt the best mix pack that came out the OCB

http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/DiscoveryPack6.php

Black Oak Pale, Mill St Tankhouse, Wellington Iron Duke are all exceptional beers and Cameron's 266, Red Leaf and Nickel Brook Ale are all above average as well.

My Dream mix pack of beers I haven't had would be Beau's Bogwater, King Pilsbock, Black Oak Summer Saison, Great Lakes Miami Weiss, C'est What Coffee Porter and Neustadt Sour Kraut.

Of the six I have tried, my dream would be Wellington RIS, King Vienna Lager, Lakes of Muskoka Spring Oddity, Mill St Belgian Wit, Black Oak Pale Ale and Neustadt Scottish Ale

 

Only mix box I've bought this year is the current Mill St. "Autumn Harvest" ,
I still have to try "Nightmare on Mill St.(Pumpkin Ale ) which is why I bought it
but the Oktoberfest Lager is ok/good , not great , also why I try to stay away from mix packs ,
you can get stuck with a beer you don't like !

 

The offerings are limited in MB. I would go with Unibroue, then Half Pints...

The Tree one looks too plain Jane, I won't buy Granville Island with my limited resources, Big Rock? Meh. Can't recall what else there is, but there isn't much else, except for the Bud Light / Bud Light Lime pack. Pure awesomeness.

 

I've had both of the Mill St Sampler.. What did you think of 'Nightmare on Mill st?'

 

Good , was first one(s) of the season , went well with MNF ,
Back to the beer , it's below Phillip'sCrooked Tooth & Granville Is
but above Central City & St.Ambroise Pumpkin Ales.

 

My brother got married in Vancouver on Saturday and we bought a mix of the Hop Box, 49th Parallel, Granville Island, Dead Frog and something else I cant remember. Hop Box was definately my favorite.

 

Only mix pack I've bought this year was the Mill St. Nightmare/Oktoberfest 6-er.
Nightmare was decent, and light. The Oktoberfest was quite good and fitting to the style.

 

Just a heads up for anyone who has access to it...The Tree Hop Pack is amazing! 4x Hophead IPA (arguably the weakest of the bunch), 4x Hophead Double IPA, 4x Hophead Black IPA. It's a little pricey as I believe it's only available in private liquor stores, but at $27, I think it's worth it. The Double IPA has always had a special place in my memories as one of the first double IPA's I ever had.

Highly recommend picking up the pack if it's available to you.

 

The ones that i make