Saturday 9 November 2019

Versaverse IPA

One of the nice things about living across the park from a great brewery is freshness. I just picked up a 473mL can of Versaverse IPA that was brewed three weeks ago and that’s fine by me.

Versaverse comes from Toronto institution Bellwoods Brewery. It’s a zippy 7.2% ale brewed with a trio of hops: Azacca, Centennial, and Loral. The beer is a hazy orange brew with a short-lived layer of off-white head. It has citrus aromatics, but beneath that is a subtle scent of plastic—to my mind a bit of an off note. The flavour runs parallel to the citrus notes, with a floral orange element leading the way. Unfortunately, to my tongue anyway, there is also a whisper of plastic wrap. To be clear, I’m talking about a very faint off note—barely there—but enough for me to be a bit distracted. The beer finishes with pretty good bitterness—citrus and slightly dank.
 

Versaverse IPA was a decent effort from a great brewery. Compared to some of Bellwoods’ best IPAs, like Ghost Orchid, Roman Candle, and the excellent Cat Lady, this one is a bit of a swing and a miss. Good look, great strength, but ultimately flawed. I’d be interested in trying this one again lest I had a tainted batch, but until then, I feel this one is not quite up to snuff.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

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