Lug Tread Lagered Ale - Beau's All Natural Brewing Company

edwardhopper

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ordered on a whim at a nice restaurant in Ontario. Was pleasantly surprised when it arrived with a bright golden color and a slightly fruity aroma. The first sip was very crisp and refreshing with a full bodied, but balanced taste. The flavor was interesting, but not distracting and it complemented the multi-course meal nicely. A very easy drinking beer that I would definitely seek out in the future. As the flagship for Beau's Brewery, I am excited to try out their other brews.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 15:48:46 | More by edwardhopper

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I first had Beau's Lugtread at the C'est What Fall Fest last year. I'd actually been interested in it for a while, but it never seemed to make it as far west as Toronto. Since then, Beau's have greatly beefed up their presence in this part of the world, and the beer became available first in 750ml swing-top ceramics, and now in this gorgeously packaged 4-pack of 600ml bottles. In all my days of drinking craft beer I've never seen a product as well-presented as this, and from speaking to Steve I understand that all the design is done in house, so huge kudos to people who can produce decent beer and be good at selling it. Other Ontario brewers need to take note.

On to the important stuff. Straw yellow pour with a tight white cap that had decent retention and puts down a few spots of lace. Some people may be critical of its lightness, but its true to style, and it certainly exhibits more lace and retention than other beers of this colour, and lacks the evidently high carbonarion of the macros. Clean aroma, with lemon, pepper and grass combining with pale malt. Slight breadiness in the background, and the whole combo reminds me of a Czech pils. Flavour is where it should be for the style - very clean with a light character. Some lemongrass, grainy malt, a light sweetness, and perhaps a slight tart wheat element. Decent bitterness for a kölsch, coming from a herbal / grassy hopping combo. Medium body and carbonation with a crisp finish.

This is one of those great beers that should appeal to both craft and macro drinkers - perhaps something akin to a Boston Lager. Its not too far removed from what macro drinkers would expect in a beer, but its done with such a deft hand that it will introduce them to what even an easy drinking beer can be capable of. I'm glad they went this route rather than beginning with some crappy lager or pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2010 13:18:56 | More by bobsy

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Meisterburger for this one.

Nice looking bottle though not the ceramic version. This is a beer to enjoy when the weather warms up as it tastes incredibly clean and crisp but with that slightly fruity note that defines a Kolsch. Like Mt Begbies canned version in BC , a well made Kolsch is entirely welcome in my house ( especially since no German versions are sold in BC). Food friendly and incredibly drinkable this beer shows how a simple beer can please as much as a high octane IBU monster

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2010 16:02:39 | More by canucklehead

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on-tap at the Highlander downtown. Didn't know what it was, just saw it was the only micro aside from Cameron's available, so I took a plunge. Sighed when it came out, seeing it was a lager, never promising in Canada. Very pleasantly surprised.

Very thin head, excellent lacings marking each sip. Pale and clear. For me, not a stand-out as far as looks are concerned.

Got citrus and grain from the aroma, maing me hopeful that this wasn't just another NA lager. Flavoursome juicy malt up front, nice grain. Fresh, very fragrant hops take over, hay and citrus. Very refreshing and a nice crisp finish.

Mouthfeel was spot on, not overboard on carbonation. This was a great smooth drink. A session beer with flavour that stays true to it's continental roots. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2007 19:38:56 | More by CanuckRover

MaxwellSchaefer

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2nd Review on BA
600mL bottle to bolleke globlet

Purchased at a downtown Toronto LCBO for $15.85 per four bottles.

App- The appearance is a nice straw to very pale gold color. The head is substantial and inviting. It is very much appetizing to the eyes with no real turn-offs. It is nice and crisp and everything you would hope for from a cold stored ale character-wise.

Smell- The beer smells amazing. It's highly reminiscent of cereal grains and makes you think of a hearty breakfast. There is a certain fruit character that is underplayed but get's overshadowed by the more powerful wheat character. Despite, or maybe in spite of that power play, this beer's smell begs you to drink it.

