Cloud IPA

A definite haze-monster, Cloud IPA from Bandit Brewery is a 6.8% ale sold in 500mL bottles that feature a nimbus-rendered raccoon in a blue sky. The Torontonian brew is a milky yellow-gold colour with a white head that appears almost pearlescent due to the beer’s haze.

With an aroma that tightropes Florida OJ and bitter grapefruit, citrus is definitely the name of the game. Orange notes dominate the front end of the flavour, with citric bitterness picking up a head of steam toward the back end.

Juicy and lively, with a respectable booze punch, Cloud IPA is pretty close to my ideal of a hazy, New England-style IPA. I might have liked the flavour to weave into mango or stone fruit territory, but the straight up citrus angle is not without its appeal. I bought this beer as an afterthought during a trip to Bandit to round out my order, and I’m extremely glad I did, because it’s a real winner.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.