Sultana Gold

Lake of the Woods Brewery is, according to their cans, Ontario's northernmost brewery. Situated in Kenora, they are the producer of Sultana Gold. Other than the golden 473mL can, what really drew me to this beer is its name--I know that Sultana is a type of raisin, but to me, it evokes images of the ill-fated steamship Sultana, a tragedy that, in my limited experience, many people seem unfamiliar with. But enough of the half-cooked history; on to the beer! Besides, according to the can, this stuff is actually named after a gold mine.

 

Sultana Gold is a blonde ale listed at 5%. It's a clear, healthy gold hue, and pours with a nice tipping of vivid white head. It's aroma is both grainy and tinny. As for flavour, grainy stalksaround the front end, but there is a half-hearted ambush of hops in the rear. The mouthfeel is crisp, but also vaguely buttery.

Lastly, the can features the number 14,522 with no explanation. My guess is that this represents a census population of Kenora, but who knows?

 

My final take on Sultana Gold is that it is a tasty, well-made, and entirely forgettable beer. That it won't stir my memory bank isn't meant as a detraction--it just indicates that the beer did its job adequately, without bells and whistles. Moreover, drinking this beer left me wanting more of Lake of the Woods offerings, so that's a positive takeaway.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.