Bog Water - Beau's All Natural Brewing Company

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled at Mondial:

Puts a turbid rusty-brown ale in the glass, small 1finger tan cap laces modestly.. Lightly carbonated.

Pungent aroma: musty-toffee-citrusy-floral, dried fruit-herbs, spices, smoked almonds...wonderful mélange of aromas. Like a herbal brown ale.

Flavor profile is almost replica of the aroma but more intense: toasty-nutty-toffee malts provide a base to balance off lemony-herbal bittering and a wonderful complexity of musty-spicy-malty-fruity-nutty flavors....long wet finish.

This has a wonderfully quirky complexity that is sure to be misunderstood by unseasoned palates but for those who can appreciate the melding of a number of uncommon complimentary flavors, this is a brew you can relish and not be shy about having a couple.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2010 00:24:54 | More by pootz

BigGruntyThirst

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev 0%

03-10-2013 04:21:21 | More by BigGruntyThirst

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

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

A: Brown in colour with a hint of orange/red in it. Pours a 1/2 inch head that quickly falls.

S: Bready, caramel, dark fruits with hints of herbal aromas.

T: Same as aroma. Bready, caramel, dark fruits, herbal.

M: The flavours are present and complementary. They leave the mouth fairly quickly with a nice sweet finish. Carbonation is medium-high which cleans up the palate.

O: Waited too long to have this beer. This is a great gruit. To me it's like a better version of a Wee Heavy.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 18:57:22 | More by Kremlock

Yoozeo

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

02-20-2013 04:21:00 | More by Yoozeo

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: It has a nice murky deep copper/amber color to it. It has a nice light beige head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves little lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of sweet caramel, herbal notes, some breadiness, brown sugar, dark fruit and some spices.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some sweet caramel, herbal notes, sweet raisins, a subtle spiciness and a slight breadiness.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 22:22:51 | More by SebD

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep mahogany colour, hazy. Large but fast dissipating head, but I sort of expected that without much in the way of hops to help the retention. No lace. Really, it looks like a headless dunkelweizen. Mild aroma shows banana, raisin, and herbal/floral notes. Tastes of toasted malt, a gentle sweetness with banana and dried fruit notes, spicy phenols, and a slight soapy character in the finish. My glass is well-rinsed so I don't believe it's that - maybe Bog Myrtle just tastes a little bit soapy to me? Anyways, it doesn't bother me. Cilantro is a little bit soapy too, and I don't mind some of that either. No bitterness.

Medium-bodied with somewhat low carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel. Nice beer, and I don't mean this as a complaint since I enjoyed it, but there really is something about it that makes it seem more dunkelweisse than dubbel. But hey, those Belgian yeast strains can be pretty estery and phenolic as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 06:23:32 | More by mintjellie

yancot

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev 0%

02-11-2013 20:46:33 | More by yancot

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: A cloudy, murky brew with a dark cherry wood brown colour the exhbits ample carbonation. The head produced a finger and a half that didn't stick around for very long bu did manage some mild lace.

Smell: Unsurprisingly it has a very strong herbal overtone to itself, it's strange and it's the scent I would expect lily come from water lilies. Cloves, cinnamon and a bountiful mix of yeast. Warming helps it's case out even more.

Taste: Very herbal, which really is to be expected. Starts with a peculiar tea taste with slight caramel malt backing that turns to a more and fruity yeast taste as plum, smoke and hint of rosemary and finishes with an almost root beer sort of taste that is reigned in by a return of the tea taste.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is a little lax, but it's made up for by very smooth transitioning and the nice mixed herb aftertaste that doesn't linger or build up excessively. I wouldn't be opposed to a bit more head though.

Drinkability: Medium/light bodied, as it hides it's 6% masterfully. It almost has the effect that stomach bitters have, calming it down. Refreshing but with a a flavourful punch that might not be appropriate for summer. I can also see it coming across as a bit medicine like, but all in all I liked it.

Final Thoughts: Well, it's not quite as good as the Muskoka Spring Oddity, but I'm glad to see another excellent Ontario beer utilizing Gruit and other herbs besides Hops. I'd love to see these guys do a Heather Ale after this.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 05:45:37 | More by TheHammer

sbarre

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.7%

01-30-2013 16:43:01 | More by sbarre

cattersley

Ontario (Canada)

3.89/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Style: Scottish Style Gruit Ale.

ST: 600 ml bottle.

A - A medium 'dirty' unfiltered brown.

S - Almost a cross, prune/citrus, very hard to describe.

