Ontario Wet Hop Pale Ale

From the wilds of Burlington, Ontario comes Ontario Wet Hop Pale Ale, a tasty little brew built by the Nickel Brook Brewing Co. According to the label on the jumbo 750mL bomber bottle, this gem is brewed using all Ontario ingredients and encompasses "Ontario's only native hop variety, freshly picked Bertwell hops," which are apparently added the day that they're picked.

At 5.3%, this brew is a cloudy brass-hued ale that is topped with a loose, but very thick eggshell head. There is excellent head retention here. The aroma is fairly mild, but features charismatic and bitter citrus notes. Similarly, there is a very subtle flavour--not meek, exactly, but definitely mellow--though there is some nice grapefruit action from start to finish.

This is a pretty nice little brew. I love the all Ontario pedigree, and this was my first brush with the Bertwell hop--certainly not my last. I could have done with a more robust flavour and a chunkier mouthfeel though.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.