Knucklebone IPA

The 473mL can that houses Knucklebone IPA is most definitely eye-catching. It features a large, ghoulish skull with a shiny gold tooth. The beer, produced in Oakville, Ontario for Skeleton Crew Brewing Company by the folks at Cameron’s Brewing. The beer uses a trio of hops (Galaxy, Azacca, and Mosaic) and reaches 6.5% and 65 IBUs.

Knucklebone is a slightly cloudy dull gold ale. It pours with a fluffy off-white head, through which emerges a sweet and juicy aroma. The beer has nice balance, with a fairly robust malt profile offsetting a hop bitterness that blends orangy citrus and a whisper of pine.

Knucklebone is a good addition to Ontario’s crowded IPA landscape. It has a flavour that mixes tropical and citrus fruit with a fairly burly sweet malt presence, giving it a niche profile—neither fully juicy nor evergreen. It is perhaps a touch too sweet, but otherwise I thought the beer got the job done with some style. Though I’d like the percentage to be closer to 7, assuming it remains available, I picture myself drinking lots of this stuff in the years ahead (note: I wrote my review in September; as I was typing it up in October, I was, in fact, drinking a Knucklebone).

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.