Steam Whistle Pale Ale

From the people who profess to “do one thing really, really well”—Toronto’s Steam Whistle Brewing—comes Steam Whistle Pale Ale. A 5% ale, SWPA comes in 473mL cans that are a metallic teal doppelgänger to Steam Whistle Pilsner’s green. They also have Steam Whistle's unnecessary trash foil can hat.

The beer is a golden ale with an amber accent. It has a toasted malt nose with toast elements and a slightly metallic tinkle. Malt-forward, the beer has a toasty, British-style pale ale quality. The mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing; however, it has a dearth of robust hops. There is some bitterness, but it comes late at the back end and could be considerably more aggressive.

I’ve heard some smack talked about this second effort from Steam Whistle from the Ontario beer enthusiast community on Twitter, and I’m not sure it was totally deserved. The beer tastes decent enough, but lacks punch. It’s refreshing and attractive, but uninspired.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.