T - This is malty, and sweet. Caramel, taffy, and I am thinking the other taste I can't describe is the Wild Sweet Gale. The powerful flavour leaves the mouth quickly with a linger faint sweet aftertaste.

M - It hit hard and heavy on the tongue only for the first fee seconds, but they fade quickly actually leaving the impression of being lighter then it is.

O - I love this beer. I love it every-time I get it, and I will continue to get this. Beau's All Naturals is one of the best breweries in Ontario by far!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:38:46 | More by cattersley

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle acquired from the brewery, poured into a Beau's ceramic Octoberfest mug. Also consumed at SmoQue Shack on draft.

Pours a deep, rich raisin brown that seems fairly clear with a nice head that leaves very light lacing. Tons of belgian esters on the nose including barnyard aromas along with notes of chocolate. Body is quite sweet with raisin notes and some herbal notes along with tartness and a cloying finish. Tart & cloying mouthfeel over time... Holy hell this is sweet. While I appreciate the attempt, I do not really like it... Meh. So much initial promise.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 23:03:34 | More by kjyost

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.7%

12-28-2012 04:46:53 | More by Stocean1

SandS

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

12-22-2012 17:27:42 | More by SandS

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

'Bog Water' is an appropriately unappealing name for a beer so ugly. Indeed, this looks like it came from the swamp. I've never seen such a distinctly repelling, murky brown appearance; only against a bright afternoon's backlight does it maybe look remotely consumable. The surface appears a boiling cauldron, bubbles fizzing out as rapidly as they spring up. Then just flat.

Ugly though this surely is, it has a blissful bouquet. A potent and musty yeast breathes a very perfumed character to the notes of raisins, plum, and the multitude of herbal extract flavors. It smells "mulled", as if stirred with a cinnamon stick. I expect to find whole cloves floating in it. In a sense, it reminds me of Chartreuse (French herbal liqueur) but far more approachable.

On the palate it tastes like a mulled coffee sweetened with thick pellets of brown turbinado sugar and prune juice, again stirred with a cinnamon stick. There are traces of mint and campfire smoke and strong notes of clove on the finish. Despite the spice and toast it has scantly any meatiness. Its sweet, earthy (and somewhat cola-like) profile shares some resemblance with Kvas (fermented rye bread/molasses drink).

The beer's unique, almost fascinating flavour isn't exactly pushed along by an energetic core. Then again, it can’t offer what it doesn't have – which in this case is hops. (Note: a single hop pellet was added, presumably to be ironic.) Bog myrtle (also known as sweet gale) means no bitterness. The result (especially once the carbonation tires) is a very flat product with a strong treacle-like quality.

Bog Water has the mildewy, earthy, forest-floor profile that recalls the 10,000 year old peat bog for which it's named and the surrounding countryside of a wet, cold Eastern Ontario. It is a distinct but appropriate winter seasonal and, unless I'm mistaken, the first Gruit attempted by a Canadian brewer. Bravo. Not something I'd have frequently, but once a year sounds good.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 19:41:16 | More by biegaman

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

600ml bottle poured into a goblet. ABV 6.6%.

A - Poured a dark brown with auburn highlights. Thin beige head was quickly reduce to a few surface bubbles. No lacing. Looks like cola.

S - Brown sugar, caramel, fruity (bananas, apricot, dried fruit), herbs, some spice in the background.

T - Light brown sugar, some sour fruity notes, dried herbs, some cloves, some tea, mild bitterness in the finish. The herbal bitterness covers the inside of the mouth and lingers a bit.

M - Medium-heavy body, medium-low carbonation, sticky, oily, just a hint of heat, mostly clean finish. This one could use more carbonation.

O - It's Dubbel like profile is pretty average but the use of myrtle instead of hops certainly gives this one an interesting flavour.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:44:37 | More by decimator

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

09-09-2012 23:32:13 | More by Molson2000

cmadd

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Beautiful russet body with minimal head retention and almost no lacing.

S: Sweet with an pleasantly mild estery nose: bananas, bubblegum and yeast. In the background a bit of a spice.

T: Slight tart followed by some tannins, and a spicy root/herbal taste that I can only attribute to the bog myrtle. It's like bubblegum and sarsaparilla with some spice. Rounded out with some of the classic dubbel tastes; raisins and sweet malt.

M: Nicely carbonated – lively. Great mouthfeel.

O: Very interesting, and I'm always glad to see a gruit on the market. It's not super punchy, but well done and interesting, especially in Ontario.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 04:22:43 | More by cmadd

trippinbillyrmc

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

04-08-2012 15:28:49 | More by trippinbillyrmc

Groulxsome

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A bottle from a January 2012 batch that I've been saving in the back of the fridge since then. I've had this on tap before and it was really different so I wanted to try it again! They use bog myrtle in the brew with a Belgian double malt/yeast profile according to the little tag that came with the bottle.

