Devil’s Punchbowl India Session Lager

Hamilton’s Clifford Brewing Co. makes my favourite regularly available Ontario porter. On the other end of the colour spectrum, they’re also the driving force behind Devil’s Punchbowl India Session Lager, a highly carbonated 4.8% dry-hopped brew sold in slick and stylish 473mL cans.

Devil’s Punchbowl is a straw gold lager with a slight haze and a hefty crown of vivid white suds. It has white wine and tropical fruit tendencies in the nose and a flavour that treads the same waters. The beer has a sharp initial note that is both florally hoppy and quite grainy. The back end is laced with citrus notes.

The drawback of Devil’s Punchbowl is the mouthfeel, which is a little thin and overly smooth—I was hoping for a bit more of the intersection of pale lager crispness and dry-hopped zest. However, the flavour is definitely agreeable—extremely so. I bet if I was drinking this beer on a sunny Saturday afternoon in August, I’d have a different tune than today, a dismally cold December Wednesday night. Long story short: I’ll definitely buy this stuff again and it’ll continue to be tasty.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Express India Session Lager

St. Thomas, Ontario is the home of Railway City Brewing Co. and the birthplace of Express India Session Lager. At 4.8% alcohol, the strength is right for a session beer, though at a mere 18 IBUs, a 473mL can of this brew is pretty light in the hop department for a beer brandishing the "India" moniker. The lager poured with a golden hue. It was clear and had a vibrant white cloud of foam.

To my nose, Express packed a nice aroma rich in citrus fruit and a suggestion of modest bitterness. The flavour proved crisp and easy-drinking, but lacked the bitter heft that I wanted it to possess. Far from brittle, the beer had a fairly engaging taste--fresh and fun, but with no more hoppiness than a modest pilsner. What bitterness it did have, however, did lean closer to that of a craft ale than to a typical lager--crunchy citrus notes lended a bit of value. The finish was short and dry.

Express India Session Lager was, at the same time, engaging and disappointing. It had a micro-brewed ale suggestion that spoke to me, but it lacked the grit packed into India Pale Lagers that I've tried. Some vigorous dry-hopping might have upped the ante a bit. It must be said, though, that the compact and arid finish was a boon--and the "session" in the name was well earned. A beer-sop like me could sink a dangerous number of these little guys and not struggle until too late.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.