Marco Polo Italian Pilsner

Marco Polo Italian Pilsner is produced in Toronto by Indie Alehouse. It’s a 5% brew sold in very slick 355mL cans done up in black and gold. The beer itself is fairly clear and nicely carbonated, with a fluff of white foam.

MP has a floral hop aroma—crisp and a bit sweet. The flavour is extremely flowery, to the point that it actually has a soapy quality that isn’t entirely agreeable (to me at least). I initially suspected dish soap in my pilsner glass, but all four 355mL cans had the same vibe. The beer, though, is undeniably crisp and refreshing, with evident dry-hopping.

I wanted to love Marco Polo. It’s a great style made by a brewery that I really respect, but I found it disappointingly soapy and that was tough to look past. It is definitely thirst-quenching, and the flavour is unique, but it wasn’t to my taste at all.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10.

Farmer in the Sky Dry Hopped Pilsner

According to its 473mL can, Farmer in the Sky Dry Hopped Pilsner is the brainchild of True History Brewing in Toronto, though it’s actually brewed in Calgary by Last Spike Brewery. The beer is a 4.9% pale lager.

A sunny, effervescent, and slightly hazy yellow gold brew, Farmer in the Sky has a mild dry and grainy aroma. In contrast, the flavour is pretty rowdy, with a grainy backbone supplemented with floral notes and a slightly coppery vibe. The finish is decently bitter, but not as crisp and punchy as I’d have liked.

Farmer in the Sky is a fair take of the dry-hopped pilsner. Bitter and full-flavoured, but not as crisp and abrupt as I’d have liked, the beer shows promise and I’d probably revisit it. Now that True History Brewing is on my radar, I’ll be keeping an eye out for future releases.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.