Calm Sea Ontario Pale Ale

Born in Toronto’s East Side, Calm Sea Ontario Pale Ale comes from Avling Brewing. It’s a 5% alcohol ale sold in 355mL cans brewed using Ontario wheat, malt, barley, and hops. It’s a hazy golden ale that pours with a sudsy white head.

Calm Sea has a surprisingly yeasty nose, with banana and clove notes—honestly, if I hadn’t seen a label, I’d have called it a hefeweizen for sure. The beer’s flavour has a similar profile—bananas, spice, and hearty yeast. Not a lot of conventional pale ale hops or bitterness, though.

Calm Sea is an unusual pale ale—it hits a lot of wheat beer style elements, and it lacks the bitterness that typically characterizes the pale ale style. Not my cup, but it could absolutely be yours.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.