Train Wreck Ale

Train Wreck Ale is a ballsy IPA brewed by the Gananoque Brewing Company. It's a punchy little number, weighing in at 6.7% alcohol. I had a pint on tap at a popular Toronto beer-drinking establishment.  It arrived with a positive recommendation from my server, a nice, lively golden orange colour. It was slightly cloudy, full of carbonation, and topped with a thick off-white head.

T.W.A. has a powerful hop aroma with notes of pine and a whisper of citrus rind. The mouthfeel is considerably dry and the flavour, like the aroma, is hoppy and bitter. There are notes of pine and and citrus. It is hop forward, but there is a bit of caramel sweetness hiding in there to round out the body. The aftertaste continues to be pretty hoppy. I'd be interested to know what the IBU count is in this beast, because it tastes hoppy as all get out.  Also, the alcohol content is cleverly masked--it doesn't taste like a 6.7% beer.

The T.W.A. is a saucy brew that is a pretty fair impression of a West Coast IPA. I definitely recommend it, and will be keeping my eyes out for other brews by Gananoque.  If you see Train Wreck Ale on tap, I say give it a try.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.