Sucker Punch IPA

When you’re the author of a beer blog with a demanding audience of dozens (dozens!) of readers, you don’t want to let them down by failing to deliver a review because you’ve got the sniffles. However, you still want to be sure to deliver an accurate review uncompromised by your plugged sniffer. What to do? My solution: crack open a can of particularly fragrant sour IPA that you’ve had before and, once you confirm you can smell it, write it up. So here are my thoughts on Sucker Punch IPA from Toronto’s Double Trouble Brewing Co.

Billed as a “sour & tart IPA”, the beer is a 6.5% number sold in 473mL cans. Sunny gold and well-carbonated, Sucker Punch pours with a sudsy white head. The beer has tart aromatics characterized by notes of funky yeast, unripe berries, and rhubarb. The flavour is also possessed of a rowdy tang—admirably sour, but also fairly bitter, particularly at the finish.

Sucker Punch is an unusual brew, at least by Ontario craft standards, where sour IPAs aren’t particularly common. It’s acidic, yet bitter, and undeniably flavourful. My review can was my third in under a month, so it’s safe to say I like it; however, I wish the balance was tilted a little bit more steeply toward bitterness.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Hoperation Smash New England IPA

Brewed in Ottawa, Hoperation Smash New England IPA comes from North American Craft. It’s a 6.2%, 62 IBU brew sold in militaristic 473mL cans. The beer is a hazy orange-gold colour with a fluff of white suds and a lively amount of carbonation. It also poured with a bit of sediment—not a chunk monster, but just a little.

Hoperation Smash has a juicy mandarin orange aroma and a correspondingly sweet flavour. The back end has considerable dank, citrus bitterness.

To my mind, Hoperation Smash had some points in its favour, but a handful of drawbacks that hurt my overall score. On the plus side, the juicy flavour and ample hops. In the negative column is the presence of some chunks and a slightly oversweet front end. A fine enough beer, but I’m not sure that I’d buy it more than occasionally.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Icebreaker Brut IPA

According to the copy on the 473mL can of Icebreaker Brut IPA, “[e]very spring when the weather starts to warm, brave and eager paddlers head out to break ice on the river.” The namesake paddlers and I have nothing in common. As the weather starts to warm, my own impulse [same as when the weather is chilly] is to reach for a beer, and in this case, I grabbed a can of the 5%, 46 IBU brew from Fosters Falls, Ontario. 

 

Brewed by the folks at Whitewater Brewing Co., who recently impressed me with their Astrolabe Session IPA, I approached Icebreaker with quite a bit of enthusiasm. The beer, billed as a “very dry” offering, is a hazy, dull gold grog under a loose, off-white head. It has a pretty hefty perfumed hops nose and a flavour built around floral bitterness. As indicated on the can, the beer is kindling dry, though it  lacks the champagne effervescence that characterizes the Brut IPA style. 

On the whole, I thought Icebreaker was a good effort, though it was undeniably under-strength. A bit more fizz would have been style-appropriate, too, though the dryness was well-executed and the bitterness was on point for a lower alcohol IPA variant.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Minutes to Midnight

Minutes to Midnight is a mighty 11.1% barrel aged imperial stout brewed with vanilla, cherries, and cocoa. Born in Toronto to Bellwoods Brewery, M2M comes in 500mL bottles. It has a powerful and wildly sweet aroma that is primarily woody with bourbon notes, along with some cherry elements. The flavour is extremely potent, with vanilla and chocolate leading the charge up front, with sour cherry waiting in reserve. Nestled among these flavours are notes of molasses and tobacco, as well as a huge crush of ol’ fashioned booze.

Another bulky edition to Bellwoods Brewery’s catalogue of strong ass stouts, M2M is a strong and flavour-packed ale. To my mind, it’s a touch too sweet and the cherry is a little to dominant at the back end, but the overall effect is still quite enjoyable.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

MacLean’s IPA

With its less-is-more black 473mL can emblazoned with a simple green hop, I challenge you not to buy MacLean’s IPA—I certainly couldn’t say no. The brew—a bit under-strength at just 6%—comes from MacLean’s Ales in Hanover, Ontario. According to the copy on the can, the beer is both kettle and dry hopped. The result is a an attractive, clear golden ale topped with a cap of white head.

Sadly, this dark photo does not capture the desirablilty of this simple yet attractive can.

MacLean’s IPA has a metallic jingle in its aroma, running alongside spicy floral hops. The beer has a well balanced flavour, with a relatively robust malt presence complimenting peppery hops at the finish.

Sure, I’d have liked a bit higher alcohol content and a slightly less metallic nose, but in spite of my gripes, MacLean’s IPA was a very nice little Ontario IPA—one I expect I’ll be revisiting fairly frequently.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Too Wound Down Session IPA

Friday evening, work in the rear view mirror, and a brand new Budos Band album to spin—I needed a quality beer match and decided on a 473mL can of Too Wound Down Session IPA. TWD comes from Bell City Brewing Co. in Brantford, Ontario. It’s a 4.7% session sipper that pours with an agreeable clear copper colour—think new penny—and a hillock of off-white head.