Taste-This beer has great balance, the hops come through but so does the malt and the wheat. Lug Tread begs for another sip and you are left sad when the road of discovery leads to an empty bottle.

Mouth-The mouth feel is rather light and crisp but leaves your palette hungering for another sip. The carbonation is at play and is exciting at least until your beer becomes warm (probably because you are savoring each sip and the bottle is rather large).

Drink- Time for some brutal and embarassing honesty from the reviewer. Let it stand as a warning to my fellow Ontario-residents who are shopping singles in the craft section of the LCBO. I grabbed a single bottle of Lug Tread from a four pack and was charged for the full pack. I realized that fact when I double checked the receipt to note the price for this review. By that point in time I had already had my first sip and was in love. I'm excited to try and convince the LCBO to give me the 3 bottles I paid for (but did not receive) so that I can introduce my girlfriend to this beer, my friends, and hopefully mail some to my family in the states. If my home brew were to ever turn out like this beer, I would quit my job.

Serving type: bottle

Notes from the brewery website (interesting to nerds):

Alc./Vol.: 5.2%
Malts: Pilsner and Toasted Wheat
Hops: Perle and Hersbrucker
IBU's: 21
OG: 12°P
FG: 2.2°P
Recommended Serving Temperautre: 4.5 - 7° C

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 03:30:13 | More by MaxwellSchaefer

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice pale golden/yellow colour to it. It has a nice white head that dies down quite fast and has some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of biscuty malts, grassy hops and a woodsy smell.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a biscuty/bready malt taste to it upfront with a nice grassy hop bitterness, some spices and a bit of apple.

Mouthfeel: It has a high carbonation with a very nice overall balance of flavours.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavours and aromas. Props to Beau's.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 00:28:19 | More by SebD

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Draft fresh from the brewery:

What can I say about this subtle under-rated elixer? Certainly it’s a Canadian crafted Kolsch...but how many will recognize it as such and appreciate the delicate subtle complexity of this German cold aged ale?

I’m a fan of this arcane style but having never been to Cologne and being limited to poorly handled exported bottle samples or other North Americanized Kolsh approximations, it’s hard to say how Beau’s compares to the genuine ale of Cologne....all I can say is that it is delicate in complexity, has top tier German ingredients and is very tasty and drinkable due to the 45 day cold fermenting/aging cycle.

The Look: Tapped it puts a lightly hazed pale gold ale in my Kolsch stangen. proper 2 finger frothy white cap with moderate retention and fair lacing qualities.

The Aroma: Very light graininess, subtle apple aromas, light musty-woody tone from Hersbrucker hops, slight wine-like sulphur undertone from yeast....very dulcet aromas...true to style.

Soft rounded character, delicate flavour and balance, smooth delivery, crisp finish.

The profile: Light delicate graininess in the front is balanced by spicey-herbal perle hopping...middle develops light fruitiness, musty-woody tones over light grains...finish is crisp and clean slightly drying with a light hop "bite".

Impression: A very well made and subtly complex Kolsch-styled ale with soft flavourful character and great drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2007 19:08:52 | More by pootz

Ralphus

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lug tread comes in a unique ceramic bottle with a resealable growler style stopper. It's a large bottle, holding a a hefty ~750ml but comes with a similarly high pricetag. You do get a beer guaranteed not to be light struck however.

And Beau's has done a good job here. The appearance is a rich golden blond colour with a nice finely bubbled head. In the smell there's something unique and hard to describe. Certainly there's some fruity yeasts and grain but on the periphery that's also an earthy butter. Distinct but not over powering either.

The taste is a very solid balance. The sweetness of the initial malts balanced out well with the finishing hops. It's all wrapped up in a silky smooth package that goes down quicker than you expect.

As someone stated earlier, this would make a great session beer. Now I just need to find out where I can return the bottles!

