F&M Brewery - StoneHammer Dark Ale

StoneHammer Dark on ice

I had the chance to catch up with George Eagleson, head brewer of Guelph's F&M Brewery, on Friday afternoon, who happened to be in Toronto (at a local brewery) to brew something special for an upcoming event. We shared some beers and some stories and talked about some of the Ontario beers out there that don't get enough recognition from the general public, and I remembered I had reviewed Eagleson's Dark Ale, a beer we didn't mention, in a past issue of TAPS.  So I thought I'd post my short review here today.


The following tasting note appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of TAPS The Beer Magazine

F&M’s StoneHammer Dark Ale is one of those beers that fly under the radar here in Ontario. Light bodied and quenchable, yet flavourful and intriguing, this amber-brown ale can be enjoyed by all sorts of beer drinkers. A malty nose with touches of roasted nuts and wisps of chocolate and raisin, the aroma of this beer is quite nice. The taste reveals pretty much what is detected in the smell with a slightly sharp but gently bitterness towards the end playing side by side with notes of hazelnut. It all finishes dry and clean and surprisingly has a more roasted profile than the colour would lead you to believe. Very nice.

The Dark Ale also went onto win a Bronze medal at the 2010 Canadian Brewing Awards in the brown ale category.

*Pic borrowed from http://www.stonehammerbrews.blogspot.com/