The beer has IPA aromatics in miniature, with bitter pine leading the way. As one might expect from a session IPA, the beer has some sticky hops flavour, though this is less assertive than in a high octane alternative. Personally, I’d say the IPA elements are closer to the English style than the American, with a well balanced malt to hops ratio and a slightly honeyed character on the front end before deviating to a mildly bitter, softwood finish.

Bell City is a brewery that has long been on my list to check out, as their Cream Ale is a real treat (though apparently I’ve never reviewed it, which is an unconscionable oversight) and Lenoir Belgian Style Ale is also pretty good. TWD has given me yet another reason to be curious about this Brantford establishment. I suppose I’ll have to make the trek sometime soon. TWD is a well-executed session IPA in that it is fairly flavourful, clear, and pleasantly balanced. It is a bit thin on the mouthfeel, though I suspect this is a fairly hard-to-avoid sin when dealing with a low-alcohol IPA variant. Otherwise, it’s a grand li’l beer that I’ll happily revisit frequently as long as it remains available to me.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

WHIP Piña Colada Smoothie IPA

WHIP Piña Colada Smoothie IPA, from Left Field Brewery, is a complicated little brew that reflects a moderately complicated pitching statistic. Like its cocktail namesake, it features pineapple, coconut, along with lactose, oats, wheat, vanilla yeast, to combine in a 6% concoction that is sold in 355mL cans.

A milky golden brew, WHIP glugs out of its aluminum cage with a thin off-white head. It has a coconut-driven nose accented with pineapple 

 sweetness. The flavour hits the piña colada pedigree ever more squarely, with sweet coconut and pineapple elements evident to even the most untested palate. Behind that, there is a light hoppiness evident at the finish.

Left Field’s Piña Colada Smoothie IPA delivered exactly what it promised, with a creamy mouthfeel and boatloads of Island flavours. This isn’t exactly a novelty beer, but it is definitely the kind of ale that I’d only reach for occasionally. Too sweet for business drinking, but definitely interesting, it’s a beer I liked, but won’t hurry out for a second. I was watching the Toronto Maple Leafs host the hated Boston Bruins when I reached for this can of ale, needing something Toronto-born to cheer on the Buds—something from one of Toronto’s elite breweries seemed like an appropriate choice, and even if it didn’t fuel the Leafs to victory, it left me satisfied. My only real beef is that I’d have liked a more boisterously bitter finish to balance the sweet front end.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Starboard New England IPA

According to the copy on the 473mL can of Starboard New England IPA, the 5.4% ale is “partially filtered”. Given the amount of chunky sediment that poured out along with the hazy orange-gold liquid, I’d say the beer isn’t partially filtered nearly enough. Starboard comes from Lake of Bays Brewing Co. in Baysville, Ontario. It contains 40 IBUs and is brewed using a combination of Magnum, Citra, and Mosaic hops. Aside from the unpalatable chunks, Starboard poured with a thin layer of white head.

To my nose, Starboard had a primarily juicy aroma, with a whiff of floral perfume as a subtext. The flavour is big on citrus, with a sweet to bitter progression. The back end is slightly hoppy, but pretty underwhelming for an IPA.

As I understand it, a New England IPA should be hazy and juicy. This one struggled to deliver uniform haze. The chunks are, in my opinion, evidence of a significant flaw in this beer. Like Sparklepuff, another recent Ontario craft beer that has struggled with chunkies, this is an ale with potential, but which can’t garner a favorable review until it gets this aspect of its house in order. Added to that, the beer is under strength and not quite as bitter as I’d have liked. I’m willing to give this beer another chance, but I was disappointed with my first impression.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10.

Interstellar IPA

According to its copy on the 473mL cans, Interstellar IPA was made to honour Oumuamua, which is “the very first interstellar object ever detected in our Solar System and discovered by Londoner Rob Weryk in 2017.” Given that the beer is brewed by Forked River Brewing Company, I suspect that the Londoner is likely from London, Ontario—the home of Forked River.

The beer is a 6.5% potion sold in 473mL cans. It has a faint amount of haze, a plush off-white head, and a dull gold colour. Interstellar has juicy peach and tangerine notes on the nose and a flavour that’s fruity off the jump and transitions into a sticky, resinous finish.

Interstellar IPA is a flavourful ale. It is a bit too sweet, initially, and it could be a bit stronger, but the dank finish really provides the illusion of greater heft. Also, Forked River has included a helpful list of suggested food pairings (Southern BBQ; mild Indian cuisine; and shawarma fries), which is a decent touch. I’m not always a fan of suggested pairings, but this one works for me because it goes the extra step and extrapolates on why BBQ makes a good match.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Beau’s Altbier

Beau’s Altbier bills itself as a “German style amber ale”, and that’s just what it is. Born in Vankleek Hill, Ontario to Beau’s Brewing Co., Beau’s Altbier is a 4.7% ale sold in 473mL cans. It’s a handsome beer—clear ruddy amber that pours with a healthy measure of eggshell head.