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2008 00:11:13 | More by Ralphus

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

600ml bottle poured into pint glass april22 2010

A clear golden yellow with lots of bubbles floating up to a fast falling thumbs width of head that left no lace

S grassy hops and a little lemon with enough sweet malt to balance it out a bit

T a little more malt then I could smell but still a fair bit of hops with a little honey I didn't notice on the nose and even more lemon

M light, crisp and clean and well carbonated

D very much so, lots of flavor for a session beer and it's very easy to drink. Ideal summer beer and I would drink this again without any thought

thanks ritzkiss for a nice random beer that I never would have tried otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 02:34:46 | More by wordemupg

notdan

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours into my tiny Kolsch glass with a clear, straw/golden colour and moderate white head. Aroma shows off fresh grainy biscuit mixed with lemon zest and spice. The biscuit flavour dominates the taste at first but quickly leads into a delicious fruity apple-like sweetness with just enough herbal/spicy hops to balance things out. It isn't intensely flavourful or overly complex, but it's everything I would want from this rare style. Grateful to have access to fresh Kolsch all summer long (purchased at LCBO two days after bottling!).

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 02:38:14 | More by notdan

ludachris

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The 600ml brown bottle is different from the aluminum swingtop in the picture, but just as appealing. I bought a 4 pack of this, and they went all out with the packaging; from the case itself, to the string tied around the bottles, to the coaster contained at the bottom that made for a nice surprise. Trying to justify the near $16 price tag? I think so. I will say that it did help a bit in my purchase.

A slightly hazed, aggressively carbonated golden honey body spells refreshing from the get-go. A finger of paper white frothy head is what's produced after a quick pour.

Fresh dough, pepper, and cereal grains are the first things to greet the nose. Notes of lemon and a herbal grassy hop character also make their way into the mix as well as a faintly sweet and mysterious smell that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe a touch of honey?

More rich and full in taste than what I had anticipated. A fresh doughy, textured body plays as a solid backbone for the beer that is occasionaly cut into by refreshing notes of white pepper and lemon zest. A refined herbal character makes a quick appearance midway through. Crisp and buttery in the finish with a good dose of grassy hops to finish it off.

Light bodied, crisp, and dry in the finish, cleaning the palate out nicely and coaxing you to take sip after sip. Oh so drinkable and oh so refreshing.

This marks my first beer from Beau's and I'm quite impressed. I think I've only had three Kolsch's up to this point, and this was by far my favorite. Refreshing crisp, and easyyyy drinking; perfect for the months of summer. This may not be the best time to drink this beer, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Worth a pick up for sure!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 03:21:08 | More by ludachris

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml opaque ceramic pop-top bottle.

A - Pours a clear gold/straw with thick, creamy head - very dense with fine bubbles and good retention.

S - Aroma is honey and light fruit, mild citrus and some floral hops.

T - Surprisingly deep maltiness. There's a rich graininess and floral fruit - pears maybe with soft finishing bitterness.

M - Light but not watery - again gives an impression of richness without being heavy or syrupy. Quite dry.

D - Easy drinking, light, but with plenty of character. Would be nice to session (also the bottle is cool).

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2008 04:43:10 | More by allergictomacros

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brand new 600ml glass bottles which, while not the stunning ceramic, are packaged pretty damn well - great looking 4 pack! Packaged March 22, kudos to Beau's for being conscientious in dating as well as getting their product on the shelf ASAP. This is about 2 weeks old.

Pours a crystal clear straw yellow, about 2 fingers of tight foam on top that recedes to a thin layer.

Nose is clean, light malt presence (almost corn pop like), grassy herbal hopping which borders on reminding me of a farm.

Clean, crisp body. Light pale malts meet a fresh, herbal hopping. Punchy carb, light fruitiness hiding behind. Decent enough hop presence for the style, flavorful yet supremely drinkable. Want a beer to intro you macro swill, lager drinking friends too? This is the ticket.

You could easily pound pints of this in the summer on the patio, at the beach, BBQing... perfect light summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 00:54:22 | More by ritzkiss

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First of a four pack of bombers bottled on April 7, 2011 (five days ago), it's not going to get much better than this.

