Podcast Companion: Old Flame Brewing Company
The guests on Season 9, Episode 60 of the podcast were an Ontario brewery that I’d been aware of since I started having a presence on beer social media around five years ago, but had not had a chance to try until now. Old Flame Brewing Company have been brewing craft lagers out of their flagship location in Port Perry since 2013. Just last year, they opened their second location at the Old Fire Hall in Newmarket. In this instalment of the Podcast Companion, I’ll be taking a close look at their signature lineup, which they sell in a Craft Lager Mix 4 Pack. It spans the lager colour spectrum from light to dark with a Helles, a Vienna, a Dunkel, and finally a Black Lager.
Blonde
Helles Lager - 5%
Their Helles Lager pours so clear you could read a book through it. It has a clean, bready nose with honey sweetness and a slight hint of wet grass. It drinks nice and soft, with medium carbonation. It’s dry on the palate with only a touch of sweetness up front. It’s clean, crisp, slightly grassy, and boasts a malt bill of freshly baked bread. There’s a slightly floral note around the mid-palate, and next to no bitterness. It’s got the sweetness you’d expect from a Helles, but it’s not over the top, which is exactly how I like it. This right here is a year-round lager.
Red
Vienna Lager - 5.1%
Moving from light to dark, next up is the Vienna Lager, aptly named Red. It pours a dark, reddish copper with an off-white head, and an inviting nose of toasted cereals and caramel malts. On the palate, the malt bill imparts flavours of puffed wheat cereal, which along with the beer’s fluffy carbonation gives it a delightful pillowy softness. There’s light caramel sweetness with a nice touch of rye spiciness and very mild bitterness. The finish is smooth and clean. I love Vienna Lagers. They are few and far between and this one is a real banger.
Brunette
Munich Dunkel - 4.8%
One notch darker brings me to the Dunkel, which pours a clear, dark brown with a bright red tint that shines through it when the light hits it. The nose is very similar to that of the red, but with a more heavily roasted cereal malt aroma, and less sweetness. It drinks delightfully clean with a palate that is medium-bodied and fluffy. There is some notable spice to the malt bill, and only the slightest touch of caramel sweetness. There’s a more prominent dark chocolate bitterness, but it doesn’t linger. There’s even a slightly smoky, lingering roasted malt flavour bringing it to a light, clean finish. This is a light, drinkable lager with an impressive depth of flavour.
Raven
Black Lager - 5%
On the darkest end of the spectrum is Raven, the Black Lager. It pours with an obsidian colour, with a burgundy, reddish tint in the one spot on the base of the glass that light can pass through it, and an espresso crema head. Dark cocoa, toasted grain, and espresso waft off the pour. The carbonation is just right, drinking smooth and not too effervescent. Dark chocolate malts are dominant on the palate, and there’s a very mild milk chocolate sweetness balancing the bitterness. The profile is roasty throughout, with notes of fresh coffee coming through, as well. It almost drinks like a light stout, with a much lighter feel and a clean lager finish.
Old Flame’s core lineup has a lager for every season and every palate! Check them out at either of their brewery locations, or get free delivery of their beer within the Durham region. Check out the full podcast to hear more of Old Flame’s story!
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Nathan
Nathan is a craft beer enthusiast from Ottawa, ON. He is the Co-Founder of @TeamLactose, he’s passionate about travelling for beer and he loves talking about beer from Ontario, Quebec and beyond.