The ale has a rich, roasted malt aroma and significant bready notes. The flavour is many things: earthy, bready, and slightly metallic, with notes of honey and roasted malt. The beer has some unexpected bitterness at the back end.

Beau’s Altbier is a treat. It’s extremely flavourful for a low alcohol ale and a strong representation of an underrepresented style.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Astrolabe Session IPA

Named on honour of the astrological/navigational instrument, Astrolabe Session IPA is a 5% brew from Fosters Falls, Ontario. Produced by Whitewater Brewing Co., Astrolabe comes in 473mL cans and it packs a 60-IBU wallop.

Hazy orange-gold in colour, Astrolabe pours with a layer of snowy white fluff. It has a juicy apricot and mango aroma and a comparable flavour, building to a fairly hefty, dank hops finish.

This flavourful session IPA packs a bunch of flavour into a relatively low alcohol package. I enjoyed my first can of the stuff while glued to the Blue Jays 2019 home opener, and it was a great accompaniment to a fast-paced pitcher’s duel. I’ll definitely buy this beer again—hopefully it continues to be available in Ontario’s state-run liquor stores.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Trash Panda Hazy IPA

Sold in 473mL cans emblazoned with a garbage-raiding, evil raccoon, Trash Panda Hazy IPA is a 5.5% alcohol beer from Vancouver, British Columbia’s Parallel 49 Brewing Company. The beer is hazy, golden orange in colour, and it pours with a sudsy white head.

Trash Panda has a pleasant orange juice aroma. The flavour is also pretty orange-focused, with a creamy, slightly thin mouthfeel, and a finish that adds an element of citrus bitterness to the persistent orange vibe.

The hazy IPA from Parallel 49 was tasty, but it was also a bit thin, and could certainly have stood to be a wee bit stronger booze-wise. I’d also have liked a bit more hops assertiveness.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Mountain Lager

Collingwood, Ontario is the fount of Mountain Lager, a 4.7% alcohol Munich-style helles. During the first round of March Madness in 2019, I needed something crisp with session-friendly stats, so I reached for a 473mL can of this clear, golden lager from Side Launch Brewing Company.

Mountain Lager has a mild, approachable nose built around cereal and grass notes, with a noble hop undercarriage. It has a crisp, thirst quenching mouthfeel, a grainy, dry flavour, and a style-appropriate floral hop finish.

Mountain Lager is a refreshing and flavourful take on the helles lager. It marries crisp and flavourful in a tasty union. I wouldn’t whine if they upped the percentage to 5, but that’s a pretty minor gripe about an otherwise well-made lager.

Rating; 8.5 out of 10.

Theoretikal Zero

A bit of an oddity in the hop-heavy world of craft beer collaborations, Theoretikal Zero is a double dry-hopped beer made with no hops in the boil. Brewed in Barrie, Ontario, TZ is a collab between Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery and L’Anjub out of Vinebre, Spain. The 4.8% session IPA is sold in 473mL cans. According to the copy, the beer has, at least in theory, 0 IBUs.

Whatever the IBU count, TZ is a beautiful looking beer: slightly hazy, orange-gold, and topped with a fluffy bright white foam. It has a juiced, perfumed, and slightly floral aroma, and a flavour rich in peach and tangerine notes up front and a light dose of citrus bitterness. The mouthfeel is light and breezy, though it is a bit more thin and less crisp than I’d have wished.

An interesting concept with a flavourful result, Theoretikal Zero is an enjoyable brew. Too thin and insufficiently crisp, but otherwise really well executed, I’d buy this stuff again for sure.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Tokyo Rose

In exchange for a couple of hours of moving furniture, my ol’ pal MT offered to buy my a couple of beers from Halo Brewery. One of my selections was Tokyo Rose, a saison brewed with rose hips. A Torontonian beer, Tokyo Rose contains 6.4% alcohol and comes in 500mL bottles with attractive labels.

The beer is a cloudy pinkish gold number topped with a fluff of snowy white head. Tart and funky to the nose, Tokyo Rose has an engaging tang. The flavour is yeasty, with a floral perfume element, and an understated bitter finish.

Tokyo Rose is a well-executed saison with a faint rose lilt and a solid texture.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Candle Burner Coffee IPA

Brewed using Ethiopian Sidamo coffee from the folks at Planet Bean Coffee, Candle Burner Coffee IPA is a 6.2%, 55 IBU brew from Guelph, Ontario’s Wellington Brewery. The beer comes in 355mL bottles, from which it emerges slightly hazy and highly carbonated, with an unexpectedly light golden colour and a fluffy white crown.

Candle Burner has a spicy, bitter nose with a hint of roasted java. Unlike the aroma, where coffee was just a suggestion, CB’s flavour has a surfeit of bitter bean juice in parallel with some citrus hoppiness that gains steam as the finish approaches.

Wellington’s coffee IPA has some character and lots of flavour. It’s not the kind of beer you’d drink in volume, but the stuff sure is lovely as a one off. I’d have liked a bit more pop, booze-wise, but the IBU count was on point.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.