Pours a very nice, deep golden colour with a moderate white head and a variable ton of visible carbonation. It's burning off fast and I'm not getting much lacing.

It smells very, very fresh. Sweet roasted malts and a grassy hop tone are joined by a slightly buttery note and one of freshwater.

The taste is primarily toasted malts for me, with a real grassy character and a decent bitterness on the tongue.

Mouthfeel is creamy at first, but takes on a bready or yeasty character as the carbonation burns off. The aftertaste is quite dry and crisp, with a hint of malt and a slight earth/dirt note.

Good value overall at about $3.50 per bomber and has a rich, satisfying taste, maybe a bit heavy as a session beer, but great for 1-2 pints. Drink it fresh though, I've had some older ones that weren't nearly as good.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 17:07:43 | More by bryehn

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A 44 pack that's been inhabiting my fridge, this poured a slightly cloudy yellow orange with a touch of lacing at the top. Smell is very malty grassy aroma, pleasant. Flavor is good, refreshing, malt is dominant with a german hop bitterness finish. Mouthfeel is very clean. Overall this is a very simple refreshing summer beer, a little expensive but good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 18:15:50 | More by funkengruven

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at the C'est What? Festival of Small Breweries.

Pours a slightly hazy golden/yellow, thick white head, nice lacing, looks good. Smell is sweet, very clean, malty, some yeast, citrus, refreshing. Taste is nice and malty, some sweetness, wheat, very grainy, citrus, with a dry finish, kind of lemony. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, low carbonation. I understand they've had some consistency problems with this one, but a decent drink and an underrepresented style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2007 02:30:51 | More by Viggo

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear, golden-straw with a white head, some retention & lace.

S: Pleasant grassy & peppery hopping with hints of herbs.

T: Pleasant noble hoping is modest, subtle bitterness, with an apple-like crispness (a little wheaty?).

M: Light to moderate body has a very crisp, dry finish.

D: A good drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2009 01:34:33 | More by Derek

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #47 (Dec 2010):

Lacing draped on the glass is thick and sticky; bright golden clarity is inviting. Clean biscuity nose with hits of apple skin and dried grass. Lager tickles from the brisk carbonation, though the body stands like an ale. Malt bomb of the pale shade with lots of bread and biscuity flavors. Ripe pears in the middle. Clean bite of hops is there to balance and flavor with an herbal spicy edge. Kiss of grain husk and more herbal hop in the dry finish. A well-paid homage to its German counterparts--a whole lot of flavor without distracting from the high level of drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 23:16:37 | More by BeerAdvocate

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Packaged 11/July/12 from LCBO. Pours a fluffy white head, pretty quick to recede, leaving a soupy film and lace. Colour is a light yellow gold, with active carbonation.

Aroma has fresh, slightly floral malt, with a lot of grape/wine character. Hops also but not too dominant. A bit of fruitiness and biscuit malt.

Taste of this is interesting. It has a strong element of vinous, earthy herbal hop character that is quite thick, over top of the roast malt body. Hops are also moderately assertive, adding to a complex flavour profile. Overall its got a strong malty bitterness, just a bit of sour edge.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, carbonation is at a pretty good level, goes quite dry on the finish. Drinkability is solid. Finish is characterized by a balanced dry sour malt.

Quite enjoyable stuff, not your average beer for sure. Refreshing with good balance, nice complexity and flavour.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 23:50:03 | More by mick303

eat

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at C'est What?. Clear and pale-amber in colour. Good covering of off-white head. Nice lacing.

Light smelling. Wheat, light hops, touch of citrus, fresh air and a sweet candy-like aroma. Could use more presence.

Very wheaty. There's some kind of candy flavour I can't put my finger on, though it's not overly sweet at all. The quality of the water is very noticeable as a result of the light flavour, being obviously brewed with some nice spring water. Moderately dry finish. Nice and clean, fresh and simple.

