Lone Pine IPA

I was given a bottle of Lone Pine IPA by some wonderful neighbours who noticed my affinity for tasty brews. This beer is the product of the Sawdust City Brewing Co. out of Gravenhurst, Ontario, though, according to the label, it's actually brewed by Etobikoke, Ontario's Black Oak Brewing Co.  It's sold in stylish 650mL bottles and contains a respectable 6.5% alcohol. The "6-5" motif extends to IBUs, listed at 65. This brew features the folksy slogan "Born in our Hearts[,] Brewed with our Hands".

Lone Pine is a relatively clear, brass coloured India Pale, with an off-white head that flattened out pretty quickly into a sudsy disc. The nose has big evergreen hops set against a slight tinniness and some rich malt splendor. The flavout starts malty, but turns almost immediately to bitter. The label compares this beer to a slap in the face from a pine bow--an unusual illusion for a brew, but nonetheless pretty apt. This hugely hoppy ale has a number of bitter flavour elements: Not surprisingly, it's piney, but there is also a considerable resin quality. The label also speaks of ctirus--I guess that there is a bit of orange peel, but I only detected a touch.

This is definitely not a thirst quenching beer. Nor is in a two-in-one-nighter. It has an extremely dry finish. Hop heads will appreciate the unyielding bitterness, but what I really liked was the nuance on display in the hop profile. It's bitter, but artfully so. A unique and thought-provoking Ontario IPA.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.