A: It's almost the color of cola. Kinda brown-toffee coloured with a hint of dark ruby red. The head takes off to the sides of the glass pretty quickly.

S: It's very sweet smelling, but not in the normal malt way. It's more like a root beer kind of smell. It's got that spicy, herby smell that a really nice root beer would have. I guess that makes sense... it is bog beer.

T: I love the taste of this beer. It's refreshingly different. It opens with a little yeast sour, followed by that weird bog taste - a combination of dry tea, root/birch beer, and some spiciness - it then gets into a more standard double taste, nice round, warm malts. There is a distinct vanilla flavour somewhere in there too. The bitter is also different, maybe more like the bitterness of almonds than the bitterness of hops? It's great, though I'd love a little more in the body department.

M: For something as dark as this, it is surprisingly light. Very light carbonation, almost like the bottom of a cola bottle. It's not under-carbonated though. It'd be nice to have on cask for sure! It's warm from the alcohol at the end.

O: I'm going by style here, and in the spiced/herb beer category this is really a great beer. It's interesting, refreshing, and something I really enjoy drinking. That kind of cola, root/birch beer taste combined with the nice malts and the sour yeast is a great combination. I'd actually buy six packs of this if it was a year-round option.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 02:09:31 | More by Groulxsome

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From notes:

Appearance: average head; incredibly clear as like all Beau's brews; stunningly deep, rich, brown amber - like the edges of a port wine

Aroma: sweet; sharp, slightly acidic fruit, like a barleywine; raisiny, dried fruit (prunes)

Taste & Mouthfeel: interesting mouthfeel stands out with the first sip - almost thick and fatty, coating and clinging to the tongue; just slightly sour; there's something herbal, like a rustic tea; hops are replaced by bog myrtle and the change is noticeable - lacking that dimension; sweetness is "natural" like flowers or honey (not sugary); short length

Overall: a very interesting and complex experiment, like a lighter Belgian Abbey, but the hops and length are missed

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 18:16:53 | More by BGDrock

beerhunter13

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.7%

03-14-2012 11:07:37 | More by beerhunter13

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Beautiful clear amber colour with a fingers worth of fizzy head that quickly recedes to a ring. Good spotty lacing down the glass.

S: Herbal qualities, brown sugar, belgian-like spices and yeast, a favourable sour element, and subtle bread-like aroma. An overall appealing grainy-herbal forward smell.

T: Herbal-grassy taste, brown sugar, a slight sourness, and a biscuity malt presence. If I had to pick a fruit I'd say crisp and sweet pears. There's a distinct and lingering herbal finish, but it's a nice natural taste.

M: Lighter body with a moderate carbonation, both about average for the style. Slightly oily with a generally crisp and clean texture.

D: Quite good with a strong herbal-grassy farmhouse-like element as advertised. Might not be something regularly stocked in my fridge but certainly would occasionally pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 22:57:46 | More by Digimaika2

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a clear dark brown color ale with a small foamy head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma consists of light sugar and caramel notes with light herb undertones. Taste is a mix between a solid malt backbone with some herbs and some light candi sugar. Body is fuller then average with low carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting though some additional carbonation would have helped.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 21:31:11 | More by Phyl21ca

Rukasu

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beautiful ruby amber color from the bottle with a tan head that dissipates quickly.

Very yeasty on the nose with wheat and tropical hints.

Taste is a pleasant, equally yeasty typical dubbel, brown sugar, banana. Caramel malt notes. One wouldn't be able to tell that this didn't have hops in it if they never read the backstory. There is a slight bitterness from the myrtle, which lingers after swallow, but has a milder sharpness to hops.

Bogwater is only lightly carbonated and little body, it comes and goes in the mouth and is very drinkable.

An interesting concept and an enjoyable beer, but little stands out to make this different from the dubbel pack.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:35:09 | More by Rukasu

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy brown/ruby colour, collar of off white head, no lace at all, not as ugly as everyone said it was! Smell is yeasty with tons of banana, brown sugary notes, some earthy-herbal notes, very fain alcohol as well. Taste is full of banana followed directly by herbal notes, spicy with banana coming back as well, some sips give flavours of chocolate, mild bitterness with an earthy finish. Medium dry carbonation, medium body with a fairly nice feel. Not bad, unique with some good interesting flavours, would revisit gladly.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 17:00:11 | More by peensteen