Okay feel. Light-medium body with similar carbonation. The carbonation ties in well with the hop profile.

This is very drinkable. Would make a great session beer. Nice flavourful, simple brew. I would definitely order this again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2010 07:03:22 | More by eat

shamus

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a golden lager colour. The scent and taste remind of some pilsners I have. This has lot's of character. I like the after taste a lot - grassy and classy. i've had this on draft before but surprisingly I'm enjoying this more out of the bottle. It tastes a lot fresher. The ceramic bottle with the rubber sealed stopper is a keeper too. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2008 00:00:43 | More by shamus

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I'm re-reviwing this beer. The first one I had was in a ceramic swing-top bottle and it was soapy. I can only think the bottle hadn't been properly rinsed or something, because I have had it on tap a few times since then and really enjoyed it.

Now that it's available in four packs (a much more sensible format for a regular offering in my opinion) I figured I'd pick one up and give it another go.

Before I begin, I have to say the new four-pack design is stunning. Easily the best beer packaging in Ontario. And frankly, I'm hard pressed to think of any thing that even come close to this in the world. Honestly. One of the most unique and appealing packages ever, and the fact that they put the bottled-on date proves these guys care about the quality of their beer.

As for the beer, it pours a nice clear golden hue topped by an eggshell white head that leaves crooked fingers of lacing.

The aroma is straw and grains--almost like popcorn--with some pale malts with a grassy noble hop kick.

The tastes is like Matzo bread and a creamy, toasty malt met by a grassy peppery hop biet in the back end. Dry with a little hint of lemony seltzer water in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is a tad light as is the carbonation.

A fantastically moreish drinker, very light but satisfying at the same time. It has a aura of a macro taste about it, but at the same time it reeks of quality. A very smart choice for a flagship beer in this market as I think those who are used to macro lagers and order this because it's local will be pleasantly surprised enough to make the switch.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 03:05:31 | More by MeisterBurger

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Have had out of the bottle over a year ago, but got it on tap this time. Reviewing it as a lager, which is how it was sold to me...

The colour was a rich straw yellow that was more opaque than expected, with a head that left minimal lacing during the half hour I sipped away on it. The beer had a strong scent of bread on its nose with little else of note.

The beer tasted pretty nice to start with the chewy bread flavour being at the forefront on the palate with a light lingering bitterness on the palate. After drinking the whole pint the bitterness was at the forefront clinging to the palate for an extended period of time.

The carbonation was balanced and felt nice, which matched the chewiness of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2010 19:26:52 | More by kjyost

Long813

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dated: Dec 31/09

G: Pint Glass

A: Clear golden body with 3 fingers of white head. Poor retention, but leaves good lacing.

S: Wheat/grainy, some lemon hints, pale malts and some spice. Aroma is to weak to distinguish much besides the grains.

T: Very light grains and pale malts, slight touch of citrus. Quite a soothing combination.

M: Light bodied and medium carbonation. Smooth and some bitterness to it. Oddly leaves a creamy texture that lingers around for a while. Very pleasant.

D: Wether you are getting this for the style, the beer, or the bottle. It's worth the cost. It's economical, but it doesn't quite comply with my tastes. Good beer none the less.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 03:25:31 | More by Long813

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from one of the new 600 ml bottle that are now available in sixers, the boxes were pretty so I decided to finally pick up a few at the LCBO after having it on tap countless times

Pours a deep straw colour, head quickly dies down to a faint ring

Can't pick up much from the aroma, mostly some grassy/lemony notes, bread.

I've had this one a number of times, and can sum up the taste as grassy, hay-like, pale malts, bready, just the right amount of bitterness to balance it all out

Lively carbonation, works well with its overall crisp/refreshing vibe

Overall, a delicate and well-balanced beer, will definitely be coming back to it regularly in the summer months, especially now that its available in a slightly more affordable package than the previous ceramic bottles

overall nice and crisp, a perfect option on a nice spring/summer afternoon

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 04:40:07 | More by MattyV