Just the Sandwich IPA

 

Just the Sandwich IPA from Whitby, Ontario’s Town Brewery has one of the province’s cutest labels—the 473mL cans are decorated with a friendly, anthropomorphic 8-bit burger. The 7.2% beer itself is a hazy, dull orange colour and it pours with a durable chapeau of off-white foam.

To my nose, mango and orange juice are the primary scents, along with something a bit sticky and resinous lurking. The flavour is initially very sweet and juicy, with OJ and tropical elements to spare. Toward the back end, there is some boozy heat, citrus hoppiness, and an unfortunate plasticky note that rubbed me a bit the wrong way.

Overall, I liked Just the Sandwich, from its excellent strength to its adorable packaging. However, the off note in the finish hampered my enjoyment. The initial fruitiness was well-executed, but the back end was not to my taste. This isn’t an instance where an off-note spoiled an otherwise good beer, but it is one but for which a decent beer could have been excellent. Truthfully, too, I noticed the issue less as I sipped each of the six cans I bought.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Guest List

 Sold in 355mL cans, Guest List is a double dry-hopped pale ale from Toronto’s Rainhard Brewery. The 6% ale is hazy orange and pours with a thick fog of eggshell suds.

Guest List has a quirky fruit and floral aroma—it’s tropical with notes of stone fruit, but also quite perfume-y. The flavour has some depth, and blends in passionfruit, resin, and also a vague soapiness.

This beer has a bit more depth than many of the other DDH ales in Ontario, which is a plus, though the slight soap note is a bit of a distraction. Still, I’d enthusiastically buy this beer again.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Sidepart Dry-Hopped Lager

 Town Brewery’s Sidepart Dry-Hopped Lager is a 5% beer from Whitby, Ontario. The 473mL can features the logo of the Pink Boots Society. The beer is pale gold and hazy, with a fluffy white head.

Sidepart has a dry, yeasty, and floral aroma. The little lager has a crisp texture and a flavour that comprises floral and slightly spicy notes, culminating in a short, dry finish.

This dry-hopped lager has some saison qualities—dry, yeasty, and a little spicy. It’s a pretty enjoyable little beer, though I’d have liked a bit more robust hoppiness.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Live Laugh Love

 

Billed as an “Inspirational IPA”, Indie Alehouse’s Live Laugh Love is a 6.5% hazer. The Toronto beer comes in amazing 473mL cans with the cheery name set out in a hilarious death metal font. The beer is built around a trio of hops: Citra, Lotus, and Strata. Dull orange-gold in colour, Lx3 pours with a velvety eggshell head.

Lx3 has a bright, citrusy aroma, accented with a whisper of vanilla. This hazy IPA has grapefruit and OJ notes, a sticky resin/citrus finish, and just enough sweetness to add some balance.

Live Laugh Love is a delightful little ale—lots to like, not a lot to complain about, and it left me feeling well-pleased. Other than the packaging and the “inspirational” handle, the beer might not be all that memorable, but it’s doubtlessly well-made.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Brain Space

 An 8.4% double IPA from Whitby, Ontario, Brain Space comes from Town Brewery. It’s an orange-gold hazer with a sprinkling of off-white suds that comes in colourful 473mL cans. It’s made using Citra, El Dorado, and Huell Melon hops.

Brain Space has aromatics that sing with orange and floral notes, along with a wallop of boozy heat. The flavour, too, packs a lot of OJ characteristics, with considerable sweetness up front, and a faint floral bitterness toward the finish line. Underlying the whole shebang is an unsubtle booziness. It also has a pleasant, velvety texture.

This beer tastes strong, but it isn’t overly sweet. That makes it a lovely choice for after dinner sipping. I’d guess there might be some oats in there somewhere to explain the smooth texture, but it isn’t listed on the can or the website, so I might be mistaken. More assertive hops would have clicked for me.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Occult Classic

 I love a beer with a badass name, and Occult Classic is most definitely that. The beer, a doppelbock, is the progeny of Rainhard Brewing in Toronto. It’s a 6.7% dark lager sold in gloomy 473mL cans. The beer is cola-dark, with a fluffy tan head.

Occult Classic has a malty, sweet, and bready aroma, and a nearly matching flavour. There is some nuttiness, a streak of molasses, and a bit of boozy heat along for the ride. The beer has a gentle, smooth texture that benefits from gradual warming as you slowly sip.

I’ve had more memorable doppelbocks, but not a lot that originated outside of Germany. Rainhard’s take on the style is mellow and mild, but still punchy and potent.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Square Wheels

 Square Wheels is an India pale ale born in Whitby, Ontario, where it is nurtured by the team at Town Brewery. SW is a 6.2% hazy IPA made using both flaked wheat and flaked oats. It comes in 473mL cans and has a hazy golden hue and a fluffy white crown of suds.

SW has a white grape fruitiness that gives its aroma a dry white wine character, but there’s also a little bit of pineapple that balances in some sweetness. The flavour continues the pinot gris and tropical fruit vibe, though it’s a bit sweeter than the nose led me to anticipate. The beer has a smooth texture and only limited citrus bitterness.

Ontario has a more hazy IPAs than I care to count, and as a result, many average editions tend to blur together. Square Wheels is considerably better than average, and that makes it worth tracking down.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Apex

 A beefy triple IPA from Baysville, Ontario, Apex is a 10% bomb from Lake of Bays Brewing Co. Sold in 473mL cans, Apex contains Amarillo and Simcoe hops, is dry-hopped with Barbe Rouge and Galaxy, and is supplemented with pineapple juice concentrate. The near clear beer has an orange-amber colour, pours with a thinnish off-white head, and clocks in at 55 IBUs.

Unsurprisingly, pineapple notes are a big part of the aroma, but there are also tart peach and sticky resin notes. The beer bounces from sweet to tangy, with tropical fruit notes throughout. As for bitterness, it’s there in a citrus and resin configuration, but those elements play second fiddle to juice and booze.

Truthfully, I wasn’t wild about Apex. I found the juice and tang were over-emphasized, making it a bit overwhelming. I’d probably buy this again, but I don’t see myself seeking it out.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.