Rorschach Brewing Co. — Restaurant in Toronto

3.5 stars for this great neighbourhood brewery. Service here is just what you want in a beer hall. Friendly and really educated about the beers they make. Their beer offering looks really inventive and creative... just unfortunate they sold out most we wanted. Even though, the ones leftover didn't suit my tastebuds doesnt mean you won't fall in love with their offering.

I honestly like Rorschach Brewing Company and would recommend any beer lover who is trying out microbreweries in Toronto. It's a converted house with a GREAT rooftop patio. It has the right amount of shade and sun to keep you relaxed and happy up there. The gentle breeze comes through and they have good classic rock playing... it's a bit retro. I also like Rorschach because they have a full kitchen and it's not just snacks.

I'm new to the beer game and so my tastebuds veer towards the lighter and less bitter. Yeah... I'm that person but to be fair, I just started to sip beers a few months ago. I can definitely appreciate a darker beer done well... I may not be able to handle more than a few sips but one of the stouts we tried was definitely one of the better stouts I've had What I found on a Saturday, that I'm not the only one in Toronto that likes the lighter beers. Most of the beers I saw online were crossed out. BUT I will say for those who love a good dark beer, there are tons for you to try.

As I mentioned, service here is very good. I know which beers I like and sometimes a microbrewery can go far into the deep end with their descriptions. When you have a great encyclopedia of beers to choose from, help is really appreciated. Our server was helpful because she guided us to the remaining beers that would be interesting to us.

Synchronicity - Their description was really accurate. This is a light saison brewed with blood orange oolong tea and I could taste a dominant citrus note with a medium bitter black tea with a hint of really floral honey in the back. I thought this was really interesting take on beer and liked trying it. It did also have a moderate bitterness and touch of the astringency that I've come to know some teas have. Not my preference but I liked trying it and think the brew masters have creative ideas. 3.5/5

God Complex - Another saison but with a kick of 9.5% alcohol. I think my taste buds broke on this one. They explain it with as spiced, candied orange, floral, and hint of banana. I ... couldnt taste any of that. I found the flavour profile really subtle of the 4 we tried. I'm going to sound like a completely unseasoned drinker (which is not untrue) ... but it was light tasting with a hint of sweetness. That's it. Just light dry beer. Yeah... my tastebuds didnt work here. 3.5/5

Truth Serum - This one was really interesting. Double dry hopped and with oats, this supposedly had mango, passionfruit, mandarin, and grapefruit notes. I do have to agree, it has a tropical fruit spin to it... but the first hits you as pineapple sweet and then quickly goes into more of a traditional beer bitterness. For those who thinking new IPAs are like juice, this could be your gateway drug .. uh drink to liking the newer offerings. I guess this would be my first step in appreciating more of the traditional flavours of beer. 3.5/5

Hawaiian Stout - I love coffee (if you havent noticed my reviews) and when I saw Rorschach had a whole page of these coffee stouts, I was impressed. When I sipped this, I can fully appreciate how they nicely blended two flavours that most people would question. I personally liked it... I couldn't do more of a few sips but I like how the beer had an opening like a cold brew. Pronounced smooth coffee notes going into a traditional moderated bitterness. I found this less bitter than Truth Serum. 3.5/5

So I do have to knock the rating down from a 4 because unfortunately pretty much all the beers I wanted to try were sold out. I can understand limited edition ones are 'first come first serve' so I dont think thats them being unprepared. It's unfortunate to find so many stamped out for...

Rorschach_ is a wonderfully welcoming and inclusive brewery, from the tables set out in the front patio overlooking a parkette, to the large Rainbow flag proudly flanking the entrance. Inside, an impossibly long, narrow room greets you, and, looming large over the bar, a chalkboard heaving with an incredible range of IPAs, sours, stouts and others.

There's no discrimination here! Should the weather be fine, or even fine in a British Summer way, the patron is encouraged to repair to the rooftop patio, which should more properly be described as a treetop oasis of tranquility, a heaven of peace. A canopy of green -- the numerous trees that line the side of the building, thrust thirsty leaves and branches towards the rooftop bar in search of sustenance. The green crown hushes the hubbub of the city to a mere murmur. Another impressively large chalkboard informs the relaxed patron, who is about to sip, savour, and soothe all cares away, of the specials; though truth be told, all of the 'schach's offerings are special or exceptional.

Their IPAs and DIPAs such as Determination, Truth Serum, and Paradigm Shift are exceptionally well-crafted. Each drink transports the patron to the tropics, with fragrances of mixed tropical fruits and citrus scents. Each sip greets the patron with an intense fruit flavour, smooth mouth feel, and a pleasantly bitter, muted citrus-tang aftertaste. Delectable!

The magnificently named Malevolent Benevolence is in a class of it own. This is probably the strongest, sweetest stout ever prepared. Mixed in are chocolate, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, caramel and some other sugars that together with the beer (yes, there is some of that too) achieves a supremely silky taste, coupled with sugar-shock, that hides the boom of the 11% ABV.

Rorschach_ it doesn't get...

Rorschach offers two cocktails from a can, an espresso martini and margarita (both $15) that our server warned isn’t made fresh. Got it, I lowered my expectations and found both drinkable but diluted the margarita to combat its excessive sugariness.

If anything, their menu was the perfect hearty base before a night of drinking. Having shared two of their sandwiches, the smashed burger ($21) was a hit. The potato bun was topped with two generous sized beef patties that are a little thick for a smashed burger but still had a nice crust. I liked that there was plenty of fixings including lettuce, tomato, cheese, caramelized onion, pickles, and a house sauce to give it interest. This was a tasty burger.

Meanwhile, the potato bun disintegrated with the Korean fried chicken sando ($21) making it difficult to eat. Still, the chicken breast was hot and juicy with plenty of breading to give it a crunchy bite. But despite the liberal smear of gochujang mayo, it wasn’t overly spicy and needed more heat. Adding some lettuce with the pickles may also help create a barrier between the bun and sauce to ensure the bread can hold up better.

Maybe Rorschach’s supplier gave them a bushel of the tiny potatoes, but their fries were cut so small… it’s like eating Hickory sticks in fry form. You’d think a smaller fry means more crispy edges, but we just found they were really dried out.

Rorschach Brewing Co’s dining room is surprisingly spacious with picnic tables scattered throughout to accommodate varying sized tables. They were understaffed for a Friday, but the two servers did their best and made sure our large table was served and out in time for the concert. Perhaps they even breathed a sigh of relief once we vacated. So long loud ladies, we can go back to...