Engineer's
is a hazy brass coloured ale that pours with a sudsy, off-white head.
Its nose oscillates between evergreen and metallic, though there is also
a touch of spice to the stuff. In terms of flavour, pine and citrus
notes agree on bitterness, though at 60 IBUs, not overly astringent or
overpowering. As with the aroma, there's a spice quality that adds a
little panache.
So, is it, as promised by the
label on the 500mL bottle, "bold, complex and finely balanced"?
Somewhat. Bold is a bit of a stretch, particularly when compared to
other Ontario IPAs that have a bit more pop and grit (Mad Tom and Boneshaker leap to mind). Complex, though,
is a fair term. The stuff is undeniably nuanced and has a certain depth.
As for finely balanced, there's not a lot of malt focus to equalize the
scale, but for an IPA, that's pretty much fine by me.
Not
as instantly likable as Junction's Conductor's Craft, this stuff
definitely has a lot going for it all the same. I'd have liked a bit more booze and a
tad more brash assertiveness, though I'll certainly be buying it again.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
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